You Need to See This!

My son Cory says that I should probably change the name of my blog since I never seem to talk about either of my kids anymore.  I guess that's what happens when they grow up and we move away.  They aren't part of our daily lives, and I don't really have much to share about what they're doing.  They're the ones who need to share with me!

There is one big thing (or two) coming up:

Cory will be performing in Romeo & Juliet in his last show at UW-Whitewater.  The show opens tomorrow night and runs through Saturday night, so if you're in the area - Eagle, Palmyra, anywhere in Wisconsin - you will definitely want to call that number and get your tickets.  I know it's going to be a great show.

And that other big thing coming up?  My boy will be graduating from college next month.  Wasn't it just yesterday we were moving him into the dorm for the first time?

My Son is a Vampire

And not some sparkly, cheap imitation of a vampire.  He's playing the real thing - Dracula.

 

UW-Whitewater students Cory Jefferson Hagen and Samantha Zaddack play Count Dracula and Mina Seward in the Theatre/Dance Department production of Dracula, a tale of romance and horror. The play, which is directed by Angela Iannone, opened last night and plays through Oct. 13 in Hicklin Studio Theatre.

Judging from the promotional pics and comments, this is a beautiful show, things are going brilliantly, he's making high school girls swoon, etc.

Thankfully we have tickets, because the entire run is sold out, and I cannot wait to see it! Though, of course, I will have to wait - until Saturday night.

In the meantime, I know Cory is going to be having a blast doing this show.  He loves acting, and he puts his whole self into being the best that he can be.  He amazes me with his awesome talent.  And, he's pretty.

It's Too Late to Get Tickets to This Show

We're going to see some Shakespeare Saturday night.  Thankfully we already have our tickets, because the show is sold out.  Our handsome and talented son is in this play, so of course we have to see it.  He's playing the King of Navarre, and wearing a pink suit.  It's going to be great.

He's the one in the pink suit

Love's Labours Lost

November 27-December 1 - 7:30pm

Hicklin Studio Theatre

Greenhill Center of the Arts

UW-Whitewater

How awesome is it that they're sold out, and they'll be playing to a full house every night?  These theatre majors love an audience!

Going to See Some Shakespeare

and our son!

We haven't seen much of him this summer.  Why?  Because he's 4 hours away having the time of his life.  As you know, he's a theatre major.  This summer he's had the amazing opportunity to be an intern with a theatre company in Door County - Door Shakespeare.  He's one of the lords in As You Like It as well as understudy for a couple other parts.  And he's an understudy for the other show, The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). 

Besides rehearsals and performances, they've got workshops and readings going on, and it sounds like he and the other interns, who happen to be his friends from school, are learning a lot and gaining tons of experience this summer.  As well as having a ton of fun.  Thankfully he's got a day off, so we're going to go and spend some time with him.  I think he misses us a bit!  And, of course, we miss him, too.  


So we'll get to spend some time with Cory, and we'll get to see As You Like It, which should be really good.  I would love to see the other show too, but we won't be able to; they're not performing it when we're going to be there.  And, we will finally make it to Door County.  15 years in Wisconsin, and everyone always talks about how nice Door County is - and we've never been.  Now we have a reason.


Shakespeare.

Among the Squirrels

Cory finished his second year of college last week and moved back home with all his stuff.  But, he's been going back to Whitewater every day this week (except for Monday when he went to Milwaukee for a screening of the Booth DVD) for rehearsals.  Here's what he's doing now (copied from the UW-Whitewater Greenhill Center Newsletter):

The UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department has paired with the Whitewater Arts Alliance in downtown Whitewater to produce a unique Summeround Benefit Event, a staged reading of Among the Squirrels. This imaginative new play is written by faculty member Eric Appleton, and will be performed on May 19th at 7:30pm and May 20th at 2:00 pm at the Cultural Arts Center in downtown Whitewater. There will be a silent auction event held one hour prior to each performance.

Among the Squirrels follows the life of an out-of-work computer geek, who is inspired out of sheer boredom to collect data on squirrel interactions. He could never have guessed how his backyard observations would reveal truths about his own, stagnant existence. Skillfully combining real life insights, including Netflix, Goth culture and nature shows, Playwright Eric Appleton explores the darkly hilarious complexities of love, friendship, employment and creating community.

Appleton, a UW-Whitewater faculty member, teaches scenic and lighting design for the Theatre/Dance Department. He has written three full-length plays, all of which have received productions. The staged reading of Among the Squirrels will be directed by Jim Butchart, and features Cory Hagen, Jake Lesh and Jen Samson.

The benefit is free due to the support of the Whitewater Arts Alliance; however, donations will be accepted at the door. For more information call 262-472-5943 or email flisterkr28@uww.edu

I like to think they listed Cory first because he's the most important, but that's just the mom in me.  I'm sure it's just alphabetical...

