Opening The DOORS On A New Season – All Six Of Them |
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When you look at a stage and six doors are looking back, you can bet on a whole lot of opening and closing and slamming and surprise. And if those doors are part of the set for Lend Me a Tenor, you can bet on a whole lot of laughter from start to finish.
All the slamming of the doors means Dick Block had to design a set that not only looks right, but will stand up to a lot of smashing about. And the characters need to be able to handle as much smashing about as the set does. Mistaken identity, double entendres and endless confusion reign in Ken Ludwig’s brilliant farce, which reaped multiple Tony and other awards on Broadway. Who could believe all this mayhem could be about opera…opera as serious as Otello…opera set in Cleveland? While the characters may not be able to figure out who’s who, the actors shouldn’t have any problem with identities – many have spent a lot of time together, on and off the stage. Richard Marlatt, who plays Tito Morelli, aka Il Stupendo, the magnificent tenor brought to Cleveland for a gala 1934 fundraiser performance, has been in two Human Race productions with Tim Lile, who plays Cleveland Grand Opera Manager Saunders. Chicago-base Marlatt and HRTC Resident Artist Lile were together in The Underpants (rimshot, please) and Moonlight and Magnolias (and will reprise their roles when The Human Race produces Moonlight at the Victoria Theatre next spring). Caitlen Larsen, who plays Il Stupendo’s bombastic wife, Maria, has a different real-life family tie to the production – she and director Deer are married. Larsen is returning to The Human Race after a small hiatus. (Okay, it has been ten years, but what’s a decade between friends?) Her last show here was Picasso at the Lapin Agile. |
For the young maybe, could-be couple Max and Maggie, the real-life relationship is more direct – Aaron Vega and Claire Kennedy are husband and wife. Vega has been in several Loft productions, including Brother Wolf and Five Course Love, and after an apprentice year with The Human Race in which she seemed to always end up playing male roles, Kennedy was in last year’s A Christmas Carol as Scrooge's lost love, among other parts. Deb Colvin-Tener isn’t related to anyone in the cast or crew, but she is a veteran of numerous Loft shows. Most recently she played the mayor’s wife in Seussical. The other two members of the cast are newcomers to The Human Race, and not related at all. Allison Moody, a frequent Indianapolis performer, plays the not-overlychaste lead soprano Diana, and Jeff Newman, a recent Wright State grad, plays the bellhop, who just happens to be a big Il Stupendo fan (naturally - aren’t all bellhops opera buffs?). David Covach designed the costumes, which occasionally go on and off and get switched around. Technical director Scott Kimmins and Master Carpenter D. Tristan Cupp are responsible for making sure that when the doors slam, the walls don’t come a’tumblin’ down. Lighting is by Resident Artist John Rensel, sound by Nathan D. Dean. September 10 is preview night for Lend Me a Tenor, with performances September 11-27. For tickets, visit Ticket Center Stage. |
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LEND ME A TENOR opens September 11th MAN OF LA MANCHA opens October 9th A CHRISTMAS CAROL returns December 11th ARTISTIC REFLECTIONS from the corner window DONOR SPOTLIGHT - DP&L FALL EDUCATION PROGRAMS and Updates DESIGNERS - Our Unsung Heroes EXECUTIVE RAMBLINGS OAC LISTENING TOUR - September 18th |
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ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY |
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WHAT'S AFTER TENOR? |
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La Mancha Will Cause Many A Happy Countenance |
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Residents of a dungeon have never had it so good – have it as good, that is, as will the audiences for The Human Race’s production of the Man of La Mancha, which will run in The Loft, October 29 to November 15. To help those in attendance get into the mood of the classic musical, the entire Loft, including seating area, will be turned into the dungeon where Miguel Cervantes spins the tale of Don Quixote to his fellow prisoners. There will be limits to the incarceration theme, though – the audience won’t have to dine on swill or sleep with bedbugs and rats, and will be allowed to leave after the show. “The most exciting thing for me is producing it in The Loft,” says director Scott Stoney. “It’s usually in very, very large theatres, and often loses its charm. The complaint of the current revival is it’s too big.” Scott stresses there’s no audience