Show Commentary
- One of the fun things about this show is the need to be creative with set design. The OHP has always made it their goal to have rapid set changes. This show is basically a unit set, except that it needs to be able to rotate 180 degrees between acts! Our set designer created a set in three sections, that sits on carpet, remains sturdy enough for two levels, and yet light enough to make for a rapid change. When we initially decided to do this type of set, we wanted to make sure that we were going to be able to get the set rotated in less than 10 minutes for intermission. Although the completion of preparation for the act (including costume changes and resetting props) does still take close to a relaxed 10 minutes, the actual set rotation is now under 2 minutes.
To prove that feat, as well as to give you an opportunity to see just how it all works, here is a short video showing both the change from Act 1 to Act 2, and again back for Act 3.
The file is slightly over 6mb and may take some time with a slower connection.
The final weekend of Noises Off has begun. We're still impressing the audiences. Make sure you're part of the remaining weekend!
- The opening weekend is over and we had three very satisfied audiences if their comments are any indication. Of course, the fact that they were rocking in their seats trying to catch their breath did give us an impression they enjoyed the show as well. The cast is on roll doing a wonderful job. If you are in need of an evening of laughter (and which of us isn't?) then stop in and spend a night at the Opera House in Elkader this Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday. I say and/or because people are already telling me that they want to see the show again, sure that they missed something hilarious the first time around. The action in the second act is so fast and furious that if you stop to wipe the tears of laughter out of your eyes, you miss something else that would have made you laugh. Come early, come often. Three opportunities left. Don't miss Noises Off!
- It's official. Noises Off is past ready for an audience. Although I wouldn't let the cast know this at the time, they were ready for an audience Monday night. We've been using these final few rehearsals to make sure the timing is down, the characters are fine tuned, the technical details of lights and sound are perfect, and the delivery of lines is such that you will catch every hilarious line and situation.
So, if we were ready before, we are definitely readier now. Are you? Noises Off opens tonight!
- Three rehearsals left. Those of you who have been reading my commentary for many shows, are probably wondering, "Have you hit that frantic phase yet?"
Surprisingly, the answer is no. The past couple of shows that I've directed have moved along very well. Of course, the past couple of shows were smaller spring shows, and that certainly helps. Also, as a crew, we continue to gain experience in terms of what works, and what doesn't. Perhaps most importantly, I have a several people who have been dedicating countless hours to making this show come together seamlessly. My sincere appreciation goes out to them. I have, however, considered the possibility that they are getting tired of me getting frantic.
Whatever the reason, the show is coming together nicely. It is great to be sitting in various seats around the audience, laughing through the show, and seeing fewer and fewer things that we need to correct. The cast has been stellar as far as the number of times I need to tell them of changes. The only difficult part has been when I change *my* mind as a director. What started out working, needs to be changed as other things change and the pace of the show is affected.
We have a fantastic and very funny show. We're working on details. The only detail you need to worry about is what night(s) you plan on going. We keep the ticket price low. Laughter is good for you. Come back and bring a friend to share the fun!
- As we approach opening night, I am struck by two things, that I find very remarkable about both this show and this cast. First, the author of this play provided us with some extremely well formed and quirky characters. Over the past several weeks, I've watched this cast become those characters, and do it so well that I find myself amazed at how they have brought them to life.
Second, though I have seen this show repeatedly over the past six weeks, there are parts that can still surprise and delight me. I'm anxious to share that delight with the audience. We're down to our last five rehearsals. It won't be long now. There's still time to get tickets!
- Yesterday afternoon, while most of you were hopefully out enjoying the warmest day of the year, the cast of Noises Off were in full costume doing the first full run through of the show. It went very well, although we are all quite happy that we have eleven rehearsals left before opening. Lots of tweaking to get done yet. Sound and light crew should be joining us soon. The set is getting some detail painting done today. The program is just about ready to go to press, and most all of the props are nearing final form. The devil is in the details as they say however, and there are LOTS of details to finish up.
Ticket sales are going well, especially for the matinee performance on April 15th at 2pm. Plenty of good seats left however. You'll want to come early, so that you can come back and see what you missed when you were laughing too hard to hear or see. Join us, and share in the fun and foolishness that is Noises Off!
- Once again I get so caught up in rehearsals and details of the show that I've neglected to keep you up to date on the progress of the show. We are definitely beginning to have our "favorite" lines in the show. Not so much because they are the funniest, or the best delivered, but just because they make us burst out laughing every night just thinking about how the audience is going to react to them!
The cast is working dilegently to get their lines down, which is paramount as we have work to do yet on the blocking and crafting the delivery of the lines. We're doing our best to make this a show you want to see more than once, it's just that funny.
I thought it was time to give you a few more photos of the cast and set during rehearsals. Click here to see a few shots of the past several rehearsals.
- I have three photos to share of a rehearsal that I thought would give you a look at how the set construction is coming as well as a shot of some of the cast in action as we learn our moves and lines.
- I sat last night at rehearsal feeling somewhat overwhelmed and inadequate at the enormity of the show that is Noises Off. Don?t get me wrong. The show is coming along well, the set is coming along well, the props and costume work is begun and will be done to the usual OHP perfection. I know, before we?ve even gotten near the "frantic" stage of rehearsals, that this show will be a success and a terrifically enjoyable evening for all who attend.
