CCT's Godspell

So a group of us got together to go see Camarillo Community Theatre's production of Godspell. They started their run this past weekend and will continue through the weekend that we audition, and I wanted to go and see another director's take on the material. See http://www.barkerductions.com/theaters/cct/cct.htm for full details.

Director Kathi Janca Gravino has taken a different approach to most of the material than I would have, but I applaud that. Hers was a more spiritual, more traditional approach to the core material, and her husband Damian Gravino in the role of Jesus seemed to perfectly channel the look and feel of the western image of Christ: caucasian, shoulder length brown hair, beard and moustache, and a humble but persistent demeanor.

The setting was the playground of a first grade class, with a full sized playset on stage, complete with swings, monkey bars, a yellow wavy slide, and a teeter totter. The main cast, costumed all in black, were complimented with brightly colored, reversible vests. Each had a symbol that each characterized a particular "seven deadly sins" (+2), and when that character made their self-realization, they removed the patch and gave it to Jesus. He attached it to his white overalls, hugged them, and reversed their vests to reveal a heart on the chest where their old "sin" used to reside. His chest featured a large, prominent heart, identical to the ones on the "reformed" side of the vests.

As you'd expect, Judas (Kristan Cleto) lost out in the whole vest-flipping frenzy, and we were even treated to a bit of cross-over from Jesus Christ Superstar, where we see him stringing up a noose to hang himself, "damning him for all time..." Cleto, a late-production replacement for another performer seems perfectly in his element, exuding a pleasant charm while still coming off as the playground "bad boy loner".

A sheer delight was Mara Hitner as Joanne. An accomplished musician in her own right, she produced an acoustic guitar to accompany Peggy (Julie Jones) for a very simple and hauntingly effective By Your Side. Also noteworthy was Noah Skultety as Lamar. In addition to a very pleasant rendition of All Good Gifts, Kathi Gravino channeled his gymnastic skills into the performance and added a much needed lift to some of the slower parts (script fault, not directing fault) of the show.

Other cast hilights were seventeen year old Amberlee Peterson as the peppy Gilmer performing Learn Your Lessons Well, and Amy Jaffey as the sultry Sonia, back on the stage after too long an absence, and raising blood pressure with the spicy Turn Back O' Man.

So what worked and what didn't?

Well, this isn't a review, and I don't like affecting performances with my single, narrow view of things. I think Kathi has staged a very solid, effective production, and I wouldn't change a thing. My only comment is that the show runs way too long, but that is something that will improve as the show matures over the course of the run. I feel that the tempo of most of the musical numbers is way too slow, but that too will improve as the show matures over the course of the run.

And great minds do think alike: Kathi embraced the color approach, one that I'm taking, but not in the same way she has; she used a Stomp-style piece just before Light of the World, and I'll be using something similar at the top of act two. And I applaud the choices she made that I would not have: I probably won't have a resurrection; I won't exclude the John/Judas character from the finale; I won't have a traditional-looking Jesus character.

So, my hat's off to this cast and crew for a delightfully entertaining performance. I look forward to working with any of them in the future. (Hey, why not Godspell at ETC? They already know the songs and the lines...)

- Sean

RAQ (Recently Asked Questions)

Here are some questions that I've been asked recently regarding our production of Godspell:

