On the Road to Wisconsin AACTFest 2009

Transcription

1 On the Road to Wisconsin AACTFest 2009 AACTFest 2009 is returning to the River Arts Center in Prairie du Sac. The festival is being hosted by the Sauk Prairie Theatre Guild and the plans are already well under way for a weekend of plays, workshops, networking and of course fun, fun, fun, and more fun. This year is even more exciting due to a rule change by AACT. It there are at least four productions at the state festival, we ll be able to send TWO entries on to the regional festival. So if you ve never entered an AACTFest, this is the year to put your act together and take it on the road. Established in 2000, the theatre in the River Arts Center seats 492 with productions framed by a fifty foot wide proscenium. The stage is equipped with modern lighting and sound equipment and all the amenities needed for a great festival. More information about the River Arts Center can be found by browsing their website at Our hotel will be the Holiday Inn Madison West in Middleton. Those of you that attended the 2005 festival at the River Arts Center may be wondering why we re not using the hotel right across the river in Sauk City. The reason is that they didn t feel they could accommodate us -- so the hotel becomes a good news, bad news situation. The bad news is that it s a bit farther from the theatre than last time. The good news is that it s not a horribly long trip and the highway is now four lanes the whole way. More good news is that the Holiday Inn is large enough that we should all be able to stay at the same place. The hotel was remodeled in 2007 and has a fitness center, pool, whirlpool, waterpark, high speed internet, a restaurant, and two bars. Festivities will begin as they traditionally do on Friday with rehearsals, registration and a get acquainted party at the hotel. Saturday the activities will begin in earnest with workshops, productions, and adjudications. Registration will, of course, continue and the famous (or perhaps infamous) WACT auction will also be taking place. Lunch will be included and when everything s said and done we ll journey back to Middleton where the partying will commence, the commiserating will continue and networking will happen with a vengeance. Sunday will see us returning to the River Arts Center stage for the awards brunch. Then, alas, it will be time for everyone to once again go their separate ways WACT News September Page 1

2 taking with us fond memories of the weekend, some new knowledge, some new friends and hopefully a feeling of a weekend well spent. Individual registration fees are only $65.00 and include all the shows, workshops, the Friday night welcome party, Saturday lunch, the Saturday night party, and the Sunday awards brunch. Individual session tickets will be available for $18.00 at the door, $15.00 in advance. Student tickets will be $15.00 at the door and $8.00 in advance. Registration and Group Entry forms are included in this issue of WACT News. Forms and information are also available on the WACT website ( As more details are finalized they will be published in future issues of WACT News and posted on the WACT website. And Then September 26-28, 2008 CTAM Fall Conference Cadillac Michigan February 20-22, 2009 Ohio AACTFest Columbus, Ohio Feb 27 March 1, 2009 Wisconsin AACTFest Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin March 11-15, 2009 Minnesota AACTFest Fairbault, Minnesota Upcoming Events March 27-29, 2009 Indiana AACTFest Muncie, Indiana April 17-19, 2009 Region III AACTFest South Bend, Indiana June 23-27, 2009 National AACTFest 2009 Tacoma, Washington So what happens after the festival in Prairie du Sac? The 2009 regional festival for Region III Will be April 17-19, 2009 in South Bend, Indiana hosted by the South Bend Civic Theatre. Information on the Region III Festival can be found at Useful Websites World s largest supplier of breakaway glass and ceramic items Online sound effects library Time to Recognize Excellence Once again WACT is soliciting award nominations for both individuals and organizations. These awards are meant to honor those people and groups whose contribution to community theatre has had/is having/will have a lasting impact on the art of community theatre. The awards will be presented March 1, 2009 at the AACTFest awards brunch. The nomination procedures and criteria are detailed below. Now is the time to honor those that give generously to enrich and expand our art. All nomination materials should be sent to: Frank Peot Awards Chair, 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, Sun Prairie WI Deadline for nominations is November 1, WACT News September Page 2

3 Individual Award The Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre Award of Individual Excellence is given to a community theatre participant who has displayed a commitment above and beyond what would normally be expected. This award will recognize individuals who have made significant, valuable, and lasting contributions to community theatre in the State of Wisconsin, and possibly beyond. Specific Guidelines 1. The nominee must have worked in community theatre for a minimum of ten years. (Years of experience do not have to be in Wisconsin or with the same community theatre group.) 2. If a qualified candidate cannot be found for a particular year, no award need be given. 3. The nominee does not need to be an individual WACT member. However, first consideration will be given to WACT members. 4. The nominee must be at least 18 years of age. 5. An individual, group of individuals, or a community theatre itself may make a nomination 6. The nomination should be supported by at least two additional letters of support. 7. A person may receive the award only once. 8. The nominee must be a resident of the State of Wisconsin and an active member of a Wisconsin community theatre at the time of nomination and receipt of the award. WACT News is published quarterly by the Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre for its members and is annually distributed to an expanded list of known community theatre organizations and interested individuals. Publication dates are March, June, September (expanded list) and December. Volume 6, Number Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre All Rights Reserved WACT News September Page 3 Organizational Award The Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre s Award of Organizational Excellence would be given to a community theatre that has made outstanding contributions to promote and develop the highest standards for community theatre in their area of Wisconsin. This organization should have made contributions of a special nature. Specific Guidelines 1. Only one award will be given in any year. If a qualified candidate cannot be found for a particular year, no award need be given. 2. The nominee does not need to be an organizational WACT member. However, first consideration will be given to WACT members. 3. The nominee must have been in business at least five years. 4. An individual, group of individuals, or a community theatre itself may make a nomination. An organization may not nominate itself. 5. The nomination should be supported by at least three additional letters of support. 6. The nominee must be located in the State of Wisconsin. Truth is Stranger Than Fiction We all have amusing theatre related stories that have to be true because they re so unbelievable that no one could ever make them up. This is your chance to share yours with the world. Just them to newsletter@wact.org and we ll publish them as space permits. When I was perhaps 12 or 13, my parents took me to see the US touring company of Camelot. I ll never forget it. Robert Goulet played Sir Lancelot and Roddy McDowell played Mordred. I will never forget Mordred s first entrance. Back then professional shows didn t have the elaborate sets

