Director’s Notes: The Last Five Years
I fell in love with theatre by reading Shakespeare in high school English class. I loved the structure and how the language worked on your emotions. It was pure form in action. It wasn’t until years later that I fell in love with musicals for the exact same reasons. I walked past a practice room and heard a woman playing the cello and singing the first song in this show (Still Hurting). That was my entry point into musical theatre. There was nothing flashy. It was pure raw emotion, poetic and form-bending. I’ve grown to love and appreciate the genre but it was this musical that started that shift.
Composer Jason Robert Brown is sophisticated, literate, and passionate in his craft and storytelling. Here is a story that plays with metaphor and form in ways that get my synapses firing. It is more a poem than a play. Brown takes the heart threads of love and runs them in opposite directions, so that while the man is falling in love, the woman is mourning the end of their relationship. The music makes my heart sing and break all at once. Perhaps it’s because these two artists are trying to make their love for each other and their love of their craft co-exist, perhaps it’s the nonlinar structure, perhaps it’s just the chill in the score. I love this story. It’s small and it’s huge all at once.
I always come back to this musical because I ache for Jamie and Cathy. I ache for their futures and I am reminded of the mistakes we make when we we give over to love. How lucky we are to find each other at all, to invest and to care for, and to grow through the pain. When I sing the songs in my car or fall deep into this story, my heart wants to beat out of its chest. I feel alive.
The lasting works in the theatrical canon are infused with love stories — and this is one of them. Let there never be enough reminders that love is always worth the risk.
For Duckie
The Last Five Years plays Oct. 23 – Nov. 17. Don’t miss this emotionally powerful and intimate musical.
Angels in America: Notes from the Director and Dramaturg
From the Director: When Angels in America opened in NYC in 1993, it broke the wall of silence on AIDS. Brilliant, theatrical and urgent, the play depicted the AIDS epidemic with startling honesty. It also takes on such a wide range of additional ideas that it feels like the one diminishes it by trying to name them all: conservatism, Mormonism, Judaism, Bolshevism, love, abandonment, justice, responsibility towards each other and ourselves, global warming, heaven and a God who chose to abandon it all and leave us to our own! Simultaneously both an epic, sprawling play and an intimate, personal play.
The angels in Angels in America ask us to stop moving. Stop progressing. Stop. Stop. Stop. They tell us that our curiosity, our restlessness, is barreling us forward into an unknown future that is full of destruction. But the play fights this idea and ultimately defies these angels; humans cannot do what they ask. We are essentially creatures of motion. The world only spins forward.
In 1986 my partner, Jim Wirz, contracted AIDS in the peak of the plague years. We were both in our twenties with a whole lot of life ahead of us. But in less than a year, he lost his battle for life at the age of 27. His panel on the AIDS quilt was one of the first in that monument to loss and life. That I too was not one of this disease’s victims is an inexplicable miracle and randomness at work. This play has unearthed so many “lost” memories and experiences and has made this project both devastating, emotional, joyous and personal for me. I dedicate this play to Jim for his very Prior-like courage, strength, humor, wit and defiance in the face of a killer angel intent on taking him from us. 32 years gone, 32 years remembered. 
From the Dramaturg:
MORMONS, ROY COHN and AIDS
by Tim West
The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, is a tragi-comic tapestry rich with references from our remote and recent past. Kushner’s brainy play deploys an astounding array of cultural touchstones, from AIDS, ACT-Up and AZT to democratic socialism and Zionism, to 1950s Red Scare figures and 1980s Reagan cabinet officials.
The play is also inherently political, about “Mormons, Roy Cohn and AIDS,” as Kushner originally pitched it. As in other periods, politicians and moralists found a wedge issue in the emerging gay culture. This was confronted with fierce resistance. In the dozen years between the Stonewall Riot and the first news clippings of a ‘gay cancer,’ a vibrant community had been nurtured, come out of the closet, marched, paraded… and changed our world for the better.
Laisse-faire social policy and restriction of personal freedoms produced the gross hypocrisy that was Roy Cohn. Cohn was a political ‘fixer’ whose behind-the-scenes manipulations haunt American history, extending from his unethical but effective interference in the 1951 Rosenberg Atom Spy case and the 1953 Army-McCarthy hearings. Cohn’s influence is felt today, as he formed meaningful mentorships and interconnections with Fox founder Rupert Murdoch, self-described dirty-trickster Roger Stone, and real estate developer Donald Trump.
