TRUE WEST
by Sam Shepard

Starring Mike Moreno, Matthew Ventura, Ash Edwards, Carol Mayo Jenkins
Directed by John Sipes
Playing in the HYPER Studio

Thursday, October 2  7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 3  7:30 p.m.

Sunday October 5th 2:00 p.m. and possibly an evening performance at 7:30 p.m. 

Enjoy the show!  

The next event in the Clarence Brown Theatre Reading Series:
TICK, TICK…BOOM

Sunday, September 28, 2008  7:30pm
Carousel Theatre

TICK, TICK…BOOM is Jonathan Larson’s (creator of Rent) autobiographical musical created in the early 1990’s (pre-Rent).  The piece will feature three University of Tennessee undergraduate students, Jordan Walters, Erica Bundy, and Quinn Cason.

The reading will last just over 1 hour and features 12 rock/eclectic/pop songs that are funny, engaging, and inspiring.  This small musical touches on many themes that we all share as theatrical artists and the many challenges we face as we try to pursue our passion for theatre and have a “life” as well.  The script/score is also eerily prophetic of Mr. Larson’s untimely death (at 35).

Terry Silver-Alford

I’ve connected with people online since the 70’s — at first with one of those 110bps modems that you stuck the phone receiver into.  Didn’t actually use a computer to communicate — it was a printing terminal — no monitor.  You typed; you waited; the big typewriter (actually, kinda like a TELEX terminal) typed back responses.  Went to the grand opening of The Source in McLean Virginia (that service is no longer with us; it was acquired by CompuServe which was later acquired by AOL.)

Since then, I upgraded my online experiences through the years, having used CompuServe (the major online provider through the 80s into the 90s), GEnie, Prodigy, America Online (AOL), Dow-Jones News/Retrieval, MCI Mail, BIX, Microsoft Online, AT&T EasyLink, and a couple of others I can’t remember.  While I didn’t write the book on online services, I DID write the chapter, at lease in IDG’s Windows 3.1 Connectivity Secrets, which appeared in 1994, when the Internet was just taking hold as the preferred method of online communication.

So, I’ve been “plugged in” for quite a while, and have used most of the browsers out there since the Internet became dominant.  I’ve seen lots of websites, and have even developed a few. 

However, I’ve been really slow to become part of the social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.  They seemed to me to be “kids stuff”, and the content really trivial.  What reinforced this attitude was the way the content management systems employed by these sites appeared to encourage AWFUL looking sites — some of them barely readable, with overdone backgrounds, ugly combinations of type faces and colors, and really incomprehensible layouts.  It recalled the posters and handouts produced after the introduction to the market of Corel Draw — there seemed to be competition as to how many fonts could be used on one page.  It made users dumber.  But in time, things got better and some sanity returned to graphic design — because someone pushed the notion that you had to use tools like Photoshop and Quark XPress, and they were harder to use.

Anyway, it’s hard to argue that Facebook and MySpace don’t have the potential of being powerful intentional tools.  They empower users to spread information very quickly to targeted audiences.  That’s why use see many companies and organizations trying to figure out ways to exploit the phenomenon.

So, the Clarence Brown Theatre has tipped its toes in the social networking pool, and you can be part of it.  The CBT has a Facebook page!

Please take a look, become a fan, and do whatever you do on Facebook.  Above all, participate — I’m told that’s what makes those things work. 

Again, that Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clarence-Brown-Theatre/9042337122

Cubs Win!

I could have blogged the above sentence a lot this year (93 times so far!), but we’re trying to show some of that restraint associated with champions.  OK, I know your’re saying, “you’re excited about the Cubs?  You know they’re going to blow it — they always do.”

OK, it’s been a bad century.  But those things have been said about all those teams who have had long bad stretches and finally overcame them.  You never win until you win.

But the Cubs have won the National League Central Division Championship — with over a week to spare.  This year, they can position themselves perfectly for the playoffs.

This is the year — the Cubs will win the World Series.

And if you don’t believe me, take Eddie Vedder’s word for it — Someday We’ll Go All the Way.

Casting call for a film Different shades of my College days.

Looking for actors/actresses, ages 18-30. We are casting three
adult males; four adult females. Email us at casting@priorityrecordings.com
for more info.

We are are also looking for musicians, Assistant directors, extras,
volunteers and additional crew.

Filming will be during the winter break (December and January).
Interested candidates should email casting@priorityrecordings.com.
Some positions are paid. All cast members will also receive meals
during shoots, screen credit, and a copy of the finished product.

We are making this movie in association with vision films.

This is a independent production titled ‘Different shades of my College days’

Format: Filming on DV, editing with Final Cut Pro.

CHARACTERS

NANCY (18-28 Female )
Nancy is the quintessential scenester: all women want to be her, and
all men want to be with her. She’s independent to a fault; She thinks
Calvin is irresponsible, since she makes most of the money between them,
but she also sees a glimmer of hope that eventually, he’ll be able to
provide for her. She does care deeply for Calvin.

Calvin (18-28 Male)
Is a struggling painter, has always tried to do the right thing while not
sacrificing his own desire to one day become a successful artist.

MEGHAN (18 and above Female )
Meghan is a fearless, straightforward type of girl, the kind that always
says what she thinks and never regrets it. She’s definitely part of the indie
culture, but more so as a silent trendsetter than a scenester. She’s spunky
and original, creative and colorful.

ASHLEY (18 and above Female )
Ashley has the world in her hands–she owns a building, makes
good money, has loyal friends, and possesses an air of self-confidence.
To boot, she’s got a sharp tongue, an abundance of charisma.

