December 2010 Newsletter

Margreta 2010 and Beyond! What a year it has been for Margreta Stage Company! We welcomed spring with David Hays' well-received adaptation of Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, and followed up with Kaufman and Hart's rumpus You Can't Take It With You this past August. The summer Studio Classes held at The Kate in Old Saybrook were a hit with our younger company members, and Kevin Spedding reprised his role as teacher this fall with an acting class for adults. Our ongoing Actor Parties continue to provide a gathering spot for area professionals and theater enthusiasts to perform and network. What will 2011 look like for Margreta Stage Company? This coming year will be devoted to exploration and innovation. We are excited to announce our first Actor's Lab, a time for creative development while honing our skills as actors, directors and writers. We will continue to offer classes, expanding our offerings to include workshops that provide a unique perspective on all things theatre. And, of course, we look forward to seeing you at our Actor Parties. We are excited to enter this creative phase and we hope you will join us on our journey as we continue to explore new edges of the stage. Holiday Actor Party! Celebrate the holidays with an evening of friends and festivities on Monday, December 13th at 6:30 pm at The Carriage House in Deep River. Enjoy performances by your fellow actors, or bring a monologue or short scene of your own.*  Remember to bring a favorite dish to share and your beverage of choice.  Everyone is welcome, the more the merrier! *If you'd like to direct a short piece, or perform a certain monologue or scene, just let us know by emailing office@margretastage.org, or calling (860) 767-8943. Why LAB? It has always been our intent that Margreta Stage be a playground where theater artists want to come to work. As such, we have decided that we need to redirect our attention to creating a space, both literally and figuratively, where artistic exploration can happen free from the worries of production schedules and timelines. We have begun referring to this incubating period as our LAB. As part of the LAB process, we will gather our company actors, directors and designers to listen to exploratory readings of various plays that interest us. From there, we will meet to read, rehearse, play, doodle and otherwise explore ways the artist taps into his or her creative process. LAB is a place that every theater artist yearns for -- a place of pure creation. Of course, we hope these various projects will culminate in great, inspirational theater for our audiences. Stay tuned! Class Performance Students from the Margreta Stage Acting Technique Class will be performing scenes and monologues at the Actor Party on Monday, December 13. The material includes pieces from the works of Neil Simon, Peter Shaffer, William Mastrosimone, and John Murrell. Theater is a communal art form, in which the audience plays an important role in the artistic equation, so please support these actors in their effort to hone their skills and present quality work to you, their friends and colleagues.  The Director's Corner   Dear Friends,   It is truly a priviledge to create inspiring theater for you and with you. The past year has been a period not only of celebration for Margreta Stage, but also of growth and insight. I am so excited about the new directions we are exploring to fulfill our commitment to honor the artist's need for the continuing evolution of craft and perspective. We look forward to sharing the fruits of our labor in the near future and, as always, producing for you some of Connecticut's most unique, relevant and lively theatrical events. Thank you so much for your incredible support.   Jeanie Rapp Artistic Director   Margreta Stage Company 860.767.8943  margretastage.org Our Company Members at Work The North Pole Express collaboration between Riverway Studio (Ira Sakolsky) and Essex Steam Train continues to grow. Company members include Amy Forbes, Beth Avery and Elijah Manning. Ailie Bednarz appears in the Hartford Stage production of A Christmas Carol. Todd Little just wrapped up a successful run of Plays & Poetry with the East Haddam Stage Company. Todd will play prosecutor Mr. Gilmer in the Seven Angels production of To Kill a Mockingbird this spring. Jamie B. Murphy's play, Promise, opened to enthusiastic audiences this November. Promise was directed by John Tillinger and choreographed by Christopher d'Amboise. Earth & Sky, Chester Meetinghouse Players most recent production, featured MSC members Nancy and David Cardone. Congratulations! Ed Wilhelms directed All My Sons for the Suffield Players in October. Joelle Jacob will be performing Dec. 18 at The Ivory in Deep River. You can also see her in the Vanishing Veins commercial "Magic Mirror," or hear her voice-over work on several commercial spots for Vivesse Laser and Skin Care. Congratulations to Elijah Manning and Maggie Davidson who were married on October 29th! Please continue to send us news so we can share your work and help promote local theater projects.