AACTFest 2015 is coming!!

 

In just one week our lovely little troupe will be driving down to the Owosso Community Players to participate in AACTFest, produced by the American Association of Community Theatre.  We’ll be performing Dear Me – written by our very own Dave Durham!  It’s the story about a family accepting homosexuality in these ever evolving times.  You can see who else is competing and learn more about tickets at www.owossoplayers.com.

Here’s an early action shot from rehearsal last week of (from left to right) Dave Durham, Pat Rodgers and Emma Kennedy.  Don’t worry, the set looks more amazing every day (thank you Loren Mathers, Karle Kimball, Linda Rogers and the many others who have helped thus far).  Many more photos, posts and news to come in the week ahead.  Our group will be performing at 7:50 pm on Saturday, March 28th, we hope to see you there!!

Get Involved

Have you enjoyed what you’ve seen this season from the Rosedale Community Players?  Would you like to be a part of the action?  If you answered yes to either of those questions then look no further.  We are always looking for more acting talent as well as stagehands and techies to help us behind the scenes.  We have two wonderful opportunities coming up for you to join in on the fun.

The first is very low commitment.  We are putting on a fundraiser performance for our show Dear Me that we are taking to the Michigan AACT Fest and are in need of some more talent for some dramatic readings to perform with it.  The details are as follows:

The second opportunity is for our final full length production of the season: Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies.  Full details are listed below:

Lastly, we’d like to thank everyone who has come out to see Becky’s New Car, especially those from this past snow-filled Sunday.  Our final two performances are SOLD OUT this weekend so we hope you already got your tickets or saw an earlier show.  Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope to see you at our next show.

Meet Lance Alan

Our next member spotlight features Lance Alan from
our upcoming show Becky’s New Car

Lance Alan
Steve – Becky’s New Car

What drew you to the show Becky’s New Car?

When this play was cast, I was performing in a play at The Barn where they had me running around stage in high heels.  In Becky’s New Car, I play Steve.  He’s a grief stricken car salesman who happens to wear hiking boots.  So, truth be told, after performing in high heels, hiking boots just seemed like a logical progression.

What has been your biggest challenge working on this show?

By far, my biggest challenge has been finding Steve.  The death of his wife buried him under a mountain of grief.  He’s in there somewhere, the real Steve.  It’s been like digging, moving stones and rubble to get to him.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?

A program and the realization that you can’t drive away from your problems..

What is your day job and why do you do theatre?

By day and sometimes night, I run my own pet sitting/dog walking business in West Bloomfield.  I do theatre for the thrill of the live performance, being in the moment, feeding off the other actors and the audience.  There’s nothing else quite like it.

What theatre projects do you hope to work on next?

Who knows?  Only time will tell.

Meet Larry Rink

Our next member spotlight features Larry Rink from our upcoming show Becky’s New Car

Larry Rink
Walter Flood – Becky’s New Car

What drew you to the show Becky’s New Car?

I read the script and loved the story twist of someone going through a mid-life crisis, but this time from a women’s perspective.  I also really admired the way the playwright, Steven Dietz, was so imaginative with the use of time and space.

What has been your biggest challenge working on this show?

Trying to perfect the role of an older man.  Oh wait, I already am an older man!   I think the biggest challenge has been to perfect the comic timing of the very quick-paced dialogue without completely annihilating my fellow actors’ cue lines!

What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?

I hope the audiences enjoy the wild ride that these characters will take them on, and at the end they are as exhausted and satisfied as we will be!

What is your day job and why do you do theatre?

I work for the vehicle manufacturer, AM General, and am the Director of Systems Technical Support.  I oversee the groups that develop vehicle design improvements and technical support documentation.  Theatre has always been a passion of mine since I was a young boy.  I love the art of performing and directing and thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie of all my friends and family involved in this great hobby!

What theatre projects do you hope to work on next?

