CAST+CREW Issue 1

BEHIND-THE-SCENES with

IVY TECH STUDENT PRODUCTIONS

Issue One.

CAST +CREW

A publication of Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington

CAST

king oedipus by Kelly Lusk

PRODUCTION STAFF

CONSULTANTS

Bethany/Sphinx: Maya FerrarioOedipus: Connor AndreiLaius: Ben JeatranOracle: Rhianna C. JonesJocasta: Danielle CarterCreon: Zach TrinkleChorus: Cheryl Brennan, Billy Gilliam, Heidi Mikac, Jarrid Redden, Douglas Shields, Marissa WhitmerPuppeteer: Sarah McGrath

Direction: Paul DailyAssistant Direction: Sam YoungCostume Design: Lily WallsLighting Design: Brennen EdwardsScenic Design: David Wade Dramaturg: Brennan Murphy

Stage Management: Whitney EllisFight Director: Matt HerndonTechnical Director: Eric ReynoldsProps Master: Trina SterlingSets: Scott Kaufman, Dusten Boulanger, Matthew DittemoreWardrobe Crew: Vesa Bradley, Rachel MartinekMarketing: Sarah Alvarez, Amanda Billings

Special Effec ts: Benjamin AlmShadow Puppets: Jennifer GoodlanderGreek: Nathan Grantz

Ivy Tech Student Productions Season 2014-15

October 17, 18, 23, 24, & 25

Issue One.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES with

IVY TECH STUDENT PRODUCTIONS

CAST +CREW

CAST+CREW Issue One.

CAST

king oedipus by Kelly Lusk

PRODUCTION STAFF

CONSULTANTS

Ivy Tech Student Productions Season 2014-15

king oedipus by Kelly Lusk directed by Paul Daily

To purchase tickets, visit www.bctboxoffice.com. Tickets $15 adults, $5 students/seniors.

at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center

October 17, 18, 23, 24, & 25

A publication of Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomingtonwww.ivytech.edu/waldron

SEE OUR SHOW!

3


COSTUME DESIGNER

LILYWALLS

Costume Design combines many of my greatest loves into one field; history,

fashion, theatre, and art. It’s really an amazing feeling to take a character

who is made up only of words and flesh, and not only make them out, but

make the whole world in which they live. I enjoy the little details, ones the au-

dience might never see but that really speak to the actor about who they are

playing or where that person has come from.

5


The first thing I always do is read the script multiple times. Everything there is to know about a character comes from right there. Then there’s the first meeting with the director, to discuss the concept of the show, the things that stand out to us, and any preliminary ideas we have. Then I go and do research and preliminary designs, we have a production meeting with all the designers where we present our work, and make sure that what we’re envisioning is cohesive.

Pending approval from the director I can move into final rendering, presenting to the cast, and starting the actual costume collection and creating process.

DESIGN PROCESS

7


I personally start the process with an image or a song for each character, as well as a collage and playlist for the whole show because the whole world fitting together is what I strive for more than anything. Having that allows me to get in the same headspace time and time again so I can have consistency but also so I can stay in the mindset of that ‘world.’

SHOW SOUNDTRACKS

9


COSTUME + ACTINGI am a theatre student, and while I have acted in the past and in a

classroom setting, I am not an actress. I feel like an understanding of

acting is crucial the same way an understanding of lighting design

and dramaturgy and all the other elements of theatre are crucial.

Theatre is always a collaboration, and it is aided when everyone at

the table at least has an understanding of each other’s vocabularies,

so we can communicate our visions clearly throughout the process. 11


Even though it’s based on a classic story, there is a lot of creative freedom with king oedipus. Paul is always a dynamic director to work with because he brings really interesting ideas to the table, and it makes the design process ore of a conversation rather than me just saying, “we’re going to do this and this and this.” It’s a collaboration. The world of this show, with its mix of time periods and themes, is what has really been driving me through this process because there is a real need to connect every element of the story, and I feel costuming is a really effective tool to that end.

COSTUME + COLLABORATION

13


Costuming is an art form on many levels, from the literal renderings of a designer to the patterning and stitching on a more technical level. Costuming creates, and creation is in itsself art. It is an art which exists to be practical as well as beautiful. As a designer, we can create the most magnificent picture we want, but if it doesn’t communicate what we want to the production team, then it’s not of much use.

