Line in the Sand: Interview with Adrienne Porter

new-imageBeing that you are a Governor’s School for the Arts student, how did you feel about your audition & call-back process?  How did you prepare for your audition?

The Governor’s School for the Arts and VSC have always worked closely together with different performance opportunities in the Governor’s School Black Box Theater.  Being asked by Chris Hanna to audition for Line in the Sand was an honor and a privilege in itself.  When I received the news about my audition, I prepared two contrasting monologues just in case there was no cold reading of the script.  About five days later, the department head of the Theater Dept. for the Governor’s School, Steve Earle, informed me that I received the part.  I was thrilled!

Is this your first time working with VSC?

This is my first time and I am thrilled about the opportunity to work with the best team in local theater!

How is this role affecting you so far?  What do you hope to bring to this production?

This role has stretched me and taught me so many things about my process of making decisions for my character.  I hope to bring to this production a better understanding of what happened to the Norfolk 17 behind closed doors.  They went through so many trials and tribulations just to go to school.  It makes me have a better appreciation for the school I attend.

What is it like for you, being a young lady, to be a part of such a monumental play that deals with an event that happened fifty years ago?

I heard about this piece last year even before the new season was publicly announced.  I immediately in any way, shape, or form, wanted to be apart of it.  Upon getting the role: however, I ran into some obstacles.  Being able to portray a girl of my age in the 1950’s was a true challenge.  However, with extensive research and interviews with family members who were apart of the times, I channeled into the role using the knowledge I had received.

Being a young actor, what is it like to work with equity actors?

The equity actors have not only been very welcoming to me as a young actor, but they have also taught me the “tricks of the trade” as well as coached me through the process.  Our director, Timothy Douglas, has also been a tremendous, motivating force in my whole process.  Since I am also a senior in high school, the equity actors have also given me their opinions on the best programs in acting for my college experience.  I love all of them!

What are you learning most from this process?

I have learned how a cast is not just made up of individuals, but they are one force.  Without each other, absolutely nothing can be accomplished.  Also, without a crew on its P’s & Q’s, the art cannot be completed.

What advice do you have for the other young actors?

Always remain humble, no matter what opportunities you may receive.  Humility truly does get you places and everyone loves a humble person!

What is your favorite moment in the play?

My favorite moment in the play is the final scene.  Very few words are used, yet, in my opinion, the scene has the greatest meaning.

What is your favorite part of the working with VSC?

My favorite part of working with VSC is the tremendous people I get to meet.  My cast members are some of the most brilliant actors I have ever seen!  They are also great people and that means more to me than their careers.

How do you deal with nerves before  going on stage?

I pray before the curtain goes up, before my cue to go on, during intermission…basically the whole time fo the performance!

Published in:  on March 5, 2009 at 12:10 am Comments (1)
Tags: ,

10 Things You Did Not Know About…

julie1

Julia Franklin

Our Company Manager

(Here at VSC, we affectionately call her Julie)

10.  She has been our Company Manager since June 2008.

9. She was a Production Intern in 2006-2007 & the Asst. Company Manager last season.  

8. She makes the company very happy when she has lots of coffee available.

7. She’s from Greensboro, NC.

6. She received her BA degree in Theater Management from Greensboro College in 2005.   

5.  She worked two summers as a group coordinator for 95 kids and 14 counselors at a Theater Camp, “Stagedoor Manor,” in Catskills, NY.

4. Show openings and the cast parties afterwards are her favorite part of the season.

3. Not only is she is in charge of contracting all production staff, helping new people to the area get settled, arranging all travel and housing for guest artists, maintaining actor & intern housing, settling trades with local hotels and businesses, distribution & tracking of scripts, arranging company travel…but she also is a mother/sister/therapist/friend to all of the company!

2.  One of her favorite parts of her job is watching something onstage during a tech rehearsal and knowing that everyone is  comfortable and able to do their job because of her hard work.

1.  She says, “Just like the stage manager makes the wheels turn in rehearsal, the company manager makes a lot of administrative wheels turn.  It is a year round job, constantly planning and preparing for what is next!”

Published in:  on November 21, 2008 at 8:16 pm Comments (2)
Tags: ,

VSC Exclusive: Playwrights come in from NY to see Opening Night

Chris Hanna, Gino Dilorio, Nancy Bleemer, Keith Stava

This past Friday was Opening Night for Centennial Casting. It was filled with excitement; there was a reception with food and drinks, cameras capturing all the events from the big night, and plenty of people dressed up looking their best. This particular night was a treat for Virginia Stage Company because the playwrights of Centennial Casting traveled from New York to see the opening of their play. I had the privilege to interview Gino DiIorio and Nancy Bleemer for the VSC blog, exclusively for our viewers.

Centennial Casting offers a story with a very interesting predicament; I was curious how Gino and Nancy came up with the story behind their play. Gino shared, “When I was still acting, I once looked through the yellow pages and saw a place called ‘Centennial Casting.’ Usually, casting agents are listed in the professional trades and I had never heard of it before. I realized that this was a metal casting place. Then I wondered if there was an actor stupid enough to think it was a theatrical casting agency. So that was the hook.” Nancy added, “We had that idea for a while and we kicked it around but it never went anywhere. Finally, Gino sat down and wrote the first page. He handed it to me and I took it from there.”

