Meet W.I.G.! What Improv Group Halloween Show - for Grown-ups! Friday, October 29

Trick or Treat, Blogfriends!

Halloween, which is possibly this blogger's favorite holiday, is coming up this weekend! [Editor's note: I am desperately in need of costume ideas, if anyone has anything good.] More important than even Halloween, however, is this Friday's What Improv Group (W.I.G.) Halloween Special - for Grown-ups!

Although I'm sure you already know this, improv is all about the creation of characters and "scenes" on the spot, often with suggestions from the audience. While often comedic, scenes can be scary or dramatic, etc. as well. This Friday at 8 p.m. in the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center's Studio Theatre, W.I.G. will explore all the facets of Halloween, from the hilariously irreverent to the skin-crawling creepy, and everything in between. You can buy tickets here, become Arts Collective's Facebook friend and look at some more rehearsal images here, and you can watch a jack-o-lantern man dance to a Ke$ha song here.

To prep for an evening of Halloween-themed improvised exploits, I asked the cast and director of W.I.G. some questions about the spooky holiday and the show itself:

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What is your favorite past Halloween costume?

Sarah Brodine, Ensemble: When I was a kid I wanted to be Marylin Monroe one year, with the red fingernails and the lipstick and the hair. My mom was helping me to make my hair Marylin perfect, and she actually burned me with the curler by accident. Obviously I got upset by this and started to cry, but my mom told me to stop because I would ruin my make-up. We also made boobs out of socks. Unfortunately, by the end of the night my boobs were around my stomach.

Stefany Thomas, Ensemble: The blue ballerina costume I wore when I was six. I wanted the red ballerina costume but it was too small. So my younger cousin wore it instead. I would love to be a blue ballerina now. Lol. As blue is my favorite color.

Candace Cooper, Ensemble: I think my favorite costume was probably the year i was a genie- actually i think that year my sister and I had the same costume but i thought it was the coolest little costume and it had pink slippers to match!

Daniel Johnston, Ensemble: I remember trying to shred some old jeans one time because I was doing a makeshift zombie outfit (this was before I'd ever done any costume designing) and so i took a blunt box cutter to them . . . either way, the pants ended up with completely straight cuts going down the sides as though a cat had gotten hold of them. So then I just took another pair outside and got them dirty.

Favorite Halloween memory?

Candace: I think my favorite Halloween memory is when my siblings and I were young, my father would take us trick-or-treating and he would where this striped sweater and hat that resembled Freddy Krueger's. My dad never watched horror movies really so he never really got it when kids were like, "ah man you look like Freddy! that's so awesome!"

Melissa Paper, Ensemble: When I was around 12 or 13, I decided to play Ouji board with a bunch of friends. My dad decided to flip the circuit breaker to make the lights go out. The next thing you know everyone runs out of the room freaking out. The adults pretended not to know what was going on, but when I caught my dad laughing later, I realized it was him. It was a good time.

Susan G. Kramer, Director: I grew up in a typical suburban neighborhood in Arbutus. Typical with one exception... a few houses down the street sat a haunted mansion way up on a hill. To approach the house, you had to go up two hundred steep brick stairs, walk down a long brick sidewalk which led to even more stairs... to the giant front porch. My friends and I KNEW this house was HAUNTED... 1). it was a mansion! 2). we never once saw ANYone who lived there... EVER... mowing the lawn, nothing! Year after year we dared each other to knock on the door on Halloween night! We never had the guts, until one year. A dozen or so 10 and 11 year-olds took a collective deep breath and began the journey up those dark stairs, cackling and panicking at the same time. Finally, FINALLY we knocked on the door! When the giant door creaked open, these screaming creatures (in costume) came at us from all sides... from inside the house, from the bushes! My friends and I were frozen in our footsteps until one kid eeked "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!" And oh we ran... shrieking and crying and laughing the whole way home! It took us days to recover! By the way, the second the door opened, I was able to see inside the house... they were having a party. And the people who lived there? Hippies. Then I felt all cool because I lived down the street from hippies.

What's your favorite thing about Halloween?

Matt Winer, Ensemble: I absolutely love being scared. Going to haunted houses and corn mazes, watching horror movies, and seeing people in costumes just makes you that much more suspicious of any little noise or movement. Like that strange noise coming from RIGHT BEHIND YOU.

Chris Adams, Ensemble: Pretending to be someone else. The creative freedom; since you don't have to conform to someone else's social norms, you can pretty much do what you want.

