Maryland Ensemble Theatre

The MET Blog has moved!

2009-02-10T16:34:00.002-05:00

To get all the latest backstage news and photos, visit the MET Blog here, or visit the MET homepage and just click on MET Blog button!

The Ultimate Found Space Theatre Experience!

2009-01-27T10:44:00.003-05:00

(A found space is a nontheatrical space -- the rotunda of the state capitol, a church, warehouse, courtroom, carepnters shop -- which is used for production. Typically the space is chosen because of its context to the play: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at the capitol, The Passion Play in a church, Inherit the Wind in a courtroom, etc. For more info on different types of theatre spaces, go here.)

Almost, Maine is almost here!

2009-01-26T11:23:00.013-05:00

It's a dark weekend at MET - that means we don't have any shows playing. Which also means it's time for a work call! On Saturday, we came in for several hours to get ready for our next mainstage show, Almost, Maine.

This is the Almost, Maine set, from designer Joann Lee.

After all set pieces and props have been cleared, the first task is to paint everything - the walls, floor, center column -everything, black. Reiner and Mak paint over the blue and white swirls from The Snow Queen.

Gené paints the wall.

Joann draws the skyline for Almost, Maine.

Pat McDonald and Joann cut out the skyline.

Tad broke something. Mark tries to help fix it. In the end, this piece of equipment was put back together with fast-drying epoxy and camouflage duct tape. It was a sight to behold.

Karen puts away costumes from our last show.

Rona puts away fabric pieces.

Julie is excited by all the progress in the costume shop!

Of course, we couldn't just have one thing happening at MET! During the work call, our next Fun Company show, Ma Lien and the Magic Paintbrush, had rehearsal. Ma Lien is a traditional Chinese folk tale, adapted for the stage by MET Associate Artistic Director Gené Fouché and directed by ensemble member Ali Lepelletier.

MET Wii Band: Crapdip

2009-01-09T14:24:00.003-05:00

Our Wii Band sings "White Wedding." We have Gené Fouché on guitar, Lorrie Tripp on Drums, Carey Rausch on bass and Tad Janes on vocals.

Beach Retreat: Workshop

2009-01-09T13:43:00.006-05:00

During workshops, we often play games. These games are almost always a lot of fun, but the point is to hone our skills and add tools to our toolboxes. In this game, only one person can make noise or move at a time, which teaches listening skills and makes us think about how we make choices: are we dominant, do we acquiesce, etc? The goal is to stop thinking about what we're personally doing and focus on completing the game as a group; to give ourselves over to the collaborative, creative process that is theatre.

Beach Retreat!

2009-01-09T10:54:00.019-05:00

We're at our annual beach retreat! Each year we spend a week in Surfside Beach, SC working on MET stuff. We hold workshops, read plays, talk about the future of MET, go on fun excursions, eat, play games and generally bond. This year we're coming off a couple of really super busy months with our four holiday shows, so we've spent a lot of time just relaxing and recharging.

I had intended to do a blog post each day, but I've been too busy doing nothing(!), so here's a brief recap of our week:

At the beach we play a lot of games!

We also formed our own Wii band: Crapdip. Here we have Carey Rausch, Tad Janes, Peter Wray and Ken Poisson.

We've taken lots of walks on the beach.

And here's the leaping photo of the year! Gené makes it across the beach stream.

We went to Brookgreen Gardens, which is a delightful sculpture garden.

Tad and Gené at Brookgreen.

In addition to the many amazing sculptures, Brookgreen has amazing grounds - ponds, pools, huge trees, etc and lots of animals.

We got our nails done! We had to drag Ken there, but his first mani/pedi experience has inspired him to make the nail salon a weekly visit.

We read aloud some plays that are being considered for next season.

Ken and Sarah Shulman wear inexplicable heardgear.

Lorrie Tripp and Sarah Straw put a puzzle together. We've done about 10 puzzles this week!

For more photos, check out Karen's Facebook albums.

A MET DISCO CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T01:12:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE MET FAMILY

2008-12-24T00:39:00.006-05:00

As we celebrate this joyous time of year here at MET, we also thank all of our loyal patrons and welcome our new ones. Here's wishing you all a happy and safe holiday, spent with loved ones and friends. After a successful tour of our beloved production of Christmas Carol at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster and the Weinberg Center for the Arts, our festive holiday offerings continue. " The Santaland Diaries" (welcoming sell-out crowds) and the raucous "4 Eggnogs and an Apology" run on the Mainstage through January 3. And, don't miss "The Snow Queen", running on our Family Theatre stage through January 24. In between, many of us will be in South Carolina at our annual company retreat rejuvenating, planning, holding creative workshops, rehearsing for the upcoming production of "Almost, Maine"...and of course, playing.

And finally, here's a bit more holiday cheer from us to you! CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ABOVE:
A MET DISCO CHRISTMAS
featuring some of your favorite MET characters and our newest MET-ster Eve

..Oh and if you are in need of last minute gifts, stop by the box office for mugs, MET scarves, t-shirts, hoodies or gift vouchers!!

MET in the News

2008-12-18T15:27:00.003-05:00

We're all over the place this weekend! Not only are there several articles about MET in today's local papers, our shows are also on the covers of both 72Hours in the FNP and the A&E section in the Gazette! Follow the links below to read the stories and reviews:

A nice piece about Julie Herber and a review of 4 Eggnogs and an Apology, in the Frederick News Post.

A story about A Christmas Carol and one about our partnership with Cakes for a Cause, in the Gazette.

A Christmas Carol load-in at the Weinberg

2008-12-18T12:43:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday, the day after we closed our run of A Christmas Carol at the Carroll County Arts Center, our crew loaded the set into the Weinberg Center in Frederick. We've been using the same set, designed by Tad Janes, for the last several years, and it's basically a giant erector set, fairly easy and quick to put together. And this year we captured the process on film:

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This is what the set looks like when it's all put together, with lights and special effects:

A Merry Bah Humbug Christmas

2008-12-17T09:18:00.003-05:00

MET has partnered with Cakes for a Cause to present, for the first time ever, Scrooge Gear! During our performances of A Christmas Carol at the Weinberg, you'll be able to pick up a Merry Bah Humbug scarf, Cratchit Crackers and Tiny Tim Treats. Below MET board members and owner/founder of Cakes for a Cause Elin Ross model the fabulous scarves (design by Jean Peterson), and Elin displays her baked goodies.

First Row: Ben Mourad, Elin Ross, Shawn Pitts

Second Row: Amy Benton, Dan Kuebbing, Elizabeth Cromwell, Tad Janes, Kara Norman, Beccah Bartlett

Snow Queen Press Round Up

2008-12-12T13:11:00.003-05:00

The Snow Queen received lovely press this week, with stories in both the Gazette and the Herald-Mail. Both pieces feature an interview with writer and director, Reiner Prochaska.

More Eggnog Fun

2008-12-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

Check out the 'history and life behind that little frothy brew!' Yes, apparently there is some disagreement about where the name 'eggnog' came from. Was it derived from 'egg'n'grog' or 'egg in a noggin' or 'egg and grog in a noggin'?

Read the arguments and choose a side at the link above! And, come see 4 Eggnogs and an Apology this weekend!

The Fourth Eggnog

2008-12-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

Low-Fat Eggnog

Ingredients:
6 cups skim milk
1 cup “Egg Beaters” (or similar)
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 teaspoons rum extract
sweetener or sugar, to taste (just remember that this is supposed to be a DIET recipe, and sugar has more calories than a sweetener)
2 x pinch nutmeg,
2 x pinch cinnamon, ground

Directions:
In a medium saucepan (or bowl, if you plan to use the microwave), heat the milk, Egg Beaters and sweetener or sugar. You’ll need to remember to stir continuously if you’re using the stove, and every minute if you’re using the microwave.
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Heat & stir until the mixture thickens slightly – enough that it can coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla essence, rum extract, one pinch of nutmeg & one pinch of cinnamon.
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Remove from heat (or microwave).Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the eggnog has cooled (at least 3 hours). Just prior to serving, ladle your yummy low fat eggnog into glasses, and garnish each with an extra little sprinkle of ground nutmeg & ground cinnamon.

The Third Eggnog

2008-12-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

Eggless, Non-Alcoholic Eggnog (does it really count as Eggnog without the eggs and the liquor?)

Ingredients:
8 cups milk
1 3 oz package of French Vanilla Instant pudding
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp of nutmeg

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the pudding with 1 cup of the milk. When pudding is formed, add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill.

The Second Eggnog

2008-12-09T10:15:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eggnog

Ingredients:
12 egg yolks
5 cloves, whole
4 cups milk
4 cups cream
3 cups light rum
1+ ¾ cups sugar
2+ ½ teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
¾ teaspoon nutmeg, ground

Directions:
In a saucepan over low heat, blend the milk, cinnamon, cloves and half a teaspoon of the vanilla essence. Keep stirring while mixture heats, and remove from heat just before boiling point.
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In a bowl, mix together the sugar with all those egg yolks. Make sure you whisk them well so that they're light and fluffy. Gently and a little at a time, pour in the milk mixture while continuing to whisk.
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Transfer mixture back into your saucepan over a medium heat while continuing to stir. Keep stirring until your eggnog mixture starts to resemble custard. Never let the mixture to reach boiling point!!
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Pour and strain the mixture into a jug, making sure to remove the cloves. Stand jug in the fridge for an hour or two. Gently stir in the cream, light rum, remaining vanilla and ground nutmeg.
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Put back into the fridge overnight. Serve in cups with a little extra ground nutmeg, cinnamon or baking cocoa sprinkled lightly on top.

Kris Kringle Parade

2008-12-08T12:37:00.007-05:00

Every year the cast of A Christmas Carol marches in the annual Kris Kringle Parade. This parade winds through Historic Downtown Frederick and includes high school bands, girl scouts and cub scouts dressed in holiday garb and of course, Kris Kringle himself!

The cast meets at MET to get dressed, and then head over to the Delaplaine to line up:

Long-time METster Ashley Hall helps the children get dressed.

There are lots of kids in A Christmas Carol and finding shoes, stockings, pants, shirts, coats and hats for them all is always an interesting challenge!
Tad Janes (right), who plays Scrooge, has been growing those fabulous mutton chops for weeks! He applies white cream to his hair with a tooth brush

At last it's time for the parade! It was cold on Friday night, but our cast marched with smiles, handing out postcards promoting MET's holiday lineup.
Photo by Rob Dallimore

The two new Tiny Tims: Elissa Dalimore and Lena Janes.
Photo by Rob Dallimore

Elissa with Bill Stitley.

Photo by Rob Dallimore

100th Post!

2008-12-08T11:59:00.002-05:00

This is the 100th post on the MET Blog! We've been blogging for almost a year! This blog was started as a way to communicate more with our patrons and give people a sense of what MET is all about, besides producing plays. But it's become more than that. It's become a great way of documenting and recording our process, a living archive.

If you have comments about the blog, please email them to me at: sstraw@marylandensemble.org

Thanks for reading!

The First Eggnog

2008-12-08T10:38:00.001-05:00

The Comedy Pigs' original holiday sketch show, 4 Eggnogs and an Apology, opens on Friday, and to celebrate I'm going to share four eggnog recipes with you, one for each day until the opening. So, here is The First Eggnog:

Basic Eggnog
Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus one tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
i cup heavy cream
3 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
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Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
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Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.
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Cook's Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.
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In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.
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In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.

Snow Queen Video Shoot

2008-12-05T12:49:00.000-05:00

Our production of The Snow Queen features a multimedia component and director Reiner Prochaska has been busy filming video sequences for the show. These mini movies will play on screens upstage of the action. Yesterday evening, Reiner filmed some segments in our Ensemble School classroom:

Julie Herber and Reiner apply makeup to Ken Poisson, who will be playing the part of "Evil Sprite."