Nancy and Gino now had the idea and the drive to write the play. Next was investing their time. I wondered how much time it took to write a play. According to Nancy, “We had the first draft in about four months. Then we worked on it, did rewrites and had a few readings of the script all over the course of four years.”

Having spent four years with this play, I knew there were moments in the script that were special to Gino and Nancy. I hoped they would share one of those moments with us. Nancy eagerly shared, “I remember when I was reading one of the scenes that Gino had just written. He handed me the part of Edie’s audition scene. When I came to Vinnie’s line ‘This film is very independent, it’s got a mind of it’s own, this film,’ I burst into laughter. I still do, every time I hear it!” Then Gino shared, ” I like, ‘Thanks for coming in.’ It might not be the funniest line, but I like that Vinnie is trying so hard because he thinks he has to be someone else for Edie to fall in love with him.”

Being an aspiring playwright myself, I wanted to get some advice. What advice would you give our viewers?

Gino said, “Of course you have to keep working at it, you have to write a lot. But maybe what’s more important is that you’re curious about people and the world. You ask a lot of questions of things; of what you see, of what you’re experiencing. Ultimately, that curiosity is what keeps you writing. It’s probably also what keeps you alive!”


Nancy added, “Write for yourself, not for any one audience. And also, I think being an actor greatly informed my work and my ability to hear a play, imagine the words of a play as a playwright.”


Gino and Nancy were very sweet to take time to talk with me. Before I said goodbye, I wanted to know where I could look forward to seeing them next. Gino was excited to say, “My play Apostasy is going to be published by Samuel French. New Jersey Rep is going to produce a new piece called Dead Ringer next fall. And I’m working on a new piece dealing with race and reconciliation called Reparation. Hopefully, that will get a reading in a few months. Nancy boasted, “My work is currently performed everyday by three and four year old children in a preschool in Manhattan where I teach. This week we had a run of my original musical adaptation of ‘Johnny Appleseed.’ It was awesome.”

Everyone here at VSC wishes both of you the very best!

Top:

Chris and Gino talking with one of our VSC Board Members at the reception


Bottom:

Nancy and James Saba, who plays Carmine, talking at the reception after the show.

Published in:  on October 29, 2008 at 8:50 pm Comments (1)
Tags: , ,

Your Wish Is My Command

Clockwise from top left: Frank, Dee, Billy and Kate

The Emerging Artist Ensemble will present Aladdin. I was able to talk with Billy Harley, one of the “Emerging Artists.” Here is what he had to say.

1.) What do the words “Emerging Artist” mean to you?

To me, the term “Emerging Artist” means someone who is probably young and at the beginning of their artistic career, and whose talent and abilities show promise to the world of professional theatre. The term also implies student to me, because that is what I most certainly am.

2.) Thus far, what have you been able to learn from this program? What do you hope to gain as an actor by the end of this program?

Thus far, I have been able to learn through observation and some experience how professional actors make their living. I have also learned much and have been impressed by the collaborative experience that is involved at a regional theatre in order to mount a production, and what this process entails on a day-to-day basis. I’ve learned that my training has prepared me for my role in this program, and that learning never stops either. By the end of the program, I hope to have grown as an actor, and have a much better understanding of the business so that I can establish what my next step will be and become constantly more prepared for the future opportunities that await me.

3.) The Emerging Artist Ensemble will be taking “Aladdin” to local schools, what do you hope the children will take away from watching this performance?

While taking “Aladdin” on tour, I really hope that we can introduce theatre to children that may have never heard of it before so that they may be inspired to create it and participate in it as they mature. Hopefully, we will be inspiring those that will become the theatre artists of the next generation.

4.) What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

I think that my advice to young artists is to listen to what their hearts tell them, and never be afraid to do so.

5.) What school did you graduate from? With what type of degree?

I graduated from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, with a B.A. in Acting.

6.) Where are you from originally?

I am originally from Springfield, Virginia, which is a suburb of Washington D.C.

7.) What made you choose to work for VSC?

I had heard about this opportunity because it was in the area where I was going to school, and after some research I thought that it sounded great. I was excited about the opportunities that I could have here to learn and grow, and I thought that it would be a great way to begin my career. So I auditioned here in Norfolk at the Wells Theatre

–

I was also able to talk with their Stage Manager, Nicha Petrakos. She offered much insight into the world of the “Emerging Artist.”

1.) How long have you worked with the Emerging Artist Ensemble Program? Have you always had the role of stage manager/tour manager?

This is my first season with the EAE. I have been a stage manager for 5 years.

2.) What do you gain from working this type of program? What is it like for you watching this children’s show travel all around the area? How is the audience’s response?

