Curio Theatre Company

Inside Slaughterhouse-Five

2012-01-21T13:41:00.006-05:00

I’m very excited by the work that Curio has done this season. In the Fringe, the company produced Lord of the Flies in Clark Park, the bravest and best outdoor theatre I’ve ever seen. Then came the hauntingly beautiful Eurydice, and Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which made me laugh and get fired up about today’s politics at the same time. I am very honored to be a part of Curio’s upcoming production of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, adapted by Eric Simonson and directed by Jared Reed. This will be the Philadelphia premiere of the play, which originated at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. In that original production, 25 actors played nearly 50 characters. When the play was produced in New York, the cast size was reduced to 10 actors. Curio Theatre Company is performing Slaughterhouse-Five with 7 actors (Steve Carpenter, Josh Hitchens, Paul Kuhn, Ken Opdenaker, Jerry Rudasill, Jennifer Summerfield (who plays all of the female roles), and Ryan Walter.

It seems very appropriate that Curio is producing Slaughterhouse-Five. It’s one of the few theatre companies in Philadelphia that maintains a permanent company of actors, directors, designers, and crew. Many people have been with Curio for years, working together on stage or watching from the audience. We get to know each other’s work, we grow together. When we started rehearsing Slaughterhouse-Five, we started putting the play together almost immediately, and these past few weeks have gone by so quickly. The main part of the scenic design consists of a raked platform, 6 sections of which can split apart and move in different configurations. The show moves constantly back and forth in time, from place to place, and this set allows us to make those transitions easily. I can’t wait to see what the lights, costumes, and sound add to the world of the play, and I’m dying for the platform and backdrop to be painted. When I saw the renderings for the set, my jaw literally dropped. It going to be awesome. And wait till you see how we’re doing the aliens from Tralfamadore . . .

I have to admit that I had never read any of Kurt Vonnegut’s work before being cast in Slaughterhouse-Five. I enjoyed the novel very much, and I like that it’s subtitled The Children’s Crusade or A Duty Dance with Death. There’s a science fiction aspect to the work, it also has times when it’s extremely funny, and many moments that are deeply moving. When I read the play after reading the book, I was struck by how incredibly faithful Eric Simonson’s adaptation is to Vonnegut’s original work. I think fans of Slaughterhouse-Five will be very happy with Curio’s production of the play.

In rehearsal, there is one piece of dialogue that always strikes me:

“There is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everyone is supposed to be dead and never say anything or want anything ever again.”

Kurt Vonnegut really was a prisoner of war in Slaughterhouse #5 in the city of Dresden, and he survived the firebombing that annihilated the city in World War II. Even though "people aren't supposed to look back," he had something he wanted to say about it. And that's what Slaughterhouse-Five is.

One week until we tech. So it goes.

2011-12-09T11:59:00.001-05:00

Check out this amazing promo video by Brian Siano. Such a funny show!

Snack Days

2011-11-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, while in the midst of the closing Eurydice, helping coordinate the showcase for this year's Fall Saturday Theatre Classes, and putting in hours at my day job, I somehow found time to bake a batch of chocolate chip and oatmeal bar cookies for the the first rehearsal of Accidental Death of an Anarchist. I ran out of time to handcraft individual cookies, so the dough went straight into a pan and became bars.

I made these Tuesday, and they lasted a little under a week. How do I know that? One, I was there. Two, the cast of Eurydice found the final remnants of the bars around Friday night and expressed their feelings of abandonment.

Last week I baked again. Having the time, I made actual cookies instead of bars, and because they are (Superintendent) Len's favorite, and because he was super nice to me one rehearsal last week, I made oatmeal raisin. These did not make it through one rehearsal. That's four hours.

How can one snack last so much longer than the other, in the face of starving artists? Our director, and fearless leader, Craig answered this for me. Actors are lazy. Cutting out one bar from a pan is too much effort to extend, even of it means you get to eat a cookie.

This week, after days of pestering and copious amounts of bribery, I've made mini banana nut muffins. Let's see how long they make it.

"What light through younder window breaks?"

2011-11-16T15:23:00.002-05:00

Our productions don't always have cameras (although we've had some fantastically creative promotional videos created by Brian Siano), but lights and action we have plenty of. And while typically the lights are pointed blindingly at the actors, we here at Curio thought it might be nice to give them a small break.