COSTUMING AS ART

15


PUPPETEER

SARAHMCGRATH

I do primarily act - this is my first puppetry job. It’s intimidating for me to think

of it that way, but when it comes down to it, they’re both after the same thing

- telling a story. It’s my thought that you can get just as much emotion from

watching a skilled puppeteer make a flower slowly wilt as you can from an

actor falling into despair onstage. I’m still doing acting, just with different tools.

17


I actually didn’t know there even was going to be a puppeteer! I auditioned and read for Bethany originally, and was surprised when I got an email casting me as “puppeteer”. I was interested and excited to take on the challenge though, because from experience in costume/prop making I knew I enjoyed finding ways to make things work.

WHY IS THERE A PUPPETEER?

19


As for how it all comes together - I came up with an initial storyboard to present to Paul and that’s been the framework. I’ve gotten new ideas from watching run-throughs of the play, and Paul will suggest brilliant things that I wish I had thought of and it all comes together in a collaborative process. It’s a lot of, “Hey I drew this. How do you think this works for that part?” and him either saying, “Cool!” or guiding me to a wider variety of options.

CREATING A SCENE

21


We started with the idea that I would build everything, and then the idea changed into making shapes out of human bodies and hands, and then lots of Chinese-shadow-puppetry-inspired characters on the screen, and now it’s got a little bit of everything from along the way. There’s a large mix of what you might consider puppetry - some will be straight black shadows, and some will have color. You will see some hands and bodies, and at least one puppet inspired by Chinese shadow puppets and their construction, but with a more Greek flair. We’re also working with the idea of inverse shadows - projecting shapes of light with mirrors. It will be a very varied collection of techniques all helping to tell one story.

DEFINING PUPPETRY

23


RHYTHM OF THE SHADOWS“Though I am very, very, very new at it, I would say puppetry is just

as much an art form as what the actors are doing onstage - there’s

a rhythm and a timing in it and the person manning the puppets has

to project all the feeling into the objects he or she has to work with.

Those objects need to become living things themselves. They also

have to follow the energy of the entire production even though they

really only have their ears to guide them. Otherwise it’s just a bunch

of stuff moving around behind a screen. I only hope I can do justice

to that when Oedipus opens!” 25


ACTOR (LAIUS)

BEN JEATRAN

I’ve wanted to be an actor for a while when I realized finally what it is I

love; movies. It’s how I think and how I create. When I think of some of the

best movies and productions I’ve seen, I think of the actors who helped pull

the story together through- well, acting! I simply love taking on a story from

someone else’s perspective and seeing it from their view. Putting myself into

someone else’s perspective to perform is an unmatched feeling that can’t

be created by anything else.

27


I’m working toward a Telecommunications major at Indiana University. I one day want to be a director/actor, making my own films and bringing the stories and ideas I have in my head to the big screen, and sharing them with everyone. Short term, I’m happy with wherever I can be in the media production process.

STORYTELLING AND FILM

29


Acting in king oedipus is actually a very different experience for me. It’s the first time I ever played a noble. With every new role, there’s always a constant challenge of finding out what goes through your character’s mind. This is a role you’ve never done before and have nothing to relate to it, so it’s a real journey to see how you can immerse yourself in it.

BECOMING KING LAIUS

31


THE LEAD VILLIANI got started acting in high school. The first play I ever tried out for, I

got the lead villain. I went out for the next play and got a character

with his own song! I felt like the possibilities for my acting were

endless! That’s when I got to the Waldron, and got the call telling

me that it’s fun, but you need to focus and really know acting. It’s

a lesson I haven’t learned anywhere else. This is the first time I’ve

worked with Paul Daily. He was the first director to not cast me in a

play I tried out for, and working with him is a real treat. He brings,

like each director I’ve worked with, a new form of acting to the table

and a new way to perceive what it is we do.33


ACTOR (BETHANY/SPHINX)

MAYAFERRARIO

This show is so uniquely cool in it’s own way. It’s a brand new play written

from the perspective of someone that everyone’s heard of, with language

that is realistic, but in a completely unrealistic world. Kelly Lusk did a

fantastic job with the script. It’s so complex, and even though everyone has

heard of the story of Oedipus, they don’t know his side of the story.

35


MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH AND CRYI’ve enjoyed acting for all my life, but what really rejuvenated my

acting juices was when I was in high school, I saw another high

school’s version of “Almost, Maine.” I laughed, I cried, and I

wanted to be involved in something that could effect someone that

massively. I continue to act because I enjoy everything about acting.

