Ladies and gentleman, this weekend is our LAST WEEKEND of FREE theatre on Green Lake for summer 2010! To celebrate, we've packed it full of cowboys, comedians, and custard!
This weekend, our High School Ensemble presents Much Ado About Nothing!
Friday (tonight!) 8/27 - 7pm - Followed by Ka-Chick Improv! at 9pm
Saturday 8/28 - 2pm - Followed by a free frozen custard social sponsored by Peaks!
Saturday 8/28 - 7pm - Closing!
All shows are FREE! Donations to the scholarship fund are gratefully accepted. Tickets are first-come, first-served in person at the theater beginning 30 minutes before showtime.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
This weekend at SPT: Much Ado About Nothing + Ka-Chick Improv
7 weekends of free theater down, only 2 more to go! Come on down to our air-conditioned haven on the lake for a wildly Western take on a Shakespeare classic!
This weekend, our High School Ensemble presents Much Ado About Nothing!
Friday (tonight!) 8/20 - 7pm - Opening!
Saturday 8/21 - 7pm - Followed by Ka-Chick Improv! (Remember them?) at 9pm
Sunday 8/22 - 2pm
This weekend, our High School Ensemble presents Much Ado About Nothing!
Friday (tonight!) 8/20 - 7pm - Opening!
Saturday 8/21 - 7pm - Followed by Ka-Chick Improv! (Remember them?) at 9pm
Sunday 8/22 - 2pm
All shows are FREE! Donations to the scholarship fund are gratefully accepted. Tickets are first-come, first-served in person at the theater beginning 30 minutes before showtime.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Spotlight On: Much Ado About Nothing
Shakespeare at the Saloon: By SPT Marketing Intern Katie Dolan
“It’s a hootenanny! There’s music, dancing, it’s got a little of everything” says Noelle, one of the technical interns for the last show of the summer at the Bathhouse, Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
The show has been reset in the saloon-door-swinging, cowboy-boot-wearing middle of the Wild West!
The actors said that this setting actually fits the play quite well. Ben, who is playing Dogberry in the show, noted that a lot of his lines already use words like “partner” making it easy to move his character over into the new setting. Many of the actors have had experience performing Shakespeare as well. Francesco, who is playing Benedick, remarked, “I started acting with Shakespeare, so I’m fairly comfortable with it.”
Everyone seems to have a different favorite scene in this show. Ben declared his favorite to be the comic judging scene in which Dogberry has caught two criminals and is interrogating them. “I tie them up and shout insults in their face while I compliment myself over and over again.”
Francesco said his favorite scene is the spying scene. In this scene Benedick eavesdrops on Claudio, Leonato, and Don Pedro who have secretly planned to trick Benedick into falling in love with Beatrice.
William who is playing Don John, the villain, said his favorite scene was when he tells Don Pedro and Claudio a lie about Hero, the woman Claudio is interested in. “I get to deceive everyone! It’s funny even when they don’t pay attention at first.” His fellow cast mates were quick to add that Don John is very dark and brooding in the play.
Sofia, the assistant stage manager for the show said her favorite scene was the party scene. “Peter starts swinging Audrey, then it turns into this funny hoedown dance”
Barbara, who is working on costumes for the show said, “Shakespeare works anywhere. You could set it in space—the language is there.” She also explained Amy, the costume designer for the show has an awesome overall vision for the costumes. Actors are outfitted in big cowboy boots, American flag shirts, facial hair, elaborate skirts and more!
Lights for the show were designed by Sarah who will be a senior at Roosevelt High School this year. She has had lots of lighting experience being the lighting designer at Roosevelt and also doing a lighting design for the Bellevue Opera.
All the actors assured me that the show will be ready for opening night this Friday at 7 p.m. So grab yer boots, belt buckle and a partner and skedaddle on down to the Bathhouse for the free final show of the summer Much Ado About Nothing!
“It’s a hootenanny! There’s music, dancing, it’s got a little of everything” says Noelle, one of the technical interns for the last show of the summer at the Bathhouse, Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
The show has been reset in the saloon-door-swinging, cowboy-boot-wearing middle of the Wild West!
The actors said that this setting actually fits the play quite well. Ben, who is playing Dogberry in the show, noted that a lot of his lines already use words like “partner” making it easy to move his character over into the new setting. Many of the actors have had experience performing Shakespeare as well. Francesco, who is playing Benedick, remarked, “I started acting with Shakespeare, so I’m fairly comfortable with it.”
