My Verona Blog

CLOSER, DB2 in the books, on to YOUTH

2005-07-22T00:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry haven't posted in a while, but I've been incredibly busy.

CLOSER and DINGO BOOGALOO 2: TACO'S REVENGE have taken up pretty much all of my ``spare'' time. From about mid-May through now I've been in non-stop production, rehearsal, performance mode. Now, with a week mini-break before the last show of our summer season, THIS IS OUR YOUTH, I've got some time for a quick post.

CLOSER went extremely well from an artistic standpoint. The actors gave us brilliant performances and director Lora Adams was on top of her game. The script is fantastic, and it was a joy to watch it unfold every night. Like the best works of literature, I kept discovering new nuances, new details, with every subsequent viewing and reading.

The majority of critics and audience members agreed that the show was one of the best of 2005. Unfortunately, our audience numbers weren't as good as we would've liked the first weekend, and even second weekend the crowds were relatively small, but I wouldn't have traded the experience for another. I'm extremely proud of the show, and those who did see it were almost unanimous in their respect and admiration for it.

That said, there were a few dissenters who felt it was a little too raw. One critic thoroughly hated it, although her review was fairly tame, considering her feelings. And there were a few people who voiced displeasure with the language and intensity of the show.

In some ways, that prepped us for the experience with the next show, DINGO BOOGALOO. Talk about controversial...

DB2 incited huge debates among critics, audience members and even the cast.

It was a tumultuous production for various reasons. We had five cast members drop out for medical or scheduling reasons --- some of them at the last minute. We had to cut, alter or recast several of the sketches, and add a few sketches at the last minute.

On top of all that, we had terrible tech problems the opening night (when, of course, all the critics showed up).

In addition, there were two sketches --- ``Ricky Roma'' and ``Love Bites'' --- that got such a strong and divisive response from the audience that we decided to cut them from the show. The reasons? A few, but one was that we didn't want two sketches overshadowing the entire two hour/30 sketch production, and that's what was happening with some of the audience members. They were so affected by those two pieces that it was tainting their view of the rest of the show. Aside from that, from a creative standpoint, the sketches weren't working as well as we'd hoped. So we decided to axe them.

There was one night that opening weekend when everything clicked --- and that was Friday. The show was just in the zone, and we'll carry that with us as evidence that at its best, the show could really pack a punch and bring an audience with it. The big crowd that night loved it. We had a great response. And that will stand as our pinnacle for the show in that incarnation.

After the cuts on Saturday, there was a slight adjustment period, but I thought the show was even stronger. It flowed better, it moved faster, the humor was more consistent throughout and crowds seemed to really enjoy it. The second weekend featured three excellent shows --- Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday was a little off, but the previous nights, particularly Friday and Saturday, were the best shows of the entire run.

Response overall?

Well, let me begin by saying that humor is extremely subjective. Unlike drama, where if you hit your notes you can get a good response even if it isn't to the taste of crowd or critic, with humor if the person doesn't share your sense of amusement, they're much less likely to separate themselves and still give you kudos for the other elements of the show. That's why humor is so tough. And it's particularly tough to make overt efforts to please a large group of people. So you just do what you think is funny, you try to put your all into it, and you hope people a.) get the point; and b.) share your sense of humor.

One critic absolutely hated it. HATED IT. He railed against it as if it was the work of satan himself.

Now this guy is a smart critic, he's a good writer and he's someone I respect. But man, he just DID NOT GET IT. I don't think he clicked with what we were trying to do, and what's more, I think a few of the more, er, bold sketches just left a bad taste with him that couldn't be overcome to allow him to acknowledge the rest of the show. But hey, so be it. You can't please everyone. The same guy raved about CLOSER and also did an absolutely brilliant profile on us. And, call me perverse, but I got a certain enjoyment from reading his scathing review. Obviously, the show had an impact. It elicited a truly passionate response. And that --- positive or negative --- is what you want from art.

One critic was very measured in her review, and was pretty much spot on in her criticisms. We knew where the weak spots were, and she identified them right off. Can't disagree with her on those at all. She also identified the key audience for the show, and highly recommended it for that audience, so that was good. There was only one comment in her review that I disagreed with, but it was a minor quibble.

One of the funniest reviews was on a local teen website. It was written by two 16-year-old girls who thought it was the ickiest show they'd ever seen. Boy, what a shock. If I could name the antithesis of the audience we were going for, aside from the pious, the politically-correct and the underaged, it would probably be mid-teen girls.

