By Meghan Wolf, actress playing Desdemona in Othello, Denver Center Theatre Company

This week we moved from table and script work to blocking, which means we got up on our feet for the first time!

Working with Robert Jason Jackson (our Othello) is like dancing with a very skilled leader. I am grateful to be in such excellent hands. He even literally swept me off my feet in one scene — keep your eyes peeled for that move in the performance.

Today we blocked a particularly thrilling staging moment, the “bar room brawl.” Our fight director, Geoff Kent, had the exacting challenge of choreographing chaos while keeping everyone safe. He managed to create something both graceful and deadly looking — it was pretty riveting!

Playing in the round is such a unique adventure; we must act with our whole body (as always, yet even more so). In the round, we must employ a lot of “back acting,” etc. It is a great work for honing our instrument from every angle.

To help find Desdemona’s stance and stride, I’m wearing long skirts and little lace-up booties with a small heel to rehearsal. Soon, the costume shop will make a rehearsal corset available to me to help me get used to being squeezed to death on a daily basis. (I’m hoping that happens later rather than sooner..wink, wink.)

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More posts from Meghan

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Bryce Baldwin, age 11, normally lives in Thornton, Colorado on a small farm, complete with sheep, goats, llamas, a dog and a hamster. But a few months ago he left his home to tour the country as “Michael Banks” in the national tour Mary Poppins, headed for The Buell Theatre March 4-April 4. Bryce is an immensely talented young actor who appeared on the Denver Center stage as one of the young princes in Richard III in 2009. We caught up with him while the tour was in Los Angeles.

Have you enjoyed traveling on tour? Where are you right now?

Yes, I love the tour. It is so much fun to see the new cities. I am in sunny Los Angeles, California…feeling a little guilty being warm when everyone at home is freezing this winter.

What is your favorite place you’ve visited so far?

I am not sure that I have a favorite. Every city has something special about it. The theatres are all different and have their own history of how old they are and who has performed in them. Some have murals backstage that the performers have made. Some of them are even haunted, which is especially interesting to me…we even found a coffin in the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. The cities are all different too and it is fun to see what is important to each area. I have gotten to meet a lot of famous people here in LA, so this place has definitely been fun!

Who from your family is on tour with you right now?

My Mom travels with me and I would do terribly without her help and support. Ashlee (my sister) and my Dad have been to every city except Houston. My grandparents came to Houston so my Mom could go home for awhile, so I had a lot of fun seeing them. It is always nice when my family comes because I really miss them. There isn’t an opportunity for me to go home because of the schedule – that’s hard because I miss all my friends and I have a lot of animals and I miss being able to see them too. I travel with my hamster, Bubbles, and I started a pet watching service for the cast called “Baldwin Buddies,” so that helps get me my animal fix.

Now that you have been on the show for awhile, do you have a favorite song or dance that you enjoy performing most right now?

I don’t think I have a favorite because the whole show is magical and fun to perform. My favorite is just being able to do it all. The story is so good and it is fun to bring it to the audience.

Tell us about your schedule.

We feel like we are in a time warp on tour. I am in school 4 – 5 hours a day Tuesday – Friday (sometimes on Saturday too). It kind of depends on the laws in the states we are in on how many hours we can do or what days we can have school. There are 8 shows a week and I do 4 of them but for the shows I don’t do, I still need to be at the theatre on stand-by. I have Mondays off from both school and work and that is our day to explore.

What will you tell your fellow castmates they must do when they are in Denver?

Every Sunday they should eat brunch at either the Armadillo or Cinzetti’s. The mountains are a must for a drive or skiing, but we have to be careful not to get broken. Estes Park is nice and also Casa Bonita is a big tourist site. The company housing choices are close to the 16^th Street Mall, which has everything. There are so many wonderful things to do in Denver and around there. And of course, they all need to make at least one visit to Baldwin Acres to see my animals.

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By Meghan Wolf, actress playing Desdemona in Othello, Denver Center Theatre Company

Today we worked on the DEATH SCENE! Talked about the heart of this tragedy — that, despite the strength it exhibited in smashing the convention of the times, Desdemona and Othello’s love never gets a chance to grow…but is the true tragedy that it was destined to fail from the start? We discussed where exactly in the script Desdemona starts to believe that her life is in peril and (spoiler alert!) the various ways we might stage the putting out of her light. Nice, light drama on a snowy afternoon!

From rehearsal, I went to the costume shop where I got to glide around in mock-ups of the most fabulous clothes. The lines are elegant yet girly and promise to be delicious to play in. The super tight corset and low-heeled, lace-up boots were already giving me a lot of information about movement (and lack thereof).

Tomorrow, Robert and I shoot some promo footage in the morning – looking forward to playing on our feet if only for a few hours! Keep your eyes peeled for our commercial when it airs .