I am directing our next production, Time Stands Still, which will be performed this April.  I’m very excited to work with Chuck Goddeeris as my Assistant Director and Jake King as my Producer for the first time.  It’s an outstanding and timely story, and I can’t wait to bring it to our loyal RCP audience.

Meet Barb Mathers

Our next member spotlight features Barb Mathers from our upcoming show Becky’s New Car

Barb Mathers
Ginger – Becky’s New Car

What drew you to the show Becky’s New Car?

Besides the fact that I found it extremely funny I thought it was fresh and new.  I’m very happy that RCP chose to do it this season.

What has been your biggest challenge working on this show?

1)  Being put in a back-less dress.  2) Having to play a rich woman who’s lost all her wealth.  I have the poor part down cold, it’s the wealthy part I’m having a hard time identifying with.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?

I hope a lot of laughs and some thoughts about life.  Life is too short – don’t settle, allow yourself to be happy.

What is your day job and why do you do theatre?

I’m a Corrections Officer by day at the only women’s facility in Michigan.  I do theatre because I love it and to keep my sanity and my sense of humor.

What theatre projects do you hope to work on next?

My hope is to have a play I’ve written be chosen for our One Act Festival.  My reality is I will be taking an original play written by our very own member Dave Durham titled “Dear Me” to AACTFest in March!  So excited!!

Meet Emma Kennedy

Our next member spotlight features Emma Kennedy from our upcoming show Becky’s New Car

Emma Kennedy
Kenni Flood  – Becky’s New Car

What drew you to the show Becky’s New Car?

I had a great experience working with RCP during the One Act Festival and hoped to continue the streak!  I wasn’t familiar with the play previously but I did know the playwright, so I had a good feeling about it.

What has been your biggest challenge working on this show?

While some of the characters are pretty fleshed out and have a solid back story, Kenni can be a bit of a mystery at times and developing her story has been a journey-though a fun one!

What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?

That everything is a choice-even not making one.

What is your day job and why do you do theatre?

By day I’m a social worker doing therapy with kids and families in Detroit.  I started doing theatre back when I was still extremely shy (which is hard for people to imagine now!) and it has always been an escape from the day to day and an opportunity for artistic expression.  Oh, and it’s fun!

What theatre projects do you hope to work on next?

I’ll be going to AACTFest in March with Dear Me (wish us luck!) and I’ve never done “competitive theatre” before, so that will certainly be an exciting new experience.

Backstage with Becky

Its a new year and that means its time for a new show.  We’re closing in on opening night (January 23rd) of our next show Becky’s New Car and along with introducing you to the cast we will start giving you a glimpse behind the scenes of this dramedy by Steven Dietz.

In our first sneak peek we get an amusing anecdote from the main character Becky Foster, played by Rikki Schwartz.  Rikki is one of RCP’s  newest members but she is no stranger to theatre.  As well as being an actress she is an accomplished playwright, having won 1st Prize in the Community Theatre of Michigan (CTAM) Playwriting Contest on 3 separate occasions with the following plays: Like Mother, Like Hell, One Cat Away From 61, and Mercy Killing, which was performed at RCP’s 2014 One Act Festival.

 

Rikki Schwartz

Her story:  Given that Becky’s New Car is (more-or-less) a farce, there are a number of quick entrances and exits, which can make the rehearsal process tricky (fun, but tricky).  When rehearsals were still in their early stages, we were not yet using actual props, so naturally using a cell phone was represented by cupping ones hand (into the shape it would be if one were holding a cell phone).  One night, I still had my hand cupped in that fashion upon exiting a scene (in which Becky was supposed to be holding/talking on her phone), and entering a new scene (in which Becky was NOT supposed to be holding her phone any longer).  Upon realizing my error, I muttered to myself “Oh wait, Becky’s not holding a cell phone anymore in this scene” and (rather than simply relaxing my hand) I proceeded instead to *put the imaginary phone into my pocket* (Marcel Marceau style), without ANY conscious intent to do so.  What’s worse, *I* didn’t even notice I’d done so; rather it was Tim (the Director) who suddenly began giggling… and then had to explain to me that I’d just put an imaginary device into my pocket.

