UPDATE 11/6/09: As we prepare to open When She Danced tomorrow, subscriptions have reached 1,922. 87 more to go and already a 42% increase over last season. Incredible.
UPDATE 10/22/09: Passed a big milestone today – 1,901 subscriptions. 108 more to go!
UPDATE 10/14/09: 1,874! When She Danced starts previews 3 weeks from today …
UPDATE 10/7/09: 1,841 … at this rate we could meet our goal — and stop selling 2009-10 subscriptions — in just 12 days!
UPDATE 10/6/09: Four days after we hit 1,800 subscribers and officially launched this “2,009 in 2009″ campaign, we’ve already added 27 new FlexPass holders. 182 to go! Keep following this post – we’ll continue to update whenever there is news on this topic.
Elizabeth Auman
ORIGINAL POST 10/2/09: I love numbers. I obsess over numbers, specifically ticket sales. The good, the bad and the ugly. Doesn’t matter. Lara Goetsch, TimeLine’s Director of Marketing and Communications, and Tracy Domeracki, TimeLine’s Audience Services Manager, can tell you how annoying this obsession can be.
I watch single-ticket sales for our shows constantly. I usually have the daily sales screen open on my computer from the time I sit down at my desk until the time I leave. I try to figure out the date by which a show will reach its single-ticket goal — or if it isn’t going to reach the goal, how far it will get.
This year our subscription numbers have been off the charts. So I obsess about those numbers, too. Keep reading …
Alejandro Cordoba and Jennifer Engstrom in "When She Danced"
When She Danced has been open for just over a week now and with sold-out houses every night, already nearly 500 of you have seen the show!
Many of Chicago’s professional theater critics have weighed in on When She Danced (read what they have to say at our Web site …), but now’s your chance. Share your own review, comments or questions about the production below.
Mary Williamson found herself auditioning for When She Danced thinking in the back of her mind that she was young to physically fit any of the roles. But before walking into her audition she felt a familiar feeling. The same natural actor-friendly feeling that she felt while training at The Theatre School at DePaul University. Then as she turned to walk up the stairs, a recognizable face appeared — Ann Wakefield, a former professor who wished for her to “break a leg.” Soon Mary was cast as Mary Desti, Isadora Duncan’s best friend and manager.
For those who may not know, TimeLine Theatre was founded by graduates of The Theatre School. When She Danced is the second show of TimeLine’s 13th season.
Mary Williamson
Mary added that When She Danced is not a play that is typically produced. Challenges include the language, set design and costumes, plus finding an actor who can portray a piano-playing prodigy who plays Chopin and speaks Greek and Italian. It is not easy finding the resources needed. TimeLine is presenting a piece that is rarely done, because it hard to do.
Mary imagined herself playing traditional theatrical roles when she got out of school, but she found herself doing character work in children’s shows while stretching her limits playing strange characters. Additionally, Mary developed and appeared in Redmoon Theatre’s Fall Spectacle. While she loved all of her recent theatrical experiences, she is excited to work in the traditional theatrical atmosphere she is familiar with and experienced while studying at DePaul.
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Q. How would you describe the play in a single sentence?
A. It’s a slice of an infamous person’s life (Isadora Duncan) and the wacky people who are in it.
Q. How would you describe your character?
A. She (Mary Desti) is a very interesting character because every time she walks into a room she takes control of the scene, whether the people like it or not — and a lot of the time the other characters don’t like it. Mary (the character) is a very difficult person to play. Finding the balance between her crazy eccentricities vs. the woman who is trying to micromanage Isadora’s dance career. There is a dichotomy of working for someone while being his or her best friend.
Q. How were rehearsals?
A. The play itself sort of comes off as fairly light and funny, but it’s also heartbreaking. It is intense to deal with all of the different languages that are spoken. Mary, my character, fights with Sergei, a Russian poet, and it is frustrating to be working on a play as you are still learning. Especially when you’re yelling at someone who is yelling back at you in Russian. As the actor I need to know what he’s saying, but also as the character I do not understand what he is saying. Also, finding how to communicate through the language barrier and using movement to translate moments of the play that are in other languages.