Julie makes Ken look evil, Reiner applies spirit gum and elf ears. Ken relaxes, enjoys the attention, sips a Fresca and muses that he should wear this makeup when playing World of Warcraft.

Ken is an evil sprite!

Reiner sets up a low-tech green screen. 'Real' green screens are incredibly expensive, but Reiner made this one for $4, using plastic tablecloths. He said the other videos he's shot with this cheap solution look great.

Ken positions Ensemble School students Austin Lemere and Lena Janes, who are playing his minions. Reiner prepares to shoot their scene.

To see how the videos turn out and how they mesh with the play, come see the show!

Ken's Evil Amulet

2008-12-04T16:54:00.006-05:00

Ken prepares for his role as an evil sprite in a Snow Queen video sequence. There was a minor costume malfunction just prior to the shoot. But Ken, ever the resourceful METster, grabbed some spirit gum and saved the day!

New MET Website!

2008-12-04T13:17:00.000-05:00

We have a new look for our MET website! Same address (www.marylandensemble.org), different look.

And now you can access the MET Blog from the new homepage, just click the Blog link on the left side of the page.

In the photo, Gené and I are talking (on our fancy new phone in our fancy new conference room with our fancy new table!) with web guy Phil Graves. Gené designed the look of the site and Phil put everything together for us.

As with any new technology, there are always bugs to work out - thank you for being patient as we make this transition. Let us know what you think about the new site! Email me at sstraw@marylandensemble.org

Santaland in the news and a trip down memory lane

2008-12-04T09:19:00.003-05:00

There was a lovely article about The Santaland Diaries in the Gazette today. Read it here.

The Hagerstown Herald-Mail also has an article about the show. Read it here.

As I was searching for the article online, I came across this piece about MET from Christmastime 2003. It's just a brief summary of all the shows we had going at the time, but it proves that the holidays have always been the busiest time of the year for MET. I heard once that when you're in show business, the only way you know it's a holiday is that you do two shows instead of one!

Santaland Tech Week

2008-12-02T17:50:00.006-05:00

It's Tech Week for Santaland! This is the time when all the technical components - lights, sound, costumes, set, props, etc - come together with the performance. The director works with all the designers to get everything just right.

The set is still going up - it has to serve for three different shows: Santaland Diaries, 4 Eggnogs and an Apology and The Snow Queen.

Santaland director Suzanne Beal gives notes to Rona Mensah after rehearsal.

Suzanne, Rona and the designers/technicians talk about the show.

Rona takes notes. The swirly blue on the walls behind her are for the Snow Queen set.
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I'm still not sure how everything is going to fit together and work for each show, but I know that our set designers (Ken Poisson, Joann Lee and the Comedy Pigs) and our technical director (Mark Barnhart) having been working together closely will find a way to make it fabulous!

Doll's House Strike

2008-12-01T11:54:00.011-05:00

The moment the audiences leaves a final performance, we begin strike - putting away props, furniture and costumes, dismantling the set and getting the stage ready for the next production. Below are photos from the A Doll's House strike:

First, we clear all the props and set dressing.

Then it's time to remove the bigger furniture items. Some of the props and furniture pieces belong to MET, but most of them were loaned from various company members, so we had to sort everything as well.
© 2008 Joe Williams

Joann poses with her beautiful floor. We hated to paint over this masterpiece!
© 2008 Joe Williams

The stage is almost clear and the windows have been removed, so it's time to start dismantling the walls.
© 2008 Joe Williams

We try to reuse everything we can, so in addition to taking the walls down, we have to pull out every single nail, screw and staple.
© 2008 Joe Williams

Reiner is He-Man!
© 2008 Joe Williams

At this point, everyone needs a screw gun, but unfortunately we don't have enough to go around.
© 2008 Joe Williams

We had a lot of people help with this strike, which made the whole process go quickly. By the end of strike, the stage was clear, except for the things that were going to be throw out or given away. The next day we had a work call and a dump run.

History of MET's A Christmas Carol

2008-11-27T16:07:00.000-05:00

2008 marks the 5th year of MET's production of A Christmas Carol. The script we use was adapted from the book by Charles Dickens by Theatricks (a theatre company founded by Sandy Murphy and MET Associate Artistic Director Julie Herber) over 11 years ago.

Dancing at Fezziwigs!

Theatricks and then The Fun Company (another Julie Herber founded company) produced the show for about six years, performing at Frederick Community College and the Weinberg. The very first Scrooge was Tom Dougherty.

The ghost of Jacob Marley (James McGarvey) rattles his chains.

MET began producing A Christmas Carol when Julie - and The Fun Company - joined MET. Not much has changed in the past 11 years - we use the same original script from Theatricks, Julie has directed every year except one, when she was part of the cast.

The Ghost of Christmas Past (Gené Fouché) greets Scrooge (Tad Janes)

There have been cast changes, of course, but most of the people you see on stage have been doing the show for years. Tad Janes, MET's Artistic Director, has played Scrooge for the past 5 years. For many years, the part of Tiny Tim was played by Ensemble School student Karli Cole. This year the role is double cast, played by Elissa Dalimore and Lena Janes.

Scrooge (Tad Janes) and Ghost of Christmas Present (Karen Paone) watch the Cratchit family.

We've gone through several sets, most of them designed by our good friend Ira Domser. The current set was designed by Tad. We store the set, along with tubs of props and costumes, separately from the rest of our stock. We do our best to use Christmas Carol props and costumes only for that show, which makes getting ready for performances much easier!

Our fabulous set.

This year you can see A Christmas Carol in Wesminster at the Carroll County Arts Center or in Downtown Frederick at The Weinberg Center. In addition to public matinee and evening performances, the cast will also perform 5 daytime shows for school children.

Scrooge and company

Tiny Tim (Karli Cole) and Scrooge (Tad Janes). "God bless us, everyone!"

Reiner Prochaska talks about The Snow Queen

2008-11-26T10:45:00.003-05:00

When--in the summer of 2008--Julie Herber first asked me to write a stage adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen, I had to admit that I had actually never read it. Having grown up in Germany, I was thoroughly familiar with the fairy tales the Brothers Grimm had woven from centuries of central European folklore--but reading Andersen's work was a new experience. The critics seemed to agree that Snow Queen was his best and most complex work. But why?

Snow Queen combines a range of compelling themes: good, evil, love, friendship, loyalty, religion, nature, compassion, and ambition. Adapting so complex a story for an audience of children--as well as for their parents and grandparents (since children rarely come to the theater by themselves)--seemed a daunting task. I wanted to write a play that was relevant to a twenty-first-century audience. After I re-read the text several times, two prevalent themes--dichotomies, rather--that seemed to me both modern and timeless emerged: Intellect versus Emotion and Civilization versus Nature.

Both themes have been represented in literature for as long as humans have recorded their experience through the written word. We find them in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Their timelessness intrigued me. Too often, the Snow Queen is a representation of evil and wickedness. I see her as a Force of Nature, rather than a Force of Evil. When Gerda asks Grandmother whether the Snow Queen can come inside, Kai responds, "Let her try! I'd put her on the stove and she'd melt!" If we can accept the Snow Queen as a representation of nature, could Kai's comment be a modern metaphor for human interference with our environment? So, I chose to write this play as a cautionary tale about the precarious balance between Man and Nature, but also about the power of love and loyalty in the face of adversity.

Because I am also directing this production, staging it for visual impact was a big consideration for me. Since so many of the scenes take place in the vast landscapes of Scandinavia, a traditional set seemed hardly appropriate. While as an actor I love the immediacy of the stage, as a filmmaker I'm thrilled by the excitement of moving pictures. But why not combine the two? I decided to use--instead of a stage set--two large screens onto which still and video images could be rear-projected. These images will serve as set interiors as well as interactive outdoor videos. A combination of stock video clips will create the illusion of the Snow Queen's sleigh flying over glaciers and mountains and above the clouds. This past Tuesday, I traveled to Shartlesville, Pennsylvania, to tape footage from a moving horse-drawn carriage driving through a snowy forest for a scene in which Gerda is captured by a band of robbers.

Below is a short "teaser" with images from the show. Check it out. And, come see the show. I think it will be exciting for children of all ages. See you at the MET!

- Reiner Prochaska

Box Office Humor (from Joann!)

2008-11-25T11:07:00.003-05:00

Crank Yankers: OCD Theater

Crank Yankers

OCD Theater

The MET Furniture Line

2008-11-21T12:19:00.009-05:00

Since we moved into our new offices, ensemble member Mark Barnhart has been hard at work, building us our own furniture line! We call it the 'Maärk Collection':

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His first project was a bookshelf for the back hallway. Mark did the construction and staining in the scene shop, but brought the shelves into the classroom for assembly.

Done! The shelves are completely full of books, plays and set models now.

Next Mark built some desks for our company office, they match the look of the book shelves above.
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Once the desks were done, and the A Doll's House set finished, Mark moved on to a large table for our conference room.
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It makes me nervous with all the sparks flying around!

The table was moved into the conference room yesterday, Reiner helped! First they set up the legs and base. Then they attached the table top.
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Our beautiful new conference table! We're very excited about having a dedicated space for meetings. No longer will the Board of Directors be squished into the Greene Room, or the Technology Committee be forced to meet in the lobby, with Ensemble School students working on scenes close by. Yay!
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Mark has also built a new fabulous work table and wood storage unit in the scene shop. Next time you're at the MET, ask for a tour of the Maärk Collection!

Another Christmas Carol Video

2008-11-20T13:23:00.002-05:00

Karen says I missed one! Here's Mr. Magoo, with Tiny Tim and Razzleberry Dressing!

Charles Dickens

2008-11-19T15:40:00.001-05:00

Charles John Huffam Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol, was born on February 7, 1812.

His early life began idyllically, but due to his father's imprisonment in Marshalsea Debtor's Prison, Dickens was forced at the age of twelve to leave school and work at Warren's Shoe Blacking Factory. The rest of his family moved into the prison, but Dickens was sent to live with a family friend so he could was to work.

Many of his books are based on his experiences as a child factory worker and the effects of being abandoned by his family.

Fortunately for Dickens (and us!), when his father was released, he made sure Dickens was able to return to school, saving him from a life of factory work.

As an adult, Dickens held several jobs, including working as a clerk at a law office and for a newspaper as a political journalist. His first published work for fiction was Sketches by Boz, which was published in 1836 and led to the serialization of his first novel, The Pickwick Papers.

Also in 1836, Dickens married Catherine Hogarth. They had 10 children.

Dickensian characters—especially their typically whimsical names—are among the most memorable in English literature. The likes of Ebenezer Scrooge, Fagin, Mrs Gamp, Charles Darnay, Oliver Twist, Micawber, Abel Magwitch, Samuel Pickwick, Miss Havisham, Wackford Squeers and many others are so well known and can be believed to be living a life outside the novels that their stories have been continued by other authors.

Most of Dickens's major novels were first written in monthly or weekly instalments in journals such as Master Humphrey's Clock and Household Words, later reprinted in book form. These instalments made the stories cheap, accessible and the series of regular cliff-hangers made each new episode widely anticipated. American fans even waited at the docks in New York, shouting out to the crew of an incoming ship, "Is Little Nell dead?"

Charles Dickens died on June 9, 1870. Contrary to his wish to be buried in Rochester Cathedral, he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. The inscription on his tomb reads: "He was a sympathiser to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world."

For more on Dickens, including TONS of analysis of every word he wrote, visit here.