Want to see what we're so excited about? Just walk past our entrance on Baltimore Avenue after sunset. If you're feeling lazy, or have had a tiring day, you can peruse the photos at the bottom of this post instead, but I highly recommend seeing this light for yourself. It may just look like some typeface-talented toddler graffiti-ed the sidewalk with glow in the dark chalk, but don't be fooled! Attached to the Calvary roof, through perilous and ungodly feats of engineering madness, is a huge, bazooka-shaped light (as we laymen like to call it) with a fancy, schmancy, glass gobo in it.

Basically, it's like the bat-signal. Only with color. And we pointed it at the ground. And when it's on, instead of crime, there's theatre.

Special thanks to Jimmy Reynolds, without whom this monstrous instrument would not have made it onto the Calvary roof.

2011-11-04T12:32:00.002-04:00

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at Curio? You're about to find out! Here's a video from Eurydice rehearsals and Kyle Cassidy's photo shoot. Video by Brian Siano. Eurydice runs until November 12th.

2011-10-19T13:22:00.001-04:00

Video by Brian Siano for Curio Theatre Company.

Eurydice Week Four: Tech!

2011-10-09T23:25:00.002-04:00

This week was tech. Next week we open! I'd say more but honestly, do you want me to spoil everything?

What did we learn this week?
String tangles. Constantly.
Placing children (and actors) in water causes water fights.
Working over the ambient drip drip drip of water is more difficult than you'd think. Especially when you're standing underneath the spigot.
Costume parades are the closest you can get to Halloween before, well, Halloween.
Harry (Big Stone) makes some pretty tasty donuts (but only if you bug him to).

And now for photos! Granted, they're not as good as the photos taken during our photo shoot on Saturday with Kyle Cassidy, photographer extraordinaire. We'll try to post those later. (If you want to see them now, check out the Facebooks)

Loud Stone n' Little Stone

Stones in the Water

More Stones in the Water

Red Umbrellas are all the fashion

A Stage Manager's desk collects so many things...

"It's so high up!"

Water and Snacks

2011-10-07T09:00:00.003-04:00

So it's official: we have water! On the stage! Splashing people! Gallons and gallons of it!

But enough about that, let me tell you a secret: the only reason any actor goes to any rehearsal is in the hopes that there will be snacks. For Eurydice rehearsals, we've somehow gotten into a rotation of snack brining, not unlike a children's soccer league. So some days our stage manager Beth will bring in home baked cookies and muffins and full blown cakes and stuff, some days CJ Keller will bring in three gummy bears for the cast and crew (for the record there are about 10 people at any given rehearsal). Then sometimes it becomes my day for snack bringing, so on those days there are no snacks.

That is, until today! During yesterday's rehearsal I was shamed by an anonymous stage manager (who may or may not have been already mentioned in this post) into dusting off the old oven and baking something for tonights rehearsal:

Not the most photogenic donuts in the world, but having eaten four of them already, I can tell you they are decadently good.

And now for the catch: if you want to know what's in em and how to make em, you'll have to come see Eurydice, opening next week. If you ask me after the show, I'll tell you the secrets of fried cakey wonderfulness.

Best,

Harry Slack (Big Stone)

PS Go Phillies

Week Three, Eurydice

2011-10-02T11:19:00.001-04:00

If you don't think that beautiful rhyme in today's blog title was cleverly thought out, then clearly you're not reading it the same way I am. But that doesn't mean you can't read on!

This week we had a wonderful Designer Run for, well, the designers. What is this thing we call a Designer Run? It's all in the name. We do a full (but still rough) run through without stopping for our designers so that they can see the full product. Most of them haven't seen anything of the show up until this point in the rehearsal process. So, for instance, the lighting designer can see where the actors are, what the mood of a scene is, and then have an idea of what and how he needs to light the show. Pretty neat, huh? We also had a lovely visit from our composer. He had lots of great tunes for us to dance, bike, and Suzuki to.

The lights are almost all up. The actors are off book. Next week is tech. We are, as they say, moving right along.

What did we learn this week?

Glenn Miller is all you could want in a fifty's musician, and more
String houses don't just take time, they take a lot of time
The Arden Shakespeare edition of King Lear makes a fantastic thump noise when thrown from a height of 10 feet
Orpheus writes a lot of letters...

