Hello again beautiful people. Tory here back and in full effect.

So we are wrapping up our first full week of rehearsals and WOW we are moving really fast. The week started off last Monday when we began to read through the final draft of the script. After that, we began to do what us Theatre folk call "putting it up on its feet". We played around with a lot of different staging ideas and wordplay, and what developed through the rest of the week was the beginnings of what will be the best ARTiculation show ever!

It's kind of funny because i'm just so excited about every aspect of this process from seeing the new postcards, to seeing pictures of us on the C1 web site, or even taking a glance a our brand spankin' new trailer that you'll all see on YouTube very soon. We also got a little glance at our costumes for the run and all I can say, while keeping it under wraps, is a LOT of color. The set can only be described as an emo playground on steroids - I will be the first to say it: Terri D. will hurt herself on this set. It is written.

In addition to adding a lot of new production elements we are also adding a LOT of music - we have turntables, acoustic guitars, lots of singing, electric bass, and tons of movement. This is definitely taking people out of their comfort zones, but it's also opening us up to things we never even thought about performance-wise. THANK YOU LOIS ROACH!

Ok guys and gals that's it for this time around. Good write, good night.

-Tory

ARTiculation Begins

Hello beautiful people out there in internet world. This is your master of ceremonies, Duke of Linguistics, Commander of Funk, and all around good guy, Tory Bullock. For the duration of these first ever ARTiculation blog entries I will be playing the part of your poetic flight coordinator, weaving you through the ins and outs of the production. While I come with many titles, the one that I am most proud of is "co-founder of ARTiculation". For those of you who don't know, ARTiculation was founded in the steamy hot summer of 2005 by cast members Danny Balel, Terri Deletetsky, Simon Moody, Adobuere Ebiama, Nik Walker, and yours truly. Along the years we have shifted and shaped to form many different variations of which I am as proud of as the one we are currently taking. This is our first mainstage performance run of ARTiculation with four of the original founders performing. Danny, Terri, Nik and I, and new members Mike Cognata, Marvelyn McFarlane, Liz Rimar, and DJ Reazon, will be coming to you guys with 13 powerhouse shows, and we hope you're ready (i.e we hope you all have gone online and purchased your tickets!)

Since I get to talk to you guys well before the show even opens, there will be tons of breaking news (which i will represent by saying *BREAKING NEWS*) about sets, sounds, backstage updates and all of that jazz. Did Nik Walker injure himself in a musical retelling of the grinch that went awry? Did Danny Balel have an unfortunate tongue twister poem accident that resulted in him having to be sidelined for a show or two? These are the juicy gossip details that you will only find here at the C1 blog.

Enough of the small talk - here comes the juicy information that I know you all are dying for. We had our last script / production meeting last Sunday and let me just tell you all how EXCITING it was! We were sitting in our director's apartment, and just looking around the room gave me this intense feeling of "wow, we are really going to have an amazing show." For those of you who are in the dark, this run is, in part, a culmination of four years of tweaking, performing, touring, work-shopping, and testing, so I compare this run to a person who has been training for the Olympics for four years and then finally gets the chance to step onto the world's greatest stage.

That is exactly whatʼs going to happen in January when we set foot on the Boston Playwrights' stage, backed by Bostonʼs most creative and innovative Theatre company, Company One, all the while standing next to great friends who have been building this piece for years. It is going to be amazing, and I look forward to taking everyone through the process with us.

More soon...
Tory

Voyeurs Opens!

Well hello all you lovely, curious folk who have stumbled across the Company One Blog! My name is Marvelyn McFarlane (you can call me marv) and I currently play the role of Saartjie Baartman in Voyeurs de Venus. I'm happy to report that we had a great opening weekend, and I especially thank all of you who came out on Halloween night!

Yeah, wow! What a crazy journey this has been. This is my second show with Co. 1 and i just love love them. Summer Williams is such an awesome director and an incredible human...although I thought she was crazy when she called and said I'd love to have you read for the role of Saartjie. And of course in my head i said "who?" and then when I read the character breakdown which said she is "a brown-skinned, voluptuously proportioned African American woman..." i thought . . . umm does she not know me? has she forgotten the lack of curves on my body aside from my forehead? Thankfully, i put all of that aside, went to the audition, and now here i am!

