Berkeley Rep Blog
Fabric origami with Chris Palmer
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Jan 24, 2012
in Costume shop , Prop shop , Scene shop
Berkeley Rep's shops are filled with pretty awesome, talented artisans who are always curious and ready to learn new things (and build some awesome things too). That tradition continued last Friday when the costume shop hosted an in-house fabric origami workshop taught by the amazing artist Chris Palmer, author of Shadowfolds. He taught members of the costume, prop, and scenic shops his method of folding fabric to make three-dimensional geometric designs.
Kitty Muntzel, the costume shop's draper, instigated this post -- and pointed me to a terrific blog post by our Scenic Charge Artist Lisa Lazar, who allowed me to repost it (with some slight changes) here.
I could a tale unfold...
On Friday I had the great fortune to participate in a workshop with artist Chris Palmer.
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That person sitting next to you at the Theatre? They may have programmed your smart phone
posted by Kyle Sircus on Tue, Jan 24, 2012
in At the theatre
Or your laptop. Or even the newest search features on Google that save us all the hassle of pulling down the dusty Encyclopedia Brittanica from the shelf.* (Alright, so maybe not while #SOPA and #PIPA were in effect, but even still...)
Last week, Berkeley Rep played host to a lunchtime gathering of 30 of our city's brightest high-tech innovators. The monthly Infusion lunch series, hosted by Sylvia Paull, welcomed Seymour Rubinstein, a veteran computer programmer and tech guru, to talk about his newest endeavor. Most of the attendees also participate in the Berkeley Startup Cluster, a relatively new initiative that encourages local high-tech companies to create a home for themselves in Berkeley. Here's a photo from the event, captured by our very own Robert Sweibel:
Many of our lunchtime guests are also Berkeley Rep regulars. Perhaps you can start an interesting conversation with your fellow audience members the next time you're at the Theatre. (Tip: these folks go crazy when you ask them about their favorite programming language.**)
* Nothing against encyclopedias.
** That's where they lost me.
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Myth busted: The prison guard's hair
posted by Amy Bobeda on Fri, Jan 20, 2012
in Costume shop , Our shows
At the opening night reception for Ghost Light, actor Bill Geisslinger and I encountered two things: tiny cups of wine and audience disbelief. It went a little something like this:
Kyle from Marketing: Congrats!
Me (sipping tiny wine cup): Thanks Kyle, it’s so nice to finally be open!
Kyle: So I have to know, in real life, Bill Geisslinger has very light gray hair, but as the prison guard it's black…
Me: (Sip second tiny cup of wine in preparation for the following:)
Well Kyle, and other curious Berkeley Rep patrons, I am so glad I am here to demystify the quizzical hair situation of my good friend Billy G. (That is the rap name I bequeathed him, but don’t tell, he doesn’t know yet.)
Bill Geisslinger haunts Christopher Liam Moore in Ghost Light. Photo by kevinberne.com
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Ghost Light: An intimate encounter with grief
posted by School of Theatre on Wed, Jan 18, 2012
in School of Theatre , Teen Council
By Negi Esfandiari, Berkeley High School
There are many different ways to confront death, whether it is leaning on someone’s shoulder or grieving alone. Seeing this idea played out on stage is one of my favorite aspects of Berkeley Rep’s new production of Ghost Light, which is based on Jonathan Moscone’s own confrontation with his father’s death. I never thought I would see art and death come together in such a beautiful marriage. Although Ghost Light has many admirable qualities, the most captivating was how Mr. Moscone took something so close to his heart and prepared it for hundreds of strangers to watch.
Negi interviews Ghost Light actor, Tyler James Myers, at Teen Night.
Last Friday evening, the many Teen Night participants, myself included, made their way to the Thrust Stage, chatting and wondering what they were about to experience. As I read an interview with director Jon Moscone and playwright Tony Taccone in the Ghost Light edition of Berkeley Rep Magazine, I suddenly noticed that they were both in the house. Then the lights went down, and the play began.
I have found myself tearing up during many plays, but until Ghost Light I had never experienced crying out of sympathy, or grief over the loss of a character before. How the actual Jon Moscone was able to watch this play without falling apart (especially when his father’s “ghost” makes an appearance), I have no idea.
The experience was exceptional. The way Ghost Light affected the audience was unlike any other audience reaction I’ve seen. The fact that it was so personal, to the point where it could potentially be painful or traumatic for its creator, was a feat indeed. It will definitely grab every audience, and perhaps inspire them to face their own experiences with loss. There was a barrier broken down in Ghost Light: the chasm between complete strangers, and the intimacy of one’s private life. Truly, it made all the difference.
Negi is a Junior at Berkeley High School. She is a Teen Council Events Chair and was an actor in last year’s Teen One-Acts Festival.
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See "The Memory Be Green," plus more TV coverage
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Jan 17, 2012
in News , Our shows
Tune in to KQED at 7:30 tonight for The Memory Be Green, a documentary by KQED and Dave Iverson that combines the creation of Ghost Light with "reflections on George Moscone and the times he lived in."
