A Sampling of BS-L E-mail
This is a sample of the e-mail that flew back and forth during the run
of the show. It's by no means complete (that would be a ridiculously huge
document), and some things make little sense out of context, but for
better or for worse, here it is. If anyone has anything they'd like to
see added, forward it to me.
[Index]
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 18:49:29 -0500 (CDT)
From: Joseph Chepe Lockett
To: Baker Shakespeare
Subject: BS-L: Thanks!
Thanks, Kasia. And thanks, Committee members! I promise to have fewer
scantily-clad women in this production than in FORUM.... And I look
forward to creating a splendid show with all of you, scantily-clad or not.
Please send me feedback (both Committee and general list members) re: a
public, non-competitive, pre-audition reading of THE WINTER'S TALE, with
parts handed out anew more or less randomly at every scene-break to give
everybody some exposure to the script. I guess we'd shoot for sometime
in, say, November, either at Baker or, as someone suggested, at the
Coffeehouse. I feel it's important, since we have a semi-obscure work up
for the spring, both to get the word out to our pool of auditionees and to
provide the opportunity to get familiar with the plot and the script.
Anyone have any ideas about timing and/or organization of such?
Have we approved/requested an audition site yet? Baker Library is
certainly the traditional choice (and fine by me), though past years
have used Sewall or even Herring.
And, on a final but by no means minor note, let me extend an invitation to
all of you. No production ever turns on one director, technician, or
staff member, least of all one as august and elaborate at Baker Shakespeare.
If you're interested in some position with this show, then email me (I'm
jlockett@io.com) or call (776-8387). If it's really dire, you can call
the Medical Center Charter School at 791-9980, but they don't usually let
you talk to me if I'm in class! :-)
I will certainly need all the determined, enthusiastic, and talented help
that I can beg, borrow, or wheedle. Read the play. Feel free to drop me
a note to ask about one thing or another. ("Is your whole directorial
concept really based on staging the play as a Mentos commercial?") Now as
always, I welcome your input, your questions, and your membership in this
creative ensemble.
----------------------------*------------------------*------------------------
Joseph L. "Chepe" Lockett |"Nullum magnum ingenium | GURPS fan, Amiga user,
http://www.io.com/~jlockett | sine mixtura dementiae | Shakespearean scholar,
Email: jlockett@io.com | fuit." -- Seneca | actor and director.
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Chepe's e-mail, innocuous as it was, sparked "Mentosgate." It turned out
that Jesse had made some comment about Mentos commercials in his
director's interview, which caused the committee to ask every other
candidate, "What do you think about Mentos?" After a brief flurry of
misunderstandings and apologies, all was eventually smoothed over.
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 21:03:18 -0500 (CDT)
From: Peter Scott Rogers
To: karinlee@IO.COM
Subject: BS happenings
Y'know, Karin L. Kross was mulling about this...
>
> On Wed, 16 Oct 1996, Joseph Chepe Lockett wrote:
>
> > One committee member (I don't recall who) asked
> > me whether *Winter's*Tale* had "a possible Mentos connection," which I took
> > to be a comment on my prospective play's plot, which can admittedly sound
> > a bit funny in summary (which I'd just done).
>
> Well, I do recall being asked, "What do you think of Mentos?" at the end
> of my interview, plus there was a joking post about "Winter's Tale" as a
> Mento's commercial to bs-l...but anyway, I think the lesson to be learned
> here is this:
>
> Whatever a director says in committee should perhaps on the future be
> treated as proprietary (or confidential, or whatever damned word you like
> :->) unless the director says otherwise (e.g., "I've been talking about
> this with a lot of other people," or the committee could simply ask, at
> the end of the interview, "Would you like us to keep this material in
> confidence?"). For the most part, I think it's simply a matter of good
> politics to keep what's said in committee inside the committee.
>
> Am I totally off base here, or does this make sense? Committee members,
> what think? Just something to consider.
