Lustig

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin So I just got back from the Byrd Theatre (wait, wait, wait...don't hurt me for blogging about film on the live theatre blog just yet) where they were screening a short film called Lustig, which was filmed in Richmond.

I was told Lustig is a "Holocaust film." I don't know that that label really gives you an idea of what you're in for. The majority of the film takes place a year after the war has ended and all of the camps have been liberated. The rest of the story we see and hear in flashbacks. It is an absolutely stunning film.

I hear that it has been/will be submitted to the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals, so you may have a chance to check it out and see it elsewhere. But just in case, you can contact them through their website.

Oh, my point...and I do have one (Ellen...anybody?)...is that Eric Evans is in the film. Eric Evans who is currently featured in Theatre IV's production of A Christmas Story (running through next Sunday, selling out, buy your tickets today by calling the box office at 344-8040 or visit the Theatre IV website)! Eric also appeared in Barksdale Theatre's production of Carson McCuller's The Member of the Wedding and in Theatre IV's production of The Wizard of Oz. (Busy guy.) AND, he was also in 365Days/365Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks produced by Barksdale Theatre, in association with K Dance.

Eric plays the boy whose father died in the last days of the war. His reaction to the news of his father's death is heartbreaking. An incredibly talented actor, this guy. If you get a chance, you should check out his work in Lustig, A Christmas Story, or any time he's on the boards. He's definitely one to look out for.

Also, the Byrd Theatre Foundation is going to be showing a locally produced film at least once a month starting in January. It's so exciting to see the arts scene in Richmond continue to grow!

Deck the Halls with Bows so Jolly

Posted by Bruce Miller

The talented cast and crew of Theatre IV's new production of A Christmas Story took their first curtain call tonight, and then gathered in the historic Empire lobby for that merry ritual known as Meet and Greet. The Opening Night cast party was put on hold for a half hour or so until all playbills were signed and every jolly juvenile was sent on his or her way home with a smile and an autograph. Meet and Greet is so rewarding for cast and audience members alike at each Theatre IV production, I often wonder why we never try it for adult audience shows at Barksdale.

A Christmas Story was our third mainstage opening in as many weeks. If I were to put on my MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS hat, I'd tell you that the evening was an unqualified success. And in many ways it was. The audience LOVED the show, awarding it a million laughs and an enthusiastic ovation. The cast did an outstanding job.

But if I were to put on my LET'S PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES FOR THE TRUTH hat, I'd have to say that we encountered a few glitches this evening, more in my opinion than we encountered at this morning's final dress rehearsal. But such is the joy of live theatre. When you mount three major mainstage productions and four national tours in 15 days, glitches are gonna happen. Having been down this road more than a few times before, we know that now is the time to iron out some of the technical kinks that tripped us up in a few places tonight. I'm confident that every aspect of this big show will soon be in sync with every other aspect, creating the holiday heartwarmer that this production is destined to be.

Gracing the cast party were our Ralphie and Ralph (the same character as a boy and a man), played with wonderful humor and charm by Eric Pastore and Tony Foley (pictured to the left). Tony is well remembered as the young lawyer husband in Barefoot in the Park, and the innkeeper husband in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.

When not rubbing shoulders with his adult self, Eric Pastore decided to hang with his compadres Michael Thibodeau and Eric Evans, who play Ralphie's best pals Flick and Schwartz. These three multi-talented young men (pictured to the right) are all Barksdale veterans, having appeared in leading roles in Mame, The Member of the Wedding, and Mame, respectively (yes, the role of Young Patrick in Mame was triple-cast).

And let us not forget the fourth hooligan who contributes so much to this production. Chandler Hurd, a sixth grader at Byrd Middle School, plays the hooliganiest of all--Scut Farkas, bully to the stars. Chandler was taken ill during our opening weekend, but as one would expect from such a young trooper, he's been there for every rehearsal and performance, twisting arms and laughing villainously. In fact, the only thing he's missed was the Opening Night Party! We missed him, too.