Opposed to this malevolent force are Louis, whose political radicalism initially lacks courage to confront contradictions in himself; Belize, whose cynical but spot-on observations contrast with earnest care-giving; and Prior, whose humor and inventiveness brings meaning to our smallest existence. Joe struggles with untenable moral strictures, makes progress, yet ends with a new equally vulnerable identity; Harper searches for truth among lies but ultimately settles for the cold comfort of knowing she must create her own truth; Hannah holds onto traditional faith, yet grows past her background with an impressive authenticity. The Angel, the most indefinable and explicable character, has a simultaneous aversion and attraction to flawed humanity, leading us to accept that this voice from on-high has no better answers than we do.
The play offers few answers with any finality. It urges us to nonetheless work together to further the conversation.
Angels in America – performed in rotating rep – runs through April 20th.
Getting to Know Marie and Rosetta
Termed ” The Godmother of Rock and Roll,” Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of the most overlooked stars of early American rock music. The list of musicians who cite her as an influence is staggering. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eric Clapton. But what of the woman who they admired? And who is Marie Knight?
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born in Arkansas in 1915. A guitar prodigy, by the age of 6 she was performing gospel music as part of a traveling evangelical troupe. She would also spend time in Chicago and New York, fusing her southern, gospel roots with big-city sound to create her own unique style. By all accounts, she was a force nature on stage as she stomped, growled and sang to the heavens in a voice full of grit, all the while playing a guitar that easily rivaled or surpassed her more noted male contemporaries. Rarely deviating from gospel material, Sister Rosetta Tharpe infused her performances with a drive and a passion that led her to be the first gospel artist to cross over onto the R&B charts (Strange Things Happening Every Day – 1945) and drew thousands to sell-out arena performances.
In 1946, after seeing gospel singer Marie Knight appear onstage with Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta brought her to Decca Records. They began recording and performing as a duo. Described as “a beautiful woman with a beautiful contralto voice, who had a spellbinding effect on audiences,” Marie brought a hipper, current gospel vibe to Sister Rosetta’s older style. She left to pursue her solo career again in 1951 after losing both her children in a house fire. Sister Rosetta and Marie would remain friends, regularly reuniting on stage. Marie recorded throughout the 1950s, foraying into secular music and R&B. Although she effectively retired in the mid-1960s to work a regular job and preach, she did release 4 more gospel albums before her death in 2009. A review from the San Francisco Chronicle described her delivery as “soulful enough to surely cause some nonbelievers to want to get right with God.”
Sister Rosetta’s career would wane over the 50s and 60s as a new generation of rock and rollers would refine the style she helped to pioneer. Sister Rosetta found herself too sacred for the rockers and too secular for the gospel crowd that had catapulted her to fame. Despite the fact that her name has largely been forgotten, her influence remains undeniable, and with her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2018, she is finally getting the credit she so richly deserves. Sister Rosetta Tharpe passed away in 1973. Marie Knight helped to arrange the funeral. Her epitaph reads “She would sing until you cried and then she would sing until you danced for joy. She helped to keep the church alive and the saints rejoicing.”
Check out this clip of Sister Rosetta performing “Didn’t It Rain?” in Manchester in 1964 – https://youtu.be/MnAQATKRBN0
Marie and Rosetta runs through February 16. Don’t miss this story of letting loose, finding your voice, and freeing your soul is a soaring music-theatre experience chock full of roof-raising performances.
Holiday Q&A with the Cast of A Christmas Carol
Cygnet’s holiday smash hit is back for its fifth season! Bring the family back to enjoy the holiday classic adapted from Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of hope and redemption. Step into a Victorian Christmas card for a unique storytelling experience that is sure to delight the entire family! Read on to find out what A Christmas Carol cast answered to our Holiday Q&A.
Melinda Gilb
What are the best and worst holiday gifts you’ve ever received? I really appreciate when I receive gifts. I guess it was the best because it was completely not expected but when I was about 6 or 7, Santa surprised my brother and I with new bikes. Big bikes! After we had opened all of our gifts, my parents asked my brother and I to gather up all the paper and take it into the garage. When we opened the door…there they were. Bright shiny new bikes! The worst if I have to pick was my brother once gave me a $.79 bottle of clear nail polish. I don’t remember what I got him but I spent at least $2.50 on his gift. Mind we were very young but come on, clear nail polish? At least he could have bought color nail polish!
What is your least favorite holiday food? Eggnog. I used to love it, now not so much.
What is your favorite way to serve others during the holidays (and beyond)? I know this is going to sound so corny but I honestly love telling the story of A Christmas Carol. Its message is timeless and just as relevant today as the day it was written.