Do you have a favorite ghost story or urban legend?

Daniel: I'm a big fan of "there's someone in the backseat!" But nothing is more terrifying to me than "the calls are coming from upstairs!"

What's your favorite scary movie?

Matt: It's definitely a tie between the Nightmare on Elm Street series and the Scream trilogy (soon to be a quadlogy!) Both series have the ability to make you LOL (that's laugh out loud) one moment and PYP (that's pee your pants) the next. I like a good morbid sense of humor.

Susan: THE EXORCIST. Without question! I was a "child" when this film came hit the theatres... and ohhh, it hit those theaters with more warnings and hub-ub than I ever remember (back then). The media reported those who viewed the film were forever changed and even placed into madness!!! It was CRAZY! Then, when I viewed it for the first time, at the Hollywood Movie Theatre, in Arbutus, the walk home with friends after was unnerving, very scary. That night. I had to baby-sit. Years later, I still view that film as being so ahead of its time... as well as such a perfect depiction of that exactly era. Beautiful writing, direction, editing... and purity in performances. None will ever surpass this film. (In my humble opinion).

Tom Matera, Ensemble: The Exorcist. Fantastic director, great characters... and the fact that it happened right around my house made it extra cool.

Favorite scary movie villain?

Candace: This is a tough one- I guess I would have to say the unknown or evil in movies like Emily Rose, the Exorcist, and Amittyville Horror the fact that you cant actually see the things that are possessing them or hurting them is what gets me the most!

Daniel: Pamela and Jason Voorhees. One day I intend to marry into the Voorhee's family. Can you imagine Thanksgiving?

Stefany: Leatherface. Lol. He was a psycho dumbass that was too smart for his own good. There was no escaping Leatherface and if you thought you were in the clear you were "dead" wrong.

What scares you?

Matt: When it comes to scary movies, anything where there's human beings inflicting terror on other human beings for seemingly no purpose--or just because they're crazyballs--scares the crap out of me. Honorable mentions go to: bugs laying eggs in one's body, the THX sound that plays before movies, and drowning in a pool of mayonnaise.

Melissa: Jaws. I saw it when I was way too little, 5 or 6, and I was convinced by the time I went to bed that he was under my bed. I was sure that if I had a limb hanging off the bed he would get me.

Chris: Things that come back to life, dead people. You know them, so you don't want to kill them.

Why do a Halloween-themed improv show?

Candace: Halloween is a holiday that people can relate to on many levels I think its a lot of peoples favorite holiday. it's a time to dress up and be silly or scary, perhaps be someone else, and use your imagination. What better vehicle for that then improv?!

Ashanti Cooper, Ensemble: It's fun! Because it's Halloween.

Chris: When you do improv in general, you can explore the truths in life. The same is true for horror movies, which explore the truths of life in subversive, thrilling ways. So this gives you an opportunity to further explore what horror films etc., were saying at the time.

What's been your favorite part of the "rehearsal" process so far?

Stefany: We played a game during one rehearsal where I played an orphan on a train. I truly enjoyed listening to the story and finding a way to tie her into the plot. To me, she was really just a spirit.

Ashanti: Exploring different characters, games, etc. because it opens up a lot of different ideas and lets us play. I think I really enjoyed a scene we did called the Red Room because it was a great story that flowed very well.

Tom: To expound upon what Ashanti was saying, it's fun to get to delve deeply into the characters.

Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Sam Mauceri

Marhaban, Blogfriends!

If I did my research correctly--which I'll admit may be shaky as it's from Wikipedia and this instructional video on the YouTubes--then I just said "Hi/Hey, Blogfriends!"

Now, I'm not going all Sesame Street on you for no reason; today's 1001 Cast Member Blog comes from Sam Mauceri, and is all about how her once random interest in the Arabic language has helped her when preparing for the show. It's pretty fascinating stuff, so read on, purchase your tickets here, and then head on over to Facebook to RSVP for the show.

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Many people are surprised to learn that I speak Arabic. I am not Muslim; I don’t have any Middle Eastern heritage; I didn’t even have any burning passion to speak it before I started learning it. But now, a few years later, it is part of who I am, ingrained in my story.

Having taken only six semesters worth of Arabic at HCC over the past 2 and ½ years, I am not exactly fluent in Arabic yet, nor would I consider myself proficient in the language. I would, however, say that I speak “a bit of Arabic, with the intention of becoming fluent.”

