Turning to George Bernard Shaw for some advice...

George Bernard Shaw said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

The past week has been constant progress, constant change, for this production. Sunday began with finishing sketching in the staging for Act II, and preparing for our designer run through. Monday, the designer run through- and a huge opportunity for discovery. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: adjusting, cutting, changing, shaping, detailing. This process, especially this week, has not been easy. In fact, I see the strain in everyone. But, although it's stressful, it's also been possible. And it's what's best for the production- which everyone seems to recognize and respect. 

I like the above quote by Shaw because the process of creating a theatrical production is all about rehearsal. Literally re-hearing the story every night. It's my understanding that when you're doing this the right way, the story continues to unfold and unravel. The discoveries don't end. It's exciting to see this happen. It's exciting for me to be able to sit there and watch one rehearsal, only to see it again the next day after it's been worked- and it's transformed. I never even realize completely why the first one wasn't as good until afterward when it's been detailed, it's clear, and specific. It becomes straight-forward, and clear, and it holds your attention the entire time. 

There is still so much work to be done. We have added 3 hours of rehearsal on saturday, and are trying to tack on an extra hour to our rehearsals this week. We have costume meetings, design meetings, paper tech for lights, visual and audio meetings. We have so much to do for PR: sending out emails, bookmarks, postcards, hanging banners, and pushing it into the community. There is a lot of pressure to really sell out this show, and as it gets closer it feels more and more daunting. In fact, we hit a bit of a dead end today, which was rather frustrating. The PR team was hoping to be able to do a majority of the grunt work today, and the rest of this weekend, but it looks like it too will have to happen next week. All of this work is outside of our normal rehearsal hours. During rehearsals we have the 2nd half of the revolution sequence to choreograph, and plenty more scenes to work and detail. We have to run, and run, and run the show- especially because of it's size and complexity. It's the only way ahead. Throw in a publicity photoshoot, and election day on top of it all- it's surely going to be one crazy week! 

It's very easy at this point in a production to become overwhelmed by the amount of work. Logically, you think of the amount of bodies you have, work, and time, and try to shove it into some equation to see the road head. In life, and theatre especially, you find that it is unwise to try to put it into a formula. Things get done how they're meant to, and only one thing at a time. I again go to Shaw who says, “The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” And that is exactly what we'll do. We choose not to let ourselves react to the amount of work we have to do, but to instead just act and get it done. In less than 2 weeks we will have a completed production on our hands, created with all these obstacles, and accomplished successfully. Accomplished because we have dedicated individuals involved, who are tireless and care about the work. I remember this and am inspired whenever I get tired. It's more than worth it in the end. It's life altering. 

Let's not get crazy here though, I'll leave with a gentle reminder to all involved from  our playwright, Bertolt Brecht, himself, "Everyone needs help from everyone." And isn't that the truth?

So.... What's It About?

It’s something I’ve gotten a lot lately. What’s it about? Um… Well…

I think it says something about the nature of drama that people are concerned primarily with the story being told. That’s the first question – “what’s it about?” – followed usually by “well, how much is it?” Theater is first and foremost about telling a story, a fact that has been made undeniable through this rehearsal process. Every stitch on the costumes, every nail in the set, and every facial expression on the actors is done in service to the story. This is why I’ve been getting that question a lot – “what’s it about?” The problem is I’m having a hard time answering it…

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? Judging by the title, it’s about white people, right? No. Well, yes, there are some white people, but that’s not what the title is referring to. Nor does the chalk circle have anything to do with sidewalks, blackboards, or gymnastics. Sure, the title makes sense after the story, but retroactive understanding doesn’t help me answer the question.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? Judging by the promotional materials it is some sort of musical adaptation of The Ring, right? No. As much as I would love to spend some quality, tell-me-all-about-the-outback-and-those-romantic-Nicole Kidman-rumors time with Naomi Watts, this play has nothing to do with that underrated horror movie. But the promotional materials aren’t supposed to be overtly informative; they’re supposed to be striking and interest-forming. And they are. Two teaser trailers were also created (scroll down if you haven’t seen them), but they come about as close to story clarity as John McCain does to spry and hip.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? Depends on what you mean by “about.” The play is about loyalty, royalty, war, and peace. It’s about love, loss, life, and sacrifice. It’s about justice, about class, about that giant valley of grey between the mountains of good and evil. Even a plot synopsis doesn’t do the story justice – a girl finds a baby during wartime, she goes a bunch places with it, there’s an inept judge (with a hunky sidekick), a lot of singing, and some tug-of-war... No, that doesn’t work. The Caucasian Chalk Circle is one girl’s struggle to find what’s right amid a war-torn haystack of wrong…. That’s just stupid.

