Cygnet’s Tenth Season!

By Manny Fernandes. Posted on 02/03/12

Nine years ago when we opened the doors of Cygnet Theatre in a strip mall near La Mesa, we were presenting the birth of a new theatre company whose mission was to offer exciting and provocative live theatre as its niche.

Today, we’ve grown from an idea budding around our kitchen table into the fifth largest professional theatre in San Diego. We’ve gone from welcoming 37 subscribers our first season to 2,400 subscribers today. After nine years, we’ve settled into our beautiful home in Old Town; produced 58 plays, created jobs for 367 actors, 98 Equity contracts, 190 designers, 58 stage managers, 39 backstage technicians and 41 musicians; and it hardly seems possible that we are making preparations for our 10th Anniversary Season!

Cygnet’s season opens with MAN OF LA MANCHA, starring Sean Murray as  Miguel de Cerventes.  Considered one of the most enduring works of musical theatre, MAN OF LA MANCHA tells the story of Cervantes, a failed author, actor, soldier and tax collector awaiting trial by the Spanish Inquisition.  His desperate attempt to prevent attacking fellow prisoners from destroying his novel leads to a unique agreement. Cervantes is permitted to act out the story within the novel, and the prisoners will decide if the tale is worthy of saving.  What follows is a play within a play of a delusional man who believes himself to be the noble knight, Don Quixote.  With book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh, LA MANCHA opened on Broadway in 1965, ran for 2,323 performances and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The principal song “The Impossible Dream” is now a classic of the stage. Cygnet Theatre’s MAN OF LA MANCHA will run July 5th through August 26th, 2012.

In late September, Cygnet Theatre is pleased to present beloved, veteran actor Phil Johnson in the West Coast Premiere of MISTAKES WERE MADE by Craig Wright.  This hilarious, fast-paced story of a B-list Off-Broadway producer and his messy quest for success was described by New York Magazine as “Ninety furious, fulminating, very funny minutes of American hucksterism in extremis.”  San Diego Critics Circle Award Winner Shana Wride (Private Lives) will direct Johnson in Cygnet’s side-splitting tour-de-force.  MISTAKES WERE MADE runs September 20th through October 21st, 2012.

At Cygnet Theatre, the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a trip to WCYG, Cygnet Playhouse of the Air.   But this year, audiences will be treated to a new holiday classic, Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL, adapted by Sean Murray.  Once again the 1940′s radio actors of “WCYG Theatre of the Air” will delight audiences with a “live radio broadcast” filled with music, sound effects and a wide array of treasured characters from the family-favorite.  A CHRISTMAS CAROL visits Cygnet’s Playhouse of the Air November 23rd through December 30th, 2012.

The new year offers something truly surprising! Cygnet has to hold off on announcing our 2013 kick-off, but stay tuned for all the upcoming details of our January/February slot.  The TBA production runs January 24th through February 24th, 2013.

Taking place in Spring 2013, Cygnet Theatre is proud to announce ASSASSINS, with book by John Weidman and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.  Artistic Director Sean Murray has had a long-time love-affair with Sondheim’s tricky musical scores and ASSASSINS has topped his list of productions for Cygnet’s stage.  The uniquely dark and funny musical, which explores the motives and inner-workings of nine individuals who assassinated or attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, is Sondheim’s off-kilter exploration of the American Dream.  Cygnet Theatre has staged two concert-readings of the show during its history and both received raves from Cygnet audiences.  Murray is pleased to bring a full production to the stage during Cygnet’s 10th Season.  ASSASSINS will run March 14th through April 28th, 2013.

Cygnet Theatre will close its season with the San Diego Premiere of Joe Calarco’s SHAKESPEARE’S R & J.   Part Dead Poets Society, part Lord of the Flies, Calarco’s work takes its audience to a parochial boarding school where four schoolboys discover Shakespeare’s most famous love story.  The NY Times described it as “A vibrant, hot-blooded new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet…pulsat(ing) with an adolescent abandon and electricity of which Romeo himself might approve,”  and the Wall Street Journal declares it “A gem, the most inventive reimagining of a classic in years.”  The stunning drama comes to Cygnet Theatre May 22nd through June 16th, 2013.

Current Subscribers can renew their subscriptions now by contacting the box office at 619-337-1525 or returning the renewal forms that have already been sent out.  Sales for New Subscribers will begin March 1st.

We look forward to sharing these productions with you!

