Back to the Garden

I hope everyone is still as amazed as I am still at last week's opening. Three great shows under our belt.

We essay night October 5th we have Brush-Up rehearsal at 7pm on the main stage. Call is at 6:30pm. We will run the show in it's entirety top to bottom. No costumes or Makeup

Three great show upcoming. Thursday through Sat at 7:30pm, call at 6:30pm. On Friday and Saturday GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME TO GET TO THE THEATRE DUE TO APPLEFEST

See you Wed

Congratulations

Congratulations to the entire cast, pit, crew of Children of Eden! What an amazing Opening Night for which I and the entire production are extremely proud of all of you.

Another show tonight. See you at the theatre at 6:30pm.

Ted

Dress Rehearsal Updates

Great job everyone in the cast and crew. In the words of our tech director, "for being tuesday of tech week, this show is in the beat place of any we have seen.". Or something like that.

Please don't let any of the stress of this week flow into your dedication and performances in the show. Our passions lie in working together to have the best show ever for the cast and crew to showcase your talents. As a family, we have had a terrific and long seven weeks together. We have a couple more days to go before you hit Opening Night and show off the beautiful work of art you have created.

Wednesday Sept 28.
5:30pm Animal Chorus
6:30pm All Leads and Storytellers
We will be running the entire show non-stop with costumes and makeup

Thursday Sept 29
6:30pm. All cast call
7:15pm Cast Photo.

Friday Sept 30 Opening Night
6:30pm. All cast
7:30pm Rock N Roll

Tech update and Monday Tech Run

Thank you everyone for a great tech run of Act One Sunday night. Yes, it wasn't a cue to cue but we managed to write all the cues ahead of rehearsal so why not have a full run of Act One. And in record time so far. Great job!

Monday night we shall tech Act Two. Call is 6pm for all dancers (non storytellers) and 6:30pm for rest of cast. We shall start our run at 7:30pm so please use the hour in between to check costumes, ask questions, and be prepared to run any numbers we need to run. We shall also have a vocal and physical warmup.

This is tech week and we will have some bumps in the road as we refine the show. Rest assured, you have a great show on your hands. And we thank everyone for being part of the show.

See you Monday.

Tech Week Begins - Sunday September 25

Great job everyone with the last week working on the stage. We are ready to take the show into tech week in good position.

Sunday rehearsal starts at 6pm with some review and then running tech at 7pm. We will be adding lights and set changes to the run of the show. It will take great patience and focus on everyone's part as we work with the Tech Director through the evening.

See you at 6pm

Rehearsal Notes for Tuesday September 20

Great job last night everyone for first time running on the set.   It is looking good - and we have a very strong foundation so far to build on.  

Tonight is Act Two run-through starting at 7pm with vocal warmups.   We do have to work the Flood tonight with the curtain so hopefully we will be good with our time management.

Lead dancers - please see Marc tonight about coming earlier on Wed to work on Return of the Animals.  

We will be taking some publicity photos tonight so some of you may be asked to get into costume for that.

See you tonight.

Rehearsal Sunday Sept 18

Hello cast,
Rehearsal tonight is for all cast. We will be doing lots of review and walking on the stage for the first time. The set is up and locked down. It may take some of you by surprise but we are going to take our time to get used to it for this coming weeks rehearsals.

6pm. Snakes for music review and Yonah for staging of numbers
7pm. All cast

Please feel free to arrive 15 minutes early cast to take a look at the set and walk it before rehearsal.

See you tonight

Rehearsal Thursday Sept 15

Rehearsal Thursday September 15 a 7pm
Main Stage - Blocking and Music Review
All Cast including animals

Saturday 17th - Dance Rehearsal Update
10am - All lead dancers (olivia, Lauren, victor, astrid, athena, Julia)
11:30am - Snakes (Sarah, Julie, Lauren, Anna)

Also: Set Build Teams needed Friday until 9pm and Saturday starting at 10am. Our goal is to raise the set up on its supports so we can walk on it starting Sunday.

Rehearsal Wed Sept 14 and Set Build

Rehearsal tonight at 7pm is a Dance Rehearsal and Music Rehearsal for All Cast.
Aimals are asked to attend - this is a schedule change and a couple of you have called because of prior commitments. Do not worry if you had a prior conflict before the schedule change.

We will review music with people not running dances as well tonight.

Also, for those with basic to rudimentary to skilled set building skills, Friday until 9:30pm and Sat 10am to 5pm-ish, we need assistance with finishing and raising the set up on its supports. If we can get a good crew both days, we can be walking on the set on Sunday.

Thank you all. See you tonight.

Rehearsal Tuesday Sept 13

Great music rehearsal tonight everyone. Keep up the good work.

Updates to this week:

Tuesday Sept 13 7pm - Music Rehearsal Act Two
All cast except animals - just story letters and families.

Wednesday Sept 14 7pm - Dance Review
All cast including animals

Thursday Sept 15 7pm - Blocking Review for all cast

Saturday Sept 17 10am-12pm
Dance review for LEAD DANCERS only

Monday Sept. 12 Rehearsal - MAIN STAGE

Hello cast and crew,

We have made it to the MAIN STAGE! Stating with Monday's rehearsal, we will be on the Main Stage of the theatre. Please use the Back Door where the ramp is on Buffalo St. the side alley door will be locked.