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Photographer and Denver Center Trustee Jim Steinberg has embarked on a journey to photograph the open roads and the truckers who travel them. Photos from his 6.606 mile journey will be featured in Mama Hated Diesels this spring! The play, which runs March 19-May 9 in The Stage Theatre, is a world premiere musical about America’s long-distance truckers.

Follow Jim’s journey on his blog: Colorado Scenic Byways.

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Today was the final day of the 5^th Annual Colorado New Play Summit.   What a journey!

Our day started with a moving  reading of The House of Spirits by Caridad Svich.  This play, based on the novel by Isabel Allende, looks at four generations of political and social upheavals in Latin America through the powerful lens of memory.   After the reading we heard from actor Randy Moore and the playwright herself, Caridad Svich:

Next we took a break for lunch followed by the Panel Discussion in the Seawell Grand Ballroom where members of the American Theatre Critics Association discussed the relationship between new works and the critics.  Here, Charlie talks to critics John Moore, Jeffrey Eric Jenkins and Chris Jones:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwA0w65HXpo

For our last theatrical event of the summit, we attended Eventide in The Stage Theatre.  Read at the New Play Summit last year, this companion piece to Plainsong is based on a book by Kent Haruf and adapted for the stage by Eric Schmiedl.  The play had the audience in tears of sorrow and joy at the end – a great way to end the Summit.

Following the play, a bittersweet Closing Reception commenced in the Seawell Grand Ballroom.  What a great festival.  We hope to see you all next year for the 2011 Colorado New Play Summit.  Also, stay tuned for the announcement of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 2011 Season next month, which is sure to feature some of the plays read at this year’s Summit.

We’ll wrap things up with some comments posted on Facebook and Twitter this week about the Summit:

Carole Healey The Play Summit rehearsals have begun and I am doing the wonderful new play, Map of Heaven. We read through Michelle Lowe’s gripping script and then, Scott Schwartz, our director led us through a fascinating discussion of themes, characters and we opened up a discussion of topics ranging from health care to art and it…’s meanings…It is going to be an intense week, full of discovery. This is why we love the theatre. Carole Healey

cars21  (answering the question “What was your favorite reading at the Summit and why?”) @DenverCenter HOUSE because it paints a landscape I want to see fully realized & introduced us to a family I want to learn more about.

xagoeson  “Eventide” @DenverCenter was really, really good. You have 2 more weeks. Go see it.

bestplays  After one fully staged production, three play readings and s playwright’s slam, it’s clear that DCTC exists in no other theater’s shadow.

corteseatwork 7th inning stretch for Ken Weitzman’s THE CATCH at the New Play Summit! First act was knocked out of the park!

corteseatwork Full house for EVENTIDE tonight, the final event of the New Play Summit; some great theatre packed into these past few days!

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Phew!  What a long (yet glorious) day of new plays.  Here’s a run-down of our activities today:

10am – Coffee in the lobby (Yessss…).

11am – First reading of the day in The Ricketson Theatre – Map of Heaven, a new play by Michele Lowe.  Michele is best known in Denver for Inana, which was read at the Summit in 2008 and premiered at The Denver Center in 2009.  Map of Heaven is a powerful story of an artist and her husband, a radiologist, and the devastating consequences that occur as a result of a single lapse of judgment.   Afterwards, Charlie Miller caught playwright Eric Schmiedl and director Scott Schwartz for their reactions on the play:

1:30pm – Lunch time!  Everyone gathered in the lobby of the Bonfils Theatre Complex for delicious sandwiches by Jay’s Hot Ticket Café.  Yum!

3pm – Back down to The Ricketson Theatre where we saw the reading of The Catch by Ken Weitzman. The play follows a failed dot-commer as he pots to regain his fortune by catching a star slugger’s record-breaking home run ball.   Here, Literary Manager Doug Langworthy and dramaturg Mike Sablone give their thoughts about the play:

5:30pm – Time for dinner in the Seawell Grand Ballroom.  Between bites, we had the opportunity to learn more about Civilization: (All You Can Eat), by Jason Grote.  Jason also wrote 1001, which premiered at The Denver Center in 2007:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxVVNVHzffc

7:30pm – Again to The Ricketson Theatre for the final reading of the day – Civilization (All You Can Eat).  What a unique show!  The play is a fierce burlesque of America’s love/hate obsession with food.  Here are some reactions to the show:

10pm – Finally, we ended the day with the Playwrights’ Slam in The Jones Theatre.  What a great way to wrap up a long day: Over drinks, several of our commissioned playwrights read excerpts from their plays in the works.

Now – off to bed!   Check in tomorrow night for our final summit recap.

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And we’re off!  The Colorado New Play Summit has officially begun.  First on the agenda tonight was a performance of the world premiere production of When Tang Met Laika, a play by Rogelio Martinez read at the Summit last year.  Because it takes place largely on the International Space Station, the play has a lot of interesting technological elements (video projections, turntables, moving scenery, etc), but they don’t distract from Rogelio’s compelling story.   The audience loved the show;  Actor Ian Merrill Peakes, who plays Patrick, said “The show was great tonight, we had a full house of smart, savy theatre-goers.  It was awesome.”