Gordon Bass and Julie Fulcher (pictured to the left) do a terrific job playing Ralphie's dad and mom, known affectionately by grown-up Ralph as "Mother" and "The Old Man." It's Gordon who wins the leg lamp as a "major prize," and Julie who keeps trying to disconnect it so that the neighbors won't see. And in case you're starting to wonder if the cast party for A Christmas Story was a slumber party, remember that Meet and Greet is conducted in costume.

The three other stage wunderkind's who are knocking everyone's socks off are R. Cooper Timberline as baby brother Randy, Lillie Izo as brainiac Helen, and Lyla Rossi as Ester Jane, the young girl whose heart Ralphie has won. They are pictured to the right in front of the sign recognizing our wonderful sponsors for this production: Dominion, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, The Supply Room, STYLE Weekly and Radio Disney.

This is Lyla's second show with Theatre IV, having appeared in The Wizard of Oz as a Munchkin last spring. But this is the first time she's been part of a mother/daughter act. Lila's mom, Theatre IV All Star AnnaMarie Rossi, shares the role of Miss Shields, the teacher, with another Theatre IV All Star, Jackie Jones.

Chase Kniffen, our talented young director, goes cheek to cheek with STYLE critic Mary Burress at the post performance cast party. And our hard working stage manager, Ariel Osborne, and house manager, Catherine Dudley, survey the joyous goings on from the historic marble and forged iron staircase that leads to the balcony. Terrie Powers (Swingtime's exemplary set designer) and Virginia actors extraordinaire--Jill Bari Steinberg, Robert Throckmorton and Robyn O'Neill--discuss the latest theatre news in the background.

As the party wore on, one little bro had to call it a night in the comforting arms of his dad, Dave Timberline, henceforward known as "Cooper's old man."

So, before you get too tired, make your plans to join us for A Christmas Story at the historic Empire Theatre. It's 2 1/4 hours of holiday delight for young and old.

--Bruce Miller

"A Christmas Story" Opens Tomorrow

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Tomorrow night at Barksdale Theatre's "sister theatre," Theatre IV, A Christmas Story opens. Not the movie, of course, but a stage adaptation of the movie. And it took a heckuva lot of people to get it to the stage. The author billing credit is required by the publisher to read:

A Christmas Story
Adapted by Philip Grecian. Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story,
© 1983 Turner Entertainment Co., Distributed by Warner Bros.,
Written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark;
Also based on the book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd.

Now that's a mouthful. But all those writing credits make me think of all the people who are involved in getting the show onstage after the script is written. There's a talented team of people on this one.

A Christmas Story is directed by Chase Kniffen, with scenic design by Mercedes Schaum, lighting design by Matthew Landwehr, costume design by Sarah Grady, stage management by Ariel C. Osborne, and a whole slew of electricians, sound technicians, scene painters, costumers, and more.

And it's A Christmas Story onstage! I can hardly wait to see it! Especially because of the great cast: Tony Foley, Julie Fulcher, Gordon Bass, Eric Pastore, Jacqueline Jones/AnnaMarie Rossi, R. Cooper Timberline, Eric Evans, Michael Thibodeau, Lillie Izo, Lyla Rossi, and Chandler Hurd.

It's the holiday classic, live and on-stage! To order tickets, call the box office at 344-8040 or visit the Theatre IV website at http://www.theatreivrichmond.org/. I hope to see you at the show!

(Photos by Jay Paul. From top to bottom: Eric Pastore; Julie Fulcher and Gordon Bass; Michael Thibodeau, Eric Pastore, R. Cooper Timberline, and Eric Evans; Tony Foley)

--Billy Christopher Maupin

Fond Farewells to Fantastic Fall Fare

Posted by Phil Whiteway

I can’t believe we’ve already closed the curtains on the first three mainstage shows of our 2007-08 seasons. Wasn’t Labor Day just last week? Time flies when your audiences are having fun. (Special thanks to iweiss.com for letting us borrow the interactive graphic. Please visit them for all your theatre supply needs.)

