From Our Cohorts: Misha Kachman and the Scene Design of “The Royale”
By Howard Allen & Royce Sparks On my first day in the Arizona Theatre Company’s new Cohort Club, I listened to a table read of “The Royale,” the first play of the season and the first play choice of ATC’s new Artistic Director Sean Daniels (who brought the Cohort Club community sharing idea with him […]
From Our Cohorts: Why We Go To the Theater
There are many reasons why we go to the theater: to be amused by wit, parody, and satire; to learn something new or to see something we thought we knew in a new way; to be provoked and sometimes infuriated. But why the theater, that most ancient of art forms, when we could be at […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 18
Day 18, September 1st, 2019 This Sunday was the last day of rehearsals in the rehearsal room before the technical rehearsals begin in the theatre next week. The last two afternoon sessions involved going over certain the details at end of Scene 5 and the beginning of Scene 6, and the day ended with a […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 16
Day 16, August 30th, 2019 The last afternoon sessions were devoted to rehearsing Scene 5 and some of Scene 6. Jay and Nina were partially costumed. All the actors seem close to having memorized all their lines. Much attention was paid to detail including the way Jay’s boxing gloves should be tied and the length […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 11
Day 11, August 24th, 2019 The last two sessions of the day were devoted to scene 6. This is the climax of the play. It is a complex scene with many moving parts that have to mesh together at the end to deliver, as it were, the knockout punch. The scene centers on the confrontation […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 8
Day 8, August 21st, 2019 The last two afternoon sessions focused on Scene 5. This scene is set in the locker room just before the big fight between Jay and Bixby. The three main components are: (i) Fish presenting Jay with a gramophone; (ii) The meeting between Jay and his sister, Nina in which she […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 5
Day 5, August 17th 2019 The cast are now rehearsing on their feet. They are, as it were, finding out where they stand in the play and where they stand on the stage. The focus of the first morning session was Scene 1, the fight between Fish and Jay. The director emphasized precise positioning of […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 3
Day 3, August 15th 2019 I attended the “Table Work” session from 12 – 1:20pm. The essence of this session (and the following sessions that day) was a wide-ranging discussion among the cast about their characters and their backstory. In effect, the cast and the director sketched out another play: the play that told the […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 2
Day 2, August 14th 2019 I attended the “Table Work” sessions from 12 – 3pm (the day ended at 6pm). Scenes 1 and 2 were read through, two or three times each, and the concepts and characters were refined in the course of this iterative process. A couple of things stood out to me. In […]
From Our Cohorts: The Royale Day 1
Day 1, August 13th 2019 In the words of Sean Daniels, ATC’s Artistic Director, “Today is the first day of the revolution…” The first day of rehearsals of The Royale by Marco Ramirez began with an early morning orientation session for the Cohort Club followed by the introduction of everybody involved in the play: the […]
Meet the Team: Our Favorite Moments in the 2017/2018 Season
We’ve reached the end of our 2017/2018 season! We are so proud and grateful to have shared another season of inspiring work with our communities and with each other. As we reflect back on this past season, we want to share some of our staff’s favorite moments with you. If you have favorite moments you’d […]
Meet the Artist: ATC Associate Production Manager Chris Gerling
Republished with permission from Big Image Theatre Network (BITN). Christopher Gerling was literally waiting in the wings … I’d just finished a fascinating interview with Production Manager Jen Smith on their set for Man Of La Mancha, and she had strategically placed Chris just offstage to tag in so she could get back to work. […]
Meet the Team: ATC Charge Scenic Artist Brigitte Bechtel
Republished with permission from Big Image Theatre Network (BITN). This article shouldn’t be happening, nope, not at all … I first met Brigitte Bechtel when the shop at Arizona Theatre Company contacted me to produce a digitally printed “Show Curtain” for their stellar production Man Of La Mancha. I work for Big Image Systems, the […]
Meet the Artist: LOW DOWN DIRTY BLUES Scenic Designer Vicki Smith
VIDEO: Courtesy of Second Nature Productions, LLC. Click here to watch the video interview. Vicki Smith is the scenic designer for ATC’s production of Low Down Dirty Blues and a longtime collaborator at ATC. Most recently, she designed the set for our production of Fences in the 2015/2016 season. Other ATC credits include: Wait Until […]
Meet the Team: ATC Production Manager Jen Smith