On the other hand, teen boys and college students --- they loved it. Completely different audience. Completely different response. The Maxim mag audience, the ``South Park'' audience --- they loved it. Which was cool because that was basically who we were going for.

So that said, there were two reviews that were incredibly positive and were written by people who obviously understood our intentions, got the humor, picked up all the pop cultural and social references and thought the show was inventive, hilarious and cutting edge.

One of them was a female college student. She raved about it, and said it was perfect for a college audience.

Another was a columnist/blogger, and admittedly a friend of mine, but a very talented writer and discerning pop culture maven. He got all the little details and references I had thrown in there, nailed the subtext --- really appreciated it for what it was. As he put it, very accurately, it was ``a sublime combination of really smart humor and really stupid humor --- with both being intentional.'' He also picked up that it was meant to be a reflection of our current times and that the profanity and vulgarity was meant to be both a FUCK YOU to the current mood of censorship among certain groups in this country and a commentary on the true nature of vulgarity that is really pervading our culture right now.

A lot of the audience also picked up on that. A lot of the audience found it hilarious.

But then again, at every show, some didn't. Every night, one or two people walked out. And at different points too. One night, at intermission. Another night, during the parody of Rush Limbaugh. Another, during the sketch about abortion protesters. So we were smacking a lot of different buttons.

And honestly, folks, that's what the show was meant to do. Hit a lot of buttons. Yes, it was intentional. Yes, we knew that was going to happen. But really, that's what the world needs right now. It's no place for the banal. It's time to stand up and be bold and put free speech and wild humor out there and shake things up. I think that's where the zeitgeist is heading, and that's where we went hurtling at full speed with DB2.

It's pretty much guaranteed that if you do that, you're going to have your dissenters. You're going to have people who hate it. But as I said above, passion runs both ways. And I'd rather have something that people both passionately love and hate than something that the masses are indifferent to, or that is ultimately forgettable.

So, we learned our lessons on DB2, we had fun, and we move on.

And yes, there WILL be a sequel. Look for it this fall. There were too many people telling us how much they thought it would go over with a college audience for us to pass up the chance to put it out there when the colleges are in session. So, sometime around Sept.-Oct. I think we'll see DB 2.5, and we'll try to get that college audience out to see it by any means possible. Because I think they'll really eat it up. We'll have more details on that later on...

Anyway, on to the next show. THIS IS OUR YOUTH, by Kenneth Lonergan. It's a strong script and I think it's going to make for a magnificent performance. We've got a national cast coming in to do it, and all of them are very talented performers.

YOUTH is set at the onset of the Reagan '80s, and revolves around a group of late teens-early twentysomethings who are trying to carve their niches in the world, struggling along the way. It's nowhere near as controversial or intense as CLOSER or DINGO BOOGALOO, but it's still got some bite to it, and it'll make for a damn good show.

Definitely one to see, and we hope you come out and help us end our first full summer season of theater in style.

Hope to see you all out for THIS IS OUR YOUTH, Aug. 11-14 at Comedy Sportz... call 786-7733, ext. 2 for tickets and more info.

And that's all for now. I'll be back later to ramble on about YOUTH and our upcoming shows for this fall...

``Closer,'' ``DB2'' moving along very well...

2005-05-29T15:58:00.000-05:00

Things continue to move along very well with our first two shows, ``Closer'' and ``Dingo Boogaloo 2.''

While I've been concentrating on the marketing and business side of ``Closer,'' Lora and Tristan have dived in on the creative side of things. I trust both of them, and I love the ideas Lora has for the show, so our early conversations that placed us all on the same page have evolved into us being able to devote our energies to different areas of production knowing that each one was going to be handled well.

From what I've seen in rehearsals, ``Closer'' is really, really going to kick ass. The cast is terrific. I think each of them are clicking with the characters.
Not to single anyone out, because all four are great, but Greg Ball is doing a brilliant job in the tough role of Larry. Larry is a difficult character because he's such a passionate bastard, but he's also a very vulnerable character whose attack mentality is driven by the overcompensation for that vulnerability. It's a tricky role to play, but Greg is really making it his own.

Overall, I enjoy the theatrical production more than the film. The theatrical show has, in part because of its media, more of an intimate feel that suits the script better. The film, without a doubt, was extremely well done. But the cold aspects of the script were overplayed and overwhelmed by the essentially distant aspects of the medium of film. In theater you don't have that. You have more of an intimate connection physically with the characters because they're right there in front of you. This is amplified all the more in a smaller venue like Comedy Sportz. The result is a much more potent show and a greater grab at the emotions of the audience.