I gain patience. This type of work is a little slower than mainstage work. It teaches me to slow down and take my “Time.” I love the travel. Watching the kids light up and become involved is a brilliant feeling. They always make me laugh. The audience’s response is amazing. The things that come out of the kids’ mouths is so funny.

3.) After observing the rehearsal process, what would you say are a few things that an “Emerging Artist” has to have?

We have to have the rehearsal space, and the freedom to move in and out of that space. We have to have designers willing and ready to do everything in their power to make a great show. We have to have a patient and child-like Director, we have to have actors that want to work and learn, and we have to have a manager that is willing to go the extra mile every day. WE HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS THIS YEAR. That’s why things are going smoothly.

4.) What is some advice you would give to aspiring artists?

Be vulnerable, be willing to step outside of your comfort zone, and show people that you are different. Fear will not take you very far in this business. Be kind, don’t ever forget that you are not the only person in the room, you are not the only person in the building, and you are not the only person in the world. Always say “thank you” even if you don’t mean it. Always be open to suggestions and advice, someone might actually say something important One day.

5.) When are the open performances?

Our first away show was October 6th at Mount Zion Elementary in Suffolk. We have two shows on Saturday, October 11th at the American Theatre in Hampton. “Aladdin” will be at 2:00pm and 5:00pm.

Published in:  on October 10, 2008 at 6:33 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: ,

Colonel Hugh Pickering Revealed

George McDaniel

After viewing our performance of My Fair Lady, I wanted to dig a little deeper into the mind of George McDaniel, who played Colonel Hugh Pickering. Here is what was revealed.

1.) What is it about the character of Colonel Pickering that is appealing to you as an actor? How are you like Colonel Pickering?

He is extremely empathetic to other people with no ulterior motives. He is a kind and generous person who might be a little dim in the intellect department. Nonetheless, he is a great person to have on your side. He is also quite funny. I, on the other hand, am selfish, stingy, and treacherous. I have hatched several brilliant Hitlerian plans to take over the world and am prone to melancholia.

2.) Have you worked with any of the actors in this cast before? How does that type of dynamic add to the performance?

I have had the great pleasure of doing this same show with 11 of the actors at both Actors Theatre of Louisville and Cleveland Playhouse. It is a luxury not to have to start from scratch both rehearsing the show and getting to know one another socially. It adds greatly to the rapport and trust level onstage. For instance, Tim Crowe, who played Henry Higgins, and I have become good friends and it informs the relationship of Higgins and Pickering enormously. All of us in the cast enjoy one another personally and professionally and it makes it a pleasure to come to work. Well, maybe not on 2 show days.

3.) What advice would you give to aspiring actors?

Study, work hard at knowing your craft and the literature and music of the theatre. And marry someone with lots of money.

4.) Tell me your favorite moment on stage.

There are so many. I love interacting with the ensemble and working with Tim and Jessie and Navida. My favorite moment I think though, is when Eliza comes in dressed for the ball. The lights come down on the rest of us and spotlight Eliza and I can see the look of pure joy on the faces of the women and maybe a few men in the audience as they see her transformation.

5.) Tell me a funny moment that has happened to you either in rehearsal or on stage.

I make up lines all the time to show everyone that Shaw is no big deal.

6.) What are you working on next? What is your next role/project?

I’m going to Los Angeles to help my youngest son prepare for going away to college next year.

7.) Were you able to venture out into Norfolk at all while you were here?

So much rehearsal. So many shows. So little time. Mall. Movies. The Wisconsin. Sirenas and The Abbey.

8.) Were there any places you wish you could have gone?

Virginia Beach & Williamsburg

9.) If you could play any role in a musical what would it be? In a play?

I have had the great fortune to have done most of the ones I wished for when I began. Future musical and play roles are being written as we speak.

10.) If you could be in any other career, which would you pick?

I had to edit too many of my responses. I think writer would be the response that would keep the League of Decency at bay.

Published in:  on October 9, 2008 at 8:15 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: ,

10 Things You Did Not Know About…

Kristen Muslusky

Our New Assistant Box Office Manager

10.) She just moved here from Brooklyn…Ohio (yes, there is a city named ‘Brooklyn’ in Ohio)

9.) She absolutely adores the movie The Little Mermaid.

8.) Her birthday is August 23rd, so she is sometimes considered a Virgo or a Leo, depending on the horoscope. However, she prefers to call herself a Virgo.

7.) She received her Bachelors of Arts degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in Business Administration and Arts Management. She minored in Music.

6.) She is one of 7 kids. She is the second oldest.

5.) She loves to sing…randomly.

4.) Her favorite food switches between either Shrimp Teriyaki with White Rice or Spaghetti and Meatballs.

3.) She considers herself a guitar hero…but she is incapable of reaching the orange key.

2.) Someday she wants to run her own night club and concert venue.

1.) She is now in charge of updating our facebook account, myspace page and theatre website.

“10 Things You Did Not Know About…” will be a recurring blog segment that will help you get to know more about The Virginia Stage Company and the people that work here.

Published in:  on October 2, 2008 at 10:35 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: ,