Republished with permission from Big Image Theatre Network (BITN). It’s a back-of-house, production staff position, but it’s also a creative one. It’s a job that balances artistic vision with dollars and cents, realistic expectations with creative impulses, endless attention to the million details that make up a successful company. Sounds pretty straight-forward, right? But spend […]
In Context: Irish Farming Traditions and OUTSIDE MULLINGAR
AUTHOR: Lorraine Koleski, ATC Dramaturgical Volunteer, with Erin Treat Schauer, Dramaturg In part, Outside Mullingar revolves around four characters who are deeply tied to the traditions of Irish family farming. The characters’ essential connection to the land, to their ancestors, to each other, and to an uncertain future are all informed by traditions and practices that […]
Meet the Artist: OUTSIDE MULLINGAR Director (And ATC Artistic Director) David Ivers
AUTHOR: Erin Treat Schauer, Dramaturg for Outside Mullingar and ATC Online Engagement Coordinator David Ivers is in his first season as Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Company. He was most recently the Artistic Director of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he has acted and directed over 50 productions in a relationship spanning 20 seasons. His […]
Flip The Script: The Poetry of Marisela Treviño Orta
We’re thrilled to be producing Marisela Treviño Orta’s magical play The River Bride. The play is one of a trilogy of grim Latino fairy tales penned by the playwright, including Wolf at the Door (premiering at the New Jersey Repertory Company next fall) and Alcira. In addition to writing for the theatre, Ms. Orta is also […]
Community Partnership: Chapel Haven West
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator As part of our renewed commitment to our Arizona communities, Arizona Theatre Company is proud to share the details of a burgeoning partnership with Chapel Haven West! Chapel Haven West (CHW) is a private nonprofit agency in Tucson serving individuals with mild developmental disabilities and those on the autism […]
Meet The Artist: THE RIVER BRIDE Playwright Marisela Treviño Orta
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator Marisela Treviño Orta is an award-winning playwright in her third year of study at the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Her plays include: American Triage, Braided Sorrow (2006 Chicano/Latino Literary Prize in Drama, 2009 Pen Center USA Literary Award in Drama), Ghost Limb (2017 Brava Theater world premiere), Heart Shaped Nebula (2015 Shotgun Players world premiere), and Woman on […]
Meet the Team: Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Billy Russo
This season, Arizona Theatre Company welcomes David Ivers as our new Artistic Director and Billy Russo as our new Managing Director. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know them better over the coming months, but in the meantime, they wanted to share some of their thoughts with our patrons. MR. IVERS: In May, […]
Meet the Artist: CHAPTER TWO Director Marsha Mason
VIDEO: Second Nature Productions, LLC. Click here to watch the video interview. Marsha Mason is the director for ATC’s 2017/2018 season opener, Chapter Two. Ms. Mason returns to ATC this season after directing last season’s production of An Act of God. She has received four Academy Award nominations for her roles in the films The Goodbye […]
In Context: SHERLOCK HOLMES IN POP CULTURE
AUTHOR: Chloe Loos, Artistic Intern ATC’s Holmes and Watson carries on a long and storied tradition of reimagining the canon (which refers to the short stories and novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), characters, situations, and even time or location of the famous detective. Why has he survived – thrived, rather – for over […]
Flip The Script: Roots Music In RING OF FIRE
AUTHOR: Chloe Loos, Artistic Intern Did you know that some of your favorite songs have been in the making since the time of your great-great-(maybe even great)-grandparents? Due to America’s history of immigration and colonialism, our early music came from a wide variety of people. Known as roots music because they served as the basis […]
In Context: Johnny Cash’s Influence Today
AUTHOR: Chloe Loos, Artistic Intern Not many artists can say that they’ve had a music career spanning over fifty years, released 96 records across multiple different labels, and sold over 90 million copies, but Johnny Cash can. That – and his inclusion in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, […]
Meet The Team: Phoenix Box Office Manager Geri Silvi
Re-published with permission from OnMedia Publications. Meet Geri Silvi, Arizona Theatre Company Box Office Manager and the March Arts Hero. Geri is often the first point of contact for theatregoers, and she uses the opportunity to make their experience positive. Born and raised south of Boston, Geri was introduced to the arts through her high school […]
Flip The Script: Rasquachismo and LA ESQUINITA, USA
