Lovers & Madmen, Kids Save the Day, Radioactive Gals, & other highlights (and Gaslights) from DCRT’s 4th Season!

June 11, 2014 by dukecityrep

Well. Here we are. It’s June 2014, the sun is shining bright, and we’re still recovering from the Roller Coaster Adventure that was season number four in Duke City Rep Land. I use “Roller Coaster Adventure” in the best way possible. This season challenged us, pushed us out of our comfort zone, brought in some new blood and new audiences, and left us with the sort of tingling excitement that can only mean one thing: We cannot WAIT for next season!

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For me personally, this season brought on two particularly challenging positions: The first as an actor, where I was fortunate enough to take on some of the most difficult work I’ve ever encountered on the stage. The second, as the new Director of Media & Marketing (“new” meaning “combined” from other positions, with some created job positions spattered about), where I started to learn and appreciate the amount of work that goes into a position that’s highly influential in getting the word out about your theatre and then getting folks into the theatre.

Whew! I’d be lying (and laughing, hopefully, at this point), if I said that it was easy. This year was difficult, but as I said before, it was difficult in the best way possible.

So, what does that even mean, especially in Duke City Rep Land? Why are we always harping about “challenges” and “difficulties”?

Let me start off by saying that none of these words are BAD. In DCRT, we try to keep everything positive, because it’s within that kind of framework that the best work happens (and we mean this EVERYWHERE—the workplace, home, and your local coffee shop!) So when things are difficult, we embrace it. We welcome it with open arms and say, “Heck yes! Let’s take this on and see what wonderful things we can create out of it.”

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A perfect example, of course, was our opening show, Gaslight. This show was a tough one on many levels. But the idea of doing a Victorian Thriller excited us (and brilliant director Amelia Ampuero) because we wanted to push it beyond the story of a woman going insane by her murderous husband. So in came Charles Murdock Lucas, Scenic Designer Extraordinaire, with a set that defied what some might call your Typical Literal Set. Then there was Amelia who, with a fearless attitude and creative knack for thinking outside The Box, elevated the script beyond the text and into a realm of psychological exploration. Along with all of this, we had to shorten our rehearsal process. Typically, DCRT rehearses 80 hours prior to tech, usually working 20 hours a week for four weeks. Due to the addition of three new company members moving into town, we shortened the rehearsal process to three weeks, and rehearsed a mere 56 hours before jumping into tech. It was, along with the play, quite frightening, but liberating all the same.

548266_10151708204303802_1426339285_n I should also take this moment to mention those three new company members: Alicia Webb, along with her husband Coleman, and their First Mate Chubbs (a spritely long-haired dachshund) came out to join us as our Resident Stage Manager, and we feel like we gained a gold mine. Alicia’s sharp sense of humor and knack for keeping us in line and on track makes her one of my favorite people, not to mention favorite stage manager. We also welcomed the newly married (but always fabulous) Colonis—Ezra and Katie. While they had worked with us many times before (i.e. Wooden Snowflakes, Oedipus, and Poe), their move to the 505 made it official! They were not only members of the Resident Acting Company, but Ezra took on the role of Production Manager and Katie became our Director of Education and Development. Their enthusiasm, experiences in Virginia and Chicago, and incredible work ethic have helped push Duke City Rep many miles forward throughout the season! They also happen to be some of my favorite people. Well, basically EVERYONE in Duke City Rep is listed on my Favorite Person List. It’s what gets me going every morning!

So, now that our company was growing and we’d tackled our first show of the season, on came the next challenge—working with KIDS, and working with OUR LARGEST CAST TO DATE on The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! This may sound overwhelming, but boy, was it a joy to work with some of Albuquerque’s Finest Young Actors. Even though the experience of our cast ranged from very little to a lot of stage work, they were all students to each other and all teachers to me! And I know that director Katie Becker Colón imparted a mountain of knowledge and experience to these kids, along with memories of fun and laughter. Watching Katie direct our cast and give them the tools and skill set to continue their path as actors after closing was awe-inspiring. I’d like to think that every single person who works with us leaves the stage a better human being (myself included).