• Will the Jesus character still be addressed as "Jesus" in the show?
  I like the traditional approach of referring to characters by the first name of the actor performing them, but in regards to the Jesus character (White in our script), it can be confusing. I've seen productions where, say, Bill Smith is playing Jesus, and they call him "Bill" by name. Likewise, I've seen productions where he is called "Jesus" specifically when being addressed. The short answer for me lays within the context of the spoken lines: there are only two or three places in the script where a proper name is called for. I prefer to have NO proper names mentioned, even that of Jesus. I replace them with a "you" or "she" or "he", and when addressing Jesus directly, I have them call him "master" or "rabbi" or "teacher" which I think serves the piece better. The program will list only the actor names. The original character names and the color names will never be seen or heard by the audience.
• What's up with the color names, do they symbolize anything?
  Kinda. If you were to pick a color for Christ, white would certainly be the first one that would come to mind. Red certainly applies to Sonia. Grey certainly applies to John/Judas. But we're using them to simplify the script and make the show easier to manage. Again, the audience will never see these color names, so they're just there to make things easier for me to block and direct, honestly.
• So Blue (Herb) has no solo songs?
  Correct. But I also reserve the right to reassign songs and parts as needed to better serve the production. This gives me the ability to include performers who are not necessarily as vocally strong as their castmates, but who still bring a needed dimension to the show. Pink (Gilmer) and Blue (Herb) were both originally included for that very reason.
• I have a conflict with the rehearsal on _____, or I have a conflict with the performance on _____. Can I still participate?
  Yes to a few rehearsal conflicts, so long as they are prearranged. No to performance conflicts. Sorry. While we will likely have understudies, I need performers who can commit to the whole production schedule.
• Speaking of understudies, how will you make it worth their while to participate?
  Well, there's two approaches to casting with understudies: replacement casting and trickle-down casting. The first involves a complete duplicate set of actors, each mirroring the rehearsal work of the main castmember. While I'd love to have that many talented performers auditioning for this show, typically we'll get JUST ENOUGH great talent to fill the cast. Trickle-down casting is what's typically done in professional shows, where the leads are understudied by the second tier castmembers, and the seconds are understudied by the third tier, who are in turn understudied by the ensemble. I will try to work in at least two performances so that the understudies get a chance to perform, but I'm not sure exactly how that will all work out. It depends entirely on who auditions and who is cast.
• How big will the band be? Where are you going to put them? The Petit Playhouse is kinda small!
  We'll have a four-piece band: keyboards, guitar, drums, bass. They will be positioned up stage center, in full view of the audience. This will give the show a bit of a rock concert feel. I may have some sort of a scrim masking them, but that still remains to be unseen (bwah ha ha!).
• How are you planning to start the show?
  I won't give away the beginning, but suffice it to say that it will have a similar feel to that of the movie, underscoring that these people are "awoken" from their real lives to participate in this event, and that they each bring a different perspective to the community that they build.
• How are you planning to end the show?
  Fairly traditionally, but with some thoughtful rework of the music. No more hints than that.
• What about costumes? Are you doing the 60's/70's flower-child hippy thing?
  Nope. In the Godspell, Jr. production we did in 2003, we did the total flower-child hippy thing, and it worked great, but that was with teenagers, and they looked cute. With adults, it just doesn't play well, in my opinion. See previous posts here to see where my brain is currently regarding costumes.
• How are you handling the sets & props?
  Minimalist. I'll have only what is absolutely necessary. There will be four to six rolling "things" on stage, and ideally they will all fit together to form a single unit. They will contain props, costume pieces, musical instruments, etc. and will serve as scenic components for everything from the baptisms to the crucifixion. Other than that, I can't give you specifics yet, because I haven't started designing them.

That should tide you over.

- Sean

ETC Company Email

I just sent out an email to the ETC Company distribution list...

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Hey Everyone,

First of all, thanks to those who helped strike Gin Game on Sunday, Feburary 12. We need more dedicated voluteers like you. Efforts like that certainly stress the importance of COMMUNITY in community theatre. Thanks again!

Auditions for ETC's Summer 2006 production of Godspell, will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2006 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and on Sunday, April 2, 2006 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Full details will be posted shortly on the ETC website (elitetheatre.org).

Musical direction will be by Bill Wagner, director of instrumental music for Ojai's Nordhoff High School. Arryck Adams, Honorary Lifetime Member with Conejo Players will be choreographing. Arryck will be working with percussionist Brian Harwell (directing this summer's Laundry & Bourbon) to develope a Stomp-style group number to kick off the second act. I'll be directing/staging the show and providing vocal direction (unless someone better steps up to the plate). ETC Artistic Director, Tom Eubanks will be executive producing the show.