Stones and Eurydice take direction

Hats are fun!

Working Stones

Orpheus writes another letter

Father takes a phone call

Two Weeks Down

2011-09-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

Week two of rehearsal: complete. This week we had another lovely visit from Josh Browns for our third and final Suzuki workshop, and we started delving into the language of the Stones. We have, as foretold by the mystic prophesy of rehearsal schedule, moved and grooved our way through the Second Movement, and are now ready for the epic conclusion of this three part play.

On the schedule for next week is the Third Movement. This may not seem as exciting as, say, a week of dancing and Suzuki, but believe you me, it is! The end of the play is something we haven't seen hide nor tail of since the read through. Who can remember how it ends!?

What did we learn this week?

Making a list of what we learned is super fun: I'm making it a weekend tradition!
Tricycles are not built for adults
String houses don't just take time, they also take patience, and a whole heck of a lot of imagination
Suitcases can be stylish, and fun to sit in!

Stones strike a pose

Suitcases are comfy!

Orpheus writes another letter to Eurydice

He's growing, can't you tell?

One Week Down

2011-09-17T17:36:00.000-04:00

Week one of rehearsal is over! Granted, half of the week was filled with read-throughs and workshops, but that doesn't mean there was any less work being done. We've danced and played through the First Movement (Eurydice doesn't have acts, like other, more pedestrian plays) and are ready to forge ahead!

On the schedule for next week is Day Three of Suzuki training (which means rocking it out to, and with, the Stones), slogging through the Second Movement, and straight on till morning. I mean straight on to the Third Movement.

What did we learn this week? Let's make a list:

The Jitterbug isn't hard. It's just slightly more complicated than your average macarena. Especially when you have lines.
Suzuki is hard. But it's a really good workout, it connects you to you core, and it becomes art when Paul Kuhn does it (I type with a metaphorical gun to my head).

Suzuki Blog Postponed

2011-09-15T17:12:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Suzuki Training: Day 2. You'll notice that there wasn't a blog post following the events of Suzuki Training: Day 1. That's because we were all exhausted and could barely move, let alone blog, for three days. When we came back yesterday we'd all but forgotten just how intense the training had been. That being said, we have another training session next Tuesday, and as I'm still too tired to blog, please enjoy the wonderful photo below and look back here next week for a full account of Suzuki Training: Days 1-3.

Stones learn Suzuki

Swinging on the East Coast

2011-09-14T13:47:00.003-04:00

It's hard to dance by yourself. But when Sarah Ruhl sets down a stage direction that isn't physically and conceptually impossible, it's hard not to make the effort. So while Orpheus and Eurydice (Steve and Tessa) dance the Jitterbug at their wedding, Eurydice’s Father (Paul) parallels them, and dances alone in the underworld.

That being said, learning the Jitterbug by yourself is, well, kind of pointless. For both leader and follower. It’s neigh impossible to learn how to follow without the guiding hand of a leader, and equally difficult to lead with no one following. There are nuances that one can only learn through doing the deed properly. And that, my friends, is how a stage manager gets roped into learning how to dance.

I’m not complaining. I know that’s what it sounds like. In fact, I shouldn’t even say I was roped into this. I was, and still am, rather excited to say I know a dance other than the Hand Jive.

That being said, The Jitterbug, which is in the Swing family and closely related to the Lindy, isn’t that difficult if you have a little rhythm in you. Or an excellent teacher. Enter Colleen Hughes, dance teacher extraordinaire. In ten minutes Colleen had the four of us doing the basics; in an hour we had a routine. A few fancy moves in our back pockets, and we were set to go.

Colleen shows Steve and Tessa the Rock Step

Steve and Tessa do the Jitterbug

2011-09-13T13:35:00.001-04:00

Curio poster by Elizabeth Gallagher

Notes from a Stone

2011-09-13T11:55:00.011-04:00

Just got back from my first rehearsal of Eurydice and boy are my arms tired (because I flew). Anyway, thing about Eurydice is that it's based on an old story called "How Orpheus got his Groove Back." Now this story has been told by many different people through many different ages. Ovid told it, Virgil told it, Aaron Spelling told it, all the greats have put their grimy mitts on this tale. The Version we're doing is by Sarah Ruhl, who wrote other plays like Cleaning the House and De Parking Meter in de City.

