Living the Chifferobe
An OG, Robert Townsend, comes to one of our stages and kills it in his show. Living the Shuffle’. This is what I saw through my lens.
Over the years, one of my “go-to” jokes has been a reference to a throwaway line in Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle. I used it when I’m running late for something and get called on it. “Where you been?”, they say and my response a thousand times over has been that I was out back bustin’ up a chifferobe.
The first thing I thought when I heard that Robert Townsend may be performing at our theater is that I’d probably owe him some royalty money. My crack team of lawyers told me that I’m fine because his line is a parody of the reference in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ where Mayela Ewell asks Tom Robinson to bust up said chifferobe.
Over the years, I’ve been pretty cool about meeting an odd celebrity here and there, but this dude was different. He’s not only a genuine OG in his field, but he also provided me with years of excellent comedy content. Now, I get to meet him and help promote his show, ‘Living the Shuffle.’
FUN FACT - He has such a strong social media game and such a huge following that between that and the social mojo of his co-Producer, Don Reed, I just held on for the ride. His popularity and skill as a performer sold the show.
As happens in theater, we needed some media shots to help spread the word of the show. So, a week before the first performance, Robert came to town for a quick tech run and to work out a few quirks in the show. He had been rehearsing plenty for this, but he needed to get a feel for the space where it was to be performed. During that time, he was kind enough to let me drag him around downtown Berkeley to grab a few shots.
The whole time, he was pleasant and present, engaging with passers-by that recognized him and bullsh*tting with his friend, Don Reed, who was with us. Dude was totally comfortable in front of a camera and gave me everything that I could have hoped for with my tight deadline.
We did take some shots on the stage, but it was so bare and unfinished for the images to be of use. So, we waited until a few days until the tech stuff was more ready and had another go at it. Now keep in mind these images were taken during a cue-to-cue. That’s an unsexy term that means it was a run specifically for the tech team to get their light cues and image cues ready for specific points in the show. It’s perhaps the most stressful part of a show’s development, more technicians and artists have fought to the death during this stage of production than any other. This day, though, no one was murdered.
I’ve met enough artists in my time to get a good feel of the kind of person they are within only a few interactions. From day one, Robert and his whole team were super pleasant, their responses to requests were prompted, and their gratitude for our actions was quick and warm. Just a pleasure! Honestly, in this field, I’ve met very few folks that I’d consider a bad person. The worst thing I usually encounter is someone who is just concerned with himself. Robert is the opposite of that. His whole career has been an example of pushing others towards success. The grand number of folks that flew up from Southern California to see him on opening night was a testament to that.
About the show itself? Let some of these quotes do the talking…
90 minutes of captivating tales and good humor - Broadway World
Townsend’s imagination catapults him forward in life again and again. It’s there when he reads “Oedipus” in class in school with such Royal Shakespeare Company panache that the other kids scramble to one corner of the classroom as if they’ve discovered a fox in the henhouse. It’s there when he almost bombs his first audition, for a Chicago troupe called the Experimental Black Actors Guild, but then demonstrates the improv skills he first honed in his bathroom — all before he even knows the term “improv.” It’s there when he’s cast as extras in a Pepsi commercial and an action movie but then so thoroughly envisions his character and situation that directors give him meatier roles. - Lily Janiak, SF Chronicle
There are plenty more great reviews here, and here, and here.
In brief, it’s a show that has legs. It’s a high-quality piece of art with a huge market that is certainly going onto greater things. We’ve already extended him once, there’s some talk of other extensions or shows but it’s all up in the air. You can totally expect more from this show.
“Living the Shuffle”: Written and directed by Robert Townsend. Through Dec. 15. 95 minutes. $30-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. 415-282-3055. www.themarsh.org
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Texas Premiere!
This was one of the first times that the publishers had licensed the musical to be produced at a regional or community theater anywhere in the county and it was the very first time in Texas!
I think that the Director, George Green and his team nailed it pretty well!
