Our Revels Now Are Ended!

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. 

William Shakespeare, "The Tempest", Act 4 scene 1

 

 The To Kill a Mockingbird stage is now empty - all have returned to resume their daily activities - farewell!

Winston-Salem Journal Review - "To Kill a Mockingbird"

excel: Play has consistently good acting

By Leigh Somerville McMillan | SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
Published: October 31, 2010

Credit: Shawn Hooper photo
Laura Browne plays Scout and Jae Campbell plays Calpurnia in the Arts Council Theatre production of To Kill a Mockingbird.

     The Arts Council Theatre was packed Friday night for the opening of To Kill a Mockingbird, and, no doubt, most of the audience had either read Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-prize-winning novel or seen the movie, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.
     In the program’s director’s notes, Stan Bernstein addresses the challenge of following in such footsteps. He writes, “the bar is set so high, you need binoculars to see it.” Did they clear the bar? Most certainly.

     Mark Boynton did not walk on stage with Peck’s physical height — a gift when an actor plays a giant like Atticus Finch — and he certainly did not appear to be 50 years old — despite the silver hairspray. But within minutes, the magic of his acting had us convinced we were looking at the lawyer who faced racial hatred in the 1930s rural South and didn’t turn away. 

     Don Pocock is his perfect foil as the strutting, smirking Mr. Gilmer, who represents the accuser, Mayella Ewell. In that role, Rene Walek hides under greasy, long bangs, wrings her skirt and wilts into an olive-drab cardigan as she portrays a young woman who is both incorrigible in her lying and pitiful as someone who is as much a victim as the black man she falsely accuses of raping her.
     Three exceptionally talented children held their own on a stage filled with adults, and that’s not easy. Laura Browne (Scout), Adam Chase (Jem) and Britton Sear (Dill) each came to this show with an already impressive acting history. The addition of such fine performances in To Kill a Mockingbird will certainly further their theatrical careers.
     Still, one question lingers. What happened to make the spitting tomboy, Scout — dressed in bib overalls and mismatched socks — grow up to become the adult Jean Louise who narrates the story? Sheri Masters, in that role, plays prim and proper from the tips of her high-heeled pumps to her tight French twist. She didn’t even bat an eye during one or two opening night microphone malfunctions. Positioning her on stage — and yet setting her apart by having her voice the only one amplified — very effectively illustrated her intense love for her father.

     And directing the two lawyers to play to the audience — creating the sense that the audience was the jury — did exactly what Bernstein intended. From our perspective 50 years after the book was written, we longed to free Tom Robinson (played with gut-wrenching resignation by Derrick Parker). The audience may not have been as innocent as the children hanging over the courtroom balcony, but we knew the truth of the situation — and the times — and it broke our hearts.

      Mark March, as Heck Tate, drew a round of applause for his delivery of the line, “Bob Ewell fell on his own knife.” It didn’t matter whether the applause was for March’s consistently strong performance as the conflicted sheriff, or because the audience supported his decision to protect the Finch family. The applause was well-deserved and provided the point at which the entire cast cleared Bernstein’s bar — with inches to spare.

Cast List for "To Kill a Mockingbird"

 An American classic comes alive on stage

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Based on the novel by Harper Lee and adapted for stage by Christopher Sergel

October 29-31 and November 5-7,  2010

A young girl in a quite 1930's southern town is about to experience dramatic events that will change her life forever as Atticus Finch, her father, fights the legal battle of his career and teachers an entire generation the meaning of justice, truth, and courage.

Mark Boynton - Atticus Finch

Laura Browne - Scout

Jae Campbell - Calpurnia

Adam Chase - Jem

Diana Coe - Ensemble/Court Reporter

Aleeta Dahbour - Miss Stephanie

Taylor Freeman - Cunningham

Jordan Googe - Bob Ewell

Angela Hodges - Ensemble

Guy Hull - Ensemble

Jeremy Kuhn - Ensemble

Mark March - Heck Tate

Sheri Masters - Jean Louise

Carol McConnell - Ensemble

Andrew Parcell - Boo/Nathan Radley

Derrick Parker - Tom Robinson
Don Pocock - Mr. Gilmer

Adrian Quarles - Rev. Sykes

Britton Sear - Dill

Kay Shelton - Mrs. Dubose

Mark Walek - Judge Taylor

Rene Walek - Mayella Ewell

Jean Wentz - Miss Maudie

Shannon Wicks - Helen Robinson

Apple Pie Filling

Here's the recipe for apple pie filling my brother and I canned this summer. We used Wolf River apples from a tree that our Father had planted in the Seventies. My brother had punned the tree in the Spring so the apples were huge. Of course we had to test out the filling and make an apple pie as shown in the picture. Tasted great but wasn't pleased with how the pie looked.