You’re walking down the street, feeling great – what holiday song would be playing in the background? What is your most cringe-worthy holiday song? Anything from A Charlie Brown Christmas puts me in the best mood. I listen to it year round. The cringe-worthy holiday song, and I don’t care who is singing it has got to be “Santa Baby”. Yuck!
Finish this thought, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without _____.” Baby Jesus!
Megan Carmitchel
What are the best and worst holiday gifts you’ve ever received? Honestly nothing stands out as my worst holiday gift! The best holiday gift I ever received was a handmade wooden music stand that my dad made for me in 5th grade when I was learning to play the violin.
What is your least favorite holiday food? My least favorite holiday food is fruitcake!
What is your favorite way to serve others during the holidays (and beyond)? We like to have the kids pick out toys to donate to other children in need. We also participate in a family serve day.
What is your most cringe-worthy holiday song? “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus” it has always made me cringe!
Finish this thought, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without _____.” My family and the traditions we have created together over the years really make the Christmas season for me.
Tom Stephenson
What are the best and worst holiday gifts you’ve ever received? Too many to chose from. For the sake of this exercise let’s say the best one was a French horn. The worst would be playing one of those swapping gift games and ending up with a can of tomato soup.
What is your least favorite holiday food? Eggnog. Hands down.
What is your favorite way to serve others during the holidays (and beyond)? Performing.
You’re walking down the street, feeling great – what holiday song would be playing in the background? What is your most cringe-worthy holiday song? Winter Wonderland is my Christmas soundtrack. “Fum, Fum, Fum” is a little cringe-worthy.
Finish this thought, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without _____.” Candles.
David McBean
What are the best and worst holiday gifts you’ve ever received? The best gift I have received is being welcomed into another family’s Christmas celebrations. The worst was a laminated map of the world.
What is your least favorite holiday food? Anything with meat.
What is your favorite way to serve others during the holidays (and beyond)? Doing A Christmas Carol and serving as a music director for the church where I work.
Finish this thought, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without _____.” My “A Christmas Carol” family.
Charles Evans Jr.
What are the best and worst holiday gifts you’ve ever received? I think I can answer both of those! Best: Day 1 – The whole family home for the holidays. Worst: Day 6 – The whole family home for the holidays.
What is your least favorite holiday food? Eggnog! I swear it tastes like liquefied bubble gum.
What is your favorite way to serve others during the holidays (and beyond)? There is a great quote from Patton Oswalt as he is describing our world… “It’s Chaos, be kind”. The holidays are my annual reminder to practice kindness to all those that I meet.
Finish this thought, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without _____.” A Christmas Carol! There is a reason this story has been retold countless times since its creation. The message is a powerful one and it is a pleasure getting to share it every year.
Patrick McBride
What are the best and worst holiday gifts you’ve ever received? I can’t recall but the best gift I’ve ever given to someone was Paisley (rest her soul) an adorable miniature Labradoodle.
What is your least favorite holiday food? Fruitcake.
What is your favorite way to serve others during the holidays (and beyond)? Performing in A Christmas Carol.
Finish this thought, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without _____.” Asking my daughter if she’s been good or bad according to Santa.
Catch A Christmas Carol through December 30th.
A Little Night Music: Q&A with the Actors
Remember, darling? A Little Night Music was staged exactly 10 years ago as our first production in our Old Town home. It is so great to have this delightful musical on our stage again.
We asked some of the very talented cast about their favorite Sondheim productions, the songs that have an affect on them, and their favorite “Night-Music-Moment”.
KAROLE FOREMAN (Desirée Armfeldt)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
Sweeney Todd!
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
One Song Glory from RENT. I lost a lot of friends during the AIDS epidemic in the 80’s and 90’s.
What is your favorite Night-Music-Moment?
A Weekend in the Country.
DEBRA WANGER (Mrs. Nordstrom)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
I saw the original first national tour of Sweeney Todd with Angela Landsbury & George Hearn. I was just a little kid (probably too young to see it at that age.) It scared the crap out of me but I remember the whistle going through my bones. Amazing.
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
Mama, A Rainbow from Minnie’s boys and You are Your Daddy’s Son from Ragtime.
KATIE SAPPER (Anne Egerman)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
I love this one – A Little Night Music! The story is so rich and the music is full of hidden gems that reveal character motives and feelings. Sondheim leaves so many Easter eggs that are so exciting to find! I also love the review Sondheim on Sondheim as well because I love the witty footage.
