They Like Us; They Really Like Us

Posted by Bruce Miller
What a weekend! On Friday we opened our colossal hit production of Guys and Dolls. On Saturday we won an Emmy Award. On Sunday we bid a fond farewell to Greater Tuna at Hano …

Wait a minute! What happened on Saturday? Did you say, “WON AN EMMY!!”??

Well, yes, as a matter of fact I did. The 50th Annual Emmy Awards were presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Capital Region) on Saturday, June 14, at the Ritz Carlton in Washington D. C.

And Barksdale Theatre WON!!! (That's Katherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy kissing our Emmy!)

To quote from their press release, “The Academy’s Emmy Award is the industry’s benchmark for the recognition of television excellence.” The Capital Region includes all of Virginia, Maryland and Washington D. C. So we were up against some pretty serious competition.

In the category “Commercial – Single Spot,” there were five nominations and Barksdale came home a WINNER. All right, I think, actually, WWBT – Joel Traylor, Producer came home a winner. At least it looks like he or they get to keep the tchotchke. But when they read the name of the winner from the dais on Saturday night, they read “Barksdale Theatre Commercial,” and so, as far as I’m concerned, WE WON AN EMMY! (That's Ryan Seacrest of American Idol admiring our Emmy!)

After all, we initiated the commercial, we paid for it, our Marketing Director Sara Marsden art directed it, our actors performed in it, our designers created the sets and costumes that appear in it, our staff brainstormed about what to include in it, our Board approved it, and our theatre’s name is the only name listed in the title.

I in no way want to shortchange or under-recognize the masterful work and creative talent exerted by Joel Traylor and our other friends at WWBT-12. They all did a great job and we couldn’t have done squat without them. But hopefully they won’t mind my swelling with pride over our part in all this either. (That's Jeremy Piven of Entourage smelling our Emmy!)

Congratulations on a job well done to our marketing staff; our directors, choreographers and designers; and our actors: Rachel Abrams, Ford Flannagan, Audra Honaker, Amy Hruska, Katrinah Lewis, Katherine Louis, Billy Christopher Maupin, Robyn O'Neill, Joe Pabst, Steve Perigard, Zak Resnick, Andrea Ross, Russell Rowland, Craig Smith, Eddie Tavares, Harriet Traylor, Jennings Whiteway, Eric Williams and Hannah Zold.

And ... pssst ... if anyone knows where I can acquire an extra one of those attractive statuettes to display in our lobby, call me. Until then, we will simply sign off as – Barksdale Theatre, Central Virginia’s Emmy Award-Winning Stage Company.

I mean, after all, WE WON AN EMMY!!

Here's the Emmy winning commercial:



--Bruce Miller

Revisiting the Days...

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

I was just revisiting two of the questionnaires that have been posted this season and since Ms. Louis and Ms. Roop are currently appearing on the boards in Barksdale's hit production of Doubt: a Parable, I thought I might relink them for your reading pleasure!

Katherine Louis, now turning in a show-stopping cameo performance as Mrs. Muller, came by and offered her thoughts in the fall when she was working on our season opener, The Member of the Wedding. You can revisit her post here.

Maggie Roop, who provides a beautifully honest portrayal of the young nun, Sister James, answered the questionnaire more recently as she was dazzling audiences in the ensemble of Theatre IV's production of Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter, while SIMULTANEOUSLY rehearsing for her current performance in Doubt: a Parable. The bulk of her questionnaire can be viewed here on the Theatre IV blog (as well as her talking about working on both productions), but there were a couple of answers that seemed just a bit too racy for The Children's Theatre of Virginia, so the rest of her questionnaire can be viewed here on the Barksdale Buzz.

Enjoy revisiting!

Oh, ALSO, Mary Burruss has a nice post on the Richmond VA Theatre blog that is primarily about Doubt. You can see that here.

OK...Make That THREE for Doubt: a Parable

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Joan Tupponce with Richmond.com writes about Doubt: a Parable:

"well-crafted, multi-layered play"

"the play's pace and content is so intriguing that the 90-minute production with no intermission breezes by."

"Duke Lafoon skillfully moves from..."