Very good idea. Unfortunately I'll be far far away from Houston before it
can be utilized. >:-)
> Those admittedly rather pompous two cents having been thrown in, I have
> but a few more things to say:
>
> 1) Having never seen a Mentos commercial, I feel I was placed at a
> disadvantage during my interview. > (Just joking. But seriously, will
> someone please tell me what the hell is so funny about said commercials so
> I don't actually have to sit in front of the TV and wait for one to come
> along the pike? :->)
Two Words: Ask Jesse. His dramatic re-enactment of a Menthos commercial
was so funny that I think that was in fact the root cause of Menthosgate...
> 2) Congratulations, Chepe! And to Jesse and Martin, my fellow
> less-successful candidates, let's get together for a drink sometime.
I'm pretty sure the AD job is yours if you want it; and if you don' wanna,
please don't tell me "fuck off" or anything -- midterms are already doing
that quite effectively... >:-)
> 3) Finally, I personally would prefer to keep the rest of this discussion
> to private e-mail, but if no one else feels that way, I know where to find
> the delete key.
Bunny Day
later
=-p-=
-----------------------------------------------------------
|\ _,,,---,,_ Peter Rogers
zzz. /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_. Rice University
|,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-`
'---''(_/--' `-'\_)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 17:06:21 -0600 (CST)
From: Joseph Chepe Lockett
To: Karin Kross , Kindra Welch
Subject: Intermission Thoughts
Some interesting thoughts on "using the interval" (intermission) in a
production. Sasha has already expressed interest in having her and Amber
doing concessions. Perhaps we could consider something similar for the
rest of the country folk? It would certainly help to get them "warmed up"
for their sudden appearance in the second half.
We can't be as lavish as Mr. Mann suggests, of course -- we have to keep
the stage fairly sparse so that it can return to being Sicilia for Act V.
So far the only set-change I have in mind is having a large tarp that
unrolls over Leontes' throne, painted so it resembles a moss-covered
boulder. Can you think of any other good occasions for decoration (and
then un-decoration) that the rustics might use during intermission?
> Shakespeare Electronic Conference, SHK 8.0090. Tuesday, 21 January 1997.
>
> (1) From: Mark Mann
> Date: Sunday, 19 Jan 1997 19:36:42 -0500 (EST)
> Subj: Re: SHK 8.0074 Productions: 12th Night
>
> (1)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: Mark Mann
> Date: Sunday, 19 Jan 1997 19:36:42 -0500 (EST)
> Subject: Re: SHK 8.0074 Productions: 12th Night
>
> My troupe, The Arden Shakespeare Co. performed 12th Night as our maiden
> production, and we too cross-gendered Fabian ( Feste too, though we left the
> question of his gender open)...we took our interval after the letter scene,
> which felt right, and Act 2 opened with Feste and Viola doing their " I do live
> in my house" exchanges...secondary note: I have always looked for ways to make
> the fifteen minutes of interval meaningful in more ways than a break for the
> audience--in this production we had a few fiddlers ( who followed Feste around
> like an Illyrian mariachi band) come out and play some songs while Feste
> solicited funds for their payment...after the 15 minutes were up, with a
> tambourine full of cash he sauntered up on the stage and encountered Viola, who
> began their dialogue, and tossed some expenses in the kitty as well. The
> interval was blended into the action seamlessly, and no time was lost
> reengaging the audience into the play. Likewise, in a production of The
> Winter's Tale, which I directed for Actor's Summer Theatre in Columbus, Ohio,
> in an outdoor amphitheatre, the Sicilia half of the play was set on a white,
> stone floor with 5 white screens on which were painted bare fruit trees
> suggesting Japanese screen paintings...after a few minutes of interval, the
> cast came out, 1 at a time, in their Bohemia garb, with baskets of flowers
> which were scattered across ther floor in a kind a splatter painting effect,
> and each screen was turned around to show the same tree, in full flower and
> color. The actors then fanned out through the crowd, delivering fruit and bread
> and colored fans and other trinkets, and when Time arrived to begin his speech,
> the stage had gradually been transformed into the country sheepshearing
> festival setting, and all the actors rushed to the stage to begin dancing the
> first of several country dances. The audience's delight at such antics
> convinced me that there are many opportunities in using the interval, and I'd
> like to see other productions make use of such moments.