The first show to take its final bows was Stuart Little at the historic Empire Theatre, followed about an hour later by Deathtrap at Hanover Tavern. We bid adieu to both of these crowd-pleasers on Sunday, October 21. I attended the last Stuart performance (it was great!) and then hustled out to Hanover to join Bruce in raising a glass to our wonderful and talented Deathtrap cast and crew (pictured above and to the right) at their closing festivities.

This past Sunday, October 28, it was time to make my famous chili for the wedding reception--The Member of the Wedding, that is. And I actually remembered to bring my camera this time.

Gathered around the groaning board (as Nancy Kilgore's portrait sings a supportive tune) are (left to right) cast members Joe Pabst, Carl Calabrese, Lexi Langs (arm only), Katy Burke, Erin Kate Bradner, David Bridgewater, Katherine Louis (holding her beloved grandbaby), and Eric Evans in the red t-shirt.

To the left, our brilliant and beautiful Berenice Sadie Brown (Katherine Louis) beams in the embrace of her two biggest fans - her equally beautiful daughter and granddaughter. Quoting from Crowns, her last Barksdale show, Katherine called to everyone's attention the way her granddaughter was "workin' that hat."

In the photo to the right, our stage manager Bo Wilson sneaks a hug with our other leading lady, 13-year-old Lexi Langs, with Pete Kilgore's portrait keeping a watchful eye. Joe Pabst (standing to the right of the photo) filled in as Lexi's stage father for the last two weeks of the run, and was a perfect stand-in for Dave Bridgewater, who had been called south for two weeks for some film work. Dave's movie schedule allowed him to come back to town on Sunday so that he could see the show from out front.

Lexi's real-life mom, who lived with Lexi for nine weeks in the comfortable company housing provided by our good friends at Studio Plus Deluxe Studios, smiles for the camera with Jill Bari Steinberg, Lexi's on-stage aunt.

The man of the hour was our Wedding director, Scott Wichmann, (standing to the left in the photo below and to the right) who is not only a gifted theatre artist but also, clearly, a connoisseur of great chili. A quick plug--Scotty, Joe Pabst and Dave Bridgewater joined co-star Joy Williams and director Steve Perigard yesterday to begin rehearsals for the next show in Barksdale's Signature Season at Willow Lawn, Moonlight and Magnolias, a hilarious comedy about the making of Gone with the Wind.

And please note the two stellar theatre talents located just behind Scotty's stage right shoulder. As is so frequently the case, they are in dim lights and in the background. But they are invaluable members of the Barksdale family and add immeasurably to the success of our productions. They are Renee Jones (wardrobe chief and dresser to the stars) and Linwood Guyton (light board operator extraordinaire).

Many, many thanks to all the terrific artists who made Stuart Little, Deathtrap and The Member of the Wedding the great shows that they were. Please know how much we appreciate and value your talent, dedication and hard work.

--Phil Whiteway

JB Takes the Stage, and her place in STYLE Weekly's Top 40 Under 40, and the Questionnaire

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

The incomparable Jill Bari Steinberg, currently appearing in our production of Carson McCuller's stunning play The Member of the Wedding, was just named one of STYLE Weekly's Top 40 Under 40- the young men and women who are transforming Richmond! Which means it's high time for me to get on the ball and get Jill Bari's answers to Pivot/Lipton's questionnaire.

JB has also appeared in Barksdale's productions of Brooklyn Boy, The Constant Wife, The Syringa Tree (after a Phoebe-award winning turn in Theatre Gym's production), Fifth of July, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and The Laramie Project (in association with Richmond Triangle Players). AND she appeared in Theatre Gym's productions of My Children! My Africa!, A Devil Inside (by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright David-Lindsay Abaire), Heathen Valley, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and How I Learned to Drive. AND at Theatre IV in Peter Pan and Babes in Toyland. AND at the Firehouse Theatre Project in As Bees In Honey Drown, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Bat Boy: the Musical.

Where have I been? It is so past time! So here goes:

1. What is your favorite word?
Such a hard question. Words are amazing. I love them all. But one of my favorites is Life.