"Irene Ziegler gives a world-class performance..."

"Maggie Roop convincingly shows us the character's innocence, enthusiasm, confusion..."

"Katherine Louis...channels the desperation of a mother..."

"The play's lighting design by Lynne M. Hartman and scenic design by Phil Hayes are as detailed as the character's actions..."

"The superbly acted play is perfect for Acts of Faith."

View Ms. Tupponce's full review here.

Do Two Slam Dunk Reviews Make Doubt: A Parable a Hit?

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

If they don't, then perhaps four sold out shows in the first two weekends of performances do.

Dave Timberline's review "Nun Better" appears in tomorrow's issue of STYLE Weekly.

A few highlights:

"No need to think twice: Barksdale’s

Doubt: A Parable is a winner."

"...an edgy and engrossing delight."

And my personal favorite quote from the review:

"Under Keri Wormald’s meticulous direction,

the Barksdale’s cast doesn’t just do justice to

John Patrick Shanley’s

Pulitzer Prize-winning script;

it delivers a precision-cut gem of a production,

each facet sharp and sparkling."

Tickets may be reserved online through the Barksdale Theatre website or by calling the box office at 282-2620.

(The full review may be viewed by clicking "Nun Better" above or via http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=16373.)

Meet the Cast of Doubt on Monday Evening 2/18

Posted by Jessica

Monday night at 6:30 PM at Willow Lawn

Doubt is having an extremely successful opening, with performances selling quickly and good word of mouth. We'll end our first weekend with Meet the Stars. Don't miss this chance to come out an meet the excellent cast, including Duke Lafoon, Irene Ziegler, Maggie Roop and Katherine Louis. (NOTE: Bruce has pointed out in the comments that Duke will be unable to attend.)

At Barksdale at Willow Lawn
Cash Bar opens at 6:30 PM Panel from 7:00-8:00 PM Bar remains open after panel. Attendance is free and open to the public.

Doubt: a Parable Opened

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

I just got home from the opening night of Doubt: A Parable - well, the show was over around 9:30 or so, but there was a fantastic reception following. I think Joy Ross, Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV's Patron Services Manager, said it best: "This is theatre."

Go see this show.

The script, direction, the set, the lighting, the actors. This. Is. Theatre. Tonight was completely sold out. Tomorrow is sold out. I hope every single performance sells out. It was an absolutely and incredible night of theatre.

I will be there again. Probably multiple times. I want to study these four actors, Duke Lafoon, Katherine Louis, Maggie Roop, and Irene Ziegler. Each of their performances is...

Go see this production.

"Doubt" Opens Friday - $15 Rush Tickets!

Posted by Phil Whiteway

I hope you'll make your plans now for our upcoming producing of Doubt by John Patrick Shanley. Doubt won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Play and the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Our production stars Irene Ziegler and Duke Lafoon, with Maggie Roop and Katherine Louis. Direction is by Keri Wormald. Set Design is by Phil Hayes, and Costumes come to us from our great friends at The Company of Fools in Hailey, Idaho, coordinated here in Richmond by Sarah Grady. Light Design is by Lynne Hartman.

As with all Barksdale productions, $15 rush tickets are available to one and all 90 minutes prior to each performance. You can call 282-2620 a couple hours before curtain and they'll usually know whether there will be any rush tickets available for that performance.

Opening nights are always fun. If you can join us on Friday, please do. And stick around after the show for our Opening Night party.

--Phil Whiteway

The Reviews are in for RD

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

What some are saying about Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter at Theatre IV:

Mary Burruss (a regular theatre critic for STYLE Weekly) writes on the RichmondVATheater Blog:

"[My seven-year-old daughter and I] both walked out with big smiles on our faces."