A Christmas Carol Fast Facts

2008-11-18T12:41:00.000-05:00

- John Leech provided eight illustrations, four woodcuts and four hand colored etchings, for the first edition of A Christmas Carol published in December 1843. This image, Mr. Fezziwig's Ball, appeared as the the frontpiece for that edition. See more illustrations here.

- The full title is: A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas

- A Christmas Carol was the subject of Dickens' first ever public reading, given in Birmingham Town Hall to the Industrial and Literary Institute on 27 December 1852.

- A Christmas Carol has been made into about a million different adaptations, from musicals, movies, radio shows and TV shows. For a complete list (almost!), go here.

- A Christmas Carol was immediately very popular, though at the time it was published it created a great religious controversy! The story's lack of babes, wise men, stars, mangers and other icons of the Christian nativity inspired a multitude of sermons and pamphlets at that time.

A Christmas Carol is almost here...again!

2008-11-17T12:58:00.000-05:00

Once again, MET will be performing the traditional A Christmas Carol, adapted from the book by Charles Dickens. To get us all in the mood, I'll be posting several items relating to this most classic of all holiday classics.

For starters, let's look at some other A Christmas Carol adaptations:

The Muppets!

Scrooge McDuck!

annnnd...Barbie!

MET in the Community: Buckingham's Choice

2008-11-14T13:17:00.005-05:00

For the past three years, MET Associate Artistic Director Julie Herber has been working with the Buckingham's Choice Players. The group's next show opens on Monday, November 17th. BC Players president and long time MET patron Marvin Fink shares his thoughts on the upcoming show and the rehearsal process:

BC Players present…..

“THE CEMETERY CLUB”
By Ivan Menchell

This play was originally produced by the Yale Repertory Theatre on January 13, 1987 and was subsequently produced at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Eisenhower Theatre on March 30, 1990. It was then moved to the Brook Atkinson Theatre in New York on May 12, 1990 and it was finally produced as a movie in 1993.
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The play is a comedy-drama concerned with the serious subjects of death, love and renewal of life. There are three widow ladies who have been visiting their husbands’ graves for a number of years. However, a certain amount of unrest has developed within two of the ladies who feel life may have some other purpose for them. The third lady remains devoted to her husband memory and is steadfast in her visits. This sets up a conflict when, by chance, a man appears to visit his wife’s grave and they all accidentally bump into each other. Apparently two of the ladies know this man and the complications and intrigue that develop will both sadden and amuse you. How does one begin anew and should they, are the basic questions that are asked, and does anyone have the right to interfere. The play has some very funny lines in a Jewish New York flavor but the play does more than represent the ethnicity of New York. The problems presented to senior citizens who have lost a loved one are universal and this play will prove very meaningful to many of us.
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The cast and director: Marianne, Jill, George, Anne, Julie Herber and Bryce

The Buckingham’s Choice Players are in their final weeks of rehearsal for their 5th presentation of plays given for and by the residents of Buckingham’s Choice, a senior citizen retirement community in Adamstown, Maryland. The plays are directed by a professional actress and director, Ms. Julie Herber, Associate Artistic Director of the Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) in Frederick, Maryland.
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Our performers are senior citizens with many years of life’s experience behind them to guide their understanding of the characters they play. They are used to being natural and real in real-life situations and it just needs a little prompting and coaching from Ms. Herber to make them appear this way before an audience.
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Bryce as Lucille and Anne as Ida

A typical rehearsal day starts as the actors assemble, hopefully on time. Julie arrives and we check to see what Julie has in mind for a rehearsal today. “We’ll start with Act 1”, she says, and George, (our one and only man in the play starts to improvise the living room in Ida’s home in New York City). Since we are rehearsing in the library extension at Buckingham’s Choice we don’t have a couch or a cocktail table, but George quickly puts together a couple of chairs and finds a large cardboard container which will serve as the cocktail table for serving the tea which our three leading ladies, will be drinking from during the scene.
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George as Sam and Jill as Mildred

Since we don’t have any props for a doorbell ring at the moment, Julie says “ding, ding” and Ida enters from the kitchen, stage left and says “I’m coming, I’m coming”. She opens the door and Lucille enters, flamboyant and aggressive, as only she can be and our rehearsal has started. Although the play will be presented as a staged reading, the actors already know most of the lines and they can relate to each other quite well with good eye contact. This can be dangerous, however, since the actors can be carried away by the scene and start to improvise to maintain the pace, and this, of course, throws off the cue that the other actor requires to respond correctly and he or she may loose their place in the script. Some one says,” Excuse me, I’ve lost the place”, and so we go back and play the scene again, This is why we rehearse so much. Hopefully this kind of error will be eliminated, but the actor who must respond must also understand the sense of the scene so he or she can respond appropriately if required, and not say “excuse me, I’m sorry”.

Marianne as Doris, Anne as Ida and Bryce as Lucille

I would like to cite a few examples of some of the instruction Julie has given our senior actors during our rehearsals that are good examples of the style and techniques that make a play enjoyable to listen to and watch.
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a) The importance of appearing natural and relaxed. The actors must believe they are in a real-life situation and adapt their own personality to the character they play. The actors must whole heartedly believe in their “imaginary circumstances”.
b) Also, the importance of learning to listen to what the other actor is saying and responding in a meaningful and appropriate way.
c) The need to be responsive to the things about them and to feel familiar with the immediate environment and to relate to the articles (props) that are about them.
d) Allow themselves to show emotional response to changes in events, circumstances and other actors as their personality-character dictates.
e) Showing memory of past events so that their responses (lines) reflect and color the manner of their response. This is achieved by having a full character history developed through the rehearsal process.
f) The importance to remember that every line has a meaning and should be motivated by the feelings of the actor.
g) Once the actors have established their character, they must remain consistent with that part, especially if it is a character that is distinct from their own personality.
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Marvin S. Fink, President, BC Players
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Want to see the show?

When: Monday, November 17th and Tuesday, November 18th at 7:15pm

Where: Buckingham's Choice, Adamstown, MD

Contact info: 301-874-5630

Crumpet the Elf a.k.a. Rona Mensah

2008-11-12T13:31:00.001-05:00

Longtime Ensemble Member Rona Mensah will star in the one-person show, The Santaland Diaries, this holiday season. Who is Rona and how did she come by this amazing opportunity to memorize a 40 page monologue? Here, in her own words, is Rona's life story...the Reader's Digest version:

I came to Frederick to study at Hood College. While there, I participated in the Hood Theatre group. At the time, there were no Theatre Arts courses at Hood so I chose something equally creative: Interior Design and Retail Management.

Even though I was studying something different, I spent much of my free time working on the theatre productions and helping to build the sets, coordinating the properties and acting. Since I didn't stray too far from the campus, I was clueless to the number of theaters in Frederick's bustling arts scene.

After I graduated, I moved to Frederick and quickly learned there were a number of theatre groups in the area and saw a few productions. After about 2 years, I knew I wanted to get back into the theatre scene and wanted to hit the stage again.

I began working for Key 103 radio in Frederick and came into contact with an audition notice for Fredericktowne Players' production of Camelot. It was exactly the jolt I needed to return to the stage. I was lucky enough to get roles onstage with Fredericktowne Players, Other Voices, and Feste Productions theatre groups.

While performing in Feste's Skin of Our Teeth, I came in contact with Maryland Ensemble Theatre founder, Tad Janes who approached me about taking acting classes with The Ensemble School...MET's Educational arm. I started taking classes in Acting and Improvisation with the MET, and in the process grew to learn much more about Theatre Arts and the Ensemble Theatre model.

In 1997, we debuted our premier piece, an original work called "Finally Heard: Feminine Heroes of an Uncivil War". In the 10 years that I've been involved with the MET, we've created 5 original shows and have another one we are creating for the 2008-2009 season. The group has grown and continued to expand our boundaries by creating new original plays, and adapting classic plays with a new twist. It's such a great group to be involved with.

I really love living and working in Frederick. It's such an interesting and eclectic town. There's so much to explore in the arts, from music, to visual and performing arts, one could always be occupied with experiencing the arts in Frederick!

A Doll's House interview on WYPR

2008-11-11T13:22:00.004-05:00

Today, WYPR's Maryland Morning show aired an interview with A Doll's House director Tad Janes and translator Vibeke Havre.

You can listen to the interview here. You have to scroll down a bit, we're the last item under "Tuesday, November 11, 2008."

David Sedaris on Letterman

2008-11-10T15:59:00.003-05:00

David Sedaris reads an essay on the Letterman Show. Not Santaland related, but you get a sense of his humor.

David Sedaris

2008-11-09T12:46:00.000-05:00

David Sedaris, author of one of MET's holiday shows - The Santaland Diaries, is a busy man:

For a brief bio, go here or here.

For a 2004 interview with Mr. Sedaris, go here. I think the highlight is at the end when he talks about finally getting a computer: "When I was working on a typewriter and I whited out a line, often I would choose a word to go in the space just because it fit. Now I don't have to do that."

For an interview about his 2001 book, Me Talk Pretty One Day, go here.

For a review of his latest book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, go here. You can also listen to Mr. Sedaris read from the book.

Other books by Daivd Sedaris:
Naked
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Barrel Fever
He has also co-written several plays with his sister, Amy Sedaris.

David Sedaris will be at the Weinberg Center in April, 2009.

Santaland Diaries First Read Thru

2008-11-07T09:14:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday, November 5th we had the first read thru of The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris. As usual, we had a potluck dinner first, then settled into the theatre to listen to the script.

The production team, plus a few others: Sarah Shulman (ASM), Mak Nichols, Suzanne Beal (Director), Karina Wright (Stage manager), Joann Lee (Set designer), Tom Majarov (sound designer) and Sarah Straw.

The Santaland Diaries premiered on November 7, 1996 at the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City. MET has produced this show once before, in 2004 (our first Christmas in our current space) with Kevin Corbett as the elf.

Santaland director, Suzanne Beal, talks about the show.

The playwright, David Sedaris, was discovered reading his diary (which he has kept since 1977) in a Chicago club by radio host Ira Glass, who asked Sedaris to appear on his weekly local program The Wild Room. Sedaris's success on The Wild Room led to his National Public Radio debut on December 23, 1992, when he read a radio essay titled "SantaLand Diaries", which described his experiences working as an elf at Macy's department store during Christmastime in New York. "SantaLand Diaries" was an immediate success with radio listeners, and launched Sedaris's career as a writer, playwright and comedian.

Santaland is a one person show, and MET's version features ensemble member Rona Mensah. Rona basically has to memorize a 30 page monologue!

Words from Joe

2008-11-05T12:35:00.005-05:00

Photographer Joe Williams helped document MET's production of A Doll's House. He attended rehearsals, from the very first read thru all the way through the final dress.

There are hundreds of moments in “A Doll's House,” instants of emotion and expression that, linked together, tell the story nearly as much as the words themselves. I have come to know this, because I have watched the play as it was created, from the first time it was read, through it's revisions (and revisions), rehearsals, direction, construction, and finally, performance. I have tried to capture those moments in the photographs I've taken over the past weeks as the author, director, designers, and cast created them. I know there are hundreds of moments; I have hundreds of photographs to prove it.

Brian Irons as Torvald. © 2008 Joe Williams

I started taking photos of MET productions when my wife, Kayte, appeared in “A Threepenny Opera.” I quickly found that theatre lighting is difficult, that many moments I try to capture are ruined by motion during an exposure that is too long, or the shadow on one side of an actor's face is matched by the bright light on their other cheek. Fortunately, I don't pay for film with a digital camera, so I can take some chances and try to capture some of those fleeting instances. It takes a lot of time to sort through all the files. It can be discouraging to see how many times I missed a moment, through a fault in composition, exposure, or movement, but there are also dozens of keepers that make me forget the frustration. Scroll down through the blog, and you'll see some of the results.