When you're in rehearsals, early on, you're really dealing with sketches, outlines of something that needs to be filled in by your imagination to get the whole picture. But that's what's kinda cool about them. While what you're seeing are four actors on stage in street clothes, with the house lights up and a director occasionally stopping them to give notes, in your head you're thinking of lighting changes, costumes and a soundtrack filling in the gaps. On either level, ``Closer'' is curving into a brilliant show. I'm very excited to debut it; I think anyone who comes to see it is going to be blown away.

Likewise, I think anyone who comes to see ``Dingo Boogaloo 2'' is going to be impressed. It's a comedy, and as such it's intrinsically subjective --- what's hilarious to one person is anathema to another --- but I think even if someone with a much different sense of humor than the show has (think very ``Monty Python'' and ``Mr. Show'' with early Kevin Smith and ``Caddyshack'' thrown in --- which is basically my sense of humor)will have to admire the work and ambition behind it.

No one has ever attempted a show like this in this area. Very few people do them on a national level. That's because sketch comedies are hard to do. You've not only got to come up with a cohesive and uniformly solid number of sketches, but you've got to deal with the various logistic and directorial quirks involved.

And that doesn't even take into account the fact that we're doing this as a surround-theater show with scenes taking place throughout the theater all around the audience; and it doesn't take into account the fact that we're doing this as a multimedia show incorporating live action and film.

Think about it: Most shows are two acts, which feature 2-4 sets and a handful of scenes.

``Dingo Boogaloo 2'' is two acts. But it features close to 30 scenes, over two dozen set changes, seven movie scenes on video and incorporates five different locations in the theater. And since the scenes are all tied in to one another --- segueing like ``Monty Python'' --- you don't have a lot of time to get everything and everyone set up.

The filmed sequences were all shot yesterday. Starting at 10 in the morning and rolling until almost seven, we covered seven sketches that incorporated about 30 scenes, involving about 15 actors at five different locations.

Yup. It was a pretty long ``TO DO'' list.

Now that those are in post-production, in the talented hands of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods of Bluebox Limited, I'm on to concentrating on pre-production for the live show. Script tweaking, lining up props and sets, thinking about blocking and live staging, etc.

In two weeks we'll have another script reading. In a little over three weeks we'll begin rehearsals.

And in addition to that, I've got to think about marketing the show: Advertising, laying out and designing the program books, lining up media interviews, photos, etc.

But... MAN, IS IT GOING TO BE A GREAT SHOW.

The video segments yesterday were freakin' hilarious. There were times when all of us --- including Bryan and Scott on the camera --- were laughing so hard at the scenes that we couldn't get any work done. We had to stop.

While everyone yesterday did a brilliant job (Rick Davis, Ed Jones, Wayne Hess and Brian Nelson, among others were top notch) the unquestioned MVP of this MVP production was Justin Marxen.

Marxen was a little nervous going in. He's usually done dramatic acting and hasn't tackled a lot of comedy. Which is a huge mistake because the guy has got some definite talent as a comedic actor. I'm just glad we're going to be the first ones to showcase it, because this guy has got a very bright future in comedy.

Marxen was the lead character in a hilarious sketch called ``The Worst Wing Man Ever,'' and in his last take on it, he really aced the role. I can't wait to see how the video turns out because the shooting we did was very, very funny.

But Marxen topped that in a role that he won't even be recognized in: That of Chickenzilla, the plushie whore.

Imagine this: Barney or a Teletubby gone horribly wrong and driven to prostitution.

Imagine the costume: A tubby, beat-up green dragon's body with a long tail sporting pink, purple and yellow spikes. A mask of a chicken where the eyes are half closed and the chicken is wearing purple eyeliner. Then, on the lower half of the body, black tights decorated with rainbow colored puffy polka dots.

And then imagine Marxen, in this costume, acting like a cheap whore. Holding a cigarette in his mouth, stroking his jowls seductively, being slapped in the ass by an actor dressed as a pimp.

We had to stop filming at least twice on one scene alone because we kept losing it.

I'm laughing now again just thinking about it.

