Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: At the theatre
Model employees
posted by Cari Turley on Fri, Feb 11, 2011
in At the theatre , Our shows
Here's a typical Wednesday at Berkeley Rep: Patron Services Manager Katrena Jackson and I are standing in the rain, pretending to tear some fabric, while Art Director Cheshire Isaacs takes pictures.
As it turned out, those photos were a proof of concept for the Ruined poster, and the real shoot took place a few days later with three different "volunteers": E.T. Hazzard, who's a carpenter in our scene shop; Samantha Budd, our graphic design fellow; and Kate Vangeloff, our marketing and box office fellow. Sam and Kate held the fabric up while E.T. "tore" it (those are his hands in the photo), and the result -- after much photo-wizardry by Cheshire and Sam -- is the poster you see below.
After my near-brush with stardom, I started wondering about the other faces (and limbs) in our other show posters. Were they not, as I previously imagined, trained models who sipped Evian and called their agents between shots? Or were they actually just the staff members sitting closest to Cheshire when he got his big idea?
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Confessions of a concessionaire: a delicious dilemma
posted by Kate Vangeloff on Fri, Feb 4, 2011
in At the theatre
As you may or may not know, Berkeley Rep serves cupcakes at concessions. I feel that for the purposes of this blog post, it is important to note that these are not just any ordinary cupcakes. They are as delectable as they are aesthetically appealing — a rare combination in the pastry world. And no, I don’t work for the bakery who supplies them (the company is named “Love at First Bite,” in case you were wondering. It is NOT named “A Bite for Sore Eyes” as one of my fellow concessionaires, who shall remain nameless, once accidentally told a patron). Anyway, I just really like them because they’re just really that good.
As a concessionaire (and the marketing fellow, no less), it is imperative that I know my product and am ready to deftly answer any concessions-related questions that might arise: Where are these cookies from? Semifreddi’s! Which of these beers are local? Both of them! What flavors are these cupcakes? Strawberry, Red Velvet, Peanut Butter, and…Cookies & Cream!
You get the idea.
However, this past Tuesday my cupcake world was suddenly turned frosting-side down. We received a new shipment of cupcakes in which there were two, yes, two cupcakes that would have fulfilled my own personal visual requirements to earn a “Cookies & Cream” flavor designation. This new development shocked me, as I was unable to identify the new cupcake as anything other than “Cookies & Cream: Version 2.0.” Being inquisitive by nature, I did some internet sleuthing, and I am proud to announce that I have solved this cupcake mystery.
On the left of exhibit A, you will find the true Cookies & Cream cupcake, notably marked by its rakish, Oreo-crescent chapeau. On the right, you will find what Love at First Bite calls their “Mud Pie” cupcake—a devil’s food chocolate cupcake topped with whipped mocha frosting and Oreo crumbs.
Here’s to knowledgeable cupcake consumption for all!
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Cookies for check-ins
posted by Cari Turley on Thu, Dec 30, 2010
in At the theatre , News
Do you use Foursquare? It's a fun little app for your phone that lets you "check in" at various locations, which is handy for finding nearby friends and sharing helpful tips about your favorite places. And, even better, sometimes you can unlock special prizes for checking in at certain places. Pretty cool, right?
We here at Berkeley Rep sure do love prizes. And we also love you, our patrons. So starting today, when you come to one of our shows, just check in on Foursquare and we'll let you pick out something from our concessions counter for free! It's really that simple. Check in, show the concessionaire the special offer that pops up on your phone, and grab yourself a beer. Or a cupcake. Or a Diet Coke. Whatever you want! The hardest part is going to be picking just one.
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We're making the lists...
posted by Karen McKevitt on Wed, Dec 29, 2010
in At the theatre , News , Our shows
…the year-end lists, that is! We’re stoked that several of our shows appeared on theatre journalists’ best of 2010 lists.
Compulsion appeared in the Chronicle’s “Best of Bay Area Theater” top 10 list. Says theatre critic Robert Hurwitt, “Virtuosic, compelling performances from Mandy Patinkin and Hannah Cabell drove Oskar Eustis’ sleek, multifaceted staging of the semifictional tale of a Jewish writer’s obsession with safeguarding what he sees as the real story of Anne Frank’s diary.”
The Real Americans by Dan Hoyle, which played here as part of the Fireworks Festival last summer and has had extended runs at The Marsh, also made Robert’s list.
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The Composer lives on!
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Dec 21, 2010
in At the theatre , Our shows
The Composer lives on! Berkeley Rep’s irreverent holiday show -- Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead -- has proven so popular that we've added performances in January. Now this deliciously silly new show will continue entertaining local audiences through January 16. Families in particular have embraced The Composer, so Berkeley Rep has added matinees on the final weekend: tickets are now on sale for 2pm performances on January 15 and 16. See what the fuss is about!
