Tag: New Dawn Theater Company

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Streetcar Opening Weekend in Review

  • Thursday night was canceled
  • Friday night was an actor’s nightmare
  • Saturday matinee had only 1 attendee
  • Saturday night was fantastic
  • Sunday matinee was not bad ether

OK. The details:

Thursday night, I have already mentioned. I will add other statements I have heard: The 2 people that did arrive asked to come back another night; And that no one was turned away at the door. I don’t know what is true or not. There are always 3 sides to every story – Yours, Mine and the Truth.

Friday night was an actor’s nightmare. We had an audience of around 30. But not only did they laugh at the humorous spots (which is good) but at everything else. At some point it seemed to me like a TV show about stage acting, where the actors on stage are SO BAD but do not realize they are bad. The audience is laughing at them and not with them. I became actually afraid to say my lines for the reaction they may provoke. Besides the laughter was the running commentary and repeating of lines by the audience members.

It turns out that there were some audience members were drunk. Three ladies apparently had liquor in their purses and were adding it to their drinks. Late in the play, I could here the shushing of one audience member to others.

The entire cast, well some of the cast, were frustrated with the audience. But what choice did we have. To use the cliche “The Show must go on”. We finished, we bowed and then I bolted.

Saturday Matinee only had 1 attendee. Only one!! OK, well two if you count one of New Dawn board members who attended. So we did the show. How could we not after Thursday’s fiasco. It was a good performance.

After that, most of the cast and crew went across the street to Steverino’s Pizzeria for an early dinner (or late lunch). Then back across the street for the evening show.

Saturday Evening had about 30 people or so, including my biggest fans, mom and dad. Saturday night rocked! The audience, unlike Friday’s, was very reposive to the funny bits and the dramatic bits. No laughing in unusual spots. No running commentary. Emotions were right on. Nearly a perfect night.

This made me feel a lot better about the run. The first three shows were a cancelation, bad audience and then a single attendee. To have a near perfect night made me feel better and made me think that yes, we will have audiences and good audiences at that.

The Sunday Matinee just confirmed that. Not as large a crowed as Saturday evening, but they were very responsive. Even received a standing ovation.

Well two weekends with 10 shows left.

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A False Start

Last nights performance of A Streetcar Named Desire was canceled. At about 5 minutes to curtain, the director and cast received word that Red Clay decided to cancel the show. I don’t believe anyone got a good explanation. Apparently there were only two people who booked ahead of time and showed up. And there was proof of at least one person being turned away with rumors of more.

This upset several cast members as well as the New Dawn Theatre Company Board Members for several reasons: First, New Dawn believes is should be the choice of New Dawn and not Red Clay; Second, the actors were willing to perform for 2 or two hundred. Third, those few could potentially induce others to come see the show… or not see the show.

And Finally, because we had not “Opened” yet, it turned into another night of rehearsal. The entire cast and crew was going to be there anyway. If this was not the official opening it would have been a rehearsal and indeed it turned out to be one.

Besides, could it have hurt to have that ticket money in the pocket? Will those people who were turned away even come back? What is there impression of being asked to leave? Will our heroes even get to perform? Stay tuned.

Really, in the end for last nights fiasco, the fault falls with both Red Clay and New Dawn. Both should have done everything they could to get the word out. I don’t know that they didn’t, but I have not seen evidence that they have ether.

This was a first for me, as far as I can remember. I have performed shows where the cast was larger than the audience, but we still performed. I do hate having small audiences, but at least they were there. They made an effort to come see us and so we performed.

I am used to having small audiences. It happens that way during a run: you can have a large audience one night and a small one the next. But having a show canceled. Now I am worried that all the shows will have a small audience or that another night might be canceled. Not good. It makes me wonder whether I want to work with ether of these groups again. Not only the people who were turned away have a bad impression, but now I do as well.

Anyway, we will try again tonight. Fingers crossed.

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A New Play

Last Monday, I was looking around various theatre websites and looking at Red Clay Theatre and their upcoming plays, noticed that New Dawn Theatre Company was doing A Streetcar Named Desire. The audition notice was on their website and apparently, according to my biggest fan: Mom, in the Gwinnett Daily Post, but not on Atlanta Performs, where I find most of the community auditions.

I was a little sceptable about the group, but they were performing at Red Clay. I called and talked to someone about the audition. Just show up.

OK. So I did. I was getting the feeling that this was real hometown community and that the cast was sort of already selected. So I really did not hold much enthusiasm for getting a role. There were other shows I wanted to audition for so I decided not to take any role other than STANLEY or MITCH, the lead male roles. (I hope I don’t sound arrogant, but there other plays I wanted to audition for.)

The director, Rick Thompson, remembed me from a prior audition (I am bad with that type of thing). He was very attentave to the actors and I was impressed by that. He said he would notify those he wanted by email on Thursday. I had not seen anything by dinner and figured I did not get a role.

I did get an email and was offered MITCH. Cool!

First read though is Tuesday night. I am excited to be doing a drama.

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Auditioning for A Streetcar Named Desire

“A Streetcar Named Desire” -A New Dawn Production
October 2 – 19
Thurs-Sat at 8pm
Matinees: Sat and Sun at 2pm
Tickets $18.00
Company: New Dawn Theater Company
Venue: Red Clay Theatre and Arts Center

This classic deals with a culture clash between two symbolic characters, Blanche DuBois, a pretentious, fading relic of the Old South, and Stanley Kowalski, a rising member of the industrial, urban immigrant class. From the beginning, Blanche and Stanley are at odds; opposing ideals, ways of life, and each other on every minute detail of life. This confrontation ultimately leads Blanche to the revelation of her tragic self delusion and in the end, to her madness.