One of the most exciting aspects of our production is that it will feature all-new arrangements of the original Stephen Schwartz score. Schwartz protege Alex Lacamoire wrote a spectacularly re-imagined score for the 2001 National Tour of Godspell (directed by Scott Schwartz, Stephen's son), and we will be using several of his versions for our production. Additionally, we will be using some exciting new arrangements for guitar, drums, and bass that were created for the 2000 Off-Broadway production of Godspell, arranged by Dan Schachner. These new charts augment the existing Schwartz piano and vocal lines to give a grittier, garage band feel.

So, as we're gearing up for pre-production, we're asking for some assistance on these items:

• For the following dates and times, we need an alternate rehearsal space. If you have FREE access to a space that will fit the bill, please let me know:


• Wed, 3/29, 7PM-10PM - Closed auditions (need piano, seating for 10, and privacy)
• Thu, 3/30, 7PM-10PM - Closed auditions (need piano, seating for 10, and privacy)
• Mon, 4/3, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Readthrough (need seating for 16 and privacy)
• Tue, 4/4, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Group Vocal Rehearsals (need piano, seating for 14, and privacy)
• Wed, 4/5, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Group Vocal Rehearsals (need piano, seating for 14, and privacy)
• Thu, 4/6, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Group Vocal Rehearsals (need piano, seating for 14, and privacy)
• Sat, 4/8, 10AM-2PM - Group Choreography (need piano, room for dancing, and privacy)
• Mon, 4/10, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Solo Vocal Rehearsals (need piano, seating for 4, and privacy)
• Tue, 4/11, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Solo Vocal Rehearsals (need piano, seating for 4, and privacy)
• Wed, 4/12, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Solo Vocal Rehearsals (need piano, seating for 4, and privacy)
• Thu, 4/13, 6:45PM-10:30PM - Solo Vocal Rehearsals (need piano, seating for 4, and privacy)


• Assistance at open auditions - If you won't be auditioning for us, we'd love to have you help us with auditions. It always speaks well of a theatre company if there are plenty of friendly faces on hand to greet auditioners and make them feel at home. Please contact me if you're interested.
• Technicians, Designers, and production support - Godspell will be a VERY technical show, and we want to continue to develop the skills of our company. If you're interested and available, please contact one of us.

That's it. Here is a link to the current production schedule (http://www.elitetheatre.org/auditions/2006_godspell/reh_sched.pdf). Please review it and see if we can make Godspell part of your life for the next four months.

Also, as I did with Nuncrackers, I'm maintaining a Blog for Godspell (http://www.elitetheatre.org/~seanh/blog/godspell). It serves as both a production diary and a method of communication for the show. I look forward to your feeback there as well.

- Sean Harrington

Yay! Bill Wagner and the Guys are a Go!

Well, great news! I finally had a conversation with Bill Wagner yesterday evening to discuss the music budget for Godspell. I'd re-sent him the email from about a month ago, detailing the offerings we were making for Musical Director, Accompanist, and band members.

First of all, Bill is a VERY busy guy. He has at least TWO big trips scheduled for this year, and his work at Nordhoff High School in Ojai keeps him very busy. I can relate to and respect that. He also acknowledged that the school's email filter was indeed very aggressive, a situation which seems to have been remedied since December.

He responded positively, pleased that the budget would allow us to have four musicians, a goal we've both had since our initial discussions. He's already arranged for the guitarist and drummer (two former students), and he's waiting to hear back from the GREAT bassist we worked with on Little Shop of Horrors in 2004. It's pretty much a go.

He agreed to review the production schedule and identify all conflicts in a separate email, as well as give me the mailing address for CDs and other materials for him to review. We talked a bit about the revised orchestrations, and I clarified a concern he had regarding his need to re-orchestrate anything: I assured him he wouldn't. I also detailed the three versions of the score that we'd be pulling from (the core rental materials, Dan Schachner's expanded guitar, bass, & drums, and Alex Lacamoire's full re-orchestrations), and told him some of the limitations we'll face regarding the Lacamoire arrangements, namely that there are about three additional instruments used in his scores that we won't have.