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
I always cry when I listen to the musical Come From Away in its entirety. I also get teary listening to Mother Nature’s Son by The Beatles.
What is your favorite Night-Music-Moment?
Too many to count!! I dig the opening sequence we do. I loved the rehearsal process, making discoveries and watching the entire company make brilliant choices.
SANDY CAMPBELL (Charlotte)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
So many. Top five would be: A Little Night Music (of course), Follies, Merrily We Roll Along, Passion, Sweeney Todd.
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
I have a lot of these too, in several genres. Musical theatre: Not A Day Goes By, Let Them Hear You and ‘Til We Reach That Day from Ragtime. Pop: The Promise by Tracy Chapman. Movie: Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission and Love Theme from Sophie’s Choice.
What is your favorite Night-Music-Moment?
I have several of these too! I love the end of Act One – A Weekend in the Country; brilliance in storytelling and musicality. Every Day A Little Death; hauntingly beautiful song. I also love the “wooden ring” monologue that Madame Armfeldt has in the Second Act.
JOSEPH GRIENENBERGER (Mr. Lindquist)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
My favorite work overall is probably “Sweeney Todd,” but “A Little Night Music” is the most delightful and refined work.
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
A Simple Song by Leonard Bernstein, Children and Art by Stephen Sondheim, and If I Ever Say I’m Over You by John Bucchino.
What is your favorite Night-Music-Moment?
So many to choose from, but I think the dining room scene is outstanding writing.
CHRISTINE HEWITT (Mrs. Anderson)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
Into The Woods and Company.
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
Losing My Mind (Follies – Sondheim), Not A Day Goes By (Merrily We Roll Along – Sondheim), No One is Alone (Into The Woods – Sondheim). Can you tell I’m a fan?
What is your favorite Night-Music-Moment?
Soon.Now.Later – song trio and the dinner scene.
CATIE MARRON (Mrs. Segstrom)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
Into the Woods – The storytelling is seamless and the music is gorgeous.
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
Being Alive (Company), You’re My Home (Billy Joel), Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac), and You’ll Never Walk Alone (Carousel).
What is your favorite Night-Music-Moment?
I am not sure it has happened yet. There are so many wonderful moments throughout the show, but many of the most fun moments happen offstage!
MEGAN CARMITCHEL (Charlotte)
What is your favorite Sondheim production?
Into the Woods has always been my favorite. It is remarkable because as I have gone through life my perspective has changed and I am still able to identify with a different theme or character.
Send in the Clowns gets people emotional. What other song affects you like that (musical theatre or other)?
Everything Changes from Waitress. The first time I heard it I was pregnant with my daughter and had just lost my mom. I felt like it was speaking directly to what I was feeling- immense grief but so much new hope. I still feel that every time I listen to it.
What is your favorite Night-Music-Moment?
I love Weekend in the County when everyone is singing their respective lines, overlapping each other. I also love Soon.Now.Later! And it has been amazing getting to know everyone during the rehearsal process.
Catch A Little Night Music through April 22nd!
Q&A with The Cast of The Last Wife
This contemporary re-imagining of the compelling relationship between Henry VIII and his last wife, Katherine Parr, is a witty and powerful examination of sexual politics and women’s rights.
We asked The Last Wife cast about this wonderful play. Here is what they said:
ALLISON SPRATT PEARCE (Kate)
Why do you feel this play is relevant today?
It’s a play that has many layers. Not just about the struggles that women have dealt with for centuries, but how people use power to control and manipulate.
What drew you to this script?
Katherine Parr was an unknown hero. She changed the course of history for all women. I wanted to play that woman. I wanted to live in her daily life filled with danger, struggles, and successes. What better way to do that, than peel Parr open with The Last Wife!
MANNY FERNANDES (Henry)
Why do you feel this play is relevant today?
In today’s sexual/political climate it is extremely relevant, maybe more so than it was just a couple of years ago when it was written. It’s an example of the seemingly endless struggle women have had in gaining what should be their natural rights of equality and respect.
What drew you to this script?
I was drawn by the strong writing and the chance to dive into this complex character. During his reign, Henry seemed to be both feared and beloved. A man who was a reluctant King and yet not afraid to exercise his authority.
CASHAE MONYA MEADS (Mary)
Why do you feel this play is relevant today?
This play is relevant because there is a dire need for discussion about gender equality and patriarchal privilege.
What drew you to this script?
I was drawn to the script because I love exploring history in an accessible, contemporary, and dramatic manner. History usually never interests me unless it is told in a way that doesn’t feel static or irrelevant. This play is not only relevant but deeply necessary in this current political climate.