The high of being on stage and creating a persona that is different

than my own is exhilarating. I re-found my love for reading through

my immersion of acting, as well. Reading scripts and interpreting

the words through actions has brought a more realistic connection

between the words and me. 37

TRANSFORMING INTO A SPHYNX

The Sphinx is such a challenging, complex character. She has so many layers and it’s fun peeling back the layers of myself to help create this strong character from my own experiences. The reason the sphinx is so complex is because she is not only this amazingly strong female-ish character, but she has also been created and formed from this woman who lost everything. She feels things from two perspectives. She remembers everything from her past life, but has that manifested into pain or strength?


39


I am a senior at Indiana University studying Theatre, with a concentration in acting and Telecommunications with a concentration in Design and Production. My number one career would be to act professionally. I would love to be on stage or behind the camera and make people laugh and cry and rethink life.

STAGE AND LIFE

41


ACTOR (JOCASTA)

DANIELLECARTER

I’ve been acting for about 12 years. I love the chance to tell a story in a

way that is unique each time. I love that acting makes not only the actor

but the audience use their imaginations. I don’t think we always use our

imaginations enough as we get older. Theatre creates an entire world in

a limited space with limited resources so you have to be creative with the

way you tell the story. Theatre is insanely hard work, long hours, dedication,

emotionally draining, frustrating, and the most fun in the entire world.

43


The first Ivy Tech Student Productions show I auditioned for was Macbeth and I have always loved Shakespeare, so I just went for it. I had a great time working on that show, so I wanted to audition again. I like that the auditions are open to the community so you get to meet a variety of people.

WHY IVY TECH STUDENT PRODUCTIONS?

45


OLD STORY, NEW SHOW

I love Kelly Lusk’s retelling of the Oedipal myth. Oedipus is an extremely difficult story to tell. It’s awkward for the audience and for the actors, but its our job to make these characters full and honest. We have the challenge of creating these mythical scenes on a small intimate stage with limited resources. We have to create a sphynx, show the destruction of a town, and stage battles.

47


A CULINARY CREATIVEI have a degree in Baking and Pastry. I went to Ivy Tech Community

College because I was able to complete my degree without

accumulating any debt. The most enjoyable classes I took at Ivy

Tech were my culinary labs. These classes were really small which

allowed for a lot of individual attention. Not only did I learn so much

from these classes, but they were really fun and I felt like my chef

instructors really cared about me. The best teachers I had while at

Ivy Tech were Chef Stacy Strand and Chef Tad Delay. They are both

really knowledgeable and talented. They were both great at sharing

their expertise in a manner that allowed you to be creative and add

your own spin to things.49


ACTOR (OEDIPUS)

CONNOR ANDREI

For me, acting is an art because it is vulnerable. Acting is the practice of

throwing yourself into the midst of a world that is both similar to and vastly

different from our own, and into a different person with so much emotion.

You take yourself and you bring yourself to the ends of your wit. You kill your

family, you leave your wife, you break down in tears, you kill yourself and

you do it all in front of a crowd for their amusement. And it’s hard, and it’s

cathartic. And when it’s all over everyone is a little bit changed. And change

is the measure of art.

51


FINDING THE STORY

it’s been so very long that I’ve been on the acting side of the equation, and it’s quite a lot of fun to become someone new, not to mention getting to stab someone. And I think I’m really learning a lot from Paul, our director, about acting and also about directing and about trusting your actors to find the story themselves.

53


THE ART OF THINKINGActing is, in my opinion, the art of thinking. At least, thought is what

makes good acting good. One’s first instinct is to just read the words

off the page with some haughty “acting” voice, but that’s when you

lose the character. Acting isn’t about portraying something, it’s about

being something. You take the words on the page and you think - just

as there is a reason behind everything you do, there’s a reason behind

everything your character does, and there’s history, backstory, pain,

love, grief, prejudice.

The character is a person, and you become them by taking in the

subtext and imbuing it with yourself. This is how I think when I write,

and it’s how I think when I direct and edit, and this is what I love about

acting. If it weren’t for that human connection, I’d rather never even

look at script or see a play or watch a movie. It’s everything to me.55

CAST +CREW©2014

Documents

CAST+CREW Issue 1