----------------------------*------------------------*------------------------
Joseph L. "Chepe" Lockett |"Nullum magnum ingenium | GURPS fan, Amiga user,
http://www.io.com/~jlockett | sine mixtura dementiae | Shakespearean scholar,
Email: jlockett@io.com | fuit." -- Seneca | actor and director.
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 01:39:13 -0600 (CST)
From: Joseph Chepe Lockett
To: Neil Sandy Havens , Karin Kross ,
"Jennifer A. Drummond"
Subject: Thought you might enjoy this....
Sandy (and Karin & Jenn), I thought you might enjoy seeing this. The
SHAKSPER mailing list has of late been discussing "staging intervals"
(i.e. including performance pieces during intermission), and a recent
Santa Clara (?) production of WINTER'S TALE came up (no relation to ours,
though I forwarded a couple of the ideas over Karin's way).
And what do you know, but here's a fellow who still fondly remembers
your *WT*, Sandy. Congratulations, you've been immortalized! :-)
Shakespeare Electronic Conference, SHK 8.0103. Wednesday, 22 January 1997.
(2) From: John Velz
Date: Tuesday, 21 Jan 1997 18:51:00 +0200
Subj: Staging WT
(2)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: John Velz
Date: Tuesday, 21 Jan 1997 18:51:00 +0200
Subject: Staging WT
I am very enthusiastic about Mark Mann's staging of intervals of WT and TN
alike. Very inventive theater. The WT screens not only pleased me but
reminded me as well that after the production closed in which I made my Shak.
debut as the Bear (1965), the director, Sandy Havens, confided in me that he
had wanted to signal the changing of scenes in our production by a stage hand
coming out and turning another gigantic page of a mock-up of a book, the actors
entering through the spine of the book, so to speak. I have always regretted
that we did not frame the action in that way, bringing "an old tale" on the
stage through a tome. The prod. had other merits, but I still pine for what
did not happen. It was, of course, my first Shakespeare but I remember it well
for other things than that. Good for Mark Mann with the screens and the
interval. Wish I had been in Columbus to see it.
John Velz
Austin, TX
----------------------------*------------------------*------------------------
Joseph L. "Chepe" Lockett |"Nullum magnum ingenium | GURPS fan, Amiga user,
http://www.io.com/~jlockett | sine mixtura dementiae | Shakespearean scholar,
Email: jlockett@io.com | fuit." -- Seneca | actor and director.
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 11:04:57 -0600 (CST)
From: Joseph Chepe Lockett
To: arden@rice.edu
Cc: kasia@rice.edu, Kindra Welch , karinlee@io.com,
kkross@craftmier.com
Subject: WINTER'S TALE set design
Quoth Katarzyna Joanna Mucha:
> hey! this guy sounds excited about this. i think you might want to get
> together with him. do you want the 3 of us to meet sometime?
>
> > i would love to design the set for you... just e mail me the details, and
> > send me a script (at wiess, or have karen give it to me) and i'll look it
> > over. i have never read the script before, i'm sorry to say, but i'll
> > read it as soon as i get it and have sketches for you as soon as
> > possible.... do you have any ideas already??? concepts???? etc... please
> > get back to me as soon as possible so i can get right on this....
Jason -- I like your userid! The "Arden" editions of Shakespeare are my
favorites. :-)
Kasia -- I still need those Baker Commons measurements, particularly if
we're to discuss all this with Jason.
I'm the director for this year's Baker Shakespeare, and Kasia just
forwarded me the above letter. I have several ideas about the set (we
have had to develop it to a fair extent, just due to the point we're at in
rehearsals!), but I am no carpenter, and would certainly appreciate the
benefit of someone with your ability and expertise. If you're still
interested after this letter, let me know and I'll add you to the
production mailing list (bs-l@io.com) and set up a face-to-face gathering
of you, Kasia, and me. I know you haven't read the play -- pardon if I
gloss some of the plot below.