participation involved (a good thing for those a tad worried about swill and/or bedbugs), but that he and designer David Centers have been working to create a real intimacy. “We want them to feel part of the group as Cervantes tells his story to the prisoners, to get them feeling connected with the residents of the dungeon,” he says. Another big treat is that Cervantes/Don Quixote will be played by Human Race Executive Director Kevin Moore, in his first trip on stage since Big River in 2006 – which in turn was his first performance since The Fantasticks a decade earlier. Audiences that have only seen and heard Moore as “The Royal Nonesuch” will discover an entirely different set of talents as he dons the “Golden Helmet of Mambrino” and pursues “The Impossible Dream.” |
Appearing opposite Moore as Aldonza will be Melissa D’Amico, a local native who headed off to New York after a brief turn with The HRTC in Makeover. Scott contacted Melissa and asked her to audition. “Lots of women auditioned,” he says, “but 90 percent were too inexperienced to play the role. I’m very excited she’s coming.” Melissa may be helpful offstage as well as on – her resume says that she’s good at plumbing and auto mechanics. And should the cast get hungry, she’s also a fly fisherwoman. Others in the cast include Kristoffer Lowe as The Padre – “a beautiful voice for ‘To Each His Dulcinea’” says Scott – and David Tillestrand as The Innkeeper – “he’s got that big baritone for ‘Knight of the Woeful Countenance’.” Local favorites in the group include Jamie Cordes, Renee Franck-Reed, Jake Lockwood, J.J. Tiemeyer and Aaron Vega and his father-in-law, Mike Kennedy. Two other Human Race Shenandoah cast members return – Jerome Doerger (winner of our first Stephen Schwartz Scholarship) and Eric Ulloa.
So be forewarned you’re headed for the dungeon. And you’ll love it. |
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A Dickens of a Holiday Treat Is Returning To The Loft |
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Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol is coming back to The Loft this December, bigger and better than ever. Well, okay, it’s only the second run for The Human Race’s own adaptation so “ever” is a bit of a stretch, and “better” is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s definitely bigger. “We noticed that if a few actors were involved elsewhere, the crowd and party scenes were a little sparse,” says co-director (with Scott Stoney) Kevin Moore, “so we’ve added two more people to the cast.” Otherwise, Moore says there aren’t any major changes planned, “Most of the cast will be returning, specifically Mark Douglas-Jones, who was such a terrific Scrooge.”
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Repeating shows isn’t a Human Race habit, but “it was so successful, it deserved another year to make sure everyone has a chance to see it,” says Moore. Many theatres perform A Christmas Carol on an annual basis, some having done so for decades, and whether the classic becomes a Loft staple is under consideration, says Moore, “We need to see if the community is interested in the show on a continuing basis. We’ll be turning 24 (years old) and there may well be an expectation that we be traditional in some regards, allowing us to depart from tradition at other times.” In addition to the return of most of the cast, almost of all of Terry Stump’s set from last year’s production was able to be saved and will be used again. The same applies to Laine June Marr’s DayTony-winning costumes. The script will remain about the same, or at least the same as the final version of the adaptation, which evolved during its premiere run. There will be some changes in who says what lines, because of the two new characters, and Moore expects that the caroling will be enhanced by the additional voices, and may be expanded. Moore says he and Stoney and the cast are excited to be performing A Christmas Carol again, be it for one more year or as the establishment of a long tradition, because, to put it simply, “It’s a great story.” |
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MUSICAL THEATRE Residency |
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Tony Award Winner Developing
Brian Yorkey, recent Tony Award-winning lyricist/ bookwriter for the Broadway musical Next To Normal, will be working on his “next” musical, Play It By Heart, along with his co-writers David Spangler (composer of Nefertiti and Artistic Director of The Lovewell Institute) and Jerry Taylor (Nashville songwriter/producer). Their Residency in Dayton is all part of The Human Race’s Musicals in Development program, which has received major funding from the Miriam Rosenthal Memorial Trust Fund. “This musical was previously developed at the Village Theatre in Washington and has had a production in Nashville, “ said Human Race Executive Director Kevin Moore. “The team all moved on to other projects. This will be their first chance to get back together to work on the show, with hopes for a production in the near future.” Play It By Heart is the story of a country music top female star battling her family and a changing industry. “It’s the quintessential story of a family in country music,” stated co-writer Jerry Taylor. |