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Reading Between the Lines…

By Jessica John. Posted on 08/11/11

(How Literature and the Local Library Turned Me into an Actress)

There is an oft-told family story about one of my trips to the pediatrician.   Only 4 years old and unable to read, I sat in the waiting room with my favorite book – a Little Golden entitled, Bugs Bunny…Something’s Fishy.   I loudly “read” it to the antsy parents and feverish children, whether they cared to listen or not.  Each character had its own unique voice; each page provided a new set of madcap capers, deft drama and screwball comedy.  The Looney Tunes were a wacky bunch and I suppose, in the mind of a toddler, the perfect diversion for the circumstances at hand.  I felt I was donating a much-needed service.  Anyway, I could hardly be held responsible for the “medical drama” I provided.  You see, my mother read to me.

My twin sister and I grew up with the standard fare of Goodnight Moon, Caps for Sale and The Pokey Little Puppy.   My mother animated every page… enlivening each drawing with a distinctive importance.  Each writer had a new, glorious story to tell, and each one was told by a brand new cast…puppies and moons and spoons and cap-sellers.   By the time my twin sister and I were 8 years old, my mother had moved on to over 1500 page novels like Sacajawea (The Lewis and Clark Expedition) by Anna Lee Waldo.  My sister and I would climb into bed and listen to tales about terrifying treks through precarious terrains, a papoose strapped to the Indian woman’s back, lean strips of buffalo jerky – her only source of nourishment for days.  The stories my mother read were as good as any movie.  Better, in fact, because the “visuals” (the teepees and bison and feather headdresses) were mine alone.  The stakes were as high as I made them, the cliffs as steep…

My mother imported her love for reading to her children.  Many hot summertime days were spent in the local library.   With my sister by my side, we’d choose one book a piece – conferring with one another for trade upon our own completion.  Then off to the bay, with books in hand, my mother and sister and I would eat picnic lunches in silence – each of us deep within our own individual saga, epic or comic adventure.  Sometimes we’d ask one another to listen as we read a particularly intriguing section from our library loaner and then, after a bit of conversation, we were back to world of our own selection – separately experiencing new dramas, love stories, history lessons – all within each other’s company.

My conversion from reader to performer started early and my love and connection to the written story has never left me.  I owe so much to my mother and to the libraries where I spent so many of my days.  For this reason, it has been a particular honor to head Cygnet’s TUESDAY ON TWIGGS STREET Event.  These quarterly free theatre parties (aimed at supporting local libraries) have been delightful introductions to others who, like me, are in love with stories and great books.  They too understand the excitement, the escape and the unique perspective these penned pieces can provide.  In my life it has only been matched by the magic of live theatre.  Both fill me with same sense of joy, emotion and awe.  Both invite me to participate in the story being told.  Both pay respect to my own uncapped resource…my imagination.

So this is my personal invitation to those of you who remember being read to, appreciate the gift of good storytelling or who simply owe your local library a “thank you” for years of free reading.  I hope you’ll join us at one of our TUESDAY ON TWIGGS STREET Events.  Cygnet provides the food, the drinks, the enter-to-wins, backstage tours and a nice group of like-minded company.  All YOU need to bring is a new or gently used book or a cash donation (of any size) for our specified neighborhood library.   In turn, our libraries will provide you unlimited days of travel, riches, poetry, laughter and drama; a private world of untouchable props, scenery, characters and costumes.  And you will be the producer, right in your very own living room.

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The Set Design of Cabaret: Part 2

By Sean Fanning. Posted on 03/08/11

You Just Can’t Cheat!

What can I say about executing a set at the Theatre in Old Town? It’s not your everyday scene shop. As I pull up to the parking lot next to the theatre, I find myself peering over the rustic fence at the lumber racks, sawhorses, and various bits of flats from old productions. This is the shop, where the thermostat seems to vary as much as San Diego weather, and the paint takes eons to dry on a damp day, or dries too quickly in the hot sun. And the rain is a constant threat that can set us back days at a time!

The talented team of carpenters under Technical Director Andy Scrimger use the yard behind the theatre to pre-build our scenery in parts. It’s a tricky planning process, due to a few approaches we use on our sets, which I’ll get to in a moment.