There’s almost too much going on in the play to answer the question.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? That depends on your perception. Judging by the script, I thought it was going to be 99% comedy. But it’s not. It’s serious, dramatic, epic… and occasionally hilarious. A quick YouTube search yields a number of different interpretations and styles (including one with a Cochran-esque take on the lawyers in the final scene). There’s music, but it isn’t a musical. There’s love, but it isn’t a romance. There’s a judge, but it isn’t a daytime television show with ITT-Tech commercials played during commercials.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? It’s hard to say. It’s about a lot of things. And you’ll just have to take my word for it. There’s so much more that goes into storytelling than just the word “about.” A story is only as strong as how it is told, and that is what we in the cast and crew have been conscious of during this whole process. The Caucasian Chalk Circle is pure theatrical storytelling. It is truly an experience, and I hope to see you there.

And until then quit asking me what its about.

-Luke Sorge

3 weeks out, and here's where we're at.

Yesterday marked 3 weeks out from Opening Night! Things are going incredibly well. This past week we spent our rehearsals focusing on staging, as well as a little bit of music. We are close to having the entire show blocked and ready for the designer run-through, which will be on Monday night.

Publicity seems to be on the right track. In all my four years here at UCD, I haven't seen students and staff alike so excited and dedicated to selling this show. The display case was finished today, and the publicity team did an excellent job completing it by hooking up a TV inside that plays a loop of our trailers. Also, the cast took over poster distribution for the Denver metro area, and will be reporting back this weekend how it went. We have posters, tons of bookmarks, and we'll even be mailing out postcards here in the next week or two. We managed to even cut a deal with our box-office to great buy one, get one, deals for turning in specially marked bookmarks. T-shirts for the production are being made, as a special donation, and all the cast and crew will be receiving them. 

In terms of the technical elements, we're also moving right along. Stephanie, our props designer has located all the props and is in the process of assembling and collecting them all. The set is coming along beautifully, and the bridge is almost finished being constructed. From the sounds of it the costumes are also going well. Janetta, our costume designer, is working away and it looks like she will be getting some extra help in the shop coming in soon. I saw our little Michael, played by professor Nate Thompson's daughter, Lydia, in her fitting yesterday; it looked like they were having fun! In terms of audio and visual projection design, today was a huge breakthrough for us! We had a long meeting in which we story-boarded the show and talked concept and content for each part. Some wonderful ideas emerged. We are using inspiration auditorily from Eyes Wide Shut. We've also identified 5 major video sequences that will be in production this week. 

The cast is doing remarkable work. It seems that this week was a bit of a turning point. The actors are becoming more comfortable and confident with the story, their characters, and this world that we've created. Even their once apprehensive approach to the music has become stronger and less inhibited. They've been spending a few hours a week rehearsing music with Dixie and Carol, and have learned all the group songs. Now, it's just a matter of fine tuning and practice. There is a camaraderie and energy that is unique with this ensemble, and it has been wonderful watching them learn and grow in their own work. All of the elements from the first 3 weeks are starting to add up. It has truly created a language and world that we're playing in; and, the actors are responding and working in it just beautifully. I am anxious to see their progress once we start running the show with the staging.

One challenge right now is just remembering that this show is extremely complicated. With what feels like 15 artists collaborating on it, it's important to try to hone in on the one same vision. This next week is going to be full of gathering the content and ideas we've come up with, followed by cutting anything that is going to serve the vision of the play. This is a  task that is not going to be easy, but in the end it will contribute to a well done production. I'm thrilled to be moving into the last 3 weeks before we open, for this is when the most exciting and challenging work begins. Theatre is anything but easy, and with this show specifically it's a bit of a mantra for us that this is hard, and we shouldn't forget that as we forge ahead.

I must say that this has been one of the best productions I have worked on thus far. What sets it apart from others, is at its core the cast, crew, director, and designers are inspired by the work and by each other. There is an investment from those involved that is rare and hard to come by as a collective. Even when you're working with people who are truly dedicated to their craft, you don't always find artists that are invested in the same vision. There are more artists, and student artists especially, working on this production than ever before. There are also more freshman in the ensemble than we have had in a production in a long time. I read an essay by producer Rocco Landesman in which he said, "You have to be ready to throw your heart and soul in it, and be prepared to give your all to the people you will be collaborating with. You have to believe that the show you're doing has the potential for greatness." This seems to be exactly what has happened with UCD's production  of The Caucasian Chalk Circle. From the beginning those involved believed it had potential, and so far it seems to be rising to that aspiration. 

-Felicia Marti

assistant director

Cheesecake of Theatre

For lack of a better introduction to a blog post, I will quote the brilliant director of Caucasian Chalk Circle:

"You will never create something that you can't execute well." – Laura Cuetara

Throughout the beginning of the rehearsal process there were a lot of uncertainties as is pertinent with any complex production such as Caucasian Chalk Circle. However, with a playwright like Brecht - the structure, language, characterization, staging and the various events are made up of layers upon layers of possibilities. This play is like a multi-layered cheesecake with a handful of new flavors not yet tasted by man. Many will avoid indulging such a delicious treat because of its complexity and seeming mysterious nature, yet the small and daring theatre department grabbed its' forks, loosened their belts and dove right in.

