Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Nick Walsh

Thanks to everyone that came out to see last weekend's run of the show! Unfortunately it's your very LAST CHANCE to see 1001 this weekend, Blogfriends! It's also your LAST CHANCE to purchase season subscriptions! [Buy tickets and subscriptions here.]

Don't miss out on this epic, twisted fantasia. I mean, it has bellydancing, beheadings, behandings, and more. What more could you want from a show?

An epic storyteller himself, let 1001 cast member tell you the tale of his journey to the stage in this week's Cast Member Blog.

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[Editor's Note: This blog was written about two weeks ago. Just so nobody gets confused, the show is playing through the 21st.]

I’m not exactly the typical theater student. I’m a “Secondary Education – English” major, which is really just a fancy term for me wanting to be a high school English teacher. A love for the written word—rather than the spoken word—has blossomed in me ever since I got past my first college composition class. I only took my Acting I class at the recommendation of my advisor, as I needed an art credit and some theatrical training is generally considered a bonus when you’re a teacher. Not to mention that I had done theater in high school.

Fast forward to earlier this semester. I was in my theater class, having a lot more fun and learning a lot more than I thought I would after 4 years of theater in high school in an entry level class. Kasi Campbell, my teacher, was a lot of fun to work with and I was enjoying myself immensely. A few weeks into the class, she mentioned that the Arts Collective and HCC's Theatre Program were putting on a show, 1001, that she would be directing. She said that auditions were that week. Kasi mentioned that the show was unusual and, remembering high school theater and thinking to myself that it couldn’t hurt to audition for the show, I was intrigued and decided to audition.

I hadn’t done an audition in 4 years. Contrary to what you might think, the audition felt extremely natural and familiar to me; I felt myself slipping back into the actor’s mindset, something I’d avoided for four years. I auditioned for several parts that day, and they all felt natural to me. As I auditioned for character after character, I found myself selfishly thinking that I wanted not just A role or ONE of these roles, but ALL of them.

Turns out, I wasn’t too far off. Of the 6 roles that I auditioned for, I got 4 of them. Funny how things work out, huh?

Rehearsing 1001 has been bliss. I’ve been blessed with a cast that is funny, VERY talented, friendly…and, just maybe, has welcomed me into the fold. In Kasi I’ve found a director that I can argue with, who lets me try things, and who critiques me constantly. These are all exceptionally positive things. My own roles are truly challenging, and will be even better in a week when we open, but I doubt they will ever be complete.

This show is my triumphant return to the stage, after 5 years. I’ve thrown my everything into this play. If you want to know me, see this show.

We’re now going into tech week, a mysterious dark void from which there is no escape. When it finally spits us out again in a week, we will have been forged into something truly amazing.

Come see the show.

Thank you for your time.

Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Aaron LeKarz

It may be a dark, rainy Tuesday, Blogfriends, but I have something to brighten your day: a Cast Member Blog! This blog, from cast member Aaron LeKarz, is a look at the historical background of 1001 and some of the background behind the more belief-driven themes of the show. Oh! And there's a Delorean.

Don't forget to purchase your tickets for 1001's closing weekend, this Thursday through Sunday. Buy early and buy often as seating is limited! You can purchase tickets here.

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As I walked into the auditions for "1001" there was definitely a sense of awesome in the air. Many former cast-mates from tempODYSSEY (February 2010) were among those trying out, as well as an influx of new talent and faces with wonderful theatre backgrounds. Probably one of the more memorable moments of the casting process was my misreading of a script direction to play a role as "Vincent Price" (the voice-over for Thriller) which I confused with "Vincent Offer" (notorious TV salesman). Needless to say, a typical phrase for me to hear from Noah Bird (Shahriyar/Alan) before going on is "slap chop it up."

Besides having an amazing cast full of diverse actors and acting styles, the entire plot and production of "1001" is a mystical unfolding itself. The story, which bleeds reality and fiction in a sort of Delorean-full-of-Arabian-history-books kind of way, is both as amazing to be a part of, as well as fun to watch. It also brings to life many of the real conflicts of the Middle East, through interactions in the "present day" portions of the story. I think many people will see the show and then begin to wonder what parts of history are true, and which were preserved based on bias or popularity.