GIOVANNI COZIC (Eddie)
Why do you feel this play is relevant today?
I like this show because it is about strong women. I think men try to control what place women have where they work and in politics and pretty much everywhere and it has happened throughout history. I also think this play shows how families can change and look different. It is not about just a mom and dad and their kids, there are other people who come into their lives and change how the family works.
What drew you to this script?
I didn’t read the script before I auditioned. The part of Eddie is a bit sad because his mom died and he now has a new mom, a dad who doesn’t spend a lot of time with him, and he is just a kid who doesn’t have any control of the things that are happening in his life even though he is stuck in the middle.
BOBBY CHIU (Eddie)
Why do you feel this play is relevant today?
The personal and social issues still resonate, and the danger and intrigue is exciting.
What drew you to this script?
Who wouldn’t want to be a prince?!
STEVEN LONE (Thom)
Why do you feel this play is relevant today?
It seems as though every day we learn of a new person-in-power stepping down from allegations of sexual misconduct, misogyny, inappropriate behavior, to name a few. With the head of our country also steeped in such charges, now more than ever, a story about women living surrounded by such men is more poignant than ever. But even more important, a story about strong women who fought through the noise and risked death for what they believed in, in order to advance women even if it wasn’t in their lifetime, is such an important part of history to know and hopefully inspire all people in our current climate to fight for what they believe is right.
What drew you to this script?
The point of view of the story. I’ve known the story of Henry VIII through various studies of the classics and history, but never have I learned much about the women who endured him. Especially never about his last wife and all the incredible things she accomplished as a woman in those times, not just as the kings wife, but as a person in general. Plus, it’s expressed beautifully with great dialogue and complex characters. Really humanized these people, which is attractive to an artist like me when considering a project.
Get your tickets today! The Last Wife closes on February 11th.
The Last Wife: Designs and Inspirations
We are taking you behind the scenes of The Last Wife with the design team to get a glimpse into the process of creating this exciting production. Read on to find out, in their own words, where their inspirations and designs for this powerful play came about.
Veronica Murphy – Costume Designer
“This is a contemporary play about historical figures. The playwright calls for contemporary clothing so you might think that would make it easy. Not necessarily so. These are royals and we need to believe they are royals. The play spans four years with many changes in the characters’ positions – and in the case of Bess, she goes from a child of 11 to a young adult of 15. The scenes flow like Shakespeare, often seamlessly from bedroom to dining room to hallway, to conference room and so on.
A monochromatic set – we chose monochromatic costumes with touches of color, crimson for the Tudors (also the real Katherine Parr’s favorite color) and blue for the Seymour’s. Thom is, after all, a man of the sea. And the young prince follows in blue, as we are continually reminded that his mother was the beloved Jane Seymour. As Kate gains her place in the palace, her lines are less fluid and more structured and powerful, while maintaining femininity, so important in keeping Henry on her side. And once she marries Thomas Seymour, she is also in blue. Everyone is trying to please the King, save Mary, the Catholic rebellious daughter. Note the clerical lines that tie her to the church. Ironically, she is in black, like her father, but without any crimson, so as not to suggest her later nickname “Bloody Mary.” As Bess is mothered by Kate and grows into her womanhood, her dress is similar to Kate in line and color. There is also all that getting dressed and undressed, especially for Kate, making the underwear just as important as the outerwear.
A challenging project like this has to have some whimsy so – Henry has a lapel pin in the style of U.S. politicians but it is a Tudor Rose, Prince Eddie’s blue pajamas are covered in castles and dragons and the various ruffled necklines are a consistent nod to the true period.”
Sean Fanning – Set Designer
“The world is a contemporary re-imagining of Henry’s space. It is raw and modernist, and inherently masculine. At the same time, we are using simplicity and open space to make a world that is less about scenic detail and more about the emotional worlds and power play between the characters. The main inspiration for the setting is the Japanese architect Tadao Ando – who created spaces that lived between the world of a dwelling and a public arena. I was inspired by how he used containment and enclosure, and then created ways for light to stream into the container. In a theatrical context, this helps us to change the space in evocative ways. There is a trinity of antlers that always lives on the wall – these stag horns represent Henry’s savagery and love of hunting and are one of the few nods to the period. They cast foreboding shadows across the wall when lit from above.