Apple Pie Filling

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons lemon juice
5 1/2 to 6 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced.

In large saucepan blend first 4 ingredients and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in 10 cups water; cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add lemon juice. Pack apples into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Fill with hot syrup leaving 1/2-inch head space. (Use spatula to help distribute syrup). Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath (pints) 15 minutes; (quarts) 20 minutes. Makes 6 quarts.

Before Serving: Prepare pastry for a 2-crust 8-or 9-inch pie. Line pie plate with pastry; add 1 quart apple pie filling. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for escape of steam; seal. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.

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1.02.28

Victory Garden

This summer I felt as though I was living in the Forties by planting a Victory Garden, purchasing a pressure canner, and wearing my hair in Victory Rolls for the play Evita. My brother and I planted a Victory Garden in June with tomatoes, green beans, October beans, peas, banana peppers, hot peppers, squash, and potatoes. We froze the squash in quart bags as they were ready and made squash casseroles. Couldn't get to the green beans quick enough to process but still managed to can 48 quarts. We also  made and canned apple sauce, apple butter, and apple pie filling. The garden and canning was a great deal of work but the taste of food you have grown is worth the time and effort.

Victory Garden in early Spring with potatoes and tomatoes growing

Canned goods from Victory garden and apple trees

 

Harvesting potatoes and preparing garden for next season

A92FD98B-3B8F-17A5-B373-9C8496063716

1.02.28

Stained Glass Playhouse opens Evita

Yes Weekly, 07-14-2010 » Page 41

Stained Glass Playhouse opens Evita

Evita Show Photographs 

They couldn’t get Madonna, but the Stained Glass Playhouse’s production of the Tony Awardwinning Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical extravaganza by Mark Burger Evita will open Friday, contributing columnist July 23 with Jaye Pierce in the title role.

Like Webber and Rice’s earlier stage hit, Jesus Christ, Superstar, Evita began life as a concept album before coming to the stage. The show premiered in London’s West End in 1978, followed the next year by its Broadway bow, under the direction of Harold Prince, with Patti LuPone in the title role. The Broadway production ran nearly four years and over 1,500 performances, winning Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score. (A Broadway revival is on tap for 2012.) After several false starts, the film version of Evita was released in 1996. Directed by Alan Parker, the film won Madonna a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the title role.

Evita is based on the life of Eva Peron (1919-’52), the controversial first lady of Argentina. Fueled by drive and ambition, she became a starlet at 22, the mistress of Argentina’s president at 24, the First Lady at 27 and dead at 33. To the common folk, she was a symbol of pride — one of their own come to greatness. She founded the Female Peronist Party (named in honor of her husband, the president Juan Peron) and championed women’s rights. To Argentina’s aristocracy and military, however, she was mistrusted and even detested. Her legacy remains much debated to this day, nearly 60 years after her untimely death from cancer.

Becky Burke directs this production, with Marie Denig serving as musical director. The cast also includes Jim Shover as Juan Peron, Matthew Morris as Che, Brandon Lloyd Hicks, Hannah Rivers, and a cast of 30 actors and musicians.

All performances will take place at the playhouse, located at the Marvin United Methodist Church (4401 Indiana Ave., Winston-Salem).

Evita is scheduled to run through Aug. 8.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $12, $10 for students and senior citizens. Reservations are suggested.

For reservations, call 336.499.1010.

For more information or group rates, call 336.6661.4949.

Evita Cast List

Evita
Stained Glass Playhouse

Performance Dates: 

July 23, 24, 30, 31, and August 6, 7 at 7:00 pm
July 25, and August 1, 8 at 3:00 pm

“Evita” is the musical story of Argentina’s controversial First Lady, Eva Peron.  Driven by ambition and blessed with charisma, she is a starlet at 22, the president’s mistress at 24, the First Lady at 27, and dead at 33.  Saint to the working class, reviled by the aristocracy and mistrusted by the military, Eva was destined to leave a fascinating political legacy unique in the 20th century.  Told through a compelling score that fuses haunting chorales with exuberant Latin, pop, and jazz influences, EVITA creates an arresting theatrical portrait as complex as the woman herself.