Being part of this project has been such a challenging and exciting process it's really hard to find the words to describe it. From the start I could tell we had a great cast. I could tell that everyone was really chill and incredibly talented. We were zipping right through rehearsals, almost everyone was off book very early on, and together we really began to see the play taking shape.

One of my personal challenges, besides trying to gain some weight so Saartjie wouldn't look so scrawny, was taking on the South African dialect. Somehow, this came easier than expected. Cheryl, our dialect coach, helped out a ton, and I also have a friend from Kenya who lived in South Africa for 10 years give me some direction. So after finding Saartjie's physical voice, the next task was how to tell her incredibly devastating life story without making her seem too sad. Summer would often tell me Saartjie is just stating the facts of her life in this scene. She's already dealt with it. This was so difficult because the more i learned about her life the more sad, depressed, and angry I became, and then I just had to make her seem complacent. Ahhhh! But somehow I've been trying to find the balance that shows her as a whole human being that laughed, cried, was angry, and yes even complacent.

So fast forward to us moving into the Plaza Theatre. We have a cast of eight, five dancers, 38 scenes, a revolving stage, present day, flash backs, and nightmares, crazy awesome lights and music, and yes - Becca - the blood and guts. All in a lil black box. Talk about in your face action! Lydia sure knows how to keep you on your toes. This is play is so loaded with content and questions that you will be chewing on it for days. In a good way, of course.

Ok so if any of you were at the talk back on Saturday you know I can talk for days so i'm gonna stop here with my random ramblings. But don't worry, there will be more to come! Come see the show and tell your friends!

-Marv

A look into Voyeurs de Venus

Ahem. Hi. My name is Becca and I am playing Millicent, George Cuvier's assistant in the 1800s, in Voyeurs de Venus. Voyeurs marks my first occasion to work with Company One.

I must admit to being a titch sheepish composing the first Voyeurs blog post.

So far, my experience working on this show has been exceedingly positive. When I first read the play, my initial reactions were, "Blood! Boobs!", not necessarily in that order. I have to say that I am a huge sucker for stage gore. Knowing that the character I was auditioning for had occasion to get blood splattered it all over herself, stick surgeons tools into carcasses and play with the entrails only sweetened the deal. I was excited. Am. I can't wait. Occasionally we'll hear a direction referencing the location of the various buckets of blood around Cuvier's lab table. I celebrate inwardly at these moments. Buckets of blood! Yay.

Of course this play is about a hell of a lot more than tits and blood. It's about booty too.

Ha. I'm kidding. Kind of.

But seriously, folks, working on this production has pushed me in ways that I have never been pushed before as an actor. It is challenging as hell stepping into the skin of Millicent, into her world, allowing her to see the things that she sees, play a role in what she needs to be playing a role in and allow myself to experience these things as they happen. I find myself still struggling with that piece, giving myself permission to treat Saartjie the way she needs to be treated, the way that is true to the time and the circumstances. Damn, it's difficult.

I consistently find myself answering the question, "How does that feel?", after we've worked through a scene for a while with, "Awful. It doesn't feel good. But I think the more uncomfortable it is, the closer we are to where it needs to be."

The psychological/dream scenes are increasingly incredible to discover as well. I don't know that I've ever had the opportunity to explore the psychological side of a character before, as these nightmare dream sequences allow. One of my favorite directions so far: "Did you ever see that 'Black Hole Son' video? You know the part where their faces melt off? Yeah. Make those faces here." Melty faces. We get to make melty faces in one nightmare scene. Yay.

And the undercurrent for me through this whole experience so far is just a sense of honor. I feel honored to be working on this important and gritty and provocative piece, honored to have been exposed to it in the first place. I look around at all the creative and talented and professional actors and dancers, designers, writers, dramaturgs, dialect coaches, choreographers, stage managers and everyone involved and I'm just thrilled to be a part of it all, to be sharing the stage with them, to be dancing to "Brick House" with them. It's neat.

I can't wait to see how the show is going to evolve in the next week.

Or hell, even after tonight.

There are so so many directions for it to go.

It's exciting.