There are more member spotlights and backstage stories coming so keep checking back regularly.  This is one show you won’t want to miss so don’t forget to order your tickets now!

Meet Jake King

Our next member spotlight features Jake King from our upcoming show Becky’s New Car

Jake King
Joe Foster (Becky’s husband) – Becky’s New Car

What drew you to the show Becky’s New Car?

My counterpart in a previous show said that she could easily see me as a certain part.  I’d heard of this show so I knew how funny it was but I’d never seen it.

What has been your biggest challenge working on this show?

The hardest part of this show has been remembering all of my entrances and exits.  This show gets very hectic and often I enter say 2 words and exit.  And it can be tough remembering where those parts are.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?

I hope audiences will learn that they need to be happy with what they’ve got.  And if they’re not, they need to work on it with their partner instead of pretending there is no problem.

What is your day job and why do you do theatre?

I am a controls design engineer for Fori Automation.  I do theater because it’s an amazing escape and slipping into being another person is something I enjoy so I might as well do it on stage.

What theatre projects do you hope to work on next?

I will be producing Time Stand’s Still in the spring.  I hope to submit a couple of script ideas like “Running in the Red”.  I also think it’d be fun to direct so that’s something I’ll be working towards.

Meet Rikki Schwartz

Our 3rd member spotlight this season features Rikki Schwartz from Becky’s New Car

Rikki Schwartz
Becky Foster – Becky’s New Car

What drew you to the show Becky’s New Car?

“Dramadies” are unquestionably my favorite subgenres in which to perform, particularly when I get to play relatable characters, such as Becky, who exhibit unpopular behavior.  I also love the script’s unique approach to breaking the fourth wall.

What has been your biggest challenge working on this show?

My biggest challenge is the play’s 5 monologues (which range from 2 to 4 pages each), particularly since (unlike most monologues), the character is aware that she is talking directly to the audience.  That puts a unique pressure on the actor to make the lines sound impromptu, natural and engaging, while at the same time successfully advancing the plot.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?

Every choice (no matter how small, or even unintentional) has a past…and a future.

What is your day job and why do you do theatre?

My day job is as a chemical engineer.  I do theatre because….my day job is as a chemical engineer.  Routinely exercising my right brain likely keeps me from listing to the left when I walk.

What theatre projects do you hope to work on next?

I’d like to get started on writing my next play.

Meet Alexis Reyes

Our 2nd member spotlight features Alexis Reyes from our upcoming show Becky’s New Car

Alexis Reyes
Chris Foster (the main character’s son) – Becky’s New Car

What drew you to the show Becky’s New Car?

The thing that drew me to the show was just how funny it was.  I love the fact that it isn’t just a run of the mill comedy and still you’re laughing the whole time.  I especially like all the times throughout the show where you don’t know whether to laugh or be in disgust 🙂

What has been your biggest challenge working on this show?

The biggest challenge working on the show has been getting into the character of a student of psychology.  It is just hard to actually imagine what they do all day and what kind of a person or personality a psychology student has.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?

I hope the audience will take away a greater appreciation for theater as a medium, I feel like people can connect 100% more to a play than to a movie.  Whether the play is making someone laugh, cry, or get turned on, the action is happening right in front of them, to real people.

What is your day job and why do you do theatre?

During the day I am part time student and Full time Software Engineer at Quicken Loans.  I do theater because I love acting.  I love getting into the characters and living their lives and reacting like I normally would not.

What theatre projects do you hope to work on next?

After Becky’s New Car I would really like to take on a larger role.  In the past and currently, I have loved working with really talented actors/actresses, seeing how they work, learning what they know.  I have had the great fortune of working with some excellent directors as well and I hope that is the case for what the future has in store.