While we’re gaining more and more wonderful patrons to our audiences, for those of you who have been with us for a while, I hope you’ve noticed the changes we’ve made with our ticketing system. It will always be a work-in-progress as we want to make it as easy and accommodating as possible for you to see our shows, but I must acknowledge Box Office Manager Janaiah Tanner for her work “behind the curtain” to support our patrons. She has spent countless hours designing, adjusting, and researching Eventbrite in order to make it accessible for you all, and she is committed to making your theatrical experience as easy-going and engaging as possible. Hooray Janaiah!

After the holidays, the entire Resident Acting Company met up with the wonderful Evening Star Barron and amazing newcomer Josh Heard to begin yet another strange rehearsal process for our Winter Classic, John Hardy’s adaption of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The show was slated to open in March, but due to Hardy’s schedule, we had to rehearse the majority of the show in January, use February to build the set and meet up once a week to revisit the play, and jump into tech on March 1st in order to open 5 days later. Insane? Not quite. Challenging? You betcha. A Roller Coaster Adventure of Shakespearean Awesomeness? OHHHH YEAHHH!!!

I must now give a big **high five** to Lighting Designer and Technical Director Anna Nichols, who has not only taken on both roles for every show since she joined on a few years ago, but whose work I ALWAYS admire. For this show, in particular, I felt as though her lighting design added an entirely new element to the world which we were building using the framework of Shakespeare’s words and Hardy’s direction. As an actor, working under her design was simply magical.

The other exciting and challenging part of this Midsummer process was our first official TOUR! In the middle of the run, we began to meet up in order to “tourify” the show—in other words, shorten it to 70 minutes and maybe alter some of the content to make it middle school-appropriate. We had the extraordinary opportunity to perform for the members of the VSA, middle school students at North Valley Academy, and patrons of the Albuquerque Country Club. Every performance harbored its own challenges and immeasurable rewards, and we left each space feeling as though we had influenced our audience who, in turn, reciprocated those influences. The mutual exchange of creativity and love was bewildering and lovely.

It was during Midsummer that we also launched the “DCRT Dialogue,” where third party members of the community moderated conversations with our audiences after each show. We were excited to ignite this idea for a number of reasons, including giving all of you an opportunity to chat about what you just experienced with each other! We are grateful for every person who came in to help us out as moderators, and we are continuing to move forward with these post-show discussions in order to make it enjoyable and engaging for our patrons.

Then came These Shining Lives. I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to WATCH a DCRT show for the first time in over a year and half. And it was quite the experience. This cast and crew faced a similar challenge to Gaslight—a shortened rehearsal period, with director John Hardy leaving after tech to head back to Virginia for a previously arranged engagement, along with a special performance at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.

Just to give everyone an idea, here’s how the second weekend of our run went with the special performance:

THURSDAY NIGHT: Performance.

After show, tear down set.

FRIDAY MORNING: Meet Bright and Early (hellooooo coffee!) to load up a truck with set.

Drive to Museum.

Unload set. 10173730_10152210801368802_8136992999079844642_n

Re-Build set.

Tech show in space.

Go home and shower (we were a little stinky by this point).

Come back fresh and clean, chat with our fantastic audience over food and drinks.

Performed show.

Had touching and enlightening Q&A with audience after show.

SATURDAY MORNING: Meet Bright and Early again (more coffee) to tear down set.

Load truck with set.

Drive back to The Cell. 10291073_10152194053398802_3045993334704665188_n

Unload set.

Re-Build set.

Go home and shower (stinky again).

Come back for another performance!

It’s here that I must also give a special shout-out to the Nuclear Museum. Not only were they incredibly accommodating, but enthusiastic to share this experience with us. It was pure joy to work with them, and we cannot wait to pursue further special performances in the future!