In fact, even in our current society, one of the biggest conflicts we have is, unknown to many, a difference in historical perspective. You see, both the stories of Islam and Judaism start essentially identical. God creates the world, Adam and Eve are the first human beings and on and on. Until you get to Abraham. See this is where the lineage takes a sharp split, one which has cost more lives throughout time than any other historical conflict. In Jewish history, Abraham awaiting a son to be his heir makes a decision which sends a rift through human history.

Abraham's wife Sarah had been barren for most of her life, so Abraham decides (according to the Judeo-Christian view) that he must sleep with a concubine (Hagar) and thus produce an heir, Ishmael. Later, after three angels appear to Abraham and tell him he is to have a child with his wife, Sarah bears a child, Isaac. According to the text, Abraham is 100 years old when this happens. Therefore it isn't actually as rushed as some may have thought for him to have a child with a concubine to be the heir to his nation. Isaac later has several children, one of who, Jacob, becomes known as Israel, whose lineage was God's chosen people.

Now rewind. Imagine that you took the right of "firstborn" to imply the actual first born of Abraham and not the first born of his first marriage. According to Islam, Ishmael had these rights. And as such the infamous sacrificing of Abraham's son to God to show his loyalty would have been Ishmael instead of Isaac on the altar. For those who might not know, he ends up sacrificing a lamb rather than his son, and the son of the story's choosing goes on to become the start of the Jewish or Islamic (known first as Arabian) Nation.

Many people disassociate the conflicts in the "infamous" territory of Gaza with a land allocation from World War II, or the attempt at a cessation of fighting. But truly the battles in Israel have been going on since the times of Isaac and Ishmael, with both the Qur'an, the Bible, and other historical accounts at least agreeing that fighting for territory had always been going on. It is almost silly to think of ideals like peace in the Middle East, because truly short of the second coming of Christ or the islamic Last Judgement neither side would have the interest in throwing their version of the past five thousand years in the fire. Even more, I would be doubtful if, even in the face of whichever the "true" God may be, that even those with opposing viewpoints would clutch onto whatever version of history they have believed their whole life; people are more likely to want to die believing in something than thinking they died having lived in vain.

Thinking about the infamous historical conflict created by a seemingly simple historical detail like "who is the true descendant of Abraham" really comes full circle in a play like "1001" where you get to see both sides of the story told and untold. Ideas of time, history and places being linear dissolves into the thought that maybe all these things are cyclical, continuous or maybe even indescribable by our current natures of understanding. Needless to say, if you are looking for an outstanding play that will make you think about the nature of storytelling and it's part in history, then be sure to see 1001, where you will find the ideas around storytelling unfold in both entertaining and thought-provoking ways.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Arts Collective at HCC.

cast Member Blog - 1001 - Naomi Place

They did it, Blogfriends! [Cue the confetti cannon.]

Last night, the cast and crew of 1001 finally had the pleasure of letting the outside world into the fascinating and complex world of Jason Grote's fantastic play. Of course if you missed it last night, you still have 7 more chances to see this show, however seating is limited and tickets are selling fast, so buy them now. No seriously. Now. Here.

Now of course opening night and inviting the audience in for the run of this show is, in many ways, what theatre is all about; this production, however, has been months and months in the making. As a treat for you, Blogfriends, and in thanks and gratification to the incredibly talented folks who have worked so hard on this show, I present to you today's 1001 Cast Member Blog. Join cast member Naomi Place as she takes you on a journey to the journey of 1001. Too meta?

Take it away, Naomi...

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Hello! My name is Naomi and I am a featured belly dancer and ensemble member in 1001. Although this is my first experience participating in a performing arts production at Howard Community College, I am not by any means new to the stage.

As you may know, the play 1001 is about storytelling. Whether the story takes place in the past, present, or future is irrelevant (as playwright Jason Grote has shown in this work). I wanted to use this entry to tell a little story about the demands of a performance of this caliber, and about the outstanding crew who is organizing it, as they simply are the backbone of this show.

Each individual scene is blocked and meticulously tweaked by our amazing and extremely patient director, Kasi Campbell. Dancers attend an additional 2 or more rehearsals per week to learn and polish choreography. The entire cast meets together at least 3 times a week (for a minimum of 3 hours) to run through the show in its entirety. The average cast member contributes 20+ hours per week to rehearse this play. Add to that the fact that we are all full time students, and many of us are involved in concurrent productions, and/or have jobs, children, pets, et cetera.