Visually, Arabic is a beautiful and distinctive language, and whenever I see Arabic writing on a sign or a building, I will inevitably jump up and down, tug the arm of the poor soul next to me, and shout, at an embarrassingly loud volume, “I CAN READ THAT!”

And now, with 1001, I am given the opportunity to do this throughout an entire rehearsal process! Although there is no Arabic writing in the script, there are plenty of transliterated Arabic phrases, terms, and names. And so, while I use only a few Arabic phrases during the course of the play, I have been deemed the pronunciation corrector to the rest of the company. Admittedly, I’m still working on holding back a wince anytime someone mispronounces the phrase ان شاء الله (‘in shah Allah’: God willing).

After years of taking Arabic and theatre classes side by side at HCC, it’s amazing to me that they have actually come together, right before my eyes, to form something that I am so thankful to be a part of. This play is exciting, intellectual, daring, and infused with the Arabic language and Middle Eastern culture and politics. 1001 has an important story to tell, and it is only fitting that much of it is told with Arabic.

Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Noah Bird

As the curtain closed on On Broadway this past Sunday--which, just so you know Blogfriends, was successfully sold out for three out of four performances!!!--Arts Collective took a second to celebrate and relax... and then jumped right back into work on the rest of our season!

Coming up next month, November 11-21, is our big fall production of 1001 by Jason Grote. 1001 is a dark, post-modern retelling of The Arabian Nights, among many other things. You can buy your tickets NOW by clicking here. Today's cast member blog is from cast member Noah Bird. Read on to find out more about how he relates to his characters, as well as the importance of doing this show "in the round."

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My name is Noah Bird and I'm playing Shahriyar, a Persian king, and Alan, a young Jewish man. Personally, I'm 1/4 Lebanese and was raised half my life by my stepfather--a Jewish man from New Jersey--so I can't help but feel a connection with both my characters, distant though they may be. Furthermore, the Arab name that was my grandmother's maiden name means, "The Loved One" (I know how to pronounce the name I just don't know how to spell it). I find this interesting because, in my opinion, Shahriyar's biggest hang-up is that he just wants to be loved deep down, which is where a lot of his drive comes from to do the things he does.

On another note, this is the first time I have ever done theatre in the round. [Editor's note: theatre in the round is when there is audience seating almost entirely around the stage area.] I've found it very interesting, the things that need to be taken into consideration prop-wise, blocking-wise and set design-wise. I really feel that doing it in the round is an excellent choice, and only makes more and more sense the more we delve into the ever-spiraling themes and stories that occur throughout the play. Another thing about doing it in the round, and this is just occurring to me as I write this, is that it will make the actors feel more like we are "trapped in a grand narrative" as Dahna--my character's love interest-- describes, walled in by the audience on all sides. It is revelations like that that make me love this play because it is always forcing our minds to run in circles searching for more answers.

Cast Member Blog - On Broadway - Becca Ballinger

Sing out, Blogfriends! Tonight is the opening night of Arts Collective's On Broadway: A Musical Theatre Revue. Spanning over 80 years of Broadway's most mesmerizing pieces, On Broadway is... well, let me put it this way: I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of musical theatre, but I've seen the show twice already, and will be there for each and every show this weekend. The singing is fantastic, the dancing is fun and sexy, the acting is honest, and the lights and costumes work together to make eye candy tastier than anything Willy Wonka could dream up. There isn't a single area in which this show falters. And coming in at around a mere 90 minutes, I guarantee you'll wonder where the time went as the house lights come up. If you haven't bought your tickets yet, I recommend doing so RIGHT NOW, as tickets are going quickly for this one-weekend only extravaganza! Basically, what I'm saying is that I promise you, this will be one of the best (if not THE BEST) piece of musical theatre you'll see anywhere this year. Oh yeah, I said it.

Ok, I've gotta go take a trip down ol' Broadway, but while you wait for the show to start, might I suggest our final (sadface) cast member blog for the show? Cast member Becca Ballinger is on hand today to explain why tradition is so important in musical theatre, and how to build on that tradition to make a show like the audience has never seen before... kinda like On Broadway. Huh, imagine that! Take it away, gurl.

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Lights fade on “Rockette” kick line. After the company has exited—mirror panels to black—the house lights slowly come up. . . There are no additional “Bows” after this—leaving the audience with an image of a kick line that goes on forever.

