Not knowing what else I could do, I decided to place my faith in God, the Universe or perhaps Dionysus himself to take care of that which was beyond my control.  I focused on my part: reading the script, researching Ibsen, and sending emails to every actor I know to invite them to audition.  I am grateful to say that tactic worked.  I now have a dream cast in whom I have complete confidence to bring Ghosts to life.

The cast of Raconteur Theatre’s production of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts translated by Lanford Wilson is:

• Regina: Sarah Willis
• Engstrand: Richard Wilson
• Mrs. Helen Alving: Carolyn Harding
• Reverend Manders:Stephen Woosley
• Oswald: Brennan Hunter

Raconteur Theatre has dedicated itself to being not just a “community theatre” but being a theatre that is part of the community. To this end, we are going to try to assist Autism Speaks in their mission. At all performances of Ghosts, we will have a donation jar at the box office and concession stand, with 100% of all donations going to Autism Speaks. Additionally, you can make a donation to Autism Speaks through the following donation site. (It doesn’t matter which name you click to make the donation through.)

This marks only the first step in Raconteur’s giving back to the community. All future productions will have a tip jar available, with the proceeds going to charity. The charity will be determined by the Board of Directors on a per-show basis, but we will make every effort to keep our audiences well-informed.

Excited to be able to give back to the community,
Aaron

(In the interests of full disclosure, we have a personal stake in this charity. One of my children has autism, which is what drew me to this particular charity.)

Somehow, as is always the case, it all works out. It’s been a real experience for me, as Raconteur has never had a Producer in the past. During the Flex Series, the entire Board of Directors co-produced the production. After the show, we realized that there really needed to be one person that everyone could go to if there were any problems.

It’s been a fun transition for me coming from stage managing to a position where I still get to experience the overall view of the production and organize various parts of the process but without the daily commitment of rehearsals. At the same time, it’s a position we’re definitely still figuring out. My duties started out pretty basic and continue to grow as we move forward. Originally, I was only responsible for the production calendar, following up on deadlines and dealing with any difficulties that could arise from the process. Since the original discussion, I have also taken on production team/actor/copyright/rental contracts and the hiring of individuals to the production. It’s such a cool thing to see everyone come together from their various backgrounds and talents, and I can’t wait to meet the cast that’s going to bring Ghosts to life.

Excited for the future,
Suellen Kasiara
Producer, Ghosts

But here’s the thing – it was fun! Sure, the lapel microphones we were supposed to be wearing to combat the ambient noise didn’t work out, leaving us screaming the show into stand microphones. Sure, the stage was awkward with the microphones placed willy nilly. Sure, I was so disgustingly hot and sweaty that I was grossed out that poor Andrew (Holger) had to kiss me…

But in spite of these things I could scarcely had enjoyed myself more. The outdoor atmosphere, the screaming, the staging, the different audience all changed the show in ways I couldn’t have imagined. This was not the Aster, Holger Gun I had come to know and love, no this was a different story entirely and yet also not.

So it turns out I don’t hate Comfest at all.

I was delighted when Scenic Designer Richard May sent me photos of a “white model” a couple days after joining the Ghosts design team. This 3D scaled model gave me a clear picture of his concept so we could have a detailed discussion about what would work and what would need to change.

I was equally pleased and impressed during my first meeting with Costume Designer Jaylene Henderson. Instead of just asking what I wanted, she presented me a colorful array of sketches, fabric swatches and printouts of period costumes. We discussed details of fabric colors, dress lines and shoes. I came away from the meeting excited about the beautiful costumes I could actually envision. Then, after just a week, Jaylene sent me photos of the skirt she had already started sewing!

It feels greatto have designs before we’ve even started rehearsals. Richard and Jaylene are raising the bar of our design standards, setting a wonderful example for the rest of us. This is how we should be designing shows. Drawings, renderings, models, fabric swatches - visual representations of any kind are essential to a successful design process!

-Tricia Jones
Director, Ghosts
Running October 9 - 25, 2008 in Columbus, OH. Details at http://raconteurtheatre.com

As soon as I agreed to direct Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts, I realized I was terrified.  Sure, I have directing experience but how do you compare a middle school production of Aesop’s (Oh So Slightly Updated) Fables with a play written by “genius-author” Henrik Ibsen,  the father modern theatre?  The opportunity to direct Ghosts is certainly a privilege but I questioned whether I’d be able to live up to such great responsibility.

Well, the question has yet to be answered but I’m gaining confidence.  And the confidence is not coming so much from belief in my directorial skills but rather from discovering first hand the brilliance of Henrik Ibsen’s playwriting.  I read and reread the script and discover new, wonderful insights each time - each character and plot twist has so many layers.  I’ve read several essays that expound upon the near perfection of Ibsen’s dramatic form and “ah ha!” lights go on in my head like fireworks.