AUTHOR: Chloe Loos, Artistic Intern Despite the striking set design and incredible use of sound and lights in La Esquinita, USA, perhaps the most striking feature is the unique aesthetic attitude the show maintains. As the show’s first regional production, Arizona Theatre Company was able to give the artistic team more resources than it has had […]
In Context: El Teatro Campesino
AUTHOR: Chloe Loos, Artistic Intern La Esquinita, USA was developed at El Teatro Campesino, the longest running Chicano theatre in the United States. The company was founded in 1965 by Luis Valdez on the Delano picket lines of the United Farmworkers Union (as led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta) and performed short, improvised scenes […]
Meet The Artists: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Actors Krista Curry, Taylor Pearlstein, And Jennifer Wingerter
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator Krista Curry, Taylor Pearlstein, and Jennifer Wingerter play Teyve’s three eldest daughters (Chava, Hodel, and Tzeitel, respectively) in ATC’s critically acclaimed production of Fiddler on the Roof. You can learn more about their previous credits here. ATC: How did you get started in theatre? MS. PEARLSTEIN: I guess I started pretty […]
In Context: A Note From The Writer/Performer Behind LA ESQUINITA, USA
AUTHOR: Rubén C. González, Playwright / Performer of La Esquinita, USA I began writing La Esquinita, USA in 2007. I was working as a substitute teacher in Southeast Los Angeles to subsidize my acting career, when I was asked to teach a class of troubled high schoolers for ten weeks. In my head, I heard “Run […]
In Context: A Note From The Director Of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
AUTHOR: David Ira Goldstein, ATC Artistic Director and Director of Fiddler on the Roof When Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway in 1964, it was instantly embraced. Fiddler became the first Broadway show to run for more than 3,000 performances, it spawned hundreds of productions all over the world in dozens of languages, the […]
Behind the Scenes: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Rehearsals
AUTHOR: Arizona Theatre Company We can’t invite you directly into the rehearsal room (we wouldn’t all fit!), but we’re giving you the next best thing! Our first-ever video blog gives you a special, behind-the-scenes look at the first week of rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof.
Flip The Script: AN ACT OF GOD Word Search
Looking for a way to pass the time while you wait for the next performance of ATC’s An Act of God? Try this word search, where you can find the names of all the deities who *don’t* appear on ATC’s stage. For more like this, check out the Play Guide! Download the Word Search.
Meet The Artist: KING CHARLES III Scenic Designer G. W. Mercier
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator G. W. Mercier is the scenic designer for ATC’s 50th Anniversary Season-opener, King Charles III. His past work includes Head of Passes (Public Theater), for which he received Lucile Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominations; and Juan Darien: A Carnival Mass, for which he received a Tony Award nomination and […]
Meet The Artist: DISCORD Actor Mark Gagliardi
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator Mark Gagliardi plays Charles Dickens in ATC’s much-loved production of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord. He has appeared on stage (and online) in The Thrilling Adventure Hour (Largo at the Coronet), among other productions; in numerous TV shows, including Drunk History, The […]
Meet The Artist: DISCORD Actor Larry Cedar
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator Larry Cedar plays Thomas Jefferson in ATC’s current production, The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord. His work spans theatre, film, television, voice acting, and more. Notable roles include: Lear in King Lear (Porters of Hellsgate), Leon in Deadwood (HBO), and a starring […]
Flip The Script: Intersecting Lives
AUTHOR: MERLE REAGLE Merle Reagle, who passed last August, was the Sunday crossword creator for the Arizona Daily Star, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and 50 other major papers. Merl grew up in Tucson and was a longtime friend of Discord playwright Scott Carter. Scott asked him to construct this crossword for the original production […]
Meet the Artist: DISCORD Actor Armin Shimerman
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator Armin Shimerman plays Count Leo Tolstoy in ATC’s latest production, The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord. He’s best known for his work on the science-fiction series Star Trek:Deep Space Nine and the fantasy series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He’s also an accomplished […]
Meet The Performer: Lola Yamasaki
Author: Katherine Monberg, Literary Associate Meet Lola! Lola is a nine-year-old shepherd mix, and our esteemed canine guest for the Tucson run of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. In the text of Steinbeck’s novella and on the stage, Lola is a symbol: of love and connection in an isolating world, of goodness, innocence, and of enduring commitment […]
