Incorruptible Set

Set designer Joann Lee explains her Incorruptible set model to the cast.

Welcome to Incorruptible!

Director Gené Fouché welcomes the cast to the first rehearsal of Incorruptible: A Dark Comedy about the Dark Ages

Incorruptible begins rehearsal

We are now in rehearsal for the first show of our 11th season! Incorruptible: A Dark Comedy for the Dark Ages opens September 4.

The first read thru for Incorruptible was held on July 29th

Playwright Michael Hollinger’s comedy Red Herring opened our tenth season with such a blast of energy that we thought we would look to the author once more for this season’s kick-off. Hollinger, a professor of theatre at Villanova University, has a background in musical performance and as a result his plays rely highly on tempo, rhythm and timing. This was evidenced in last season’s offering (think the overseas call delayed and masterfully performed by Matt Baughman and Amy Easton), but he adds a bit of slapstick and a dash of vaudeville to Incorruptible, making it a highly physical tour-de-force.

The Incorruptible cast prepares for the first reading.

MET ensemble members Mark Barnhart, Julie Herber, Tad Janes, Karen Paone and Reiner Prochaska join the cast. Joann Lee (sets), Julie Herber (costumes), Carey Rausch (lights), Tom Majarov (sound), and Milee McDonald (props), all ensemble members, have joined forces as our design team. Keeping us all on track and on time is company member Ken Poisson, our stage manager.

Designers listen to the read thru.

We’re very excited to be back in the rehearsal hall and very grateful to the Frederick community who has supported our work for the last decade.

- Gené Fouché, Director

Set designer Joann Lee shows stage manager Ken Poisson the set model.

Another fabulous set from Joann!

MET Summer Retreat

UPDATE: A few more photos courtesy of Milee!

A birds eye view of everyone on the porch

Sarah Straw, Karen Paone, Sarah Shulman and Lorrie Tripp on the back porch.

Every summer, the MET ensemble has a day-long retreat. We talked about the last season and make plans for the upcoming year. This year the retreat was held at the home of company member Milee McDonald.

Allison Lepelletier, Karen Paone, Lorrie Tripp and Joann Lee enjoy Milee's back yard.

We ate, A LOT. There's never a shortage of food when we have a MET potluck!


Sherry Shaner, Jeanine Collins, Rona Mensah, Ken Poisson, Matt Baughman and Allison Lepelletier

And more eating! Julie Herber, Sarah Shulman, Karen Paone and Tad Janes

Milee, Reiner Prochaska, Lorrie

Tad, Milee and Karina Wright chat on Milee's back porch

Julie, Tom Majarov and Karina on the front porch

Ali and Joann admire Sherry's handiwork. She was making cord for the bodice of a dress.

And finally we get to the work part! Jeanine, Ali, Joann, Ken, Tom and Tad look over agendas on the front porch

Tad talks.

We had a great time - made some decisions, signed up for our cleaning months and created task forces for everything we want to accomplish next season. And speaking of next season...rehearsals for the first show, "Incorruptible," begins tomorrow!

Tad Janes on Comcast Newsmakers

Comcast Newsmakers is a segment featuring local organizations that airs on our local CNN channel. This interview with MET Producing Artistic Director Tad Janes aired last month and talks about the end of our 0708 Season. Comcast is MET Season Sponsor.

"Cheesy Being Green"

There's a Run in My Ozone Layer Gazette Review!
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Mary Ellen Mitchell says the show is "...a homespun commentary on the state of the environment that is worth every dollar..."
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Read the whole thing here!

Lorrie Tripp: FNP Star

MET's Hanger Campaign is spotlighted in the Frederick News Post - read the whole story!

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This campaign is part of an overall re-organization the MET is undertaking this summer. We hope to rearrange our office space (by getting more space, hopefully!), move the costume shop and maybe, just maybe, pick up some extra classroom space.

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The photo is of MET's current costume shop - as the FNP article states, it's really more of a big closet than a 'shop.' Hopefully, after all the rearranging, we'll have a better work space in addition to storage. I'll keep the blog updated with photos as the project moves forward.

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- Sarah

Summer at MET!

Although our main stage season is over....the work isn't! We're still keeping the theatre busy with great entertainment, educational programming...and of course, rehearsal!