However, as a public service to all you loyal blog readers, I have gone into the Curio archives, and unearthed a dusty old version of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It’s written in Latin by a man named Bolognius Halatocia. Now I don’t know Latin, but I have an old Wheelock’s Latin textbook in my basement, so I’m going to try to do my best to translate it into modern English. Here goes:

“So there was this dude-brah, a total stud right? This dude-man fell in love with a beautiful mystery lady. Dude-guy said to mystery lady, ‘hey yo, wanna have a son or something?’ Mystery lady was all like, ‘here’s the deal, I got a lot of irons on the fire, but I guess I’ll give you a son or something.’ So they shack up for a while, but they mystery lady gets the wanderlust and leaves dude-fellah, with the baby. The baby’s a son, and he’s named Orpheus Dorpheus, but everyone calls him Orphy-poo. So Orphy-poo grows up the regular way, but one day he’s all, ‘yo pops, where’s my mama?’ And dude-dude, not wanting to make the kid feel bad told Orphy-poo, ‘You’re mother was a magical music lady, so you should be a magical music lady too… only the boy kind… a musical man we call them sometimes.’

And so Orphy-poo learned all about music and stuff. He wrote all the great songs of the time, “Cherry Pie,” “Ave Maria,” and Hank Williams’s “I’ll Never Make it Outta this World Alive.” Then one day he met this super hot lady. He saw her and literally said, ‘Wowza!’ [Translation note: He said ‘wowza’ in Latin, but really it would have been Greek.] He said, ‘hey, nice lady, with the hair and the legs and things! Wanna maybe go out some time, with the dating and the smooching?’ And she, her name happened to be Eurydice, agreed. They dated for a while, and things were going great. They were gonna get married, but then Eurydice went walking in a meadow without any shoes on, and she stepped on snake. The snake, being justifiably peeved, bit the lady, and poisoned her to death. So she was dead, which was a major bummer.

Orphy-poo didn’t want to be married to a dead woman, so he wrote the saddest song in the world. He played it all day everyday, until finally Pluto, the cartoon dog god of the underworld, said to him, ‘Hey guy! Cut that out, you’re bumming everyone out with that jam! I’ll make you a deal, if you can walk an arbitrary distance without looking back at your foxy lady wife, then you can have her. But the catch is that you gotta chill it with that sad song stuff… go back to playing ragtime jams!’ I probably forgot to mention that Orphy-poo used to play wicked good ragtime jams. So Orpheus Dorpheus said he’d be down with the deal, and got to the starting line. He was supposed to walk four hundred steps before turning around, but he miscounted and only walked three hundred and ninety nine steps before turning around. So Eurydice was doomed to eternal death again. Orpheus was bummed out, and joined a Screamo band called “The Thrashing Maenads.” He screamed so hard one concert that his body just straight up exploded into bits. His skull was found by a fan, and she buried it at the foot of Olympus Mans, that big mountain on Mars, because it turned out that she was a Martian. And they all lived happily ever after, except for all the dead ones. The end.”

So that’s the original version of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. You should come see our production to see how the versions differ.

Best,

Harry Slack, Big Stone

Season Seven Starts

2011-09-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday started the new year.

Well, that's not entirely true. I mean, the calendar year starts January 1st. The Chinese New Year is generally late January, early February, depending on the seasons. The school year starts in September, or mid-August if your university bound. The Fiscal Year can start whenever you'd like it to. Personal years start the day a person is born, preferably marked with candles, cake, and gifts.

Yesterday started the new year of (capital t, spelled with an re) Theatre.

Well, that's not entirely true either. Designers and directors have been in constant communication since the season was chosen. Casting was made. A lot of work went on in the off-season, to start the on-season on time.

Summer has ended, and the new season is rolling in. What does that mean? A full year of theatre-y goodness starts now. We'll run through an action packed, four show season, hit a benefit featuring some new, workshopped pieces, fit in two semesters of after school classes, and end the whole shebang off with a month of summer camp.

So where does that leave us? It's Tuesday. Monday started the rehearsal process for Eurydice, our first show in the official Curio season.