EXCITEMENT! That's what I feel. The first major component has snapped into place, and I couldn't be happier. There might be a few hiccoughs regarding accompaniment for auditions or rehearsals, but we're good.

We also talked a bit about the extension run in Moorpark. So long as it's in August, he should be fine with the timeframe.

YAY!

- Sean

Production Schedule - Final, I think

We're still working out the logistics details, but I believe this version of the production schedule is the best...

http://elitetheatre.org/auditions/2006_godspell/reh_sched.pdf

I will also continue to upload the most recent copy there, so check back at that same link for any new updates.

Until the extended run has been reviewed and approved by the ETC board, I'm not going to post the schedule for the High Street extension yet.

- Sean

Costumes: Mr. Brown

The character of Jeffrey for me, due in part to the revised songs he sings, makes me think of Wayne Brady: a strong, soulful voice with a warmth and crazy humor that transcends stereotypes. So my labelling him as "Mr. Brown" seems INCREDIBLY racist, but it is not at all based in race. The character is very earthy and naturally charismatic. If his skin is brown or not doesn't factor in.

But I did render the costume on a non-caucasian. I gave him a cream pair of twill pants, black dress shoes (brown socks, although not shown), a light steel grey shirt, and a nice brown suede, corduroy, or herringbone jacket. The key to the jacket is that it must be a very warm brown, more in the red range than green.

Here's the scan...



Hope you like it. More to come this weekend.

- Sean

ETC Board Meeting

The February ETC Board Meeting was last night, and I pitched the tech booth move, sound system upgrade, and lighting system upgrade. I also was ready to pitch the run extension at the High Street Theatre in Moorpark, but we ran out of time.

The board agreed on a painted version of the booth that would match the decor of Petit Playhouse. I estimated $500 for materials and $300 for an electrician to move the house dimmer to the new location and add an extra 20 amp circuit up stage right. The board also agreed to pay for up to $300 worth of new dimmer packs.

So that means that I'll begin buying the materials and constructing the booth around the same time I start building Sound of Music components, which will work out well. Ideally, we'll be ready for the electrician right around the end of March, about a week before Agnes of God tech weekend.

So, what's all of this to do with Godspell? As technical director for ETC, my brain is pulled in many different directions, but it allows me to tie things together and leverage resource better. I left three scenarios of budgets for the High Street Theatre extended run: one with average attendance of about 120 tickets per show; one with poor attendance of only 60 tickets per show; and a sell-out scenario where we sell all 250 seats for every show. Our break-even point on an average scenario (120 per show) is the first sunday. I think that's fairly doable, honestly, so long as our folks can get the publicity engine churning. We'll see what comes of it.

I also spoke with Heather Behrens regarding performing Godspell opening night out in the square. She said that it would be $1000 for set-up and labor, and I countered that we were not necessarily looking to make money off of it, but rather use it to promote the show and the Heritage Square Foundation. It would also serve to kick off the Summer Concerts in the Square series a week early. Ideally, they could earn some extra income by extending the season by a week. I also offered to handle lights and sound so they wouldn't have to. The almanac says that sunset will be at 8:03 PM with twilight at 8:31 PM, so I will have to light the stage for the second act, but that's no big deal. With a 6:00 PM curtain, intermission should be at around 7:15 PM, and the show should be done by 8:30 PM. Moonrise is at 6:28 PM, so by the second act, we should have a glorious 7/8 waxed moon shining down on us as well.

So, in the discussion with Heather, Tom Eubanks was listening in and commented that it sounded risky. My counter was that we usually have to paper the house on opening night anyway, so why not paper the courtyard instead? Godspell is going to be a VERY portable show, so the logistics are more important than the venue itself. Again, we'll see what comes of it.

And I promise more costume designs this weekend.

And I promise I'll start on the scenic stuff as well.


