In the news!

beaconnews.suntimes.com did a spot on Storefront Shakespeare.  Pretty cool.  Wish it was a little more up to date!

As You Like It Last Weekend!

So after 4 months plus of working on this show this weekend heralds the end of the run.  Lots of work, in fact a huge heaping pile of work has gone into this.  every moment has been worth it.  learned a lot and made some great new friends.  I can't wait for the next project to begin.  If you haven't seen us yet please come out today or tommorow.  We would all love to see you for the finaly curtain call!

Mumford and Sons

Hello World,
The last two months I haven't been actively going out and finding music to listen to.  I've been making due with what I have (40 gb just  a little bit of music?!) and the songs I've had to listen to for research purposes.  Normally I budget for a new CD/download a week.  Which means I usually acquire 50 or so new CD's a year.  OMG that is a lot of music.... 
Anywho This album and CD has been top of my list to get for a while now.  And finally I now have that album!!!  Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons is one of the most awzume folk revival albums I have ever heard!  Its a wonderful mix of uplifting, happy, moving, dancing, toe tapping, love story filled album.  No song is the same but you know its something special.  I also love the song White Blank Page, it actually has Shakespeare and Much Ado References in it!  Squueeee!!!  The band also got nods at the Grammys so def worth the listen!

Shakespeare Resources

I'm a big fan of books, owning them, holding them, reading them,  mmmm me love me some books.  However I also do know that books take up room and space!!!  Now that I've started this crazy research project I know for sure I would not be able to own, read, and hold all of my refrence sources.  That is why I love the internet!! http://shakespeare.mit.edu/  Is the best online source for quickly looking up Shakespeare's work!  Its the best!  Now there are some typos and issues with spelling and first folio vs second folio vs modern translations and editors opinions.  But for me to quickly find a line, scene in a play, its GREAT!!!  In fact to tell you the truth most of my research starts on the internet and then moves to hard copies.  So for you actors out their or Bard lovers great first stop to brush up on Shakespeare.&Or you can join me in my book love and buy every copy imaginable!!!

Gnomeo & Juliet

Hello World,
So my fellow friends, geeks, and Shakespeare lovers went off to the movies this past week to go see Gnome & Juliet.  I give it 4 stars out of 5 in my book and would recomend it to fans of cartoons, childrens movies and the Bard.  Bassicaly its Romeo and Juliet acted out by garden Gnomes.  Silly, ridiculos and oh so much fun.  We laughed the entire time, plus so screaming and a few shouted out lines.  Yes we were those people in the audience.  I'm sorry but its true.  However in a 500+ seater theater there was about 4 other people in the audience so we were not that concerned.  The story line is altered a little to make it more apropriate for a younger audience and the who and the what don't exactly match the original story.  But in all it was a fair shake at updateing and making the story a commedy.  The one thing that let me down just a little bit was that it wasn't the actual story. 
However I loved it.  I enjoyed looking for and finding all of the different Shakespeare references.  If you know you Shakespeare you will have a blast.  We don't even know if we found all of the refrences!  Some of them were realy out there and hard to even see.  One was a Picture of a Swan on a london bus that said "Upon Avon."  One of the Best parts for me was when Shakespeare himself made an aperance.  He was voiced by my dear sci-fi love Cpt. John Luke Picard aka John Partick Stewart.  His line "I told you so!" was the best moment in the whole movie.  My favorite character was Featherstone the wonderful pink flamingo.  He was Father Lauwrence and Touchstone wraped up into one character with a little bit of Robin Williams and the Bird Cage thrown in.  Most of the Score was Elton John, I loved it!!!  Especial Paris!
The animation was ok but simple.  I don't know if it is running in 3D but if it is save your money.  Its a simple film and not worth the extra $. 

Let me know what your favorite Shakespeare refrence was?!

Silly Student Night!