Monday night is a Music Rehearsal for all cast including animals from 7 to 9pm. Animals will also be reviewing their dance numbers.

Our costumer will also be fitting the Family of Adam for all fur outfits if the family of Adam can arrive between 6:45 and 7:00 to help that process out it would be great.

We will also start moving into the dressing room spaces, moving costumes, setting and sorting props, etc. We will be on the Main Stage from this point forward.

We are on track to be working on the set on Monday Sept. 19.

Tis week is a review and finish week of all musical numbers, choreography and stage blocking.

See you Monday.

Rehearsal Sat September 10

Saturday September 10, Dance Rehearsal, Little Theatre

10am-11:30am: All animals, including lead dancers. (animals done at 11:30)

11:30am-1:00pm: Aint It Good (all cast except animals)

1:00-2:30pm Snake Ensemble (marc, janelle, four snake dancers)

Rehearsal Thursday Sept 8 and Updates

Thursday September 8, Blocking & Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm Music Review-All Cast including animals
At 8pm block pp57-71 (Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Young Cain, Young Abel) during music review. Block Yonah. Music review will continue during this.

Update on animal costuming. The costumes have NOT been ordered so all animal costuming is on hold until they come in. We are also waiting for Adam and Eve's vine outfits, the snake unitards, and the lead dancer scrubs.

Update on Tshirts. If you want a t-shirt, please bring your money to the Sept 8 rehearsal. They are 10.00 each.

Family of Noah - please bring in any "biblical" sandals into rehearsal for us to look at. We are also looking in the warehouse for the sandals from "Forum"

We move onto the Main Stage Monday night so we will be using the back door of the theater, on the ramp at Buffalo St starting Mon Sept 12. Rehearsals may start to go slightly longer as we put whole parts of the show together, but we will keep them as tig and close to the end time as possible.

Everything is coming together quite nicely

Rehearsal Sept 7 Wednesday

At St Johns Church, behind theatre at 12th and Buffalo.

Wednesday September 7, Dance Rehearsal, St. John's Church
7pm-Dance Leads: Oliva, Victor, Marc, Julia, Astrid, Athena, Shannon, Beth
7pm-Music Review All Leads and Storytellers

Rehearsal Tuesday September 6

We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend...and also took some time to review what they have learned so far. We are rapidly coming closer to tech week so our time learning the material is growing short. Keep up the good work you've done so far.


Tuesday September 6, Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
6:30pm-7pm "Noah's Lullabye" (**NOTE EARLIER TIME)
7pm-8pm "A Piece of Eight"
8pm-8:30pm "The Flood" Singers
8:30pm-9:00pm "Words of Doom"

We will also be costuming people this evening

Schedule Updates

Hello all Cast and Crew....
I have gotten the schedule updated through Tech Week for the show and it is posted below and in the sidebar.    Where it says All Cast - that includes animals.   Animals are needed at any rehearsal where it does NOT say No Animals.

Thank you and have a safe, healthy and fun holiday weekend!
Your production team.

Schedule

Tuesday September 6, Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
6:30pm-7pm "Noah's Lullabye" (**NOTE EARLIER TIME)
7pm-8pm "A Piece of Eight"
8pm-8:30pm "The Flood" Singers
8:30pm-9:00pm "Words of Doom"

Wednesday September 7, Dance Rehearsal, St. John's Church
7pm-Dance Leads: Oliva, Victor, Marc, Julia, Astrid, Athena, Shannon, Beth

7pm-Music Review All Leads and Storytellers

Thursday September 8, Blocking & Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm Music Review-All Cast including animals
At 8pm block pp57-71 (Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Young Cain, Young Abel) during music review.  Block Yonah.

Saturday September 10, Dance Rehearsal, Little Theatre10am-11:30am: All animals, including lead dancers.
11:30am-1:00pm: Aint It Good

1:00-2:30pm Snake Ensemble

Monday September 12, MAIN STAGE

Music Review - All Cast

 

Tuesday September 13, MAIN STAGEBlocking Review-All Cast

Wednesday September 14, MAIN STAGE7pm - Dance Review: All Cast (No animals)

Thursday September 15, MAIN STAGE7pm-All Cast: Review

Saturday September 17, MAIN STAGE10-11am Review Snakes
11am-Review all dance (ALL CAST)

Sunday September 18, MAIN STAGE7pm - Review Music/Blocking/Dance- All Cast

Monday September 19, MAIN STAGE
7pm-Run Act One-All Cast

Tuesday September 20, MAIN STAGE7pm-Run Act Two-All Cast

Wednesday September 21, MAIN STAGE7pm-Run Act Two-All Cast

Thursday September 22, MAIN STAGE7pm-Run Act One All Cast

Sunday September 25, MAIN STAGETBA-Orchestra Rehearsal
6pm-Tech Rehearsal-All Cast!
Mon-Thursday Tech Schedule-ALL CAST
6:30pm-Call at Theatre each night

Show Dates September 30, October 1 & 6-8 at 7:30pm, October 2 at 2pm.