Our crew is the best. Not only do they put in the time and dedication as the cast does, but they help organize everything from schedules to sets, costumes, music, props, audio-visual and more. For me personally, one of the greatest pleasures has been to work with stage manager Erin Drum. She has shown to be the most level-headed, patient, and organized professional I have worked with in quite some time. I’m sure the entire cast will agree. Thank you Erin!

The story I tell may not be the most exciting one, as it happens behind the scenes where no one is looking; however, it is one of the most important, and it needed to be told. I hope you, your friends, and family make it to the play and get to see how our phenomenal crew has perfected the task of making something so challenging, look simple and beautiful! See you there!

Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Brianna Freeman

Today is the day, Blogfriends!

Tonight at 8 p.m. in the Horowitz Center's Studio Theatre is the premiere of Jason Grote's 1001, a post-modern re-telling of Arabian Nights. The show centers on the characters of Shahriyar--a Persian king that marries women from his kingdom, consummates the relationship, and then beheads them so that he can marry a new woman the next day-- and Scheherazade--one of the last women left alive in the kingdom, who is determined to save her people and stop the maddening cycle.

1001 is a fascinating, labyrinthine tale that will take you on a twisting journey to the heart of storytelling itself. Tickets can be purchased online here, or at the Horowitz Center Box Office.

Now as you wait for your credit card information to be accepted, check out today's Cast Member Blog from Brianna Freeman! See you tonight!

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Hey everyone!

It's Brianna, and I am thrilled to be in my 2nd Arts Collective production. I was last in On Broadway, a musical theater review, and now I'm in AC's next show, 1001!

When I first heard 1001 was a straight play [as opposed to a musical] I was simultaneously excited and terrified. I am very familiar with musical theater, but not as familiar with straight theater, so I knew I was getting myself into a very different experience.

The 1st rehearsal was so interesting because it was so different than anything I have ever experienced in any production. We sat in a circle and Kasi asked everyone how we thought the different characters fit into the story, so I thought to myself oh this should be easy, I read the play. I was completely wrong. Everyone had such deep interpretations of what they thought the themes of the story were, and how their characters contributed to theme. That's when I knew I was going to get an amazing experience; in musical theater the meaning of the story is right in front of your face, but with straight theater I've found that the story always needs to be interpreted through the performers. I am honestly learning so much about theater and interpreting a story by being in this production.

When first reading this script you do not really get the full understanding of what this story really is, but under Kasi and her amazing direction this story really comes alive on the stage. I hope everyone comes to see 1001 because this story, cast, crew, set, and even dancing is incredibly amazing . So come and enjoy this story with us, starting tonight, and playing through the 21st!

Cast Member Blog - 1001 - Kyla Hammond

It's November, blogfriends, and that can only mean one thing: "In November's gusy gale I will flop my flippy tail and spout hot soup--I'll be a whale!" "Chicken Soup with Rice," by Carole King, anyone? No? Ok, well beside that, November also means that it's time for our big fall production of 1001, a dark, post-modern re-telling of The Arabian Nights. 1001 opens November 11 and plays through the 21st. Purchase your tickets here, and RSVP on Facebook here, and then meet me down at the next paragraph.

Whoo, buying your tickets was quick and easy, right? And good thing you got them now, too, as seating is limited. Anyway, now for today's Cast Member Blog written by Kyla Hammond, who plays two characters in 1001... except in this case you're supposed to see the resemblance for both the characters. But that gets into possible spoilers, and, well... read on to find out what Kyla thinks about spoilers, along with how the rehearsal process has gone thus far!

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Hey guys!

This is the coolest thing: writing a blog for alll to read! I'm having such a good time with 1001. I am playing Maridah, who has an amazing yet challenging speech impediment. That alone has me reading and re-reading, just to perfect it. Thanks Shawn [Naar, fellow cast member and scene partner] for loving me despite my speech issues. I am also playing Juml, who kind of pulls my part of this tale together. That's all I'll say though, no spoilers here.

Being a part of this project has given me the chance to get to know so many funny and interesting people. This is my extended family for a while, and I couldn't ask for a better one. My first rehearsal was extremely productive; within those three or so hours I learned and memorized a great portion of my lines and was pushed in many different ways by Kasi [Campbell, director] who has been great.

Wait for it...i lied. SPOILER ALERT:Bellydancing. Bellydancing. Bellydancing. Uhh can I quickly say that belly dancing is something I've always wanted to do and now get the chance to receive free lessons with some amazing ladies * cough cough* SAM [Mauceri, fellow cast member]! Haha! Put it this way: 1001 is the new red.