2. What is your least favorite word?
I really love all the bad words too but Extermination is a bad thing.

3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
Humor, wit, humility, vulnerability

4. What turns you off?
Arrogance, conceit and when somebody THINKS they are funny.

5. What sound or noise do you love?
My Father's Voice

6. What sound or noise do you hate?
Gun shots

7. What is your favorite curse word? (have it at it. I obviously won't post it for real, but in some approved somewhat censored fashion) !@#$%^ &*()_+ is hilarious but it is so hard to pick just one. I am also learning some interesting lingo from the kids in the cast of MOTW such as “What the Krunk?” and “That is so sketch!”

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
OK – This is seriously the hardest question to answer. The list is long but to narrow it down as much as possible I will say food critic, art curator or art historian, wine maker, photographer, children’s talent agent, judge on Top Chef.

9. What profession would you not like to do?
Knife throwers assistant or anything involving Clowns. (please do not post a clown pic here or it will scare me)

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome Jill Bari, meet your Grandfather Bernard. We have been waiting for you for a long time.

--Billy Christopher Maupin

Theatre IV on Tour - Meet the Company, Part I

Posted by Bruce Miller
The first Theatre IV show to hit the touring circuit this season is The True Story of Pocahontas, and it opened today in Chesterfield County Public Schools. Tomorrow, Tales as Tall as the Sky will meet its first student audiences in Henrico, followed by Hugs and Kisses, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and The Song of Mulan, all of which will open in Virginia schools sometime in the next week and a half, before spreading out on their national tours across 32 states and the District of Columbia.

Now would be a good time to introduce 13 of the 28 talented touring actors who are working with us fulltime this fall in our six touring companies. Many of them are new to Richmond, but if tradition holds, several of these newcomers will stay in town for years to come.

Our first actor is T. J. Ellis. T. J. gets to be first because he had to leave last week's Tourmite Party early, and in so doing missed the group photo. Here he is, flying solo.

T. J. played the voice of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors with SPARC last summer. We thank Jamie and Rick Brindle for connecting us with T. J.

Jamie Brindle was a Theatre IV All-Star as a child (playing Alexander in Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Really Bad Day, Christopher Robin in The House at Pooh Corner, etc.). He and T. J. were great pals in high school, and Jamie’s dad (TIV Board member Rick Brindle), gave us a heads up that T. J. was a young talent to keep our eye on.

T. J. is doing a terrific job as legendary folk hero John Henry in Tales as Tall as the Sky. As fate would have it, we have two characters named John Henry on stage right now. T J plays the "steel-drivin' man" of tall tale fame, and Eric Evans plays a more diminutive, ironically named John Henry in Carson McCullers' The Member of the Wedding at Barksdale Willow Lawn.

The quartet of talented young women in the photo to the left includes (left to right) Alia Bisharat, Winter Bailey, Ellie Atwood, and Jamie Sprovach. Alia, Winter and Ellie are in the 25th Anniversary Tour of Hugs and Kisses, Theatre IV’s internationally acclaimed child sexual abuse prevention program, co-produced with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and the Virginia Department of Social Services. Jamie is in The Song of Mulan.

Alia returns to our employ after starring as Dorothy in last spring’s mainstage production of The Wizard of Oz. Winter (who has been Alia’s best friend since they both appeared in Disney's Beauty and the Beast at Theatre IV in the spring of 06) is a "military brat" who's lived all over the U. S., most recently in Petersburg. This is Winter's second year touring with Theatre IV.

Ellie was hired in our Memphis auditions. She graduated from Southern Illinois University and toured nationally with the California Theatre Center before joining us at Theatre IV. Jamie was hired in our St. Louis auditions. She graduated from Western Illinois University and performed with Bard in the Barn and the Western Illinois Summer Music Theatre before moving to Richmond to join Theatre IV.