Karin Kross (one of our Assistant Directors) and I have discussed staging
the play as a movement from a very hierarchical, autocratic society (in
which Leontes can order affairs as he sees fit despite his evident
impairment by jealousy) to a more evenly ordered, cooperative arrangement
more open to consensus. That's the English-major-ish end of things:
here's the more practical stuff, as dicussed by Karin, Kindra Welch (our
other A.D.) and me. I'll forward it to them, since this is its first
appearance in print.
We'll be using a bridge-stage (audience on two sides, performance arena
spanning the room) with a very simple set, both because I believe in
having the actors set the scene and because I abhor long blackouts to
change out set-pieces. It'll be in Baker Commons, slightly off-center
so as not to block the kitchen entrance but to enable us to use the door
to the College Secretary's office (and thence to the outside) as a third
entrance (the others are the long aisles leading to Baker's Outer Commons
and the Tower & Library). The stage will _not_ be elevated more than a
single step above the Commons floor: we need to avoid blocking access and
keep lines of vision open, so probably the surface will be unlegged
platforms (we will soon be inventorying how many 4x8 platforms have
survived the recent flood of Baker's basement storage areas).
At the secretary-office end, we have a large platform, with inset steps
leading up to a massive throne, built in place (that autocrat thing!).
This will be covered by a dyed/painted tarp so it can turn into a moss-
covered boulder for the country scenes. To either side of the steps,
we've discussed having dowels hung on nails bearing two-sided banners:
one the rich burgundy of Sicilia (the country under consideration), the
other perhaps a grey or brown (so it can be reversed for our country
scenes). One banner will cover an unfaced area of the platform, with
access clear back to the office doorway. This is our Jail (a dank, low
hole in the ground), as well as the den of the infamous Bear (as in "Exit
pursued by a...," yes this is THAT Shakespeare play. :-)
At the other end (towards Will Rice) is a lower platform. It's the "dock"
(prisoner area) for our trial scene, and should be high enough so that our
Queen Hermione (about 5'6" or so, I'll guess) ends up eye-to-eye with the
seated King Leontes (who is long and gangly) on the throne opposite. No
need for holes, traps, or anything on this side, just height variation for
a bit of visual relief and to provide some seating surfaces, etc. I've
had the idea of trying for a circular platform (I know that makes
carpenters blanch -- wait a bit!), perhaps faced with slats with space
between rather than curved luann. We thus get a more rustic look and a
more open feeling than for the massive rectangular prism of the throne.
I have a letter in to Greg Marshall asking if there's any chance we might
get the cable spools they're currently using in wiring the Baker Institute
for Public Policy (I don't think they recycle those....), since that might
make an admirable substructure. To either side of the circle (or semi-
circle, depending on whether we adapt or built the thing) are probably a
pair of lower, shallower platforms to provide a definite end to the stage.
Let's see if I can pull off some ridiculous ASCII art here:
O___________L__L______________
| | |
B| | | "O" is the door to the secretary's office.
B| L_ | "C" is kinda large, but that's a throne.
CC |||| / \| The lines in front of it are steps.
C |||| | | "B" is the Jail/Bear hole-in-platform-face.
CC |||| \__/| The brackets above and below are our aisles,
| | | which don't need to be built up, on, or
| | | in at all (purely for reference).
______L___________________L__| The width of this diagram represents the
| | entire width of Baker Commons: all
audience are seated "above" or "below"
the diagram.
Wiess is below the drawing (appropriate! Oops, Hanszen bias showing
there.... :-), Allen Center above, if we're trying to place it within
Baker. And, yes, that's a big open space in the middle: we need lots of
room for our actors to speak Shakespearean verse, and even do a dance in
the middle of the play.
I know this is probably a more complete design than many directors present
to set designers. My intent is not to offend, or to "steal your thunder":
Karin (A.D.) and I just have certain ideas of how we'd like the play to,
well, play. But we certainly DO need someone with a practical bent who
can make suggestions, realize problems before we encounter them in
construction, and help plan out some of the details. And there are things
I'm leaving out: I have little idea about color, for instance. I've
thought of going for just a neutral greyish/brown that would serve both as
stone for court and drab countryside, such that it's our costumes provide
the liveliness. But you may have a better idea.