The cast and crew, along with Tad and Vibeke, welcomed me and allowed me to observe and document their work as they gave shape to Ibsen's words. By the time the play opened, I had heard some scenes 7 or 8 times, but it was never stale or repetitive. There was always either the drama of the play itself, or the drama (and occasional comedy) of the evolving production. One night soon, I look forward to being an ordinary member of the audience. That night, I'm going to leave the camera at home.

Doll's House Gazette Review

2008-10-30T12:13:00.005-04:00

Read the review here.

Photo: Julie Herber as Kristine Linde, Brian Irons as Torvald, Gené Fouché as Nora and Reiner Prochaska as Dr. Rank. © 2008 Joe Williams

A Doll's House Opening Night!

2008-10-29T10:59:00.008-04:00

A Doll's House opened last weekend! We had great audiences on both Friday and Saturday night, and a lovely opening night party on Saturday.

Fall for the MET 2008

2008-10-23T12:15:00.000-04:00

Fall for the MET was last Saturday. For the first time, we held the event in the upstairs lobby, which was quite lovely:

We had a great silent auction! Ensemble member Lisa Burl was involved in several bidding wars. She lost the Joe Williams print, but won the night at Stone Manor.

Tad Janes talks with board members Katie Bowersox and Kara Norman

We had a little presentation honoring our outgoing board president, Shawn Pitts, who served as our president for 5 years. In appreciation we gave her (with help from event sponsor McGuire Fine Arts!) a beautiful sculpture

Then we had a little show - a preview of the rest of our 08/09 season.

Katye Williams, Sophie Arrick-Lewis and Gené Fouché show how an original MET play is put together.

Tad and Lisa read a scene from Almost, Maine

At the end of the evening, some unexpected entertainment arrived: Sophie's son, Ben (the banana) and friend.

It was a great evening - good food, good company, great entertainment, and we even made some money!

A Day in the Life: MET on a Wednesday

2008-10-14T15:13:00.008-04:00

It's Wednesday at MET, and here's what we're up to:

It's 9:30am and Sarah Straw is at her desk! (I'd like to say my work area usually looks more organized, but when you're working on 5 million projects at a time, it's kinda hard to stay neat!)

It's 10am and Karen Paone, box office manager, is waiting for you to call!

Ensemble member and props mistress for A Doll's House Lorrie Tripp stops by later in the morning. Lorrie chats with me a bit about props for the show (I'm the stage manager) and then works on some items. I try to help with the ornery copier, but....

We end up breaking it! This piece just fell out as we were trying to fix a paper jam! Fortunately it snapped right back in and everything was fine.

At MET, we ensemble members share the responsibility for keeping our space clean. Everyone signs up for a month-long shift. Julie and I are the October cleaning crew. Above, Julie takes out the trash from the lobby.

In addition to teaching, performing, directing and doing MET's graphic design, Gené also does our accounting. Here she's getting ready to make a deposit.

A quick trip into the theatre finds A Doll's House lighting designer and Ensemble Member Karina Wright supervising her daughter, Diana. They spent most of the day hanging Karina's light plot.

Mark Barnhart was down in the scene shop, working on trim for the set. It was dusty.

After lunch, our friend and cast member from Company, Nick Mullinix stopped by!

MET intern and Ensemble School student Luke de Boinville sorts costume patterns.

Every Wednesday, from 2-6pm, Jenn Irons gives private voice lessons in MET's Greene Room. Here is Jenn, working with Lena Janes, daughter of Tad and Gené

The Ensemble School starts at 4:30 with Teen Improv, taught by Denny Grizzle, who you may remember as Bobby in Company and Joe in Killer Joe.

At 5:30 Julie teaches Teen Scene Study - we love our new classroom!

At 6pm we have a Doll's House production meeting. Tad, the director, sits down with all the designers, and the stage manager, and we talk over what is happening, what needs to happen and who is going to do it.

Milee was there during the production meeting, priming all the walls. Tad is going to pick out the paint on Thursday morning!

After the production meeting, sound designer Tom Majarov played several sambas for Tad to choose from. There was dancing. Costumer designer Sherry Shaner, and...

Tad!

At 7pm, after the production meeting we had a company meeting. MET ensemble members meet once a week, every week but during tech weeks, to talk about our company and get everyone on the same page. Tonight we talked about Fall for the MET - our annual fall event that is this Saturday, October 18th, and work call plans to get the Doll's House set finished.

Also at 7pm, Actors Anonymous was meeting, led by Comedy Pigs member James "Jiggy'McGarvey. AA is an opportunity for our Ensemble School students to use what they've learned in class in their own improv troupe. In the past, they're produced a couple of shows each season.

Normally the Comedy Pigs also rehearse on Wednesday nights, from 8-10pm. But tonight several Pigs were in tech for the Walkersville Dinner Mystery Train!

And at 7:30 it was time for A Doll's House rehearsal! During rehearsal, Sherry pulled actors into the costume shop for fittings.

Also during rehearsal, ensemble member Rona Mensah stopped by with some soap! And also some decorations for Fall for the MET.

And then finally, at 10:30pm, rehearsal is over and we're going home!

That's it, that's a day in the life of MET. If you come by on a Thursday, or a Saturday, it looks much the same - there's always a class, a rehearsal, a work call. There's always people stopping by to borrow things, return things or just say hi. There's always administrative work to do, ticket orders to fill and cleaning to be done. And sometimes we even have a show! : )

Doll's House Act I Work Thru

2008-10-13T18:52:00.005-04:00

On Sunday night we had out first run thru of Act I. There was a lot of stopping and working specific moments - which is a really interesting part of rehearsal - trying to figure out why characters do or say certain things and discovering new things about the play. And of course the logistics of the show - the timing of entrances, when do I have this prop, when should I cross over to the fireplace, navigating the set that is being built around us, etc.

Doll's House Work Call

2008-10-13T09:59:00.004-04:00

We had our first major work call for A Doll's House on Sunday, October 12th:
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Volunteer John Kearns consults with Mark Barnhart on set plans.

Reiner Prochaska frames a wall flat.

Props mistress Lorrie Tripp and Milee McDonald attempt to fix a broken bulb on this pre-lit Christmas tree. In the end, Lorrie had to get new lights.
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Sarah Straw sorts bolts, screws and other pieces of small metal. (this is for Ken, who says there are not enough pictures of me on the blog - so here I am!)
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Julie spent some quality time in the new costume shop, sorting and organizing. She wasn't ready for her close up : ) I know it looks chaotic, but amazing progress has been made and it's super exciting to actually be able to find things!
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Ken Poisson helps Julie in the costume shop, sorting skirts.

Jon Paul Duvall and Ali Lepelletier work on cleaning up the windows Mark rented from the ReStore. This was a tough and time consuming job: first they had to scrape off foam insulation and paint, pull out nails....

Then pop out the plastic window pane dividers and clean the whole unit with soap and water and then...
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Get tough with the windex. Ali and Jon Paul take no prisoners.
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Karen Paone, Mak Nichols and Pat McDonald took over hardware sorting duties. Every piece had to be organized by type and size. I didn't know there were so many screw sizes!

By the end of the day, both the costume shop and the scene shop were cleaner, and we had several walls framed out and ready for facing and installation. Mark will be working on the set during the day this week - volunteer opportunities abound! Give us a call if you would like to help.

Katy Kelly at MET

2008-10-12T13:47:00.003-04:00

Katy Kelly, author of the Lucy Rose books, returned to MET last Saturday to see our stage adaptation of Lucy Rose...Here's The Thing About Me. She brought several friends and family members, including her mother and father, who both appear as characters in the play.

Ms. Kelly (center, with the pink shoe pants), poses with her parents (standing on either side of her) and the Lucy Rose cast.

9 o'clock Pigs!

2008-10-10T11:35:00.003-04:00

The Comedy Pigs bring their hoglarity to the 9 o'clock hour! It's late night comedy for all those little piggies who can't stay up past 10:30pm.
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And for the first time, the show will feature an opening act - the improv troupe from McDaniel College - Danger Sauce!

The Comedy Pigs: Laura Stark, Tres Dillon, Paula Pitts, James McGarvey, Keith Summers, Anne Raugh, Denny Grizzle and Allison Lepelletier

Check out more details at the Comedy Pigs website or read the Gazette story.

Dump Run!

2008-10-09T12:18:00.003-04:00

Saturday, October 4 was the closing of Incorruptible. Strike was held that night after the show - all the walls were taken down, costumes and props put away and the dressing room cleaned. On Sunday, a work call was held to finish cleaning up and to organize the scene shop.

Lorrie Tripp supervises while Tom Majarov and Bette Cassatt load trash onto the cart. Mark Barnhart puts away tools.

Mark goes through flats in the scene shop. It was like a time capsule, some pieces in the shop were from shows MET did 10 years ago! We got rid many things and by the end of the day we could see the floor!

Tom and John Kearns load items for the dump into the truck, generously loaned to us by Lorrie's husband, Hank, who owns Gardner's General Contractor .

While going through the shop, Mark found this written on the back of one of the flats. He had written it when he played Picasso in "Picasso at the Lapine Agile", in October 1999! Apparently there were some issues with his pants zipper : )

A lot was accomplished over the weekend, and all our set-builders are happy to have more working space in the shop.

Doll's House Update

2008-09-29T12:32:00.005-04:00

Together with the rest of the nation, Nora is beginning to understand that borrowing money is not such an uncomplicated matter after all. She is desperately looking for someone to bail her out, while Krogstad is struggling to keep his job at the bank. Kristine Linde has been laid off, and has come to town in search for a new job and a better life, while Dr Rank is well aware that he is dying from cancer. In the background Torvald, Nora’s husband, thinks that life is just wonderful.

As always, there’s a lot happening at the MET. Ibsen’s “Doll’s House”, which changed the history of theatre in 1879, is getting a contemporary, American makeover. Even though the play was more shocking in 1879, it is still a very relevant piece of theatre, and it fits surprisingly well into today’s American society.

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Why modernize, you may ask, if it’s more shocking in its original context? A Doll’s House was not written as an historical piece; on the contrary, it introduced realism to the theatre. Ibsen wanted the audience to identify with the actors, and feel that the stage was an extension of their own living room.

So, in Ibsen’s spirit, it was decided to translate the play into modern American. As there are no modern translations of a Dolls House available, the MET asked if I wanted to translate it into modern English. This was an opportunity I could not turn down. I started working on the translation in April, and by the end of July the first edition was ready.

On the 15th September I came Frederick and started adapting the play to modern American together with the cast: Gené Fouché as Nora, Brian Irons as Torvald, Julie Herber as Kristine Linde, Jim Page as Nils Krogstad, Reiner Prochaska as Dr Rank, Michelle Simms as Anne Marie, and the director: Tad Janes. First of all we have Americanized the text, all the time making sure that the character’s intentions are the same as in the original.

To make the play more appropriate for today’s American society, we’ve made some changes to the original script. Dr Rank is not dying from syphilis, as this illness is no longer as widespread as it was at the end of the 19th century. And instead of having the Helmers going all the way to Italy, we have chosen a country closer to the United States. As a result, Nora’s Tarantella has been substituted with another dance. These adjustments are all aimed at making the script more relevant to an American audience. Although it may seem like we have changed a lot, we have only added a couple of sentences to the original script, changed some words and cut some parts.