But I’m not done with this show. Not at all. Because I cannot think of a deeper and more engaging show to end our fourth season than These Shining Lives. As I said before, I not only got to watch and experience this touching, inspiring, and profound production from the audience, but I also got to hear what all of you had to say as you left the theatre. And your remarks, comments, opinions, and overall reactions touched me just as much as the play did.

Why? Because we fulfilled our mission. We served our audience—you all. Your responses to the show were thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, smile-inducing, and I relished each and every conversation with our patrons after every single show. So thank you.

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Wow. That was quite the season, wasn’t it?

And now…now what?

Well, as I’m sure you’re aware, while we may rest a little bit after every big project, all of us at DCRT don’t sit still for long. We’re eager with anticipation for the next thing from which we can learn and share something. So here’s what you have to look forward to:

Duke City Rep’s Inaugural Summer Academy

—We’re officially launching our first ever two week education program, led by the Resident Acting Company. In the mornings from 9am-noon, students will learn Life Skills Through Stage Skills through Acting, Improvisation, and Voice and Movement. All classes will take place at North Valley Academy, and if you’d like more information or a registration form, please visit www.dukecityrep.com or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DCRTacademy.

DCRT SA PC Front

5th Season Announcement Party! 947212_10151566653458802_1289886335_n

—Can you believe we’ve already been around for almost 5 years!? It seems like we just opened Trust at The Filling Station yesterday. But stay tuned for details on where, when, and how you can be the FIRST to know what exciting productions are in store for the 2014-2015 season!

Best of the City Voting 1476215_10151858464818802_368498878_n

—We’ve been voted “Best Theatre” in the city for every season we’ve been in existence. And we’re pretty sure part of that reason is because we’re here to serve YOU, our audiences. So be sure to let Albuquerque the Magazine know! You can vote for us for “Best Theatre” and “Best Actor” HERE!

Some recommendations for “Best Actor” include:

Amelia Ampuero

Ezra Colón

Katie Becker Colón

Frank Taylor Green

Lauren Myers

A moment to acknowledge the people who have helped us along the way, because Duke City Rep would not be what it is without the fabulous support from some fabulous folk:

Rick Galli: He’s the guy that takes all of our PR photos and production photos. Rick makes us look good, and for that, we are eternally grateful. He’s also shot and directed a few of our trailers on YouTube, which puts DCRT out into the electronic world in the coolest way possible!

Scott Milder: He’s another great director of our trailers, not to mention a great supporter, friend, and creative confidant.

Josh Heard: This guy not only did some brave and nervy work in Midsummer, but helped out with build for that show AND These Shining Lives. You rock, Josh!

The Cell Theatre: For giving us a lovely, clean, and creative space in which we can pursue elevated theatrical work!

Our Season Sponsors: Southwest Gynecologic Oncology Associates, Pay Day Inc, Renal Medicine Associates, McDonalds, the Scott Family Foundation, and Sheraton Uptown. Thank you for supporting live theatre in Albuquerque!

And, from Lauren’s File, the entire DCRT Company: Amelia, Frank, Katie, Ezra, Alicia, Anna, Janaiah (and John Hardy too) for being some of the greatest teachers I’ve ever known. I’ve grown immensely as an actor, artist, and person since I started working with all of you.

DID YOU KNOW?!

A few facts you may or may not know about the members of DCRT:

—Duke City Repertory Theatre houses the ONLY Resident Acting Company in all of New Mexico. Rad!

—Artistic Director Amelia Ampuero is freakishly flexible.

—Associate Artistic Director Frank Taylor Green came in runner up for “Best Actor” in Local iQ’s Smart List Poll.

—Two company members (Amelia and Lauren) are Burque natives. But the rest of the company comes from ALL over the nation! Including: Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, Washington DC, and Tennessee!

—Ezra and Katie exchanged their wedding vows in the same city they met—Abingdon, Virginia, which houses the Barter Theatre. This is ALSO where Amelia, Frank, and Anna met them a few years ago, and thus the seeds for Duke City Rep were officially planted!