Hello World,
So I've been telling you all about AYLI and I'm going to keep doing so, lol, after all its the big thing going on this month!  So after taking a break all week we are getting back to the theater for our second weekend of shows.  We are really expecting lots of people for this weekend and the rest of the time.  All the actors and most everyone who was interested in coming seemed to be favoring the latter weekends.  But that theater for you the first weekend is all ways the slowest.  Actually I was very happy with the turn out the first weekend!  No worries on having an empty house!  Now its only going to get crazy!!  I wonder how many people we can shove into that room LOL.  I'm really looking forward to tonight... ITS SILLY STUDENT NIGHT!  This is not a common thing to see in theater in fact its sort of rare.  But we did it with Midsummer and it was the best show we had done all along.  The audience was amazing!  So were doing it early this time around and who knows some of the antics might be kept for the rest of the show.  So far I know that every one has something planned and something up their sleeve.  I'm a little nervous about mine but its perfect for my character.  So if your looking to split your gut laughing tonight come out tonight to see the show.   Its only $5 tonight.  Come early!

storefrontshakespeare.org
Buy Your Tickets Here
Can't wait to see you!

Opinion Seeking

Hello World,
So as many of you might of read I've started a writting project bassed on some research I'm doing in regards to Shakespeare.  I wanted to get some opinions from you.   Tell me what some of your favorite scenes are between Shakespeare's lovers?  The one's you either love the best or you think are the best examples of writting from the noble bard.

Thanks

There is no Business like Show Business!

Like no business I know!  Tonight is the night we open.  I feel like I've been running a marathon today.  Printing this, making that, finding that and oh don't forget about this!!!!   Its all worth it thought.  Every moment of panic and stress does not equal that one moment of OH yeah, this feels good!!!  So come out and see us!  More posts and info to come.  Lots of broken legs wished on everyone!  .http://www.storefrontshakespeare.org/uploads/4/0/2/7/4027247/4807401.jpg?476

Hell Week

Hello World,

So as we have established I'm working on "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare with Storefront Shakespeare.  (My company)  This week is the week before we open!  Its traditional called Hell Week.  There is most defiantly a reason for that.  I am tired, sore, and grumpy.  I am trying to finish last minute items like, has any one found or bought that prop piece yet?!  But the show should be amazing, the cast is doing great!  Everyone should come and take the time to come see it.  The company and the cast has been working on this for months.  The tickets are only $10 for normal shows.  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/browse.html?formsubmitted=1&reset=1&secretkeywords=&keywords=storefront+shakespeare  But I have to say I'm really looking forward to silly student night.  I won't spoil the surprise and tell you anything but it should be full of even more gags and silliness then normal.  http://www.storefrontshakespeare.org/  I am playing Corin, the grumpy old shepherd, so look for me!  I'm also stage managing, costuming, producing, and everything else ^_^  Come see us this month!  It's this Friday!!!!

Costume Work and Research

Hello World,

So This week I spent most of my time creating and finishing costumes for the play I'm working on "As You Like It".  I've done quite a bit of costuming as of late.  I enjoy clothes and fashion so I don't mind doing the job.  The thing that drives me batty is how people seem to think it is only a female job and how its "Easy Right?!"  LOL if you have ever done any sewing at all especially with those wonderful expensive silks and satins you know it is anything but easy.  I almost started laughing hystaricaly when one of my male leads walks up with a wool frock coat that is about 6 sizes to big for him.  He wants to wear it in the show, we open on Friday!  Eeekk tailoring!!!  The costumes I made for my up coming show for  was probably the most difficult, creative and extensive costume work I have done to date.  I think the costumes look amazing.  There are several different saris, amazing dresses, tunics, pants, scarfs, crowns, beading and anything else you can imagine.  Its going to be a very colorful show.  I realy wanted to make sure that the imagination was imidiatly caught when the audience saw the characters.  We have a very unusual set design and we are asking our audience to take a leap into imagination with us.  I think everyone will be plesantly surprised by the work we've done in making sure that this production looks amazing.  I cant wait for full costume, tech, and prop rehearsal.  So make sure to mark your calendars for the production.

So besides creating costumes I've been doing some research on Shakespeare and the double meaning of his words within his plays.  I have an idea and I'm starting to research my refernces and such but I just had to share this book.  It's called "Filthy Shakespeare: Shakespeare's Most Outrages Sexual Puns" by Pauline Kiernan.  Its a fun break down of what words could possibly mean within the age of Will.  It deffinatly adult reading but oh so fun.  Well see what comes of this research...  I can't wait to start writing it!
Peace and Cookies!