This was my father’s least favorite part of Arts Collective’s production of A Chorus Line last fall. Numerous heated debates about this final stage direction have occurred between my dad and me. “The kick line is what the show is famous for! It’s magical!” I yell. “You guys didn’t get the praise you deserved because the audience didn’t know the kick line was considered the bows. Not to mention band wasn’t even acknowledged and they were great!” he retorts. “Well, that’s just the way it’s done.” And that will be that.

I’m the only person in my immediate family that is active in the theatre arts, so you can imagine how frustrating it can become when the beauty of tradition goes unappreciated. I’m a strong believer that if something as legendary as Chorus Line’s kick line or Fosse’s isolations exist, then it is sometimes necessary to stick with tradition. If something is renowned for its excellence, why mess with it?

Now don’t get me wrong, in theater there is always room to make something “your own,” and nothing compares to the creativity of a true artist. One should always add a personal flair to their work. It’s a very tricky process, but once you reach that perfect blend of new and old, it’s really something extraordinary.

In On Broadway, we are staying true to a lot of the choreography and style of the original Broadway productions. But thanks to the pure genius of our choreographers, this revue is turning into a fine, one-of-a-kind hit.

A great example of reaching that “perfect blend” is presented in the number “Razzle Dazzle,” choreographed by the fabulous Jill Grabau. My mind was blown with what this girl came up with! No, seriously. I was squealing every time we learned a new step. While the Fosse style was very present in her choreography, it was 100% Grabau. (Okay, so one move was inspired by the movie, but what else can you do when the lyrics are “Roar! Roar! Roar!”?)

You really do not want to miss out on the gorgeous gift this cast and crew is bringing you. Get your tickets now! (And you should probably subscribe while you’re at it.) See you this weekend!

Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Adrianne DuChateau

As you may have heard, Blogfriends, our big fall production of 1001 is already in rehearsals, preparing to open November 11, 2010. 1001 is a postmodern retelling of Arabian Nights; a dark fantasy with more layers than a Mexican dip; a storytelling fantasia with political and comic overtones. In other words, it's something you need to experience. Remember, you can buy tickets already at the Horowitz Center Box Office, or online by clicking here.

As usual, I've got a great blog for you today. Written by 1001 ensemble member Adrianne DuChateau, Adrienne shares her journey through the 1001 casting process. Hit it, Adrianne.

I signed up to audition for 1001 the very last day of auditions. I grabbed a copy of the script and read as much as i could for twenty minutes, then nervously rushed to the Smith Theatre. I knew no one, and had no clue what to expect, but I lucked out because I had the most comfortable audition experience imaginable. I went in to read scene after scene, and was actually having fun with it. I remember wanting to learn more about acting, and how I could make even better choices. By the end of the audition, I had had a positive experience and really wanted to be in the show.

After the audition I went home and immediately lost the little slip of paper that had information about callbacks. I searched vigorously for a moment then moved on, hoping I would receive that call. I did, and realized I was scheduled to work for the time of the callbacks. A really stressful shift at work took place the night before callbacks. I kept trying to find someone to fill in for me. The trouble was, everyone was already scheduled to work on a Friday night! Finally, the managers cut me some slack and let me take the night off. They said I had better do well if I'm gonna be missing work.

Once I was free to attend callbacks, I looked over the scenes nervously, and went for it. Everyone was wacky and fun. I remember thinking that no matter who plays these characters, everyone working together will make it a great show. I got the call a couple days later and learned some glorious news! I was cast in the play. So thats that. My freshman year of college and I've gotten into my first, hopefully not my last, show. I'm excited to perform with everyone!!! I'm sure I'll learn a ton from it.

Cast Member Blog - On Broadway - Kami Elrod

The countdown is on, Blogfriends. The first show of Arts Collective's 16th season, On Broadway: A Musical Theatre Revue, is only three days away! This lucky blogger was able to see last night's run of the show, and let me tell you... it's some of the most fun, incredibly entertaining, visually stunning musical theatre I've seen in a long time. Tickets are selling fast, so click here and buy your tickets now!

For your reading pleasure today, we have a fantastic blog from cast member Kami Elrod. Read on to learn more about Kami's audition, her introduction to the world of musical theatre by her grandmother, and lots of Kami talking to herself.

