RENT Extended!

Due to audience demand, we have added an extra performance of RENT to the run of public performances. This is going to be a one night only, last chance to see it, better buy your tickets now and come see the show performance. There will be no other shows added to the run of our production, so take advantage of your last chance to see it.

Saturday, May 9th at 8 p.m. at the Yucca Theatre

Tickets: (432) 570-4111 or visit the website

Congratulations to Director Carl Moore, Choreograher Misti Tytanic, Musical Director Bert Bostic and the cast, crew and band on a great show!

Pickwick Auditions

If you know someone going into the 7th grade and up who might be interested in auditioning for Pickwicks, the auditions will take place on Friday, May 1st and Saturday, May 2nd at the Cole Theatre. At these auditions, youth will be asked to perform a memorized monologue (that you must prepare yourself) and then asked to sing and dance. If you would like more information about times and other details, contact Pickwick Director Bill Williams at 682-2544, extension 3023 or bill@mctmidland.org

RENT Opens

Rent opened at the Yucca Theatre on Friday night - congratulations to the cast and crew on a great and energetic performance. There was a good crowd for the show, and hopefully they will "spread the word" on this wonderful production and tell friends and family to attend our upcoming public performances. There are still three public performances - April 25th, May 1st and May 2nd at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door (Box Office opens one hour before curtain) and through the website or by calling the Box Office (570-4111) during Box Office house (10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday).

Break a leg to the cast of Rent for their Saturday night performance!

The West Texas View

On Wednesday morning, I was invited to KWES (NBC) to tape an episode of The West Texas View about Midland Community Theatre. Johnnie Lou Avery was an extremely gracious host, and we sat down to tape one episode of her show with her asking questions and me talking about our community theatre. The program airs on Sunday mornings at 6 a.m. (you can tape it!) and we talked about the history of the organization, how we select a season and volunteer opportunities. Before we knew it, we had completed three 8 minute segments for one show, and she asked if I would stick around and do another show - so we tape three more segments and talked about Summer Mummers, working with the Symphony and the college, and other aspects of MCT.

I really appreciate this opportunity to showcase MCT to the community - thank you, Johnnie Lou - and encourage you to consider taping these shows. MCT will be highlighted on May 3rd and May 10th at 6 a.m. on KWES (Channel 9).

RENT Update

Last night was first dress rehearsal at the Yucca Theatre. All weekend, the cast had been working on the scenery, lighting, sound and prop issues, but they added the element of costumes last night. In my experience, this is a somewhat stressful night for the actors - certainly, it's not the first time they have seen their individual costume (they saw them in their costume fittings) but it's the first time they've seen the other costumes and they also have to work through all of the costume changes that take place throughout the show. Fortunately, we have a wonderful crew of Dressers who patiently work with the actors to make these changes work. Overall, the cast did a good job this past weekend adjusting to the technical elements, and they are working very hard to put on a great show starting on Friday night.

Since we are in tech week of RENT, let me also tell you about the work of our designers. We've been talking about costumes, and Rebecca Crow has been a fantastic Costume Designer for our community theatre. She's extemely talented, organized and hard working while also understanding the complexities of a volunteer actor - she's very good at soothing their egos while following through on her vision. Her costumes reflect the characters and the original feel of the Broadway production, but are unique for our particular actors. Eddie Taylor, our Lighting and Sound Designer for many years who has also taken on the role of Technical Director, is a talented and tireless worker. His lighting and sound designs are great within the confines of our limitations (space, budget, instruments) but he's also worked to make sure that all of the scenery for this show is completed in a professional manner and within our budget. Finally, this is the final production at MCT for our Scenic Designer - Eric Beeck. From his initial model, we knew that Eric had a great idea for this show, and it's working very well at the Yucca Theatre. In his two years, Eric has done many great sets for us, and we will miss him and wish him all the best.

RENT tickets - call 570-4111 or visit www.mctmidland.org

ESTA - Region II festival

This past weekend, I was the AACT (American Association of Community Theatre) rep for the Region II festival held outside Baltimore, Maryland. What's the AACT rep? I am the independent person sent in to be present for all tech meetings and all performances, work with the host and the adjudicators and make sure that everyone follows the rules set forth by the AACT guidelines. Last month, I was an adjudicator for the Region I festival in Boston. It's much easier to be the adjudicator - you just show up for the performances, make some public comments and vote on the winner. When you're the AACT rep, you have to be there for every technical rehearsal - each company has a 20 minute meeting to review the space and all of the rules and regulations, then an 80 minute "rehearsal" to work on scenery placement, lighting and sound cues and run anything they want.

