By the Bi embraced by the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival

By the Bi was nominated for two awards for the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival (Caroline Downs and Morgan Barbour for Best New Writing, Jake Ehrlich for Best Male Performance) and WON the Doric Wilson Award for Inter-Cultural Dialogue. 

Considering how difficult it is to even get accepted by the festival, getting two nominations and one win was a huge honor.

By the Bi is also currently on the cover of Bi Community News, a magazine covering bisexual topics over in the UK! 

Things are looking positive for the future!

Two BLOGS in ONE DAY?! Yes - because you shouldn't have to wait to hear about By the Bi taking Dublin!!

Shaun McCracken just forwarded the email below from Caroline Downs 

(just recently returned from a triumphant presentation of the original theatre piece By the Bi).

By the Bi - ROCKED Dublin!!

“Hello Shaun!

Our week of showing in Dublin was a huge success! It was known to us before arriving at the festival that we would be somewhat the underdogs of the week, as we not only had the youngest cast, but were the youngest company, the only all female run company, and the only show about bisexuality to be shown at the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival EVER in the history of it’s 12 year run. However, this began to work to our advantage. As people were very curious, some even viewing us as a “novelty”, we stirred up a lot of talk surrounding the show, and our reputation began to precede us at the nightly festival gatherings. We opened to wonderful reviews, some of which I have attached. To quote the end of our first review by a festival critic, “There is an integrity in this pleasing production that deserves audiences of all ages and persuasions. Is the B silent in LGBT? It no longer is in “By the Bi”. Worth seeing.” 

All of the very best,

Caroline Downs

Co-Founder/CEO

Blazing Change Players

First festival review! 

FESTIVAL REVIEW: “By The Bi” Teachers Club Main Hall until Saturday May 9th. Just as lesbian, gay and Trans people are on the cusp of getting equal rights, the Bisexuals roar onto the stage in “By the Bi” from USA’s “Blazing Change Players”. In a strong performance piece combining storytelling, dance, monologue and live music with a great soundtrack, this talented young ensemble bring a voice to the often confused and cast aside bisexual community. There are many finely narrated scenarios about the girl who loves a girl and a boy, and the boy who loves a boy and a girl, religious views well articulated and the confusion caused by lack of recognition and rejection of the binary system of human attraction and love. The ensemble of seven, four girls and three boys are multi-talented. They perform with passion and conviction in an imaginative piece created by Caroline Downs and Morgan Barbour. There are no individual cast credits or programme but suffice to say this is a well balanced team, with fine performance skills that connect and impress throughout. Homophobia, rape, suicide, first love, school and church stereotypes are all present in a spirited definition of the duality of sexuality. Bisexuals live as a ghost in the LGBT community. In this they have a clear voice that resonates and entertains. Diction was clear and the energetic physical movement ranged from graceful to acrobatic. The dancers centre of gravity will grow with performance experience and the abrupt endings of some scenarios will also smooth over. The unpacking of biblical condemnation should be heard by all on the NO side of current debate. There is an integrity in this pleasing production that deserves audiences of all ages and persuasions. Is the B silent in LGBT? It no longer is in “By the Bi”. Worth seeing. AO’B

Go HERE for another wonderful review found in the Unforgettable Lines blog.

With Katie Marlene Crescenzo, Dante Piro, Jake Ehrlich, Gabby Rojtman, Caroline Downs, 

Ann O Donnell, Natalie Morales and Dion Torres in Dublin, Ireland. 

Congratulations to everyone involved in the production of 

By the Bi!

Please go HERE if you are interested in auditioning for the European tour of By the Bi

SUPERHEROES!!

The Superheroes are Mariah, Tyler, Devin and David

and some other guys.

YOU will be able to buy one of the cardboard heroes 

(for just $1)

 next week at the first official

2015 Ball Bake Sale & Hero Raffle!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 • 10 AM - 2 PM • PAC LOBBY

Can you bake or sit at the table?

Please email gmbrannan@vcu.edu or Facebook

Theatre VCU

Announcing the 2015/16 Theatre VCU Season! Yep. Pretty excited.

