Practically Perfect

Have you ever worked on a nearly perfect production? I have. I just did.

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff 

Was it technically flawless in every way? No. But... it was still pretty perfect. 

The production I'm writing about is Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and it took its final bow yesterday. The play is a part of the Paris Junior College Department of Drama's 2018-2019 Season of the Elements. Our first element was "fire." Fahrenheit 451 was also our "theatre for young audiences" production for this year. When I found out how many local schools still study Fahrenheit 451 as a part of the high school curriculum, I knew it would be a great fit for our season. Plus, it's a literary classic, and our production fell close to the American Library Association's annual Banned Books Week. Since the plot focuses on how important preserving and having access to books is, I couldn't imagine a more perfect choice in plays. To add to the fun and excitement, our English classes are also studying the novel this year. Again, perfection! 

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff 

But, did all these factors contribute to it being a nearly perfect production for me? Well, honestly, not really. 

Photo Credit: Robyn Huizinga 

What made this production so unbelievably special and nearly perfect for me was the cast and crew.

We have many students we are proud of in our department. Most are on scholarship. Some are majoring in theatre and some are planning to pursue careers in other fields. They come from all over our region of northeast Texas. Many are here from rival high schools and theatre programs. I have never had a group of students in the past band together as a cast, so dedicated to great storytelling and audience engagement as this group did working on Fahrenheit 451. All old high school rivalries disappeared, and a dedicated and professional cast and crew grew, developed, supported one another,  and created a moving piece of art. 

Photo Credit: Emily O'Connor 

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff

We also had a fantastic group of community members involved. The final scene of the play takes place in a far different setting from the rest of the story. It requires a large group of people we only see once in the play. I had a great group of community members- alumni, high school and middle school aged kids, college students who have never been involved in a Department of Drama production, working professionals and retirees- show up to audition and be cast as "book people" in the final pages of the play, other small roles, and in roles behind the scenes. The production would not have been the same without them, and they also brought a work ethic and energy that complimented that of our students beautifully. We often had people playing different roles at different performances, and everyone handled these changes with grace and professionalism. Allowing freedom in scheduling also allowed actors to be involved who might not have been able to do so if a more strict schedule was required. I also learned to be more flexible and relaxed as a director. 

Finally, we had faculty members from outside the Department of Drama give their time, energy, and talent to the production. We had teachers and administrators in the show, including the president of the college, to whom I will always be grateful. I have never had an opportunity to work with my fellow instructors in this way, and it was magical. To see them work alongside our students was fantastic. Each member of the cast truly became a part of the family that grew out of working dozens and dozens of hours creating a theatrical world that would entertain, enlighten, and even frighten our audiences. 

This amazing cast will always have a place in my heart. Each person worked and treated each other respectfully as equals. I have heard positive feedback from people in our community who enjoyed the show during its sold-out run, which always feels good. We had two exciting talk-back sessions with high school audiences that left us all inspired. They were so engaged and asked thought-provoking questions. We are all glad the finished product was enjoyed by so many. However, the work ethic and dedication of this cast and crew is what will always stay with me. 

I can really never fully or properly express how thankful I am to have worked with each and every actor, crew person, stage manager, designer, and fellow teacher. I also have an amazing partner in the Department of Drama who made magic happen behind the scenes on a daily basis and worked as an understudy and swing for multiple roles. We had a great lighting design from a guest artist who made the long drive back and forth from Southeastern Oklahoma State University for days. We had a terrific stage management team made up of a Paris Junior College Department of Drama alumna and a wonderful community member, who both volunteered more time and energy than I could ever repay in turn. I will always have a grateful heart for those who shared their time and talent on this production not because they had to but because they wanted to. I am honored. 

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff 

Working with this amazing group of actors, technicians, stage managers, and designers that made the whole experience from auditions to strike feel, to quote Mary Poppins, "practically perfect in every way."   

With a happy heart and...

Until next time, 

Ro Huizinga 

The Production that Could, and Did

Photo courtesy of  Will Walker 

I recently wrote a post about a wonderful production in which I'm currently cast. It's a wonderful production because it's such a great example of the best of what community theatre can be.

I'm playing the role of Yonah in Stephen Schwartz's Children of Eden at Paris Community Theatre. It's a dream for me. I've wanted to play the part for over 15 years. I love everything about her. She is kind, patient, decisive, loving, and puts others before herself. The fact that I am getting a chance to play her is one of the miracles of community theatre and what it can do. If this were the professional world, I'd be too old. Yup. It's that plain and                                                                  simple.