Q. Do you have any exciting or memorable moments from rehearsal?
A. There is a scene in the play when food is being thrown. The person who plays Isadora was rehearing throwing dinner rolls using a bag of Skittles. The first bag she threw hit one of the actors in the face. We knew that we had to find something else to use as a rehearsal prop! A pair of rolled up socks, perhaps.
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In the play, Sergei says to Isadora that “your art dies when you die, but my art will continue living when I die because it’s written.” Modern communication (email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are remarkable elements that have transformed our culture, but breaking the language barrier still poses challenges. The remarkable attribute of When She Danced is that the audience is able to understand what is going on in the story, but can also create their own dialogue. I hope that you will come and see When She Danced and allow yourself to create your own story.
Mark Kijek is a 2nd-year Theatre Management student at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
The air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and Walgreens has been fully stocked with Halloween candy for the last 4 months. All this can only mean one thing to a fundraiser—fall appeal time!
TimeLine Development Manager Lydia Swift
It is a time of great work and great reward. As you write the appeal letter, prep your mailing lists, gather your army of volunteers and a big box of labels, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of glue sticks and stamps. Suddenly you’re dreaming about mail merges and local mailbox pickup times. You don’t see the top of your desk for at least a week, and people learn not to talk to you about anything non-appeal related. Finally, the last of the letters go out the door.
And then … you wait.
Soon you find yourself attacking the mailman when you see him (even on the street before he’s made it to your door) and keeping a letter opener handy at all times. Not to mention obsessively checking your email for new online gift notifications. Then those little envelopes start coming back. And they don’t just come back with gifts—but with wonderful notes, warm wishes and congratulations for recent successes!
As a fundraiser, I should be used to the idea of people donating their hard-earned money to support what your company does. But I’m not. To me, taking the time and personal resources to support what you believe in is not an ordinary thing, but rather an extraordinary thing. I’m reminded of this—and inspired by it—with every single gift I open. And on behalf of everyone at TimeLine, I would like to thank all of our extraordinary supporters. I hope you know that we truly could not do it without you.
Inspired to learn more about making a gift to TimeLine? Yay! Visit our Web site …
Today marks the beginning of our long weekend of saying goodbye to The History Boys. Wednesday means it’s the “start of the final weekend.” Just six more performances of the show, which closes on Sunday. After six months living with this play, these people, this environment, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t bittersweet.
A few weeks ago we had a second video shoot to include footage of some of the new Boys who had joined the cast in the film that opens the play. At the time I tagged along to go behind-the-scenes of the shoot, thinking I would put it all together and post it later that week. That didn’t happen, unfortunately. But before it is entirely too late, I thought today — the beginning of the end — would be an OK time to share these images of some of the folks who have made the past few months a uniquely fun time at TimeLine:
more about “THE HISTORY BOYS Behind-the-Scenes“, posted with vodpod
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the final installment in our series of interviews with members of The History Boys cast. Thanks to all who participated and all of you who have spent time reading about some of the folks who have been a part of making this show such a great experience!]
It was almost time to meet Will Allan, who plays Scripps in The History Boys. As I waited, I heard someone playing the piano on stage. Curious, I went to discover who it was. Across the stage, I saw a slim man with dark hair. I walked toward him to get a closer look, and there was Will, playing. When he saw me, he pulled his hands away from the piano and said, “Oh yes, it’s my turn today.”
Will Allan
Will moved to Chicago this past March. He decided it was best to move because his schedule was so and still is “insanely Chicago orientated,” because The History Boys takes place during the majority of the week. He is still planning on staying in Chicago after The History Boys comes to an end.
Will graduated in June from North Central College in Naperville, where he studied theatre and acting. “Once I realized I was 5’8 and 135 pounds, I knew that I was not going to be playing major league baseball, so I thought ‘I better find something to fall back on.’ And as exciting as biochemistry and physics and math and all that stuff are, I couldn’t picture myself doing it for four more years. So I got a degree in theatre,” explained Will on why he decided to major in theatre.
