The end of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's 24th production of A Christmas Carol just about marks my midway point through my time here as an acting intern. It seems that most actors will encounter this play at some point in their careers, and I feel lucky to have been a part of this particular production in this particular year.
In twenty-four years, never has the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge been understudied at this theater. However, this year the-powers-that-be decided that the prospect of cancelling a production of this theater's cash cow was probably not a great plan. Naturally in the first year of having a Scrooge understudy, our own Nick Rose did go on for an injured Bruce Cromer for a number of performances. Alongside injury, most of our cast experienced what I tenderly named #flupocalypse14, also resulting in understudies to take stage, thus shifting our cast list on a nightly basis. But besides all the random acts of God or whatever causes such events, this production was special to me for less traumatic reasons. This production is technically my very first equity level, regional theater premiere. So that was kind of big. And with all that, I got to work alongside some wonderful dressers and stage hands who have held up the backstage life of this theater for decades. I was surprised by the completely cool parents, having my own childhood memories of doing theatre and some of the insane personalities I encountered in 'stage moms.' Always relaxed, hands off, but supportive, these people gave up hours each day in travel and rotating meal duties to support their kids' passion. And the kids were all freaking awesome too! Poised and ready to work, but always able to find the fun in it, I couldn't imagine a better group of young artists to learn from. Of course, I was also lucky to be surrounded by incredible adult actors who, with such grace and ease, breathe spontaneity and life into roles they have played for years and years, some for decades. From all these glorious people, I received generosity and kindness in sharing their own experiences and returning my curiosity with genuine interest in how I imagine myself moving forward in this theatre life. So its sad to see it all go, even though from auditions to closing its been three months of non-stop Christmas. And if you think the holidays are long for your family, just consider the song Joy to the World on repeat for three months in your brain and get back to me. LBR
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10/8/2014 0 Comments At the Heart of 'Off the Hill'Cincy Magazine featured this great piece on the Off the Hill work we do at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. It's an excellent write-up of how these plays engage the community and especially young audiences. The stigma of actors doing 'crappy children's theatre' probably exists for a reason, but that's not what we're doing here. For those who see our current show Roses and Thorns, this might be their first exposure to theatre, and hopefully, with our work (not to mention the work of a dozen professional artists and technicians in and around Cincy Playhouse), not their last.
On the flip side, this work is also incredibly valuable to emerging artists like us doing all the 'crappy children's theatre' acting. Having an audience in the 8yrs+ age group reveals to me just how excited, frightened, delighted and moreover, present an audience can be. They are truly with us every step of the way and unfortunately that's not always the case with adults. And because they are so honest in their criticism, it's a good test for the clarity and truthfulness of character, moment, and action of the story: If we suck, we'll know! - LBR 9/29/2014 0 Comments Roses and ThornsThis past weekend we opened the first #OffTheHill touring show with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Roses and Thorns is a tale of Beauty and the Beast written by fellow Seattlite, Bret Fetzer. In it I play a number of characters including Mulch, the forgotten, under-appreciated horse. In his eyes, this play would be named, The Tragedy of Excelsior: Forgotten, Misunderstood, and Misnamed as Mulch. If you're in the region, check out the website and find a neighborhood and showtime near you! It's been getting rave reviews from all my friends (the most trustworthy of critics, in my humble opinion) :-D -LBR 9/18/2014 0 Comments Tangles in a Corner9/10/2014 0 Comments 100% OFF: A Recession-Era RomanceY'all. I just found my first feature length film on YouTube. Directed by Shaun Scott, rough and raw, is how I would describe it. Worth the price of admission, according to these reviews: CITY ARTS, SEATTLE TIMES. Enjoy! - LBR
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