Mounting a stage production requires a tremendous amount of work and cooperation among a large group of people. Take a peek behind the scenes of SIX WOMEN WITH BRAIN DEATH as we examine the steps in building the show - from preparation, through rehearsals, and finally into performances.
Director
Tabloid headlines and pop-culture references figure prominently in the humor of this particular show. Since SIX WOMEN was written during the Reagan years, some of the jokes have become dated. Even some of the pop-culture references changed by author Mark Houston for the 1994 production are no longer relevant, so they must be updated to retain their punch. Of course, aliens, Elvis, Liz Taylor, and Bigfoot still regularly appear in the tabloids, so those references are still as fresh as when the show was first written. Cast and Crew
The crew also has returning veterans. Phil Carlton (Stage Manager) and Don Lusk (backstage crew and voice-overs) are returning for their third run of the show. Other crew members include Adrian Thompson, Lane Fields, Tyler Etherton, and Bob & Lyn Bates - who’ve all worked on numerous other CST productions. Each of the women has their own personal dresser responsible for their props and costumes. Other crew members are required for lights, sound, and spotlights.
Of course, a musical show requires musicians and SIX WOMEN is fortunate to have the talents of the local band MISS BROWN TO YOU, featuring Louise Goldberg on keyboards, Mary Reynolds on guitar, and Elyse Angelo on percussion. These talented women played the music for CHANGIN’ LANES during our 1999 season. Louise Goldberg is also serving as Musical Director. Music Rehearsal Probably
the hardest part for the returning cast members is unlearning a part they
might have learned for a previous production or, even harder, learning a
part the way it is written rather than they way they got used to singing
it. Most of the first week was devoted to music rehearsals so the cast
would have a good grasp of the music before adding movement and dialog. Read-Through
Blocking and
Choreography This production is being presented in the Tolbert theatre at Stage Center, so its blocking can take advantage of the three-quarter round space and be different than any of the previous productions. Some of the blocking is worked out ahead of time, and some is worked out with the actors during rehearsal. The opening number of SIX WOMEN is almost 15 minutes of singing, movement, and dialogue and required two full rehearsal nights to block. All together, it took almost three weeks to block and choreograph the entire show. Rehearsal
While the actors rehearse, other departments are busy preparing their portions of the show. Set Design and
Construction To accommodate these quick set changes, the set utilized revolving platforms and set pieces that rolled on and off stage. Costumes
& Wigs After discussions with the director, Mary decided on a color scheme for the show. Each woman is color-coded and all of her costumes utilize variations on that particular color.
In all, over 80 costume pieces were created for this production, requiring lots of late nights for the costume crew. We thank Mary, Adrian Thompson, Don Lusk, Phil Carlton, Rhonda Clark, Lysandra Dial-Meek, Emily Etherton, Taylor Etherton, Robert Erwin, Joni Trombley, and everyone else who helped get the costumes ready. In addition to numerous costumes, the ladies also have wigs for various scenes - almost 25 in all. In addition to his work on costumes and backstage crew, Adrian Thompson is in charge of acquiring and maintaining the wigs during the show.
Props
Dress Rehearsal Often, it’s desirable to have a few audience members so the actors have some feedback and can determine where the laughs come, or where something that should be funny isn’t getting the expected response.
Back to SIX WOMEN features.
|
It's
her job to determine the overall vision and shape of the
production. and ensure that the acting, set, props, costumes, music
and lighting work together to serve the show’s style and purpose.
Rehearsals
began with a run-through of the music. Musical Director Louise Goldberg
worked with the ladies to determine their vocal ranges and decide who
would sing each vocal part.
Next
comes the most grueling part of rehearsals – determining where and when
the actors move during the action.
With
approximately 15 wildly different scenes, you can expect that SIX WOMEN requires a
lot of costumes. In addition to appearing in the show, Mary Freeh is also
designing and constructing the costumes. The
opening number is the most complex; with four costume changes for each
woman – that’s
24 costumes just for the first 15 minutes of the show!
Each woman has a basic costume - a
black top and skirt or pants, then other pieces (hats, robes,
straightjackets, etc.) are layered over that for specific scenes. Each
piece is designed so it can be easily removed during quick costume
changes.