DOM CLAUDE FROLLO - Bob Galindo
QUASIMODO - Nick Szoeke
CLOPIN TROUILLEFOU - Sean Salazar
CAPT. PHOEBUS DE MARTIN - Quinn Johnson
LT. FREDERIC CHARLUS - Macaulay Hammond
ESMERALDA- Alyssa Lopez
JEHAN FROLLO - Travis Trevino
FLORIKA - Josey Porras
FATHER DUPIN - Ryan Campen
KING LOUIS XI - David Nanny
TRIBUNAL OFFICIAL - Ramsey Sweatmon
MADAME - Corina Zars
SAINT APHRODISIUS - Robert Nauman
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Madeline Gutierrez
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Alyssa Araguz
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Luis Legaspi
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Carrie Daniels
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Stephanie Clark
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Robert Gonzalez
CHOIR - Christopher Miller
CHOIR - Rebecca Trinidad
CHOIR - Katy Galindo
CHOIR - Nicole Erwin
CHOIR - Jennifer Hoskins
CHOIR - Megan DeYoung
CHOIR - Rob Shaver
CHOIR - Ben Scharff
CHOIR - Victor Trevino
CHOIR - Luke Trevino
CHOIR - Chancey Blackburn
There are two types of people in this world.
Those who love Nick Szoeke ... and those that haven't met him yet
Best Show images of The Playhouse's 2016-17 Season
9 shows, 9 Dress Runs, 5 archive shoots ... and these are the best! Before we begin the 2017-18 Season, let's look backwards abit.
With the 2017-18 Season about to begin at The Playhouse San Antonio, it's a good time to look back at some of my favorite images from the Dress Runs and Archive Shoots in the 2016-17 Season. Before we begin in earnest, here's a few images that I loved but that didn't make the finals.
Over the course of the 9 shows, most of these images were captured during a Dress Run in the days leading to opening night. While those shows always provided fantastic imagery, the microphones that the cast wore often interfered with getting tight shots of the faces. Also, because the shows were so vast and active with so many moving parts, I wasn't always able to get all the shots we wanted so we also relied on the Archive Shoots to produce images.
In past years, theaters would have these Archive Shoots later in the run and the images were used simply to "archive" the show. As marketing needs and social media needs altered over time, we continued doing these shoots but we moved them up a bit in the run so we could use those images for promotional use. A few years back, we started shooting the dress run images so we would have lively imagery in the days before the show to start to broadcast to the community the fun and beauty that they have in store when the show opens.
The reception of the images has been wonderful. The actors and their friends and family do a great job of sharing the images so that more folks can see what the show is about, who the pretty faces are, and what the stellar lighting and scenic design will contain.
Selfishly, I'm so grateful to be around so many talented folks and to have the chance to make my own art. My goals with the photography have been to help sell the shows to the patrons but also to honor the skill and effort of all those involved
Chris Berry and Carlye Elyse in Disney's Beauty and the Beast
A fantastic way to open the season, this show did so incredibly well that it is among The Playhouse's top-selling shows of all-time. The Opening Night fire alarm sure was interesting, no?
Why This Shot --
Chris and Carlye were awesome in their respective portrayals of Gaston and Belle. With their superb comic timing and the deep well of acting experience they both have, they killed the roles. For this scene to work, their timing, grace and facial poise had to be perfect. I'd seen them practice this move before so I knew where I had to be to get the image I wanted.
Dir - David Nanny
Sam Mandelbaum in The Glass Menagerie
Not really a light and happy story on its best day but Molly Cox's version of this classic took it in a thoroughly new direction. Her team didn't change a lick of dialogue but resetting the "illusion" to take place at a mid-century mental institution was brilliant! It gave new life and breath to Tennessee Williams' words.
Why This Shot --
Sam created and nurtured so many little tics that made his Tom Wingfield beyond perfect for the new setting. Never going over the top or being cartoonish, he used every inch of the space to great effect. As other characters were in their scenes, Sam would be watching his "family" and he'd be taking notes on their behavior, using them as material for future writings.
Dir - Molly Cox
David Fenrich in All is Calm
Yup. Still my favorite musical. I've been so lucky to work with various casts of this show over the years and they're all superb humans.
Why This Shot --
Because of its utter simplicity. Nicholas Ponting's set and Dan Heggem's lighting are always a huge part of any show but the restrained use of resources was so masterful on this set because the feel of cold and sparseness was so vital to the story.