We have two extraordinarily talented young people playing Adam/Noah and Eve/Mama. They are too young. We have people who are new to theatre or who haven't been onstage in decades. In theory, none of us should be playing these roles. And yet, it works. We work together as a cast. We compliment each other. And we have wonderful audiences who come to the theatre happy to suspend their disbelief for a fun and moving evening of music and storytelling.

Photo courtesy of Kayla Phillips

We've come a long way, too. We had a musical director who had to leave the production unexpectedly and another who joined us but also had to leave due to illness. We were sad to see both go, but we rallied as a cast and those of us who had any musical skills to offer came forward. We taught songs, played notes, gave vocal lessons and coaching, and we came together and worked.

I've watched this show magically come together as a whole in less than a week's time. After all the stress and frustration of Tech Week, we made it. We moved past stumbling blocks and problem areas to pull together a beautiful piece of theatre. And from opening night to our third performance, the show grew more than 100% more. It's just amazing.

Photo courtesy of Kayla Phillips

For the first time ever this past Sunday, we had to cancel a performance due to a broken air conditioning unit and sweltering temperatures. We continue on undaunted, though. We rallied as a cast and decided this show is too important to us and its message of love is too timely to not find a way to make a belated performance happen.

So, this weekend, we present five performances of Children of Eden. Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 and Sunday we will present a "double-header" with performances at 2:30 AND 7:30. This is what community theatre can do. It can bond people together in a shared creative goal. It can move audiences that will accept us as storytellers and not literal representations of characters- because that's what great casts and audiences do. They are supportive. They rally. They give time and love.

If you live anywhere near the Paris, TX area, I encourage you to see us. We're not perfect, but we've worked really hard to bring these stories to life. We've taken on challenging roles and extra work far beyond being actor-singers. And we want to give this production to you as a gift. From us to you with love.

Photo courtesy of Kayla Phillips

Photo courtesy of Kayla Phillips

And isn't that what it's really all about?

Until Next Time...
Ro Huizinga

Top 10 Reasons I Love "Children of Eden"

Over fifteen years ago I was introduced to the most beautiful score I’d ever heard, and it belongs to a lesser-known musical, Children of Eden, by Stephen Schwartz.

I am so incredibly lucky to currently be cast in a production of this show.

There are so many things I love about it, that I thought I’d share my personal Top 10:

10. The stories. Even if you’ve never heard of the show, you likely know the stories, as it’s based on the first seven chapters of the book of Genesis.

9. The kids. We have the world’s cutest (IMHO) group of children playing the animals in the Garden of Eden and on Noah’s Ark!

8. The voices. There are great voices to go along with this great music. What tremendous local talent we have!

7. The variety. This show has something for everyone- really- it is a story of families for families. If you like music, and comedy, and drama, and a powerful message… you'll love this show!

6. The characters. It’s a beautiful transition from page to stage.

5. The role. I’m playing a character on my bucket list. I love Yonah. She’s kind, faithful, loving, and a peace maker. And her songs… sqeee!

4. The scenery, costumes, and lights. So many people have contributed to creating a beautiful world from the Garden of Eden to the Ark. Come out and get swept away into this world the way the cast does every day!

3. The energy. If you want to enjoy a high energy, moving story, this is for you.

2. The message. Ultimately, this is a story of love. And we need to hear what we already know: “The hardest part of love is the letting go.”

1. The music. This score is epic! It contains a variety of musical styles, the songs are memorable, and the ballads are so moving! Who doesn’t love great music?

OK… you’ve caught me. My personal Top 10 are also my personal Top 10 reasons to get you… Yes, YOU!... to come see this gorgeous musical. It’s not to be missed!

See you in Eden June 16-26! (Paris Community Theatre orBrown Paper Tickets)

Until Next Time…
Ro Huizinga

(All images from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/top-images.php)

Finding the Present

Lately, I've been fortunate enough to really live in the present while exploring the past and looking to the future. That sounds convoluted to me, too.

I have had the pleasure of travelling a bit this summer. I've not done anything as impressive as a coast-to-coast trip or travelling abroad. I have taken numerous day trips and explored the state in which I live.

