Company by BrunDog

Last night I was at the final preview performance of BrunDog Productions (in association with JANE a Theatre Company) production of Company. Seeing musicals is a rare treat for me, and I have never seen another production of Company. So I welcomed the opportunity learn. It was entertaining, although, having gone with a group of my peers, I got the sense that we may not be at the stage of our lives, being twenty-something college students in Oregon, to really appreciate a plot that revolves around a desperate thirty-something guy's struggle to escape the pressure of his married friends in New York City. Despite the age gap, there was one number that I really enjoyed. Kelly Stewart did a great job as Amy. Her song, "Not Getting Married" went splendidly. Company just opened tonight and it runs for three weeks!

String of Pearls at ART

Yesterday I rode my bicycle down to Artists Repertory Theatre (ART) to see String of Pearls. My boyfriend came with me, and although he was a little nervous that we might be seeing a "chick play" we both had a lovely time. I was very impressed with how four female actors could create so many women between them. Each actor played at least four characters during the play, and each one was totally different. Elizabeth Huffman, for example switched from exotic party princess, to frustrated business woman, to depressed New York mother, and finally to a lonely, overweight, grave-digging lesbian (my personal favorite).
In some ways, it was a "chick play." It was a story told by women, about women. The journey of the string of pearls was less important than the lives of the women it touched.

Fall of the House and The Usual Awesomes

Yesterday I flew back home to sunny Portland...well, it was sunny when I got here. So what should a jet-lagged, over-extended, exhausted traveler do upon arriving home but go to an evening of back to back raucous, slightly experimental theatre? The first show I saw was downstairs in The Blue Monk on Belmont. It was the last night of The Usual Awesomes by Superego Sketch Comedy. It was just a fun little thing. It was a really great show to watch with a group of friends. I'll certainly go to another production of theirs.
Next I headed across the street to Theater! Theatre! to watch Fall of the House. Personally, I have never been to an episode of Fall of the House, but I was with some real fans of the show. I must say, I think this is the coolest idea ever! An ongoing live drama? How neat! It's like live TV, and it's certainly amassing many Portland followers!
I found the show enjoyable. The way it harkened back toward tacky American Television was almost humorous. It also had an edginess to it as well. Fall of the House is so suited for the Portland scene! Parts of the show appeared to be rehearsed while others seemed to be improvised on the spot. I have to congratulate Amanda Jensen on her work playing Sam. She is a very believable young actor who kept on her toes and was awfully entertaining.
Fall of the House is in the middle of season four, but believe me, it was easy to follow and fun to watch!

Of Course in Chicago, Heather goes to the Theatre: Desire Under The Elms at The Goodman

Having finally finished my auditions yesterday morning with my Yale appointment, it was time for an evening on the town, and of course, to me, that meant going to the theatre. David, my travel buddy, and I decided that we should go see the show the Chicago is raving about, Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms at the Goodman Theatre.
I had previously been unfamiliar with this play, and so I approached it with a blank slate leaving this production to give me my first impressions of the piece. I must say, I was very affected by it. Being classically O'Neill, Desire Under the Elms is incredibly dark. It seems to harken toward Greek tragedy with hints of Oedipus Rex and Medea. There were climactic moments during the play that I may never forget.
Several members of the cast are certainly seasoned actors who did a lovely job with this piece. Carla Gugino played Abbie Putnam. I enjoyed her performance, and I thought she worked well with Pablo Schreiber who played Eben. I particulary enjoyed Brian Dennehy's performance as Ephraim Cabot. While his character was strong and hard like the rocks he'd built his farm on, he seemed to let slip little indications of weariness and age, and in some cases even a little compassion.
This dark story in combination with a gorgeous but hellish set where mountains of ominous boulders tower high above the audience and hang suspended in the air, left us with a hard and heavy feeling. If you're in Chicago before the 22nd, check it out!

U/RTAs in Chicago V

Yet another busy day of auditions. This morning I was auditioning for NYU, in the afternoon I had my audition with The Conservatory at the Act One Studios here in Chicago, and in I just finished my audition with Rutgers. David is in an audition with Birmingham right now, he also auditioned for The Conservatory at the Act One Studios, and he auditioned with the Conservatory in Denver. We are definitely making the most of our trip out here! Can't wait to see all of you soon!

U/RTAs in Chicago IV

Oh man, I am so exhausted! Today was crazy! David and I had our audition for the grad schools in the morning. All of them watched us at once from the stage at Roosevelt University. Immediately following that audition I went to an audition for Houston. Then this afternoon at three all of us who'd auditioned in the morning grouped together in a room in the Palmer House Hotel to find out which grad schools wanted to interview with us. Ohio, Kansas City, and Wisconsin were interested in chatting with me. So, along with all the other U/RTAs participants, I went rushing all up and down the hotel to make it on time to the rooms where my interviews were. I had some great interviews and got to talk about some really cool programs. Tomorrow I have some big auditions lined up, my last one is on Wednesday, and then I will finally be done! Yes! I can relax a little!

U/RTAs in Chicago III

David and I had our U/RTA screening this morning where we went in front of judges and they watched our pieces and decided whether or not we were ready to be seen by the grad schools. Even though we did our audition first thing in the morning, we were not told whether or not we would be moving on to further auditions until six tonight. Luckily, both David and I were selected to move on and will be auditioning again tomorrow!