Charlie
Stand up comic, Sexy, bad boy, he is cocky but underneath a sad little boy.

KITTY (16-25 Female )
Must look like a teenager; Kitty is young, vibrant, and unpretentious.
She generally quiet, preferring to speak only when she has something
important to say.

Daniel (40+ Male )
Daniel is Sherine’s father. He is the main antagonist in the story.
His traditional values do not allow him to accept certain things in
regards to his children. He is a loving father and husband, but
finds it hard to let go.

Andre (18+ Male )
Andre is Calvin’s roommate and Melissa’s boyfriend.

Erica (18+ Female )
Erica is Collin’s former girlfriend. She is also an antagonist in the story.

CUTE GIRL (18-29 Female )
The Cute Girl is a sassy young lady who knows what she wants.

regards
priority recordings
info@priorityrecordings.com
casting@priorityrecordings.com

A major new performing arts complex is rising on the campus of Maryville College, and a familiar face to Theatre in the Knoxville area will guide its opening and operation.

Maryville native Robert Hutchens will be the Executive Director of the Civic Arts Center, a partnership project of Maryville College, the City of Maryville, and the City of Alcoa. 

The $47.3 million complex will feature a 1200-seat performance hall, a 250-seat recital hall, a 200-seat flexible theatre, and a grand lobby offering a 250-capacity dining area, three gallery/exhibit spaces and an outdoor arts plaza that can be used for special events.

Construction is scheduled for completion late 2009 with a grand opening to take place in early 2010.

Hutchens has been serving as Assistant Drector of Maryville College’s Center for International Education, but prior to that had an extensive career in theatre, much of it with the University of Tennessee Theatre Department, where he served as Director of Public Relations and Promotion.  He was also Company Manager for UT’s Hunter Hills Theatre in Gatlinburg and was an adjunct instructor.  (He also has a degree in Speech and Theatre from UT.)

The Arts Center will not only serve the Fine Arts Department of Maryville College, but will also serve as a performance venue for Maryville and Alcoa school and community groups, in addition to hosting Broadway shows, concerts by touring musicians and orchestras, traveling art exhibits, film series, children’s plays and presentations by nationally recognized speakers.

Here’s the part that strikes fear into the hearts of those promoting arts events held on the campus of the University of Tennessee:  the site map shows what looks like row after row of free parking!

Here’s the official release on Mr. Hutchens’ appointment from Maryville College.

The Civic Arts Center has its own website, where you can view a webcam to see progress on contstruction!

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is in the final week of its run at the Clarence Brown Theatre.

Audience reaction as been great, but there are still a few seats available for the remaining performances.

Here’s what media reviewers have had to say about the production:

Ben Whiteside in the UT Daily Beacon says that “those who appreciate simple, well-crafted songs about love, dancing, self-expression and, yes, sex, or those who have any sort of interest in musical theater, would enjoy Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

Now if the audience equates “simple, well-crafted songs” with “snooze-o-rama” then they will be surprised, as Waller’s ability and courage to take songs to interesting, humorous and flat-out unexpected places is one of his most endearing qualities. Take “The Viper’s Drag,” for instance — a smolderingly sleazy song that exudes sexuality a la Catherine Zeta-Jones’ steamy Chicago number “All That Jazz” — sung by a man? About smoking the reefer? Really?

He concludes that

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a great way to start the new Clarence Brown season, and if the audience is not tapping their feet along with pianist Charles Creath during the show (he never stops), they will definitely be tapping all the way home.

 The Metropulse review by Kieron Barry appeared in mid-run (their Thursday publication date doesn’t help us much — but at least mid-run is an improvement over the couple-of-days-before-closing date that we used to see in the past.)  Mr. Barry has a few nice things to say about the performances, but uses his space to complain that the Clarence Brown Theatre shouldn’t be producing musical revues at all:

Such trompe l’oeils aside, Ain’t Misbehavin’ remains the wrong show in the wrong venue. The Department of Theatre could have triumphed by putting it on mike-free in a studio-space, or as a cabaret event. As it stands, the show is certainly not without its charms, and all in all it’s about as much fun as an inevitable disappointment can be. Entertaining always, and spectacular often. But drama it ain’t.

One reader’s comments totally skewers Mr. Barry’s thesis, so please read those.  I’ll just note that Mr. Barry fashions himself a playwright, and it’s perfectly understandable for a playwright to want to see plays, not revues, performed in theatres — it would seem to improve his shot at getting performed.  But I wouldn’t hold my breath…

As the area’s most read publication, the Knoxville News-Sentinel normally sends a staffer on Opening Night to review CBT performances, although lately, their Doug Mason has been showing up for Preview or other days.  For whatever reason, Mr. Mason didn’t show up until a week after Opening for this show, so his readers were kept waiting.  But as he acknowledged in his review, “seems folks found their way to the theater without my help.”

Late or not, he liked the show:

There was a crowd. They were pleased.

As was I, the late theater critic who enjoyed just sitting back in his seat for two-plus hours, tapping his feet and bobbin’ his head, as close to the rhythm of the music as he was able, and not thinking about much else.

I’m glad he enjoyed it.

Trouble is, time’s running out for this fun show.  Contrary to rumors, the performance run of Ain’t Misbehavin’ is not being extended — it ends Sunday, September 21st — so don’t waste any time — see it evenings on Wednesday the 17th, Thursday the 18th, Friday the 19th, and Sunday the 21st (we take Saturday off for football!), and a matinee on Sunday the 21st.  Call the Box Office at 974-5161 or buy online at www.clarencebrowntheatre.com.