I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm preparing to direct one of my "bucket list" shows, Defying Gravity. All the travelling I've done has been influenced in some way or another by this upcoming production. I've written a review of one museum I recently visited, and I fulfilled  a childhood dream in visiting another, Space Center Houston. While I have spent a lot of time delving into the past and future of space travel and exploration, I've also spent time outdoors at nature preserves and wildlife refuges. In some way, I suppose I've been exploring where we come from and where we are.

That's been an amazing aspect of this bit of travelling around I've done. By exploring the past and imagining the future, I've really been enjoying and living in the present. There's something magical about standing on a marsh and watching herons take flight. While looking into a bayou at an alligator with an ancient lineage, it's easy to become hyper aware of one's surroundings and perhaps even mortality in that moment. How fortunate I felt to "touch the moon" at Space Center Houston. My childhood and my present collided  touching an artifact that had traveled 238,900 mi. to be there in that moment with me. I've come to truly appreciate the beauty that exists all around me, only a drive away.

I've been finding myself in the present, appreciating moments.

Bldg 9 (Vehicle Mock-Up Facility), Johnson Space Center 

The best of the places I've been this summer include Space Center Houston,










The Armand Bayou Nature Center,

Small Alligator in the murky water of the ABNC

and The Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.

Heron at HNWR

I tend to get caught up in what's coming up- work, meetings, etc- or what's in the past, that I often find it difficult to really live in the present. I have a feeling most of us do that, as it's a topic often discussed and written about (just do a basic internet search to see). The places I've visited recently have forced me to be aware of the here and now.

I plan to take enjoying moments into every day (in my classroom, in the rehearsal hall, when I am spending time with family and friends).  And, when I need visit a place to help pull me back into the present, I am glad to know that so many are relatively near by, and I hope to explore and find more. I highly recommend exploring what's around you. It just might change your perspective.

Until next time...
Ro Huizinga

Defy Gravity

Did anyone else out there want to be an astronaut when she grew up?

I did.

Perhaps I had that dream because I grew up with NASA's Space Shuttle Program. When I was little, NASA began recruiting more women into the program. There was an astronaut Barbie doll flying off store shelves in 1985. The media and public became fascinated with a wonderful new idea: a teacher in space.

I remember the Challenger.

When I was in the 3rd grade, there was a national contest to name the newest addition to the shuttle fleet. I can't remember what I submitted, but the winner was "Endeavor." What a marvelous name.

In college, I became a theatre major. At a college play festival, I saw a beautiful production of a play that perfectly blended my childhood longing to explore and the reality of the Challenger disaster. The play was Defying Gravity , by Jane Anderson. 

A year or so later, I was at a forensics  (speech, not science) competition not far from the Johnson Space Center (aka Mission Control), when news of a shuttle reentry disaster broke. A student at the contest had brought a dramatic interpretation of Defying Gravity. Understandably, this student wasn't sure if presenting the piece was still appropriate. I can't remember a person there who didn't say performing that piece was more important now than ever.

I remember the Columbia.

My interest in all things NASA, the space program, shuttle missions, etc. collided with my passion for the arts the first time I saw Defying Gravity. After the Columbia disaster, my interest in the play became a sort of need to someday work on a production. I even attended graduate school in the hometown of Columbia's final pilot, William "Willie" McCool. Reminders of the shuttle program, my love of space, my need to explore through art, my childhood wish to fly above the earth seem to follow me.

I feel blessed to have the tremendous opportunity to direct a production of Defying Gravity  that will open in January: 30 years after the Challenger disaster. I have had the good fortune to have time to do a bit of traveling this summer. I have taken in any museum within driving distance that has a scientific or air & space emphasis. I can't seem to see or read enough about the space programs, and what drives us all in our own crazy ways to explore, to see beyond the everyday, to do what the play's title states: to defy gravity.

My next several posts will likely focus on the beginnings of my journey with this play. I had to begin by musing about my own love and memories of the space program.

When I was five years old, I wanted to be an astronaut.

Did you?

A part of me never outgrew that dream, and it's taking me on a wonderful artistic journey as an adult. I hope my readers still have childhood dreams driving a part of them to defy gravity in their own ways as well.

Until next time...
Ro Huizinga

Down the Rabbit Hole

Much like the beloved heroine in Lewis Carroll's Children's books, I have had adventures travelling down the rabbit hole recently. And they've been wonderful!