-Becca

From a Different Perspective

Yesterday, I was talking with a friend about his 11 year-old cousin who owns a Mac Laptop computer and an I-Pod Touch. He was telling me about his experience of bringing his cousin to the Museum of Science, a place that used to be considered hip back in ’92 (ancient history!). The 11-year-old cousin, I-Pod in hand, was not impressed. He had one objective: to get back home to connect his I-Pod to his computer for an update.

What kind of connection is this teaching us? If you're reading this blog, you should stop now and buy a ticket for Company One's upcoming production of VOYEURS DE VENUS. Better yet, get that Company Card! I promise you it will be worth more of your time. All this blogging makes me think of Neil LaBute's introduction to his newest play "Reasons to be Pretty." He writes: "I like the person who spends more time working than on Facebook, the person who gets out there and lives his life rather than blogging about it or staring the mirror wondering about anything so damn inconsequential as looks or hair or yesterday. The future is now. It's time to grow up and be strong. Tomorrow may well be too late.”

I think we forget how unique the theatre is. There's this great play by an under-appreciated writer Alexis Clements who sums it up pretty well for me. The play is about a woman who presents a lecture on communication and asks the audience to confess their sins. She says: "Shall we make this a public confessional, a more equal exchange? Everybody loves that nowadays, right? Blogs, video, cell phones, television? But what about here in this room? In front of real, living, breathing people? Anybody want to try?" This public confessional, conversation, debate, discussion is exactly what Company One achieves, perhaps unconsciously.

"Company One redefines the typical theatrical experience by developing, producing, and promoting socially relevant plays and innovative educational programming that appeal to, represent and include Boston’s diverse urban communities." I don't think I understood what that meant when I first started out this summer with ASSASSINS, where I helped out as an assistant to Shawn LaCount (the director) and the rest of the company. I have come to interpret this mission statement as providing an atmosphere for community discussion. This starts in the rehearsal room. I had the unique role as both an insider and outsider to this process because I did not have a defined position like a Assistant Stage Manager or Designer. The most fascinating thing to watch was that Company One really does embrace collaboration, communication, and discussion. They do not fake it. I asked Shawn once “How much preparation do you put into a production? What do you do?” His response, was something like this: "Yeah, do your homework. But let the designers tell you what the scene is really about. And let the actors solve the big question." Shawn’s way of working reminds me of Anne Bogart. He lets his actors find their own way. And he’s not doing it because it’s trendy, he knows it works. Bogart, in recent interview said: “I have no interest in being in a room where people are simply doing what I want.” I think that’s pretty accurate to his process. Shawn (and the rest of the Company) are unique because they embrace disagreement as a vital part of the process and trust their staff. There's been a lot of stir about the timing of this show in the newspapers, on television, and online. But this isn't just good press. This is what Company One strives to do. To strike up a real conversation about things we don't even want to think about. I say that is a good measure of success.

Becoming involved with Company One got me off Facebook this summer. It gave me a way to "connect" to real people and not a computer. There’s a difference between interacting and collaborating. Collaboration requires intense listening. You barely see that in the office setting. I like to work in the theatre because it forces me to confront my fears, assumptions, and prejudices. In rehearsal, it forces me to get over my shyness, find a voice, be decisive, and listen to others. It makes me aware of time and space.

I could have very easily just had my part time job this summer. But I made the choice stop refreshing my e-mail and start communicating. I’m lucky I got to do it for three months. At least our audiences got a chance to really engage in some tough questions with REAL people for two hours. In the words of Mark and Summer in the ASSASSINS pre-show announcement, “Please turn of your cell phones. Not on vibrate. Please turn them off. Trust me, you don’t need them where you are going.”

Thanks again to Shawn, Sarah S., Sarah C., Mark, Summer, Sasha, Mason, the SMs Emily, Ellyn, Jess, and the entire company of ASSASSINS for an unforgettable summer. I can’t wait to work with Company One in the future!

-Greg Josselyn, Asst. to the Director

P.S. For someone who hates blogging, this entry is way too long!

And we return...

Hello all. Been a long time.

I apologize for the lack of of communication. Doing this show six times a week for 5 weeks has made a certain blogger very tired, and as much I love writing for you all, believe me when I say that at this point in the game, if I'm not performing or working, I am most likely sleeping (and therefore unfortunately not filling your lives with blog material).