The container acts a little as a puzzle box, and has several key compartments or openings that then support the action or change the context of the scenes. There is a center door that can be opened to reveal a glowing upstage hallway. This opening can also be raised to be a tall opening for Henry’s Commission. There’s an upstage left opening that can be slid open to reveal an oversized brutal fireplace – this is used for several locations with different furniture arrangements. Upstage right is a similar door that is slid open to reveal a concrete bed that pulls out from the wall, and a little compartment in the wall that holds the basin and pitcher with which Henry’s wound is washed. Stage right has a drop-down opening for liquor in the Act 1 courtship scene and elsewhere.
We are also using some grand gestures as a part of the storytelling as well as the tall velvet banners with the Tudor Rose motif for the commission scene. Two rolling tables that are used throughout the play become joined together to create a 12-foot long dining table with a chandelier that flies in for the family dinner scene. For the top of the second act, “Training Day”, a flurry of books will drop from the sky and tumble to the stage. At the end of the show, the space gets transformed to a more feminine soft environment when we bring on a set of sheer draperies that cover and obscure the container.
By envisioning this environment as a cold, masculine and harsh shell representing Henry’s space – with a sense of charged and compressed spatial volume – we have created an opportunity or invitation for Katherine to come forth into that space and rise above it, and claim power.”
Kevin Anthenill – Composer & Sound Designer
Kate Confronts Henry Scene 4
Wedding Scene 5
“When approaching the sound design and score for The Last Wife there are a few key elements which are important to director Rob Lutfy and myself. The play is a modern telling of historical figures, so I wanted to create a soundscape which had both modern, synthesized elements, as well as classical instruments such as brass and strings. The intention when the brass is playing is to give the score a noble feel – to create a regal sense – a royal sense.
The strings are intended to center around Kathrine’s delicate touch, while still maintaining an air of class. The synthesized elements are deployed to create pace and drive. In a fast moving play, Rob Lutfy and I wanted to ensure the music was equally as driving. I intend to use the Synth-Pulse as a driving undercurrent that gives the sense of the “psychological thriller” genre.”
Catch The Last Wife through February 11th!
A Holiday Q&A with the cast of A Christmas Carol
This holiday season, Cygnet Theatre welcomes the return of the holiday classic adapted from Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of hope and redemption. The cast of A Christmas Carol will inspire the audiences with this unique storytelling experience. Check out their holiday Q&A.
Melissa Fernandes
What is your favorite holiday movie?
My favorite Holiday movie is Emmett Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. Does that count?… I love It’s a Wonderful Life and Love Actually. But I adore Scrooged, which is the modern take on A Christmas Carol.
Eggnog – gross or delicious?
Totally delicious! But also, should never be served or sold before Thanksgiving. It marks the start of the holiday season for me.
What is on your wish list this year?
Peace on earth, good will to all. I also would totally appreciate a bike. I don’t know how to ride, so it is time to learn!
What is the most important part of the holiday season for you?
Being with my family. We are always so busy throughout the year so the holidays mean sharing at least some time together.
David McBean
What is your favorite holiday movie?
My favorite holiday movie is While You Were Sleeping.
Eggnog – gross or delicious?
Eggnog is gross!
What is on your wish list this year?
I don’t have anything on my wish list except a desire for good health.
What is the most important part of the holiday season for you?
The most important part of the holiday season for me is remembering to be grateful.
Katie Sapper
What is your favorite holiday movie?
My favorite is The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Eggnog – gross or delicious?
No, thank you.
What is on your wish list this year?
A Polaroid camera.
What is the most important part of the holiday season for you?
Spending time with family and loved ones.
Tom Stephenson
What is your favorite holiday movie?
It’s a Wonderful Life.
Eggnog – gross or delicious?
Eggnog is kind of gross.
What is on your wish list this year?
To accomplish something unimaginable.
What is the most important part of the holiday season for you?
Companionship.
Melinda Gilb
What is your favorite holiday movie?
My favorite holiday movies are A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Home Alone, and A Christmas Carol.
Eggnog – gross or delicious?
I used to love it, now not so much.
What is on your wish list this year?
Peace, solitude, and new furniture.
What is the most important part of the holiday season for you?
Lights.
Charles Evans Jr.
What is your favorite holiday movie?
It’s a toss up. My favorite classic holiday film is White Christmas. Also, my favorite movie set at Christmas time is Die Hard.
Eggnog – gross or delicious?
Oh, definitely gross.
What is on your wish list this year?
My list is pretty short this year. I have been very very fortunate. Does Santa help cover wedding expenses?
What is the most important part of the holiday season for you?
We talk about it in the show, but the holiday season does feel like the only time when people “seem by one consent to open up their shut-up hearts freely.” The holiday season serves as a reminder to slow down a little, and show compassion to the people around us.
