Hello, everyone! We are less than one week from opening night, and things are coming together with the tech elements! David has a few videos for you, which I will post tomorrow!
Mr. Leder’s class (well, everyone too)! Mo, our stage manager, made those Character Maps for you. Check them out below!
It’s a REALLY bonkers week for me, so apologies for being behind a bit. Enjoy the photos and video below!
Today we have TWO videos! One detailing one of the many jobs helping get this show up, and another where a few of the actors stopped by the lobby to tell me some of their favorite mystery tropes, (in response to Mr. Leder’s class sharing theirs)!
As always, leave any questions for David or anyone else you see in the video, and we will get you some answers!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DVmIxwGZ9M[/embedyt]
[embedyt]https://youtu.be/n36ChHRoMCU[/embedyt]
You briefly “met” David a few posts ago, but he is going to be your Actor Guide through backstage, any questions about the show, and all the fun stuff at tech. Here is a little hello and intro from him, and ten feel free to reply to him with any questions you have!
(Teachers, this video is requesting you download it to watch. I’m not sure why, but let me know if you have any issues and I will work to correct them. It should just quickly download and then you can click to play.)
except he doesn’t know I’m introducing him. I haven’t had the chance to get a video of him saying hi, because he’s…always directing. So here is a bit about him, and a look at him interacting with the actors. Every director has a slightly different style of how they direct and communicate, and also different types of show they can really shine with. Despite being a murder mystery, this show is a comedy, and it requires someone with strong skills in physical comedy and pacing (keeping things moving constantly, choosing very specific spots for pauses, making sure there are no moments where the audience has time to wonder what they’re having for dinner, etc.). Vince is great at these things. I knew he would be a great fit for directing this show, and he was excited to direct his first mystery in a while.
In this video, you hear a little about him, but mostly you see him working for a bit. In the final short sequence, you see him working out a specific moment with two actors, and they quickly and subtly tweak things like when one actor reaches for the other, how many times they look around the room, (for comedic effect), how the actors pitch their voices for the lines, and when they sit down. All this seems incredibly specific and perhaps limiting, but it is made for the correct comedic balance, and it actually gives the actors more permission to play around with their lines and motions, because now they have a set of boundaries to work within. So instead of thinking, “which of 5,294 ways should I say this line?” They know, “okay, so in this moment I am reaching for her hand, and looking this way, and making sure no one hears me. But I also know I am very excited about this secret I have, and that this is my wife and I want to impress her.” Now, the actor has a better shot at nailing a really great moment. The director is guiding them to greater success.
Next time I post, you will get to meet the actor who will be taking your questions and showing you around a bit more!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWwqpIuihYg[/embedyt]
My Stage Manager was only able to get video of a handful of the actors tonight, so I am going to fill n the blanks with photos so you can begin to match faces and names to characters. I think the SM just grabbed them and asked them to say their names, which is probably why they didn’t say much more! But they will, promise.
Forgive my hack editing; this isn’t really my field. Also, the music…was all I had that was free and easy. If anyone out there wants to compose better music for our videos, hit me up. But at least it gives you something to start with until we are back from our brief New Year’s break. Rehearsals begin again in 2 days! That’s when you will get to interact with the actors more.
Leave any questions you have for the actors, Stage Manger, Director, or designers!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8nTQ5m-s4Q[/embedyt]
Loved the comments on the last posts! I have to say, as far as mystery tropes, the “portrait with holes for eyes” is such a good one, and always kinda creeps me out, even in a comedy! And secret passages are the best. At the risk of spoilers, this show doesn’t have a passage, per se, but here IS a hidden spot, and it MAY house a body at some point, and the body MAY or may NOT…ok I’ll stop there!
Great mysteries, too! The historical ones are so fascinating. I used to watch every documentary on television I could about stories like Amelia Earhart, Jack the Ripper, DB Cooper, cryptids…. And Sherlock Holmes is my favorite literary character of all time, ever. I have a necklace in the shape of one of his pipes that I wear for every opening night at the theatre.
Anyhow, enough about me! Here is a Character List for the show, so that when you meet the actors via video and photos, you know who they are portraying. These are the characters and a little bit about them. Can you guess who the murder victim will be??
Clarissa Hailsham-Brown: The second wife of Henry Hailsham-Brown; charming and inventive, her imagination tends to work overtime, with some unexpected consequences. Pretty convinced she can orchestrate any outcome she wants, for anything, anytime.
Jeremy Warrender: An elegant young man and guest at the Hailsham-Brown’s house, the private secretary for a man much wealthier than he. Has a crush on Clarissa.
Pippa Hailsham-Brown: Pippa is 12 years old, and she is Clarissa’s stepdaughter and Henry’s daughter. Very intelligent, talkative, and always hungry, she had a hard time after her parents’ divorce and was mistreated by her mother and mother’s then-boyfriend (now husband). Since living exclusively with Clarissa and Henry, she has improved a lot.
Oliver Costello: He is suspected of shady dealings, probably involving some pretty dangerous drugs. Married to Pippa’s mother, who was Henry’s first wife. Willing to use Pippa as a bargaining chip to get what he wants, even though she is frightened of him and her mother.