—Box Office Manager Janaiah Tanner recently became an official Broker for One Stop Realty!

—Katie Becker Colón not only recently became an Area Manager for Arbonne International, but Anna Nichols, Janaiah Tanner, and Evening Star Barron are all consultants as well!

—Every single member of Duke City Rep is in love with their dogs. Except Frank, because he’s in love with his cat. And Katie and Ezra, because Katie’s allergic to canines. And Lauren, but it’s only because she plans on owning one very soon…

With that, folks, I hope you enjoyed Lauren’s first ever (but hopefully not the last) blog post for Duke City Rep. If you have an idea for a post that you’d like one of us to write (or if you’d just like to hear from a particular Company Member in general), feel free to let me know!

Adieu, patrons, and see you at the theatre!

~Lauren

Five Women…

April 25, 2013 by dukecityrep

We are right in the middle of rehearsals for our last production of the season, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball. I have been amazed at how much fun we are having in rehearsal! To give an audience the chance to go “behind the curtain” and see the inner workings of relationships between females is an exciting prospect. It also allows for a great deal of silliness. I can’t wait to see how the menfolk react to this production!

Another reason I’m so thrilled to be a part of this production is just the sheer number of women working on it. A cast of five women (obviously), female Stage Manager and Stage Management Intern, female Lighting Designer/Technical Director. DCRT is obviously a female friendly company but there’s something about working with this many women that’s just delightful. This process has, so far, been so exciting to me for many reasons. One, we get to work with some new blood. We’ve got plenty of familiar DCRT faces in the show but getting the chance to work with one actor we’ve only worked with once before and two other actors we’ve never worked with is galvanizing us all in the rehearsal space. The new blood is energizing everyone!

But the main reason why I look forward to going to rehearsal every night is getting to work under the direction of DCRT Associate Artistic Director Frank Green.

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Now, the reason why I love working with Frank on this production is that I go in to that space every night and watch a man approach something that terrifies him with complete and utter bravery. I see a man, directing a show about women (a mystery for any person of the male persuasion), surrounded by women, with little directing experience and Mr. Green is running, RUNNING towards the unknown. Watching Frank direct this show is witnessing a master class in bravery. Every night I watch him discover a new and more efficient way to communicate with his actors, a better way to lay his preconceived notions aside. I watch him creating a new language for himself and his cast. He is a brilliant example of an artist experimenting with his art at every opportunity. And what I also see, the thing that makes my heart swell, is that Frank’s bravery and humility in the rehearsal room is inspiring the rest of us to rise to that same level of risk and lack of ego. Frank has set the bar. And it’s now up to the rest of us to meet him on that level. It’s a challenge and a struggle for some of us, I know, because it is never easy to do the scary/hard thing. But I see the fire burning in our eyes. I see the desire to be great.

And I know that this show, which could so easily be written off as a fluff piece, will be so full of courage and wonderful because we had a fearless leader in Frank Green.

And the winner is…

January 2, 2012 by dukecityrep

It’s been a while since our last post and there’s so much to catch everyone up on!

Albuquerque the Magazine holds a contest every year to decide the Best of the City. This year, only 1 and half seasons in, Duke City Repertory Theatre was named “Best Theatre Troupe in the City”!

We happen to take this award pretty darn seriously. To those of us at DCRT, we take this to mean that we’re keeping our promise to the audiences of Albuquerque. That we’ve been serving you all and that you’ve decided to bestow this honor on us because you’re responding to our work. That seems really freakin’ cool to us! And we want to thank those friends and families and patrons who got out there and voted for us. And we expect to continue being held accountable to you. We rejoice when we receive emails and phone calls from our audiences telling us that they were moved by one of our shows. And we contemplate the feedback from you all as well about what you didn’t like, what you thought didn’t work. We take it all to heart and we listen to it. We’ve had the good fortune of having almost all positive feedback but that doesn’t mean we take the constructive criticism any less seriously. We try so very hard to make our art accessible to all of the communities in this great city and that means constantly evaluating our work and ourselves.