Patrick McBride
Eggnog – gross or delicious?
Gross.
What is on your wish list this year?
Peace and harmony.
What is the most important part of the holiday season for you?
Spending time with family.
Catch this favorite holiday musical through December 24th!
The Drag Glossary
In case you didn’t know, Drag culture has it is own vocabulary. Here is the beginner’s guide to drag-speak. We’ve selected 20 words to get you started. What are you waiting for? Get to werk!
1. Bar Queen
n. a drag queen who only performs in small bars. Typically used as an insult.
2. Beating Face
v. to apply the perfect amount of makeup on the face, resulting in a flawless look. The term references the motion of constantly dabbing a makeup sponge or brush against one’s face.
3. Boobie Bib
n. a false breast piece worn by drag queens to give the impression of female breasts. They are often made of flesh-tone silicon of rubber.
4. Busted
adj. a dilapidated drag queen who can’t make up or style properly, looking unkempt, unrefined, unpolished, generally poor presentation.
5. Boy Name
n. a drag queen’s given name as opposed to her stage name.
6. Butch Queen
n. a masculine-looking drag queen.
7. Cakes
n. a slang term used to describe butt cheeks.
8. Camp Queen
n. a type of traditional, over-the-top drag act, with little effort at female impersonation.
9. Chicken Cutlets
n. a slang term used to describe padding worn by drag queens to give the illusion of having female hips and thighs.
10. Corset
n. an undergarment worn, that tightly fits around the abdomen of the queens to help create a proportioned, hour-glass figure.
11. Diva
n. a slang term for any woman or drag queen who is self-important, demanding, temperamental, or hard to please.
12. Drag King
n. a woman who dresses as or impersonates a man for entertainment/show purposes.
13. Drag Mother
n. an experienced drag queen who acts as a mentor and guide to a younger, up and coming, less experienced, or apprentice drag queen.
14. Fierce
adj. a term used by drag queens meaning to possess a good, intense, satisfying, powerful, or beautiful quality.
15. Polished
adj. a term used to refer to a drag queen whose look is considered to be flawless, well executed, seasoned, and perfected.
16. Sashay
v. to strut with an elaborate roll of the shoulders and hips, from the ballet term chassé.
17. Shade, or Throwing Shade
n. the casting of aspersions, bluntly pointing out a person’s flaws in an insulting manner.
18. Showboat
v. to impress in a self-aggrandizing manner, as a big well-lit, noisy theatrical riverboat.
19. Tuck
v. to place the penis back between the legs.
20. Werk, or Work
v. a slang term to put in the effort necessary to impress or stun
Catch The Legend of Georgia McBride through November 12th!
The Artistic Fellows at Cygnet Theatre
“This summer I had the pleasure of having Kate Pittard and Magali Trench as the Artistic Fellows at Cygnet Theatre. They read hundreds of new and already published plays for our season and for the Bill & Judy Garrett Finish Line Commission. They observed what goes on day-to-day at a professional theatre, acted as scene partners and readers for auditions, assisted in marketing and board events, organized countless head-shots and resumes, represented Cygnet in the community, and discussed theatre and art for hours on end with me.
They are now in the middle of another year at school (The University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University) but before they left I asked them to write letters to themselves exactly one year ago. What they wrote I find useful for future Artistic Fellows and insightful advice for any young theatre practitioner looking for the next step in their career.”
-Rob Lutfy, Associate Artistic Director
Kate Pittard:
Dear me (one year ago),
Three summers ago my acting teacher told me, “From the minute you were born, you were tapped.” He told me that as an artist I am a fundamental part of something special and crucial. Three summers later, I am sitting across from him in his office on the opposite coast. In 21 days I embark on my second year of training at UNCSA School of Drama. When I close my eyes and imagine this impending adventure, I am standing at the beach looking out to the water, and I see the same vision I saw one year ago: a very tall and dark blue wave. And it’s coming towards me. I stand with feet in the ocean. One year ago, I cautiously waited for the water to splash. This year, I’m diving in.
For four and a half weeks, my best friend Magali Trench and I have worked as Artistic Fellows at Cygnet Theatre Company in San Diego across the country from our homes in Virginia and Florida. Our mentor and the aforementioned acting teacher Rob Lutfy– who is the Associate Artistic Director at Cygnet– leads a commission in the winter that provides playwrights with the means to finish their “dream plays” in need of a home. Our main job this summer was to choose those plays.