What I do mean, is that this is a show with such complexity of action and underlying motive (and that is what gives it the comedy that will keep you rolling in the aisle) that I feel often as if I need two or three other people around me to keep me up to speed on what needs to be happening on stage. It is virtually impossible to do in real time, without first memorizing the script before each rehearsal. Someone asked me last night, "Who is supposed to have the whiskey bottle now?" (Yes... it is an adult show!) And I didn?t have a clue! I know the flow of the show, I know the underlying motives, I know already the multiple changes I have in mind for inflection and delivery of lines, facial expressions, and movement on stage, but I don?t have a clue as to specifically where any one character is at any one time, and who has the ax, who has the whiskey, who has which set of flowers and so on.
I guess I need to spend more time with my script! That said... I?ll close with this thought. Slapstick comedy done well, and that is definitely a valid description of parts of this production, is one of the most difficult forms of acting. It is easier to bring a tear to the eye with a well written song or line than to pull off a non-stop comedy riot involving nine characters, seven doorways, three sets of stairs, two levels, and countless props (six plates of sardines anyone?)
Of course, I guess that should be obvious. What should be also obvious is the need to spread the word. Members and Patrons, get your ticket orders in. The rest of you, mark your calendars. Public ticket sales begin March 16th!
- The rehearsals continue for this wonderful show. We are finding out quite rapidly that the show (as we thought) is basically a dance all the way through. What will appear to the audience as a seamless succession of amazing and funny actions and reactions is actually a ballet of carefully timed and choreographed movements.
We've been spending a great deal of time on the second act, where the stage directions take up more space in the script than does the dialogue. You'll know what I mean when you see it. While you are watching, enjoy and laugh. Afterwards, think about the effort that it took to make it all happen exactly at the right moment. You'll appreciate what the cast is going through right now.
Besides being like dance in its timing, it is also like dance in the physical effort required. I will not be surprised if a few of our cast members loose a few pounds during this one. I had the opportunity to step in for one of our cast members during some of this inclement weather. I greatly appreciate the effort this is all taking. It will be worth it however. Member sales have begun for Noises Off. Make your plans now!
- I finally took time to snap a few photos both during a set building session and afterwards at the following rehearsal. The set is beginning to come together. It's an interesting challenge to build a two story set with all these entrances and exits that requires that you can turn it around for act two! If you want to see the beginnings of the set and the rehearsals, Click here.
- That first difficult rehearsal is behind us. It makes us realize just how important set and props are going to be for this production. It's all about the bags, boxes, doors, and plates of sardines. The actors are building character. The crew is building set. Production people are gathering props. Now if we can just teach people how to walk with their pants around their ankles without falling down, we'll be in good shape!
Make sure your stomach muscles are in good shape. They're going to get a workout laughing.
- The set work has begun. The cast has met and done the first read through. Already we can begin to see the beginnings of character development. This is a production that we have wanted to perform for a long time. Many of you may be familiar with the movie of this production. The cast was made up of well known stars and wonderful actors. Not so unlike our own! We're excited to be working on the show. Watch for announcements of ticket sales. Members can purchase their tickets beginning early March. We'll be sending out emails and post cards. Just a reminder. This is an adult comedy. Kids aren't allowed to laugh this hard.
- Yes, the show has been cast. Rehearsals begin next week. There were several people that were very disappointed not to be part of the show. I don't blame them, this is one that I'm happy to be part of myself. I would be disappointed to be left out. Make sure you don't make that mistake, and don't let your friends do it either. Noises Off is coming. Make plans to see what the excitment is all about. If you are interested in the cast, you can click here to see who will be bringing this production to you.
- The tryouts are done, the talent, as always, was there. For those of you wondering, yes the show is cast. As a matter of fact I cast it about five different ways, each of which would have given you a wonderful show. I'm beginning to contact people in a certain order, and we'll release the cast as soon as everyone has accepted their roles. Stand by for a side splitting comedy!!!
- Tryout dates have been set for Noises off. January 24, 25, 2007 at 7:30pm in the Elkader Opera House. This show will require 4 women and 5 men. The "Director", The housekeeper, the real estate agent & his girlfriend, the house owners (husband & wife), the bungling burgler, the stage manager, & the tech person.
- Noises Off has had successful runs on both sides of the Atlantic and also in German-speaking countries. While playwrights such as Ray Cooney are keeping up the tradition of the English farce, Frayn's play is a deliberate send-up of that tradition. (Noises Off is partly inspired by Frayn's experiences with his earlier play Chinamen, which was straight farce; he once commented that during a performance of that play, the chaos behind the scenes was often more entertaining than the action on-stage.) The play is done in three acts; act one is the final dress rehearsal; act two is the opening night, but seen from backstage; act three is the performance long into the run. Much of the comedy emerges from the subtle variations in the performance each time as off-stage chaos affects on-stage performance. In 1992, the play was adapted into a comedy film, Noises Off..., directed by Peter Bogdanovich and based on Frayn's play, with a screenplay by Marty Kaplan. Noises Off won the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy in 1982.Noises Off
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Noises Off, Frayn makes use of the old tradition of the play within a play, specifically the variant in which a repertory theatre company is touring around performing a play, which is then also shown on stage (cf. Kiss Me, Kate). Under the direction of Lloyd Dallas, the company perform a classic farce entitled Nothing On. At the same time the actors and actresses have to cope with their own personal problems such as aging, falling in and out of love, jealousy, and professional envy.
- Noises off will be yet another hilarious spring play. This is one of our favorites that we have been waiting several years to do. Be sure to pay attention and take part in this opportunity for entertainment!