"Engaging for kids of a variety of ages and the adults who escort them, funny, enlightening with it's message, politically correct for our time, colorful and just the right length"

"new, well directed, well acted, well designed and crafted set, sound, and lighting, appropriate, fun, well thought out costumes, excellent make-up, choreography that is appropriate for the show and its actors, and wonderfully talented cast who's abilities are utilized properly to make a show that flows seemingly flawlessly across the stage"

"hilariously wicked duo of Jackie Jones and Matt James"

"fell in love with Richard Koch as the King"

"really great theatre"

Susan Haubenstock writes in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch review:

"Dawn A. Westbrook is the director/choreographer, and she brings lots of fun to the show, aided especially by Elizabeth Weiss Hopper's witty costumes and Greig Leach's brightly colored scenic design. Westbrook's dance numbers are especially amusing, and she gives her villains--the hilarious Jacqueline Jones as the Queen Mother and Matthew James as the Duke of Bonfire--loads of funny business to do."

"Richard Koch, who gives a hysterical performance as the King. He's greedy, he's vain, he dresses funny, and he talks silly -- he's a perfect buffoon."

YAY! Congrats to Theatre IV!!! Get your tickets! It closes in only two weeks on February 10.

Also be sure to be on the look out for another free ticket contest and the "An Actor Prepares" blog at http://www.theatreiv.blogspot.com/.

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 344-8040. (Or you can purchase tickets through the Barksdale Theatre box office with the same phone call, while you're purchasing tickets for Doubt: A Parable [Starring Duke Lafoon, Irene Ziegler, Maggie Roop, and Katherine Louis]).

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

Meet the Stars for Cocktail Hour Conversation

Posted by Bruce Miller
Join us tonight, Monday, Sept 24, in the lobby at Barksdale Willow Lawn for a fun, free evening, as we kick off a brand new Community Connections series: Meet the Stars!

Director Scott Wichmann, leading lady Katherine Louis and several other members of our cast and creative team of The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers will be on hand to give you an insider’s glimpse behind the scenes of this exciting and important new show.

A fun and informative panel discussion will be accompanied by light hors d’oeuvres (free) and a cash bar. Attendees will sit at tables cabaret style as the informal panel fills you in on all the behind the scenes activity that will really bring the production to life.

The cash bar opens at 6:30, and the panel discussion takes place on the welcoming lobby stage from 7 until 8. The bar will remain open during the entire event, and we hope you’ll buy a drink if for no other reason than to help us cover our expenses. Otherwise, attendance is free and open to the public.

So come one, come all. Be there to Meet the Stars!, and end your Monday with a little luster.

--Bruce Miller

Finding the We of Me - Opening Night at "The Member of the Wedding"

Posted by Bruce Miller

I've just returned from the wonderful Opening Night of The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers at Barksdale Willow Lawn. Along with James Joyce's The Dead, The Member of the Wedding is that rare commodity on our Signature Season--a highly theatrical evening that is language- and character-driven rather than plot-driven. I love the variety and depth that it adds to our roster. I especially love this production.

Scott Wichmann has directed an evocative evening that emotionally transports us back to the sultry Southern summers of Carson McCullers' early adolescence. The Member of the Wedding is a part of our continuing Women's Theatre Project, and the story it tells is certainly born in a woman's heart.

At least one vibrant post-show discussion revolved around whether McCullers' classic tale is the story of Berenice Sadie Brown, the big-hearted domestic brilliantly played by Katherine Louis in a star-making performance, or the story of Frankie Addams (or F. Jasmine Addams as she prefers to be called), the lonely and precocious 13-year-old played with staggering sensitivity by real-life 13-year-old Lexi Langs.

Part of the magic woven by McCullers, Wichmann and our two outstanding actresses is that the evening somehow manages to focus alternately and simultaneously on both. It's almost as if the soul of the play combines both women into one: half adult and half child, half grounded and half lost, half privileged and half trodden down. Not unlike Carson McCullers herself (pictured above and to the left with the original Berenice, Ethel Waters).

Joining in the standing ovation awarded the production were steadfast supporters Mr and Mrs Reid Ashe, Tom and Carlene Bass, Page Bauder, Rosanna Bencoach, Dr. John and Mary Jane Board, Cammie Carlton, Carrie Galeski, Bev Kniffen, Charlotte and Andy McCutcheon, Suzanne Pollard, Essie Simms and Isabella Witt. That's the back of Charlotte's head in the photo above and to the right talking with director Scott Wichmann at the post-show party.