In October, I had the opportunity to play one of my "bucket list" roles. I was cast as Becca in the Paris Community Theatre Off-Plaza production of David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole. It is the toughest role I've ever had the chance to play.

The character is trying to work her way through the terrible grief following the loss of her 4-year-old son in a tragic car accident. I am not a parent, nor do I wish to have children, so honoring the spirit of the character as a parent was extremely important to me. I can only hope I was able to do so.

More importantly to me as an actor was "living truthfully under the imaginary circumstances" of the play. I feel the entire cast was able to reach this goal. Each night the emotions were real, and we worked to connect at a human level as a cast.

I've never worked on a show that could drag such real, honest emotions out of me. It also seemed to drag out all of my insecurities. I know I gave my director a hard time, and I regret that I was often so negative throughout the process. However, in spite of all the ups and downs of the rehearsal process, I am proud of the finished product we presented each night.

Just a few short weeks after Rabbit Hole closed, I began directing an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland as a part of the Paris Community Theatre regular season.

I have a confession to make here: I have never really liked the story. 

So often, the characters are portrayed as grotesque or even frightening. In the take on the story that my amazing company chose, we discovered the characters again for the first time. I was so proud of them for finding lightness and humor. And beauty. Our Duchess, Cook, and Queen of Hearts were all beautiful, funny, and silly!

We also decided that we would approach the play as a kind of  reverse Wizard of OZ. We incorporated many "Steampunk-inspired" elements into the design. We wanted Wonderland itself to be more Earth-toned and mechanized. We reserved the soft, Technicolor-inspired moments for the beginning and ending of the play, which we set at Christmas in Alice's home, since the play closed just before that holiday.

I have never been so happy and relaxed working on a show before and was incredibly proud of the finished product. I can't really say "I" directed or "I" created,  because it was the most collaborative process in which I've ever participated.

Now, I'm preparing to enter the world of Rabbit Hole one more time. We will travel the show to TNT (Texas Nonprofit Theatres) Quad II AACTFest on January 31st.

 
I learned many lessons about myself and the power of performing art working on these two productions.  I am looking forward to learning more as we rehearse Rabbit Hole one more time.  After having been so content working on Alice in Wonderland, and so emotional working on Rabbit Hole the first time,  I hope that I can now approach the process with  an open mind and heart,  and move past my insecurities to do great work.

I plan to write more on the subject as the festival approaches,  but for now,  this marks and celebrates two amazing adventures down the rabbit hole as I look forward to a third!

Until Next Time...
Ro Huizinga

The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)... Again!

For the first time in my life I have the pleasure of directing a show for the second time. I'm currently working on a production of The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) at Children and Adults Theatrical Studio in Lubbock, TX. I first worked on this script as a part of my MFA thesis project in 2010.

There is such joy in working on this script. Its authors- Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield- filled the show with timely pop culture and political references. They created the original "Reduced Shakespeare Company," an RSC for the fast-paced, high tech, America of today. They allow each group that comes together to produce and perform the show to update these references as needed. Much like Shakespeare himself always did with his writing, this show is meant to comment on contemporary events and should never feel stale.

It's a wonderful teaching tool for directors. Although the script is a rollicking comedy at heart, it is difficult to perform if the cast is not familiar with Shakespeare's works. Much like the sketch comedy of Saturday Night Live, The Second City, and The Groundlings, the script involves a great deal of satire. One can't satirize that which one doesn't understand. So, in both productions I've had the honor of working on, we've focused on discovering Shakespeare's plays, studying commentary and criticism, and studying verse. Many of the actors with whom I've worked have not worked on plays written in blank verse before. This show is a wonderful opportunity for actors to throw themselves headlong into the works of one of the greatest playwrights and poets in history.

The real joy of this show lies in each ensemble creating wonderful relationships with each other on stage and with the audience each night. Each group of actors (originally a cast of three, but I enjoy expanding to six to give both men and women the opportunity to work on this fantastic script) becomes a new and singularly unique "Reduced Shakespeare Company." The script really works as a dialogue with the audience, and the actors must react to audience responses each night honestly, quickly, and with wit and humor. I'm not sure there is another play that teaches actors so well that no two audiences are alike.

And... it's just plain funny! I love walking into the rehearsal hall knowing that every night I will laugh. I love creating a safe space for actors to try new approaches and "bits." If any fall flat, we get to keep working and trying and stretching new comedic muscles. What could be better?