How did Will become a part of the History Boys?
“Well, one of my professors is friends with a Company member here at TimeLine. So in my sophomore year in college we came to see Lillian with Janet Ulrich Brooks, and she was amazing. From that point on I knew that TimeLine was one of the best Chicago theatres. After a couple of years went by, I saw on PerformInk, an audition website, The History Boys auditions. So I was like, ‘Well, it is my favorite play in the world and there are only a few more years left in my life that I can be a history boy.’ So I submitted, and then I got a call two days later from [Artistic Director] PJ Powers and then I came in, and many auditions later, I was at TimeLine.”
How has his experience been working at TimeLine?
“The experience has been amazing. They cast a great group of boys. And the adults are wonderful to learn from. They are all completely unselfish actors, so throughout the process, you learn so much from them. And the rehearsal process was definitely eye opening because it showed all the work you have to put it. In college you can get away with a lot more because you don’t have as much rehearsal time, and it’s not as pressured. And you only do three to six performances in college. Here, you really have to put the work in because we are looking at more than 100 shows and a lot of important people seeing it. I realized that this is something I want to get up and do every day. I’m pretty thrilled that my work is called play.”
Why is The History Boys Will’s favorite play?
Alex Weisman (from left) as Posner with Will Allan as Scripps and Joel Gross as Dakin in "The History Boys"
“When this play became popular, I was in school. My mom is a teacher so I have been dealing with the battle of education my whole life. Her coming home and screaming about standardized tests. She liked to do more of the artistic and fun activities. But she always had principals lurking over her, like the Headmaster character in the play, saying that we need ‘results, results, results.’
“It’s also hard to not relate to this show, especially if you are a young male. With all the eight boys, there is definitely someone in the cast who every young man who sees this show can relate to. I think that is what sets this play apart. There is a lot of great writing and serious subjects, but what it comes down to, for me, is just an idea of following eight boys and their teachers, people who are so important to them when they are growing up and developing. It’s rare to have eight male talents who really get out there and play completely different characters and really bring something to each one. And I like that it’s three hours long because I feel like you are really going through it and experiencing what it’s like to be these young boys.”
We continue our conversation, getting to know Will better, such as his goals in life. The first thing he mentioned is being able to do theatre and more, being able to teach it. He would also LOVE to coach a little league baseball team and go to the World Series in Pennsylvania and take them to 1st place.
Another thing that came up in our conversation was Will describing himself as mysterious. [If you’re interested in knowing why, there’s one more week in the run to find out!]
For his last comment, Will explained that he hopes that when audience members see The History Boys, that they remember what it was like when they were growing up, and take time to look back at their lives. “I just want them to have had the moment where one of the boys is interacting with the teachers and they think, ‘Oh my god, I had that moment,’ or ‘I wonder how my life would have been different if I did have that moment.’ And just reflect back on that time in their lives.”
Andrew Carter
After performing in the TimeLine productions This Happy Breed and Pravda, he packed up and moved to London. For the first time, he took a step away from his hometown of Chicago to experience something different. In London, he explored another lifestyle — watching theater instead of performing it. After a year of distance, he came back to Chicago, but didn’t return to the acting business. Time passed and one day he bumped into director Nick Bowling at a bar where they caught up with each other’s lives. Deep into the conservation, Nick asked if he would ever come back to acting. “Only if the right opportunity comes up,” he answered.
They continued talking and TimeLine was brought into the conversation. He told Nick that he had heard that TimeLine was going to be producing The History Boys. Keep reading …
Cora Vander Broek’s favorite color is purple — a color that is soft and strong. Soft to reflect her sweet personality and her laughter. Strong to reflect her clear goal in life and the fact that she hates to be patronized. Her goal in life is to do whatever it takes to pursue and expand her acting career. This fits perfectly with why Cora does not get freaked out easily about anything. She likes to be presented with new things, like the play All My Sons, in which she plays Ann.