This Saturday we started working on the scenes with the children. We have 7 kids that will alternate, performing two at a time. We started by improvising the scenes with the children, who all are excellent performers.

This far the process of adapting the piece has been an absolute joy, thanks to great teamwork and the wonderful people at the MET. It’s great to see how the play transforms into a contemporary American piece of theatre!

- Vibeke Havre, the MET’s Norwegian affiliate

Pigs!

2008-09-24T10:39:00.002-04:00

Howdy to all our friends and neighbors in Pigland!
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Yes, it's true that I'm taking over as artistic director for the Pigs. But if you're thinking "coup d'etat", you couldn't be more wrong. Well, OK, I guess you could misspell it, and that would be a LITTLE more wrong. And you could mispronounce it - that would technically be even more wrong. You could also get the name of the troupe wrong, which would kind of make the entire thing completely unintelligible, and that would be a LOT more wrong, and also pointless.
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But I digress.
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Denny's been doing yeoman's work for us for the past few years, writing, performing and doing the director thing - and you MET regulars have been seeing him on the main stage on a pretty regular basis as well. So at our Piggy retreat this summer it was no surprise when Denny told us that he'd like to re-focus his considerable energies on performing and pass the directorship onto a fresh pair of hands. We talked about it a bit, and somewhere along the line I volunteered.
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Why, you ask? Well, why not?
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My first experience with the MET was as a student in one of the first adult improv classes the school offered. One thing led to another, as things are wont to do, and eventually I started writing for and ultimately performing with the Pigs. It's been a long strange trip. Along the way I took more classes at the MET and also at Comedy Sportz when they were down in Alexandria, as well as doing my own music-director thing in and around town.
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Short form improv has always been my first love, so the opportunity to rediscover it from the director's point of view is very exciting. I'll be spending a lot of time over the next few weeks snuggled up with various improv books and websites, collecting new games for us to play and looking for ways for the Comedy Pigs to polish up our show and expand our comfort zones - individually and collectively.
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This is building up to be a great season for the pigs - our third original sketch show production is just starting to take shape, we've got new blood in the group bringing new talents, new points of view and fresh enthusiasm to the party, and we're as energized by the recent MET growth spurt as everyone else around here is. I hope you'll join us for the ride!
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Bring sandwiches.
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-Anne Raugh 22 September 2008

Team "A Doll's House"

2008-09-22T14:56:00.005-04:00

A Doll's House has completed the first week of rehearsal! Here's team A Doll's House, all photos taken at the first read thru on Tuesday, September 17th:

Translator Vibeke Havre. © 2008 Joe Williams

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Brian Irons as Torvald. © 2008 Joe Williams

.Reiner Prochaska as Dr. Rank. © 2008 Joe Williams
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Julie Herber as Kristine Linde. © 2008 Joe Williams
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Costume Designer Sherry Shaner

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Stage Manager Sarah Straw. © 2008 Joe Williams

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Not pictured are Props Mistress Lorrie Tripp (the only photos of her from the read thru are of the back of her head!), lighting designer Karina Wright and Assistant Stage Manager Sarah Shulman. Also missing are the children. The roles of Nora and Torvald's children have been double cast, so we have some kids from The Ensemble School who will join us: Nadya Downs, Lena Janes, Jackie Brinkman, Sarah Deleonibus, Sophie Stratyner, Elissa Dallimore and Amber Joglar.

Why would you want to update "A Doll's House"!?!?!

2008-09-17T17:06:00.004-04:00

From MET Producing Director Tad Janes:
Originally, the MET company decided we wanted to produce "A Doll's House" and we were just looking for the right translation. After reading some of the "older, crunchier" translations (no royalties- there!), I started to veer off into some of the more recent translations because I thought they would play better to a modern American audience.
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CUT TO: Last January, the MET had our annual winter retreat in South Carolina and we had the honor of housing a "guest artist," Vibeke Havre a theatre artist from Norway who studied in London and was working in Barcelona. During the week, MET company members and Vibeke bounced games, exercises, philosophies, and fun around and we had a very productive, enlightening, and successful retreat.
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First rehearsals for all MET shows include a potluck dinner with cast, production crew and MET friends and a first reading of the script. For A Doll's House, MET board member Dan Kuebbing and his wife Sharon graciously invited us to hold this special night at their home. We had a fabulous dinner and a wonderful time being together. At the table, clockwise from the top: Kayte Williams, Tad Janes (director), Vibeke Havre (translator), Lorrie Tripp (props), Jim Page (Krogstad) and Joe Williams (documentation). Standing behind the table is Karen Paone.

Soon after the retreat, the thought dawned on me: Instead of paying royalties for a translation, why not pay a translator? So, one evening at Cafe' Nola, a group of our company members sat around and discussed the feasibility of this idea. We knew Vibeke knew Norwegian, did her thesis on "A Doll's House" and was a theatre artist that we respected and one who shared our aesthetic. After some creative financing sessions, we realized that it would cost the MET about the same to bring Vibeke to the US to work on this piece as it would to pay for a translation. It would also allow the MET to "put it's stamp" on the translation and production, and open up possibilities for further productions of the script, both from the MET and from outside theatre companies. AND, it would give us a great opportunity to work with an international artist and create excitement for this 129 year old play!

Around the table, clockwise from left: Gené Fouché (Nora), Merch McDonald, Milee McDonald, Sharon Kuebbing, Tom Majarov (sound designer) and Michelle Simms (Anne-Marie)

But what about the "update?" Women have more rights now! It's not "shocking!"

Vibeke was really interested in the concept of updating the script to create a "modern American" version of the script. I became really interested in this concept as well! So, although the play is really about the empowerment of a woman- it's also about the family relationship and how traditional roles are changing. Some thoughts and ideas about how it might fit into 2008 would be setting it in a place like Saudi Arabia- where women do still play a much "lower status" role than men- but, we knew casting that for us would be difficult. Also, the thought of taking on the roles from "inside the trailer park" would work! But, we felt that we visited that often in last year's season.

Jim Hochadel and Brian Irons (Torvald) chat on the Kuebbing's back porch. The view was amazing!

.But, do some women still have the "traditional role" in families these days? Are there families where the husband is an "Alpha male" and the thought of running a household without a wife terrifying? Do some women in today's society get married early, opt out of higher education, raise a family, have the "model home" yet find themselves trapped? Would a woman leave this situation?

Tom Majarov, Karen Paone, Mark Barnhart and Lorrie Tripp

.When we began to ask questions those and other questions, we find that this play can still be very accessible for a modern audience and would fit well in our current climate- not to mention issues like health care, the mortgage crisis, living beyond your means, etc.
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We settle in for the reading in the Kuebbing's comfortable living room.

How did you meet Vibeke in the first place? Actually, Vibeke was on a Rotary exchange. This is program where Rotary International brings people from other cultures to a host country for 4-5 weeks to gain an understanding of that culture. I met Vibeke through the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek. I was charged with showing her around Frederick and taking her to some the theatre venues. We hit it off because we found we had a similar background- although I grew up in West Virginia, worked in Chicago, now in Frederick; she grew up in Bergen, Norway, worked in London, and was now in Barcelona. We also both have a strong connection to ensemble based theatre.

. Gené Fouché, Julie Herber (Kristine) and Jim Page. Dan Kuebbing sits behind the couch.
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During her Rotary trip to Maryland, she kept changing her itinerary to come back to Frederick. Once to visit our ensemble Saturday morning workshops, once to see "Urinetown," and, eventually, Gene' and I would meet up with Vibeke and her partner, Richard, in Manhattan for dinner and a show some weeks later. We've kept in touch, and that year we invited her to the South Carolina retreat, but, she couldn't come. The next year she did! And that loops us back to the beginning of the story!!!

Getting Hitched!

2008-09-15T10:32:00.006-04:00

METsters Amy and Matt were married on Saturday! Almost every ensemble member was on hand to celebrate! We were all dressed in our fancy clothes, and we kept looking at each other and saying that we didn't recognize each other in real clothes!

Karen Paone and Pat McDonald

Ken Poisson and Reiner Prochaska

Sherry and Jay Shaner

Amy and Matt, exchanging vows

The METsters took up 4 tables! Left to right around the table: Sherry, Mark Barnhart, Lorrie and Hank Tripp, Milee and Merch McDonald (who won the bride's bouquet for being the longest-married couple in attendance: 40 years!) Jack, Jeanine Collins and Jay Shaner
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Left to right around the table: Denny Grizzle, Allison Lepelletier, Jon Paul Duvall, Sophie Arrick-Lewis and Bubby Lewis, Reiner, Ken, Rona Mensah, Pat and Karen
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Joann Lee, Sarah Shulman (trying to hide!), Celia Lee (also trying to hide!) Diana Wright, Dean the Younger Wright, Dean the Older Wright, Karina Wright, Gené Fouché and Tad Janes
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Dan, Alison Shafer, David Porterfield, Karen Martin, Caroline Cash, Ben Harris, Charlie Smith, Kayte and Joe Williams and Julie Herber

The Bride and Groom enter!
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Amy and Matt talk with guests
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And then there was dancing: Reiner and Jon Paul get down. Maid of Honor and ensemble member Lisa Burl and Ali look on.
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Karen and Reiner

It was a lovely wedding and a fabulous party, we ensemble members rarely have time to see each other outside of shows and rehearsals, so in addition to celebrating our friends' marriage we really enjoyed the opportunity to just be together.

Incorruptible Show Photos

2008-09-13T15:23:00.001-04:00

MET's production of Incorruptible: A Dark Comedy About the Dark Ages by Michael Hollinger is up and running!

Our production crew:

Director: Gené Fouché*

Stage Manager: Ken Possion*

ASM& Lighting Design: Carey Rausch*

Sound Design: Tom Majarov*

Costume Design: Julie Herber*

Set Design: Joann Lee*

Props: Milee McDonald*

Cast:

Charles, Abbot: Reiner Prochaska*

Brother Martin: Tad Janes*

Brother Olf: Richard Cole

Brother Felix: Mark Barnhart*

Peasant Women: Karen Paone*

Jack: Denny Grizzle

Marie: Bette Cassatt

Agatha: Julie Herber*

*MET Ensemble Member

Some show photos, all taken by Misti Morningstar :

Tad Janes, Reiner Prochaska and Richard Cole

Tad Janes and Karen Paone

Bette Cassatt and Denny Grizzle

Mark Barnhart

Reiner Prochaska

The chase scene!

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Tad Janes and Mark Barnhart

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Julie Herber and Tad Janes

Arts and Economic Prosperity

2008-09-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development, The Downtown Frederick Partnership and the Frederick Arts Council have partnered to prepare a report on the economic impact the arts has in Frederick City. This study involved surveys from 28 local arts nonprofits, including MET, and surveys from almost 800 Frederick arts patrons.

The report, presented today in a joint press conference, shows the economic impact arts organizations have on our community - how much arts organizations spend in our community, the number of jobs created, the revenue generated from arts patron spending in nearby restaurants and shops, etc. You can read the whole report here, or for a quick summary, go here.

We all know that the arts contribute significantly to the quality of life we enjoy here in Frederick, but it's also great to see the hard numbers of how we as artists are helping to grow our community.

Comedy Pigs open Baltimore Improv Festival!

2008-09-12T10:13:00.000-04:00

The Comedy Pigs performed at the Baltimore Improv Festival on July 31st, to a packed house and a fabulous crowd!
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Hamming it up onstage before their set: Anne Raugh, Wendy Donigian, Paula Pitts, James McGarvey, Laura Stark, Tres Dillon & Allison Lepelletier. Photo by Jon Paul Duvall.