Everyone seems to have a different favorite scene in this show. Ben declared his favorite to be the comic judging scene in which Dogberry has caught two criminals and is interrogating them. “I tie them up and shout insults in their face while I compliment myself over and over again.”
Francesco said his favorite scene is the spying scene. In this scene Benedick eavesdrops on Claudio, Leonato, and Don Pedro who have secretly planned to trick Benedick into falling in love with Beatrice.
William who is playing Don John, the villain, said his favorite scene was when he tells Don Pedro and Claudio a lie about Hero, the woman Claudio is interested in. “I get to deceive everyone! It’s funny even when they don’t pay attention at first.” His fellow cast mates were quick to add that Don John is very dark and brooding in the play.
Sofia, the assistant stage manager for the show said her favorite scene was the party scene. “Peter starts swinging Audrey, then it turns into this funny hoedown dance”
Barbara, who is working on costumes for the show said, “Shakespeare works anywhere. You could set it in space—the language is there.” She also explained Amy, the costume designer for the show has an awesome overall vision for the costumes. Actors are outfitted in big cowboy boots, American flag shirts, facial hair, elaborate skirts and more!
Lights for the show were designed by Sarah who will be a senior at Roosevelt High School this year. She has had lots of lighting experience being the lighting designer at Roosevelt and also doing a lighting design for the Bellevue Opera.
All the actors assured me that the show will be ready for opening night this Friday at 7 p.m. So grab yer boots, belt buckle and a partner and skedaddle on down to the Bathhouse for the free final show of the summer Much Ado About Nothing!
Friday, August 13, 2010
This weekend at SPT: Love's Labour's Lost!
The summer is still going strong, as we bring you the 7th of 9 weekends of free theater in a row on the shores of Green Lake!
This weekend, our Middle School Ensemble presents Love's Labour's Lost!
Friday (tonight!) 8/13 - 7pm
Saturday 8/14 - 2pm and 7pm
Sunday 8/15 - 2pm
All shows are FREE! Donations to the scholarship fund are gratefully accepted. Tickets are first-come, first-served in person at the theater beginning 30 minutes before showtime.
This weekend, our Middle School Ensemble presents Love's Labour's Lost!
Friday (tonight!) 8/13 - 7pm
Saturday 8/14 - 2pm and 7pm
Sunday 8/15 - 2pm
All shows are FREE! Donations to the scholarship fund are gratefully accepted. Tickets are first-come, first-served in person at the theater beginning 30 minutes before showtime.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Spotlight On: Love's Labour's Lost
For the past four weeks, our middle school ensemble has been tackling one of Shakespeare’s toughest comedies – Love’s Labour’s Lost – under the capable direction of teaching artist Shawn Belyea. This is our third middle school show of the summer, a first for the Seattle Public Theater Youth Program!
Written in the mid-1590’s, and first performed in 1597, Love’s Labour’s Lost is an early Shakespeare comedy. It concerns the King of Navarre and his three friends, who promise to lock themselves away for three years to study, and avoid the company of women. But the Princess of France arrives – with her three ladies – leading to comic mayhem and much falling in love, despite protestations to the contrary. The ending, however, contains an unusual twist, making it fairly unique among Shakespearean comedies.
The Wikipedia entry for Love’s Labour’s Lost calls it “Shakespeare’s most flamboyantly intellectual play,” a well-deserved reputation. To make the show more accessible to young actors, and to audiences, the play has been cut, and director Shawn Belyea has chosen to set it in a 60’s fraternity house. Given the plot – four scholars lock themselves away from women to study – it seems a very appropriate choice!
Our students have been rehearsing for three weeks, three hours a day, five days a week, and are now deep into the heart of “tech week,” where all of the technical elements get added – costumes, lights, sound, props – in preparation for Opening Night this Friday! It’s time to practice those lines, make sure you remember all your entrances, and step out into the spotlight!
Written in the mid-1590’s, and first performed in 1597, Love’s Labour’s Lost is an early Shakespeare comedy. It concerns the King of Navarre and his three friends, who promise to lock themselves away for three years to study, and avoid the company of women. But the Princess of France arrives – with her three ladies – leading to comic mayhem and much falling in love, despite protestations to the contrary. The ending, however, contains an unusual twist, making it fairly unique among Shakespearean comedies.
The Wikipedia entry for Love’s Labour’s Lost calls it “Shakespeare’s most flamboyantly intellectual play,” a well-deserved reputation. To make the show more accessible to young actors, and to audiences, the play has been cut, and director Shawn Belyea has chosen to set it in a 60’s fraternity house. Given the plot – four scholars lock themselves away from women to study – it seems a very appropriate choice!
