Auditions for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof begin next week. Please plan on coming out to audition for this Pulitzer Prize Winning Drama.
Lyric Arts has posted the suggested monologues to read for auditions. We also have posted the audition form. Click here for more information.
Looking forward to seeing you at auditions. Bring a friend!
The schedule has been posted for the Free Workshop Sampler this Saturday. This workshop is just for people who have never been to a theater workshop at Lyric Arts and would like to know what all the buzz is about!
Click to see the schedule for your student, or yourself!
We’re looking forward to a fantastic time!
From peasants and queens to jesters and knights, everyone was in attendance to celebrate the birthday of the late William Shakespeare!
We’ve posted some of the photos here, but we’ve posted all of the photos on our facebook page! If you’re not a facebook fan already, become one today!
Check out the interview we did with some of the cast from As You Like It. This hilarious Shakespearean comedy, is one that should not be missed. Lyric Arts has many special events with As You Like It. Check them out here.
Thank you to Tim Carlquist for creating this video.
So, my little chickens, you must know a lot more about Shakespeare and Lyric Arts
that I do, cause I didn’t get any questions this week. Lucky for me, I did have some questions pop up in different venues.
Last week, Joanna, the Production Manager at Lyric Arts, and I were talking about As You Like It, and the word pastoral came up. Now, we both knew the definition of pastoral, but how does that work with Shakespeare?
Well, I put on my literary detective hat and set out to find out what this was all about. My first hint came from Laura, the Managing Director. Second stop, the Googles. Huh, look at this if you google pastoral and Shakespeare, a majority of the results center around As You Like It. Hrm, am I missing something here?
Digging deeper, I found that there’s a whole genre of pastoral literature during the Renaissance Era, but of course, Shakespeare’s the most famous. See, it turns out a lot of people were moving to the city and there was a move to idealize country life. Now look here, if you’re like me, this whole idea sounds like something that would have happened during the Industrial Revolution, at the earliest. I mean, really, it’s hard to imagine people living in a city bemoaning the loss of a simple country life during Shakespeare’s time, but there it is. How does As You Like It fit into this? Well, the majority of the play takes place in the Forest of Arden and features love and magic. I’d love to tell you more, but really now, if you’re unfamiliar with the play, perhaps you should just plan on joining me at a production. I’d hate to give it all away.
So maybe it’s a bit weird of me, but in my life on the internets, I tend to disguise who I am to some extent. But here I am trying to convince you that I’m just like you, so I guess it’s time to break that little habit. If I’m going to try to make Shakespeare accessible, perhaps I should’ve started with myself. Frequent readers may notice a change to that picture up there on the right. Yup, there I am in all my shameless glory (if you haven’t guessed by now, I’m a bit of a ham).
So, you want to know more about me, huh? Well, I’m just your average girl living in Anoka. I’m passionate about nonprofits, and so last summer I called up Lyric Arts to see how I could help out. I know it makes me a bit of an odd duck, but I really enjoy doing all the little tasks associated with marketing, and wanted to see if I could put this enthusiasm to use in a theater setting. Well, like any nonprofit, Lyric Arts can always use volunteers, and so here we are.
And despite my love of writing, when Joanna asked me about Shakespeare, I have to admit I wasn’t so interested. In my first post, I used the phrase “Le sigh” And it was really like that. Look, you already know that I’m excited about the things that Lyric Arts is doing, but I never imagined I’d be excited by Shakespeare. Hopefully, some of you are beginning to change your minds too.
Think you want to get in on this? Don’t forget that Lyric Arts is setting up a Virtual Street Team. Point your mouse on over to Get Involved to find out more. And if you didn’t get enough background about me and what we’re doing, head on over to Jessica’s Shakespearience.
We’ve got a few weeks left to go here, and I need your help. Drop those questions on down in the comment box, and I’ll do my best to entertain you with irreverent answers.
Thanks to the generosity of Lyric Arts’ supporters, our “Sponsor an Orphan” fundraiser earned $1,175 toward the production costs for the run of “Oliver!” Each of the 67 tax-deductible donations of $17.50 paid for one “orphan’s” share of the cost of royalties, music, scripts, costumes, props, special effects, sound, lights, sets, and even programs.
We are also thrilled to announce that Lyric Arts will donate $595.85 to Feed My Starving Children for their relief effort in Haiti, representing 17 cents per ticket sold. Feed My Starving Children can feed one meal to one child for 17 cents, which means that our donation will feed 3,505 children in Haiti!
Thank you all for your generosity and support!
Today, Lyric Arts lost a dear friend and family member with the passing of Tim Gage early this morning, at the age of 30. Tim made numerous appearances on the Main Street Stage, served as a member of Lyric Arts’ Actors’ Council, and was a tireless supporter and promoter of this organization.
Lyric Arts was lucky to have had Tim share his time, talent, and passion with us…not to mention his own particular brand of joyful mania. We all loved him very much and will miss having the opportunity to see his star shining brightly here, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Tim most recently appeared at Lyric Arts in “The Mousetrap” this January. Tim also performed in “You Can’t Take It With You” (2007) and “Lend Me a Tenor” (2005). Our most heartfelt sympathy goes out to Tim’s family, including sister April, who shared the Lyric Arts stage with him in “Pirates of the Great Lakes” in 2008.
Lyric Arts, in conjunction with Tim’s family and friends, will be planning a memorial event for the month of in April. We will share more information as soon as it becomes available.
Lyric Arts’ “Sponsor an Orphan” fundraiser has now brought in over $1,000 toward production costs for the musical Oliver! As of the afternoon of March 8, 59 sponsorships (in the amount of $17.50) have been donated, totaling $1,025.50!
Each tax-deductible sponsorship pays for one orphan’s share of the cost of royalties, music, scripts, costumes, props, special effects, sound, lights, sets, and even programs. Click here for more information about “Sponsor an Orphan.”
In addition, Lyric Arts is donating 17 cents to Feed My Starving Children’s Haiti Relief Effort for every ticket purchased to Oliver!, the cost of one meal for a child. So far, Lyric Arts donation has reached $478.38, or 2,814 meals for children in Haiti.
Oliver! continues through March 21! Buy your tickets today!
The cast list has been announced for Nick Tickle Fairy Tale Detective.
Thank you for all who auditioned!
Our next auditions are:
Father of the Bride
Tuesday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Check out this fantastic interview video from some members of the cast of Oliver! You will hear from such wonderful performers as Erin Duffy (Nancy), Corey Okonek (Fagin), Luke Remme (The Artful Dodger), Tom Goerger (Bill Sykes), and director Bob Neu.
Thank you to Tim Carlquist for producing the video.