- Sean

Costumes: Mr. White

In developing the Jesus character, I wanted to give him a clean appearance, but not at the cost of creating an over-bearing, over-used icon. I came up with a basic white or off-white costume with a white or cream ribbed tank top (horizontal lines) and white or cream painter or cargo pants. Finish it off with a simple set of running shoes, and that's my basic costume.

So that looked way too plain, so I went further and decided that he would have color components from each of the other characters in his costume. The typical device of rainbow suspenders first crossed my mind, but it just screamed Mork. I also was concerned that if he was too light in color, that in performing the various scenes and the level of movement I'm anticipating, that he will get progressively dirtier through the course of the show, and that was not sending the right message: "Jesus' clean white exterior is getting dirtier as the show progresses." But then, since he's wearing painters' pants, I realised I could get some mileage out of that angle, so I tried a version with lots of paint smears on them, as though he's been going from town to town "getting his hands dirty" by interacting with different shapes and colors of people, and it's literally stuck to him. Here is a scan...



And when I looked at I was afraid it would come off as some geeky mid-1980's parachute pant print thing, but if it is done deliberately to match the creases of where a real painter might be tempted to wipe his hands or brush, it'll be okay.

And maybe I'll add a white or cream sweater or something later. Other characters seem to have layers of clothing they'll be stripping off. Maybe he should as well...

I dunno, more to come later...

- Sean

Costumes: Bouncing Back

So, instead of wallowing in my frustration, I went ahead and started designing costumes for Godspell. I start, as I so often do, on Getty Images (http://gettyimages.com), and started looking at images of folks who fit the general look I want for the characters. I started making some sketches from these, and started adding interesting but simple costume pieces on them.

What I started coming up with was a base costume for each person. The base costume will reflect the character "color" I've come up with, but will incorporate the common, faded theme I'm trying to establish.

For instance, the John the Baptist/Judas character for me is Mr. Grey: someone in limbo, color wise and very neutral. I started him off with a dark charcoal pair of jeans or corduroys, and then gave him a plain cotton or linen long sleeved (but light) shirt. A white belt, black work boots (or Doc Martins), topped off with a light neutrally colored leather or canvas jacket. He'll remove the jacket as the show progresses. Here's a scan...



And for Peggy, I made her Miss Yellow, as I want her warmth and charm to suggest light and freshness. She'll have a simple yellow t-shirt as her anchor, but she'll also have a neutral pair of shorts or cargo pants. And she'll have neutral tennis shoes and a light neutral shirt over it. Here too is a scan...



I have some details for the others, but I'm still developing them. I'd have loved to take the time to do some custom stuff (texture-wise), but it's not in the cards. I'll save the creative stuff for the masks for a little later.

- Sean

Pitching for an Extended Run

So I just finished an email to the head board members of The High Street Theatre Foundation pitching the concept of extending the run of Godspell by moving it to their venue after our July 16 close. I want to make sure that everyone who wants to will get a chance to see this production, and it will be a shame to ditch the momentum that will be generated by this show.

Knowing this going into the first production meeting, in negotiating with musicians, building the set, scaling the production, and in casting the show, I can make this production as close to bullet-proof as possible. Hubris, I know, but I feel very strongly about the vision of this production, and I think it's going to be worth it.

Still no word yet from Bill Wagner regarding music direction. I LOVED working with Bill on Little Shop of Horrors, so I hope this works out. He's a perfectionist and a detailed craftsman, and I hope he's able to lend his talents to the production. If I don't hear anything within the next week, I'll start considering other options, but I'm staying positive for now.

The decision on the music director affects my ability to order the extended score: if we don't have a music director (or musicians) who can interpret the new score, then what's the point of paying for it? Okay, minor twinge of panic here...

I think that's it. I see Todd Weldon in Deathtrap this coming Saturday night, so that will be fun. I'd like to go to the High Street Theatre to see Company, primarily to scout the venue, but also to get a sense of the caliber of production they present.

- Sean