My weekend started with flying to Baltimore on Thursday - I left around 8:30 a.m. and landed in Baltimore at 4:45 p.m. Since my work was starting on Friday morning, I decided that if I landed on time I would head into Washington to see the new Nationals baseball park. We landed on time and I drove down and saw them play the Phillies. After the game, I drove across the Bay Bridge to Grasonville, MD and was in my hotel by 11 p.m. The tech day started at 7:30 a.m. with meetings and rehearsals by six of the companies. There was a piano concert in the performance space on Friday night, so we were done by 4:30 p.m. and then had to be out of the building until 9:30 p.m. After dinner, I was back for a seventh meeting and rehearsal and then done at 11:30 p.m. Then, I was back on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. for the eighth (and final) meeting and rehearsals. The first performance block was at 10 a.m. (2 shows), then a 1:30 p.m. performance block (4 shows) and finally an 8 p.m. performance block (2 shows). I met with the adjudicators after the final performance to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place shows as well as some acting and technical awards. The afterglow party was held at a nightclub on the waterfront, and everyone at the event had a great time.

Congratuations to M&M Productions from NY and their original production of GORNISHT that will advance to the national AACTFest in Tacoma, Washington in June 2009.

Rent Rehearsal

Last night, I had the chance to watch a rehearsal of Act One of RENT at the Yucca Theatre. The cast has just moved into the space, and they were working with director Carl Moore to adjust to the set and spacing at the Yucca Theatre after rehearsing the show for four weeks in the basement of the Cole Theatre. Despite the challenges of the adapting to the new space, you could sense the excitement and drive within the talented cast. They have been working hard to create their characters and learn the songs, and the work is paying off with good performances even though we're still 10 days out from opening night. This is a very youth cast, and they have been working hard to put on a great show. Tonight, they will run Act Two, repeat the process on Wednesday and Thursday night and then run thrus of the whole show through opening. Tech rehearsals will start this weekend - adding lighting, sound and props - and then dress rehearsal on Monday night. I will be back in on Monday to check in on the show and watch the dress rehearsal, and update you again next week in the blog.

RENT will be performed at the Yucca Theatre on April 24, 25 and May 1, 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available through the MCT Box Office at 570-4111 or by visiting the MCT website - www.mctmidland.org. If you're on the MCT mailing list, you will be getting a Cue Card this week in the mail.

I will not have another update this week - I am departing for the Region II AACTFest in Baltimore on Thursday morning to serve as the AACT rep and I will not be back until late on Sunday night. As the AACT rep, I am the "referee" for any problems with the festival. I will run all tech meetings with the performing companies, and settle any disputes. Prior to the festival, I have already been dealing with e-mails regarding companies complaining about the performance schedule and questions about changing set pieces based on adjudicators comments at the state level. It should be a fun weekend!

Rent at the Yucca Theatre

I remember seeing the Broadway produciton of RENT in New York. I didn't have the best seats - toward the back of the top balcony, if memory serves me correctly. However, I remember how much the performance impacted me. It is not a show about the scenery or the spectacle, but rather about the characters and how much their lives change in the year we see them interact. The music was very powerful to me, and blended modern rock 'n roll music with the sensibilities and needs of muiscal theatre.

Director Carl Beery Moore and the wonderful cast of MCT's production of RENT have been rehearsing for several weeks to get ready for our presentation of this Broadway musical at the Yucca Theatre. RENT is not a musical for everyone - it deals with AIDS, homosexuality, drug use and other tough issues. Therefore, we are presenting this musical at the Yucca Theatre - it is not part of our 2009 membership season. However, I strongly encourage you - and your friends - to attend this production. Public performances will take place on April 24 and 25 and May 1 and 2.

Tickets for RENT will go on sale to the public next week - the Cue Card will be mailing to everyone (10,000 people) on our mailing list. Watch for more information on our Yucca special.

Education and Community Theatre

One of my first memory of Midland Community Theatre was a presentation by the Pickwick Players when Lisa and I were interviewing for the position of Executive Director in the spring of 1997. One of the reasons that I felt that MCT was a good fit for me - and my work - was the fact that dramatic education played an important role at MCT. In addition to the Pickwick Players and the Theatre School program, we have many outreach programs - Education Directors Bill Williams and Judith Giebler work with MISD Fine Arts teachers to expand their drama cirriculum and they also incorporate Drama Therapy into the programs at Rays of Hope and the Autism program at MISD. Although we have many programs within the walls of the Cole Theatre, we also find ways to move outside of our doors and share the wealth of knowledge and dramatic programs with the community and area youth.

This weekend, you have a chance to support our education program by attending the third production in our 2009 membership season - Pinocchio. Presented by the Pickwick Players, this adaptation of the classic adventure was written by our own Bill Williams and is performed by our Pickwick Players. There are performances on Friday and Saturday evening (8:00 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (2:00 p.m.) this weekend, and performances the next Thursday evening (7:30 p.m.) and Friday and Saturday evening (8:00 p.m.). There is no Sunday afternoon matinee on the second weekend due to Easter. The show is appropriate for the entire family, and is 80 minutes long with no intermission.

Contact the Box Office for tickets (570-4111) and support these wonderful youth and their hard work, talent and dedication.