When we do promotional pictures for the show, I'm going to include several of the characters. Since Marxen is the wing man as well, he won't be wearing the costume, someone else will. But Chickenzilla will be appearing in the pictures. No doubt about that. And then the world will get its first taste of Chickenzilla's seductive might. Prepare yourselves. Cross yourselves. Hide your children. Because the world will never be the same again.

I'm also going to try to see if I can convince Paula Sands into letting me bring Chickenzilla on her show with me to promote ``Dingo Boogaloo 2.'' I'll definitely be posting the date of that excursion in here, so set your VCRs. I know I will.

Anyway, ``DB2'' has been a hella lot of fun to do so far. I imagine that's only going to continue. There was a ton of laughter among the cast and crew on set yesterday, and that's extremely rewarding for me, as the primary writer and director, to hear. But I was right there with them, cracking up.

When it comes to writing, I try to make myself laugh. If I can entertain myself, I figure there must be someone, some people, out there who will find it amusing. Not everyone, but then again, what comedian does make everyone laugh? For every person who finds Jerry Seinfeld hilarious, there's another that doesn't think he's funny. Ditto for Jay Leno, David Letterman, ``Monty Python,'' et al.

On the first go-around with the ``DB2'' material, we were dying laughing. We were still quoting lines and talking about it last night when we went out after the shoot. And even thinking about it now, it still cracks me up. That's enough for me.

For-profit by name, non-profit by status and a shout-out to our advertisers

2005-05-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

What is the difference if you're a for-profit theater that doesn't make a profit, as opposed to a not-for-profit theater that does?

Apparently the difference is that you can get more advertising and financial support if you're the latter.

I'm not going to name any names, especially since if we ever become not-for-profit and go looking for sponsors we're going to hit these people up, but my quest for advertising in our program book has hit some interesting snags along the way.

First off, when we decided to embark upon our first season, it was obviously crucial that we line up advertisers for our program book. My Verona is solely funded by yours truly. We get no grants. We don't have any sugar daddy or sugar mama looming in the background cutting checks. We don't have any city or state money to play with. It's pretty much what Sean can afford. Since Sean is a journalist and not a wall street trader or corporate CEO, that's not a tremendous amount. This really is a labor of love for myself and the others involved with it.

So, we need to sell ads to help pay for the shows so that I can at least get in the neighborhood of breaking even. We needed the revenue stream to pay for printing costs for the book, royalty costs for the shows and general production costs for the shows as well as advertising in other media.

So, I looked through all the advertising books of other theater companies, figuring that those people who advertised in theater books (particularly those who advertised in multiple groups' books) would be the logical choices to approach about ours. I compiled a list and hunted down all their addresses in the phone book or through the 'net or calling 4-1-1.

Then I added the addresses of the excellent people who advertised with us last year, as well as other potential advertisers to our mailing list.

Once that was done, I put together a cool-looking booklet explaining what My Verona was, talking about our success with Your Favorite Band last year, laying out what we were trying to do to enrich the area arts scene and how we were going to embark upon our first season this summer, and then, finally pitching them our advertising rates for both individual shows and the full season.

Then, Tristan, his girlfriend Rachel, and I spent a very long afternoon stamping, stuffing, addressing and sealing envelopes, and I hauled them off to the post office, hoping we'd get some response.

Unfortunately, this was an exercise in futility.

The only people that responded were the same people that advertised with us last year (which --- don't get me wrong --- we were quite happy about), and one or two others. This out of about 250-300 envelopes mailed out.

So, discounting some of the smaller advertisers on our list, I decided to make some calls to the bigger names out there. There are a few biggies who advertise with more than one theater group, and I figured if that was the case, why not us? We're doing some great shows, they're new to the area, we showed we could build an audience and we're doing them at a cool venue. Why not?

The reason, as I soon found out: They can't get a tax write-off with us.

Yup, that's right. While I was stupidly thinking that the advertising was done in these books entirely to either a.) reach an audience of people who attended these shows; or b.) out of genuine support for the local arts scene; the HUGE missing answer was c.) because, in addition to the first two, or the perception of the first two, when they advertise with groups designated as not-for-profit, as most theater groups are, they can classify said advertising as a ``donation'' or ``sponsorship'' that they can then write off on their taxes.

Idealogically, I've got nothing against this. Given all the crapola our government spends money on (see: $1,700 screwdrivers), I'm fully in support of people keeping more of their hard-earned tax money, and likewise, I'm fully in support of tax breaks for people who support the arts.

But man, what a letdown.