Rehearsal

We'll be going to see the performance this weekend, probably Sunday. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out.  Those 'kids' from the Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department put on a good show.

He's a Leading Man!

I have a couple plays to read.  Cory will be in not one, but two plays next semester.  They're doing Spirits to Enforce, which seems to be a show about a bunch of super heroes trying to raise funds to put on a production of Shakespeare's The Tempest.  It sounds like it might be a bit chaotic and hard to follow - but fun.  So I'd like to read it first, and then after seeing it a couple times, I ought to be able to figure it out, right?  I keep teasing Cory that he'll have to wear tights, but the descriptions I've been reading say out-of-costume super heroes.  Bummer!  No tights!

 The other play Cory will be in is Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost.  Shakespeare!  So, yes, I need to read that one first too - so I can get an idea what it's about and can follow it.  Though Cory said that during auditions he and one of the young ladies read a scene, and when they were finished, the director said something to the effect that it was a very complicated scene, but he understood everything they were saying.  Of course, as the director, he should understand it, but you know what I mean!  They read it so well that he gave them the parts.  Cory is the lead in the play - some guy named Ferdinand!  How exciting is that?  I'm really looking forward to seeing Shakespeare!  I downloaded a study guide and a free ebook version of the play today after Cory told me he was cast.

My son the leading man!

Break Legs!

Wishing my son Cory and the rest of the cast and crew of "The Edwin Booth Company Presents..."  the best in their performance tonight at ACTF!  Have fun and show those people your business!!

Everyone in the audience is in for a huge treat!

Update from facebook this morning (1/6/12):

"The Edwin Booth Company Presents "

Edwin Booth worked his magic at the American College Theatre Festival last night. A magnificent show and standing ovation at curtain. Congratulations to all involved!

See it Again (or for the 1st Time)

Image via Wikipedia

For those in the local area - anywhere close to Whitewater - remember you have one more chance to see "The Edwin Booth Company Presents "

Monday January 2nd, 7:30pm, Barnett Theatre, UW Whitewater campus, the Pay What You Can send off performance of "The Edwin Booth Company Presents". The company is going 'on tour' to the ACTF Regionals! Come show your support, and get your Booth on!!

We really enjoyed the play both times we saw it and definitely plan to go see it again.  If you didn't get a chance to see it, you'll want to take advantage of this opportunity.  Put on your Treksta evolution Mid shoes, or jump in your car and head to Whitewater Monday evening. You'll be glad you did!

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Kennedy Center Here They Come!

The play Cory was is a part of - The Edwin Booth Company Presents... - has been chosen to attend the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) regional festival at  the U of I at Champaign-Urbana in early January!

About the festival:

In January and February of each year, regional festivals showcase the finest of each region's entered productions and offer a variety of activities, including workshops, symposia, and regional-level award programs. Regional festival productions are judged by a panel of three judges selected by the Kennedy Center and the KCACTF national committee. These judges in consultation with the Artistic Director select four to six of the best and most diverse regional festival productions to be showcased in the spring at the annual noncompetitive national festival at the Kennedy Center, all expenses paid.

We saw the play two times - opening night and again last night, and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.  What a great group of talented young people!  We're definitely proud and excited for them!

Please consider donating to help them raise some of the funds needed to present “The Edwin Booth Company Presents…” at KCACTF. For a donation of $20 or more you can get an autographed copy of the program - plus an autographed poster if you donate $50 or more.  

Any little bit is welcome, encouraged, and greatly appreciated.  
Thanks!

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The Edwin Booth Company Presents... Needs You!

“The Edwin Booth Company Presents…” provides a unique opportunity for the students in University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Theatre/Dance Department like nothing that this department has done before during the academic season.

It is an original script and the students will be presenting the world premiere performance opening on November 29, 2011. The next step in this educational experience is to take our show on the road and share this accomplishment with the theatre community. This is where you can help!

All donations go to the UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department to start a fund that will help students to extend their education to a national level. This fund will allow students to take their art and their talent on the road to share with the theatre community outside of Whitewater.

---

This is the play Cory is acting in, and they are trying to raise funds to hopefully take the play to the American College Theatre Festival in January or to support any students from UW-Whitewater at that festival. Please consider donating. Even the smallest donation will help to extend the educational and artistic horizons of UW-Whitewater students.  If you can't donate, please spread the word to all your theatre and arts-loving friends.  Thanks!

He's In!

Image via WikipediaCory has had a very busy first semester.  He was an understudy for one play - GlenGarry Glen Ross - where he had to learn parts for 3 different characters.  Then, when he was just getting started in rehearsals for that one, he auditioned for another play and ended up as an understudy for that one, too.  For the second play - The Edwin Booth Company Presents -he had to learn the parts for 10 different characters.  10!  And, for a while there, they were having rehearsals for both plays at the same time - well, not at exactly the same time, but rehearsals for both in the same day or the same week.  So, basically he had 13 people, besides himself, all in his brain at one time.

