The Bill Raiten Blog

Halfway through our run of the “Mack the Knife” play (The Threepenny Opera) and we’re all having lots of fun.  What a great way to spend a few hours!  People from all over the peninsula participate and it’s such a cooperative effort: actors, backstage crew, lighting, musicians, refreshment people… everyone has to be there and do what they’re supposed to do - and it works.  All our differences get forgotten; we’re different sizes, shapes, colors, religions, political leanings, etc. and none of this makes any difference.  It’s about the moment and working together to achieve a goal.  Thanks everyone for what you do!

New Surry Theatre was honored earlier this year when we were notified that we were being awarded a grant from the Quimby Family Foundation (www.quimbyfamilyfoundation.org).  Shari and I traveled to Freeport to accept the grant on August 21.  We had requested funding for two major items that we would not otherwise be able to afford.  (1) upgrade our theater lighting and (2) rake the audience (i.e. improve visibility by installing portable risers.)

We arrived at the Harraseeket Inn about a half hour early.  We found the large conference room where the luncheon was being held and proceeded to look at displays of photographs, old maps and as others started arriving, we met some interesting people.  Shari suggested we reserve a couple of seats at the round tables as she didn’t want to have to turn around to see the podium.  She left her bag on a chair and we leaned the chair next to that one on the table, in the universal sign that it was “taken.”  We continued to meet other folks - one of the most interesting was Roxanne Quimby’s aunt (Liliane Willens) who was born in China and always gives the keynote speech at the awards luncheon.  I guess it’s always an interesting time for the family as Liliane never reveals her subject matter in advance.

When the luncheon was starting and folks were starting to sit down, we moved back to our table to see that someone had taken our seats!  Shari told the man who had evidently moved her bag that we had saved the seats earlier and he pointed out that she could sit next to him.  She thanked him (nicely) but assured him that she’d rather sit with her husband.  We were quite disappointed as no one else had their reserved seats taken and there weren’t a lot of empty chairs left, at least not together.  I grabbed one of the waitresses and explained our predicament.  She told me not-to-worry-there’s-plenty-of-places-sir.  She beckoned us to follow her and after touring around all the tables, proceeded to seat us at one of the two head tables reserved for the family and Board of Directors!  So things worked out alright after all.

We almost felt like intruders but enjoyed meeting Hannah Quimby, her brother Lucas and some others on the Board who were at our table.  Liliane made a wonderful speech about Percival Baxter, one-time governor and the man who gave land to the State which eventually became Baxter State Park.

Grants were awarded to forty-four different groups in the areas of conservation and the arts.  We were honored and humbed to be included with those fine organizations.  Each representative shared a few words about their work and we were really amazed at all the good things going on in our state.

New Surry Theatre is very grateful to The Quimby Family Foundation for their support.

“My Fair Lady” was a fun show that we produced in a non-traditional manner (see previous post.)  The audiences all had a good time (so did the cast) and that’s what counts!  NST has a cast-party tradition where fun gifts are handed out (ex. Doolittle got a four leaf clover kit - so he could make his own little bit o’ luck.)  Shari always procures these and hands them out along with the story of why they were chosen.  It’s a lot of fun.  The kids in the chorus went swimming (so did some of the adults - it was pretty hot outside) and there was too much food but somehow we persevered.

A lot of times cast members don’t get much of a chance to chat during rehearsals.  That time is generally pretty well scheduled in an effort to remain productive.  Parties are great for just hanging around and relaxing and (believe it or not) usually the show isn’t discussed at all.

Sometimes the best part of a production is simply enjoying time with the people you’ve just performed with.

So the last show is over: the set is struck, costumes cleaned and borrowed props returned.  Well, in the case of “Laughter On The 23rd Floor” it’s not truly over as the show will be reprised in July.  The question is still valid though, now what?  What does an actor do when a production ends?

A lot of people don’t realize that acting is very much like sports: any kind of team sport.  A bunch of players (actors) are all on the field (stage) together.  There’s a game plan (script) and coach (director) making sure all the players execute the game plan as well as they can.  The object is to move everyone towards the goal the way we practiced.  Sure, there’s not generally an opposing team (unless the audience gets unruly, lol) but the analogy is still pretty good.  Sometimes we slip-up and call “intermission” “half-time.”

Just like in sports, everyone’s action or reaction depends on what happens immediately before they get to play (say a line.)  Sometimes unexpected things happen and you have to get the team moving towards the goal line again.  You’re all on the field together and trying to accomplish the same thing.

When a game is over the players will remember their good plays and lament any mistakes.  They will think about how to improve for the next game.  Actors do the same thing.  And when the season is over, players say goodbye and “see you next year.”  And they can miss their teammates and being on the playing field.  I guess actors are the same.

“Laughter On The 23rd Floor” opened last Saturday night (4/4/09) with a great show played to a great audience.  While not overwhelming, there were 50 -60 folks out there who laughed and enjoyed themselves immensely.  There’s nothing more gratifying for an actor to hear than people laughing out loud at all the right places!  This is a perfect audience for our theater space.

Plays like this *need* an audience.  Neil Simon’s writing is so clever - it gets better and better as people start to understand some of the relationships between different characters.  If you do it right (I think that we do) the audience slowly becomes more and more involved.  At one point on Saturday, we heard someone in the audience say “oh no - not him again!” as one of the characters (written as being pretty annoying, but funny) made another entrance.

It always takes more work than people realize to put on a show and it can be very frustrating for those working hard as opening night gets closer and closer.  It’s all worth it though when the house lights dim and the play starts.  We hope you get a chance to watch.

My wife decided to get laying hens and turkeys and I’ve been building and “potsying” around to make everything ready for them just as I’m getting the NST school ready. It’s amazing how the chickens remind me of what it is like trying to do too many things. They run about at weird unprovoked moments from the sound of a truck passing by just as I do when the phone rings when I’m in the middle of something; They sit quietly on the roost, fluffed up and comfortable just as I do settling into my plush chair with the N Y Times Arts and Leisure section; They come running as I call out “tseep, tseep, tseep and throw veggies and grass into their enclosure just as I come running when I see new email about the school on my monitor. Crazy isn’t it? Well Registration for the school will close this Saturday Sept. 6th at Noon and I hope we get enough responses to fill all of the classes. Acting, Scene Study and Musical Theatre Vocal are the most popular by far and look as if they will be a lot of fun……. Just like the chickens……..