Here on the Curio Blog you'll find the back stage scoop; all the stuff that should have made it to the director's cut. Straight from the rehearsal room, I'll be posting stories and interesting tidbits about the ongoing, behind-the-scenes work that you, the audience, never see. From read-through to dress, with workshops and more, we'll have it all.

So sit back, relax, grab your popcorn and soda. A laugh track will be provided upon request.

2011-09-03T18:01:00.002-04:00

Curio Theatre's Philly Fringe production of Lord Of The Flies opened last night. It was an exciting evening in Clark Park. This stage version of William Goldings book was performed Free to the public for over 500 audience members. The cast was outstanding in their portrayals of these British school boys stranded on an deserted island without adults.

The production starts before sunset, and uses primarily natural lighting effects. As the boys descend into madness and savagery, the sun sets upon them, and the darkness swallows them whole. It will be playing for three more evenings, September 7th, 8th and 9th at 7pm.You don't want to miss this! Bring a picnic and blanket.

Come see this bloody show and get in touch with your inner beast!

(Photo by Tessa Kuhn)

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern aren't quite dead!

2011-05-10T22:19:00.005-04:00

We are thrilled to announce that, due to the overwhelming popularity of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," three performances have been added to the run of the show! This means that if you miss the four performances this weekend, (including our 3pm matinee on Saturday the 14th,) you have May 19th, 20th and 21st at 8pm as your final opportunities to "treat yourself to an evening of superbly absurd theatre at Curio Theatre," as Ellen Wilson Dilks of Stage Magazine suggests.

Find out what all the laughter is about; and remember to reserve your seats early!

A play within a play

2011-04-21T11:56:00.004-04:00

As we approach our sold-out opening night performance of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," I wanted to follow up my original mask-making post with an image of the gorgeous finished product.

As mentioned previously, the base of the masks is plaster of Paris, molded to the actors' faces at Curio; these were then sent to wood-carver, Katie Dannenberg, who, incredibly, is a student at Friends Select School in Philadelphia. She beautifully carved the masks out of modeling clay, coated with a rich brown shoe polish. The end result is a mask that looks like the finest Italian leather, feels like smoothly carved wood and is a dream to wear.

In this rehearsal photo taken by Kyle Cassidy, actor Brian McCann (center) explains the intricasies of Commedia performance to CJ Keller and Eric Scotolati (far left and right), while Steve Carpenter and Jennifer Summerfield demonstate.

Remember to reserve your tickets early for this one, and sit back and enjoy Tom Stoppard's masterpiece, running from April 22 through May 14.

Jennifer Summerfield (Gertrude/Commedia actor)

2011-04-11T18:36:00.002-04:00

Photo by Kyle Cassidy

featuring CJ Keller, Brian McCann and Eric Scotolati.

Opening night is Friday April 22. Join us for a get together with the cast and crew after the performance, hosted by the Gold Standard Cafe!

Let the previews begin!

2011-04-11T09:45:00.004-04:00

Last night we wrapped up our week of tech rehearsals with a ten hour day of fine-tuning, adding full costumes, lights and sound to the mix. We all breathed that collective sigh of relief to see the show take shape under our very feet and to know that we are more than ready for our first preview audience on Thursday evening.

It's been an absolute inspiration to see Eric Scotolati, CJ Keller and Brian McCann work tirelessly to achieve the seeming effortlessness of Tom Stoppard's rapier sharp wit; they're at work when the rest of the cast comes in at the assigned time, and they remain at work when the rest of the cast leaves at the end of the night, perfecting every nuance and giving each movement the specificity it needs.

With a show like "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern," where it's almost impossible to divide one actor from another, so dependent are we on each other as a unit, we're loath to break that connection, even at break-time. So, despite the long hours yesterday, we spent our dinner hour together as well, ordering pizza and sharing thoughts on theatre and language and literature and movies.

This is going to be a fun ride!

A costume's evolution

2011-04-05T13:09:00.006-04:00

To me, one of the most interesting aspects of a production like "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" is the amount of effort that goes in to making the costumes and set, lights and sound seem effortless and fluid. There are so many seemingly instant changes between the three worlds of Hamlet, the troupe of traveling players, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and we rely on a set and costumes that both evoke the sense of the world we inhabit and are easily transformed.