Mildred Peake: She is a hearty-looking woman, as though she has grown up in the countryside. Loud, but in a way that not everyone finds irritating (only some people). She is the gardener of the country estate, often very cheerful (or is it forceful?), some suspect that she isn’t all there.
Mr. Elgin: The Butler at the home the Hailsham-Browns are currently renting. Nothing escapes his attention. Entirely uninterested in any notion of loyalty to anyone but himself and his partner (who is never seen, but spoken of).
Henry Hailsham-Brown: Clarissa’s husband. This is his second marriage; the first was awful for him and he fought to keep his daughter after his ex wife became an abusive addict. Always distracted and thinking of something, somewhere else. Works in the foreign office in a high-pressure political career.
Constable Jones: A local constable with somewhat of a flaky air. Probably doesn’t often see anything quite so exciting as murder, but isn’t overwhelmed by it. Has high regard for the Inspector.
Lady Francesca Delahaye (“Frankie” to friends): A distinguished lady with very definite intelligence and charm. Clarissa’s guardian when she was younger; now her friend and advisor. She is very protective of Clarissa and Pippa. Perhaps believes she has a bit more influence over what Clarissa says and does than she actually has.
Hugo Birch: The local Justice of the Peace. A rather irascible type who shouldn’t be involved in business like a murder, and he won’t hesitate to tell you so. Not particularly keen on shenanigans of any kind.
Inspector Lord: The wheels are always turning in his brain. Although he doesn’t let on, he doesn’t miss a thing. Knows there is much more going on than anyone is telling him.
Oh! And here is our poster/graphic for the show. We took the photo of the model’s hands and then added the illustrations afterward. (Fun fact: the hands belong to the wife of the actor playing Inspector Lord!)
Hi everyone! Check out this short Ted-ed video about Dame Christie!
Here’s what’s fun about learning the basics of her novels and stories: she makes fun of some of these tropes in the play, Spider’s Web. So if you know the basics of Murder Mystery Setup, you will spot some of her making fun of herself a bit in the show.
One thing I am sure you will catch: the video references her stereotyping of certain groups of people. I think we probably all know at this point that this kind of thing was massively common when she was writing her books, in the early to mid 1900s. In the time since, there have been changes made to some of works in order to eliminate some of this stuff. In her plays, there is now a caveat in the beginning of the script that allows for a company to tweak language and phrasing to remove problematic words and racial stereotyping, which is a big deal, because there are many cases where you cannot do that without risking legal action! In our version of Spider’s Web, you will see a diversity of age, race, gender, body type, etc. throughout the actors – and therefore the characters. We can get into this more as we go along, and if you have questions, please ask! Theatre is about so much more than simply seeing a show and going home. It should spark conversation, lead to some questions, some answers, and hopefully entertain you while we’re at it!
I will be seeing a few of the cast members this week, but by then, you will be on Holiday Break! So I am going to leave you in suspense when it comes to the actors, but get any questions you have for them ready so we can dive right in when January comes.
Today’s question: what is your favorite mystery trope? For instance, the protagonist with amnesia, where the main character narrating the story just woke up and has no memory of who they are! Or the femme fatale! Or the old, “lights suddenly go out, and when they come back on, someone HAS BEEN MURDERED!” Do you have a mystery trope you love – or think is so ridiculous, but you kinda love it anyhow?
The delightful Agatha Christie, later in life (like she’s probs not 21 here).
It’s here! Our FIFTH Page to the Stage starts now. We’re really glad you’re here! My name is Trista, and I am the Artistic Director at Centerstage Theatre. That basically means that I am in charge of anything and anyone you see onstage, backstage, in the booth, and on the design team. Everyone interviews, auditions, or applies with me before they move on to the next step. If they are an actor, I may call them back for a specific show, and they will get a chance to show a director (of an individual show) what they can bring. If the director of a show sees what they need in a particular actor, then they will cast that actor in a specific role. It can sometimes be months between when an actor first auditions for me and when they end up in a show. Everything in theatre is a process, but we try to make all the steps meaningful, fun, and uplifting in different ways.
During Page to the Stage, you will be getting behind the scenes looks at the rehearsals, the actors, the tech elements – set, painting, costumes, props, lighting, sound, etc. – how we market the shows, and anything else that you are curious about. The actors will be engaging with you via this blog, so have questions ready for them; they’d love to answer! Today, we can start with a Practice Question, so your teachers can get signed up for leaving comments and we can make sure everything is working correctly. The question will be at the end of this post!
The show for this year is Agatha Christie’s Spider’s Web, a comedic murder mystery. We are NOT going to spoil the show for you, because on February 7th, you’ll be coming to the theatre for a field trip to see a showing just for you all. So zero spoilers about the ending!
Old-timey clickbait.
Agatha Christie is world-renowned as one of the absolute best mystery authors in history. Born in 1890, she lead a fascinating life, and authored nearly 100 works of fiction. Her life even had its own bizarre twist: when she was in her mid-thirties, during a very stressful time in her personal life, she disappeared for 11 days and was found with no memory of where she had been, why, or how she got there. The mystery has never been completely solved.
OK, question time: what is your favorite mystery, whether solved or unsolved? It could be something in real life, or a book you read, maybe a movie or even a weird story from the internet. I’d love to know! You teacher can leave a comment and list off any of the answers you give.
Talk to you soon (hey, you’re almost at Holiday Break, so close)!