Costume Fittings and Schedule

BCT Children of Eden: COSTUME SCHEDULE
All costuming will be done in the PIT until September 18th unless otherwise noted below. If you have any questions about this schedule or costuming please talk to L J Stone, the costume manager, OR Laurie Rogers, our wonderful designated costume organization helper!!
*Please know these times are flexible depending on your need on stage or in little theater. Come when the DIRECTOR says they don’t need you for at least 10-15 minutes!!
**ALSO PLEASE DON’T ALL COME AT ONCE…only 2-3 at a time depending on the number of costume helpers we have that evening.

Aug. 30th 7pm-ROBED characters 8pm Act 1 Family &Act 2 Family

Aug. 31st 7pm-Adam, Eve, Father & Snakes 8pm-Act 2 & Act 1 Families (not yet met with)

***LITTLE THEATER**** ***PIT***
Sept. 1st 7pm-Animals (as you are called)

Sept. 6th 7pm-Story Tellers accessories 8pm -Animals (as you are called)

Sept. 7th 7pm-Act 1 Family ALL 8pm- Act 2 Family ALL
WILL ALSO BE CHECKING ON ROBED CHARACTERS (as called)

Sept. 10th 10am Check in on Animals -ALL as you are called

Sept. 11th or 12th LAST COSTUME CHECK FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T BEEN CHECKED YET ***BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM***

Sept. 18th HEM & SHOE CHECK, MOVE COSTUMES TO DRESSING ROOMS AS FINISHED ***BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM***

Sept. 22nd & 24th FINAL COSTUME CHECK FOR ALL, MOVE COSTUMES TO DRESSING ROOMS AS FINISHED ***BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM***

Sept. 25th During Orchestra Rehearsal we will do a final check that all costumes are in their right places, they fit perfectly, and all cast members have their shoes needed for each act and dancing.

Sept. 27th -29th 6pm Any last minute costume issues before our dress rehearsals in BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM
**Check in after rehearsal with any costume issues.

Sept. 30th J OPENING NIGHT!!!---YAY!!! J 5pm Any last minute costume issues before the show in BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM
**Check in after the show with any costume issues.

Oct. 1st 5:30 pm Any last minute costume issues before the show
in BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM
**Check in after the show with any costume issues. (OVER)

Oct. 2nd NOON Any last minute costume issues before the show
in BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM
**Check in after the show with any costume issues.

Oct. 5th 6:30 pm Any last minute costume issues before BRUSH UP
in UPSTAIRS DRESSING ROOM
**Check in after the show with any costume issues.

Oct. 6th, 7th, 8th 5:30 pm Any last minute costume issues before the show
in BASEMENT DRESSING ROOM
**Check in after the show with any costume issues.

OCT. 8th AFTER THE FINAL SHOW YOU WILL RETURN YOUR COSTUME TO SPECIFIC AREAS BACK STAGE…YOU WILL RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION BY OCTOBER 5th.
PLEASE RESPECT THE COSTUMES AND KNOW THAT THIS PROCESS IS TO MAKE EVERYONE’S LIFE EASIER!!! ESPECIALLY OUR COSTUME MANAGER AND HELPERS J THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

Rehearsal Thursday Sept 1

Great work Wed night everyone.

Rehearsal Thursday Night September 1st
Dance Rehearsal 7-9pm
Let There Be - all cast, including animals and storytellers.

Rehearsal Tuesday August 30

We are off and running with storyteller music. Great job everyone in the cast. Thank yu to everyone who also took the time to review Generations.

Costume fitting info will soon be posted as well for the Entire cast, including animals.

Tuesday night is both a Music and a Blocking Rehearsal, please note below..

Tue August 30 - MUSIC AND BLOCKING REHEARSALS
Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm-7:30pm "The End of A Perfect Day" and "Childhood's End"
7:30-8pm "Wasteland" and Wasteland Soloists
8pm-9pm "Ring of Stones" and "Mark of Cain"

Blocking Rehearsal, Lobby
7pm "A World Without You" - Adam, Eve, Father (inc. pp33-38)
7:30pm "The Spark of Creation" - Eve
8pm "Hardest Part of Love" and the "Gathering Storm"- Noah
8:30pm "Sailor of the Skies" and "Stranger to the Rain" - Yonah

Rehearsal Monday August 29

Mon. August 29, Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm  "The Expulsion" - All Storytellers
7pm-7:30pm "Perfect Part 1"
7:30pm-8pm "Father's Day" and "Perfect Part II"
8pm-9pm "In Pursuit of Excellence"

Leads who are also in these songs please attend as well.

Rehearsal Updates

Rehearsal updates for the next couple of weeks are ready folks.