The two men in Hugs and Kisses are Jonah Bowles and Christopher Schoen, pictured left to right in the cell phone photo to the right. Jonah was cast out of our Atlanta auditions. He graduated from Coastal Carolina University, and appeared in The Lost Colony before returning to Richmond, his home town. Chris is also a native son of our fair city, and the son of the chair of U of R's Theatre Dept., Walter Schoen. Chris is returning for his second year of touring with Theatre IV. At Barksdale, Chris has served as an assistant stage manager and appeared as the bear who chased a character across the stage in Melissa Arctic.

Another man who was unable to make it to the Tourmite Party and therefore missed the group photos is Beau Forbes, pictured in another cell phone pic to the left. Beau will be touring with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and will be in his second year with our company. He graduated from Southern Illinois University, and is an alum of The Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Drama in Ashland, Ohio.

There is one final group of five actors featured in this Part I post. Remember, I can’t include more than 20 names in the labels for any given post, so I frequently have to subdivide larger groups so as to be able to index everyone.

In the photo to the right, you will find (left to right) Amy Wolf, Nicholas Jimenez, Jeremy Howard, Jordan Barwick and Jermise Bailey, all of whom are working with Theatre IV and Barksdale for the first time. Amy and Nicholas are both appearing in Tales as Tall as the Sky. Amy graduated from the University of Richmond, and has performance experience at Sycamore Rouge in Petersburg and with the Fredericksburg Theatre Company and Riverside Theatre, both in Fredericksburg. Nicholas graduated from Appalachian State University, and was referred to us by his college professor (and former Theatre IV touring actor) Gordon Hensley. Nicholas's previous credits include the prestigious Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Jeremy, Jordan and Jermise are all touring in The Song of Mulan, and were all cast out of Atlanta. Jeremy graduated from Chattanooga State where he particularly enjoyed performing for young audiences in Cinderella and Once Upon a Mattress. Jordan hails from Kinston, N C. He and his wife Aubrey are the proud parents of twin daughters, Alana and Alexis. Jermise graduated Cum Laude from North Carolina Central University, after attending Henrico High School right here in Metro Richmond.

Tomorrow I'll introduce our remaining 15 actors. We're proud and privileged to be working with each and every one of these talented theatre pros, and looking forward to a terrific year.

--Bruce Miller

Life Upon the Wicked Stage

Posted by Lexi Langs
My name is Lexi Langs (pictured to the left in the white shirt, with fellow cast members Eric Evans, Erin Kate Bradner and Katy Burke, photo by Jill Bari Steinberg), and I’m currently working on The Member of the Wedding at Barksdale Theatre. I've been living in Virginia with my mom in company housing provided by Barksdale for the past three weeks, but my home is in Orlando, Florida.

This isn’t the first time I’ve spent time away from home…I spent the last fourteen months working at the American Girl Place in New York City. I saw auditions listed on the American Girl website early last year and decided to go for it. Over six hundred girls showed up in March of 2006, and they cast eleven new actresses – I was lucky to be one of them. I was cast as the American Girls Molly McIntire and Kaya. I started rehearsing that August at Chelsea Studios and over the next few months was able to ice skate at Rockefeller Center, see some amazing Broadway shows, drink lots of Starbuck’s, and master the subway system.

As my contract was ending, I saw the audition for Frankie Addams at Barksdale. I decided not to re-sign with American Girl, and went to the audition in Virginia on August 6. After meeting our director, Scott Wichmann, I knew I wanted to be a part of this show.

Rehearsals began a week after I started school in Florida, so I had to meet all of my new teachers and let them know that I would be gone for the next nine weeks – they were a bit surprised, but have been great about it. So far, rehearsals have been so much fun, and the cast is awesome! We’re currently in the middle of tech-week…so costumes, wigs, and props have just been added into the mix, and everything is really taking shape.

The Member of the Wedding is a three-act play by Carson McCullers about a tomboy named Frankie Addams who wants to grow up and is trying to find where she fits in the world. The housekeeper Berenice and her cousin John Henry are with her on the journey and the way they interact with each other will at times make you laugh, and at other times make you cry.

Katherine Louis (Berenice), Eric Evans (John Henry), and I are very excited about opening night this Friday and can’t wait to have a live audience to share our story. Hope to see you there!

--Lexi Langs