We were utterly steeped in scripts, absorbing the words like sponges. We read plays about identity, love, sex, heartbreak, death, birth, family, school, power, abuse, a cardboard lover, a Nigerian family, a rising drag queen, a villainous protagonist, a family-owned Italian restaurant, a retiring flight attendant, a school shooting, Barack Obama, Michael Jackson, Donald Trump; we read plays that made us laugh, plays that made us sob, and plays that made us question everything. I started to really recognize the stories that I love. I noticed how my heart pitter-patters in plays about families, how I gravitate towards plots led by strong women.
Rob Lutfy told us to write down our mission statements as artists, our “due norths.” Then every single decision in our careers can be guided by what we hold most important. My passions spilled out onto the paper as I tried to distill my north star into words. I want to empower women. I want to remind people they’re not alone. I want to create empathetic role models.
One year ago I stood on the shore, and I wouldn’t dare to jump into the wave. In this “business” it’s easy to scrutinize my reflection in the mirror, to compare the way my body moves to other bodies in the dance studio, to long for someone else’s voice. But every artist is special. And that axiom includes me.
One year ago the wave was thrilling, but it was terrifying, and the frightened part of me couldn’t bring herself to fully dive in. I wrote inspirational quotes all over my journals but I don’t know that I fully trusted them: I am enough. My body, my senses, my brain, my heart, my voice, my instincts are enough to face the wave.
One year ago I slid into a wave and now it is circling back around, as it always does. This time my heart is pressing me forward. I remember I was born to do this. I remember I will continue to try, learn, and grow my whole life. I remember why I am the right one for the job. I look up and see my north star, and I remember what is most important. And I dive.
Dear me (one year ago), dive!
Magali Trench:
Dear me (one year ago),
Right now, as you read this, you think you know who you are, what you want, even who you are as an artist, and although I laugh looking back on that now, I am so glad that you do because by the end of this year’s adventures, you will be a different person. So no, this letter is not where I will tell you what happens or what to do to prepare for what is to come. Because trust me you’d hate me if I did. You’ll want to live through the blood, sweat, and tears first hand. You will crave the breakdowns and breakthroughs, unfiltered, raw and with no warning because they just taste sweeter that way. I have no spoilers for you, just some advice or rather reminders:
Expect nothing but be open to everything. Experience each new thing deeply and fully before assigning a point of view towards it. Listen. Trust that sometimes the question you need answered most can only be done so by yourself and that your gut instinct is almost always correct. Love your hunger for this art. Feed it everyday and let it fuel your every decision. Live for your passion and surrender to each next adventure it takes you on.
This year you get to dive into the artistic side of the world, a concept you have only dreamed about until now. Understand that it will test everything you know or thought you did. You will come to realize that there is no fixed self and that every part of you is constantly shifting and growing. So when a surprising, serendipitous opportunity or adventure or conversation falls in front of you, take it. Grab it by the horns because I promise there is a lesson to be learned. I say this to you with confidence because right now I am sitting in San Diego, California, across from one of my greatest mentors, Rob Lutfy, and besides my best friend, Kate Pittard, who has been my partner in crime for this Fellowship at Cygnet Theatre. Say yes my friend, seek it out and see it through because this last month, for example, has been an entire education of its own.
You will leave here with a journal overflowing with invaluable knowledge, an understanding of how a successful theatre is run day-to-day and truly experience what would’ve taken years to understand otherwise. Cherish every conversation, every brainstorming, stream of consciousness moment with Rob Lutfy, Sean Murray, Tim West, Kate Pittard and really everyone you meet because they each have experience to be shared and insight to learn from. Get ready to question and start solidifying your understanding of what work you want to be a part of and what actually speaks to your core from the new material and scripts you will be reading. Truly soak in every word Rob says; that man is pure magic and is a living reminder of what theatre has the ability to be. Invite every opportunity to push what you thought was possible and be grateful. Grateful and humble to everything you have yet to learn and for the fight you get to be a part of everyday.
This past month is one that will open up your scope to what you can do with this art. Yes, there is a lot of work that has yet to be done, not only for theatre, but for the world, but allow this understanding to fuel your passion, make you hungrier and get you ready for battle. Follow Rob’s advice and let Sean’s words resonate with you for the rest of your life. Start building your due North and follow it. Follow it with everything you have. You are an artist, a creator and now it is time to just get to work. So this is it. Get ready. Get stoked and most importantly enjoy every god damn second of it.
Kick some ass my friend, a slightly older you.
Kate and Magali are going places; this is just the beginning for them. We are glad Cygnet was a step in their journey.