The Human Race will bring the writers to Dayton this September and give them the tools that they need to accomplish their work, including actors. “We are fortunate to have many talented musical theatre actors who love to get 'in the trenches' with the writers,” said Moore. “This is the best way for the writers to hear their show immediately – to make decisions based upon how well it works with an actor. Of course, the audience is the next step.” Only a handful of people will get to meet the writers and hear portions of the show. Members of The Producers’ Circle (individual contributors) and other Funders will be invited to a special event at the end of the Residency. “Because these kind of programs are all about development,” reminded Moore, “we couldn’t do any of it without the support of our generous Funders.” In addition to the Rosenthal Trust Fund and The Producers’ Circle, The Human Race just recently received funds from the Ohio Arts Council Arts Innovation Program and the Monarch Genesis Fund of The Dayton Foundation to support Musicals in Development. “Thanks to our support, we plan to have another Residency this year,” said Moore. “And it could also include a new holiday musical with some late-night performances. That’s just a little tease – stay tuned for more on that later.” |
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SUMMER THEATRE WORKSHOPS '09 |
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ARTISTIC REFLECTIONS from the corner window |
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While many of us enjoyed one of the most beautiful summers in memory, a monumental change happened, right under our noses. Years of art, documented in the memories of the loyal audiences who trekked up (or down) Salem Avenue to sandwich themselves into a converted post office to witness the talents and dedication of a group of all volunteer thespians, came to a split in the road. They left their home behind and migrated into an abandoned facility four times the size. This week, by hook or by crook, they initiated their new home and set forth on a journey that will only be determined by the will and dedication of the artists that work there. The Dayton Theatre Guild has been (and will be, unless something drastic happens) the epitome of community theatre. All volunteer, it is community action at work. As a group, they decide what shows to do, who will direct/design, who plays which roles, how cookies will be delivered for intermission, what scenic pieces are worthy of storage. Raising money, selling tickets, painting sets is everybody’s responsibility. Do you have to join a club? No. Just show up, work hard and learn to love to listen to theatre stories. I’ve got my own bag full of Guild stories. Don’t ask unless you’ve got some time. I loved directing at the Theatre Guild. They gave me a key to the front door, a couple hundred dollars and access to Tom Rice, one of the great theatre eccentrics of the century. His mental filing cabinet with the location of Guild owned furniture and properties was amazing. Only a few of |
 us remember him loading a sofa on top of his station wagon, and driving it up to the Guild, with his arm out the window holding it in place. And their “old guard”, Ken — Ralph — Bob Fish — Gil Martin — Fred — Pat — Barb — Carol —Dutch — and more -- were beautiful, many are missed today, others hold on. It was a great place to exercise my craft and I learned a lot from a lot of excellent talent. Now, they are reaching out, expanding the base, changing their operations as they convert another old building into a new home. Is it ready? No, it will never be completely ready. Because it will be shaped and created by the ever changing volunteer force that is needed to convert the facility into an artistic home. And a new group of “old guard” are writing the stories that others will tell in 10, 20 or 30 years. And a few will be able to say, I worked there when they were on Salem Ave, like a few can say now, I worked there when they were in the carriage house. My good friend Blake Senseman was proudly relating his glory this summer. He designed the set for the last show on Salem and the first show on Wayne. Now that’s a honor worth bragging about. I’m excited to see their first show . . . . .
