Sunday, November 25, 2007

1776 Begins Rehearsals

After two weeks of exciting music rehearsals, led by our stellar music director, Andra Velis Simon, 1776 will begin it's 7.5 week process to the stage on Tuesday.

Signal's first musical, Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone's 1776 dramatizes the arguments, ambitions and sacrifices of the Second Continental Congress during the "hot as hell" summer of the title year, and how they led to the creation and eventual signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Or, more accurately, how they almost didn't lead to this.

The 26 person cast teams company members Philip Winston, Vincent Lonergan and Joseph Stearns with an extraordinary ensemble of guest artists: Larry Baldacci, Kevin Bishop, John Blick, Scott Danielson, Matthew Erickson, Dan Granata, Ryan Guhde, Michael Herschberg, Ted Hoerl, Tim Howard, Andy Lambertson, Eric Lindahl, Paul G. Miller, Lindsay Naas, Colby Sellers, Thomas Shea, Anne Smith, Eric Smith, Jon Steinhagen, Danny Taylor, Jeremy Trager, Steve Welsh and Matt Whalen.

By 8 people, this is the largest cast I've ever had the pleasure to collaborate with, and frankly, I've never been more excited. I'm also most pleased to be working with our regular design team of Melania Lancy (set), Laura M. Dana (costumes), Julie Ballard (lights) and Signal tech/sound man Tony Ingram again, as well as wig designer Anna Glowacki and dramaturg Nicole Lemery for the first time. Ensemble member Stephanie Ehemann will once again keep me sane as our Production Stage Manager, with assistance from
Kristen Barrett.

Tuesday's itinerary will include a full read and sing-thru as well as the passing around of some research materials.

And then some 11 on 11 backyard football with backups.

Stay tuned for more posts from the rehearsal front, and don't miss Old Wicked Songs...



Friday, November 23, 2007

Needed: Pinter-rific 'Party' Girl

SIGNAL ENSEMBLE THEATRE auditions for Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party. Seeking one woman for the role of Lulu, a girl in her twenties, all ethnicities encouraged. Rehearsals start mid-June, runs July/August. There is pay. Please send H/R to Signal Ensemble Theatre, attn. The Birthday Party, Box 199, 3023 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60657. signalensemble.com.

Black Friday Welcome



Happy Thanksgiving (belated) and welcome to Signal's brand-new blog! We've been so busy of late (teching Old Wicked Songs, rehearsing 1776, various ensemblers performing at other theaters) that we haven't had time to launch this blog until now. But, as the holiday massacre shopping season gets into high gear today, so do we.

Please visit the blog for all Signal news, such as:

and so on.

Please come back!