Closes...Final Episode of Fall of the House

Today was not only the closing day of A Little Night Music which I worked on all June, but it was also the final episode of Fall of the House Season 5. I really enjoyed this season. It completely filled my drama fix for the month. Congratulations to all involved, good show, good show! I definitely recommend it to any Portland citizen! Check it out at Action Adventure Theatre.

Great Review of Ohio University's Summer Stock Theatre

As I will be attending Ohio University's graduate in acting program beginning this fall, and I will certainly want to be spending time at their summer stock theatre on Cape Cod, I thought I should share this rave review in the Cap Code Times of their production of Anything Goes. Congratulations OU, I am so excited to join you!
Click here for the review!

Grey Gardens in the last weekend

I saw Grey Gardens at Portland Center Stage right at the end of the run this weekend. To those of you who missed it, I am so sorry. To tell the truth, I usually shy away from musicals. They're simply not always my cup of tea, but this one got to me. Perhaps because it's so terrifying. How did the Edith Beales fall so far? Truly what fascinated me about the show is the wild change between act 1 and act 2. In the first act everything was clean, wealthy and sparkling in the second I could almost smell the scent of fifty-two cats, I could sense the filth and poverty, and it was all surrounded by an uncomfortable crazy feeling. I spent most of act 2 mouth agape.
It was a stirring show, one I will not forget anytime soon.

The House Continues to Fall!

Just saw Fall of the House episode 2 of season 5! I am always delighted to see a full house of people for this show. It's so cool to see theatre supported! An unsung hero I don't think I mentioned last week was Matt Hopkins who plays Andrew and did a really great job. I can't wait to see what our housemates get themselves into in the coming weeks, and of course The Pied Cow Coffeehouse afterword with friends is always wonderful!

Finally Saw Crazy Enough

I have been trying to see this play for forever. The first time Luke and I had to change our ticket because we realized we had a trip to the beach planned for that day. So we changed the date to June 5th. That would've been great, except that I got this job working backstage A Little Night Music and that show opened on June 5th. Gritting my teeth, I gave that ticket away. Not one to give up on a show that everyone in town is talking about and one that I have waited to see all year, I stood in a surprisingly lengthy stand-by line last night at 6:30 (an hour before the show). I had just bet Luke a burrito and a sweet tamale that I would not get into the play that night when a woman came by offering a single ticket for that evening's performance for twenty bucks. I jumped on it and ended up sitting in the second row center, an awesome seat for this type of piece. Of course I now have a burrito and sweet tamale on my conscience.
As for the show, can I just say, Storm Large, I love you. That was awesome. And let me tell you, a crude, raw, hilarious, touching one-woman show about being a troubled rock-star is just what I needed after so many nights in a row of A Little Night Music. I was so jazzed by the play that the bike ride back up to North Portland did not even phase me. Maybe that's because I was blaring the Crazy Enough soundtrack on my ipod the whole way.
Truly, the show was great. The music was fantastic. There are some brilliant original tracks, and Storm's beautiful cover of the Pixies "Where is my Mind" absolutely gave me chills. It was inspiring to see Storm open her life so much onstage. She's very brave to be able to tackle personal family issues, mental illness, promiscuous sex, and drug addiction among other things in a room full of strangers night after night, but rest assured I'm convinced that everyone there loved her for it. She is entertaining, inspiring, and totally cool, no doubt.
Speaking of the Drammy's Crazy Enough earned Storm the 'Musical Actress in a lead role' Award--congratulations, and she and James Beaton took home one of the 'Original Music' awards. Crazy Enough was recently extended through July 26th. So please go see it at Portland Center Stage (PCS).

Hey, I Saw That! (2008-2009 Drammy Awards)

The Drammy Awards are put on annually by the Portland Civic Theatre Guild. They recognize certain shows and individuals for their outstanding work in Portland theatre over the past year. This year some shows that I saw and wrote about here on Heather Goes to the Theatre were recognized. Two of the 'Actor in a Lead Role' awards went to Bill Geisslinger and Denis Arndt for their work in Artists Repertory Theatre's (ART) The Seafarer, and one of the 'Actress in a Lead Role' went to Sharonlee Mclean (one of my favorite local actors) for her role in CoHo Productions' The Receptionist. One of the 'Lighting Design' awards went to Daniel Ordower for Portland Center Stage's (PCS) How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found. A 'Music Direction' award went to Rick Lewis for PCS's production of Guys and Dolls. PCS took home both scenic design awards for Chris Rousseau's How to Dissapear Completely and Never Be Found and Nancy Keystone's Apollo. Jen Raynack also recieved the 'Sound Design' award for How to Dissapear Completely and Never Be Found, and Ebbe Roe Smith took home one of the 'Actor in a Supporting Role' awards for his work in the same play. A PCS production was also recognized in the 'Actress in a Supporting Role' awards as one was given to Lisa Renee Pitts for her work in Doubt. Finally, congradulations to Megan Murphy, Cameron McFee and Mead Hunter who recieved PATA spotlight awards.

Fall of the House Season Five

Sunday evening, after finishing up backstage on A Little Night Music I headed over to the lovely Belmont with a group of friends. After a few drinks and selections from the happy hour menu at the Blue Monk we went across the street to Theater! Theatre! and purchased season passes to the fifth season of Fall of the House by Action Adventure Theatre. Maybe you remember me just raving about their fourth season in February. I think Fall of the House is one of the coolest theatre ideas I have ever seen. It's a live ongoing drama with a new episode each week for four weeks.
Their opening episode was great! It was totally hilarious, surprising, and heartbreaking! I loved it. This week I was especially impressed with Aubrey Jessen's work as Julie.
Don't be daunted by the several seasons, or even missing an episode, I promise you'll still be able to follow the story. If you're at all interested I hope you try to make it next weekend to season five episode two. This show is such a wonderful Portland thing to do. It's so much fun!

A Little Night Music...Every Night

For the last month I have been virtually chained to a sewing machine creating some of the most complicated and gorgeous dresses I've ever seen. I've been working for the Mock's Crest production of A Little Night Music which opened yesterday. Throughout June I'll be a dresser backstage attempting to get these lovely creations onstage flawlessly.
The show itself is rather bitter/sweet. It features Margie Boulé as Desiree Armfeld.