Mon. August 29, Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm  "The Expulsion" - All Storytellers
7pm-7:30pm "Perfect Part 1"
7:30pm-8pm "Father's Day" and "Perfect Part II"
8pm-9pm "In Pursuit of Excellence"

Tue August 30 - MUSIC AND BLOCKING REHEARSALS
Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm-7:30pm "The End of A Perfect Day" and "Childhood's End"
7:30-8pm "Wasteland" and Wasteland Soloists
8pm-9pm "Ring of Stones" and "Mark of Cain"
Blocking Rehearsal, Lobby
7pm "A World Without You" - Adam, Eve, Father (inc. pp33-38)
7:30pm "The Spark of Creation" - Eve
8pm "Hardest Part of Love" and the "Gathering Storm"- Noah
8:30pm "Sailor of the Skies" and "Stranger to the Rain" - Yonah

Wed August 31, Blocking Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm In the Beginning (all cast including storytellers and animals)
7:30pm The Expulsion (Adam, Eve, Father, Storytellers-all)
8pm Family of Noah pp 124-128 (including The Hour of Darkness)
8:30pm Yonah and Japeth "In Whatever Time We Have"

Thu September 1, Dance Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm - Let There Be
All Cast including Storytellers and Animals

Tuesday September 6, Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
6:30pm-7pm "Noah's Lullabye"  (**NOTE EARLIER TIME)
7pm-8pm "A Piece of Eight"
8pm-8:30pm "The Flood" Singers
8:30pm-9:00pm "Words of Doom"

Wednesday September 7, Dance Rehearsal, St. John's Church
TBA

Thursday September 8, Blocking & Music Rehearsal, Little Theatre
7pm Music Review-All Cast including animals
At 8pm block pp57-71 (Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Young Cain, Young Abel) during music review

Saturday September 10, Dance Rehearsal, Little Theatre
TBA

Rehearsal Wed August 24 and cast notes

Another great rehearsal tonight for Children of Eden. The vocals are coming along great.

Wednesday Aug 24 - 7pm Blocking Rehearsal - ALL Storytellers and Families of Noah and Adam!
We will be blocking the storytellers into Act One and Act Two numbers.

Thursday Aug 25 we will be dancing Generations!

No animals are needed Wednesday or Thursday. Next animal rehearsal is Sat at 10am at the THEATRE, not the church.

We are now in the process of ordering costumes and doing some fittings. We will have some details posted soon on a costume day to try things on and get adjustments marked.

Don't forget t-shirts are 10.00 and you can give those orders to Jenny our stage manager.

Fntastic job everyone. Keep up the great work, we are all so pleased with the progress everyone is making.

Rehearsal Tuesday August 23

Great rehearsal tonight everyone. The show is sounding so amazing so far and we are so happy and thrilled. You all have an amazing show in the works.

Tuesday rehearsal August 23 is a Music Rehearsal
All Cast (including animal chorus) at 7pm

Note: The Animal Chorus will also be a part of singing Let There Be, Children of Eden, and In The Beginning. On Tuesday, we will start with In The Beginning and release the Anmal Chorus hopefully around 8pm. We are also going to start to take costume measurements for the animal chorus as well.

For Storytellers: check the link to the right under Show Links for the storyteller breakdown by song.

Great job everyone.

Rehearsal Monday August 22

Rehearsal Monday August 22 is at 7pm in the Little Theatre.
Music Rehearsal - ALL CAST!  

Breakdown of storyteller songs will be handed out and can be downloaded HERE.

Upcoming rehearsals:

Tuesday Aug. 23 - 7pm Music Rehearsal - ALL CAST!
Wednesday Aug 24 - 7pm Blocking Rehearsal - ALL Storytellers and Families of Noah and Adam!
Thursday Aug. 25 - 7pm Dance Rehearsal - Generations - Leads and Storytellers
Saturday Aug 27 - 10-11:30 - Zoo Animals, 11:30-1:00pm add Lauren, Victor and Olivia.

Monday August 29 - Music Rehearsal
Tuesday August 30 - Music Rehearsal
Wednesday August 31 - Staging Rehearsal
Thursday September 1 - Dance Rehearsal "Let There Be" (Leads and Storytellers)

Tuesday September 6 - Music Rehearsal -
Wednesday September 7 - Blocking/Music Rehearsal - Review ALL
Thursday September 8 - Blocking/Music Rehearsal - Review ALL
Saturday September 10 - Dance Rehearsal - TBA

The blog will be used to update the schedule - please be aware the week of September 12th will be a mix mash of staging, music, and dance rehearsals so we can wrap up the basics.  

Leads - we may have a request for a special music/staging rehearsal at some point - stay tuned.

Thank you everyone for a great ensemble cast and a wonderful experience so far.  

COE Rehearsal Thursday August 18

Rehearsal Thursday August 18 - Little Theatre
7pm - Blocking reheasal - Family of Noah.

Working Act Two Blocking.

Coming up:

Sat. August 20, 10am-1pm. Dance Rehearsal, Animals (TBA)
Mon. August 22, 7pm - ALL CAST for Music Rehearsal
Tue. August 23, 7pm - ALL CAST for Music Rehearsal
Wed. August 24, 7pm - ALL CAST for Act One Blocking (More Info TBA)
Thur. August 25, 7pm - ALL CAST for Act Two Blocking (More Info TBA)

Children of Eden Rehearsal Updates

Rehearsal Wednesday August 17 - Little Theatre
7pm - Blocking reheasal - Family of Adam and Father.

Working Act One Blocking.