The words dizzy, nauseous, and completely petrified do not even begin to describe how nervous I was as I got ready to sing for my On Broadway audition. There I stood, square in the middle of the big dance room, in front of the row of people who would soon decide whether or not I would be a part of this production, or if I would simply be watching it among the other audience members. Hands literally shaking by my side, I remember starting to sing my audition song choice of “If I Loved You” from Carousel and thinking, ”c’mon Kami, for goodness sakes dude pull yourself together! CRAP here comes the high note…”

If you’ve ever had one of those moments where you do something and then immediately want to pound your head chanting “stupid! Stupid stupid!” you’ll know exactly how I felt as I walked out of that audition room. I had sung that song a million and one times, and I had let my nerves get the best of me. I realized that probably most of the reason I was so utterly nervous, besides the fact that I NEVER let people hear me sing, is because I wanted to be a part of On Broadway more than anything.

When I first found out about the upcoming On Broadway production, I pretty much had a jump for joy session. Singing and dancing had always been huge passions in my life, and here was a production that not only had both, but was also dedicated to the classic unforgettable Broadway songs and performances throughout the decades. I knew I wanted to be in this show. BADLY.

Thanks to my Grandma, I grew up on oldies and Broadway music. My first play she took me to was at Toby’s Dinner Theater. After that first night of listening to Dorothy and her gang sing about following the yellow brick road, several other plays followed over the years. Oklahoma! The Sound Of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and the countless other plays she took me to I completely fell in love with.

After she passed away, her music still lived on with me. Along with an insane amount of Broadway songs, composers like Frank Sinatra, Patsy Cline, and Perry Como took over my ipod. Songs from a time when music was so completely different from today’s latest K$sha or Lil’ Wayne pop hit. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy busting out to “Your Love Is My Drug” as much as the next American teenager, but Broadway, 50’s and 60’s music will always be my most beloved songs, closest to my heart.

I must have replayed my audition that day in my head a hundred times, going over what I wished I could change about my performance, and hoping that they would give me another chance to come back and audition again. So when I finally got a call from the wonderful On Broadway producer, Sue Kramer, asking if I would like to be a cast member, I pretty much had a joyous freak out of sorts that I could only compare to a bunch of pre-teen girls getting a chance to meet Edward Cullen from the Twilight saga…

Now, weeks later of practices and meetings (not to mention sore feet from trying to perfect that one tap number move I cannot for the life of me seem to get down [Editor's Note: This blog was originally written back in September, so I know Kami's gotten that move down!]) I am still just as ecstatic to be a part of this show as I was the day I got the phone call.

Thanks to our fabulous choreographers Jenny Male, Jill Grabau, and Sarah Brodine (all of whom I’d like to give a big “thank you for all your patience with me and my goldfish-like memory” shout out J ) the dances are absolutely AMAZING. The songs are fun, sassy, full of passion, and mesmerizing. And as for the production, well, you’re just gonna have to see it for yourself now aren’t you?

Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Wonsup Chung

Oh snap, Blogfriends! Things are really picking up speed at Arts Collective HQ. Not only do we have the incredible musical theatre revue, "On Broadway," coming up October 14-17 (Buy your tickets now! They're selling faster than "fleas on locusts, according to AC resident photographer Erin Drum. Whatever that means, Erin.) but we're now in rehearsals for AC's big fall show, "1001." To celebrate, we have for you the first "1001" Cast Member Blog! Today's blog is written by HCC student Wonsup Chung, who plays The Eunuch and is part of the ensemble. Take it away, Wonsup...

Part of the reason that “1001” is so interesting to me is because it deals with the issues of nationality and identity that I deal with every day as an HCC student.

I came to America right before last year's snow storms in Maryland. South Korea had had some historically memorable snow storms in the past, so I was so excited to get away from horrible snow. However, even before I got a chance to look around the Columbia Mall and try on an American Eagle jacket, I had to shovel snow. I was pretty much stuck at home every day until I shoveled my way out of the snow.

Since I had been living in Korea for 22 years, sometimes I forget that I am in America and not Korea—until the English signs on the highway remind me. When I first got to Howard Community College for the new student orientation, I felt like I was watching a 3D movie at the movie theater; watching westerners talking to each other was familiar, but being in the same place with them was not familiar, so it seemed like virtual reality. Even though I was sharing space with them, I still felt like an audience member watching a movie screen.

In “1001,” Dahna is a minority who looks at herself closely, analyzing herself in the third person, as if she were an actor on stage. She wonders about what parts of herself are traditional, and what parts are modern. She wonders about how her identity plays out when she interacts with other people at her school. Now, I’m so excited to make a connection between my observations and myself. I can stop looking at my life like a third person narrator, and participate in my own life. I’m looking forward to both living and playing these realities in our performances of “1001.”