Occasionally, we get asked “Why another theatre company in Albuquerque? Don’t you think there are enough of you? Aren’t you worried that you all are cannibalizing your audiences?” To which we always answer: No. Since when has any city suffered from having too much good art? We don’t ever want to take away another theatre company’s patrons. We do, however, believe that theatre is a community art form and we can only become better if we are surrounded by other companies who are always striving to make tomorrow’s work better than today’s. Art cannot exist in a vacuum.

In addition to being named “Best Theatre Troupe in the City” we were also listed in the “Best of the Rest” for “Best Spot for Live Theatre”! And we are the only professional company, as opposed to venue, to make that list.

As we move into the second half of our Second Season, we are also asking our fans and supporters to consider a small donation to our current cause: A Kickstarter Fundraiser that will, hopefully, aid us in raising enough money to purchase a much needed truck. Click the link below to learn more and, hopefully, make a contribution.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1339717003/truckin-for-duke-city-rep

( A big thanks to Rick Galli and Lauren Myers for making that awesome video for us!)

On the topic of fundraising, we’d like to let you in on a little secret. Any dollar amount helps a non-profit organization like ours. Of course, of course we want those big ticket donations! But the truth is that we are just as grateful for $10 as we are for $10,000. The reason is because we see each check, each dollar in our donation jars as an indication that you believe in us and the work we are doing. And how could we not be grateful for that faith that is placed in us by you, our patrons?

Until next time, thank you all again for your beautiful support of our company and we’ll see you at the theatre!

September 5, 2011 by dukecityrep

I was going to title this post “A Well Deserved Break” but seeing as we only just closed the first show of the 2nd Season, that seemed a little indulgent.

Wow, what an experience reasons to be pretty was! A great cast, a great script, awesome audiences with so much to say. It seems that we choose a somewhat polarizing piece of theatre to open the 2nd Season with. Our amazing patrons had some very thoughtful and insightful things to say about our production and we were glad to hear them all. Although, we were very surprised at the amount of times we heard “Loved this production! Loved the actors, the direction, the set, the costumes, everything! But I HATED the script.” Even more surprising? Every single patron who told us that was a man. What the?

Our dear friend and supporter, Susan, told us we could write a thesis on that alone. She’s probably right!

In case anyone was wondering, the most oft heard comment from our female patrons was “This play feels so good!!!” Truly.

So DCRT is taking an unofficial “break” until rehearsals begin for Wooden Snowflakes in November. However, because we don’t really understand the meaning of the word “break”, we will actually be working with Fourth Wall Productions in conjunction with SCRAP Productions to produce Ash Tree, a lovely theatre for young audiences piece written by one of our favorite playwrights and dear friend Georgina Hernandez Escobar. Associate Artistic Director Frank Green joins the cast of this incredible show for a limited engagement at the end of the month.

There are several reasons why you should check out this stunning show if you are in the 505:

1. Ash Tree is intelligent and honest theatre for young audiences. This isn’t your run of the mill, fuzzy bunny suit, dumbed down children’s theatre. This is the type of theatre that will create the audiences of tomorrow. Come see what professional theatre for young audiences looks like.

2. This is a site specific show! Want a lovely evening of theatre in an even lovelier setting? Then be sure to join us!

3. Duke City Rep doesn’t throw it’s support behind any old playwright. We choose the material and the projects we work on very carefully so you know this is going to be worth your time.

4. Ok, if these reasons above haven’t quite convinced you of why you should be sure to check this show out, here’s one last go: Admission to this show is Free. FREE. You get to see this show for absolutely nothing but the gas it takes to get you there! And since it’s outdoors, you can bring a picnic, you can bring your blankets and you can enjoy some AMAZING theatre for audiences of all ages and you can do it all for FREE!!!

ARGH! It’s so exciting, we can barely control ourselves over here!