Cast:
Che - Matthew Morris
Evita - Jaye Pierce
Peron -  Jim Shover
Magladi -  Brandon Lloyd Hicks
Mistress - Hannah Rivers

Ensemble:
Genesis Flores
Safiya High
Jay Torres
Brooke Hicks
Amanda Burke
Eric Elliot
John Elliot
Zach Elliot
Guido Villalba Portel
Angela Hodges
Joy Adam
Logan Magoun
Meredith Whitworth
Karen Agee
Allyson Edwards
Sara Edwards
Teresa Wiginton
Hannah Rivers
Ian Burke
Kenny Gaylord
Miles Stanley
Marilyn Bledsoe

James Hunter at SOS

James Hunter is an R & B artist from England. His music sounds like old fifties and sixties music. Two of his songs (Carina and You Can't Win) were listed on the DJ's Top 50 most requested beach songs. I really enjoyed listening to his music during SOS Spring Migration this year.

Lovely Lupine Garden

Lupines, Lupines, Lupines!

What would become of the garden if the gardener treated all the weeds

and slugs and birds and trespassers as he would like to be treated?

- T. E. Huxley

These are pictures of my lovely lupine garden.  I'm just wild for these magnificent North American natives. My Mother planted the purple lupines several years ago. I added the other plants last summer and to my surprise some of them are yellow. Several people have asked I save them the seeds from the yellow lupines. I am planning to harvest the seeds this year instead of buying more plants. If interested in learning how to save Lupine seeds, click on the link below:

How to Save Lupine Seeds | eHow.com

Lattice-Top Strawberry Pie

Lattice-Top Strawberry Pie

I made this pie three times this spring using fresh strawberries. Been a long time since I made a pie crust from scratch but worth the effort.


The crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting the board
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
• 6 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
• About 6 tablespoons ice water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

The filling:

• 3 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

1. To make the crust, combine the flour, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening and rub into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually and gently stir in just enough water to make it come together. Gently press the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. To make the filling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries, sugar and flour. Set aside.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Fit the dough in the pie plate and spoon in the filling. Scatter the butter evenly over the top. Roll out the remaining dough, cut it into 1/2-inch strips and weave a lattice top over the filling. Trim and crimp the edges. Brush the egg over the crust and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Continue baking until the crust is nicely browned, about 30 minutes. 
4. Place on a rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.

YIELD One 9-inch pie 

Winston-Salem Journal Review - "All Shook Up"

Surrendering To Passions- Twin City Stage has a winner in '50s musical All Shook Up

By Ken Keuffel

JOURNAL REPORTER

SMART-SILLY: STAGE DIRECTION, CHOREOGRAPHY ARE A-1

The words that the King loved to sing came to mind as I reflected on the musical Twin City Stage is presenting at the Arts Council Theatre.

The show, which opened Friday, is All Shook Up. I couldn't help falling in love with it.

All Shook Up, which premiered on Broadway in 2005, capitalizes on the enduring appeal of 1950s nostalgia by integrating Elvis Presley's music into Joe DiPietro's retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The story takes place in a small American town during the mid-1950s. The dreams of mechanic Natalie (Katlyn Shaw) and a surprise visit from a guitar-playing stranger in a leather jacket named Chad (Darren Fuller) lead to several couples finding romance -- and giving into a rock-induced lust for necking.

The hookups run the gamut, growing out of friendships, love triangles, unexpected revelations, the shared love of Shakespeare and efforts to break down class barriers. One of the most memorable -- and funny -- connections happens when Chad falls for "Ed," who is Natalie in disguise. Another very amusing romance is consummated when Sheriff Earl (Daniel Alvarez) finally speaks up and gets Matilda (Margaret B. Gallagher), the town's too-moral mayor, to do with him what she has spent too many years crusading against.

So, yes, this spoof manages to be clever and silly at the same time, having benefited from imaginative stage direction and choreography of Rodney Luck.

And often, Presley classics are converted from solo-vocalist fare into everything from intimate love duets to stirring large-scale choruses; when it happens, the new version is just as appealing as the original or even more so.

Fuller stands out for moves that recall what made Elvis so famous. Watch his pelvis.

Wesley Hudson leads a pit that plays with polish. But the quality of the solo singing is uneven, with faulty intonation or an inability to project marring many of the vocal efforts. The show's best singers, however, really shine.

The technical crew deserves high marks for the nice 1950s retro feel achieved in the show's visuals. These range from small signs that hang on the walls to dresses that extend outward in the manner of an umbrella.

kkeuffel@wsjournal.com
727-7337

Twin City Stage will present All Shook Up through March 28 at the Arts Council Theatre, 610 Coliseum Drive. Evening shows will be at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and March 25-27. Matinees will be at 2 today, next Sunday and March 28. Call 725-4001 for tickets.

All Shook Up Cast Puplicity Photo

Publicity cast photo for All Shook Up. Everyone dressed in their fifties attire, since we hadn't been fitted for costumes. Note my leather motorcycle jacket and authentic penny loafers.