Andy began working with Cygnet in 2009, and has consistently been one to balance the needs of the budget with the demands of quality. Any technical director would tell you this is not an easy task. These days, we work together to implement strategies towards putting up a set by being very frugal, and as a byproduct (and a constant goal) using green, sustainable methods of creating scenery. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Set Design of Cabaret: Part 1

By Sean Fanning. Posted on 02/28/11

Cabaret as an Alcoholic Beverage

Last year, Sean Murray asked me to work with him on Sweeney Todd.  It was our seventh production together.  Working with Sean and co-director James Vasquez was

possibly the most freeing experience that can be asked of a designer for a musical theatre setting: we threw out all preconceived notions of the staging, we started from scratch and found our own voices in the piece.

And I discovered that doing a musical on a thrust stage means that, despite the amount of decorative flourishes I may apply to a setting, my eye always becomes inexorably riveted to the performer.  Out there on that thrust surrounded on three sides by a rapt audience, and commanding a story.  In one breathless moment, I can forget about everything I’ve been hired or trained to do as a designer, as I sit back and watch energy flow. Read the rest of this entry »

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Inside the 4-Color Way

By Manny Fernandes. Posted on 02/07/11

We asked playwright Lance Arthur Smith a couple of questions regarding his new play Truth, Justice and the 4-Color Way, which will be presented as a staged reading as part of Cygnet’s Playwrights in Process Series.

Cygnet: What was the inspiration for Truth, Justice and the 4-Color Way?

Lance Arthur Smith: I originally conceived of this piece in early 2008 after learning my wife Colleen was pregnant. The 1954 Senate Subcommittee hearings have been on my radar for years due to my love of comic books. But with my daughter Scotland on the way, I felt compelled to explore parental themes in a play, and the backdrop of this 1950s comic book “war” felt like the right way to do it.

It focuses on an oft-overlooked event in our country’s history as well as on the major personalities surrounding it. The parallels to today’s video game industry, and the Hollywood machine, strike me as I figure out where I stand as a father.

Cygnet: What it means to have your play workshopped at Cygnet.

Lance Arthur Smith: Cygnet’s “Playwrights in Process” fosters playwrights in a program that, sadly, exists in very few places. Many theatre companies say they make a commitment to new work, but Cygnet commits itself fully to cultivating new work through a series of readings and interactions.

Fran championed this piece, and to have his backing and support has been a refreshing experience. Both he and Sean have been actively involved throughout several rewrites, and we’ve had meetings outside of rehearsal halls, through email, and over dropped phone calls (thanks to my unreliable carrier).

Joining a playwright the caliber of Stephen Metcalfe (whose Tragedy of the Commons was refined during “Playwrights in Process”), is a joy and I’m looking forward to continuing the theatrical conversation of 4-Color Way with a live audience.

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Cygnet Announces 9th Season!

By Manny Fernandes. Posted on 01/24/11

(Updated Jan 25th)
We are excited to announce our 2011/2012 line-up. Cygnet’s ninth season will offer productions ranging from Shakespeare to Williams; and for Cygnet’s musical-lovers, two uniquely thrilling productions!

Cygnet’s season begins with LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, a rock musical based on the 1960s camp film, The Little Shop of Horrors, which follows the story of a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. Cygnet’s production, featuring the amazing Audrey II puppets designed by Monkeyboys Designs, will be a B-movie, campy horror-fest staged in black and white film-noir style! This quirky dark comedy – with music composed by Alan Menken and written by Howard Ashman – received a long off-Broadway run, a subsequent Broadway production and was turned into a 1986 film of the same name. The LITTLE SHOP music features rock-n-roll, doo-wop and early Motown sounds with several well-known tunes including “Skid Row (Downtown)” and “Suddenly Seymour.” Cygnet Resident Artist David McBean (It’s A Wonderful Life, Fully Committed) will feed the horror and the hilarity as the human-hungry plant, Audrey II. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS will run July 28th through September 11th, 2011.

In early October, Cygnet Theatre will present it’s first Shakespearean main-stage production, RICHARD III. This play, which depicts the rise to power and subsequent short rein of Richard III, is widely considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest works. Regarded as an “antihero” of the medieval age, the deformed Richard III was known for being both frighteningly vicious and eerily funny. Shakespeare’s fascinating depiction of his murderous path to the English crown is one of his most beloved and oft performed plays. RICHARD III runs October 13th through November 13th, 2011.