Especially when you consider the size and monetary clout of some of these companies. You would think that spending a couple hundred with a fledgling group would be like any of us tossing our pennies into the ``take one, leave one'' bowl at the gas station.

But, apparently not.

I actually said, jokingly, to one of these folks at a monolithic local company, ``Well, technically, despite our for-profit status, we aren't a for-profit company because we've yet to make a profit. Does that count?''

My lame attempt at humor did nothing to dissuade her from turning us down.

So this brings me around to the latter half of the title of this missive: The shout-out to our advertisers.

Given this foray into the advertising world in which I discovered the true deciding factor in advertising for many companies, it makes me appreciate and salute our advertisers all the more. These people not only recognize the value of reaching our audience, they genuinely have an altruistic desire to support the local arts scene without any tax incentives.

What's also cool about these people is that I can wholeheartedly recommend them without any reservation; in large part because I've been a regular patron of their businesses for more than 10 years --- long before I even got the idea to form My Verona.

These sponsors for all of our shows thus far include:

* The District (which I just visited last night): I've lived in Rock Island during about 90 percent of my time in the Quad-Cities, and during 100 percent of my time in the Quads, The District has been my preferred hangout. I love the festivals, the clubs, the atmosphere, the kinda bo-ho leanings of it with the art galleries and the writing center and the coffee shops...it's a very cool place. There's nothing like it in the Quad-Cities, and really very few places like it in the Midwest.

* The Blue Cat Brew Pub (which I also just visited last night): God only knows how many times I've been to the Blue Cat over the years. It's easily one of my favorite restaurants in the Q-C, for good reason. The food is terrific --- great specials and soups that are out-of-this world --- and the home brewed beer is awesome.

* Theo's Java Hut: Another brilliant District business with a very cool vibe and excellent food and beverages. Theo's has a distinct coffee house feel, a neat retro look and without a doubt some of the best joe in the Q-C. Try the hazelnut, mocha and daily blends --- I'm really digging the new Obi Wan Kenobi blend.

* CoOp Records: A fixture on the local music scene and THE place to go for a wide variety of tunes, including all your local bands. Again, CoOp is one of those iconoclastic Q-C standard-bearers that give the area its distinct feel. And, in an era of impersonal department stores, it FEELS and looks like a real music store. Movies like ``High Fidelity'' would seem like museum pieces without places like CoOp.

* Quad-City Brew and View: I've long been a supporter of what my buddy Devin Hansen has been doing with the B&V --- and now with his new location The Rocket. It's a terrific place to see a film: Very comfortable and laid back, the closest thing you'll get to your living room. Not to mention that he's bringing in high quality independent films you rarely get to see elsewhere and that you hardly ever got to see in the Q-C before he opened.

* Comedy Sportz and Circa '21: The support from Denny and Brett Hitchcock, Jeff Adamson and Rick Davis has been key to the emergence of My Verona, and we couldn't be happier to be aligned with such great people and consummate pros when it comes to the world of theater. These guys provide high-quality family entertainment with vibrant shows for all ages and they make it look easy --- and I know first-hand how far from easy it is.

* Bluebox Limited: I first came across Bluebox when I was a judge for the Iowa Film Awards and I was astounded by their work --- even more so when I found out they were in high school at the time. These guys are going places. No doubt about it. We might just have the next Spielbergs living here in the Quads. Definitely check out their work.

There they are: The guys who have advertised in every program book we've put together. The other cool thing I really like about these businesses is that they're all LOCALLY OWNED. They're the result of area people taking a risk to fulfill a dream and to help make this area a better, unique place. They provide local jobs, local revenue and local flavor. Without reserve I can say I'm proud to have them on board with My Verona.

And that's not just a producer buttering them up. It's a guy who's written glowing things about them throughout the years long before I had any potential motive to do so other than an honest appraisal of their quality.

So, before or after you've seen our shows, check out what these guys have to offer. And tell them that you appreciate them supporting us. It's that kind of cooperation that really builds our local arts scene, that builds our community and makes this a terrific place to live.

First cast meeting for DB2 in the books

2005-05-10T03:15:00.000-05:00

The first cast meeting for ``Dingo Boogaloo 2'' is in the books. We met up last Saturday at Comedy Sportz. Most of the cast was there, pretty good turnout.

Basically, just distributed most of the sketch scripts, had everyone sign contracts (have to make sure everyone signs a liability waiver so we, or Circa, or Comedy Sportz, can't get sued), went over the sketches in the show and talked about the rehearsal schedule and such.