Man of La Mancha comes to Channel 6

This was SUCH a great experience yesterday at Virginia This Morning on Richmond's Channel 6 (CBS)

Go here: http://wtvr.com/2014/11/13/the-epic-tale-of-don-quixote-comes-to-life-on-the-theatre-vcu-stage/

Check out James Taylor (Don Quoxite) mahlon Raoufi (Sancho) and Emily Adler & Alex Burkart (the Horses) singing and galloping their way through "I Don Quixote" - SO much fun!

Don't miss this show - it's one of the last Golden Age musicals -

winner of 5 Tony Awards - and the Theatre VCU production features a magnificent set, exquisite costumes and the beautiful voices of our students. Plus Don Quixote is played by James Taylor, known for his international operatic work. He brings not only his incredible vocal talent, but also his true understanding of Cervantes magical character…. James Taylor IS Don Quixote!

There is still a GroupOn deal out there…. shhh… don't tell anyone, but it's:
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-vcu-dept-of-theater-2012-1-4

Come downtown and support the work of our artists - it's well worth the trip.

Two more weeks of Man of La Mancha!!

MAN OF LA MANCHA IS ABOUT TO ENTER IT'S SECOND WEEK! 
Audiences are raving!
Here's what John Porter (Theatre Reviewer of WCVE) has to say:

If you need a reason to head over and see one of the great musicals of the American theatre  currently playing at VCU trust me, MAN OF LA MANCHA is well worth the effort if only to admire Ron Keller’s towering set. In an era of tiny stages with rotating turntables, this set rises a good thirty feet in the air with a staircase that lowers out of the ceiling like the hand of God passing judgment or deliverance to the actors below.

Since most theatre goers don’t just go to be amazed by the set, let’s look at some of the other reasons to enjoy the play. MAN OF LA MANCHA is a play within a play detailing the life and adventures of Don Quixote de La Mancha – a chivalrous knight roaming the land some 300 years after knights stopped serving king and country.

As the nobleman knight, James Taylor (not the pop singer) is a commanding presence. In the dual role of Don Miguel de Cervantes and Quixote, he has to move from madness to lucidity and back again. His voice is strong and clear, and his interpretation of the big song, “The Impossible Dream” is a highlight.

Kamaron Carter makes a strong Aldonza – the stable girl who becomes the noblewoman muse of Quixote and is elevated by his adoration.

The rest of the cast takes on multiple roles, most without much of a hitch, and under Patti D’Beck’s direction and choreography handle the varied dance moves well. These characters start off waiting trial – some portray murderers and thieves while others play characters with mental disorders and must move accordingly.

David Leong provides the fight choreography and utilizes stylized movements for one fight to comedic effect, and brutal more realistic movements for another in order to emphasize the horror that Aldonza faces.

Devario D. Simmons’ costumes work very well – showing differences in status, and in the case of Quixote versatility moving him back and forth between his two characters. Michael Jarett’s lights are very good – equal to just about any seen on a professional stage this season. Ben Miller serves as the Musical Director and keeps the music moving very well.

I don’t get out to see University productions as often as I would like. Often they operate on short schedules and are in conflict with professional shows I need to see. However, I may have to reevaluate that policy as invariably I find things that excite me and give me hope for the future of theatre.

Now if we could only offer these talented performers more incentive to stay in Richmond after graduation and continue to grace our stages. Even though there are more and more opportunities to perform, making a living creating the art they love is always going to be a struggle.

Okay, I’ll climb off my soapbox now and get back to MAN OF LA MANCHA. This production will be running through November 23 and is well worth making the journey.

For 88.9 WCVE, I’m John Porter.



Thank you John Porter!!

We have heard such wonderful things from our audience about Man of La Mancha - Don't miss it!

This weekend  - Nov. 13-15 at 7:30 pm and 
Sunday Nov. 16 at 3:00 pm

Next weekend - Nov. 20 - 22 at 7:30 pm and 
Sunday Nov. 23 at 3:00 pm

vcutheatre.showclix.com

It was RTCC night in Richmond and Theatre VCU was there!