4 they do now. They were more like what you d see at a college or community theatre now. Mordred enters to an empty stage that is set as a courtyard in May. All there is are some potted plants and trees in places with a nice drop that is weighted with a heavy pipe. An inch or two in front of the pipe are potted plants every 3 feet or so. The lights come up and about 2 seconds later some unfortunate stagehand kicks or hits the pipe with something and it lunges forward tipping over the dozen or so plants in front of it; an obvious goof. Then Mordred enters and looks around and delivers his line, So this is Camelot, fine and fair. Then he looks at the tipped over pots, looks to the audience and says, A bit windy though. The audience went crazy laughing. I use this story every time I direct when we talk about ad libbing when things go bad. I tell my cast, sometimes you just have to admit to the goof. JOHN BRANDL R R R It was our local group s latest production in a fairly intimate space with the front row maybe ten feet from the performers. We d made the usual announcement about cell phones so I was somewhat annoyed when I noticed a woman in the front row with her cell phone in her lap and then I realized she was sending a text message. Then I noticed the woman next to her had a cell phone out and appeared to be getting a text message. Over the course of the next ten minutes I became firmly convinced that four women, sitting next to each other in the front row, were texting each other. They did finally put them away after intermission when we made a second, less delicate, cell phone announcement. The kicker? All four of them were friends of one of the performers! R R R Everyone knows that after show parties are integral parts of any production and are quite often an everyone bring something to share occasion. During one production, one gentleman in the company was complaining fairly vocally about people who just stop at the store and pick up a bag of potato chips. Comes time for the next WACT News September Page 4 party and everyone is looking forward to seeing what gastronomic creation he d show up with. He arrives at the party and presents his contribution he pulls a bag of potato chips out of the grocery store bag. R R R I was involved once with an incident filled production of Dracula. One night it s time for the Count s first big entrance. Dracula is in the wings fluffing his cape and getting ready to enter as the evil, arrogant vampire. The maid goes in, announces the Count and makes her exit. Just as Dracula steps into the doorway the large plastic plant in the entry way falls over totally breaking the tension. The big bad vampire had been totally and completely upstaged by a fake plant. Theatrical Proverbs Behold, my sons and daughters, here is wisdom. Pay heed to these words, and in the days of thy play, and the hours of thy performing, thou shalt not be caught short. I. Give not unto an actor his props before their time, for as surely as the sun does rise in the east and set in the west, he shall lose or break them. II. III IV. When told the placement of props by the director, write not these things in ink upon thy script for as surely as the winds shall blow, so shall the director have a change of mind. Speak not in large words to actors, for they are slow of thought and easily confused. Speak not in the languages of the techies to the actors, for they are uninitiated, and will not perceive thy meaning.

5 V. Tap not on the head of a nail (or an actor, or a director) to drive it, but strike it firmly with thy strength. VI. Keep holy the first performance, for afterwards thou shalt party. VII. Keep holy the last performance, for afterwards thou shalt strike and party. VIII. Remember always that the TD is never wrong. If it appears that he is, then thou didst obviously misunderstand the first time. X. Beware of actors during scene changes, for they are not like unto tech people and are blind in the dark. XI. Beware of actors when flying in walls, for they will stand and watch and get crushed. XII. Take not thy cues before their time, but wait for the proper moment to do so. XIII. Take pity on the actors, for in their roles, they are as children, and must be led with gentle kindness. Thus, endeavor to speak softly and not in anger. XIV. Listen carefully to the instructions of the director as to how things should be done. Then do them the right way. XV. And above all else, get carried not away with the glow tape, or thy stage will look like unto an airport runway. The Village Playhouse of Wauwatosa s Mark Dietrich Wyss has had his script Just Deserts published by Big Dog Plays. ( Bravo is where we recognize special achievements or actions by and for community theatre. If you have an item for us, it to newsletter@wact.org and we ll publish them as space permits Silent Auction Those of you who have attended previous state festivals know about the WACT silent auctions. These auctions are WACT s major fundraiser for the year. It is also an excellent way for you to clean out your closets, bookshelves, and attics and donate unused items to a worthy cause. WACT is a 501(c) (3) organization, so the value of any item you donate is tax deductible. Everyone has something to get rid of that someone else would love. How about those VHS tapes you ve replaced with DVDs? How about those CDs and DVDs you ve accidentally bought duplicates of? How many of us have books and knick-knacks that we don t want any more but are too good to throw out? Or how about something that showcases your hometown? Is your area famous for a type of pastry? (Have you ever seen theatre people who don t eat?) Even better, does your town have a microbrewery or winery? (Have you ever seen theatre people who don t drink?) Whether or not you donate, you can always bid (high and often) when you attend the festival. Remember anything you pay above the true value of the item is also tax deductible. Just think! You can take a tax deduction for cleaning out your closet, and then take a tax deduction for buying something else to fill it back up. The savings could be endless and at the same time you re supporting your state theatre organization so it can provide more services, more programs and better communications. Now is the time to begin setting items aside for the 2009 silent auction during AACTFest in Prairie du Sac (and making room for the thing s you ll absolutely have to have). In Community Theatre There Are No Strangers Only Friends You Haven t Met Yet! WACT News September Page 5