If you'd like to look at a copy of the play (which I warn you is a late
one, and full of rather dense rhetoric!), it's available from the Baker
Shakespeare web page at, fittingly, http://www.rice.edu/BakerShakespeare.
I can be reached via this email account, or by home phone at 776-8387.
Our rehearsal tonight (from 7-10) is in Mech Lab 251. I don't know where
we'll be next week, but I'm sure Mike Simon will tell me eventually. :-)
A rehearsal schedule is also available at the web site.
----------------------------*------------------------*------------------------
Joseph L. "Chepe" Lockett |"Nullum magnum ingenium | GURPS fan, Amiga user,
http://www.io.com/~jlockett | sine mixtura dementiae | Shakespearean scholar,
Email: jlockett@io.com | fuit." -- Seneca | actor and director.
As it turned out, after our first meeting with him, we never saw our set
designer again. So Paul and Gwen came up with a contingency plan that
worked out quite well.
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 16:31:08 -0600 (CST)
From: Joseph Chepe Lockett
To: Baker Shakespeare Mailing List
Subject: BS-L: Globe & Gurr
For those of you who enjoyed Professor Gurr's recent talk/visit, a couple
of web sites:
First, the Globe Theatre, at "http://www.reading.ac.uk/globe/". There's a
link from that page to Prof. Gurr's own home page (alas, no picture!),
accessible directly at "http://www.reading.ac.uk/globe/WhoAreWe/Andy.html".
Most importantly, perhaps, for those who care, is Professor Gurr's own
plea to help overturn English Heritage's decision to rebury the remains of
the original Globe theatre, of which only a mere 5% has ever been
excavated. Should Anchor Terrace (the property currently standing over
the ruins) be allowed to redevelop, they will essentially to able to block
any further archeological work being done into the foreseeable future.
During his recent visit, Dr. Gurr described every letter from America as
being worth "three letters from Britons." I'm sure he'd appreciate the
help. The complete story, as written by Dr. Gurr himself, is available at
"http://www.reading.ac.uk/globe/Bulletin/AnchorScandal.html".
For those of you planning to attend a Globe showing this summer, or later
(attention Karin!), I present the following extract from the SHAKSPER
mailing list:
Shakespeare Electronic Conference, SHK 8.0192. Wednesday, 12 February 1997.
(6)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ann Marie Olson
Date: Tuesday, 11 Feb 1997 19:16:04 -0600
Subject: Reply to JoAnna Koskinen, New Globe Theater
I visited the new Globe in June and can share a few impressions and some solid
information. Impressions: it's wonderful! I've studied Shakespeare for years,
taught it for years on the high school level, done a master's thesis on
Shakespearean comedy, and directed Much Ado on stage. Despite many years of
academic working knowledge of the Globe, being there was eye-opening! The
intimacy of the space informs the dynamics of Shakespeare's language and scenic
structures. It is truly not to be missed. My certificate, indicating that I
financed a small part of the construction, is my most prized souvenir from a
two-week trip. The other impression is that nobody in London seems to know how
to find it! If you go, get good directions ahead of time or take a taxi. Don't
ask Londoners--we encountered many who said, "You're looking for the WHAT?"
Unbelievable! For information, contact: The Globe Exhibition Office,
Shakespeare's Globe, New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9ED. Phone number is
0171 928 6406. Fax 0171 401 8261. You can also join the Friends of
Shakespeare's Globe society by contacting them at P.O. Box No. 70, Southwark,
London SE1 9EN.
----------------------------*------------------------*------------------------
Joseph L. "Chepe" Lockett |"Nullum magnum ingenium | GURPS fan, Amiga user,
http://www.io.com/~jlockett | sine mixtura dementiae | Shakespearean scholar,
Email: jlockett@io.com | fuit." -- Seneca | actor and director.
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I hope someone saved the e-mails that Ken Baker wrote to beg people to
come and help build sets for PLayers and BakerShake last year. In the
tradition of creative head carps, these are Paul's pleas for assistance.