One of the roles I am playing is Gertrude, and I had the great pleasure of working with costume assistant Karen Heenan to bring the design created by Aetna and Elizabeth Gallagher to life. I thought it would be interesting for you to catch a glimpse of a costume's evolution, from design to pattern to completion.

First came the original Aetna Gallagher design, beautifully rendered by Elizabeth Gallagher, who, if you can believe it, is still a highschool student!

Both the design rendering and the pattern were sent to Karen, who is incredibly adept at using the pattern as a model while still adding in the beautiful details apparent in the original design.

Karen and I made an outing to Jomar, where we picked out black and white brocade to match the production's color scheme.

I only had one fitting, due to time constraints. Here Karen is fitting the muslin bodice mock-up to me.

When I next saw Karen, it was to be given the finished gown, complete with Aetna's original underdress idea and a bodice that laces up the front! A gown fit for a queen!

--Jennifer Summerfield (Gertrude/commedia actor)
photos by www.kylecassidy.com

Curio Theatre Company

2011-04-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Sj8gFRXJE

The Art Behind the Mask

2011-03-28T10:00:00.005-04:00

We are deep into the rehearsal process for Curio's next production, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," a darkly comedic look into the psyches of two of the minor characters in Shakespeare's "Hamlet," written by the brilliant Tom Stoppard. Many of the actors double as members of the King of Denmark's court and members of the traveling group of players that comes to entertain the court. Director, Liz Carlson, has made the wonderful choice of having the players be a troupe of Commedia dell'Arte actors, which means: MASKS! MOVEMENT! WORKSHOPS!

This week we were fortunate enough to have Brendon Gawel of Philadelphia's Ombelico Mask Ensemble come to lead us in a Commedia workshop, reviewing the stock characters and their quirks with us. It was fascinating, fun and exhausting. I think we all realized just how many leg muscles are used in maintaining the basic Commedia stance, let alone are required for any sort of movement through space!

The plaster half-masks we will be using in performance are still under construction and will, hopefully, be ready for use in rehearsal by the end of this week.

Here, Brian McCann, who plays the role of the Player, is being fitted for his mask by artistic director, Paul Kuhn (Paul wears many hats at Curio, including set designer and constructor... but more on the set later.)

Facial hair had to be protected by vaseline and tape so that the strips of plaster wouldn't stick to the face, making removal of the hardened mask a painful process. As it was, it required only a scrunching of the facial muscles to pop the mold off. The twenty minutes it took for the soft strips to harden on the face were incredibly relaxing, at least for me, and I found myself naturally using my hands and arms to express myself as I waited for the process to be complete.

I can't wait to post an update with photos of the fully-molded and painted Commedia masks!

Until next time,

-Jennifer Summerfield
(Gertrude/Commedia actor)

2011-02-22T22:35:00.005-05:00

Check out what the reviewers are saying...

http://philaculturati.com/thingstodo/2011/02/21/great-expectations-at-curio-theatre/

and...

http://stagepartners.org/2011/02/a-pip-of-a-tale-great-expectations-at-curio-theatre-company/

2011-02-18T16:12:00.000-05:00

Wonderful opening of Great Expectations

2011-02-18T15:50:00.010-05:00

http://stagepartners.org/2011/02/a-pip-of-a-tale-great-expectations-at-curio-theatre-company/

2011-01-22T21:53:00.001-05:00

Eric Scotolati portrays Pip and Paul Kuhn portrays Magwich in Curio Theatre Company’s production of Dickens' Great Expectations. Adapted and Directed by Jared Reed.

Photo by Kyle Cassidy.

Curio presents Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Adapted and Directed by Jared Reed

2011-01-15T12:21:00.002-05:00

Previews February 3,4,5 and runs from February 10 to March 5, 2011. Thursday, Friday, Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets $10.00 t0 $15.00. Visit www.curiotheatre.org or call 215-525-1350

Curio Theatre's Oleanna

2010-10-29T11:39:00.000-04:00

Mamet Brought to Life by Curio Theatre: OLEANNA

2010-10-25T09:15:00.001-04:00

Mamet Brought to Life by Curio Theatre: OLEANNA

Next up, The Gong Show!

2010-05-18T22:46:00.003-04:00

Twelfth Night ended on a high note for the cast and crew, with the closing weekend completely sold out and a last, glorious performance at The Steampunk World's Fair in Piscataway, NJ on Sunday, May 16th.