David Fenrich's voice is stellar but his ability to, in silhouette even, portray the loneliness and madness of war shone out through his simple, shrugged stance.
Dir - George Green and Bill Gundry
Holly Clifford in Fool for Love
This cannot be a FUN show of which to be a part. It's difficult to imagine the inner demons that an actor might have to bring up and harder still to imagine how to face them, encompass them into a performance and come out normal at the end of a show's run. I admire all of the actors involved with dramas like this.
Why This Shot --
Sam Shepard's play is not for the faint of heart, either for the actors or patrons. Holly's portrayal of May was stunning and chilling from start to finish. Whether the emotional pain was being hurled at her from her love interest or if it came from the demons and guilt she carries with her, the weight of all of her love, desires, and fears hammers her at the end of the play and the manner in which she projected that was magnificent.
Dir - George Green
The Secret Garden
This show was another fine example of less being more. The RHR stage was far more stripped down that in most other shows but that doesn't mean that the set wasn't intricate in its own way. Sliding curtain, moving "gardens", and light design that moved the story along and added chills to each scene.
Why This Shot --
This shot almost didn't happen! The idea for it was from Nicholas Ponting. The yellow light is something the patrons saw only for an instant at a time. It was flashed on and off as lightning during the storms but for this shot we staged the scene as if the kids were captured in the flash of lightning. Corina and the kids managed to make the very best of the moment, no? Keep an eye on Nickie and Ashley. They're gonna be stars.
Dir - Laura Michelle Hoadley
Disgraced
A simple dinner party with friends. What could go wrong?
Why This Shot --
This was one of the very first images we took on our media day and I was surprised and amazed at how quickly and easily the cast got into their characters and enacted their dinner routines. The banter seemed normal and natural, their dining movements seemed smooth, and their demeanor and postured displayed the perfect "before the storm" comfort. The set and lighting were simple/complex enough to turn our Cellar into a trendy Manhattan apartment. A perfect setting for the worst dinner party ever.
Dir - David Rinear
Urinetown, the Musical
This show is now easily in my top three musicals ever. With the power trio of Tim Hedgepeth, Andrew Hendley and Courtnie Mercer covering direction, music, and movement, Urinetown used every inch of the stage, performed superbly the very complex score, and got the most out of every set piece and lighting element.
Why This Shot --
OK. The artsy stuff was awesome but I chose this image because it captures the utter ridiculousness of the ensemble. Yes, the leads were all superb but this show NEEDS a bright, loud, colorful, occasionally stupid cast of background characters. There was not a weak link in the show ... nor in this picture. If you saw it, you know what I mean.
Dir - Time Hedgepeth
Crimes of the Heart
I'd seen this drama a few times and never liked it. I won't get into why but this cast and this show changed my opinion. Maybe it was the casting or the cast. Maybe it was Bill Gundry's use of the space and his pacing. Who knows! It was awesome and the critics and patrons loved it. So did I.
Why This Shot --
LOOK at that set! Once again, Nicholas Ponting and Dan Heggem turned the Cellar into another piece of visual, useable art. As the space is so intimate and close to the patrons, any half-hearted efforts or cheapness will be easily spotted. Not in this house and not in this show.
Dir - Bill Gundry
Danielle Renae King in HAIRSPRAY
Hairspray is a fun and colorful show but it also has a strong point about race relations and equality. This, the biggest cast of the season, took that message and material, treated it with honor and class, and created the best season closer we've seen in a while.
Why This Shot --
Power. Pure, raw power!
D#mn! That lady can sing! In addition to that, her stance in that shot, her movements leading up to it and in the whole show demanded that you look at and listen to her. The very first time I met her was during the portrait shoot. She was funny and polite and awesome and I loved her right away. I imagine she gets that a lot.
Dir - Omar Leos
Y'all ready for the next season?
Best Portraits of the 16-17 Season at The Playhouse
With the opening of 'Hairspray', I've completed my first season as the photographer for The Playhouse. These are my picks as the best for each of the nine shows.
My first full season shooting for The Playhouse San Antonio has come to an end and I couldn't be more pleased with the numerous opportunities I had to meet the cool folks that populate the theater community and San Antonio on the whole. I started my tenure at the very tail end of the 2015-16 Season and I was able to shoot Two Sisters and a Piano, directed by Omar Leos who also directed Hairspray, this year's season closer. The Circle of Life.