Cora Vander Broek
This is Cora’s first time working at TimeLine. She explains warmly, “I had known people and have good friends from here as well. I also had auditioned once before, but this is my first time working here. I feel very safe. What really stands out to me about TimeLine is that there is a sense of a family. I feel like I belong and have always belonged, even though this is my first time working here. I feel like the faces I see on stage are accessible and they are always ready to talk to me about anything. It’s an added surprise for me that I didn’t have to work my way in to feel a part of the group.”
Not only was this Cora’s first time working at TimeLine but also her first time reading the play. It was an interesting experience because everyone else who previously had read the play All My Sons approached the play knowing the themes and plot. Cora didn’t have the option. Yet, she felt it was better that way because discoveries about herself and as well her character were a little easier since she started from scratch.
Cora explained, “Until the audition, I had never read All My Sons. I knew of it but I never read it. The intellectual part of me is a little embarrassed to confess that. But my actor side is actually relieved that I came to it knowing less because I think I would have come with more preconceived notions. Yes, I’m still dealing with the weight of knowing that it is a big play, but thankfully it has not been too difficult to approach it as just another play. And, of course, when I read it I thought it was wonderful.”
Cora Vander Broek (left) as Ann and Janet Ulrich Brooks as Kate in "All My Sons."
Because this was Cora’s first time working on All My Sons, she had to find ways to tackle it. She had to connect her life to the characters’ lives in order to understand the family situation. “What I love is that it has a lot to do with family,” she said. “Right before we started rehearsals, I went home to Iowa. I was home for my mom’s wedding and being there was wonderful, and awful. It just reminded me that all families have some sort of dysfunction. Yes, at different levels, but it is common in every family. There are things that we keep from each other that we probably should say, and just a lot of crap that we have to sift through. Being home helped me tackle this play; it is just a family trying to move through a really tough time while trying to love each other. Yes, there are bigger concepts than that but the family dysfunction is what I really love about the play.”
All My Sons does have big concepts — like the greater responsibility people feel beyond the responsibility they feel to family, but Cora reminds us that the basis of those larger concepts is the family. It starts small, just like Cora’s character, Ann. Ann loves a boy and wants to marry him, but many obstacles are in the way. It is this idea that Cora focuses on in order to play her character. From there, the play reveals itself.
When rehearsals moved from TimeLine to the Greenhouse Theater, Cora started feeling a little nervous. “I was dreaming about the play; having weird dreams. I think I just wanted the play to go well. I was nervous but very excited,” she said.
As we moved to the end of our conversation, I asked her if there was anything else she wanted to share about what she hopes the audience experiences from seeing the production. She smiled and after a few minutes, she thoughtfully said, “I hope that audiences find it timely and I hope they forget that it is All My Sons and get wrapped up with the people in it.”
Juliet Hart, one of TimeLine’s founding Company members, was rushing to get to the theater but was suddenly stopped by a young man who wanted to recite poetry for only a buck. Meanwhile, at the theater, Artistic Director PJ Powers received a call from Juliet saying that she was going to be 10 minutes late. After 10 minutes, it was decided that we would start our interview. As PJ and Janet Ulrich Brooks, also a Company member, prepared themselves for the questions, Juliet suddenly opened the door and looked straight at PJ and said, “That was pretty good, right?!” PJ smiled and responded, “Only two minutes over, pretty good. I’m impressed.” The room then filled with laughter.
Seeing them laugh together, I understood what Juliet meant when she later talked about the family the seven Company members have created together over the years. PJ and Juliet have known each other for more than 15 years, so it made sense why there is a sense of a family bond. Janet joined the gang about a year and a half ago, which made PJ’s eyes open wide because he felt it had been longer. That just shows how all three of them have a strong connection together.
Once everyone was settled down, my first two questions were asked: How have the All My Sons rehearsals been, and how has it been working together in this production? Keep reading …
As I looked at the sheet of paper in front of me — a sheet filled with my questions and All My Sons director Kimberly Senior’s answers — my eyes landed on the query, “What three words would you use to describe yourself?”