Sunday October 19th was RTCC night (Richmond Theatre Critic's Circle Awards)

Here are all the nominated and the winners - with Theatre VCU highlighted (of course):

Best Direction (Musical): Chase Kniffen, The Color Purple

Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical

Josh Marin

Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret

Richard Parison, Fiddler on the Roof

Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Best Actor (Musical): Josh Marin, The Color Purple

David Benoit, Fiddler on the Roof

Ronnie Brown, Shrek the Musical

Chris Hester, Cabaret

Jason Marks, Shrek the Musical

Jerold Solomon, The Color Purple

Best Actress (Musical): Felicia Curry, The Color Purple

Grey Garrett, Beyond the Rainbow, Swift Creek Mill

Christie Jackson, The Drowsy Chaperone

Nicole Oberleitner, Caberet

Aly Wepplo, Shrek the Musical

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Musical): Doug Schneider, Cabaret

Steve King, The Drowsy Chaperone

Josh Marin, The Wild Party, Firehouse Theatre

Matt Shofner, The Drowsy Chaperone

Scott Wichmann, Olympus on my Mind, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Musical): Jeanie Rule, Cabaret

Carolyn Meade, The Wild Party

Carolyn Minor-Daughtry, The Color Purple

Nicole Oberleitner, The Drowsy Chaperone

Desiree Roots, The Color Purple

Best Musical Direction: Paul Deiss, The Drowsy Chaperone

Kim Fox, Cabaret

Ben Miller, The Color Purple

Ben Miller, The Wild Party

Anthony Smith, Fiddler of the Roof

Best Choreography: Leslie Owens-Harrington, The Color Purple

Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical

Dennis Clark, The Drowsy Chaperone

Karen Getz, Fiddler on the Roof

Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret

Best Play: Clybourne Park, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Firehouse Theatre (aka ‘Chad Deity’)

Good People, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

Joshua Plant, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre

Quality of Life, HATTheatre

Best Direction (Play): Keri Wormald, Clybourne Park

Anna Johnson, Detroit, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

Anna Johnson, Good People

Kerry McGee, Chad Deity

David Emerson Toney, ‘night, Mother, Firehouse Theatre

Best Actor (Play): Scott Wichmann, Say Goodnight Gracie

Joseph Carlson, A Streetcar Named Desire, Firehouse Theatre

Jeff Cole, Wittenberg, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

Aaron Orensky, Joshua Plant

Alexander Sapp, Grace, TheatreLAB

Best Actress (Play): Catherine Shaffner, ‘night, Mother

Eva DeVirgilis, Hypocrites & Strippers, Richmond Triangle Players

McLean Jesse, Clybourne Park

Katrinah Carol Lewis, Death & the Maiden, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

Dawn A. Westbrook, Good People

Mauricio Marces, Nicklas Aliff, Joe Carlson

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Play): TIE: Mauricio Marces, Chad Deity & Alexander Sapp, Richard III

Andrew Firda, Clybourne Park

Stephen Ryan, The Importance of Being Earnest, Henley Street/Richmond

Shakespeare/Richmond Triangle Players

Alexander Sapp, Tartuffe, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Play): Jacquie O’Connor, Good People

Jennifer Frank, The Dixie Swim Club, Swift Creek Mill

Melissa Johnston Price, Other Desert Cities, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Debra Wagoner, Tartuffe

Raven Wilkes, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

The Ernie McClintock Award for Best Ensemble Acting: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

Clybourne Park

Detroit

Grace

Quality of Life

Most Promising Newcomer: TIE Grace Mincks, Beyond the Rainbow & Diego Salinas, Joshua Plant

Isabella Cipolina, The Miracle Worker, Swift Creek Mill

Ally Dodds, Fiddler on the Roof

Brad Frazier, Tartuffe

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design: Geno Brantley, Chad Deity

Joe Doran, The Drowsy Chaperone

Joe Doran, The Color Purple

Lynne M. Hartman, Other Desert Cities

Robert Perry, Fiddler on the Roof

Elizabeth Hopper

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design: Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Shrek the Musical

Maura Lynch Cravey, The Drowsy Chaperone

Sue Griffin, The Color Purple

Sue Griffin, Fiddler on the Roof

Sue Griffin, Tartuffe

Outstanding Achievement in

Set Design: Ben Burke, Other Desert Cities

Tennessee Dixon, Death & the Maiden

Frank Foster, Cabaret

Ron Keller, Color Purple

Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design: Joey Luck, Cabaret

Andrew Craig, Death & the Maiden

Derek Dumais, The Color Purple

Chase Kniffen, Say Goodnight Gracie

Joey Luck, Chad Deity

Opening Night for Amazing Grace in Chicago!!

