Provincetown Theater

January 2010

  President’s Message   Chairman of the Board  Announcements   

Playwrights' Lab  FROM THE EDITOR  Allen Gallant, Board Member  Board Members

The Provincetown Theater Presents:

another chance to see

  SPIRIT OF THE SEASON!

Directed by Judith Partelow

Two (postponed from December) performances:
Saturday, January 9th at 7:30 pm and
Sunday, January 10th at 5 pm

Illustration by Fritz Eichenberg                                                                     Illustration Susan Jaekel Two favorite tales that deepen the ties of family and the holidays. A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES Adapted for the stage by Clarke Maylone from the lyrical tale by Dylan Thomas and THE GIFT OF THE MAGI Adapted for the stage by Thomas Hischak and based on the Short Story by O. Henry Tickets $18; Seniors and Students $15. Purchase by phone: 508 487-9793 or at the Theater Box Office 238 Bradford Street, Provincetown or www.provincetowntheater.org

Judith Partelow, Editor:

It was with a great deal of disappointment that I had to make the decision to postpone two of the pre-Christmas performances of Spirit of the Season. And even though the snow didn’t really begin until after midnight on that Saturday, despite predictions of “starting at 4 pm,” the weather forecasters so strongly admonished everyone to stay indoors that no one would have ventured out to see a play, even if we had decided to perform that night. And then Sunday, of course, we all woke up to so much snow! With cast and crew members residing in towns all over the Cape, weather and driving conditions certainly have to be considered for the safety of all. But despite the fact that the two short plays have Christmas themes, the lesson in The Gift of the Magi is timeless, and the charm of A Child’s Christmas in Wales will warm you in the cold winds of January. And the well-known artist, Robert Cardinal, has created a scene of a Welsh village that we are very proud and grateful to have displayed as part of our set design! The folks who came to the first two performances thoroughly enjoyed everything about the production, so it is hoped by us that even MORE people will be able to come see the two rescheduled performances than would have been able to prior to the holidays; and I, as director, certainly hope we don’t have another blizzard!

 Karen Billard, President:

The advent of the new year is a time for reflection and gratitude. We take time to think back on the year gone by, seeking ways to improve ourselves and our lives, and to count our blessings. We are blessed with the love of family and friends, resources to meet our needs for shelter, food, health and well-being in varying amounts, person to person, year to year. For many of us this last year has been filled with challenges in many areas of our lives.

This has been a challenging year for the Provincetown Theater as well. But out of challenges and seeming obstacles often come great opportunity. And so it has been for the Theater. Many exciting possibilities and new realities have emerged from that challenge.

We are blessed with a community of creative and caring individuals who have leapt into that open space with enthusiasm, wonderful ideas and the energy and willingness to work hard to see them come to fruition.

We have launched a brand new initiative for the Theater – the Provincetown Children’s Theater. The successful premiere of The Snowman on the Dunes this holiday season was brought about by the hard work and creative inspiration of many. Our community has shown their enthusiasm and support for this new venture. For this we have much to be grateful.

The Board of Directors and the members of the Provincetown Theater Foundation have worked hard to clarify our focus and commitment to developing new works. We will be building on the success of the Fall and Spring Playwrights’ Festivals and the Winter Reading Series to present full productions of original work.

Through both the Children’s Theater and the Provincetown Theater Company we are again focusing on our mission as training ground for the theater arts. In addition to writing, we are expanding our opportunities for development in performance, direction and the technical skills that come together to create the magic that is Theatre.

We continue our commitment to bring to our community a variety of performance arts beyond the scope of our Companies, and are thrilled that the Provincetown Film Festival will be in our theater this June, and the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill will once again bring their Dance Festival here in October. Hopeful to reconnect with old friends, we are talking with the Board of the amazing Tennessee Williams Festival in hopes of bringing them back to the Theater this September.

There are many other projects in development at this time and we will be announcing our calendar for 2010 later this month.

We, here at the Provincetown Theater Foundation ,wish to express our gratitude for the support of our members and the Provincetown Community, and wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Chairman’s Report- January 2010 – Brian O’Malley :

Six years ago, on New Year’s Day 2004, I was in the shell of what would become, by that June, our Provincetown Theater. There was no roof, only the steel beams and the concrete block walls. The floor was still sand, and was covered in snow. The late light of the short day added color.

What a difference I experienced this year on New Year’s Day afternoon, when I again entered this magic space. The place was full of kids, including my own grandchildren, many of them in the building for the first time, coming to see The Snowman in the Dunes. The first production of our recently formed Provincetown Children’s Theater, this play was the brainchild of Patrick Lamerson, our Operations Manager.