Behind The Scenes: FENCES – A Story In Paint
AUTHOR: Lydia Lopez, Scenic Art Intern How does a scenic artist tell a story? A painter of theatrical scenery brings the set to life by way of paint color matching, style of application, texture, and surface finishes. Sometimes it’s a very realistic set, other times it’s about cleanliness and precision, and other times it’s very […]
Meet The Artist: FENCES Actor James T. Alfred
AUTHOR: Erin Treat, Online Engagement Coordinator James T. Alfred plays Lyons in ATC’s critically acclaimed production of August Wilson’s Fences. Other ATC credits include Jitney, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, To Kill a Mockingbird, and most recently, The Mountaintop. We sat down with Mr. Alfred to discuss life as an actor, August Wilson’s unique voice, and more! ATC: […]
In Context: Reading In The Digital Age
AUTHOR: Chloe Loos and Katherine Monberg “People don’t read things!” A common complaint around my desk and my dinner table, as my colleagues and family will attest, from a dramaturg whose craft revolves around literature and language. But my assertion really isn’t quite true; people do read things, at an almost unprecedented rate. However, what we […]
Staff Picks: Digital Content We Love
Among other things, Sex With Strangers deals with a writer’s life in the blogosphere. Many up-and-coming writers and artists are now getting their start online – writing blogs, self-publishing e-books, hosting podcasts and YouTube channels, etc. We asked the ATC staff to give us some recommendations on their favorite digital content. Here are some of […]
Meet The Artist: Stray Cat Theatre
Author: Ron May, Stray Cat Theatre Artistic Director Arizona Theatre Company has added a seventh show to the 2015-16 season as it presents Sex With Strangers, a very special production from Stray Cat Theatre, one of Arizona’s leading indie theatre companies. Stray Cat Theatre has been producing contemporary theatre in Phoenix and Tempe since 2000 […]
In Context: The American Century Cycle
Author: Katherine Monberg, Literary Associate August Wilson’s American Century Cycle is a collection of ten plays that chronicle a collective century of the Black American experience, with each of the ten plays set in a different decade spanning the 20th century. Nine of the ten plays are set in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, one […]
Flip The Script: Songs From SNAPSHOTS
If you’re a fan of Wicked, Godspell, or Pippin, chances are you recognize some of the tunes in ATC’s latest show, Snapshots. But can you name all 28 songs? We’ve put together a playlist of some of the songs that appear in Snapshots, sung with their original lyrics, to help you “name that tune” when […]
Staff Picks: Thanksgiving Edition
It’s that time of year when many of us stop to take stock of our lives and express our gratitude. We asked ATC’s staff what they were grateful for this year, and here’s what they said! “I’m thankful for my husband and two adult children, as well as my ATC family.” – Debbie Archuleta, Accounting […]
Meet The Artist: ‘DISGRACED’ Scenic Designer John Ezell
John Ezell is the Scenic Designer for ATC’s exciting Arizona premiere production of Disgraced. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Ezell to discuss his work on the production. ATC: Your original background is in painting. How did you transition from painting to scenic design? Mr. Ezell: I knew I wanted to be a […]
In Context: Music, the World, and Irving Berlin
AUTHOR: KATHERINE MONBERG, LITERARY ASSOCIATE Hello, and welcome to the ATC blog! My name is Katherine Monberg, and I’m the Literary Manager at ATC. Among the many theatrical aspects that all combine to make a production is the wonderful world of dramaturgy: adding context and depth to the stage since theatre began! And that’s where […]
Flip the Script: The Dulcet Tones of Tin Pan Alley
AUTHOR: KATHERINE MONBERG, LITERARY ASSOCIATE Tin Pan Alley is the designation given to the collection of music publishers and songwriters that developed and dominated the music publishing industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, located on Manhattan’s West 28th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue. Known as the “King of Tin Pan Alley,” […]
In Context: Stray Cat Artistic Director Ron May on Tucker Max, Ashley Madison, and SEX WITH STRANGERS
AUTHOR: RON MAY, STRAY CAT THEATRE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR I’m on Facebook a lot. I tend to be a colossal smartass: my posts are rarely safe for work, I have a total potty mouth, and I also have a running gag of posting what people have called my “guy on scruff” posts. They are interactions I […]
The Art of Live
AUTHOR: DAVID IRA GOLDSTEIN AND MATT LEHRMAN Shakespeare would say, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” You know Arizona Theatre Company as “The State Theatre”: Arizona’s preeminent fully professional theatre, with a proud 48-year history of producing the rich variety of world drama – from classics to contemporary plays, from musicals […]
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