I've got a great group. Everyone seems ultra-enthusiastic about the show, and with good reason. I think we're breaking new ground here and we're doing something fun and exciting for the performers and the audience. I know I and the other writers have enjoyed creating the sketches and I've enjoyed putting it together.

There are still a couple of sketches I'm not entirely happy with, so I'm putting off passing out the scripts until our next cast meeting on May 21. By this coming weekend I want to have them done to my satisfaction.

Also plenty of other stuff going on. Finished up the posters for the season and for ``Closer'' and ``This Is Our Youth.'' Ready to upload them to the printer's site and get them into production.

Also, finished up designing a couple of ads. We're doing some trade-out with some other theater groups --- swapping ads for each other's programs. That'll work out well.

Now comes the crunch of finishing up rounding up everyone else's ads for the program books. It's my goal to have all the ads for the books in by the middle of May at the latest so I can finish up the program books for each show by the end of May and get them to the printer for a fast turnaround by the June 9 opening for ``Closer.''

On the creative side, Tristan, Lora, Rob and I have been moving things along in regard to different details on ``Closer,'' including finding the best way to put together the chat room scene between the two actors. There are a couple of options on the table right now. Ideally we'd like to set up a powerpoint program or something of that sort and run it through the C-Sportz video system. But if that doesn't work we may end up having to put together a DVD with the ``conversation'' on it and just make sure we cue it correctly. Either way, it's going to take some work, but it'll be impressive when it's done.

I'm extremely happy with the way things have gone so far. I think Lora's got a lot of terrific ideas and there's just a very positive, loose, creative energy about the show that I think will translate into something electric once June 9 rolls around. We're taking a big chance --- nobody has ever done ``Closer'' on stage anywhere near here; we're making the Midwest debut --- and some people say it's a risky show, that Midwest audiences, especially Quad-Cities audiences, won't come out to see it.

I disagree, obviously. I think the sophistication and taste of our theater-going audience is going to show in the attendance figures. The success of quality theater, as demonstrated by groups like New Ground, shows that there are people hungering for this, who are looking for something other than just the standards. That's what we're offering, and hopefully a lot of people will get on board with it.

A developing snapshot

2005-04-29T01:35:00.000-05:00

Finally got the pictures for ``Closer'' set up and taken, and as that herculean task was being maneuvered, a larger snapshot of the summer began to vaguely form.
As I mentioned before, setting up the pictures was more trouble than I ever would've expected for a cast of four people, a director and a producer. But last Saturday, we were able to get beyond a 45 minute communication breakdown over the location of the shots, and were able to get pix of Tristan for ``Closer,'' and of the entire cast of ``This Is Our Youth.''
The ``Youth'' publicity pix were important to nab because two of the cast members are from out of town. Way out of town. Rachel DeShon is a Seattle native and CJ Langdon hails from St. Louis. Tristan's shots were important to get as well because he's off at college and his hectic schedule precludes regular treks home before summer break.
Tonight we finished things off with pix of the remaining ``Closer'' cast --- Emily Burr, Greg Ball and Kasandra Merrill. Everything went smoothly, everything clicked, and what was really kind of cool was standing back and watching the chemistry and unspoken relationship begin to form between the actors.
Chemistry between the thesps in ``Youth'' is no surprise. They're all college friends, they all get along great. They've all got terrific energy, talent and drive and they're all on the same page on many levels within and without the production. Since they've already got that shorthand of familiarity, where their actions and sentences are completed within the circle, I anticipate a brilliant show with the requisite flow between characters that will make it all the more facile and potent.
On the other hand, the ``Closer'' cast is a mixed model. Two actors very familiar with one another; one actor on the periphery of acquaintence with them; and another actor coming in completely from the outside.
However, that perfectly parallels their roles in the show.
Greg and Emily are very familiar with one another --- they're a couple. They're both in their twenties. And as such, they've got the confidence of experience and the ease with each other that could be expected.
Their characters in the show are similar. Anna and Larry are the most comfortable, mature and open characters in the show and at heart they're very well matched. While their actions may not be entirely admirable, they are the most settled with them. They know themselves well.
In that way, that laid back bond with each other, they've got that same kind of vibe to them that Greg and Emily seem to have.
On the other hand, Jane/Alice, is an outsider. An enigma. Even by the end of the show, she still has unknown gaps in her character. Tonight at the shoot, Kasandra exhibited the same traits. Kind of shy, kind of mysterious. Not standoffish, but just quiet and taking things in with a little bit of distance there. She definitely has an ethereal quality that seems perfect for Alice/Jane.
For similar reasons, Tristan will be great as Dan. His character begins tentative and develops a brash, energetic quality that suits Tristan well.
As these pieces all come together and seem to fit so well, I'm not only excited to see the production begin, but I've got to give a lot of credit to our director, Lora Adams, for her convictions in casting. Tristan and I had input on the decisions, but ultimately it was her final call, and I've got to hand it to her --- she's done a terrific job. This cast is going to knock this show out.

