In Review:
The 2004 Fall Production
by John Bishop
Directed by Michael Barrett
Play dates were October 29–30, November 3–6, 2004
McMillan Memorial Library Fine Arts Center, Wisconsin Rapids
Actors rehearsing a scene for
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. |
What a fun time we had!
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 opened the WRCT season with a bang—or more appropriately, the slash of a knife! Both cast and crew united to bring our audience a funny "whodunit" that is sure to be remembered as a favorite.
Beginning with auditions the last week of August and the first week of September, our hard-working group was in a flurry of activity. Read on to learn about the process of creating a WRCT production:
It was a long journey... |
Some of the guys rested backstage during rehearsal.
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The actors started working on this show a full eight weeks before the run. They went to their jobs or to their classes during the day, rushed home to gulp down some supper, (if they had time) and rushed to rehearsals for the evening. They also spent a lot of time rehearsing on their own—working on their lines at home, on their lunch break, or with their fellow castmates after rehearsals (at establishments that serve frosty malt beverages!) |
These smiley folks were part of the lighting and sound crews. |
The crews prepared during this time, working independently to get everything ready for a great production. The props were gathered, the lights were painstakingly hung and adjusted, the sound was fine-tuned to be perfect, and the set was built and painted. In the future, when you applaud a WRCT show, please clap just a little harder in honor of the behind-the-scenes people who work just as hard as the actors but don't get to share the spotlight!
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Saturday, October 23 was Tech Saturday, (or sometimes affectionately referred to as Hell Saturday!) On this day, the actors and crews run the show with full technical effects, such as sound and lighting. The show is usually run twice during the day, and done exactly as if it was a performance, stopping only to make technical adjustments.
The Props crew made sure that all the props to be used in the show were ready to go. There was some tricky and almost dangerous props work to be done by the actors, and everything had to be perfectly set and timed!
The Lighting and Sound technical crews fine tuned everything that needed to be ready for the real performances. Sound and lighting queues were adjusted to perfection, and the actors worked to make their entrances and exits—some of which had to be done when the stage is dark.
It's starting to look like a show... |
Gloria Swanson,
eat your heart out! |
Ja, you vant some chocolate? |
The group had full technical rehearsals throughout the last week in preparation for opening night. The actors were in full costume for rehearsals, and had integrated makeup, wigs, and hairstyles during the week. The costumes for this show were found through a combination of ways—some were rented, some were borrowed, some were made especially for this show, and some were out of the actor's own closets! However they were found, they looked fantastic!
GQ is calling!
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The ladies do a practice run with makeup. |
MMMMMMakeup!
The makeup the actors used was not the Cover Girl or Maybelline that the average person uses, but actual stage makeup purchased from Norcostco, a theater supply company. The Makeup technician guided the actors in applying the makeup to achieve the affects needed for each character, while keeping it natural lookingl.
What a nasty scar on such a handsome face! |
The trick to doing stage makeup at McMillan Library is to be as subtle as possible, as the audience is very close to the stage, and can see every little thing. One of the actors (James, at left) required a nasty scar on his cheek that took a bit of artistry to look real. The HARDEST part of stage makeup, according to our technician, was teaching the men how to apply the little bit of eyeliner needed to make their eyes show up onstage—guys aren't used to pencils anywhere near their eyes!
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Boy, it looks just like an old movie set!!!
There's tricks behind these bookcases! |
The set depicts the elegance of the 40's. |
The Set Construction crew built another marvelous set on the library stage. This set came with a number of technical requirements that were a challenge for the crew to figure out, and they did it wonderfully!
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| All of these people, both onstage and off, were united in their goal of bringing you a quality production. There were nights when our people, both young and old, were just plain tired and would have loved to have spent the evening at home in front of the TV. They'd given up volleyball and darts leagues and time with their families. Being the dedicated souls they were, the actors went to rehearsals Monday through Thursday and seldom missed. The crew members rubbed their aching backs, took hold of their hammers and wrenches, and nailed down that beam, or climbed the ladder to adjust that light. But all the hard work paid off when THE SHOW OPENED! AND HERE WE GO!!! |
"Bernice" meets "Ken." |
Thursday night, October 28, was Premier Night, or the final dress rehearsal. This performance was done with a small audience consisting mostly of drama students from the area high schools. We usually invite members of the library staff, who work hard to accommodate WRCT during rehearsals and productions.
Friday night, October 29, was OPENING NIGHT! The cast and crew giddily shared opening night cards, gifts, and hugs. Their cameraderie was infectious. They sneeked peeks as the audience filled the seats, and heard the hum of our patrons waiting for some entertainment at the end of the work week. Opening night audiences are always a fun group of people who are excited to be the first audience to see a brand-new production. The cast and crew fed on this excitement. THIS is what makes all the hard work and preparation worth every minute! |
The group completed the first two nights of the production and got a well-earned 3 nights off. But they were back at it on Wednesday, November 3, for 4 more nights of fun!
All good things must come to an end...
During rehearsals for this show, we moved our stored property from our space at the library (above) to our new space at the Rapids Mall, so McMillan can prepare for their renovation. |
What goes up....
On Monday, November 8, the beautiful set came down. Some people came in and started working in the morning, some came in the afternoon, and the rest came to help after work. Everyone was in their work clothes, as their time in the limelight was over and their muscles were needed. The props and the set pieces were hauled to our storage area at the Rapids Mall. The group looked at the empty stage with a touch of melancholy, as 8 hours earlier it had contained a beautiful room from the 1940's. It had been their home for a few short weeks.
And life goes back to normal...
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 has come full circle, from auditions to set strike. Some people were looking forward to spending more time at home with their families. Some were looking forward to the holiday season. And some were anticipating the NEXT set of auditions, which would come up soon! Being theater people, everyone knew that when one show ended, another would soon begin, and the wonderful anticipation starts all over again! THIS is what keeps them coming back to the hard work and long nights and anxious moments.
This is what community theater is all about!
Thank you to everyone who came to see The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.
The audience is a big part of every WRCT production, and we couldn't do it without you!
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About the show...
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 was NOT a musical, yet had as much fun and action as one. In this play, where the maid was killed in the opening scene, you saw that everything was not as it seemed. Deadly knives, swinging bookcases, bizarre accents, a blizzard, a strange German maid, and a murderer called “The Stage Door Slasher” all combined for a relentlessly convoluted plot. Silly, hugely enjoyable, and satirical, John Bishop’s American farce of murder mysteries had us giggling till the killer was unmasked in the nick of time. |
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