The Comedy Pigs opened "There's a Run in My Ozone Layer" last weekend to a great opening night house. I must say it was great for me to sit in the audience and have nothing to do but laugh! You won't want to miss this show filled with silliness, some insanely funny characters and yes...a bit of "social conscientiousness". More Info

Karen Paone and myself are busy with Funcamp 2008, our summer theatre camp for kids (with assistance from Ashley Hall & TES intern Celia Lee). We finished up a great first session here at the theatre last weekend with our campers performing shows that they put together in 1-week! We're always amazed with what they are able to accomplish in such a short time. Karen's group of teens created an original ensemble piece (ala MET) called "The Beach". It was filled with inventiveness (including an awesome "jellyfish" movement piece w/ umbrellas dripping with streamers!) and just plain wacky and original scenes that these young artists created from their slightly warped teen minds!

My younger campers tackled a melodrama, "Penelope Pride of the Pickle Factory". They created some fantastic characters just perfect for "cheers and hisses". I had a slight crisis 1/2 before showtime, when my villain (being played marvelously by a delightful young actress) got just a tad bit nervous about portraying a male in front of a live audience and was considerably shaken....we solved the crisis by quickly turning her into a mean female, rather than male boss, changed her name, found a new costume/wig, sped through a few scenes with the young actors to adjust them to the shift and they all went on like pros! And other than the office sign on set that read "Jasper Grimwold" and not the newly acquired "Jasmine Grimwold"....I don't think the audience was the wiser.

Karen and I are now down at the lovely Carroll Arts Center in Westminster doing a 2-week session there. And then we head back up to MET for our final session at the theatre. Exhausting as it is, it's so great being with all these enthusiastic young performers. They get a chance not only to explore acting, but theatrical design elements as well. Today at camp we did costume sketches that the kids designed. They were just great. I have a terrific Sweeney Todd costume designed by a 11 year old boy, a really original forest princess, and a fanciful and clever teapot/Mrs Potts design to name a few...and these kids are under 12! Like I said, they never cease to amaze me.

Last week, I also started rehearsals for "Runaways". I'm so thrilled to be working on this project. We have assembled a multi-talented cast of 20-some young performers to tackle this challenging piece by Elizabeth Swados. We began choreography rehearsals with choreography. The music in the show is wonderful, touching, fun and at times unexpected. I can't wait to get into the meat of staging the show. It's raw and honest. I told the cast that it was going to be really challenging to create this world of runaway children....they're all so sweet..... and bathed. Tapping into the world of loneliness, isolation, fear and danger is going to be a great exploration for all of us! Click here for more info. I'll keep you posted on our progress. Until then........see you at the MET!
Julie

There's a Run in My Ozone Layer

The Comedy Pigs' original sketch show, "There's A Run In My Ozone Layer" opens this weekend! Coming off the success of their wacky original Christmas show "Wreck The Halls", this fast paced romp features classic Comedy Pig humor. Lampooning the hottest topic of the day, The Comedy Pigs take an irreverent look at the Green Movement through their crazy characters, songs and improv comedy. Enjoy the rehearsal photos!

Lydia watches as Anne Raugh & Tres Dillon play the $25,000Eco-Pyramid, with host, James!

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The Pigs began working on "Ozone" in April. First, they tossed around theme ideas then sat down to write sketches over the next two months. Finally, when everyone's work was submitted, a script was compiled,and rehearsals began in June.

James McGarvey gives Lydia Hadfield a beat down

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Working from a script of their own material allowed the Pigs to be loose and play around with their characters and dialogue during rehearsals, tweaking the funny and making new discoveries with each run-thru.

Laura Stark, Clayton Myers and James on the children's TVshow, "Michael Recycle"

Now, under the directionof Denny Grizzle and the stage managing expertise of Carey Rausch, the performers are adding the finishing polish, getting ready for their debut this weekend!

Clay and Laura welcome Regina Michele (Tres) to Hot Topic. "Okaaaaay?"

"There's A Run In My Ozone Layer" opens July 11th at 8:00 pm and runs every Friday and Saturday night through August 8th. Rated PG-13. Tickets are just $15. At that price, it's cheaper than a gallon of gas!

Allison Lepelletier brings back the snarky old lady, with Franky Orr (a.k.a. The Recycler!)

Buy tickets by calling the MET Box Office at 301-694-4744 or purchase tickets online!

The Ladies of "Naughty Night Out" (James, Lydia, Laura & Tres)

Want even more Comedy Pigs? Check out their MySpace page!

James "The Godfather" McGarvey, with Clay and Laura

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Even more?? View Comedy Pigs video here!

Tres, Clay & Franky at the club

Julie Herber and Jon Paul Duvall sand the "cake" from Company after ripping everything off

Sorry Joann!

Jon Paul painting the set around 5am

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And look for James and former Comedy Pig Rona Mensah discussing"Ozone" and 15 years of The Comedy Pigs on Channel 10's "Artscape"around starting July 17th.