So this is it. The final performances. This run has been blessed...we've had only ONE not sold out show, and that was a Saturday matinee. The reviews have all been great. Audiences are really responding well, talking to us actors at great length in the lobby of the theater and providing the most interesting topics of discussion at the talkbacks.

I don't know how many of you reading this are actors yourselves, and therefore know the difficulty of a long run, but honestly, the biggest challenge for me has been keeping it fresh. I didn't know what that challenge meant until this production...the longest run of a show I'd done previous to this was three weeks, and there IS a difference. By the end of Week 3, your body knows the ins and outs of the show so well that it is way too easy to check out for a second - physically present, but mentally on another planet. Even with this threat looming, we've been turning in solid shows every night. Things that have been helping me personally keep it together... and please let me know if your experiences have been the same:

1) Reminding myself of scene objectives right before I go on. It keeps me wanting something and from simply existing onstage, which is a problem that I think a lot of us run into from time to time.

2) Connections with fellow actors. Especially in "Ballad of Booth" with David Dacosta and "Ballad of Guiteau" with Jeff Mahoney. Those guys are pros; if I find myself going off, all I have to do is reconnect to their eyes and I'm zapped right back into it.

3) Reminding myself what a privilege it is to be doing this. When I get tired, I sometimes just go "Yo. You're performing in a major Sondheim musical for wonderful sold out houses with one of the best theater companies in Boston, and many of the founders happen to be your mentors. So many people would kill for this, and you need to do your best every time." That always gets me gunning.

And on that note, as this dream of a summer starts winding down, I would like to officially go on record and say that it has truly been an honor. This has been one of the best summers of my life, and I thank every one - my cast mates, crew mates, band mates and all at C1 for this experience. And you, dear blog readers, I thank you all for listening to the mad rantings of me and a few of my friends. I hope you enjoy the show, and that I talk to you in the future.

Thanks.
-Nik

New shows!

Company One has added 3 more shows to the run of Assassins.

4pm matinees on:
Saturday, July 26
Saturday, Aug 2
Saturday, Aug 9

Get your tickets soon!

Assassins Production Photos

Check out photos from the show!

A View From The Other Side

Another guest blogger this week! Blake L. Pfeil, playing Giuseppe Zangara in ASSASSINS, has agreed to spill his guts for us. Read and enjoy! - Nik

Hey, Blake here. We’re thru the first weekend of performances…to sold-out houses each night, mind you. Huh. I should have prepared the talented Mr. Walker, our tour-de-force Balladeer, for my guest blog spot a little better.. I have a few things I need to get off my chest, so please, if you need a glass of water, I suggest you get it now. You won’t want to get up.

I’m 20. I consider myself the baby of Company One’s cast of ASSASSINS...the youngin, the newborn, Sam Byck’s “bubula.” So imagine, for just a second, the what I might feel each time I am onstage with my fellow actors, each of whom (in some sense or another) has taught me a few things about this craft. I can go to school all I want, and I can study the mysteries of acting as much as I damn please, provided I schlep out a $40,000 check each year. But this is something much more exciting.

I’ve slowly developed more this summer (alongside truly gifted professionals) than any year of schooling will ever be able to give me. My mother knows: I’m a hands-on person. I can’t sit in a classroom filled with people and pretend to listen...instead I can watch Ed Hoopman as Czolgosz try to break a bottle every night and always get something else out of it. I can attempt to pry David DaCosta's Booth off Jon Popp's Oswald every night and always learn something different. I can sit and cry each night because Nathanael's Hinckley and McCaela's Fromme feel unworthy of somebody’s love. You can’t imagine what it does for a budding actor to listen to Mason Sand drive two entirely difficult Byck monologues home every night, swearing left and right, giving an audience something to think about…and I mean REALLY think about.

I’m trying to explain just how much these people have educated me in an artistic environment that I LOVE. It’s no mistake that I learn something different from Penny Hansen’s screams as Billy Moore for a Bubbalo Bill every night…or from the murderous rage that engulfs Liz Rimar's Sarah Jane Moore when Billy needs that goddamn Bubbalo Bill. See…when you can watch and listen to something like that night after night, it affects you.