Held at The Creative Alliance at The Patterson Theater, the festival is produced by the Baltimore Improv Group (BIG). A variety of local, regional, and nationally-known improv groups performed over the course of the weekend, and The Pigs had the fun spot of kicking off the festival's opening night!

Wendy, James & Paula playing The Pig's new version of "Scene Styles". Photo by Mikael Johnson.
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Along for the ride were the Pig techies, Dan & Jon Paul, and #1 Pig Fan, Chuck!

Ali, Tres, James & Anne sing a game of "Do-Wop" to finish off their set. Photo by Mikael Johnson.
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Also, if you have not checked out The Comedy Pig's myspace page recently, it has been updated with some new photos, and the 2008-09 season show dates!

Why we don't have a show this Saturday

2008-09-11T13:50:00.005-04:00

This coming weekend is the second of MET's production of Incorruptible by Michael Hollinger. But on Saturday night, we won't be having a show. Why? Because we'll all be at the wedding of Amy Easton and Matt Baughman, two MET Ensemble Members! Matt and Amy became engaged on stage after the final performance of Red Herring, which was our season opener in 0708 (and also written by Michael Hollinger!). Here is the big moment:

And now, a year later, an even bigger moment has come. On Saturday night, Matt and Amy will exchange vows, and their MET family will be there to celebrate with them. Cheers!

Vegas comes to the MET dressing room!

2008-09-10T10:52:00.003-04:00

During tech week, you'd think the stage managers would be too busy for showgirl antics! But not Ken Poisson and Carey Rausch!
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Ken combines his love of Star Wars with a flare for Vegas exhibitionism!

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Emo Showgirl Carey Rausch

Chairs from PNC Bank

2008-09-09T14:48:00.007-04:00

Today we received more furniture for our new offices! One of our Fun Company sponsors, PNC Bank, was reorganizing their offices and had stuff to give away to nonprofits. Before this trip, we desperately needed chairs. Fortunately, PNC had many that fit our needs.

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Stacey Collins, from PNC, holds the door for Mark Barnhart.

We scored some great matching chairs that will look awesome in our new conference room, a couple of rolling desk chairs and some occasional chairs.
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Mark helps load Marilyn's van

We also ran into an old MET friend - Marilyn Orsinger. She was also at PNC to pick up donated furniture for a nonprofit arts organization - The Delaplaine.

Stacey holds the door for Marilyn, who was very excited about tables with wheels!

Mark Barnhart, Milee McDonald, Marilyn Orsinger and Stacey Collins

Once again company member Milee McDonald came through with a truck - thanks Milee (and Merch)!

Milee's truck, all loaded up.

.It was raining off and on today, but we lucked out and managed to get everything back to the MET without getting wet. We started to unload our goodies, and I found out that one of the chairs was too heavy for me...and dropped it:

Milee helps me recover the dropped chair, but we're both laughing too hard!

Thank you Stacey and PNC, our chair needs have been met and we have almost everything we need to make our new space functional!

Wikipedia

2008-09-09T10:36:00.001-04:00

MET has showed up in the Frederick, MD Wikipedia entry! We're under the "Arts and Culture" section.

Great Opening!

2008-09-07T16:31:00.004-04:00

Thank you all so much for a great opening last night! It was a great audience- and great to see so many of our audience stay for the post show reception. Lots of board members, lots of newbies to the MET, and a great group of company members to represent the MET! Thank you all so much! It's been a difficult few weeks- moving our offices, costume shop, building a show, and opening- but, thanks to you all; we pulled off a great opening weekend- so, thanks again!

See you at the show!

Tad

Incorruptible Opening Night Party:

Comedy Pig James McGarvey, giving his best Godfather impression, was on hand to host the party

Patrons exit the theatre after Incorruptible

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Tad gives the traditional opening night toast.

Dean Wright is our concessions guy. Thanks Dean!

Tom Chase, board president Amy Benton, ensemble member and set designer Joann Lee and Joe Ashwal

Stage Manager Ken Poisson with Assistant Stage Manager and lighting designer Carey Rausch

Tad Janes, board member Suzanne Beal and Gené Fouché

Diana Wright, Mark Barnhart, Pat McDonald and Karen Paone

Ensemble member Reiner Prochaska, board member Shawn Pitts and her husband, Mark

Meeting of the creative MET minds: Gené Fouché, Tad Janes and Julie Herber

Incorruptible in the Gazette

2008-09-04T09:22:00.004-04:00

We're on the front of the Gazette's A&E section today!

Join MET on Facebook!

2008-09-03T14:49:00.002-04:00

Be a MET Fan on Facebook!

Sign up to be our friend now and in the future be part of special Facebook friends-only fun stuff!

We've got Karen!

2008-09-01T17:03:00.001-04:00

Hello, METsters!
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This is Karen Paone, your newly-minted Box Office Manager/ Full-time Company Member, sending out a little hello and an "OMG, I'm so excited!" missive for our lovely blog.
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For those of you who don't know me, I'll give you a little background: I grew up in Philadelphia, PA, where I acted and sang in high school musicals and took dance lessons from the age of three. I moved to Washington, DC in 1991 to attend The Catholic University Of America, graduating in 1995 with a Bachelors Degree in Music (concentration in Musical Theatre Performance.)
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For the next six years, I worked with such companies as Source, Signature, Horizon, and Interact and was a member of the political satire troupe Mrs. Foggybottom and Friends. I did a brief stint working as a Vocal Mechanics instructor for the Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts and, more importantly for the purposes of my new position at the MET, as a host, waitress, temp and retail manager. Customer Service? I've got you covered.
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I took a break from theatre in 2001 and moved to Washington State. When I moved back to the DC area in 2002 I still was keeping my distance from the theatre scene until that fateful day in 2003 when former Company Member Tim King asked me to come see him in Hedwig at the MET. At first, I was skeptical. Theatre in Frederick? But I was absolutely wowed. When Tim asked me to come up and act in Lance and The Fam, a show he had written for MET-X, I was in.
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My first official show at MET was the Planet Claire revival at The Baltimore Theatre Project and I've been here ever since. I became a Company Member in 2005 and moved up here in 2006 to be closer to the action.
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In the past four years I've taught at the Ensemble School, been in fifteen main stage productions (and counting!), fourteen Fun Company productions (and counting!), numerous cabarets and school touring shows and co-direct the Artist Residency program with Julie Herber (I'm still in a daze over that one!)
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I'm not sure quite what else to say, except that there are a lot of changes coming to the MET (our shiny, new offices being a BIG part of that) that I'm proud to have been given the opportunity to help further the MET mission. I'm absolutely honored to be a part of the MET. These people are my family, and the fact that I get to work with them every day is better than anything in the world.
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So, if you're Downtown, stop by and say hello (and buy some tickets for our fantastic season while you're here!)
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I'll be the chick with the black specs looking madly industrious in the front office ;)
-- Karen

Weekend before Incorruptible Tech Week

2008-08-31T17:48:00.006-04:00

Incorruptible opens on Friday! Over the weekend, we held another work call:

Props mistress Milee McDonald wraps the purple lady.

Lorrie Tripp works on the monastery walls.
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MET technical director Matt Weese stabilizes a wall.
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Rona Mensah paints the upstage wall. And yes, her shoes are magic!

Volunteer John Kearns repairs a wall damaged during the run of Runaways. Apparently, a foot went through the wall!

Mark Barnhart secures molding to the top of the monastery walls.
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Ken Poisson!

More than set building was happening:
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Costume designer Julie Herber pins out a costume
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Allison Lepelletier breaks down shelving in the old costume shop so it can easily be moved to our new costume space.

Lisa Burl and Karen Paone continue sorting the archives. I know this looks exactly like a photo I took last weekend, but I promise progress is being made!

Tad Janes untangles cords in the new office space.
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Gené Fouché works at the desk in her new office.
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Karen, our new Box Office Manager, also gets some work done in the new box office

To see the fruit of all this labor, come see the show!

Moving Weekend

2008-08-25T16:55:00.012-04:00

It was a crazy busy weekend at MET! We continued to move our office, cleaned the Greene Room (and made several trips to the dump!), cleared out the current costume shop, started to build a new costume shop in the far end of the Greene Room, held a work call to build the Incorruptible set, held auditions for A Doll's House and managed to find time for a bridal shower for ensemble member Amy Easton! Both Saturday and Sunday found MET full of ensemble members, Incorruptible cast members and some terrific MET volunteers. How did we do it all? Check out the photos:

Associate Artistic Director Julie Herber makes copies in the almost empty old office!

This room formally held our box office, workspace for me (development and marketing) and an additional workspace that was shared between everyone else! The room also contained our library of plays and theatre resources, archives, the copier and pretty much any thing else we could fit!

My friend Jessica Hibbard and her husband, Christopher donated some office furniture! We thought we were just getting a desk..but came away with 4 chairs, some filing cabinets and bookshelves. Thanks Jessica and Christopher! It took us 2 trips to get it all to MET -thanks Lorrie and Milee for the use of your trucks!
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Company members Lorrie Tripp, Karen Paone and Lisa Burl work on sorting the MET archives. In the past our old posters, playbills, reviews, etc. have been stored in several different filing cabinets in different rooms. Now everything can be in the same place - the Company Office!

Karina Wright organizes the Stage Manager Nook. We now have a dedicated space just for stage managers! SMs can store their supplies and have a work space - we're all VERY excited!

Julie sets up her office (desk by Jessica and Christopher).

The new office wasn't the only place getting some work this weekend. To get the new office space, we have to give up our current box office and costume shop. Now that the office is almost totally moved, we can move on to the costume shop. The plan is to get rid of a bunch of stuff in the Greene Room (which was done on Saturday) and build a new costume shop at the far end of the Greene Room.
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Comedy Pig Anne Raugh helps pack up the old costume shop

Ensemble member Ken Poisson moves costumes into the Greene Room.

Producing Artistic Director Tad Janes explains the construction plans for the new costume shop to volunteer John Kerns.

John works on the new costume shop, which will be a completely walled off room, with double-tier costume storage and a cutting/work table!
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Tad talks with Lorrie as she organizes costumes in the new space. There's still a lot of work to be done, but all costumes have been moved and we have room to spare.

Incorruptible opens in less than two weeks, so a set build was also taking place over the weekend. Set designer Joann Lee and technical director Matt Weese led the charge:

Strike for "Runaways" was held on Saturday night, and everyone was back at work Sunday morning, working on "Incorruptible." You can see the graffiti from "Runaways still surrounds the in-progress monastery.

Several mini production meetings were held:

"Incorruptible" director Gené Fouché talks with Tad and sound designer Tom Majarov

Julie is designing costumes for "Incorruptible." She goes over fabric samples with Gené.

Gené and props mistress Milee McDonald test a prop with cast members Bette Cassat and Denny Grizzle.

Matt Wesse and Joann Lee discuss build plans.
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Assistant Stage Manager Carey Rausch works with a sharp power tool.
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Kevin Cole and Dean Wright (current and former Ensemble School students) work on the monastery walls.

Mark Barnhart builds the altar.

Milee and Stage Manager Ken work on the monastery walls.
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Reiner Prochaska, Carey and Richard Cole set up an arch.

And of course, moving an office, costume shop and building a set isn't enough for one weekend! We held a bridal shower for ensemble member Amy Easton - who is to marry ensemble member Matt Baughman next month. Luau theme!

The new classroom was perfect for Amy's bridal shower, hosted by ensemble member and maid of honor Lisa Burl.

And the day ended with auditions for A Doll's House:

Reiner prepares for his audition. He pretty much laid down a drill and walked into his cold reading. Notice the always fashionable work boots!