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 19:57:21 -0600
From: Paul Tevis
To: bs-l@io.com
Subject: BS-L: Work Days (PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS!)
The sun beat down on another humid Houston day. The moisture hung in the
air like smoke over a Civil War battlefield. Everywhere there were people
leaving the campus in droves, like some sort exodus, but out Rice rather
than Egypt. The students had been freed from bondage, and now they
clammered forth to flee the place of their imprisonment. Yet among this
great outpouring stood a lowly youth, not leaving with a sense of
excitement as the rest of kind did, but rather entrenching himself, as
though to weather out a storm or to repel some assult. The scars of his
Comp Sci assignment were still visible upon his brow. As he watched his
classmates leaving, a great sense of urgency swelled up in him. "Stop!" he
cried. "Come back! We have need of you here! There is much to be done
and not as many to do it!" Some around the bedraggled youth stopped for a
moment to stare and to look pityingly upon him. "Please stay!" pleaded the
shaggy, brown-haired lad. "The observance of our great tradition needs
your help to come to fruition! Lights must be hung! Saturday at 1 o'clock
in the afternoon will the faithful gather in the Baker Commons to work the
magic of Fresnel and Elipsoidal, of Leko and PAR can! We need your able
hands to complete our duty to the Bard! Or, if you are unable to assist
with the creation of light, come to the Baker Commons on Sunday at 10 in
the morning so that the stage may be raised and our patronage of William
may have a place to exist! Please, help us! I cannot do it alone!" But
the youth's cries fell on many a deaf ear, and many did turn away from him
and leave the place of Rice. Sadly, the youth turned away, and returned to
his mighty tower to complete his drawings, ponder his lighting plot, and
pray for help in this mighty endeavor.
--Paul
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Deep within the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical
universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond
logic."
--Paul Muad'Dib
"There's no mystical energy field controlling my destiny."
--Han Solo
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Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 22:18:43 -0600 (CST)
From: Paul Michael Tevis
To: bs-l@io.com
Subject: BS-L: Work Days, Part II
Once again the youth stood alone in the midst of a seeming tempest of
things needing to be done. Greatly had he rejoiced on Saturday, when
many of the faithful had come and adorned the heavens with lights. On
that day, many great things were done and there was much rejoicing.
Sunday, however, had seemed to be an awaking from this great dream. Few
had been the hands that helped the praise of William on that day. The
youth looked about him to find more help in this great endeavor, but
little was found. "Oh," he lamented, "if only one more day of great
works could be done. If one great convocation of people could come
together on Monday at noon, then this set could be finished! I swear
that I shall not leave the Baker Commons 'til this be done! If only help
would arrive!" And so the youth returned to his drawings, his lighting
plots, and set designs, and long he hoped for deliverance on Monday.
--Paul
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Date: Tue, 4 Mar 1997 02:49:39 -0600 (CST)
From: Paul Michael Tevis
To: bs-l@io.com
Subject: BS-L: Work Days, Part III
Once again sat the youth surveying his circumstances and wishing help
would come. This day had not been as he had hoped, but it had been
productive, and the end was possibly in sight. This final push would
need a great momentum, and he knew that now was the time for rallying the
faithful. "Ah," said the youth, "if we had but one hundred of those that
do no work in Baker today. If we are marked to die, we are enow to do
our college loss; and if to live, the fewer men, the greater share of
honor. We in it shall be remembered. We few, ew happy few, we band of
brothers. For he who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, be he
ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition, and gentlemen in
Baker now a-bed shall count themselves accursed they were not here, and
hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that worked with us upon
Tuesday! At noon shall the final assult begin! Once more unto the
breach dear friends, once more!"
--Paul
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Date: Sat, 8 Mar 1997 20:50:31 -0600 (CST)
From: "Jennifer A. Drummond"
To: bs-l@io.com
Subject: Re: BS-L: Weekend Shake work (fwd)
> a) More chairs. By my count, we have room to seat 272 people,
> including bards on couches at the front. We only have 175 chairs in
> the commons. Can we borrow some from Will Rice? (Obviously, this
> will only be on an as-needed basis. No point in hauling chairs unless
> we sell more than 175 tickets).
