Hairspray Rehearsal

We've moved rehearsals for our 2011 spring musical HAIRSPRAY down to the Yucca Theatre this week - we're headed into tech weekend in preparation for our opening next week. The set has been loaded in but still needs lots of painting and trim, but we're able to work in the space with the stage extension, buildings and portal all in place. On Monday and Tuesday, we adjusted the show to the Yucca spacing, and now we're going to work Act One (Wednesday) and Act Two (Thursday) and then do another run through on Friday night. Crews will start work on Saturday as we add lights, sound, sets and props. I'll keep you posted on our progress!!

UIL Drama at Midland College

Over the past eight days, we've hosted three UIL Drama competitions at Midland College and MCT. Certainly, my involvement at Midland College as the chair of the Drama program has added to the responsibilities across the bridge, but we've also partnered up with MCT for these events as the shows have used MCT spaces (Redfern, Taubman, North, Mabee, Dressing rooms) as their dressing rooms for the show. Thanks to the wonderful MC Hall Way bridge between MC and MCT, the casts have been able to walk over for their show and then walk back. They've gotten to see our wonderful spaces at MCT, and been able to perform in the Wagner and Brown Auditorium and see the Midland College drama experience at work. We've had 5-6 drama club students help us all three days (6 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and it's been a wonderful experience for the theatre, the college and the high school drama students. It's ironic that UIL and "competition" is keeping drama - and the arts in general - alive and well in Texas high schools.

AACT Festivals

Sorry for the delay in posting - I've been traveling around the country in March. AACT is hosting the national community theatre festival in Rochester NY in June, and various state and regional festivals are taking place this spring. Some of them happened in the fall - I was an adjudicator for the Region X festival in Kaiserslauten Germany for the US Military bases in Europe in October 2010 - but many happen in the spring. Over the previous three weekends, I saw 22 plays. I was the AACT representative - basically, the person who makes sure that everyone follows the rules - at the Ohio state theatre festival from March 3-5. I was an adjudicator for the New Mexico theatre festival - one of three judges who comments on the shows and determines which show moves on - from March 10-13. Finally, I attended the Texas state theatre festival in Ft. Worth from March 17-20 in support of our MCT entry THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB. I was very proud of director Jane Moore and our talented cast and crew, but they did not advance to the regional. However, it was a good three week run of theatre, and I look forward to seeing the 12 shows that make the national festival this summer in Rochester!

March Madness

Not that it's ever a slow time, but March has been particularly busy for me. This month, I will be traveling to three state AACT festival competitions leading up to the national festival in Rochester NY in June 2011. On March 3-7, I was in Ohio at their state AACT festival competition as the AACT commission rep (basically making sure that everyone played by the rules). On March 10-13, I was in New Mexico as an adjudicator for their state AACT festival. This weekend, I will be in Ft. Worth representing MCT and cheering on the cast and crew of "The Dixie Swim Club" as they compete in the state festival.

In addition, our 2011 opening musical OKLAHOMA has now closed after a six weekend run - congratulations to the cast and crew for all their hard work and dedication to this show. The great cast of THE NERD opened the second show of the 2011 season in Mabee Theatre II this past weekend, and will continue their run through April 2, 2011. We had over 100 people audition for HAIRSPRAY, and rehearsals have started for the spring Yucca musical. The Pickwick Players currently have 100 youth in the building this week with Fine Arts Camp, and their production of THE MAGICAL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM is in rehearsal. Finally, we have rehearsals for our 2010 McLaren winner THERE'S NO JUSTICE JUST COURT COSTS on March 27 and 28. Needless to say, it's a busy March at your community theatre!

Busy Times at MCT

It's a very busy time at your community theatre! What's going on right now?

OKLAHOMA is still performing in Davis Theatre I
THE NERD is in rehearsals in Mabee Theatre II in preparation for performances in March/April
THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB is getting ready to perform at the Yucca Theatre and in Ft. Worth for the state AACT festival
MY WAY is starting rehearsals in preparation for our travels to Norway this summer
THE MAGICAL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM had auditions this past weekend and will begin rehearsals soon in preparation for their performances in April
HAIRSPRAY has auditions on February 27th, 28th and March 1st

Needless to say, there's a lot going on, and we'd love to get you involved. You can audition for a show, work backstage on building a show (sets, costumes, lights/sound), usher for a production or work concessions/bar or assist us in the Business Office or Box Office. It's YOUR community theatre - become a part of the fun!!

Interested in volunteering? Call Tracy Alexander at 682-2544 or tracy@mctmidland.org

 

Opening Night - OKLAHOMA

Last night was opening night for our 2011 opening musical - OKLAHOMA. We had a great crowd at the theatre - there were even 31 people on the waiting list to get in! The crowd was enthusiastic and excited by the show - and the cast was thrilled. After performing for five weeks with no one in the audience, it was nice to finally have someone clap, laugh and respond at the scenes and song. 

A very funny thing happened during the show last night. During the second scene, Jud and Curly are supposed to fire their guns in the smokehouse. Jud's fired just fine, but Curly's did not fire - he tried three times and nothing. Finally, he said "Bang!" and said "that would've gone through that knothole". The audience laughed and responded positively, because the actor (Drew Ervin) handled the situation well and in character. In the second act, Curly sells the gun at the Box Social in order to increase his bid over Jud, and he offers it to Joe and says "it only misfired once!" - well, the audience went nuts. The joys of live theatre - the gun had never been a problem in dress rehearsals, but it happened in front of an audience and the actor handled it well. All in all, it will probably go down as one of our "memories" of this show!

If you're in Midland over the next five weeks, come on down to MCT and see the show - support our talented volunteers (both onstage and off) who have worked on this show.

Opening Night

Well, it's time - all the work and preparation has come to an end, and it's time to perform the show in front of an audience. Our actors have done an amazing job getting ready for tonight's performance, and we have some incredible characters and performers onstage. We are especially proud of the fact that seven people in OKLAHOMA have never appeared on the MCT stage before tonight - it's their debut MCT performance! The crews have also done a wonderful job preparing the scenery, costumes, props, lighting and sound. If you don't already have a ticket, I hope you will get one and join us for our opening musical!!