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ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN |
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Membership Has Its Rewards! “Tonight. The curtain rises and he walks onstage. And suddenly there’s
nothing else in the world but that…” The scene has been set. The costumes made. And the spotlight comes up…on you. As Dayton’s only professional theatre company, The Human Race continues to be the gateway for theatre professionals with a national presence to share their talents with our community. But that would not be possible without the continued generosity of patrons like you who recognize the need and step up with an additional gift of membership support. Now, as the 2009-10 season kicks off with Lend Me a Tenor, The Human Race is also kicking off its annual membership campaign. With a tough economic climate, your support is needed this year more than ever. We continue to be dedicated to producing extraordinary theatre while remaining fiscally responsible, and can only achieve this with your help. Your contribution also makes it possible for us to:
In addition to feeling good about all your membership gift helps us achieve, you’ll earn other benefits as well from an official Human Race mousepad, an invitation to Marsha’s Soup Kitchen to free parking and more, depending on your chosen level of support. So look for a membership brochure to arrive by mail or pick one up in our lobby. You can also download it right now. Call Karen Callahan at (937) 461-3823, ext. 3114 if you have any questions. Then choose the membership level that suits you best and make your donation either by credit card or check to The Human Race Theatre Company. It’s that easy. And if you send in a snapshot of yourself for our MotoPhoto membership wall along with your gift by November 15th, you’ll automatically be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate from MotoPhoto! Please join us center stage as we bring another great season of laughs, chills, tears, enlightenment and enrichment to The Loft Theatre. Your kind support really does make all the difference! Thank you. |
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Thanks also to all of you who contributed to the recent Culture Works campaign. As Dayton’s united arts fund and arts service agency, Culture Works provides vital support for many area nonprofit arts groups including The Human Race, and an invaluable service to enrich our community. |
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DONOR SPOTLIGHT |
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CONNECTING WITH THE ARTS DPL Inc. and its principal subsidiary, The Dayton Power The In-School Tour is one of the most important and Recognizing the value of what we bring to this region, |
 believe in what you do. Ask any of the students who There are many other organizations like us who benefit
With DP&L’s 100th Anniversary approaching in 2011, |
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FALL EDUCATION PROGRAMS 2009 |
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Welcome to fall theatre classes at The Human Race Theatre! |
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Registration forms can be downloaded from our www.humanracetheatre.org/education website and mailed to the theatre with your choice of payment plan. Partial scholarships are available thanks to the generous support of National City. Scholarship applications are available on our website. Contact Education Director Marilyn Klaben at (937) 461-3823, extension 3132 for more information. |
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ADVENTURES IN THEATRE |
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Comedy of the Players Ages 8-12 Saturdays, Sept. 12, 19, 26 and Oct. 3, 10 (5 weeks) Instructor: Jean Howat Berry Fee: $75 Commedia Dell’Arte is one of the most outrageous theatre forms. It’s laughout- loud funny, physically challenging, improvisational, masked and historically rich. The culture of 17th century Italy comes alive in this comic form which uses minimal scripts and a slate of humorous characters such as the Masters, the Lovers, the Servants and other zanies who will “bring the house |
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Drama Queens and Kings Ages 6-8 Saturdays, Oct. 17, 24, 31 and Nov. 7, 14 (5 weeks) Instructor: Jene Rebbin Shaw Fee: $60 Hear stories of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere and become the royal characters |
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One-Act Play Production Ages 8-12 Saturdays, Oct. 17, 24, 31 and Nov. 7, 14, 21 and Dec. 5, 12 (8 weeks) Instructor: Jene Rebbin Shaw Fee: $125 Join the fun of performing in a one-act play to be shared with an audience on the final day of class. From auditioning for a role, to discovering your character’s distinguishing movement and voice characteristics, to costuming your character to working on performance skills to the actual performance day, enjoy the journey! |