 I am being reminded that a director’s job is not to hatch the perfect “concept” and cram the play into her perception of what it should be.  Rather, by staying intimately in tune with the script, the text and the subtext, the play will lead me and in turn lead the actors.  This is the path that will lead us to creating theatre that “gives the audience something that makes them bigger.”  I’m a little less afraid of Ghosts now.  In fact, Ghosts inspires me.  

 -Tricia Jones
Director, Ghosts
Running October 9 - 25, 2008 in Columbus, OH.  Details at http://raconteurtheatre.com

I should have known better. I should have realized that this was a very natural and realistic emotion given the scene at hand. What I did know what that I needed to just get it over with. And what I came to realize is that both that kiss and the last kiss are such pivotal moments in the story that they were truly enjoyable.

Things I Learned During After the Afterglow:
* Sam Blythe (Duck from Aster, Holger Gunn) is the biggest goofball ever.
* Kafe Kerouac has delicious coffee.
* If you park illegally on North Campus they will tow your car astonishingly quickly!
* RTC is perhaps the nicest group of people ever (who else would bring you a birthday cake to tech week?)
* I am very hard on myself.
* It is unenjoyable to wait in the rain for intermission when there is no backstage available!
* There was a strange man across the alley. Every night he showered while the cast of Aster, Holger Gunn ran lines, he either never noticed us or didn’t care that we could see him.
* A smile on-stage can change the entire show.
* Operation and Apples to Apples are the best games in known existence.
* Sometimes a mid-performance line flub can be a confidence booster.
* Huzzah is not as annoying of a word as I originally thought.
-Molly

We’re putting up Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts, translation done by Lanford Wilson, directed by none other than our own Tricia Jones.

(She directed the Roulette half of After the Afterglow, ya know.)

Now, if you’re reading this blog, I know you want to be a part of this production. So, you’re probably saying “Tell me the details.”

Gladly!

Auditions are Sunday, August 3 from 3-5 and Monday, August 4 from 7-9 at the Main Library’s auditorium. (96 S. Grant Avenue)
The show dates are from October 2-18, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. the first two weeks of the run.

You want to know more? Of course you do! And fortunately, you can find out more at our website.

Now, we want to see all of you there with bells on. (Bells optional).
-Aaron

But our debut show was about hello’s. Our company was incredibly lucky to have 8 very different artists, whose talents run the gamut of the sphere of talents it takes to make a production possible - directors, actors, writers, techies, stage managers and businessmen. We spent several months working up to our first show and it was an incredible feeling seeing everyone’s hard work brought together. We were blessed with a fantastic cast and crew who came on board knowing that things were going to be a little bumpy on our first show, and they embraced it.

In terms of my own personal experience on the production, I would say stage managing this show was probably more demanding than most shows I’ve worked on in the past. The Flex Series was set up as 2 one-act plays that offered flexibility to the audience who could see one or both of the one-acts. The plays worked together as a whole and yet also demanded the attention as if they were independent beings. I was always trying to find a balance between the two shows, figuring what I should approach independently and what I should look at as a whole. I had worked with one-acts before, but not in the same way that these two came together. Both shows had very similar themes and yet were very different technically – Roulette had 7 scene changes where Aster had none. Roulette was about an hour and fifteen minutes while Aster was almost half that. Roulette had a film feel to it while Aster was very black box theatre. The theme united them and yet these two pieces came together in the end to offer two very different theatre experiences. Another challenge was working in a non-theatre space. Kafe Kerouac is an awesome coffee shop on High Street near OSU campus with a side room stage where poetry readings often take place on Wednesday nights. It’s not typically a theatre space and yet with the guidance of our Set Designer and Tech crew, we managed to convert that room into a theatre space and make it work. It took a little bit of time and patience, but the final transformation was a pretty cool to see. It goes to show that you don’t need an actual theatre space to do theatre.

Despite these challenges it was probably one of the coolest shows I have ever put on. We didn’t have the comforts of home that established companies have and yet we made it work. I learned so much about what it takes to make theatre possible, how to accept the challenges that arise and how do the best we can with what we have to work with. And even after our afterglow ends, there’s still another show on the other side waiting for us to embrace it. And I look forward to it.

-Suellen

“Oh! Wow! I can’t believe I’m standing here right now. This is even more fantastic than I ever imagined. I want to thank everyone who has believed in me from day one for encouraging me to continue on as well as the people who didn’t believe in me, because it was those people who fueled my desire to prove them wrong. Thanks to my family and friends, and especially my husband who always pushes me to realize my dreams. I love you, Andrew. Finally, I wouldn’t be here without the wonderful direction of Tricia Jones and my inspiriting co-actor, JT Walker. Thank you all!”

And my time is up.

That was awesome. Thanks for going on that little journey with me. Seriously, finding out I was nominated was very exciting. One of my favorite things about this nomination is that it was for a role in Raconteur’s debut show. I think that makes it doubly awesome.

And since I didn’t know about this until the winners had already been picked, I didn’t have all that wondering to do; I could just enjoy the fact that I was considered among all the actresses in all the shows that took place over the last theatre season.

Still grinning,

Jill