It was amazing weekend. The energy from so many people working on MET stuff was contagious and energizing. As always, there's still plenty of work to be done! But we hope to be settled in our new spaces in the next 2-3 weeks. Check back for updates!

The MET is moving!

2008-08-20T08:27:00.006-04:00

Well...just our office. The MET Box Office and administration offices are moving down the hall and will now be located at the bottom of the stairs leading in from Patrick Street, but the Bank of America.
Here's what our current office looks like:

We're not slobs! It's just that there are three full time staff members sharing this space, plus whoever is working the box office. The space is also used by stage managers, designers and any company member who needs to make a phone call or check their email. There's just not enough space to put things away!
The office also houses ensemble member mailboxes, our copier and our library of plays and theatre resources. So people are constantly coming in and out of the office to use these things.

Here's the current box office:

It's officially the box office, but this nook is often used for other office activities, cluttering the space and the computer desktop!

This is the view from my desk:

I love being close to everyone else, and since I'm often the only one in the office to answer the phone, I've gotten to know many MET patrons, which is awesome. But the cramped quarters also mean that I'm often distracted, as are the other people who work in the office.

And here is the hallway of our new office:

The new office suite is really sweet! It has 5 private offices, one of which we will probably use for a meeting room and another for a company office where stage managers, designers and the random email checker can use the computer, phone and storage space.

This is the new box office! Look how many people can fit in it - more people than could fit in the entire old office!

Milee McDonald, Lorrie Tripp, Tad Janes and Gené Fouché

This is one of the private offices:

They have lovely sliding glass doors, so we can still see each other, but they also close, so we can have some quit when we need to concentrate on writing a grant, or a FUN Company script or developing curriculum for an Ensemble school class.

Another office view:

At the end of the hallway is a bigger room, which we are planning to use for a meeting room, so our board of directors doesn't have to meet in the lobby...or wherever else they can squeeze in! The room will also be used for other meetings and gatherings that need to be away from the controlled chaos (rehearsals, classes, committee meetings, production meetings, work calls, etc) that is MET on most evenings.

And here is the back hallway! Yes, we have 2 hallways!

This hallway leads to the last private office space, which we will use for our company office, and to a larger space we are planning to use for a classroom:

We are really excited about this classroom space. We can teach more classes, but more importantly, we can teach classes during rehearsals or even a performance. Currently, our main classroom space is right next to the stage, which means anything that happens in the classroom can be heard by the audience or the cast rehearsing in the theatre, and vice versa, which is distracting for everyone!

We'll be moving over the next two weeks, hopefully completely settled by September 1st. Stop by and see it - but be prepared to carry a box! : )

- Sarah Straw

RUNAWAYS OPENS......AND IT'S SMOKIN'!

2008-08-16T14:05:00.027-04:00

We're finishing up the summer at MET with the hard-hitting musical "Runaway's" by Elizabeth Swados. We opened to nearly sold-out crowds on Thursday & Friday night. This show only runs 2-weekends....so make your plans now not to miss the event of the summer! The stage is full of some of the most talented young performers you'll ever see. MET photographer, Misti Morningstar, got some great shots at our opening night performance:

At our final dress rehearsal, freelance photographer David Spence of Spence Photographics llc, stopped by to take some pics for an article in The Gazette. He got some great shots as well...and was quite impressed with what he saw at rehearsal. Check out his blog to see some fabulous photos & feedback!

RUNAWAYS!

2008-08-14T14:43:00.004-04:00

Tonight is the opening night of Runaways, a joint production between The Ensemble School and MET-X. This musical about runaway children features Ensemble School students and some new faces as well. Check out this Gazette article for more info and interviews with the cast!

Runaways opens tonight at 8pm and runs thru August 23rd. Visit the MET website to order tickets.

Incorruptible Set

2008-07-31T14:47:00.001-04:00

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

Welcome to Incorruptible!

2008-07-31T14:40:00.003-04:00

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

Incorruptible begins rehearsal

2008-07-31T12:04:00.004-04:00

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

2008-07-28T11:18:00.007-04:00

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

2008-07-24T13:33:00.004-04:00

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"

2008-07-17T15:20:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-16T13:23:00.004-04:00

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

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.

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.

- Sarah

Summer at MET!

2008-07-15T22:48:00.007-04:00

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

2008-07-09T15:15:00.011-04:00

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!

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

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

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

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.

Company Strike

2008-06-25T13:14:00.003-04:00

The MET 07/08 Mainstage season is over! On Saturday, June 21st, COMPANY closed. Strike went quickly and was mostly all about pulling up the floor! The floor pulling started by accident, but soon everyone was in on the fun - it was likened to peeling skin off a sunburned back. As the pieces came up and different paint colors revealed, Ensemble members reminisced about the shows each layer represented.

Floor Peeling

John Paul Duvall helps set designer Joann Lee pull back layers of paint.

BUCKINGHAM'S CHOICE PLAYERS-SENIOR THEATRE TROUPE PERFORMS!

2008-06-10T15:23:00.012-04:00

Our Narrator, Fred.

Phyllis & Merrill, who are actually husband and wife....play a bickering husband and wife!

George in a pensive moment.

The cast of our current performance!

Merrill makes a commanding entrance!

Brices's delightfully, whimsical character Sylvia!

Ah, romance...Loretta and George share a tender moment.

I love how multi-dimensional our work at MET is. It's not just about putting on a play. I've had the pleasure of working with a "senior acting troupe" at Buckingham's Choice Residential Community for the past few years now. What began as a one-time acting workshop (set-up by one of our loyal patrons, Marvin Fink who is a BC resident) for their drama club has blossomed into a truly exhilarating experience for me. Our acting workshops grew into several and then a proposal to direct an evening of short skits and monologues to be presented at BC. That evening was a huge success, and to the delight of my budding thespians...the residents were clamoring for more! So, we embarked on yet another rehearsal process for their second performance under my guidance. And then another! Tonight and tomorrow evening it's SHOWTIME once again. The programs have become so popular that we've had to extend to a 2-evening run!
I can't tell you how delightful it is for me as a teacher to be able to work with students that represent entire generations. After finishing up a spring that was jam packed with directing elementary school students in full length plays (an after-school outreach program here at MET), working with my "teens & tweens" at The Ensemble School, and prepping my college students at FCC in all things theatrical...it completes the embroidery of my teaching skills to apply what I have to offer to my senior actors at Buckingham's Choice. Each age group I work with brings to the table their own set of experiences or lack there of...and it is such an exciting challenge to explore how I can make them "get it". My troupe of BC Players has a whole lifetime of experiences to pull from...but they also have their own inner demons and insecurities that they tackle each and every day. The discoveries they make are phenomenal. It is truly an honor to make those discoveries with them and applaud their success! Stop by if you have the time. Below is the press release about the performance.
Cheers-
Julie

The Buckingham’s Choice Players are in their final weeks of rehearsal of 3 one-act plays that will delight you and endear the performers to your heart. These are the stories of situations that have become all too familiar to many of us who must make decisions regarding promises, relationships and life styles. The plays will be presented as staged reading by seven residents of Buckingham’s Choice. Fred Pyne serves as narrator and the plays feature husband and wife team Merrill and Phyllis Cleveland in “Whatever You Say”, Brice Verdier and Mary Miller in “She Needs Me” and George Gutches and Loretta Hull in “One Question.” These plays were selected from a collection of plays called, “Hello Ma, and Other Plays” by Trude Stone. They were originally presented in an off-Broadway festival of short plays in New York City in 1980.
This will be the fourth production of plays by BC residents. The Senior Drama troupe was formed at Buckingham’s Choice by residents interested in reading plays and exploring Reader’s Theatre. What has culminated from this is a dedicated group of performers who now present Staged Reading Performances for their senior residential community. Julie Herber who teaches acting at Frederick Community College and is Associate Artistic Director of the Maryland Ensemble Theatre directs this presentation. “We are delighted to report that Julie has turned our seven residents into very credible actors and actresses. You will be thrilled by their performance as I am.” states BC Players President, Marvin Fink .
Due to the very enthusiastic showing of residents and friends the last show, BC Players will present these plays on two evenings in the Multi-Purpose Room, June 10 and June 11 at 7:15 pm. Buckingham’s Choice residents will have the option of attending either performance. Other interested attendees should contact Buckingham’s Choice at 301-874-5630 to reserve a ticket. If you have a group who wish to attend, BC Players would appreciate it if you would inform the front desk in advance of your needs in order to accommodate you. Buckingham’s Choice is located at 3200 Baker, CircleAdamstown, Maryland 21710.

COMPANY on WYPR

2008-06-03T16:12:00.004-04:00

WYPR reviews COMPANY and says MET is "plucky"!

Check it out at: http://www.wypr.org/MD_MORNING.html

(you have to scroll down a little)

Sarah (Katye Williams), Susan (Allison Lepelletier), Jenny (Grace Anastasiadis), Amy (Amy Easton) and Joanne (Julie Herber) question Bobby's choice in women. Photo by Misti Morningstar

MET in the News

2008-05-23T13:47:00.004-04:00

We had fabulous local coverage in Thursday's editions of the Frederick News Post and Gazette. .

The Gazette reviewed COMPANY, and mentioned the opening of MOTHER GOOSE.

And in the FNP, MOTHER GOOSE received the honor of being included in Best of the Weekend!

Mother Goose (Karen Paone) performs with her son, Fred.

COMPANY!

2008-05-21T11:22:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely story in the Gazette this past week.

Joanne (Julie Herber) toasts "The Ladies Who Lunch,"

accompanied by Alison Shafer on piano. Photo by Joe Williams

Company Set: Before and After

2008-05-15T13:24:00.006-04:00

The Company set, designed by Joann Lee, is FABULOUS!

Before: the walls are up!

After: Everything is painted! Only detail work left.
.

Stuffed Shirt

2008-05-15T13:20:00.003-04:00

COMPANY opens tomorrow! Below are photos of Julie Herber preparing one of the props:

What the heck is this all about? Come see the show!

Comedy Pigs Update

2008-05-14T10:06:00.006-04:00

The Comedy Pigs' APRIL'S FOOLS (April 5th and 19th) shows were a success, thanks to a great and energetic house on both nights. The first act of the shows was stuffed with short form improv games, jousting the audience with quick wit and great characters. The second act was a medium form improv set, dubbed "Post-its", a style of long form that's long been a Comedy Pig special. "Post-its" makes use of audience suggestions on (you guessed it) post-its, creating inter-connected scenes offering the performers and the audience a little more time to explore whatever the moment might bring - and that's the fun of improv!

Besides these two shows, the month of April also brought the Pigs two new members: Laura Stark and Tres Dillon. Yes! Two new ladies will be added to the Pigs line-up. They are both very different performers and will bring a refreshing energy to the stage. The Comedy Pigs welcome the new ladies to the troupe!

The Pigs are also busy workshopping and rehearsing new games for their June shows (June 7th & 14th @ 10:30pm), and are knee-deep in writing sessions for their original summer sketch show which runs July 11th thru August 8th, culminating on August 9th with The Comedy Pigs' 15th Anniversary Show. We're old, y'all! Keep an eye out for more info!
Check out the Pigs MySpace!

If you weren't able to make it out last month, enjoy our April 5th show vicariously through the pictures below! (Photo credits: Jon Paul Duvall)

Anne Raugh , Ali Lepelletier & James McGarvey riding the improv bus in "International Transit"

"Moving Parts" with Paula Pitts and James being manipulated by audience volunteers

James & Anne during a scene from "Post-its"

More "Post-its" fun

COMPANY

2008-05-12T15:25:00.006-04:00

MET's 10th Anniversary Season comes to a close with Stephen Sondheim's American musical theatre classic: COMPANY. Here a few shots from rehearsals and work calls.