I was talking to Jeff Mahoney, Mr. Looking-on-the-Bright-Side gonna-win-an-award-for-playing-a-real-Guiteau, about this feeling of elation that I get each night watching and listening to this group of extraordinary actors. Elaine Stritch said it best: “If somebody doesn’t have any talent, get off the stage! You’re wasting my time. But if they GOT it – and I’m talking about Mama Rose kind of talent: you either got it or you had it – I am so uplifted by talent. I can’t stop crying, applauding…screaming.” I am get this night after night after night. These people got it, and I am so thankful they do, because I am reaping so many benefits.

I’m 20. I should not be allowed onstage night after night with a company of such gifted actors. I’m learning. I’m dreaming. Somehow, by the sheer grace of God, I’m surrounded by this experience. This Wednesday can’t come soon enough.

Please come bear witness. If not for me, the 20 year-old (or, the Italian with a severe stomach problem and murderous hatred towards the government), then do it for my fellow cast members. You won’t believe your eyes. Your ears. Your head.

Heart? Oh, yes.

-Blake

Previews...

Check out the previews about the show and our very own blogger extraordinaire - Nik Walker!

The end before the beginning...

SO HERE IT IS. Production Week. Opening on Friday. Scary, but terribly exciting.

We're ready. I know I spent last week praising the work of my co-actors, and ironically, we weren't necessarily in as good a shape as I had thought we were, but that's to be expected when you make the move into the actual space. LaCount kicked our butts on got us right back on track. Last week was good; now we're kick ass.

The sound, lights and set have added so much. It is a straight-up playground for this material- creepy, seedy, dank and dark.

Come see it. Come see it. Come see it. Saturday the 12th is sold out, but the rest of the run is open. Go get tickets. Now.

Oh, and check out the trailer for the show posted below.

Lots of love, wish me luck.
-Nik

Assassins Trailer

Check out the trailer for ASSASSINS - opening this Friday, July 11th!

We've moved in!

Last night - a run for the first time in the actual theater space...wow. Walking out of the theater I realized that I have never been so moved in a rehearsal, nor have I ever been this thrilled to show something to an audience.

Granted, we haven't gotten our notes, so things may have gone horribly wrong and I just don't know it yet- but for me, this was something special. Everyone was on their game, and in the same vein as McCaela from the last entry, I will list what struck me.

Mason's Byck monologues were incredibly natural, settled in his voice and body, thought provoking and hysterical. Blake took Zangara up a notch, moving me to near tears as he pleaded with Oswald at the end of the show. Ed and Meredith's Czolgosz/Emma Goldman scene was heartbreakingly beautiful and real. Jeff and Nathanael rocked their Guiteau and Hinckley, stealing the show with their comic timing, intense physicality, and limitless emotional range. The ladies, McCaela and Liz, were riotously funny in their scenes, bringing a deep humanity to two of the craziest characters in the production. David and J-Popp's Booth/Oswald scene was on fire, and Chris was the most frustrating, hard-to-conquer stage enemy (as in his Proprietor vs. my Balladeer) I've ever had the pleasure of performing with.

Again, I could very well be in my own little bubble of excitement here, but I'm 99.99% sure that a lot of things were clicking and popping, and it is for allowing me to experience that magic that I, from the bottom of my heart of hearts, take a moment now to thank everyone involved. This is a blessing, a blessing, a blessing. I am having so much fun working alongside every person on this team, and each rehearsal is bringing with it tons and tons more to jump up and scream about.

Less than two weeks till opening night. I hope that whoever is reading this out there in Internet Land is excited for this, and that they will enjoy this crazy show as much as I am already. Yay.

-Nik

McCaela Joins the Blogging Ranks

Hey, it's Nik. May I present...a guest blogger! McCaela Donovan, playing Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, is here to share a bit of her mind with us. And it was her birthday on Wednesday, so she's really cool now.

Hey. It's McCaela.

When Nik first asked me to write a blog, my first thought (to quote Sarah Jane Moore in "Gun Song") was “…Shit!” Rather than give you some boring overview, however, I would like to take this time to give you a brief synopsis of why I love this cast:

-Nik (The Balladeer) - is the glue. There has not been one day where Nik has not been smiling, laughing, and talking to each and every member of this cast. He is genuinely thankful and happy to be there each day and you can tell he loves this show. His spirit and energy are both beautiful and palpable.