All Shook Up Cast 2010

Cast includes:

Daniel Alvarez, Earl
Roberts Bass, Jim
Maria Beery, Ensemble
Miriam Davie, Sandra
Angela Fuller, Ensemble
Darren Fuller, Chad
Maggie Gallagher, Matilda
Michele Groneck, Ensemble
Lalenja Harrington, Sylvia
Angela Hodges, Ensemble

Patty Kiley, Ensemble

Jeremy Kuhn, Dean
Dan Li, Dennis
Tucker Lockhart, Ensemble
Cameron Moore, Ensemble
John Parsons, Ensemble
Rioghnach Robinson, Lorraine
Judy Rodgers, Ensemble
Katlyn Shaw, Natalie/Ed
Shane Fisher, Ensemble

So glad I decided to try out for All Shook Up. I  really am enjoying being part of this high energy song and dance musical.

Christmas and December Snow 2009

 

The mountain house covered with snow

  

A view of the snow in the front yard and on the trees

Smile for the camera!

 Christmas at the mountain house with the family. Rachel, Billy, Hayden, Me, and brother, Dennis. We lost electricity Christmas day around 9am due to the ice storm Christmas Eve. Drove to Boone to keep warm and get food. The power came back on that afternoon around 3pm after we returned. 

Daughters of the Lone Star State 2009

Daughters of the Lone Star State

Since the Theatre Alliance auditions last February for their upcoming shows, several original cast members have dropped out.  A friend of mine asked if I would like to be in a show that she was cast at the Theatre Alliance so I read for the director. Now I am the new Clara Bell in Daughters of the Lone Star State. I took Mimi Cunningham's place who can't make the rehearsals since she's in Rent and that show now has an extended run. This is a show I would have auditioned for but I was in Carousel when the Theatre Alliance had their "cattle call" and I just couldn't think about auditioning.  Here's the current cast list:

Mildred Keifner - Karen Robertson
Liddy Bell Cartwright - Danya Bray
Clara Bell Ivey - Mimi Cunningham Angela Hodges
Darlene Parsons - Clara Yarbro
Lola Faye Barnes - Reba Birdsall
Lois Wheelis - Maggie Gallagher Betsey Pugh Charlene Bray
Cookie Hawkins - Carol Roan
Ima Jean Gomez - Lysandra Sykes Becki West
Vergie Hopkins - Ally McCauley Cheryl Ann Roberts
Sharon Johnson - Natasha Gore
Doll Johnson - Kiki Fisher Lauranita

The cast has been rehearsing for three weeks so I have a lot of lines and blocking to learn. It's so much fun and everyone is so helpful. I am very pleased to be part of this production

Wooly Worm Festival and Ghost Train 2009

What fun riding the Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad Halloween night. You can ride the Ghost Train as many times as you want. There's a Haunted Mansion and Spooky Woods. The Spooky Woods was especially scary as the guy with the chain saw chased me. Below is the Monster Mash pictures featuring the Hodges' monsters
 .

Banner Elk Wooly Worm Festival 2009

The forecast for the 13 weeks of winter 2009 2010.  Cool according to Wilbur the wooly worm winner:

- Week 1 - Flurries
- Week 2 - Cold With Flurries
- Week 3 - Snow
- Week 4 - Flurries
- Week 5 - Cold
- Week 6 - Cold
- Week 7 - Cold
- Week 8 - Light Flurries
- Week 9 - Below Average Cold
- Week 10 - Below Average Cold
- Week 11 - Snow
- Week 12 - Flurries
- Week 13 - Flurries

NYC Birthday Trip Theatre

New York trip for my birthday. Saw three plays, enjoyed food in Little Italy. Ate at Benitos and Benitos II.

Hamlet

Jude Law was phenomenal in Hamlet. He had such high energy in his performance. Love the sets and the costumes. His "To Be or Not To Be" speech was very moving with the snow falling. After the show we waited at the stage door for him. He was very gracious to sign autographs.

Broadhurst Theatre
235 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York NY 10036



Wicked

Wicked is untold story of the witches of Oz and is based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. Before Dorothy dropped into, Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends who end up as the Wicked witch of the West and Glinda the good Witch.

Gershwin Theater
222 West 51st Street New York, Ny  10019

Phantom of the Opera

I had seen Phantom before but I still enjoyed the score, romance and timeless story of seduction and despair. The Night Belongs to Phantom which is now celebrating twenty years as Broadway's Most Haunting Love Story. Winner of seven 1988 Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork is the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

The Majestic Theatre
247 West 44th Street, New York, NY USA.