Hmm. 272 is a *heck* of a lot of people, and seems like many more than I
recall us seating in the past with a bridge stage. My recollection is that
we didn't go all the way back, particularly not on the library side. We
simply don't *need* 270 chairs, because it's highly unlikely that we'll
get that much audience on any given night.
The publicity and money people might well react with horror to a
suggestion of deliberately underseating the house, but think of it this
way: if we get a crowd of 150 on some weekend night, which is a fine
crowd, it's still going to look like our house is half empty. That's not
good marketing. On the other hand, setting our house at 150 or 175 and
then selling out on our first Saturday is *very* good marketing. You don't
want to do that during your last weekend, because some people might not
get to see the show, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it, and
maybe add some extra platforms and seating for closing weekend.
Basically, it's going to be a major pain to move chairs back and forth; I
say we use what we've got, except on closing weekend if our reservation
list looks big.
> c) Blacks. Do we have enough for both ends of the commons and the
> door behind the stage? I would really like an extra pair for the
> library door.
We don't need blacks for the library; we muffle the latch so it becomes
just a quiet swinging door. The other blacks are missing - we have brand
new, custom-sewn, brass-grommetted masking blacks for each end of the
commons and the office door, but they're *missing* since last year's show.
If anyone has any clue where they are, please please let me (or someone)
know at once. I'm going to be really annoyed if we don't find them.
=-=-> Jenn
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After the first week's dust had largely settled and we were all feeling
much wiser (and more tired), it was time to start thinking about
regrouping.
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 12:42:35 -0600 (CST)
From: Alexandra Maria Vaikhman
To: "Karin L. Kross"
Cc: Mailing List -- BakerShake
Subject: BakerShake Bible
Hello everyone!
I am starting to put the BakerShake Bible back together. For those of
you who don't know what it is, it is a binder that holds all of hte
information used by Asst Producers, Directors, COntrollers, etc to put
together a BakerShake production.
I think a few mistakes were made this year because some of us were new at
our positions and didn't really know what we needed to do. It would have
really helped if the binder contained clear cut information on what
needed to be done and the best way to go about it.
SO, what I need people to do is to stop and think about the different
jobs you have had during the play and email me lessons you learned,
wisdom, etc. I esp need asst producers of show, controller, publicity
people to do this. ANd all those you have advice for future productions.
I would really appreciate some feedback from everyone! THanks!!!
sasha
The cable connector having exploded on Sunday, our indefatigable Ueberteche set about
remedying the problem. All was, unfortunately, not well. (According
to Gwen, the staff at Stagelight reacted in abject horror when they
saw the thing we'd been using.
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 15:47:11 -0600
From: Paul Tevis
To: jlockett@io.com
Cc: kkross@craftmier.com, karinlee@io.com
Subject: Lights
Gwen and I have encountered a bit of a problem regarding the lights. We
went to Stagelight on Monday morning to try and replace the plug and
discovered it it very nonstandard. Apparently when F&E or F&H or B&G or
whoever wired it, they used a now-outdated 3-phase power recepticle. The
reason the system is non-grounded is that the old plug is almost exactly
like an industrial drier plug (2-phase) minus the center grounding pin. 4
pins means 3 hot legs and one ground. Anyway, Stagelight didn't have the
plug, so they ordered it and assured us it would be here by Wednesday.
They just called and set it would be here tomorrow. Gwen and I have lead
on something at Home Depot that might work, but no promises. End result?
Perhaps no lights tonight. We'll do what we can.
--Paul
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Deep within the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical
universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond
logic."
--Paul Muad'Dib
"There's no mystical energy field controlling my destiny."
--Han Solo
Despite some difficulty in identifying a location for the cast party,
that part of the run wa easy by comparison. :-) This is the fun
part.