Our students have been rehearsing for three weeks, three hours a day, five days a week, and are now deep into the heart of “tech week,” where all of the technical elements get added – costumes, lights, sound, props – in preparation for Opening Night this Friday! It’s time to practice those lines, make sure you remember all your entrances, and step out into the spotlight!
Friday, August 6, 2010
This weekend at SPT: Cyrano!
It's the 6th of 9 weekends of free theater in a row on the shores of Green Lake!
This weekend, our Middle School Ensemble presents Cyrano!
Friday (tonight!) 8/6 - 7pmSaturday 8/7 - 2pm and 7pm
Sunday 8/8 - 2pm
All shows are FREE! Donations to the scholarship fund are gratefully accepted. Tickets are first-come, first-served in person at the theater beginning 30 minutes before showtime.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Spotlight On: Cyrano!
This weekend, our Middle School Ensemble - under the intrepid direction of professional actor and teaching artist Kelly Kitchens - tackles the French classic Cyrano de Bergerac. Written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand, the play is very loosely based on the real-life Cyrano de Bergerac, a 17th century dramatist.
The big question with any play originally written in another language is which English translation to use. For a play over a century old, particularly a popular classic like Cyrano, there are dozens of translations of varying lengths and qualities. For this production, Kelly and Artistic Director Shana Bestock chose a translation/adaptation by Belgian director Jo Roet. Centerstage, a Baltimore theater company, produced the play and describes it this way: "Jo Roet’s adaptation distills the language, action, and romance that make Rostand’s play a classic, while shaking things up a bit structurally: this version runs less than an hour, as three actors take on all of the roles."
Our production uses many more than three actors, of course! But the adaptation's playful take on the classic is a natural fit for our exuberant middle school students. And despite the importance of choosing a good translation, the production features a shout-out to the original. Featured prominently on the set is Cyrano's final love letter, in Rostand's original French:
' ; Roxane, adieu ! Je bientôt dois mourir ! Cette nuit même, aimée ; et I Sentez mon âme lourde avec amour incalculable. Je meurs ! Pas plus, comme en jours de, Mon aimer, les yeux désirants ardemment se régalera Sur votre moindre geste-ay, les mineurs ! Je m'occupe de moi la manière que vous touchez votre joue Avec votre doigt, doucement, en tant que vous parlez ! Ah je ! Je sais ce geste bien ! Mon coeur pleure dehors ! - Je pleure " ; Farewell" ; ! ' ; ' ; Ma vie, mon amour, mon bijou, mon bonbon, mon coeur a été à vous dans chaque battement ! ' ; ' ; Ici, mourant, et là, dans la terre sur la haute, je suis lui qui a aimé, qui vous aime, - I.
The big question with any play originally written in another language is which English translation to use. For a play over a century old, particularly a popular classic like Cyrano, there are dozens of translations of varying lengths and qualities. For this production, Kelly and Artistic Director Shana Bestock chose a translation/adaptation by Belgian director Jo Roet. Centerstage, a Baltimore theater company, produced the play and describes it this way: "Jo Roet’s adaptation distills the language, action, and romance that make Rostand’s play a classic, while shaking things up a bit structurally: this version runs less than an hour, as three actors take on all of the roles."
Our production uses many more than three actors, of course! But the adaptation's playful take on the classic is a natural fit for our exuberant middle school students. And despite the importance of choosing a good translation, the production features a shout-out to the original. Featured prominently on the set is Cyrano's final love letter, in Rostand's original French:
' ; Roxane, adieu ! Je bientôt dois mourir ! Cette nuit même, aimée ; et I Sentez mon âme lourde avec amour incalculable. Je meurs ! Pas plus, comme en jours de, Mon aimer, les yeux désirants ardemment se régalera Sur votre moindre geste-ay, les mineurs ! Je m'occupe de moi la manière que vous touchez votre joue Avec votre doigt, doucement, en tant que vous parlez ! Ah je ! Je sais ce geste bien ! Mon coeur pleure dehors ! - Je pleure " ; Farewell" ; ! ' ; ' ; Ma vie, mon amour, mon bijou, mon bonbon, mon coeur a été à vous dans chaque battement ! ' ; ' ; Ici, mourant, et là, dans la terre sur la haute, je suis lui qui a aimé, qui vous aime, - I.
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