The crowd was enthusiastic and recognized us as kindred spirits; we were no longer unusual in our dress and found ourselves surrounded by goggle-wearing, Shakespeare quoting lovers of steam! It was a wonderful day and event.

After the performance, we signed program guides and mingled with the audience as we showed off our costumes and compared goggles.

Next season promises to be an equally exciting one, so please keep an eye out for the season announcement!

On the 22nd of May, we'll be hosting The Gong Show, a fundraiser to help make Curio completely accessible to the public. It's a great cause and wonderful fun, so please come out in support! You can purchase tickets or donate here on the website.

See you all soon!

-- Jennifer Summerfield --

Opening Night and beyond

2010-04-19T19:31:00.004-04:00

The first week of previews went beautifully and we're excited for opening night, particularly as there are only three tickets left for that performance! If you come to opening, please stay afterwards for the party hosted by The Gold Standard Cafe, across the street from the theatre. We always have a wonderful time there and love to meet and chat with the audience, so please don't be shy about introducing yourselves!

We're also incredibly excited about the souvenir program guide we have in the works. It may not be available in time for opening night, but it will feature the gorgeous photography of Kyle Cassidy and the otherworldly designs of Kambriel, Peacock Blue Design Studio, Mayfaire Moon and Clockwork Couture. It's been a dream to wear these garments, which lend just the right touch of timelessness and whimsy for the production... and we hope to spread that dreamlike state to you as well, through the images in the guide.

Be sure to ask us about the program guide, which will be available for a nominal fee at some point within the next two weeks. To whet your appetite, Cassidy's production photos will be on view in the lobby of the theatre.

We look forward to seeing you at Twelfth Night!

-Jennifer Summerfield-

Seams and Steam

2010-04-13T21:58:00.004-04:00

So many exciting things to tell you as we gear up for our first Preview this Thursday, April 15th!

First, The Nerd Signal covered our production recently in a lovely article and used some of the fantastic publicity photos taken by Kyle Cassidy!

Second, talks are underway for the cast of Twelfth Night to appear at The Steampunk World's Fair in Piscataway, NJ on Sunday May 16th. This is the only event of its kind on the East Coast and our production seems to be tailor made for such a festival! We're all thrilled to collaborate with such an energetic and gifted team of artists.

And finally, not only do we have actual steam helping to create just the right atmosphere, but costumes keep pouring in from unbelievable sources! Take this stunning Mayfaire Moon corset, for example, that was hand delivered on Friday evening, worn here by Chelsea Bulack, our enchanting Viola.

Boxes have arrived from Peacock Blue Design Studio and Kambriel as well!

It's been an amazing journey thus far, and we can't wait to share this production with you!

Stitching a production together

2010-04-08T08:31:00.003-04:00

As we move into tech week, we're putting the finishing touches on set and costumes sot that we have the best impression of how the stage lights play on the fabrics and metal piping.

Karen Heenan, one of our valuable costuming crew, sews and creates pieces for the actors as the need arises. The following photos represent costuming in progress as we make sure the garments fit and match other items provided by the designers who have donated key pieces.

Boots and stockings here were provided by Clockwork Couture.

And the back of the costume in progress represents the intended bustle effect which will eventually mirror the sleeves of the amazing jacket that Kambriel is providing.

More pieces will be arriving today and tomorrow and we will post more photos as everything is woven together!

- Jennifer Summerfield -

Collaboration, Steampunk Style

2010-03-27T18:11:00.003-04:00

We're at that exciting point in the rehearsal process when set and costumes and character discovery begin to come together and we all breathe a collective sigh and say "Yes, this is what it's about!"

Liz Carlson, our dynamic director, was caught here, in the act of breathing that great theatrical sigh of happiness during this afternoon's rehearsal.

One of the wonderful things about this particular set is that it hangs, suspended, in one of the most beautiful architectural sites of West Philadelphia -- our backdrop is Curio's massive pipe organ, which suddenly looks like the essence of all that is Steampunk . Why, it could belch smoke at any moment!

And boxes of costume donations continue to come in from wonderful sources, like Jared Axelrod, who is the very face of Steampunk, and the wonderful Donna Ricci of Clockwork Couture.

Collaborating with so many creative minds and talents has been an exciting experience, and has helped this production blossom into something quite wonderful and unique.