-Liz (Sarah Jane Moore)- is a character. Insane, bubbly, a clumsiness oddly reminiscent of the role that she plays. Liz is all of these things but she also has a quiet thoughtfulness to her who takes her work seriously, and then knows when to let it go and have a great time. If I were trapped on a desert island I would want Liz there to entertain me.

-Blake (Giuseppe Zangara)- is my little muffin. It is unfair because I’ve known Blake for two years prior to this experience, but I’m so thankful to be in a show with him. His raw sense of humor, solid commitment, and his ambition are just a few things I admire about him. Plus, he makes me loosen up and laugh my ass off, which is just a pure gift in itself.

-Ed (Leon Czolgosz)- is a working man, born in the middle of Michigan. Or he’s just Ed. Intimidating at first until you hear his infectious laugh, and then you just want to hug him and put him in your pocket. Although out of touch with today’s world, as in the facebook generation, we forgive him because Ed knows when it is time to work and when it’s time to crack the group up with a joke or comment. And we forgive him even though he cannot remember when to come in with his lines for Scene 16.

-David (John Wilkes Booth)- as Aretha once sang, the only word for David is R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Although I still have yet to know David as well as some others I know that he takes his craft very seriously. His commitment to this show and his dedication to this character make me want to work harder, if only to bring my work to his level. I know many among us feel the same. We could not have found a better leader.

-Jeff (Charles Guiteau)- drives a truck. Which is perfect. I don’t know why, I just love it. I have said this before, but I did not think that someone could impress me as much as Dennis O’Hare did when he played this role, but Jeff has done just that. His comedic timing and loveable spirit engulf the stage, not to mention the crazy twinkle in his eye that tells us that something is a little…off. Always professional, always positive and joyful, Jeff is a wonderful piece of the puzzle that completes this cast.

-Chris (The Proprietor)- is a badass. And he’s loving it. It has been wonderful watching Chris’ interpretation of the Proprietor grow. He keeps finding small but crucial moments to seduce us and the audience with his intentions. And if Chris’ voice could be described as a food, it would be Velveeta shells and cheese….delicious. He is quiet at first but there’s a lot to him and I look forward to getting to know him more.

-Mason (Sam Byck)- is not an asshole. His character is, but he’s not. He is a bit disconcerting when onstage, because he swears at everyone, but he has a lot of commitment to this role. His monologue work is genuine, funny, and twisted all at the same time. He’s the only person that could say ‘fuck you’ to Jeff and still be likeable.

-Penny (Billy Moore)- is a coin, but also a beautiful person. Our bonding began over a giant bowl of JP Licks ice cream and I hope it continues. A gorgeous and powerful voice, great stage presence is overshadowed by her genuine sweetness and fun personality. Don’t let her fool you, she may look sweet but there’s a wild child in there somewhere!

-Danny (David Herold)- cracks me up. He has that kind of ‘huck finn’ boyish face that I just want to squeeze. Adorable and funny, he is a no nonsense talent that I am excited to get to know when we finally have more than one rehearsal together! Plus his face in the ‘Roosevelt’ song could not be more perfect. Love it.

-Meredith (Emma Goldman)- eminates strength and beauty. Her scenes are full of power, touching moments, and clear glimpses of spot on humor that make her such a complicated character. I believe that Meredith is all of these as a person as well, and more, I’m sure. I’m excited to get to know her better as this process goes on. In the short time I’ve been around her, I feel that she has a maternal presence that makes you feel like everything is going to be ok, and maybe a little crazy sassy lady in there as well…we will see…

-Jon (Lee Harvey Oswald)- is like a ken doll except with a lot of substance. Adorable and sweet, Jon views his character with a positive hopefulness that only Jon could. Most people wouldn’t want to dig into Oswald’s motivations. Jon is not only willing to go there, but is willing to view him in a sympathetic light instead of pinpointing him as the villain. I think this speaks to Jon as a person and it will be interesting for the audience to see this side of his character as well.

-Nathanael (John Hinckley)- is my favorite duet partner. We bonded way back when we auditioned together. Nathaniel has a quiet exterior at first, but once you crack through the shell he has a ridiculous sense of humor and is just an all around great guy that you can count on. He has put so much research into his character and has made you want to root for Hinckley, even if he is a loser. And it’s nice to be around a person who you know will always make you smile.