Wanna know more? Follow the link! http://mim.io/dc3581

And be sure to be on the lookout for Wooden Snowflakes opening in December. We’ll be in a different venue for this production: Kosmos aka The Factory on 5th!

See you at the theatre!

http://dukecityrep.com/63/

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. ~Pablo Picasso

July 30, 2011 by dukecityrep

Hello blog readers, Amelia here! Goodness, but it has been a while since I’ve sat down to tap out some thoughts on this blog. Things at DCRT have been quite busy and everyone’s schedules have been full to the brim but I finally have a few moments on this Saturday morning to jot down some things about what we’ve been doing, thinking, going through lately.

First off, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped out, donated, showed up, played, etc. to/for/with us for the Twilight Gypsy Bazaar. We had a small but mighty crowd (as Frank likes to say in his curtain speeches) and those incredible folks helped us raise almost 3 times as much money as we raised last year. The DCRT crowd will be heading back to the drawing board to discuss how we can make next year’s fundraiser even better.

Speaking of drawing boards, that’s something that we do a lot over here at The Rep, taking the time to go over what has worked for us and what hasn’t. We’re big believers in striving for constant growth because we believe that art cannot be created in a stagnant environment. We must constantly be asking ourselves “How can I be better today than I was yesterday? How much more can I give to this art, to this moment, to this event, to this audience?” I understand that we might come off as taking ourselves a bit too seriously but, honestly? Why in the world – why in God’s ever-loving world would I, would anyone, commit to a life in art if not to strive to do the best work possible? This life, this profession is not a right. It is a priviledge and we owe it to the people who make this life possible, our audiences, to give them the best product we can give them.

Now, I don’t mean massive sets and expensive costumes, although if you’ve got the resources for that than more power to you! No, I’m talking about the beautiful, hilarious, terrifying, heartbreaking moments that can experienced between actors and audience. Those incredible moments when everyone on stage and in the house comes together to witness the creation of something that will never happen again. It’s alive and fleeting and electric. It’s not even something that can truly be expressed with words, but rather it’s something that is felt with the heart. Even if the show is done night after night with the same cast, those experiences cannot be recreated.

It’s a beautiful thing!

We’re gearing up for our 2nd Season which opens in just under 3 weeks on August 18th with the New Mexico premier of Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty . And even though the season has barely begun and I love each of the plays we’ve chosen for our 2011-12 season, I’m already looking forward to the adventures that will come with our 2012-2013 season! Everything is a chance to grow, to learn more, to push ourselves as artists out of our comfort zone and into the unknown. Every single thing we do is another chance to serve these thirsty Albuquerque audiences. It’s such an exciting time! I truly hope to see you all at the theatre.

Now, off we go…

A few things…

June 22, 2011 by dukecityrep

One: Tickets are officially on sale for our Twilight Gypsy Bazaar Fundraiser. If you haven’t checked our website (www.dukecityrep.com), you may not know that we have so many incredible Items up for auctions and almost everything we have is from local ABQ merchants! We love keeping things local here at DCRT!

We’ve got incredible items Gruet Winery, 3 Dog Bakery, The Artichoke Cafe (yum!), Lobo Athletics ( Go Lobos!), local artists like Kenny Chavez, The Hotel Albuquerque, Monte’s Cigar and Tobacco, and a whole mess of other truly amazing items up for auction.

But here’s the thing: Tickets are limited. Once we reach our cap, that’s it! So if you want to be a part of this unforgettable evening, go get your tickets now!

Two: Albuquerque the Magazine is holding their annual Best of the City survey. If you liked what you saw on the DCRT stage this season, if the work we do is exciting to you, if you believe in what we at DCRT are doing to cultivate the artistic and cultural landscape of this beautiful city then please go vote for Duke City Rep for Best Live Theatre and/or Best Theatre Troupe. We also had some really great actors on our stage this season so if you feel so inclined, please vote for any one of them for Best Local Actor. Voting closes September 1st , but don’t worry, we’ll keep reminding you!

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