- Jennifer Summerfield -

Steampunk Shakespeare

2010-03-21T14:05:00.005-04:00

On Monday evening, March 15, The Gold Standard Cafe hosted a gallery opening of photographs taken by Kyle Cassidy, documenting Curio's six year history. Please stop by the restaurant, located on the Southwest corner of 48th Street and Baltimore Ave, through May 15th, to wander through the past five seasons at Curio and even catch a glimpse of the next production, Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

On display in the dining room of the Gold Standard, next to Cassidy's photographs, are watercolor renderings of Aetna Gallagher's Steampunk costume designs for "Twelfth Night."

Between Gallagher's costumes and Paul Kuhn's multi-tiered set, "Twelfth Night" promises to be the most visually stunning of any Curio production yet!

Adding to the beauty and flavor of the production, celebrated Steampunk designers, Kambriel and Donna Ricci, will be lending some of their beautifully crafted items to Curio, giving just the right touch of Neo-Victorian flair.

I can't wait to see and wear the results!

-Jennifer Summerfield-

Transitioning to Twelfth Night

2010-03-14T19:59:00.002-04:00

On Saturday night, we wrapped up our sold out run of Sartre's "No Exit" with a strike party, clearing the stage for designer Paul Kuhn's ambitious, multi-level set of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", which will be officially opening on April 23 (the Bard's 446th birthday!) Proving that many hands make light the work, we were joined by friends from the community and those who had only recently been audience members, and work was completed in an hour and a half. It was wonderful having so many willing volunteers, and the evening was full of laughter and the forging of new friendships.

For "Twelfth Night," we're going to remain true to the sense of intimacy we began earlier in the season with "The Weir" and "No Exit'; however, because of our new seating arrangement (which involved carefully moving eight of the pews from the sanctuary to the stage), we'll be able to increase the number of tickets available for each performance!

We finished the night with a delicious ziti dinner prepared by managing director, Gay Carducci. It was a perfect way to celebrate the completion of a successful run and launch a brand new production.

Here I am with Paul and fellow actors C.J. Keller and Ken Opdenaker, sharing stories and thoughts about the future season.

And that future is looking bright!

-Jennifer Summerfield-

Almost an "in-the-round" experience for Death and the Maiden

2007-09-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

It's difficult to classify the staging of our production of Death and the Maiden as "in-the-round" because the audience will not be on all four sides. But as you can see by the diagram it's pretty darn close.
Until now Curio has pretty much been strictly proscenium but we felt we were limiting our use of the chapel space in the Calvary Center.
Jared Reed (Artistic Director) originally broached the idea of this staging Death and the Maiden this way. He wanted to place small acting areas in the audience which he "pods."
Something like this was a real challenge for the director Gay Carducci. The stage was built early and was available to rehearse on from the beginning. This allowed Gay to sit on all sides of the stage throughout the rehearsal to ensure that all audience sight lines were taken care of.

Our Future Home is Just across the hallway.

2007-06-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

Curio now operates in the beautiful Chapel space at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community. This space is still a working Church with several congregations including Jewish and Christian organizations as well as the thriving Crossroads music program.

As a result, every Saturday night we have to break down all of our scenery and staging. It's quite a monumental task and while we are very proud that we've got this entire process down to about an hour, some may not know that our future, permanent home is just across the hallway in the stunningly beautiful Sanctuary.

The board of trustees at the Calvary Center could not have been more welcoming and they opened their outstanding facility to us. They allow us to operate temporarily in the Chapel space as funds are gathered to renovate our permanent space in the Sanctuary.

It's always a delight to watch the expression on peoples faces when they open the door to the Sanctuary. Even though the building is immense and beautiful on the outside your always shocked to see the enormity of the Sanctuary as the doors open.

From the the two largest Tiffany window ensembles in Philadelphia, original woodwork, scagliola columns, H. Hanley Parker's enormous mural, "Sermon on the Mount" and the enormous Brother's O'Dell organ this space is truly amazing.

As you see some of our productions next year (Death and the Maiden, The Nutcracker, The Odyssey or What the Butler Saw) please take a walk across the hall to see our future home in the Sanctuary. If all goes according to plan we should be in there by fall 2008.

- Paul Kuhn - Co-Artistic Director