Other theatre artists in attendance included Jan Guarino and her children Nora and Zack (Jan is starring in our upcoming Swingtime Canteen at Hanover Tavern); Julia Greer, Hannah Miller and Ali Thibodeau from the cast of Disney's High School Musical (Julia and Hannah are pictured to the left); Annie Hulcher from Annie Get Your Gun; Alex Samawicz and his date (Alex played trumpet in Into the Woods); Melissa Johnston-Price and her daughter Meg (Melissa rushed in from rehearsal for Spinning Into Butter at the Firehouse); Terrie Powers (our designer extraordinaire at Hanover Tavern); Stacy Reardon (actor alum from The Full Monty and The Wizard of Oz); and Russell Rowland fresh from his Princely duties in Into the Woods.

Hard working staff members on hand included Emily Cole Bitz, Andy Boothby, Judi Crenshaw, Catherine Dudley, Jackie Gann and her newlywed husband Bobby, Jean Hartley, Lucas Hall, Chase Kniffen, Sara Marsden, Billy Christopher Maupin, Steve Perigard, Joy Ross, Janine Serresseque, Wendy Vandergrift, Jennings Whiteway (responsible for the wonderful party), Phil Whiteway (laughing with our leading lady at the post-show celebration), and Ginnie Willard.

Providing all the luster were the stars of the evening: director Wichmann; designers Brian Barker (sets), Derek Dumais (sound) and Lynne Hartman (lights); stage managers Bo Wilson and Jody Smith Strickler; console operator Lynwood Guyton; props master Lynn West; and cast members Katherine Louis, Lexi Langs, Eric Evans, Carl Calabrese, Christine Schneider, David Bridgewater, Jill Bari Steinberg, Alec Stephens III, Tony Cosby (WELCOME HOME TONY!), Erin Kate Bradner, Katy Burke and Zac Wilson. That's Eric, Zac and Lexi in the photo above and to the left, at the post-show party.

No one can say what the critics will think, but please know that Phil Whiteway and I are very proud of this production. We hope you'll join us soon for this compelling, soul-stirring and uniquely American classic.

--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

Katherine Louis, playing Berenice in the upcoming production of The Member of The Wedding Breezes Through to Answer Lipton's Questionnaire

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Katherine Louis, whom I love and adore, had a brief moment last week, when she came through my office for all of about ten minutes with many other pressing things on her plate, so I promptly asserted that this questionnaire is vitally important, so she sat down with me to answer the questionnaire that Proust inspired, than Pivot picked up on, and James Lipton (Inside the Actor's Studio) ripped off...OK...not ripped off...he always gives credit to Pivot...and he changed a couple of things. So it really is all very above board. If anyone is ripping off, it's really me. But we won't talk about that.

So...Katherine's repsonses...oh wait...I want all to know that Katherine, who I saw most recently in Living Word Stage Company's (now African American Repertory Theatre) African American Trailblazer's storytelling series at various venues around Richmond (very cool stuff...very educational and also very dynamic and captivating). ANYway...back to Katherine's answers...
(drum roll please...)

(are you doing it?)

(no, really, do a drum roll
on your desk right now...)

So here goes:

1. What is your favorite word?
happy

2. What is your least favorite word?
no
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
I’m just going to say the first thing that pops into my head: When people really listen to me.

4. What turns you off?
Stupid turns me off like crazy. Stupid anything. Stupid people. Stupid comments. Stupid clothes. (Oh, that sounds so shallow.) We all know I’m so beyond being shallow like that. Are you listening to me!?

5. What sound or noise do you love?
My granddaughter’s laughter.

6. What sound or noise do you hate?
Brakes screeching. That’s the first thing that came into my head.

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)
It’s funny you should ask me this because I actually know the answer. My favorite curse-word is **** (think of sugar honey iced tea). It kind of hits everything doesn’t it. It’s a word your grandma can say.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Culinary Instructor. I don’t want to be in the kitchen all day, but I can teach others how to be in the kitchen all day.

9. What profession would you not like to do?
Garbage man.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Well done.

Stay tuned for more "interviews" with the cast, crew, and artistic team of Barksdale Theatre's production of Carson McCuller's The Member of the Wedding.

-- Billy Christopher Maupin