Now, we've just got to put everything together.

At this point, while the skeleton of the ``Closer'' publicity machine has begun to crank up, we're still getting everything set for ``Dingo Boogaloo 2.'' I'm still doing some final polishing on a couple of my sketches for the show and this weekend I'm going to be putting together the final running order for all the sketches.
Early next week I'll put the polish on the segues and make sure everything works well together and flows well.
The following weekend, I'll distribute the scripts to the cast and have the schedule for rehearsals and such laid out. And then everyone will split up for about six weeks. When we see each other again --- on Tuesday, June 21 --- the actors will be expected to be off-book (lines completely memorized) and we'll begin blocking and rehearsing the show. I can't wait. This show is going to be a blast.
What else is going on now? Hmm. Still soliciting advertising for the program. Putting together preliminary designs for the programs for all three shows. Done designing the posters for all the shows. Have to design our ads for other program books. Putting together possible story pitches to send to the media for all three shows. And lining up costumes, extras, locations and props for our video shoots for ``DB2.''
Just another week's work...

Cast of characters

2005-04-21T01:57:00.000-05:00

You know, in looking at the last post, I suppose I should add a cast of characters so you know who I'm writing about:

I'm Sean Leary (posting as dingo1). I'm co-founder of My Verona Productions and I'll be co-producing all three MVP shows this summer. Also, directing and co-directing, as well as writing and co-writing the various sketches on ``Dingo Boogaloo 2: Taco's Revenge.'' I'm also going to be designing all the programs, posters, etc. for the shows and publishing the companion book for ``DB2.''

Tristan Tapscott is the other co-founder of MVP and the co-producer of all three shows. Tristan is also writing, directing and acting in portions of ``DB2,'' and will be acting in ``Closer'' and directing ``This Is Our Youth.'' He'll also be handling lighting and stage design for the shows.

Lora Adams is the director of ``Closer.''

The cast of ``Closer'' is Tristan Tapscott, Greg Ball, Emily Burr and Kasandra Merrill.

The casts of ``DB2'' and ``TOY'' I'll go into later as they're introduced. The cast of ``DB2'' is HUGE. It's like some begetting portion of the Bible it's so big. So best to leave that for a later date...

Putting things together

2005-04-21T01:26:00.000-05:00

If you've ever wondered how much work it takes to put together a theater season, take the amount you might imagine and double it. And it's usually not the big things that stick you, it's the smaller things that add up.

Take something as innocuous as setting up publicity photos. We've got a four-person cast for ``Closer.'' Easy enough, right? Wrong. It's taken two weeks, and we still don't have everything settled.

Lora Adams had a terrific idea to have the cast posed a la the Beatles on the ``Meet The Beatles'' album cover. Luckily, that pose --- with all the members in dark turtlenecks against a black background --- may also work to our advantage in that it can be photoshopped together, as opposed to having to have the four cast members together at the same time. Hectic schedules are precluding that. At best, we're going to get Tristan Tapscott into the photo studio this weekend and have to worry about the other three castees next week.

So why are publicity photos so damn important? FREE publicity. The goal is to get as much media coverage as possible because we have zero budget for paid advertising at this point.

I'm an entertainment editor. I know what the print media is going to want and when we're going to want it. We're going to want photos to go with any features that might run. We're going to want pictures to go with reviews, previews and anything else. So getting pictures taken and getting them out to the media is integral.

Also integral are posters, flyers and anything else we can print up and send out beforehand, to get word-of-mouth going and hopefully sell some advance tickets.

All of these things need the pix.

So, Lora, Tristan and I and the rest of the cast zoom emails through cyberspace, trying to come up with a time that works for everyone.

And this is before we've even gotten into rehearsals or any of the creative heavy lifting.