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The Composer is...loved!
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Dec 16, 2010
in At the theatre , Our shows
Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead garnered some terrific reviews from critics, but we thought we’d shine the spotlight on our audience’s comments as well. So, check out the comments, and then buy your seats before they’re gone.
This first comment was from Mary Ellen, who posted it to her East Bay neighborhood Yahoo list. What's more, her post was forwarded and forwarded until it ended up with one of our board members who lives on the Peninsula. Way to start the viral marketing, Mary Ellen!
Dear Neighbors,
Last evening Miles and I were in the audience at Berkeley Rep’s holiday production, Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead, and I want to urge all of you, especially those with youngish kids or grandchildren, to make it part of your holiday fun. It’s amazingly creative, inventive, funny, even educational, and it will appeal to adults as well as children. Our own Geoff Hoyle is the only live human on a stage filled with astonishing marionettes, and there’s even a movie! Do yourselves a favor and go see it! (Am I on the staff of Berkeley Rep? No.) --Mary Ellen
Awesome! Thanks so much for sending your comment to us. Here are some more that came from our post-show survey:
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Names on the board!
posted by Megan Wygant on Tue, Dec 14, 2010
in At the theatre , Our shows
Remember when getting your name on the board used to mean something bad?
These days, in my world, it means something good.
This is the Theatre's travel board. It’s more than five feet tall, and serves as company management's primary tool for tracking and sharing information about travel for any artists who will be visiting the Theatre in the coming weeks.
In any given season, Berkeley Rep hosts about 75 artists-in-residence for a period ranging from two weeks (the designers, here for tech) to three months (the actors you see on stage, between first rehearsal and final performance). Their schedules are as varied as their jobs, and The Board is how we track them all. Basically, if their name isn’t on The Board, to company management, they don’t exist.
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Sock it to 'em
posted by Rachel Steinberg on Thu, Dec 9, 2010
in At the theatre , Events , Our shows , School of Theatre
“We should take a picture of this now,” someone said as we all admired our surroundings. We were in the Helen C. Barber upper lobby of the Roda Theatre, standing amidst an array of Tupperware containers filled with buttons and foam; brightly colored yarn, gingerly placed; scraps of fabric from the costume shop in neat piles; and bowls of vibrant pom-poms all carefully arranged atop five tables covered in crisp, white paper. It was Saturday, just before one o’clock, and we were about to launch Berkeley Rep’s first-ever Sock Puppet Palooza.
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Outlandish new trailer for Lemony Snicket's The Composer is Dead
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Dec 2, 2010
in At the theatre , General theatre talk , Our shows
Our new trailer for Lemony Snicket's The Composer is Dead racked up more than 8,900 views on YouTube in less than a week! Check it out for yourself -- and share with your friends.
And yep, the show launches with what else but a movie! Says Tony Taccone, the show's director, "In order to introduce you to a live event — the magic of living, breathing theatre — we’re going to show you a movie. Right? It makes absolutely no sense, except it absolutely does makes sense in the world of Lemony Snicket, who is completely eccentric, wildly imaginative and clever and hysterically funny."
Read the entire interview with Tony on the making of the movie, The Magic of Living, Breathing Theater, here.
Hey, tonight's opening night! If we don't see you tonight, we hope to see you soon. Purchase your tickets now!
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Two free parties this week!
posted by Cari Turley on Tue, Nov 30, 2010
in At the theatre , Events
Want to see a play, have a few drinks, and dance with cute strangers? Of course you do! Which is why you should check out the parties we're throwing at Berkeley Rep this week:
- On Wednesday (December 1), there’s night/OUT, a free party for the LGBT community. Grab a ticket to Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead that night (psst: use the code NIGHT online to get 20% off, or 50% if you’re under 30), then stick around and enjoy the party! We’ll have beer from Triple Rock Brewery, wine from Raymond Vineyards, a pre-show tequila tasting with Tres Agaves, and plenty of sweet and savory snacks from our neighbor Amanda's -- and it’s all free! Berkeley Rep's own DJ Pauline will be spinning records (or, you know, queuing up MP3s), and you’re practically guaranteed a good time.
- On Friday (December 3), come back for 30-Below, a free party for the under-30 crowd sponsored by The San Francisco Bay Guardian. Get a ticket (use the code WEB30 and it’s half-price), see the show, and stick around for drinks, dancing, food, and more. We'll have more treats from Amanda's, pre-show margaritas with Tres Agaves, and beer from local favorite Ale Industries. DJ Ome will be playing the hottest music from nine to midnight, and you don't want to miss it!
If you happen to be under 30 and a member of the LGBT community, I am hereby challenging you to come to both events. If you're up for it, send me an email at [email protected] and I'll prepare some kind of prize for you. No, seriously. I will. See you there!