It is a charming tale of a somewhat-lost Abominable Snowman, befriended by two children, and taken home to Provincetown. While rich in layers of themes that the many adults in the audience could appreciate: tolerance, the joy of sharing, the value of money, and the spirit of the season- it was the kids who made, by far, the most noise!

The nicely done set, where cardboard squares made for inexpensive shingling on the dune shack, was visually inviting. (After the play, a number of the younger audience members had the chance to explore “behind the scenes” on the set.) The Yeti was effectively costumed but not too scary, and the young “snowflakes”, some as young as two and a half years old, were positively sparkling.

The event was very well received by the nearly full house. (At the first show on December 19, we sold out. This second was rescheduled because of the blizzard- giving us our first-ever, decade-spanning run of a show!) The noise level in the lobby after the performance was decibels above usual, as the children and their families shared refreshments and met the actors and the playwright, who was, of course, on-hand.

The Provincetown Children’s Theater has plans for another production in April, at school Spring break. Auditions, workshops and rehearsals will begin next month, so all interested kids should ask their grown-ups to keep an eye open for announcements. Our intent is to develop a year-round program, which brings students in to learn theater by doing it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AUDITIONS: !

Winter Reading Series auditions for all character types, male and female:

Saturday, January 9th, 10 am to 1 pm and will also continue together with the auditions for

FIRST DANCE by Jerry Thompson on
Sunday, January 10th, 7:30 pm
(Two women needed: young woman late teens or early twenties and her mother, 30’s-40’s.)
Production opens February 12th.

Winter Reading Series (Wednesdays at 7 pm, $5 suggested donation)

THE PROVINCETOWN THEATER COMPANY’S PLAYWRIGHTS’ LAB MEETS EVERY OTHER SUNDAY FROM 4-6PM

To join the Lab you must attend two consecutive lab meetings as an observer and join the Provincetown Theater as a member at whatever level you choose.

Playwrights bring work in progress to the lab where it is read by lab members and/or invited actors. The philosophy of the “Lab” mandates that all criticism be non-confrontational and constructive. The “Lab” is a safe environment for playwrights to concentrate on creating new work.

Playwrights from the lab, along with the general public are welcome to submit new, unprofessionally produced work as part of our Spring and Fall Playwrights’ Festivals. Deadlines and calls for submissions are published in this newsletter.

Original full length plays selected for readings or as part of our bi-annual Playwrights’ Festivals are only accepted by current or recent alumni of the Playwrights’ Lab.

To get on the Playwrights’ Lab e-mail list and find out about the next meeting write Sasha at samoki@galaxy.net.

Allen Gallant, Board Member, Provincetown Theater

Theater Idiosyncrasies, Legends and Myths  

Hello all. I have presented theater legends and myths in past months’ issues. One of the areas I would love to explore is actors’ or technicians’ idiosyncrasies. I have heard one where the actor will not eat prior to a show. That one is quite common. Another is chewing tobacco, smoking 2 cigarettes, or drinking a favorite beverage ( dangerous if you are on stage throughout the entire show). My personal favorite is what I do whenever I do sound tech for a show. I line up 8 chocolate covered espresso beans on the top of the sound board to eat during the show....it must be dark chocolate. I eat 2 - one half hour before the start of the show and space the rest out thru the show !! BANG !

I invite you to send me your favorite Idiosyncrasy, Myth or Legend...it can be one you have heard, or your own. Let me know if you want it anonymous. Results will be published in next month's newsletter. Send them to Allen@SafeHarborHouse.net

Regards from Key West! Allen Gallant

Karen Billard, President
Brian O’Malley, Chairman of the Board
Joy McNulty, Vice President and Treasurer
Robert Cardinal, Special Events
Luceil Carroll, Special Events
Allen Gallant, Sound Engineer
Tim McCarthy, Fundraising
Robert Seaver, Program Committee
Sewall Whittemore, Building Committee
Candace Perry, Playwrights' Lab Liaison with alternate John Keller
Judith Partelow, Newsletter Editor

http://www.provincetowntheater.com/

Please keep the theater in mind as you evaluate what it is offering the community in the way of educational and developmental opportunities. Send donations to: Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 or go to our website: www.provincetowntheater.org . Thank you!

             ’’Men who love humanity have all dreamed at least once during their lives of bringing all their fellow men together in a state of carefree happiness. And only the world of the theater ever really succeeds in doing this.’’

                      Jean Jacques Gautier