Coming up:

Thur. August 18, 7pm - Family of Noah and Father for Blocking Rehearsal
Mon. August 22, 7pm - ALL CAST for Music Rehearsal
Tue. August 23, 7pm - ALL CAST for Music Rehearsal
Wed. August 24, 7pm - ALL CAST for Act One Blocking (More Info TBA)
Thur. August 25, 7pm - ALL CAST for Act Two Blocking (More Info TBA)

Music Rehearsal Tuesday August 16

We are off and running strong. Great rehearsal tonight with Father and the Family of Adam

Tuesday night August 16 at 7 pm
Music Rehearsal for Family of Noah

In the Little Theatre

COE Music Rehearsal Mon August 15

Great cast meeting and music rehearsal tonight everyone.    It is sounding amazing already - and we've only met once!

Monday Night August 15th - Little Theatre
7pm Musical Rehearsal for ADAM'S FAMILY and FATHER

Called are Noah, Eve, Cain, Abel, Young Cain, Young Abel and Father.

Cast Meeting 8-14-11

Hello cast,

Our first cast meeting is TONIGHT at 7pm in the Little Theatre. 

We have lots of information to share and go over - including our first draft of the rehearsal schedule.

For those of you without listed conflicts, we will see you there :)

Ted

Welcome to Children of Eden - First Dance Rehearsal and more...

Welcome, welcome, welcome to Children of Eden cast!   What an outstanding group!

First things first - DANCE REHEARSAL!  Saturday Aug. 13 10am-1pm at St. John's Episcopal Church in Franklin.  This is the stone church behind the theatre on the corner of 12th and Buffalo St.   They are kindly letting us use their space for rehearsal.   Use the 12th Street Door!
10am-12noon: The Naming - All Animals(Children's Chorus)
12noon - 1pm: The Return of the Animals - All Animals (Children's Chorus).
If you had a conflict on your audition sheet, thank you for letting us know.

Second, Cast Meeting is Sunday Aug. 14th at 7pm in the Little Theatre at the Barrow.  We will be handing out scripts (please bring a $20.00 deposit for the script), going over the cast packet including director visions, rehearsal schedule, and more!!!

Third - we have had some cast changes since announcing the cast!  I have update the cast announcement in the previous blog posting but Connor McCanlus (Adam) and Mike Leisher will not be able to do the show.  We will miss them but their reasons are good and we all need to know that.

In the meantime, I have recast Jacob Krupitzer as Adam, and recast Zak Klassen as Abel.   We will be looking for as Shem.

See everyone soon - and thank you for being part of a fantastic production of Children of Eden.

CAST ANNOUNCEMENT - CHILDREN OF EDEN

Here it is folks, your cast list for the FCOA 2011 Applefest production of Children of Eden.

A cast meeting will be held Sunday August 14th at 7pm at the Little Theatre for orientation and to kick off the rehearsal process.   A dance rehearsal will be held Saturday August 13th at St. John's Church for the Animal Chorus (10am-12n The Naming and 12n-1pm Return of the Animals).

Congratulations everyone!

CAST LIST

Father-Zach Covington

Adam-Jacob Krupitzer
Eve-Janelle Chambers
Snake – Marc Ellis Holland
Young Cain – Scott Greene
Young Abel – Brady Thatcher
Cain – Bret Sloan
Abel – Zak Klassen

Noah-Steve Luxbacher
Mama Noah – Jennifer Lowrey
Japeth – Victor Aponte
Yonah – Katie Rogers
Ham – Kent Zacherl
Shem –
Aphra- Danielle Winterhalter
Aysha – Sarah Creighton

Storytellers:
Jeri Bolton, Bryana Delaney, Bowen Dye, Julie Greene, Bill Hennessy, Peg Hennessy, Connor Kingdom, Veronika Lamphere, Linda Leisher, Anna Lowrey, Marcy Lusher, Carissa McClintock, Anne Medina, Rosie Petulla, Beth Pfohl, Laurajane Stone, Lauren Sarazen

Animal Chorus:

Rachel Anderson, Lauren Caralla, Kate Ditzenberger, Kristina Hartle, Shannon Hingl, Anne Marie Hutchinson, Lucy Hutchinson, Gabriella Keebler, Jenna Kirkwood, Tina Krizon, Cara Lowrey, Julia Lusher, Savannah McQuade, Beth Pfohl, Hannah Plowman, Regan Scott, McKenzie Shook, Hope Sires, Moira Sloss, Summer Stevenson, Nicole Way

Snake Ensemble:

Sarah Creighton, Julie Greene, Anna Lowrey, Lauren Sarazen

Lead Dancers:

Storytellers – Victor Aponte, Olivia Beals, Madison Henry, Marc Ellis Holland, Lauren Sarazan

Animals – Astrid Logue, Athena Rankin



Children of Eden cast to be announced tonight 8-9-11

Keep holding onto your hats!   We are finalizing the last few calls, texts, and emails so we can post the full cast list for Children of Eden.

With over 60 people auditioning, we were overwhelmed by the amazing and diverse talent pool and thank everyone for coming out.   We will be posting the cast list tonight 8-9-11 by 8pm.

Thank you all -

The Children of Eden Production Team

Final Audition Call - Mon. Aug. 8th

Auditions for Children of Eden conclude Monday August 8 at 7pm.

These are open auditions for ALL AGES - for anyone who has not yet auditioned for the 2011 FCOA Applefest show.