For the nine shows in the season, I created a total of 56 images that made it into the public as official portraits. Of those, these are my favorites. Sometimes I chose them for the story behind them or merely that they pleased me the most. Feel free to have others be your favorites but here are mine.
Enjoy!
Beauty and the Beast
Jeff Jeffers - The Beast
Costume-wise, this is as difficult of a show as you might suspect so we only had time to create ONE portrait. The Artistic Director, George Green, wanted a show that was slightly darker and more ominous that previous iterations and the costumery and wardrobe that the team created certainly matched that.
Jeff is an accomplshed actor with a rich background and I think that he found the sweet spot between the scary beast and the wounded prince in his portrayal. Well done, Sir.
The Glass Menagerie
Gloria Sanchez-Molina - Amanda Wingfield
Without changing a single bit of the script or stage direction, The Playhouse and Director Molly Cox crafted an entirely new look at this venerable (koff - overdone - koff) classic and made history. The Glass Menagerie sold every seat for every show and gave San Antonio audiences an immersive experience in the mid-century mental hospital instead of a mere St. Louis apartment.
While 'Amanda Wingfield' was already a dynamic yet wounded character, Gloria's representation of her set a new standard, IMHO.
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
Nicholas Ponting
I've stated for the record that this is my absolute favorite piece of theater and I've been lucky enough to shoot it before. It's coming back again for the 2017-18 Season and we already have ideas on how to make the next round fresh and exciting.
This guy, Nick, is amazing. Not only did he have a hand in every show this season as the theater's Resident Designer, he has also performed in 3 of them. For All is Calm, he also served as the Musical Director, channeling the voices of all those trained singers into one magical wall of sound. As an actor, he was masterful at his ability to show strength through gentleness.
Fool for Love
Bill Gundry - The Old Man
If a photographer can't take a good pic of Bill, that photographer should just get rid of the camera. The character, history, and color on this man's face tell stories that others have never heard. As 'The Old Man' in the play, he was tasked to be a silent observer, always judging and occasionally chiming in with his faulty, biased memories and opinions.
"I got nobody now! Nobody!"
The Secret Garden
Corina Zars - Mrs. Medlock
Nobody should be this talented AND kind at the same time. Though I had already worked with her on Beauty and the Beast, I didn't really get to know Corina until this show. Up until then, her reputation as an artist and a super human was well-known but I just couldn't believe that she was as universally loved as folks said.
The rumors were true. From my first days in town, she has been simply wonderful on stage and off and she's earned all the kind words about her. Imagine my surprise when she portrayed 'Mrs. Medlock' as such a thoroughly repulsive woman!
The mystical nature of The Secret Garden inspired me to try a few new tricks and create the aged but ethereal portraits.
Disgraced
Megan Van Dyke - Jory
I chose Megan's pic for two main reasons. In the most simple way, the image captures what matters in the play; her quiet fierceness, the controversial art piece, a hint of wine, and the austerity of the NY apartment. Second, Megan's portrayal of 'Jory' was so very much in line with her presentation for the portrait. Quiet and fierce. Without unneccesary dramatics, she let you know exactly what her opinion was.
Urinetown
Carrie Daniels - Little Becky Two Shoes
Carrie is another person that has greatly helped the 2016-17 Season be the success it was as she has had her hand in all of the productions. She performed in Beast, The Secret Garden, and Urinetown, she was Stage Manager or crew for several productions in the Cellar and she worked on the creation of all the sets. On top of that, her on stage ability is superb, seemingly getting better with each show.
As 'Little Becky', Carrie created a dirty, loathsome little wretch that (forgive me) still managed to be very hot. Weird, I know.
I look forward to her stage appearances next season.
Crimes of the Heart
Rosa Gardner - Chick Boyle
This is another example of a super nice person portraying such a magnificent (rhymes with Witch) on stage. Rosa was with The Playhouse in The Secret Garden and is now in Hairspray.
We kept the portraits simple in keeping with the early 70s look and feel of the play but Rosa, especially, managed to make the viewer (or at least me) feel like her portait was about to say something snotty and rude.
