It is a Wonderful Life!

I just got back from a matinee performance of It's a Wonderful Life by the Public Playhouse which is being performed at CoHo. I loved it. It's was the classic story that I adore so much around this time of year with a brand new twist. It's a radio show! Set in Portland! And it has only five actors playing the fifty roles required to have a production of It's a Wonderful Life! All the lovely moments of the story come to life before you. Believe me, even my all time favorite part tugged at my heart the way it did the first time in this show! I've always loved the moon monologue when George and Mary are out on a summer's walk after the dance. The images and feelings connected with George lassoing the moon and making Mary swallow it have always intrigued and touched me. In this production Chrissy Kelly (Mary) and James Sullivan (George) capture this entire scene beautifully. Even in as entertaining and touching a show as this one, that scene sparkled as an obvious gem.
Mary McDonald-Lewis, a friend of mine, and the director of this production is also a voice actor, and her understanding of both theatre and voice acting behind a microphone gave this show the gleaming quality it so readily displays. Good show, indeed. When there's theatre like this, it is a wonderful life!
The show is running tomorrow and next week as well, so please check it out! http://www.publicplayhouse.org

Greenhouse School of Theater

So, Portland Center Stage has this great thing going on. Hopefully most everyone is aware of their Greenhouse School of Theater. I just finished a voice acting class their with local expert Mary McDonald-Lewis, and had a wonderful and informative time. Actually, our whole class had a great time, and we were sorry to see it come to an end. I've had several friends take classes from them and they have always enjoyed themselves!

Holiday Revelry

For the first time last night I went to see The Christmas Revels at the Scottish Rite Center. Set this year in Scandinavia, The Christmas Revels was an enjoyable little show. I'm a friend of the set designer, Larry Larsen, who has designed the annual revels for many years, and I was rather impressed with his work. I particularly enjoyed the birch trees.
I thought the production was fun and cute with a lot of lovely music, dancing and folklore. The kids in the audience were having such a good time, though, I think this is one of those Christmas productions where you really have to have your family along to enjoy it.
My personally favorites in the show were the featured performers, the Karelian Folk Music Ensemble. Every time they took the stage I was mesmerized. I also loved all the culture and folky feeling brought to the show.

Shout to Louisville

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my dear friends Ami Jhaveri and Jacob Wilhelmi who are in the acting apprentice program at the Actors Theatre of Louisville right now! They are both performing in the theater's production of A Christmas Carol, and Jake has a role in their upcoming show, Shipwrecked! Break a leg to both of them! They sound like they're having a blast!

Eleemosynary at UP

We had our opening last night. I think it went quite well. My parents were in the audience. I think they were proud.

Capstone

I haven't written much lately because I have been busy working on my own show, my capstone role for my undergraduate work, actually. I am playing Artie in Eleemosynary (you may remember me writing about this play when Readers Theatre Repertory did it back in September). Our production will be performed at the University of Portland's Mago Hunt Performing and Fine Arts Center on Wednesday, December 3rd and Thursday, December 4th at 7:30.
I have had an outstanding time doing this play, but I have to say that it has been one of the most challenging experiences of my young acting career. The show is about three women belonging to the same family; a grandmother, her daughter, and her daughter. Playwright, Lee Blessing poetically displays the difficulties of how daughters deal with motherly pressure and unseen motherly love through this play. The audience is taken on an almost dreamlike journey with these three characters through their tribulations in learning to be extraordinary women while still remembering where they came from.
All of us who have been involved with this show have worked so hard, we'd love to see all of you there!

Love Conquers with Comedy

Last night I watched Portland State University's production of The Triumph of Love by Pierre Marivaux. It's always nice to see another University theatre's work, stirs up some healthy competition! No, I'm just kidding. Actually I thought the show was really cute. Clara Weishahn who plays the leading role did a very good job as a disguised heart heavy princess.
I could tell that the production did find a challenge in marrying the classic comedia style to our more natural modern theatre traditions. Trying to make the Harlequino be an Harlequino and still be believable put them at a little bit of a tug-o-war with styles. That is a common problem when old works are set against a background of modern traditions, and I found the scenes with Harlequino quite humorous all the same.
Apparently Portland State University's theatre is currently being renovated, so this show was actually performed in one of Artists Repertory Theatre's (ART) spaces. It was wonderful to see a local theatre being so supportive of local collegiate theatre work. I thank them!
Tonight is closing night of The Triumph of Love. It begins at 7:30 at ART.