The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, adapted by Joe Landry. Each year, Cygnet audiences delight in this new-found wintertime tradition as Tom Andrew performs his San Diego Critics Circle Award-winning role of George Bailey, whose life alters for good upon meeting Clarence the Angel. Once again the 1940′s radio actors of “WCYG Theatre of the Air” will recreate the classic story in a “live” radio broadcast filled with music, sound effects and the beloved characters from the film. It’s A Wonderful Life returns to the Cygnet stage from November 30th through December 31st, 2011.

The new year offers starts off with a bang with the Southern California Premiere of A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE by Martin McDonagh.  The title is just the starting point to McDonagh’s black comedy, his first American-set play. Take a man searching for his missing hand, two con artists out to make a few hundred bucks, and an overly curious hotel clerk, and the rest is up for grabs. Strong, adult language. A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE will  run January 19th through February 19th, 2012.

In the Spring, Cygnet Theatre will present PARADE, with book by Alfred Uhrey and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. The musical dramatizes the 1913 true story of the trial of Jewish factory superintendent, Leo Frank, accused of the murder of a thirteen-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in Atlanta Georgia. The play, which won Tony Awards for best book and best score and six Drama Desk Awards, is both hauntingly beautiful and bitingly frank in its depiction of love in the midst of adversity and growing racial tensions. The show was Brown’s first Broadway production and his award-winning melodies drew from a variety of influences including pop-rock, folk, rhythm and blues and gospel. PARADE will run March 8th through April 22nd, 2012.

Cygnet Theatre will close its season with Tennessee William’s A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. The Pulitzer Prize winning drama is considered a landmark play. It has also been at the top of Artistic Director Sean Murray’s lists of dream projects for Cygnet Theatre since his award-winning production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2005. The story deals with the culture clash of two iconic characters, Blanche DuBois, a fading relic of the Old South, and Stanley Kowalski, a rising member of the industrial working class. The production received multiple runs on Broadway, was adapted into a film, an opera, a ballet and was even produced for television. The steamy drama comes to Cygnet Theatre May 17th through June 24th, 2012.

Current Subscribers can contact the box office starting Wednesday to renew.  New Subscriptions for the 2011-2012 will be available soon.

We think this is going to be an exciting season, and certainly hope you will join us.

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Meet Stephen Metcalfe

By Manny Fernandes. Posted on 12/07/10

In January 2011, Cygnet Theatre will have the honor of producing its very first World Premiere – The Tragedy of the Commons, by celebrity playwright Stephen Metcalfe.

Stephen Metcalfe, a nationally renowned stage writer, is possibly most recognized for such Hollywood blockbusters as Pretty Woman (with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere) and Mr. Holland’s Opus (with Richard Dreyfuss).

CT: Did you start out writing for film?

SM: I started out as a playwright. Between 1978 and 1985 I wrote five full length plays and perhaps half a dozen one act plays. Even though all the work was produced, I was in no way, shape or form making a living from it. At one point I thought it might be a relief to go into advertising.

CT: What are some of the differences between writing for film versus the stage?

SM: I discovered early on how difficult plot can be. In the theatre, plot is an excuse for people to talk. In a movie, it’s a reason for them to blow things up. Here’s another difference. If a play is a house, others can decorate, but they can’t tear down the walls. It’s yours, you own it.  If a screenplay is a house, people can tear it down to the foundation, dig a deep hole and throw away the key. They own it. (This doesn’t mean that sometimes you don’t get the credit – or blame – for what they did.)

In the theatre no one is asking you to be a playwright – in fact, if pressed, they’d probably tell you to go into advertising – but if you write a play, they’ll read it.  In film, no one reads anything. But if they hear you’ve done something that’s pretty good, they’ll pay you to do something else.

CT: What impact did your success with Pretty Woman have on your career as a writer?

SM: For better or for worse, in 1991 I wrote the production draft of the screenplay for Pretty Woman. And so for the next ten years the phone rang pretty much on a weekly basis with someone – who, as mentioned, had usually never read my work – asking me to re-write a romantic comedy. The problem was I didn’t consider myself a writer of romantic comedies. But as I was trying to do silly things like pay a mortgage and raise a family, as often as not I’d take the job. But in between re-writing romantic comedies I continued to write my own screenplays on spec. This, to some extent, took the place of my writing for the theatre. It felt the same. My own screenplays I hoped/felt were character and dialogue driven and were emotionally grounded; they felt to me as if they were about real things. Of course, they didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting made.

CT: What prompted you to begin writing for the stage again?