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A Theatre Workshop for Brownie Girl Scout Try-Its For Brownies in 2nd and 3rd grades Saturday, Nov, 14 Instructor: Jene Rebbin Shaw Fee: $8 Do you sometimes imagine being someone else? Do you enjoy creating characters using costumes and props? Have you acted out scenes from a story, play or TV show with your friends? If so, come to our special theatre workshop where you will be introduced to basic theatre skills utilizing your expressive voice, creative body movement and your active imagination. At the end of the session, you will receive your Brownie Girl Scout Try-It Badge. |
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New Conservatory Program with HR and MAPP/WSU Ages 13-18 Mondays, Sept. 14 - Nov. 2 Fee: $275 The Human Race Theatre in partnership with WSU’s Musical Theatre Acting Preparation Program (MAPP) is launching an 8-week Teen Conservatory this fall for dedicated teen actors in the Miami Valley. Students will be provided with professional instruction by accomplished professionals Scott Stoney (Acting) of The Human Race Theatre and Jamie Cordes (Voice) and Jeri Dickey (Dance) of Wright State University's Theatre Department. Actors will enhance their natural abilities and expand their knowledge of theatrical discipline and technique. The group will create their own showcase performance based on ideas and themes from their own life experiences. A musical performance will be presented on the fi nal day of the eight week session for parents, family members and friends. |
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ACTING, SINGING, and AUDITION PREPARATION Private Coaching Appointments are available for students 16 – Adult. Schedule your one-on-one coaching session with The Human Race Resident Artist who can best meet your needs by calling Marilyn at (937) 461-3823, extension 3132.
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DESIGNERS - Our Unsung Heroes |
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Around the BLOCK An unfortunate susceptibility to nerves and a bothersome lack of talent stopped actor wannabe Dick Block from a career strutting the stage, but thanks to some prescient professors who saw he had abilities in another direction, Block has had a long and successful career creating the stage instead. The Dayton native and Colonel White grad was a Northwestern student when he switched to the design side of the theatre world. He began working on lighting, switched to scenery, then costuming, before settling on sets when he left school and began his career as a freelance designer.
Block settled in to five years of teaching at Ashland College (now University), then headed off to conquer the Big Apple as a freelancer. Beginning a family led to a move back to teaching, this time at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, where he has taught a generation of College of Fine Arts students. Dick’s tenure with The Human Race is almost as long as his professorial tenure. “When I was still freelancing, I was home visiting my family in 1991. I knew The Human Race had started, so I went downtown to check it out, met Marsha (Hanna) and ended up designing Romance/Romance.” Since then, Dick has averaged about a show a season for The Human Race, the most recent being Five Course Love, and his work is about to be seen again in Lend Me a Tenor. “The big issue at The Human Race,” Dick says, “is that the space is kind of quirky. It’s not very high, but it’s very wide. That leaves some potentially bad sight lines you have to be careful about.” He always sits down for a long talk with a director before beginning a design, to make sure what the goals and needs are, and one of the first things he and Tenor director Joe Deer talked about was whether they really need all six doors that will be opening and closing and slamming during the show, and the answer was yes – “The first thing Joe said was, ‘It’s all about the doors.’ You want to make sure everyone sees as much as possible when the doors open, and that can be tricky.” Most of the talk was about arranging space. “That’s true Presumably, the initial conversation, which came after There also can sometimes be major artistic disagreements
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Our CUPP Runneth Over Chances are, any set you’ve seen at The Loft or at a Human Race production at the Victoria is full of nails pounded and wood sawn by Tristan Cupp. Chances also are that unless you read well into all program listings, you don’t know that The Human Race’s Head Carpenter is also a designer. Tristan is an artist with puppets and masks, a field he first Despite his stirring rendition of the line, Tristan advanced Except for a brief hiatus, Tristan has been the HRTC’s Some of his early work with The Human Race was on It’s puppets and masks, however, into which he pours his