At first it was a little disappointing that he wasn't actually cast in either of the plays - at least for his parent, if not for Cory himself.  But, he's in college to learn, and this experience is bound to teach him a lot - maybe even more than he'd learn by just being an actor in the play.  Also, I don't think anyone else in the universe could learn all those parts and learn them well.  And I'm not saying that just because I'm his mom.  Obviously, his directors think he can do it, too.  He won't be looking for Short Order Cook Jobs.  He's going to be famous!  He's that good.

Thankfully, the first play was over by the middle of October so he could forget about the first 3 characters and concentrate on the other 10.  But now, he's down to 1, because one of the actors he was understudying broke his leg and won't be able to perform. (when people tell actors to 'break a leg' I don't think they're supposed to actually do it.)  So Cory is stepping in and will actually be in the performance.  He's pretty excited about that because he does love to be on stage, but this also means that nothing else can happen and nobody can get sick - because who's left to cover those other 9 characters?

I'm sure they'll figure it out, and it will all go well.  We're going on Opening Night to see the play.  We were planning to go anyway, even thinking we wouldn't get to see Cory perform - because it's the World Premier of a brand new play, written by the director.  So that's kind of exciting.  Now it's even more exciting since we'll get to see Cory on stage.  I might even have to go back and see it another time.

An Actor by any Other Name

We did get to go see Cory in his acting scene Wednesday night.  He was Screwtape in a scene from The Screwtape Letters - so essentially the devil.  He did a rather good job, and looked pretty good doing it, too.  He was pretty happy to have it over with, though.  Apparently, the Directing student who was directing this scene isn't a particularly good student - at least not in directing.  So it wasn't a real positive experience.

There were several things the director should have done that he didn't - from giving cues to the lighting people to spelling the names of his actors correctly in the program.  He spelled Cory's name wrong!  And the name of one of the girls in the scene.  I don't know if someone looked over the programs before they were printed or if they just printed whatever the directors gave them, but there was definitely a need for an editor.  Whether something is being printed simply at school or with professional printing services, editing is so important.  There's nothing more frustrating than finding those mistakes after you hold the finished product in your hands- at least in my opinion.

Oh well, I bet when Cory's famous, they'll be sure to spell his name right!  That's what was fun about going to see the Directing Scenes.  Well, seeing Cory act was the most fun, but it was really fun to kind of compare his acting to the acting of all these other students - if that makes sense.  When he was in high school, there weren't really any other guys to compare him with.  We thought he was good, but it's nice to see him with other guys who are interested in acting and be able to say we still think he's good.  He's a very talented young man!

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School is Almost Over

It seems like just the other day we were moving Cory into his dorm for his freshman year of college, and now it's almost time to move him back home again - for the summer, anyway.  Wow, time flies!  And I'm not just talking about his first year of college.  It seems just yesterday I had a precious baby boy.  I must have blinked because we went from using baby powder to buying deodorant and looking for acne treatments that work practically overnight.  His feet got big.  He got taller.  And I find myself wondering what happened to my little boy.

My little boy is almost finished with his first year of college!
 

We went to see him perform Monday night.  The students in the Directing class all had to direct a short scene, and Cory auditioned and was cast in two of them.  One of his scenes was Monday night, and the other is tonight.  I'm not sure if we can make it tonight, but I'd love to watch him if we can.  He's really good!  He's been working really hard this year, and I think (and he thinks) that he's improved.  And we thought he was good before!

He had us bring some of his stuff home with us Monday, and I'm sure he'll have more if we go tonight.  It did take several trips to get all his stuff into the dorm room, so it will take several to get it out - and it all has to be out in a couple weeks.  How is it that school can be almost over for the year?  It will be nice to have him home, though.

Rave Reviews!

I went to the elementary school this morning to see a performance of The Calico Tiger.  Because, how could I not?  It was right here in town, and I kinda like that guy who plays the tiger!

I don't know about the lipofuze reviews, but the reviews from this play have all been positive!  Everyone said they did a really good job.

It was really fun seeing them perform for a gym full of kids.  There were a few kids in the audience when we went Saturday, but it's different when the audience is mostly kids.  I loved seeing the kids' reactions and hearing them laugh at the antics of the animals.  It was also fun to talk afterwards to some of Cory's teachers from elementary school.  Until this morning, they hadn't realized he was in the play, so that was a pleasant surprise. They really enjoyed seeing Cory come back and perform.

I got good reviews, too when they realized I made COOKIES!

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The Calico Tiger

We went to see Cory perform in his first college play this afternoon, The Calico Tiger. Cory plays Jerome Tiger.  He was awesome, of course, and I'm not saying that just because I'm his mom. He really is in his element when he gets on stage. It's so much fun to watch him.

This was the only performance on campus. On Monday they begin a week of touring. They will be performing at elementary schools around the state.  Friday they'll be performing at the elementary school here in town, so of course, I'll have to go see it again.

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