SM: In 2005 I had a growing realization that though I’ve made a living as writer, the best work I’ve done is probably sitting on shelves in LA somewhere. Did I mention that a dramatist writes for actors and an audience? The writing is not the end unto itself, seeing it done is. And so, with this in mind, the desire to see work done, I find myself writing plays again. I have no fantasies I’ll make a living doing it but that’s okay. I’m also going into advertising.

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How I Conquered Norman…
(One Woman’s Journey into an Oversized T-Shirt.)

By Jessica John. Posted on 08/18/10

I’ll admit it…When it comes to fashion; I’m a girly-girl.   Almost everyone who knows me has ultimately asked me if I OWN a shoe without a heel.  Skirts and sundresses are my summer uniform and a day without earrings is a day spent tugging naked earlobes.   So my brown “i conquered norman” t-shirt was something of an anomaly to me on the morning of Cygnet’s The Norman Conquests All-Day Opening Extravaganza. Three full-length plays taken-in with a theatre full of audience members I’d known or met through the years and nary a piece of clothing in my closet to match that ringspun cotton crew-neck.

Noon-time found me anxiously awaiting the first CONQUEST of the day…Round and Round the Garden. I admire every one of those gorgeous actors, (not to mention both of the gifted directors and all of the amazing designers and crew) and I am an Alan Ayckbourn fanatic.  There was so much talent ready to bring the story of the “quirky assistant librarian” and his “oddball in-laws” to life.  I tapped my foot nervously – my foot, donned in a suede knee-high boot picked to match my jeans, jewel-encrusted belt and a thin-belted, rich red sweater…  (My Norman t-shirt peeked out in protest.)   Well, at least our new Cygnet logo was visible.  It matched my sweater perfectly.  And I WAS wearing the t-shirt…my show-support evident, if anyone was inclined to check. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Living Together, Round and Round the Garden, Table Manners, The Norman Conquests | 1 Comment »

Straight from the horse’s mouth

By Manny Fernandes. Posted on 07/13/10

One of the questions we often get about The Norman Conquests is regarding the order in which the plays should be seen.  Up until this point, we have said that part of the beauty of the trilogy is that it doesn’t really matter what order you see them in.  All three plays stand on completely on their own, and since they are all set during the same weekend, the order they are viewed in doesn’t matter.

I have recently, however, discovered an article from Alan Ayckbourn himself, in which he explains in his own words the order in which you should see them for best viewing pleasure. The article was taken from The Ayckbourn Guides which were compiled by Simon Murgatroyd.

Enjoy!

Alan Ayckbourn Explains…

If you are in the process of reading this Programme, the chances are that you are already about to see, are in the midst of seeing, or have already seen, at least one of the plays that form The Norman Conquests. In which case, this advice is not for you. Do not read on.

For those who have seen none of the plays but may be wishing to do so, it is hoped that the following notes may prove useful.

The first thing to remember is, understandably, don’t see Table Manners first. This will give you a wrong time sequence and will only confuse you when you come to see, say, Living Together which, incidentally, you are strongly advised not to see second. Ideally, Round and Round the Garden should not be seen before you have seen Table Manners – but do not, on the other hand, fall into that old trap of seeing Round and Round the Garden after Living Together as this again will confuse the sequences of dramatic events. Do not see Living Together first as this will severely curtail a lot of the pleasure you gain from seeing Table Manners for the first time which latter play, for maximum enjoyment you should try and save till the end.

In short, do try and see all three plays first, or, if you really can’t manage this, last. This way you will avoid any disappointment. Like most things in this world, there is a logical progression i.e. Parts 1, 3 and finally, of course, 2.

I certainly hope this helped to clear things up.  If not, contact the box office, and they will be more than happy to assist you in scheduling all three plays first (or last, if that is your preference).

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Sweeney Todd Music Rehearsals

By Manny Fernandes. Posted on 03/28/10

We celebrated the opening of Sweeney Todd last night.  The performers were all outstanding, and the audience responded with a standing ovation.  Afterwards we enjoyed a wonderful post show party hosted by gracious folks at Casa Guadalajara.

Over the past couple of weeks I have caught glimpses of the show in rehearsals, and watched as the entire collection of artists, one of the largest we’ve ever assembled at Cygnet, have come together to create an exciting evening of theatre.  During that time I managed to also capture some video of the rehearsals, including the first time the cast and band rehearsed together, and the first rehearsals on the completed stage.  Please enjoy this peek behind the scenes.

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