The production is looking for all interested actors, singers, dancers, and others who wish to participate in this family oriented and friendly show.

Monday August 8th at 7pm - FINAL AUDITION CALL.

AUDITIONS ONE WEEK AWAY!

Auditions for Children of Eden are ONE WEEK away - August 6-8.  

This is the FCOA applefest show - and promises to be an amazing production.  The production team of Ted Smith, Pam Mahle, Marc Holland, Rosie Petulla, Peg Hennessy and Victoria Beals, along with Ben Geibel, have been working to tie loose ends together as we look forward to audition weekend and the eventual casting of the show.

Auditions:
Saturday Aug. 6 - 10am (Youth), 1pm (Teens/Adults)
Sunday  Aug. 7 - 2pm (Youth), 4pm (Teens/Adults)
Monday Aug. 8 - 7pm (General All-Age auditions).

Don't miss out on the chance to be part of a fantastic production at the Barrow-Civic.  See you at auditions

Character Descriptions for Children of Eden

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS FOR CHILDREN OF EDEN

These are just some basic notes on the roles in the show.  You will notice I have placed the Storytellers first in the list - this is not by mistake.  Read on!

STORYTELLERS: We are looking for a large ensemble of "Storytellers" of all shapes and sizes and voice types. The Storytellers are the heart of the show and they have many opportunities for solo lines and singing parts.  The music for the show is amazing and it is also fun to sing.   Along with some great movement, the Storytellers are not "just ensemble."   We are also looking for a Children's Chorus to help play Animals and sing as well and provide actors for Young Cain and Young Abel, as well as children in Adam's family line.

This is a great show for families to perform in together and we are looking for a multi-cultural and multi-talented cast of all races, shapes, sizes, voice types and abilities.  

FATHER: Baritone/2nd Tenor  G-A   

Very strong and commanding presence onstage.  Intimidating as well as kind and gentle. Father "learns" how to be a parent as show progresses.
 
ADAM: Tenor  B-A   
Innocent almost childlike at first. Obedient, loving and unquestioning,growing from innocence to fatherhood.
 
EVE: Soprano  G-G  
Inquisitive and daring.Willing to break rules in order to "learn". Ages from innocence to old age during Act 1.
 
CAIN: Tenor D-Ab   
Filled with curiosity and desire to learn more but on his own terms. Determined to go "beyond" like his Mother did. Inner angst and anger leads to murder of Abel.
 
ABEL: Baritone/Tenor B-G   
Obedient like Adam. Innocent and cautious.
 
SNAKE: Small Ensemble Group with Lead Singer  A-G  
Mysterious and sexy. "Bob Fosse" style song and dance number.
 
NOAH: Tenor Ab-Gb  
Obedient and strong. Humorous and loving. We need to empathize with his situation-learns how to make decisions when Father no longer speaks to him.
 
MAMA NOAH: Soprano( belter)  A-A  
Wise and supportive of family and Noah. Has rousing gospel number at end of show that needs to bring the house to it's feet!!!!
 
JAPHETH: Tenor Bb-Ab  
Noah's youngest son who is on love with Yonah.  Romantic, carefree, independent -doesn't care about the " consequence" of loving a daughter from the race of Cain.
 
YONAH: Alto/Soprano-belter  G-Gb
Noah's servant girl, in love with Japheth. Loving,innocent and brave.
 
SHEM: Male,Medium range  
Noah's son
 
AYSHA: Female, Medium range
Shem's wife
 
APHRA: Female, Medium range
Ham's wife
 
HAM: Male, medium range
Noah's son
 

Children of Eden Show Synopsis

We are presenting the synopsis of the show to help people begin to get familiar with the story.   The synopsis is pulled from the wikipedia website.  Similar synopses can be found on the MTI website and the Stephen Schwartz website (links in the sidebar).

ACT ONE.

The play opens with the creation story from the Book of Genesis ("Let There Be"). Eve is drawn to the tree of knowledge, even though Father (the God-character is always addressed as "Father" by the other characters) has warned her to stay away ("The Tree of Knowledge"). Father attempts to distract Adam and Eve by playing a game where Adam and Eve name all the animals ("The Naming"). With his children distracted for the time being, everything is right with the newly-created world ("Grateful Children," "Father's Day," and "Perfect"). Eve, however, still hungers for something more than what she has ("The Spark of Creation"). She meets a snake that tempts her with the fruit from the forbidden tree ("In Pursuit of Excellence"). Eve eats the fruit, meaning that she must be banished from the Garden of Eden ("The End of a Perfect Day" and "Childhood's End").

In a twist from the Genesis tale, Adam is portrayed as torn between two choices: either he can stay with Father in Eden, or he can eat the fruit and be banished with Eve. He chooses to stay with Eve, even though it means leaving the garden forever ("A World Without You"). Adam and Eve are driven out into the surrounding wilderness and have two children, Cain and Abel ("The Expulsion" and "The Wasteland"). Eve realizes that the same fire that led to her eating the fruit is present in her son, Cain ("The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1)"). Cain tells Abel of the problems that Adam and Eve made for them by leaving the garden and says that he intends to find the lost garden ("Lost in the Wilderness").