Before the performance, Charlie Miller had a chance to hear from Artistic Director Kent Thompson and playwright Jose Cruz Gonzalez:

After returning from their (theatrical) journey to space, festival attendees went up to the Seawell Grand Ballroom for the Opening Reception.  DCTC Artistic Director Kent Thompson gave a brief welcome to the enthusiastic crowd and mingling ensued.   At the reception, Charlie chatted with several theatre professionals about When Tang Met Laika:

That’s all for today – check back tomorrow for the next daily recap of the Summit.

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Welcome to the virtual Colorado New Play Summit — an online forum designed to share information about the Denver Center Theatre Company’s fifth annual festival of new theatrical works including the world premieres of WHEN TANG MET LAIKA and EVENTIDE plus readings of four exciting works in development.

Here you can read, comment on and share each day’s recap with your friends and colleagues in the industry. Need a description of the readings? Want to see what others are saying? Can’t wait to watch someone’s opinion of the activities? Make sure to plug in, log on and stay tuned.

Live updates and commentary on Twitter	Live video blogging on YouTube
Photo and video highlights on Facebook	Daily recaps on The Denver Center Blog

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Think you have to be a girl to like Legally Blonde the Musical? Think again! Chris Arneson and Kalen Leikam share their reasons why guys should see LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL here in Denver!

5 reasons why guys should see Legally Blonde: The Musical in Denver

By: Chris Arneson

Sure, it’s a musical. Filled with the color pink. And girl-power themes. So, why should a guy want to see it?  I’ll tell you.

1. Have you even seen the movie? Watch that, then tell me it’s not hilarious. Plus, you know your guilty pleasure is chick-flicks.

2. Trust me. Your girlfriend would probably flip out if YOU initiated a date to it. There’s some cred right there. It plays on Valentine’s Day, guys, in the heart of downtown Denver…and if you’re a student, tickets are only $25.

3. 4 words: “Bend and Snap” LIVE.

4. Did I mention the “Bend and Snap” is a group number? Filled with cheerleaders?

5. If you plan to go Feb. 2-4, you can get 50% off tickets when you order with the code: PINK. It’s a money-saver!

Becky Gulsvig as Elle Woods and the cast of the National Tour of Legally Blonde the Musical. Photo: Joan Marcus

11 Reasons to See LEGALLY BLONDE!

By: Kalen Leikam

OMG guys! It is like totally my like post on Legally Blonde like from the Buell like on opening night! Eeeek!

Seriously though, Legally Blonde is an amazing show. The first few notes you hear really grab and pull you in. Once it has got you, the show just does not let go. And that is a good thing. Now not being the greatest of writers and America not being huge into reading, I am going to give you 11 reasons to see Legally Blonde. 11 since top ten lists are everywhere and the last point deserves to stand alone! (but it can’t because then not everyone would go see the show like they should, so I included ten other points).

1.  First, my favorite thing about the show. It is pretty darn funny. I don’t mean like the funny that just a few of you think is funny, but genuinely funny. You cannot help but laugh at thing like the bend or snap or Elle’s insults hurled toward Vivienne!
2.  OMG! I totally will be like dropping things, bending and snapping, and just like always like talking like this for like a few days! OMG!
3.  Live animals in a show always melt your heart. The dogs are soooo adorable. And I am a dude. Think about that.
4.  Girls: There is some man candy.
5.  Guys: The girls are definitely rockin’ it.
6.  UPS will never be the same again!
7.  Every show has its defining note. Now Elle can sing, and so she does. But the defining note goes to Vivienne! She has one note that blew me away and will be the note I remember from Legally Blonde. (Sorry Elle!)
8.  Technically the show has many of costume and scene changes and still it was cohesive. The piece did not feel clunky or like it ever just did not connect in a smooth way. The crowd was moved place to place and outfit to outfit seamlessly. (Ha! Like that pun?)
9.  For me, not only does a shows number have to keep me entertained, but my eyes like to be dazzled as well. As I said above, the changes in the show keep me looking from place to place. Whether it was the shoes, and not dance shoes eek, or the new scene, I was always looking at some good stuff!
10.  You keep moving, never slowing down until the curtain falls. Sure everyone will say a show has energy, yet this one really does. Elle’s attitude comes across in the score and you feel it in your heart. And in your toes. I was all jazzed and ready to go out on the town after the show, it really made me move in my seat.
11.  And finally, with all due respect to Galinda—PINK is this year’s green!

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LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is finally in Denver!  Bend and Snap!  And now, we present you with two videos from members of this stellar cast.  First, Rhiannon Hansen, who plays Margot, tells us about the fashion in the show, talking to dogs, and why Legally Blonde makes a great date.  

And now, Natalie Joy Johnson, who plays Paulette, tells us all about stepping into Jennifer Coolidge’s shoes.  
 

That’s all for now!  More about the show on www.denvercenter.org

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