So... this is the part of the post in which I switch over to "shamelessly plugging" the show. You should see this play. You should come out and laugh at us and with us. You should see how full of life Shakespeare's plays still are! Especially when they're re-imagined as cooking shows (hosted by a rather infamous Southern chef in our version), raps (yes, we're searching for our inner Kanyes and J-Zs...), and even Football Games (I know that caught the attention of some of our West Texas patrons- come see our Friday Night Lights- complete with cute cheerleaders!)! You think you know Hamlet, but have you ever seen it backwards? Or a cast of six perform that play in under 60 seconds? Can tragedies be funnier than comedies? (Yes!) Should you miss your chance to see a brave cast of only six gender bend their way through Romeo and Juliet as well as parry and thrust their way through a wickedly fast version of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark? (No!)

This really is a show for everyone. This is a show that can prove how transformative and wonderful theatre can be. I know. I've spent a lot of time with two wonderfully talented and hardworking casts, and I hope to revisit this play again in the future. There is always something new and wonderful to discover.

So please, won't you come and spend 90 minutes with us as we laugh and play? We certainly hope so! Huzzah! ( You can get more info at the Children and Adults Theatrical Studio website- and you can make reservations there, too! Or, you can call 806-792-0501.) So...

Until Next Time...
Ro Huizinga

The 2013 cast and crew! (Clockwise from top left: Zachery Kocurek, Amanda Allen, Chris Luera, Jonathan Keys, Cornelius Brown, Reagan Sudduth, Emily Healy, Robyn R. Huizinga, and Lisa Hernandez)

The 2010 cast! (Clockwise from left: Dr. Sherry Shields Scott, Ashley Pickering, Michael Risinger, Mile Pickering, Juan Espinosa, and Brittani Spang-Klotz )

Cordell Green Festival is the CATS Meow

I know I've written quite a bit about community theatre lately, but it's an area of the not-for-profit theatre realm that really moves and inspires me. This past weekend, I had the good fortune to be invited to participate as the director of a local new play festival produced by a small community theatre in the city where I live.

Photos courtesy of Zachery Kocurek, Lisa Hernandez, and CATS Theater

The Cordell Green Festival is a multi-step process which leads up to a day of performances. After a call for submissions, several plays are chosen by a committee of the theatre's board members to be presented in festival format. Also, a board member is chosen as producer to make the festival a reality. This year, a very hard-working and energetic young man named Zachery Kocurek brilliantly organized and orchestrated the event. Only the first act of each play is staged, and the playwright or the director (if the playwright isn't present) describes what happens in the remaining acts of the play. A group of board members is present to fill out a ballot for each play. The ballots have a rubric and space for notes. At the end of the day, the ballots are tallied, and a play is chosen to be fully-produced in the theatre's regular season.

Challenging Mediocrity

I saw a production of Into the Woods last week that reminded me why I love theatre so much.

It can be powerful. It can be transformative. It can be moving.

Photo courtesy of Lindsey Jensen Espinosa and Paris Community Theatre

But, quite often, it can be mediocre. What leads to mediocre theatre, and why do we settle for it?

I suppose some people lean to one extreme approach or another, creating a breeding ground for mediocrity.

One extreme is participating in theatre to have "fun." Now, I firmly believe making theatre should be fun. It should be joyous! But, that doesn't mean there isn't real, honest, hard work involved in the process. But, if it should only be fun, then process and eventually product are thrown out the window, so to speak. If anyone can act, and anyone can direct, and anyone can design and build, then there is no guidance, and a haphazard, ill-prepared production is the result.

"Children Will See and Learn..."

I was surprised and disappointed this afternoon when I read an article in Playbill titled "Into the Woods Will Offer First-Act Only Family Matinee Performance Aug. 22," by Adam Hetrick. The point is to offer a 75 minute "family friendly" version of Sondheim and Lapine's musical Into the Woods.

Now, I understand that in this fairytale-themed musical there are many moments which could be deemed "adult-themed." Also, the show runs between 2 1/2-3 hours, and the end of Act II is less than "happily ever after." But... that's the point. Life isn't tied up with happily ever after ribbons at the speed of a sitcom.
As the much-loved song from Act II states, "Careful the things you say, children will listen. Careful the things you do, children will see and learn..." What are we teaching children by only allowing them to see Act I?