Adam and Eve find some pleasure in the fact that they have been able to create a life for themselves outside of Eden ("Close to Home"), but this peacefulness is again shattered when Cain says that he has found a ring of stones, proof that they are not the only humans alive; Adam admits that he had seen the ring of stones and the people who live there before but that he had never mentioned it because he was afraid of the potential consequences ("A Ring of Stones" and "Clash of the Generations"). This leads to a fight between Adam and Cain, but when Abel intervenes, he is killed, as Cain attempts to kill Adam but hits Abel instead ("The Death of Abel"). Father decrees that Cain's descendants will always bear a mark for the sin of their ancestor ("The Mark of Cain").

Act I closes with Eve about to die. She delivers a monologue about Cain's departure from the family and the birth of another son, Seth, who has since had children of his own. She then prays that her children and her grandchildren will regain the garden that was lost ("Children of Eden").

ACT TWO

The act opens with "Generations," a list of the many descendants of Cain and Seth, all the way down to Noah and his family, whose story comprises the second act’s plot. Father tells Noah that a storm is coming, so Noah must build a boat ("The Gathering Storm").

Noah has three sons, and two of them, (Shem and Ham), have wives, but his youngest son, Japheth, is unhappy with the wives Noah has tried to obtain for him. Instead, he wishes to marry the servant-girl, Yonah, a descendant of the race of Cain, and Japheth tells this to his surprised family ("A Piece of Eight"); however, Noah will not allow Yonah on the ark. All the animals return so that they can board the ark ("The Return of the Animals" and "Noah's Lullaby"). Japheth comes to say goodbye to Yonah. She sings "Stranger to the Rain," in which she says that she has always faced the problem of being shunned because she bears the mark of Cain. Japheth decides to sneak Yonah onto the ark. Japheth and Yonah sing "In Whatever Time We Have," which tells of their love for each other.

The rain comes, and it keeps raining and raining ("The Flood" and "What is He Waiting For?"). Yonah releases a dove to find dry land ("Sailor of the Skies"). The rest of the family discovers Yonah, and Shem and Ham wish to throw her overboard, but Japheth intervenes. It escalates into a fight, and it is only because Yonah intervenes that one of the brothers is not killed. Noah is unsure as to what he must do. His wife asks him if Father speaks to him anymore, and when Noah answers "No," she tells him, "You must be the father now." Noah has to decide what should be done without God telling him what to do ("The Spark of Creation (Reprise 2)"). 

Noah sings of the difficulties that he has faced in being a father, while at the same time Father sings of the problems he has faced in being a father ("The Hardest Part of Love"). Noah calls the family together ("Words of Doom"). He decides to give Japheth and Yonah his blessing ("The Hour of Darkness"). Then the dove returns and the family again sees the light of the stars. Mama leads the family in the gospel song ("Ain't It Good?"). Father gives humanity the power to control its fate ("Precious Children"). The family sings of the problems they will face and their desire to return someday to the Garden of Eden ("In the Beginning").

My Director letter to the FCOA Board

Why Children of Eden?   Why did I want to direct it?  What do you say to people who tell you "it's not well known enough"?

Below is my letter to the Programming Committee and FCOA Board when I submitted my request to be picked as the Director of Children of Eden.   I am sharing it so you know the depth of passion and knowledge I have for this production; both of which I believe will pour into the show itself.  I also believe you shouldn't be directing a show if you don't have passion for the material.  

I hope you read and find yourself inspired to return to or to join us for the first time on the Barrow-Civic Theatre Stage.  

Ted
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

October 29, 2010

Please accept this letter as my desire to direct the musical Children of Eden for the Barrow-Civic Theatre for Applefest 2011.  

It is with great privilege that I put in to direct Children of Eden.  I am excited that it will be presented at the Barrow-Civic Theatre and I believe my previous production experience with musicals supports my passion to direct this show.   I feel that I bring a well-organized approach to directing, along with a critical eye to production quality, experience building and motivating a cast, and putting together a top-notch crew.   In directing previous musicals, I have found attention to detail as well as a unique and creative approach is desirable for a high-quality production; in addition, keeping an eye on budgetary concerns is key as well.

In previous productions I have directed, I have been fortunate enough to bring forth some new and interesting design elements to the Barrow stage, including stage extensions, running fountains & pools on stage, and expanding the visual and spatial impact of the show beyond the “fourth wall” and straight to the audience. It has been my honor to work with the acting community on Sweet Charity, Wizard of Oz, Kiss Me, Kate!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 2 by 5, as well as representing the theatre in directing the 50^th Anniversary Gala and currently directing the BCT premiere of White Christmas.

Children of Eden, to quote the MTI website, is “is a frank, heartfelt and often humorous examination of the age-old conflict between parents and children.”   I cannot think of any better theme to address in our society today than that of family relationships.   In fact, I believe that as a theatre community, we are a family and the family for many of our actors, crew, and other volunteers.   The theatre arts inspire us to be communicators, to be supportive, to discover who it we are inside while interacting with those we live with.    From the opening number “Let There Be” where the show and the earth is created before our eyes, Children of Eden examines the emotions and decisions individuals and families make that shape their futures.   Stephen Schwartz has taken a biblical medium and adapted it to appeal to many different audiences, without losing the core meanings and story.   I doubt that anyone could walk away from seeing this show without being touched by the intrinsic story of love, respect, and the choices of life we all must face.

