Rehearsal Report: Character Solo Shows

ImageJune 22, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

We’ve just finished a little more than a week’s worth of rehearsals for our Summer Tour, and OH BOY OH BOY are we excited to share this version of the show with you!

Today we had a special guest, Julie Katz, who introduced us to some fantastic improv games. We had a great time playing with the troupe: Thumper, Samuel Peaches, Blueberry Starshine, and our newest members (drumroll please….) Arby Darby and Princess Gwen. (Meekins was unfortunately out sick… or traumatized.)

Section Titles from “Thumper… the Solo Show!” an improvised work of pure performance genius.

One of our favorite games was Character Solo Shows. Each ensemble member took a turn presenting an improvised solo show. In advance, we each wrote a title for a section of the show on a slip of paper. Julie introduced each character, who then opened one slip of paper and began performing that section of his or her solo show. The section had to continue until Julie called for the next section. High pressure, high entertainment, and very revealing! We sure know a lot more about these characters now… and it’s juicy.

A Whale and His Throat

ImageJune 13, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

Sketch by designer Megan Hillard: props for one of our new stories, How the Whale Got His Throat

FluxWagon: Born in FIRE

GalleryMay 29, 2014June 21, 2014directorebeccer 1 Comment

Joan and our dear friend Gus are busy this month, welding FluxWagon’s metal skeleton together at The Gate in San Leandro. It’s exciting to see FluxWagon being born — in sparks and plasma!

You know what they say… measure twice, cut once.

Joan and Gus at work assembling FluxWagon’s structural skeleton.

Gus is aglow in sparks as he works on one of FluxWagon’s stage panels.

The Best Beloved Band – June 9 at the Flight Deck Opening Festival

ImageMay 27, 2014May 28, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

Greetings Beloveds!

We have a special treat in store for you — we’ll be performing songs from O Best Beloved at the Flight Deck Opening Festival Variety Show at 8pm on Monday, June 9.

Samuel Peaches on melodica, Blueberry Starshine on ukulele, and Thumper on upright 3-string bass

Samuel Peaches, Blueberry Starshine and Thumper singing “The Rhino’s Song” on the shores of the Red Sea

The Flight Deck is a brand-new performing arts space in Downtown Oakland that’s being created by our friends at Ragged Wing Ensemble. It’s a pretty fantastic endeavor. The Flight Deck includes a 99-seat black box theater, a rehearsal studio, a gallery, and co-working space. Next door is Township, a new farm-to-table restaurant featuring local art and a mezzanine for small performances.

We hope to see you at the Variety Show on June 9! We’re thrilled to be hosted by the Knights of Revery, and performing alongside acts from foolsFURY, Emma Jaster, and Chick Flick, among others. You can buy advance tickets online through June 6.

Baby Fluxie: FluxWagon in progress

GalleryMay 24, 2014May 30, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

FluxWagon is being born!

In an arts/industrial space in San Leandro called The Gate, FluxWagon is under construction to become our mobile stage for the summer tour of O Best Beloved. Baby Fluxie (her prenatal name) currently looks like a utility trailer, the framing of one wall, and a lot of metal sticks. Her neighbors, apparently, are a great many pianos. Seems appropriate.

Thanks to help from Gustavo Alonso, Joan is cutting and welding to her heart’s content. Gus is also an actor and artist who creates metalwork at The Gate with the bEEcHARGE arts collective.

Baby Fluxie, pulled by Doris the Truck. Doris is a snappy dresser, as you can see by her seat covers.

Baby Fluxie's space at The Gate. Note the numberous pianos.

Baby Fluxie’s space at The Gate. Note the notably numberous pianos.

Lots of metal goes into the framing of FluxWagon

Framing for one wall of FluxWagon

Introducing Juliana–A New Beloved!

ImageMay 20, 2014May 28, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

We’re just pleased as punch to introduce our newest ensemble member, Juliana Frick!

Juliana (on the left) and Grace Booth in GET NO PLACE FAST.

Juliana will be embodying the Human, for whom the animals worked so diligently when the world was so new-and-all; the Little God Nquing; one-half of the rudest Rhinoceros residing near the Red Sea; and a host of other roles that we’re saving to surprise you with this summer!

Our first order of business will be to induct both Juliana and Marlene into our eccentric ensemble… I can’t say whether or not there are any elaborate induction rituals… but I can say that we’re all excited to start playing together.

You can read more about Juliana as well as her exploits and endeavors with Hungry Bird Theater, who will be performing Get No Place Fast this July as part of “Raw Materials Program 3” at the Fury Factory Festival of Ensemble Theater this July 14 & 15 at NOH Space in San Francisco.

Hope to see you there!

Announcing our newest Beloved!

ImageApril 30, 2014May 28, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

We’re thrilled to announce the newest member of our troupe of players, the wonderful Marlene Yarosh.

Marlene Yarosh

Marlene has performed and trained with both Joan and Rebecca through foolsFURY, and we’re delighted for her to join our merry band for our summer tour.

Marlene will be christened by the ensemble with her stage name in due time. She’ll be taking on the roles originated by Kittens Mittens (Sabrina Wenske). Of course Kittens’ performance is inimitable, so Marlene will put her own spin on it.

Meanwhile, the talented Sabrina will be performing in other shows around the Bay Area, and helping our friends at Ragged Wing Ensemble open their new performance space in downtown Oakland, the Flight Deck!

Gearing up for a FluxWagon summer

ImageApril 30, 2014May 28, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

Hello world!

It’s true, O Best Beloved will be coming to a public space near you, aboard the inimitable FluxWagon. She’s a beaut! Or she will be, thanks to a generous CASH Grant from Theatre Bay Area, and the design savvy of our very own Joan Howard.

Stay tuned for tour dates and locations! We’ll post them here, and The Professor, PhD is likely to spread the word to the Twitterati.