Sorry if that was a bit indulgent and long winded, but all these people have made this a wonderful experience so far. Although I didn’t describe them, Shawn (the director), Emily (the stage manager), Jackie (the choreographer), Greg (asst. to the director), Jess and Ellyn (the asst stage managers), Jo (the musical director) and Sarah (the production manager), and everyone else with Company One have been amazing to work with, and continue to challenge me and all of us everyday. Thank you to them and everyone! (And Emily…I will try to be early to rehearsal from now on!!)

-McCaela

Putting it all together...

After weeks and weeks of work, we started this week off with our first stumble-thru of the show. All crew and production team were present, and we in the cast were stoked to show them what we'd been doing.

Posted are a few photos from the rehearsal – there were a ton taken and we’ll probably post more with the next few entries.

It went through without a hitch, pretty much. A couple of mess ups on the last few songs...but let's be real. It's Sondheim. We had a good time, our "audience" enjoyed themselves, and the process continues.

Now that we've done that run, the name of the game is "clean up." Our amazing choreographer Jackie is in this week to tighten up the show - sharpen up a few of the numbers and help us pin down all things physical.

The nice thing that I've been noticing lately is that the cast is really starting to bond. Don't get me wrong, everyone's been nice for the whole process. There was a change this week, though...the "buddy-buddy-ness" stopped being just because we're all good people and started going into the "we actually like doing this show with this particular group" phase. It truly is a spectacular cast...we work hard, we bond well, and we REALLY know how to joke around and have a good time.

I'm gonna go to bed now. Cuz I'm tired. So yea.
-Nik

Words with Jon Popp

Yo, what up. This week, instead of your regularly scheduled programming, we have a little treat - an EXCLUSIVE interview with Jon Popp, playing Lee Harvey Oswald. J-Popp has a busy schedule these days, not only rehearsing for the upcoming production, but currently closing out an extended run of THE HISTORY BOYS.

Here's what he had to say:

1) Where are you from originally?

JP: I was born and raised in Gloucester MA, home to the Perfect Storm, St. Peter's Fiesta, and a dying fishing industry.


2) Favorite song?

JP: Easy. Theme song to Gummy Bears. There was a phase in my life when I used to pretend that everything I drank was gummy berry juice which made me bounce really high...later I came to realize that it was just alcohol.


3) Favorite movie?

JP: I'm going to have to pull the dork card with the original Star Wars trilogy. I associate those movies with a period in my childhood where my imagination was on fire...my bed frames transformed into X-wings.


4) What first got you into theater?

JP: My 3rd grade class adapted the story of Little Red Riding Hood and The 3 Little Pigs. I played one of the big bad wolfs. I had a big pre-teen crush on the girl playing Little Red Riding Hood and I think somehow the wires got mixed up. My love for this girl blossomed into a love of theater....love-at-first-bite type thing.


5) As an actor, what are your favorite kinds of stories to tell and roles to portray? What do you enjoy conveying to audiences?

JP: I love stories that easily allow the audiences into their worlds with little resistance. They want to be transported and any show that is capable of doing so has that magic that is just so appealing to me as an actor. In this regard, strong comedic roles with lots of warmth and heart fit this type of story well for me. I find it much easier to engage with the audience if the tension and conventional walls of theater are broken with a few laughs.

6) What's it like playing the infamous Lee Harvey Oswald?

JP: When I told my mom I was playing Lee she cursed me out and said that she was not coming to see it. She has since changed her opinion, but her initial reaction was striking. It's amazing how one person can bring up such strong emotional responses from people. This guy really did have a major impact on people's lives, not just in this country, but an actual global impact. The research has been interesting, mainly because there are so many conspiracy theories to weed through.


7) Why do you think it's important for this play to be done now?

JP: Our nation is in such a state of economic and political turmoil that this upcoming election has become more important than ever. I think it's extremely important to reflect on the past and think about how the consequences of the actions of a small select group of people managed to shape an entire nation.


8) Throughout the course of ASSASSINS, the audience gets the chance to meet these people directly before, during and after their assassination attempts. If you had the chance to meet with Oswald after his assassination of President Kennedy, what would you say to him?