It is not unknown to the theatre that I have been a strong advocate for the Barrow-Civic Theatre to produce Children of Eden.  I have based that passionate support on the subject matter of the show, the opportunities for flexible staging, and the potential wide-spread range of roles, both lead and ensemble, for many in our community.   Having a solid and strong record of success with directing and show production behind me, I strongly feel in my soul that I would be able to bring Children of Eden to the stage in an inspiring and dynamic experience for all involved.   I have always felt a director should be knowledgeable of the show they wish to undertake-not just of the script as written but of the nuances of the writing and music.   I believe I fit that bill.

Children of Eden is, like many musicals, a detailed and ambitious undertaking; many view its chief weakness as being an “unknown” show, little known amongst our patrons and without the “draw” of the better known undertakings.   I embrace the challenge of making this the strength of the show.  I have the privilege of performing in a production of Children of Eden before and thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself immersed in the production.   I can honestly say the script and music are one of the most inspiring for a show that I have been involved with.  Stephen Schwartz, who also is the writer of Wicked, is an accomplished playwright and composer and I find his materials for Children of Eden both relatable and manageable for community theatre.

Children of Eden is played in two acts, with a minimum cast of 11-20 people; however the show is extremely flexible and can accommodate a much larger ensemble cast.   The show is set in multiple settings but lends itself ideally (in my vision) to a single unit set, the concept of which I have had previous success in utilizing onstage at the Barrow-Civic Theatre.   My initial thoughts on stage setting include a “floating” disc supporting the production, along with use of minimal sets, along with scrims and an onstage orchestra.  In addition, there is the opportunity for fluidity in set design to enhance the movement between scenes and utilize the fly system to its fullest capability.   I believe that the show can be designed within a traditional BCT show budget and done in at a level of quality and technique the theatre requires.  I also firmly stand behind my directors notes from the program for Wizard of Oz, in which I said “I believe that community theatre can do professional theatre.”  That single sentence is the driving force behind every moment I spend both on and off stage.

I have designed several shows keeping in mind not only visual impact for our audience, but also balancing the “picture” with the cast of characters on stage, so that they are not overshadowed.   I have always sought ways to utilize sets to their fullest capability without over-complicating the work of the stage crew, while incorporating unique elements and staging in the production.  In two productions, I have been able to utilize materials already owned in stock, thereby not spending a set budget and being able to utilize those monies for specialty drops or rental sound equipment) and staying within budget.

As with any of the shows I have previously directed, I would anticipate beginning production work on the show early in the spring, forming a production crew as soon as I can, and establishing a blog for the show (which I began with Wizard of Oz and have continued with great success with subsequent shows). My goal would be to have set designs completed by late spring and actually begin constructing the set in the warehouse (around other productions), to maximize time and space once the stage is free for the production to move into the theatre. 

I also strongly expect to be able to attract a first-class production crew, as I have done for previous productions I have helmed and directed.  It would also be my goal to continue offering opportunities for technical experience to both newcomers and regional college students studying the theatre arts.   The inclusion of these individuals, who wish to learn new skills, to be mentored in a first-class facility, and to put their classroom knowledge to actual use has been very successful in previous productions I have directed and I would continue to seek out those opportunities.

As it is truly a privilege and honor to direct in a facility like the Barrow, I am confident that if I were chosen as director for Children of Eden, the Barrow-Civic Theatre would be pleased with the resulting production quality and impression on our patrons and community.

Thank you very much,

Ted Smith

Resources for Children of Eden

In preparation for auditions, there are many resources available on the internet and I have listed some of them here for you.

http://www.musicalschwartz.com/children-of-eden.htm
The Website for Stephen Schwartz-contains many resources on the show, including links to download sheet music, show synopsis and descriptions and more.

http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000175
The Children of Eden page at Music Theatre International.   Music excerpts, synopsis, character info, and more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Eden
The Wikipedia site for the show.

AUDITION CALL - Children of Eden

Auditions for Children of Eden, the 2011 Applefest Show, have been scheduled for August 6-8.   
All individuals or families looking for a dynamic experience in the theatre are encouraged to audition.
Download audition packet HERE

The show is looking for people of all ages and vocal ranges.  This is an ensemble show, with opportunities for a variety of different roles.  A children's chorus will also be needed.     No previous musical or dance experience is required.  

The production is looking for individuals with talent in Pointe or Tumbling.

Auditions will be held on:

August 6 10:00am Children and 1:00pm Adults/Teens


August 7 2:00pm Children and 4:00pm Adults/Teens


August 8 7:00pm  General Auditions - any age.

Please attend ONE audition with a prepared piece of music of at least 24-32 bars.
Download audition packet HERE

Audition forms will be available shortly online and at the BCT Box Office.   They will also be available onsite.

Visit http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000175 for more information on Children of Eden.

The show is directed by Ted Smith, with music direction by Pamala Mahle and choreography by Marc Holland.   See you at auditions August 6-8.

Download audition packet HERE

Children of Eden comes to Applefest 2011