Breathing Corpses and moving Celebrations

Progress Blog caught up with the cast and crew of Breathing Corpses at their first run though. The play is made up of a number of scenes in different settings and with different actors so this was the first time many of the actors had come together to rehearse.

One of the major things to sort out at this stage is how to move people and props smoothly from one scene to the next. Stage manager Emma Walsh was there taking detailed notes about exactly what needs to be moved and when. Attention to this sort of detail makes a difference to the audience’s enjoyment of the play. For example there was some discussion about what to do with the lid from a box of Celebrations one of the characters opens. It was decided to throw it away – doing away with the need to take the lid of during the scene and remove it at the end.

Production manager Liz Carroll was also at this rehearsal and I took the opportunity to ask her what a production manager for a show actually does. She explained that they organise all the things that need to be done around putting on the performance leaving the director free to concentrate on the artistic side. They ensure that there are people to run the lighting and sound and organise the front of house rota. Liz has booked audition and rehearsal dates as well as helping run the auditions. She did ask me to point out though that in this case there wasn’t much to do as director Carole has been was so well organised! The production manager’s involvement in a show starts with a production meeting before the show is even cast. This meeting includes any technical crew and the director explains their vision about the production. Liz’s final job is chasing up all the cast members to make sure they hand in their biographies in time to go in the programme. As you can tell from the photo Liz has also been helping with set painting – not part of the job description.

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Coming up...

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th to 11th September 2010

Auditions for 5th Writefest, Sunday 12th September 2010, 2.30 pm Progress Theatre.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Breathing Corpses and Crash Test Drama

Breathing Corpses is a tense whodunnit full of black humour. The plot unfolds through a series of scenes and monologues based around various linked deaths. Glynn Oram plays Charlie who is described in one review as "charming but psychopathic".

Glynn has been involved with Progress for many years. He ran Progress Youth Theatre between 2002 and 2004 producing David Mamet's The Water Engine,  and Much Ado About Nothing,  set in the 1980s. He has appeared himself on the Progress stage, although the last time was in 2004 when he was in Arthur Miller's The Crucible,  in the same year he directed The Demon Headmaster. The photo shows him as Captain Scott from a February 2010 production of Terra Nova by Ted Tally at Woodley Theatre. 

Glynn worked in Australia for a number of years and while he was there got involved in a drama group called Crash Test Drama. He has now come back to Reading and has created Crash Test Drama UK. The first event is Sunday 22nd August 6pm at the Rising Sun, Silver Street. The idea is that 10 minutes plays are rehearsed and performed on the night and the actors and director of the one voted the best get to share a cash prize. The evening is open to all either to act or just watch. For more information see here.  

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th to 11th September 2010

Auditions for 5th Writefest, Sunday 12th September 2010, 2.30 pm Progress Theatre.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

New Season

We have reached the end of the 2009-10 season but there is lots to look forward to in the 2010-11 season. The first half of the new season has been published -

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th to 11th September 2010

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

5th Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 10th to 19th February 2011

Progress Blog will be back in mid August to catch up with preparations for Breathing Corpses.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Ajax Auditions

Auditions for the third play of the 2010–11 season, Ajax by Sophocles are taking place this week. They are being held at Progress Theatre on Wednesday 28 July 7.30 pm and Sunday 1 August 2.30 pm. The production itself will be 25 November - 4 December 2010.

The play is being directed by Dan Clarke who was recently on stage at Progress playing Toby and Lionel in Intimate Exchanges. Ajax will be a very different production, it was written in 450 BC and is set in the Trojan war.  Dan sees parallels in the play with a current conflict like Afghanistan and is going to give the production a modern setting although it will still be the Trojan war with the heroes and Gods.

Dan has always been interested in Greek Mythology and came across Ajax for the first time when studying classics. He almost directed the play with another theatre group but decided not to as he didn't think he could find enough talented actors to do it justice. He is obviously confident this time so prove him right and come along to the auditions. Details of the characters and audition pieces are on the Progress Theatre website here. Remember you don't have to be a member of Progress to audition.

Traditionally in classical Greek plays much of the action happens off stage and is reported by the characters. Ajax is different in that more of the often horrific action happens on stage. This is more of a challenge for cast and crew but should make for a more exciting spectacle for the audience and Dan promises "there will be blood!"

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Auditions for Ajax by Sophocles, Progress Theatre Wednesday 28 July 7.30 pm and Sunday 1 August 2.30 pm
 
Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th - 11th September 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

 

Physical Theatre and Blood Wedding

Chris Farman has been leading a series of workshops for young people at the theatre combining physical theatre with British Sign Language (BSL). Chris is studying  for a degree in Theatre Arts, Education and Deaf Studies at Reading University. He is also a trainee BSL interpreter. He is interested in language and communication, particularly visual communication so BSL as a visual language is perfect for him.  

The workshops have been running for six weeks with seven young people, some from Progress Youth Theatre and some from outside. It has been an intensive six weeks as they have been learning some BSL and physical theatre skills as well as preparing for a performance to be shown with Blood Wedding.

Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca, a tragedy about love and death is being performed by Progress Youth Theatre on 19th - 21st July 7.45  at Wycliffe Baptist Church, Kings Road (near Cemetery junction). The physical theatre group will be performing their piece immediately before. It will reflect the themes of the Blood Wedding without retelling the same story.

Chris has thrown himself into life at Progress, he worked on the set for Intimate Exchanges and did sound and make-up for Pillowman. Next season he is designing the costumes for Ajax as well as performing in and choreographing the physical theatre aspects of Metamorphosis...and still finding the time for his degree phew!

Chris is also going to be running a new Progress Youth Theatre group next season based on physical theatre. Those of us who can no longer be described as youths haven't been forgotten and there are plans to run some adult workshops as well.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...
 
Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca 19, 20, 21 July 2010 7.45pm, Wycliffe Baptist Church

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th - 11th September 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.