6 Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre New on the Web Board of Directors Bob Kafka -- President 2418 North 111 th Street #2 Wauwatosa, WI Frank Peot Vice President 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue Sun Prairie, WI Dee Baldock -- Treasurer 6394 Grandview Road Verona, WI Darrell Wagner Secretary P.O. Box Green Bay, WI Helen Blumer Member at Large th St Cumberland, WI Allen Ebert Member at Large th Street South La Crosse, WI Earlier this year the Board of Directors for the Region III organization realized that regional history was being lost and that communication between the five states (Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio) was not as efficient as it could be. To help remedy the situations, WACT offered to setup and host a website for the region. While some information is still missing, the site is for the most part complete. It can be found at Answers to Last Month s Crossword Carla Gallun Member at Large P.O. Box 507 Fox Lake, WI CGallun@wact.org Mark Holten Member at Large 200 Prairie Heights Drive # 107 Verona, WI MHolten@wact.org Jeannie Pitsch Member at Large 1605 Heide Lane Marshfield, WI JPitsch@wact.org Randall Read Member at Large 315 Cameron Rd Rice Lake, WI RRead@wact.org WACT News September Page 6

7 Upcoming WACT Member Productions September 4-7, 2008 Sweeny Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Wausau Community Theatre September 5-13, 2008 The Mouse that Roared Village Playhouse of Wauwatosa September 5-20, 2008 Of Grapes and Nuts Lakeside Players September 11-14, 2008 Final Intrusion Barron Spotlighters September 12 - October 2, 2008 Barefoot in the Park Over Our Head Players September 26 - October 4, 2008 Bye, Bye Birdie Sheboygan Theatre Company October 2-19, 2008 Bell, Book and Candle Haylofters, Inc October 3 12, 2008 Working Sun Prairie Civic Theatre October 16-26, 2008 High Society Barron Spotlighters October 17 - November 8, 2008 Little Shop of Horrors Lakeside Players October 25-31, 2008 Ghost Stories Fort Atkinson Community Theatre November 6-9, 2008 The Philadelphia Story Wausau Community Theatre November 7-29, 2008 The Ice-Fishing Play Over Our Head Players November 13-23, 2008 A Deer Hunters' Wives Special! Haylofters, Inc December 5-7, 2008 School House Rock Live, Jr Sun Prairie Civic Theatre December 5-13, 2008 The King and I Sheboygan Theatre Company December 11-12, 2008 A Christmas Carol Wausau Community Theatre December 12-20, 2008 A Christmas Cactus Lakeside Players December 12-20, 2008 The Santaland Diaries Over Our Head Players January 16-31, 2009 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Lakeside Players January 30 - February 22, 2009 Snowdance 10 minute Comedy Festival Over Our Head Players February 6-15, 2009 Steel Magnolias Sun Prairie Civic Theatre February 6-14, 2009 Our Town Sheboygan Theatre Company March 12-15, 2009 Funny Girl Wausau Community Theatre March 13-28, 2009 Cheese Louise Lakeside Players March 27 - April 4, 2009 Over the River and Through the Woods Sheboygan Theatre Company March 27 - April 12, 2009 Dog Sees God: Confessions of Teenage Blockhead Over Our Head Players May 1 10, 2009 All Shook Up Sun Prairie Civic Theatre May 1-16, 2009 The Attempted Murder of Peggy Sweetwater Lakeside Players Is your show not listed here??? All organizations who are WACT members can have their show listed on the WACT website and in WACT News. Just send your schedule to webmaster@wact.org WACT News September Page 7

8 WACT Membership Form Return form to: WACT c/o LCCT PO Box 1852 La Crosse, WI Name Contact Name (Organizational Members) Address Mailing Address City Telephone Web Site (Organizational Members) State Zip Code Individual $15.00 Organizational $50.00 Additional Donation to WACT (Donations to WACT are tax deductible) TOTAL Please make checks payable to WACT -- All memberships run from August 1 to July 31 Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre PO Box 1852 La Crosse, WI 54602