Karen Paone as Marta and Denny Grizzle as Robert. Alison Shafer on piano.

Director Steve Satta and Stage Manager Ken Poisson watch choreographer Jenny Male and cast members Janelle Broderick (Kathy) and Karen Paone (Marta) rehearse a dance.

MET Associate Artistic Director Julie Herber paints the COMPANY set. The set was designed by Joann Lee.

COMPANY opens May 16th and runs through June 21st. Buy Tickets Here!

Playwright Julie Heifetz

2008-04-28T11:21:00.003-04:00

From "A Sparrow's Song" playwright, Julie Heifetz:

As a passionate theater-goer, playwright and actor, you can imagine my joy in discovering that my new home of Frederick, Md. had its own professional theater. That said, I am enough of a theater snob that I was a bit wary of the quality of the productions I might find at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre. I should not have wasted one creative moment worrying.

Over the year and a half I've lived in Frederick, I have attended almost every production and have been thrilled to discover that the choices of scripts, the talent of company members was enough to make me very, very happy. My partner Jack and I have become volunteers, and in addition, have brought many of our weekend visitors from Philadelphia, our previous home, to see the show that has been playing. A journalist who covers theater in Philly, and a writer for opera news, and other sophisticated culture buffs, have been amazed, as I was, that our relatively small town has such a cultural opportunity as we find with the MET.

Because of the quality of this company, I am excited to have "A Sparrow's Song," a play that I have written, about to be produced by the MET. It's such fun being surrounded by professionals who want to reach for new and different experiences, and in doing so, provide much that is new to the community.

A thanks to everyone involved in the performance.
- Julie Heifetz, author of A Sparrow's Song

A Sparrow's Song

2008-04-28T11:10:00.008-04:00

On Wedesday, April 3oth, the day before Yom Hashoah (the Holocaust Day of Remembrance), MET will present a staged reading of "A Sparrow's Song," by local playwright Julie Heifetz.

"A Sparrow's Song" is based on the true story of Janusz Korczak, a Jewish writer, physician, educator and director of a Jewish children’s orphanage in Warsaw, Poland before and during the Second World War. Dr. Korczak was beloved by the Polish people, Christians and Jews. When the Nazis came to deport the 200 Jewish children in the orphanage the soldiers recognized Dr. Korczak and offered the opportunity to have his life spared, but Korczak elected to go with his children and was murdered at Treblinka along with them.

Check out the Frederick News Post story for more details about the show and Ms. Heifetz.

The show begins at 7pm and will be followed by a panel discussion. Click here to purchase tickets

Finally Some Prom Photos!

2008-04-28T10:39:00.008-04:00

Retro Prom 2008 was held on April 12th at the Talley Rec Center. We think it was our best Prom yet. Here are some images from the evening, taken by Jon Paul Duvall and Ali Lepelletier.

Roxi Starr (aka Susan Mele), our hostess for the evening and Mark Barnhart

Dr. Mark and Shawn Pitts (Shawn is the MET Board of Directors President)

Ensemble members Rona Mensah and Ken Poisson

Prom King Jim Hochadel and Prom Queen Helen Kerr have their first dance

James "Jiggy" McGarvey

The dance floor was packed all night!

Jon Paul Duvall.

Kayte and Joe Williams talk with MET Artistic Director Tad Janes (center)

Retro Prom is 4 years old!

2008-04-12T00:09:00.001-04:00

April 12 is MET’s 4th Annual Retro Prom. Join us at the Talley Rec Center in Baker Park for an evening of dancing and fun!

Retro Prom is a fabulous example of the sense of community surrounding MET. Ensemble members, board members, volunteers and patrons contribute their efforts to make our yearly fundraiser a fantastic event.

DJ John Lee, otherwise known as the Spin Doctor, has been gratefully lending his talents to MET for the last 4 years to make our event a success. Equipped with an arsenal of tunes, he moves the evening along evoking and creating memories!

Joining us this year will be host Roxi Starr. A frequent performer at MET, Roxi will entertain our guests with her ever-hilarious commentary.

Whether you wish to relive the splendor of your own prom or need to make new memories to replace the horror that haunts you from that ill-fated evening all those years ago – take that awful bridesmaid dress you thought you would never wear out of your closet and come on down to the Rec Center to join us for an evening you’re sure to remember!

Poll Winner #2

2008-03-28T10:41:00.002-04:00

What was the best use of that pesky pillar?

And the winner is: Urinetown! with 53% of the votes.

Charlie Johnson as Bobby and Gia Mora as Hope in Urinetown (2006)

MET Retrospective: The First Five Years

2008-03-17T15:10:00.005-04:00

It's the MET's 10th Anniversary!
This past Saturday, March 15th, MET held a retrospective celebrating the 1st five years of MET-y goodness. We had lovely food from MET company member Lorrie Tripp, we got to see some familiar faces from years past, we watched scenes from our favorite shows from the first five years and even had some birthday cake! Thanks to everyone who came - it was a fabulous night! If you missed the fun, no worries, you can still come to the retrospective celebrating the 2nd five years of MET on May 3rd!

Tim King, who revised his Dr. Frank-n-furter (Rocky Horror Show)

and current MET company member Milee McDonald

Mingling!

Mark Joy and Ben Bowers chat about the MET

Mark Barnhart, Lorrie Tripp, Sophie Arrick and Karina Wright stay by the bar

Daniel Kuhn, Tad Janes, Kevin Corbett bring back the rap from The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) with the help of audience member Joe Williams

Sophie Arrick, Rona Mensah, Robin Accetta, Karen Paone and Julie Herber do the "Stomp" from Skin Deep

Company member Rona Mensah cuts the birthday cake

Poll Winner

2008-03-14T08:07:00.002-04:00

The votes are in! Your favorite Julie Herber role is Betty from Betty the Yeti, with 40% of the votes. None of the other vote choices were even close.

Losing My Norwegian

2008-03-11T14:35:00.002-04:00

MET's favorite Norwegian is back! Or she will be, in October 2008. Vibeke Havre has agreed to translate A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, which will be on the MET mainstage October 28- November 22. Vibeke has worked with the MET in the past and even attended our annual week-long beach retreat to South Carolina in January. We're excited to have her back in the States and completely thrilled about the new translation!

Ken Poisson, Karen Paone, Vibeke Havre and Rona Mensah

at dinner in Surf Side Beach, SC. January 2008

Confessions of a Stage Managing Madman

2008-03-03T14:27:00.003-05:00

Strega Nona opened this weekend to a great first audience. I knew it would get there and I knew we were starting with a great cast and fun script. The first read through/rehearsal opened my eyes to the potential that I saw this past weekend. What a great experience its been, though stressful. Having never stage managed before and also taking on the opportunity to produce Fun Company shows was a task I did not think would be as daunting as it turned out to be...

I have a better respect for stage managers now after this experience, as well as producers. You have to make sure all design aspects are taken care of for a show, which includes sound/set/costume, as well as gathering/creating any props needed for the show. The set had already been built from a previous production the MET had done a few years ago and just needed some touching up from normal wear and tear. Getting sound, props and costumes together was another issue...thanks to the help of Joann Lee, Julie Herber (the director as well), Carey Rausch, Sarah Shulman, Lorrie Tripp and Milee McDonald, we were able to employ that ensemble spirit and come together at the last minute, without stressing the actors out, which was my main concern. I like the actors to worry about their lines and what they have to do in the show, not about technical things.

With all of that taken care of, you would think I would have had it easy, but I still had to operate a light board and sound Q manager for the first time. Usually there are two tech people to operate, but stubborn ol' me wanted to run both on his own and after a bottle of water and bag of raisinets, the fuel of champions, I must admit I did OK. Some kinks to be worked out, but the adventures of Big Anthony, Strega Nona, Bambolona and Papa Bambo were enjoyed by the kids. They yelled suggestions, laughed and enthusiastically greeted all the characters after the show which to me, meant a job well done. Considering I did not have to be medi vac'd anywhere once the lights went up, I'll consider this a 'check' in the win column.

So if you get a chance, come out with your kids or your kids at heart and enjoy Strega Nona the next few weekends at the MET. How can you say 'no' to these faces?

Matt Baughman as Big Anthony, Karen Paone as Strega Nona,

Amy Easton as Bambolona and James McGarvey as Papa Bambo

- Brian Irons

New Season Brochure

2008-03-03T12:28:00.003-05:00

On Sunday we had a photo shoot for our 2008-2009 season brochure. Almost the whole company was able to attend, which was fun. We hardly ever get to all be in the same place at the same time! So, here's a photo shoot of the photo shoot:

They're waiting for their close-ups: Mark Barnhart, Karen Paone,

Amy Easton, Lisa Burl, Brian Irons and Grant Morningstar

Photographer Misti Morningstar checks her last shot as

Tad Janes positions Ali LePelletier and Matt Baughman

Tad sets up a shot with Brian Irons, Tom Majarov and Reiner Prochaska

Tad shows Sarah Shulman how to change the gel color in the spotlight. We used the spotlight for dramatic side light

Misti, aided by Mak Nichols, gets a shot of the Comedy Pigs

Gene' Fouche', Julie Herber and Misti look over the shots.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre

The MET Blog has moved!

The Ultimate Found Space Theatre Experience!

Almost, Maine is almost here!

MET Wii Band: Crapdip

Beach Retreat: Workshop

Beach Retreat!

A MET DISCO CHRISTMAS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE MET FAMILY

MET in the News

A Christmas Carol load-in at the Weinberg

A Merry Bah Humbug Christmas

Snow Queen Press Round Up

More Eggnog Fun

The Fourth Eggnog

The Third Eggnog

The Second Eggnog

Kris Kringle Parade

100th Post!

The First Eggnog

More Snow Queen Video Shoot

Snow Queen Video Shoot

Ken's Evil Amulet

New MET Website!

Santaland in the news and a trip down memory lane

Santaland Tech Week

Doll's House Strike

History of MET's A Christmas Carol

Reiner Prochaska talks about The Snow Queen

Box Office Humor (from Joann!)

The MET Furniture Line

Another Christmas Carol Video

Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol Fast Facts

A Christmas Carol is almost here...again!

MET in the Community: Buckingham's Choice

Crumpet the Elf a.k.a. Rona Mensah

A Doll's House interview on WYPR

David Sedaris on Letterman

David Sedaris

Santaland Diaries First Read Thru

Words from Joe

Doll's House Gazette Review

A Doll's House Opening Night!

Fall for the MET 2008

A Day in the Life: MET on a Wednesday

Doll's House Act I Work Thru

Doll's House Work Call

Katy Kelly at MET

9 o'clock Pigs!

Dump Run!

Doll's House Update

Pigs!

Team "A Doll's House"

Why would you want to update "A Doll's House"!?!?!

Getting Hitched!

Incorruptible Show Photos

Arts and Economic Prosperity

Comedy Pigs open Baltimore Improv Festival!

Why we don't have a show this Saturday

Vegas comes to the MET dressing room!

Chairs from PNC Bank

Wikipedia

Great Opening!

Incorruptible in the Gazette

Join MET on Facebook!

We've got Karen!

Weekend before Incorruptible Tech Week

Moving Weekend

The MET is moving!

RUNAWAYS OPENS......AND IT'S SMOKIN'!

RUNAWAYS!

Incorruptible Set

Welcome to Incorruptible!

Incorruptible begins rehearsal

MET Summer Retreat

Tad Janes on Comcast Newsmakers

"Cheesy Being Green"

Lorrie Tripp: FNP Star

Summer at MET!