And, if you missed last week's press conference, check out the coverage on CBS and NBC-11 -- plus, read about that and opening night on Broadway World. Want more? Check out all the buzz!
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I would walk 500 miles
posted by Amy Bobeda on Fri, Jan 13, 2012
in Costume shop , Our shows
I’ve always enjoyed The Proclaimers "I’m Gonna Be" (aka "500 Miles") from the Benny & Joon soundtrack, but I’ve never really considered the commitment required to walk 500 miles just to be with someone. That is, until now.
On December 31, we had our first day of tech rehearsal for Ghost Light, and through a moment of divine inspiration, I threw on a pedometer just to see how many miles I would walk that day for director Jon Moscone. In less than eight hours, I logged 8.5 miles while finishing the shopping for the show — laundry detergent, magnets for the magical George Moscone quick change, and a trendy wallet for the character Jon. Eight and a half miles for one day seemed a little high, so on Sunday I tried again.
I realize most people have no clue what the fancy-shmancy term “tech rehearsal” means. So imagine this: you are locked in the theatre for 10 out of 12 hours, going from light cue to light cue, sound cue to sound cue, taking an hour to work though a 45-second transition, and crying when the corn-based snacks that production management provides run out. That, in a nutshell, is tech.
But, back to the mileage at hand. Sunday marked another 8.5 miles. At this point, my competitive instincts kicked in and I actually wanted to beat the previous days’ records. On day three, people began to ask how many miles I had logged. On day four, I lost my pedometer*, but not before I noted that I had logged 42 miles.
FORTY TWO FREAKIN’ MILES. And, that was only in four days of tech.
So, I suppose the point to my story is this: every day a group of folks dress up in black and walk well before the audience arrives. They set the ghostlight. They check the sound levels and video feeds. They preset the clothes and restyle the wigs. Together they walk 500 miles for Jon, and George, and most importantly, you.
So, next time you rewatch Benny & Joon, and "I’m Gonna Be" plays, enjoy the fact that a whole group of folks walked 500 miles, just for you.
Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson in Benny & Joon
*Today, I found my pedometer under my desk at Harrison St. I don’t think I need it anymore.
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Snapshot from the "Ghost Light" press conference
posted by Karen McKevitt on Wed, Jan 11, 2012
in News , Our shows
All the major networks descended on the Roda Theatre today: ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. Why? A special press conference for Ghost Light, which officially opens in a mere few hours. But be sure to watch the news tonight -- Tony Taccone and Jonathan Moscone both had profound, even moving, comments.
(Yeah, the photo's a little dark. I didn't want to disturb everyone with a flash.)
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Meet the literary fellow
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Jan 10, 2012
in School of Theatre
By Julie McCormick
Greetings from the literary department! I’m Julie, this year’s Peter Sloss Literary and Dramaturgy Fellow. I’m writing from what I like to fondly refer to as the “lit cave,” a tangerine-colored office that I share with Madeleine Oldham (Berkeley Rep’s resident dramaturg and director of the Ground Floor), roughly 30 feet of shelving filled with plays, and a 13-year-old wiener dog named Hilary.
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Great Performances: "Let Me Down Easy" airs Friday!
posted by Karen McKevitt on Mon, Jan 9, 2012
in Our shows
It's a super-busy and exciting week here at Berkeley Rep: The Wild Bride is selling like crazy and continuing to earn standing ovations, and the much-anticipated world-premiere production of Ghost Light opens Wednesday.
And here's another event to add to your calendar: PBS's Great Performances airs Anna Deavere Smith's Let Me Down Easy on Friday. It was recorded at Areana Stage last February -- several months before it came to Berkeley Rep, where it enjoyed a phenomenal run (and encore!) that smashed box office records. If you missed that run and want to enjoy it again, check it out!
Watch Let Me Down Easy on PBS. See more from Great Performances.
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"Ghost Light" materializes tonight!
posted by Karen McKevitt on Fri, Jan 6, 2012
in News , Our shows
Ghost Light, the much-anticipated world-premiere production, begins previews tonight. In this haunting show, Artistic Director (and playwright) Tony Taccone conjures an imaginary world based on the historic assassination of Mayor George Moscone. The play is helmed by none other than Jonathan Moscone.
Robynn Rodriguez and Christopher Liam Moore in Ghost Light. Photo by Jenny Graham
Both Tony and Jonathan were guests this morning on NPR’s Forum with Dave Iverson. Miss it? Listen to it now!
Catch a PBS documentary on the creation of Ghost Light! KQED airs The Memory Be Green starting January 17. Watch a screening at Berkeley Rep! Our free Page to Stage event on January 23 features the documentary followed by a conversation with Resident Dramaturg Madeleine Oldham with writer Tony Taccone and documentary-maker Dave Iverson.
Richard Dodds of the Bay Area Reporter filed “Moscone memories,” an insightful article that traces the creation of Ghost Light back to the release of the film Milk.
The San Francisco Chronicle and Mercury News both tapped the play as one to watch for in the new year, and the SF Examiner published a preview piece just today. Pretty cool!
Hope to see you at Ghost Light!