JP: I happen to believe in some of the conspiracy theories that mark Oswald as a patsy, so most of my questions would be focused on who else was involved and exactly how high up the chain of command the assassination plan went. I'd also like to ask him about Marina, his estranged wife. I'd like to see how much his unrequited love was a real motivating factor.


Well there you have it. Much love and thanks to Jonathan for the interview. Look forward to more cast interviews and interactions in the future!

-Nik

Ballads and Bonding

Nik Walker, coming at you with round two. Thanks to Alex and eclectic_liz for commenting on my last entry. Y'all make me feel special.

Question: Why is it as hot as you know what here in jolly old Boston? What was it today, 100 degrees? God, why are you so mad at us? Not cool, man. Not cool.

Sunday, after rehearsal, some fellow ASSASSINS kiddies and I beat the heat by going to the cafe next door for some ice cream. It was mad chill bonding with them - we gotta to do it more in the future. Blake Pfeil and Danny O'Connor, our Guiseppe Zangara and David Herold (respectively), are ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS. If you see them on the street, please go up to them and ask to hang with them; they will definitely show you a rollicking good time. Also with us that day were Penny Hansen of the ensemble and Meredith Stypinski, who is playing Emma Goldman. Actually, as we speak, Meredith is right now at a callback in NYC for a touring production of Oliver! Break a leg, Stypinski.

This past week, we blocked two of my three Ballad scenes - "The Ballad of Booth" and "The Ballad of Guiteau". David and I are having a ton of fun playing around with the racially charged tensions in "Booth", especially because I happen to be a black man, and Booth is, as demonstrated in the scene, a blatant racist. I'm excited about Company One's casting decision in this instance...putting a black man forth as the representation of America in this particular show is an incredibly bold, fertile and provocative move, especially now in the midst of the Obama Mania that has swept the nation. It could potentially put a new spin on the show that's never been explored before. I've done some research, and I really can't find any other place where The Balladeer has been cast with a person of color. Anybody have any thoughts on this? I'm definitely interested to see how this pans out by opening
night.

Well, I gotta bounce. Liz Fenstermaker, the show's dramaturg, is coming to rehearsal tonight to give us historical contexts for our characters and help us out with any queries. I always love that stuff. That's right. I am pumped to get edu-ma-cated.

Talk to you soon.
-Nik

Assassins: The First Week

Sup y'all. Nik Walker here, representing the cast and crew of Company One's 2008 summer mainstage, Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS.

Words aren't enough to describe how pumped I am to be a part of (and to be blogging with you guys about) this show. ASSASSINS has been my favorite musical since 7th grade; Company One has been one of my favorite theater companies since freshman year of high school, and The Balladeer has been one my favorite characters in musical theater for just as long - so the fact that I'm doing ASSASSINS with Company One and playing The Balladeer is just plain ridiculous. I'm not going to lie, I've never blogged before...it feels a little like I'm trapped in the ending of an episode of Doogie Howser, but anyway, look forward to a check-in on this site about once a week, with updates on rehearsals, behind-the-scenes stuff, shout outs from other cast members and tons o' fun.

We had a read-thru/sing-thru of the piece this past Monday after a week of busting out on the music. It was so good to hear everyone doing their thing, so many great choices were being made - I was bopping along uncontrollably. Jeff Mahoney is quite a force to be reckoned with - loud, proud and has put forth what is, in his words, a "Bat Shit Nuts" Guiteau. John Wilkes Booth is also electrifying in the hands of David DaCosta. We talked a couple of rehearsals back about where he wants to take the actor-turned-assassin with this production. He's done a lot of historical research on Booth, and he's very excited to see where this vantage point puts him.

Jeff, David, Mason Sand (playing Sam Byck), Ed Hoopman (playing Leon Csolgosz) and I were sitting around on our break time, discussing the large periods for each of us in the show where we don't have anything to do...the scenes for each character are pretty evenly spread. Ah, the wonders of a true ensemble piece. I think we unanimously decided that there would be plenty of runs across the street to the pizza parlor for a slice and a soda during performances. Hey, if the audience can't see us, we are most definitely not on the clock.

Talk to you soon.
-Nik

Welcome to the Company One Blog!

The Company One Blog is up and running! We'll be redesigning our website this summer, so stay tuned for some great changes and blog entries.