A professor of mine says:

"Art is the process of taking away." - Nathan Thompson

Laura manages to invert, reinvent and flip upside-down that process by taking away, putting back, copying and pasting, and taking away again. Through this process we, as one unit, are able to really rip the piece apart and see what's inside with Laura's direction. The cheesecake may look delicious on the outside, but wait till you see what's in store when you peel that away. A whole new way to look at theatre is opened up – I've started to see the true meaning of live theatre. Live theatre that's ever evolving. No matter what stage of the process the production is in - be it rehearsal, performance or even aftermath. That realization would not have been possible if it weren't for the combination of brilliant playwright, great direction, and most importantly – amazing people with human effort.

I have true faith in the success of the fall production of Caucasian Chalk Circle no matter what happens and hope to see you there. Enjoy the cheesecake as much as we will!



~ George Kotelnikov

Trailers for Chalk Circle

A huge thank you goes out to Ryan Bell for creating these trailers for us! 

Rehearsal Photos 10/13/08

Hey All! 

Tons of exciting things have been going on this week. The music is starting to come together, and the production teams are getting ready to come in and start adding the other layers to the show. Here are a few pictures from recent rehearsals. Photos by Matt Meienberg. 

Amber Moffett 

Luke Sorge

Stephanie Block (props designer), and Allan Trumpler (Scenic and Lighting Designer)

Carol Bloom and Dixie Lingler- Music directors 

Stephen Adams and Alexa Perez 

Lydia Thompson and Tayla Ealom 

Production Process Presentations.

Production Process is a core class at UCD, in which students work on the productions over the course of the semester. This semester the class is working a little differently from past semesters because the students are being asked to create the content for the projects they've been assigned. Here is what is being presented so far: 

Visual Images/Projections: 

-Using still images (pictures from Georgia- these were provided by group member Zach Jobe) 

-Using graphic art 

-High contrast images (as to show up stronger on the projection surfaces) 

-Abstract video 

-Drawing inspiration from Across the Universe and other movies, of filming projections on the actors faces. 

See an example at 3:45 minutes into this video:

-Using still image cut outs with moving video behind. 

-Using rehearsal footage, and other footage of our actors.

-Projecting live feeds

Audio Imaging/Sound:

-Creating a sound bed, full of environmental sounds.

-Using text from the play that can be pre-recorded to play at important moments, distorting these to create intended effect

-Using internal sounds of the actors: heavy breathing, heartbeats, etc. 

-Using the idea that sound is acting as a character 

-Experimenting with the audio installation and speaker placement. 

Costumes:

-The costume team is being headed by our costume designer and instructor, Janetta Turner. 

-The costumes are going to be transformable to meet the needs of multiple characters

-The make up will act like costumes- and have to work in layers that will be added throughout the play 

Publicity:

-Guerilla advertising on campus, day of show ideas. 

-Posters, Bookmarks, Postcards, and even yard signs are being created right now! 

-This blog, as means for involvement and connection to our audience. 

-Working on audience development and reaching out to the departments who would connect to the material. 

More updates from props and scene design to follow. The stage is almost completely built, and it seems as thought the backdrops and detailing is what will be following. Hopefully more pictures will follow. 

Until next time! 

Pictures!

Here is a look into our rehearsal process so far! The photos were taken by Matt Meienberg, Lauren Meyer, and George Kotelnikov. 

Hayley Moritz, Rob Shearer, George Kotelnikov, Mai-Quyen Tran, and Luke Sorge 

Sinjin Jones, Mai-Quyen Tran, and Seth Dean 

Sinjin Jones and Seth Dean

Nick Klissiaris and Grant Langdon 

Jeanie Grazis

Stephen Adams, and Seth Dean

Rob Shearer, Hayley Moritz, and Stephen Adams,

Laura Cuetara

Hayley Moritz 

Stephen Adams and Tayla Ealom

Amber Moffett, and Tayla Ealom

Presley Conkle

Rob Shearer

Welcome!

This is the blogspot for the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts and Media Department of Theatre, Film, and Video Production's, production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht! 

The blog will be updated weekly, giving an inside look into our process. Some entries will contain pictures from our rehearsals, as well as personal thoughts from different members of the cast and crew! 

We hope you'll enjoy this blog, and that you'll come see our production! 

Thursday-Saturday

Nov. 13, 14, 15

Wednesday-Saturday

Nov. 19, 20, 21, 22

7:30pm 

King Center Rawls Courtyard Theatre

Tickets: $12 General admission, 

$5 UCD Denver students 

Sponsored by: Theatre, Film, and Video Production Department 

Directed by: Laura Cuetara 

Cast Includes: Alexa Perez, Amber Moffett, George Kotelnikov, Grant Langdon, Hayley Moritz, Jeanie Grazis, Luke Sorge, Mai-Quyen Tran, Nick Klissiaris, Presley Conkle, Seth Dean, Sinjin Jones, Stephen Adams, Rob Shearer, Tayla Ealom