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 21:57:45 -0600 (CST)
From: "Jennifer A. Drummond"
To: bs-l@io.com
Subject: BS-L: Cast Party Beverage List
It's time for me to start taking requests for the cast party - *liquid*
requests, that is; Karin's organizing the food, and she's mentioned that
already.
So I don't get a zillion duplications of requests for common things, let
me tell you what I *would* get if nobody were to respond. If this list
strikes you as wrong in any way, *tell me*. It's based on my past
experience buying for Players parties, and Players is a much more
consistent organization than BakerShake - I've never been to a party with
most of y'all, so I have no idea what you want!
What I'll Get Unless You Tell Me Differently:
ample supplies of vodka and light rum
a modest amount of Kahlua
small bottles of butterscotch and peach schnapps, and Bailey's
~36 bottles of random decent beer
(Shiner, Sam Adams, etc. - let me know what you like)
12 bottles of Belhaven to be arm-wrestled over by the real beer snobs
(do y'all want the Scotch Ale or the other one?)
Lots of Coke, Sprite, OJ, and milk
Stuff I'll Get If People Request It:
tequila & margarita mix
scotch or bourbon
sour mix
Captain Morgan's
wine coolers
other soft drinks or juices
anything else within reason - try me. :)
I might get more random beer if a lot of people respond with preferences
there - I don't know if this is a liquor or beer crowd. In any case, it
would be helpful if you'd mail me your preferences, about everything, even
if they're already listed; it'll help me fix amounts. Thanks!
=-=-> Jenn
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Houses not having been all they could have been, Chepe sent out the
following plea to a group of friends.
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 13:11:03 -0600 (CST)
From: Joseph Chepe Lockett
To: houston-gang@chron.com
Subject: Time Runs Out For Winter's Tale
Baker Shakespeare Theatre's 27th annual production, THE WINTER'S TALE,
closes this Saturday. Remaining performances are thus at 8pm tonight
(Thursday), Friday, and Saturday, after which there won't be any more.
The-Gang members Chepe Lockett & Karin Kross are part of the directorial
staff, Jenn Drummond is our official "Free Safety", and MattNetKids Alan &
Kevin Krause (Spawn of Denise) play an important role as Prince Mamillius.
Dema "Earth Mother" Solberg is also in the program as our "Pregnancy
Consultant." So it's not like this is a plea out of the blue.
The play is, admittedly, an obscure one, which has hurt our first-week
audiences. Several attendees have told us that we kicked Houston
Shakespeare Festival's rear with _our_ WT (they did a rather desultory
production last summer), so even if you think you don't like the play,
come see it.
Tickets are a mere $5 (cheaper than most movies!). Call 527-4040 for
reservations, or show up at 7:30pm or so at Baker College Commons, through
Entrance 3 at Rice University. If you need directions or more information,
see our web page at http://www.rice.edu/BakerShakespeare.
Thanks, and I hope to see you there!
----------------------------*------------------------*------------------------
Joseph L. "Chepe" Lockett |"Nullum magnum ingenium | GURPS fan, Amiga user,
http://www.io.com/~jlockett | sine mixtura dementiae | Shakespearean scholar,
Email: jlockett@io.com | fuit." -- Seneca | actor and director.
All's well that ends well, so they say. One audience member's comments on
what we all agree was a very successful show.
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 09:00:58 -0600
From: Michael Croft
Subject: Re: The Winter's Tale
I saw it on Saturday and enjoyed it. Congrats to all of our folk who
were involved. My observations:
1: Going to college plays on closing night is best. More fun things
happen...
2: Being King makes you a shithead. Neither king was a benevolent ruler
at all.
3: The "reward" for being the courtier who has kept the Queen on ice for
sixteen years while you remind the king what a shithead he is is that
you are forced to marry the courtier who finked out the king sixteen
years ago, then tricked the prince into doing something stupid and
finked him out to his father.
4: The current Baker Master, when dressed as a bear and crawling out of
a hole in the set, looks remarkably like a daggit.
--
croft@neosoft.com
--
Warning:Reading this message may be hazardous to your health. This
message contains Sodium Sacrilege which has been determined to cause
apoplexy in laboratory animals.