At this point, work done has included selecting the shows (decided on last fall); applying for rights to the shows (ditto); lining up the venue (winter); selecting a director for ``Closer'' and stage manager for all three shows (winter); auditions ( February); casting (ditto); making up an advertising brochure for our program book and sending it out to about 100 potential advertisers (also February); soliciting and going through submissions for ``Dingo Boogaloo 2'' (March); lining up a schedule to do the video shoot for ``Dingo Boogaloo 2'' (March); casting the actors for the video shoot (March); lining up the locations for the video shoot (March); trying to line up any costumes, etc. we might need for the video shoot (April); making copies of and sending out the scripts for ``Closer'' (April); starting pre-production on ``Closer'' (April); and probably a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting right now.

Also, Tristan and I have been working on polishing up our own sketch scripts for ``Dingo Boogaloo 2'' and outlining casting choices for the sketches. I've also been starting to map out the show --- writing segues and cues so that it'll flow like a ``Mr. Show'' or ``Monty Python'' episode from sketch to sketch, rather than going lights up/lights down with breaks like ``Saturday Night Live.''

Can we do it? Hell yeah. And when it's all done we'll be all the more satisfied and happy that we've pulled it off.

Last summer's production of ``Your Favorite Band'' featured very few nights when I got more than four or five hours of sleep. I know it was pretty much the same for Tristan as well. I anticipate this summer will be even more hectic.

And that's not counting the extraneous projects either of us has going on. Like day jobs. Or my publishing and promoting my books and working on my novel. Or Tristan's schoolwork. Or either of us spending time with our girlfriends or having lives outside of this.

But if everything goes off brilliantly for at least one performance, and if we're as entertained and energized by the productions as the audience is, if not more, then it'll be well worth it.

So now, I'll sign off this blog at 1:50 a.m. on a Thursday morning. I'll be working on various projects until about 4, when I'll go to bed, to get up in five hours to start a full day of work. Hopefully that full day will include good news on setting up a photo time over the next week. And likewise, by the time we have our production meeting Saturday, hopefully things will take another leap forward and another item or two on the massive ``To Do'' list will be checked off.

LIGHTS UP ON...

2005-04-18T18:29:00.000-05:00

An early thirtysomething man, medium build, blond with blue eyes, is typing away on a computer keyboard...

``Welcome to My Verona Blog...''

And so it begins: Welcome to My Verona Blog, the online chronicle of My Verona Productions. Here, we'll give you a behind-the-scenes, blow-by-blow look at the production of an entire season of theater and video. It's a creative diary that will outline every step, every setback, every triumph, to give you a broader view of what goes into the production of a season of independent theater. Think of it as your regular, fun, voyeuristic reality show --- only online and without Randy Jackson throwing down fake gang signs, Paula Abdul showing off her Mystic Tan and Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest baiting each other with a homoerotic sexual tension.

Pretty cool, huh?

So, what is My Verona? It's a video and live action theater production company founded by Sean Leary and Tristan Tapscott, located in the Quad-Cities of Illinois and Iowa, on the Mississippi River --- a community of about a half-million people. We produce high-quality, cutting edge shows that combine video scenes and live action theater. Our mission is pretty simple: To produce the shows we want to see on stage but that nobody else is doing.

And we hope that there are other people out there who want to see them. Otherwise, we're going to go bust really fast.

We debuted last summer with the original production, ``Your Favorite Band,'' written by Sean Leary (see www.seanleary.com for more info). This summer we're unveiling a three-show season. Patrick Marber's intense sexual drama ``Closer'' runs June 9-19. Sean Leary's original sketch comedy ``Dingo Boogaloo 2: Taco's Revenge'' --- a gig in the vein of ``Mr. Show'' --- rolls July 7-17. And Kenneth Lonergan's ``This Is Our Youth'' --- a smart-alec look at growing up in the Reagan '80s --- hits Aug. 11-14.

All the shows are at Comedy Sportz Theater, 1818 2nd Ave., Rock Island. Tickets and showtimes can be obtained by calling (309) 786-7733, ext. 2.

Okay, so there's the commercial. For more info on that, you can also check out www.myveronaproductions.com, or e-mail us at myveronaproductions@yahoo.com.

This beautiful bastard, on the other hand, is going to shy away from that and now get into the story of a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed... no, wait, that's the story of the Beverly Hillbillies. Actually, now this blog is going to veer back on its own highway. Of telling the Behind The Curtain story of My Verona Productions in the spring and summer of 2005.

Enjoy the trip...