"Community" Theatre

After reading a few interesting posts lately voicing people's strong feelings about community theatre, I'd like to add my two cents to the conversation.

I believe the important word in the phrase “community theatre” is community.

This is twofold.

"They're Your Tools."

This evening I begin with a quote and title borrowed from The Guys, by Anne Nelson:

JOAN: "(...) I want to do something. But this is all I know how to do. Words. I can't think of anything else."

NICK: "That's OK. They're your tools."

These lines are a bit out of context, taken from a poignant and beautiful play set in the days following the attacks on September 11, 2001. I think of them as important reminders to theatre practitioners. Words are our tools.

I'm beginning this way in an attempt to bring it back to my own current set of tools, and hopefully, a set that belongs to many of you, as well. Not only do I have the opportunity to build with my tools onstage, I also have a blog and several social media pages which I can build with words off stage, too.

#Hashtag That

OK... Short and simple tonight. I'm very new to Twitter and am teaching myself- through articles, blog posts, etc- about how to use it well. So, some of you may say, I've got the Twittter thing covered, thanks. But, if you are new to the site like me, or if you haven't yet unleashed the power of the hashtag, that's what I'd like to, well, ahem... hash out, this evening.

We've seen them everywhere. Many of our favorite TV shows have hashtags associated with them. Jimmy Fallon is somewhat of a master "hashtag-er." We've also seen hashtags for our favorite LORT theatres and shows. But, have you or has your organization ever started one?

How "Social" Is Your Social Media?

I spent some time this evening reading through an article on the Public Relations Tactics website. The title is Cultural snapshots: 4 PR pros who are curating vibrant arts communities by Amy Jacques. The article is comprised of a redux of interviews with PR professionals from several arts and culture organizations. when asked, the people interviewed talked about how social media impacted their work and created dialogue with their audiences. I did note that none of the professionals worked for a theatre company.

My area of interest lies in not-for-profit regional theatre. There are many companies throughout the U.S. who are using social media effectively to create the kind of dialogue with loyal patrons and reach new audiences in the ways this article mentions.

The Influence of Friends

So... I went to see the new movie Rock of Ages tonight. As much as I love theatre and particularly musical theatre, I really had no intention of seeing this film. Perhaps I'll discuss my issues with "jukebox musicals" and "moviecals" in a future post. For tonight, I'd like to briefly talk about why I did go see it after all.

Like many of you, I have been over-exposed to ads and other marketing, which have been endlessly plugging this film for weeks. I've tuned it all out, for the most part. I still had no intention of seeing the film even after endless TV commercials and interviews. However, a friend of mine is writing his dissertation on "jukebox musicals," and quietly invited a few friends to see Rock of Ages with him via a private message on Facebook. This one personal and highly influential move made me decide to see this (raucously funny) movie after all.

What Makes You Theatre?

Today, as I was surveying what various LORT (League of Resident Theatres) theatres were communicating through their websites, I began reading posts in the Actors Theatre of Louisville blog. A post from May 8th contained a discussion of and a link to the Theatre Communications Group I AM THEATRE YouTube channel. Although I have seen a few of these videos over the past year, as the project is part of the TCG 50th Anniversary, I had not taken the time to really take in the relevance of the project.

It began with a group of 50 theatre practitioners selected by TCG to tell their individual stories of how and why they are theatre. Actors, directors, music directors, playwrights, educators, administrators, and more are represented. After visiting the TCG I AM THEATRE page, I realized the project is much more than just the stories of top professionals hand-selected by TCG. Those first fifty videos were created to encourage everyone involved in theatre to tell their stories. What a great idea!

To Tweet Seat Or Not To Tweet Seat

As I sit here late on a Saturday night after a very long day of work when I probably should be thinking about sleep, I'm thinking about "Tweet Seats." You may ask yourselves, "What is a 'Tweet Seat'?" I've wondered quite a bit lately about the kind of publicity or general PR that can be generated for a theatrical production through this fairly recent development.

A "Tweet Seat" or "Tweet Seat Performance" is an area of a theatre or perhaps an entire performance dedicated to allowing patrons to get out those smartphones- yes, during the show, gasp...- to Tweet about the goings on during a performance. Perhaps a patron wants to give a "shout out" to a particularly strong number, scene, or performer. Perhaps they want to tell everyone they know to #comeseethisshow.