Hairspray
Kass Ortiz - Tracy Turnblad
First, a confession ...
I didn't like this show before The Playhouse did it. I won't get into why but I'll state very clearly that this production won me over. It's the biggest cast I've seen on this stage and everyone of them moves with purpose and energy. No wasted moments.
THIS kid is front and center for almost every moment of it and for every moment, she is a radiant ball of fire. I suspected that would be the case when we created these portaits and Kass didn't disappoint.
Kettel Bells
Junie B. Jones, the Musical at The Magik Theatre.
A new school year and new friends. Sounds great, right? Not so much for Junie B.
Though I've been in San Antonio for a year now, this show was my first time shooting at any theater other than The Playhouse. Magik Children's Theatre has a wonderful home in the heart of downtown and though it's a bit bogged down due to the massive but wonderful renovations in Hemisphere Park, that area of town is set to become another gem in the city. The Magik is well-located for future success.
I have a dear friend in the cast and when she told me bout the show, I knew that it was going to be loud and colorful. Just the type of show that I like to shoot. Junie B Jones, the Musical is a children's show but the design team didn't water down their skills a single bit. Loud and colorful, indeed.
From their website:
Based on the books by Barbara Parks
Book and lyrics by Mary Heisler
Music by Zina Goldrich
Directed by Frances Limoncelli
It's time for 1st grade, and Junie B. can't wait to see all her old friends! But over the summer old friends have drifted away, and new ones have moved to town. Junie B. soon learns that things don't always stay the same, and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
As shows go, it's not my cup of tea but I'm not the intended demographic. What I found quite impressive is the amount of effort and dedication that the cast and crew put forth simply for the ideal of sharing art with the younger generation. The show runs from June 16 to August 13, 2017 so they're just a few weeks into the run. If the cast can keep up their energy through closing weekend, there will be LOTS of entertained little patrons.
Junie B Jones, the Musical, will run at Magik from through August 18th
The Ladies Foursome - We Begin!
In a few weeks, we'll present another show. But first, we get to create more imagery!
Yesterday (Apr 24), the cast of 'The Ladies Foursome' and I headed out to The Links golf course in Post Falls, Id. It was a multi-purpose trip; partially to capture promotional images, hopefully to have the cast learn a bit more about the sport of golf and certainly to have a great day of fun and team bonding!
Sarah Miller, Callie McKinney Cabe, Marianne McGlaughlin, Nancy Gasper and the Director, Dawn Taylor Reinhart have been in rehearsal for just a week and as much as can be learned about golf through reading, conversation and YouTube videos, they knew that it would take a trip to the links to make their swings look realistic, their trash talk genuine and the knowledge about their characters come to life!
We won't even pretend that the form was perfect! Heck, even the shoes were off but, we all still had a blast playing on the course!
Over the next few days, we'll be showing plenty of new images on our various social media pages so be certain to keep an eye out. I'll have them all posted here AFTER the run of the show.
MCM1940 at The Modern-CDA
Another show closes and all we have are the memories and images!
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 just finished its run at The Modern-CDA. Though I'm sure you've seen me post about it before, its cast was so warm and funny, their show such a pleasant surprise and the images so cool, I thought I'd show a few last images! As all of the players, save the Maid and the Detective, were in the theater business in the 40s, I decided to have all of their portraits should have a stylized look from the era. Plus, what says theater more than the red velvet curtain and a spotlight?
First, the ladies....
The show is a silly farce. With folks coming and going, bodies dropping left and right, power outages and false identities, the audience is kept on their toes about who the killer is ... or rather who the killerS are.
The gentlemen, scoundrels ... all of them.
As I've already shared plenty about this show, I won't rehash too much and I'm certainly not an impartial patron so I won't bother with a thorough review. I just enjoyed the show, enjoyed creating the images and certainly enjoyed meeting new people.
My hat goes off to the Director, Heath Bingman. MCM1940 is a tough show to lead under any circumstances but this one had more than its share of administrative hurdles. I won't get into details but I'll just say that, in some ways, she had the deck stacked against her. Regardless, she managed it all very well and came through with a winner!
Well done, ma'am.