Kimberly had written: “Tenacious, passionate and enthusiastic.”
"All My Sons" director Kimberly Senior
Why? I wondered. Why those three words? As I looked over the rest of the paper, I realized that Kimberly answered me without intending to. By answering the rest of the questions I asked her, she supported how those three words describe her perfectly. Plus, I also have the memory of my experience working with her about three or four years ago when she directed mini-plays for the Steppenwolf Cross-Town Ensemble (a group of young actors and playwrights who go through training and in the end create a production).
Tenacious
When one has a goal and wants to pursue it, one must keep a firm hold in order to accomplish it. When it comes to directing, Kimberly always sticks to something: “The text!”
At Steppenwolf, I remember the group of young artists looking over a draft of a play. Kimberly’s job was to figure out with the young playwright which parts of the text were truly important (and not just extra words that didn’t hold a real use). I remember seeing them dissect the play and intensely create the final piece. Once the final draft of the play was done, Kimberly made sure that we actors succeeded in making the text become real by directing us in how to use our “active verbs,” which were supposed to be expressed verbally and most especially, physically.
Kimberly also sticks to the idea “that the playwright, at the time, wrote a play he considered contemporary, and that we should honor that and not present something that feels like a museum piece.” Since All My Sons is a play written and set in 1947, Kimberly makes sure that whatever she does holds true to that time. It is all about honoring the playwright, while creating a piece that is “moving, intelligent and thought-provoking.”
Passionate
When people love the work they do and enjoy doing it, they are passionate about what they create. Kimberly is a perfect example because she pushes people to reach their true potential.
When I worked with her, I remember how she used to push us to try things over and over again if we didn’t succeed the first time. She took the time to work with us and never gave up. Because she is so passionate about what she does, she also takes rehearsals seriously. I remember the rule she expected all of us to obey: All cell phones must be turn off and put away. And if a phone went off during rehearsal, your punishment was to make homemade cupcakes for everyone (I had to make homemade cupcakes).
During the first rehearsal of All My Sons, Kimberly said that she has always wanted to direct All My Sons. I asked her why, and why at TimeLine.
She explained that she “loves the play — it tells a really moving, personal story in the middle of a larger story about war, the United States’ role on an international scale, and the huge story of accountability and responsibility in the face of a world growing morally bankrupt. TimeLine is perfect because the play must be contextualized through the lens of history to ask ourselves today these really important questions.”
The people who are involved in All My Sons are putting their full effort in creating something extraordinary. Kimberly wants “the audience to ask the important questions about responsibility to something larger than ourselves.”
Enthusiastic
The best type of person to work with is someone who is enthusiastic about the work that is being done. It motivates everyone else who is working with that person. Kimberly does that.
Kimberly Senior at a rehearsal for "All My Sons"
When working with the Cross-Town Ensemble, Kimberly used to join us in our group warming exercises. She was always so into them (really into them; she even participated when she became pregnant). There was one warm-up where we all had to rotate our waists, arms, shoulders, ankles, legs, and the funniest one, our hips. When we would rotate our hips, Kimberly would say, “Pretend you are wiping the peanut butter out the jar,” which used to make me laugh because we all looked pretty ridiculous sticking our butts out every time we rotated. It was great working with her because her enthusiasm, in even the smallest things, always worked us up to excel.
Why does she love directing? “I’m bossy (just kidding),” Kimberly said. “Because I love to create a space where talented people come together and excel at what they love. I like to foster environments of creativity and conversation — artists and audience alike.”
The All My Sons cast are talented people who are preparing themselves to do what they love on stage starting next week. For Kimberly, it is a perfect blend of actors and because of that she says that rehearsals have been “Awesome! The play has been revealing itself.”
Time is ticking and next week All My Sons will be ready for the audience’s eyes. From what Kimberly had to say about herself and about the play, I have a gut feeling it’s going to be remarkable to watch.