WOW!

It was a wonderful night in Chicago for Theatre VCU!

Here's what Paul W. Thompson wrote in Broadway World.com:

"Director Gabriel Barre and music director Joseph Church, guided to no small degree by the willingness of producer Carolyn Rossi Copeland to give Smith’s musico-dramatic vision a chance to live, have crafted a complex and moving piece of theater, with thrilling musical moments, stunning visual imagery and roles that actors would give their eyeteeth to sink their molars into. Passion here takes the form of the struggle to live, to love, to be free, to live in peace in community. These are universal themes, and John Newton’s story lends itself well to this passion and these themes."


He also points out:

"exquisite and sexy costumes by Toni-Leslie James"

And references are made to:

"And it’s a highly physical role (gunfights, fistfights, beatings, dancing, falling overboard, all sort of shirts coming on and off)." (Fight Choreography - our own David Leong & Brad Wilcuts.)

Yep, It was a wonderful night - the pictures tell the story!

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, David Leong, Josh Quinn (Assistant Costume Designer - MFA 2012)

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Matt Armentrout (Assistant Wig Designer - BFA 2012), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Gabriel Barre (Director - Theatre VCU Guest Director 2014), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, David Leong, Vince Oddo (Fight Captain)

Macbeth - Rehearsal photos show the tension… the work… the process

Theatre VCU Performance major Seth Ray Hewitt has been posting some beautiful Macbeth rehearsal photos of the cast on stage before the beautiful costumes and the full make up.

The Bloginator loves seeing the work behind the show.

What do you think?

Meanwhile… there's some magic being made in the Costume Design/Tech department 

(thank you Emily Atkins for the photo)

Something wicked this way comes….

Tickets to Macbeth are moving fast…
vcutheate.showclix.com

Theatre VCU is all over town… and if you're a student there are some great ticket deals!

Our very own David Emerson Toney is directing Frederick Knott's 
Wait Until Dark 
at Firehouse Theater. 
Opening Sept. 18 and running until Oct. 18.

An apartment in 1970’s Greenwich Village becomes the site of theatre’s most terrifying game of cat and mouse. Desperate to reclaim a mysterious doll stuffed with illegal drugs, a con man lays a trap to ensnare a blind woman.  With the help of his criminal cohorts and a few clever disguises, he spins a tale to fool the innocent and unsuspecting woman.  But when the doll can’t be found, the situation spirals out of control.   From the author of Dial “M” for Murder, Wait Until Dark proves that what you can’t see can most definitely hurt you.

Also the main character, Susy, is being played by Ciara McMillan (3rd year performance, Arabian Nights)

Other VCU students & alumni  in the cast:
Sam - Saidu Tejan-Thomas (Mass Comm, VCU, Arabian Nights)
Mike - Nicklas Aliff (Theatre VCU alumnus)
Policeman 1 - Jordan Jones (1st year Theatre VCU Performance)

Policeman 2 - Andrew Reid (2nd year, Theatre VCU Performance)

Preview Night (College Night) is this Thursday Sept. 18. All student tickets are $5.00 (with your VCU ID). During the run student tickets will be $16.00


According to Style Magazine:
The powerful "H2O" marks an auspicious debut for 5th Wall Theatre."

Starring two Theatre VCU alumni : Landon Nagel and Liz Earnest.

Here's what Style says about Landon and Liz:

"With his Everyman face and obvious charm, Nagel puts in an effortless performance as Jake."

"In the hands of a lesser actress, the role could easily be seen as supporting and one-dimensional, but Earnest works to show the character's complexity."

Thursday - Saturday at 8PM, Sunday at 4PM at Theatre Gym at Virginia Repertory Center, 114 W. Broad Street

September 4 – 27, 2014
http://www.5thwalltheatre.org/

Contact Billy Christopher Maupin for student ticket information - billychristopher@5thwalltheatre.org.