Next on the agenda here are the Knight of Mirrors for A puppet or mask typically takes Tristan three or four The end product may be anything from hand-size to lifesize
When he found there were others in the area with interest The Zoot puppet show will be Moby Dick, which Tristan
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All Production Photos: Scott J. Kimmins |
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EXECUTIVE RAMBLINGS from the desk of Kevin |
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I have to say, it was a very busy summer. For me, it was a very “musical” summer, starting with a glorious production of Ethel Waters: His Eye Is On The Sparrow. It was wonderful having native Daytonian Schele Williams here to direct the show, along with one of our favorite musical directors, Scot Woolley. And we were blessed to have the incredibly talented Danielle Lee Greaves in the title role. That “one…two…three punch” got us off to a great start. Our Summer Stock Kids program – directed by Jene Rebbin Shaw – presented their production of The Jungle Book at the Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center. And as they ended, our Summer Teens/Lovewell Program began. Under the guidance of Lovewell artists Carrie Gilchrist and Michael Finke, and Human Race artists Marilyn Klaben and Scott Stoney, 22 teens conceived, wrote and performed their original musical, SUPERPOWERLESS An Action-Packed Musical on The Loft Theatre stage. At the same time, two new musicals were being developed by adult professionals – right next to me by Gregg Coffin and The Trimble Wars by Sean Michael Flowers and Patrick Vaughn. Both were performed at the Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center to standing ovations! Both have great potential – and I think we will be hearing more about each of them. |
Scott Stoney and I traveled to the Village Theatre in Issaquah, WA., just outside Seattle, for their 9th Annual New Musicals Festival. One of the six musicals being presented was our own, Green Gables (workshop 2003, Victoria Theatre production 2005) by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman. The staged reading received a standing ovation and was “the hit” of the Festival. And the young “Anne Shirley” was delightfully played by Kasey Nusbickel, who graduated from Wright State University and appeared in our production of West Side Story (Victoria, 2001). Along with the other new musicals, we were fortunate to see the out-of-town tryout of the new musical Catch Me If You Can by the same team who created Hairspray. With a great true-story (based on the film), melodious and clever score, creative designers and directors and an excellent cast, here’s hoping it will make its Broadway debut sometime this season. And finally, back home to Dayton to start a great season – our 23rd season – that will culminate in our 24th year. Thank you all for being here to share it with us. |
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HUMAN RACE CALENDAR |
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OAC Listening Tour The 2009-2010 Ohio Arts Council Listening Tour is coming to DAYTON! Friday, September 18, 2009 The Ohio Arts Council wants to hear from you! Raise your voice and share your perspectives with us and your fellow community members! 9 - 10:30 a.m. For Business & Community
Leaders 3:30 - 5 p.m. For Artists, Art Administrators &
Educators 6 - 7:30 p.m. Town Hall Meeting - ALL ARE
WELCOME! All events are free and open to the public. Light refreshments provided at each meeting courtesy of Dayton Power & Light Company. Please register for one or all meetings. Meeting and parking information will be provided upon registration. |
Mark these Human Race dates in your calendar! Wed. Sept. 9 Thu. Sept. 10
Fri. Sept. 11
Sat. Sept. 12 Mon. Sept. 14 Sun. Sept. 20 Mon. Sept. 28 Wed. Oct. 28 Wed. Oct. 28 Thur. Oct. 29 Fri. Oct. 30 Sun. Nov. 8 Wed. Dec. 9 Thu. Dec. 10 Fri. Dec. 11 Sun. Dec. 20 |
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INSIDE THE RACE |
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“When a door opens, you know
someone’s coming through it,”
says director Joe Deer, “and
it’s always the very worst person
it could be.” Worst for the
characters, that is – best for the
audience.
Musical director will be Scot Woolley, who will be hidden
backstage with the musicians and watching the show via a
camera shot.
Exciting Fall Theatre Programs for kids and teens are filling up rapidly! All classes are
held in our inspiring space, The Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center at 116 N. Jefferson Street in
downtown Dayton.