Opening September 24 at Richmond Triangle Players
Noel Coward's Design for Living

Directed by alumnus Justin Amellio

and featuring alumnus Jeffrey Cole

Sept 24 – Oct 18, 2014

Three bohemian artists grapple with the pleasures and challenges of a ménage à trois lifestyle in this sophisticated and innovative comedy that scandalized two continents when it premiered! Gilda loves Otto, and it’s entirely mutual. But Gilda is rather fond of Leo as well. Leo adores Gilda – but come to think of it, Leo and Otto have a bit of history, too. So which of them will pair off, and who’ll be left out in the cold? Well, why should they have to?  What’s that all-too-common comment on relationships: “It’s complicated?” This one just happens to be rather more complicated than most!  A classic comedy where the morality is in the eye of the beholder.

Meanwhile in NYC David Leong (Theatre VCU Departmental Chair) with the assistance of  Brad Willcuts (Theatre VCU MFA 2015) is choreographing the many complex and exciting conflicts in the Broadway bound Amazing Grace - opening in Chicago this October! How cool is that?

Olivia Luna (Theatre VCU Perfomance Alumnus) was that you we saw on the new ABC dramatic series How to Get Away with Murder? PremieredThurs. Sept. 25.

 Looking great and living the dream!

Congratulations and Break Legs to ALL our Theatre VCU peeps!!

A letter from Wesley Broulik with Theatre VCU's Senior Showcase 2014 in LA

The beautiful girls!

Hello everyone,

Los Angeles has been going swimmingly so far.

Better than expected so far.

The house is terrific, students are driving and dealing with traffic and everyone has had some In-N-Out Burger. (Yay!)

Yesterday was the workshop with Arlie Day and today is the day that focuses on moving, living and surviving here. (Arlie was AWESOME and the students loved her.)

The handsome guys!

After this trip, everyone should have a clear picture of what Los Angeles is like and is it right for them.

Attendance at the performances was light but we got enough of what we wanted. (CBS came!)

There are several agent/manager appointments so far and more will roll in today as well.

I have had some feedback (in writing) from the agents and it was all really good.  The industry people were very pleased, and they wrote to me unsolicited. That makes me feel like we are on the right track, and after this year, we will actually have relationships with some industry.

So, for our first stab at actually showcasing in Los Angeles, I don’t know how it could have gone better. Especially since nobody had ever heard of our program. (Yes I had to explain who we are, where we are and what we do to everyone.)

Let’s hope next year is easier and our brand grows a little more through word of mouth. These things take time and don’t happen over night.

Now it’s time to get back to work on NYC from beautiful, sunny California. More later!

The whole gang with Arlie Day

Best,

Wesley

End of the year at Theatre VCU - so much great stuff...

So many things they should be numbered…
                        (not in order of importance)

one.

Isabel in front of her work at the Anderson Gallery

For the FIRST time our Theatre VCU Grad students have been included in the School of the Arts MFA Thesis Exhibitions (April 25 - May 18, Anderson Gallery). Isabel Tavares de Melo (Costume Design) and Torrie Sanders (Scene Design) are both exhibiting and their work is brilliant!

Please go HERE for more information, and then take a stroll to the Anderson Gallery.

Congratulations to both Isabel & Torrie, as well as many thanks to the fabulous Toni Leslie-James for her perseverance in making this happen!


two.

Yesterday was the 3rd year Musical Theatre Final.

It was a wonderful conclusion to their year. Kudos to the students and to Miss Patti D'Beck and her talented assistants Brad Willcuts and Rebecca Frost Mayer who created SO MANYshow-stopping moments. Ya' know, it's pretty wonderful when a Broadway legend creates magic in your basement, right?

three.

Monday was the Family and Friends night for the 2014 Senior Showcase. It was a great night Two packed performances - ready to hit LA and NYC with 45 minutes of fast tight scenes and 2 great songs. SO much fun. So much talent. A few highlights in photos...

four.

The ball.

coming soon to the blog…. the AMAZING Portfolio Review Day 2014.