http://mutineertheatre.com/blog Mutineer Theatre Company Blog Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:28:32 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en by Jon Cohn Mutineer will be participating in the first-ever Hollywood Fringe Festival this June with an original piece called Shaked and Speared--The Afterplays. Check back for more details... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=775 By:  Alex Klein / Kenneth Requa [caption id="attachment_768" align="alignright" width="232" caption="photo by Chris Hall"][/caption] Today we bring you the last in a four-part series of posts that will help you get to know the beautiful and talented cast members of DITCH. Alex Klein is also making is onstage debut with MTC, although he’s ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=767 by Todd Veneman / Kenneth Requa [caption id="attachment_759" align="aligncenter" width="498" caption="Photo By Chris Hall"][/caption] Today we bring you the third in a four-part series of posts that will help you get to know the beautiful and talented cast members of DITCH. Todd Veneman is making his MTC stage debut, although he had a ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=758 by Nina Millin/Kenneth Requa [caption id="attachment_751" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="Photo by Chris Hall"][/caption] Today we bring you the second in a four-part series of posts that will help you get to know the beautiful and talented cast members of DITCH. Nina Millin is making her MTC stage debut as the boisterous Elizabeth, a role ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=750 by Amber Hamilton/Kenneth Requa Photo by Chris Hall Today we bring you the first in a four-part series of posts that will help you get to know the beautiful and talented cast members of DITCH. Amber Hamilton boasts the distinction of being the only performer to have appeared in both of MTC’s world ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=725 by Taylor Coffman [caption id="attachment_713" align="alignleft" width="276" caption="Loreli Deleon"][/caption] I figured I’d write a little blog update because frankly every other MTC’er is TOO busy! As I type the whole team is in the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood conquering the great “10 out of 12” cue to cue and then a full ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=712 by Ryan Mulkay [caption id="attachment_709" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Liz Brown as Susan and Ryan Mulkay as Ian"][/caption] He was a character I won't soon forget. Probably because he was so cool. Or was he simple? Slow? Smart? Good vocabulary, but not very street smart. Edgy? Well, if you consider his line of work. ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=708 by Taylor Coffman [caption id="attachment_700" align="aligncenter" width="556" caption="(Illustration by Loreli Deleon)"][/caption] Tomorrow will be the very first DITCH rehearsal I won’t attend… The show previews on the 29th and opens on 30th and my role as the playwright is becoming less and less needed in the production process. Don’t get me wrong, I ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=698 by Taylor Coffman [caption id="attachment_693" align="aligncenter" width="323" caption="Illustration By Loreli Deleon"][/caption] I’ve known Loreli Deleon since middle school back in Fairfax, Virginia. I am honored to say that through the years she has been the best of friends and developed into one of the most talented artists I know. Just out of college, ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=676 by Taylor Coffman I've always wanted to write a love story. But i've always wanted to write honestly about love... the experience of it. So I wrote DITCH. I believe to write honestly about love you have to explore self as much as the romance. I think our relationship with ourselves dictates ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=667 by James Richter On Monday afternoon I finished mixing Kristi Falls Behind, the final chapter of The Miller’s Ghost. Now it’s online, completing the story. I’ve been so consumed by this project over the past three months that I’m having a little trouble adjusting to life without having the piece ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=660 by Ryan Mulkay [caption id="attachment_634" align="alignright" width="273" caption="Ryan Mulkay rehearses the role of Ian"][/caption] I was first introduced to Lie with Me at its Los Angeles staged reading following its workshop with Mutineer Theatre Company. At the time I was not yet a member of the company and simply came to the show to be entertained ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=633 by James Richter As it turned out, Steve and the Attic, the third chapter of The Miller’s Ghost, was much more difficult to produce than either chapter 1 or 2. It wasn’t any longer, and probably used fewer individual sound effects, and certainly had a lot less music. It ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=628 by James Richter Not really - I wasn’t born until the seventies. But my dad was. He began playing guitar in the late fifties, and by his senior year of high school in 1964, his band was playing at parties nearly every weekend. Coincidentally, one of the first scenes of ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=605 by Ginger Steiner Super Nervous A few weeks ago I had an audition for Mutineer's next production, Ditch written by the talented Ms. Taylor Coffman. I had not had an audition in quite a long time, so you can imagine I was super nervous. Yes, I know it was an audition for ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=595 By Amy Schloerb Right after my mom passed away I went to see a therapist for a while. She charged me way too much money, wanted me to get angry at my mom, and suggested I write a play to help deal with my feelings. I stopped going to see her. Later, ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=586 by James Richter The first installment of The Miller’s Ghost is just days away.  I’m grabbing every spare moment I can to assemble the hours of raw recordings I have into something that resembles the piece I’ve been hearing in my head.  It’s tough to find those moments, since during the ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=580 by Jon Cohn Early on in the pre-production process for Lie with Me, Keith (artistic director and playwright) decided to open up the auditions to the entire DC casting pool rather than rely solely on the wealth of talent in Charter’s company and artistic associates.  Prior to flying east for casting I ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=571 by Ryan Mulkay Friends of mine recently held a "Take That, Dude!" party/short film festival in their backyard. A night to watch films on a projection screen, enjoy drinks, eats and--ok, wait; I think I should explain. Amongst this group of friends is a director named Sean Tomazin who made a ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=548 by Jon Cohn In December of 2007 I met up with friend and playwright Keith Bridges to catch up on all things life and theatre while visiting family in Washington, DC over the holidays.  Keith is the Artistic Director of Charter Theatre and was in the midst of rehearsals for the ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=564 by Ginger Steiner So is anyone else disturbed by all the Beatles stuff that is penetrating the media lately? I know that this isn't the first band that all this madness has happened to, and I am sure that it will not be the last, by any means. I guess it ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=538 by James Richter Friday night is the culmination of four weeks of recording for The Miller’s Ghost. Marketplace Productions, my employer back in the days before I became a stay-at-home dad, was kind enough to allow me to use the Frank Stanton Studios in downtown LA. I’ve been there ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=531 by Jon Cohn After my first shoot with Natalie Young, it didn’t seem to take long for the photos to make it out into the universe.  Select images have been published in a South African photography magazine called “Migrate”, and Natalie was also invited to exhibit a series of the images ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=519 by Jon Cohn I first met photographer Natalie Young in 2004 while I was working as staff at The Groundlings and she was hired to take portraits of the Groundlings past and present for a then upcoming 30th Anniversary event.  We bonded in photo sessions with some of their best-known alumni, ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=507 by James Richter Today I distributed the final draft of The Miller's Ghost to the rest of MTC. Here's how it came together: While I wrote three songs during my vacation in Oregon, I didn't so much as open the file for TMG. It was too difficult for me to alter my ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=477 by Taylor Coffman Sunday night's Ditch workshop was amazing. Thanks to all who lent a hand. It all started as a cozy read-through in our apartment the week before. In just 3 rehearsals, Jon practically staged the entire piece. Sometimes in very close quarters... Nina, Todd, Amber, Peter and Ron were patient ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=395 by Maria Mastroyannis MTC, Thank you. Thank you to all of us for being honest and passionate. Thank you for being the place where we can not only speak our minds, but where we encourage and expect each other to speak from our hearts. It’s why I became an actor, struggled ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=390 by Kenneth Requa For a recent table read of the Untitled Prom Musical, I asked those participating if any of them would be willing to bring their laptop and read from a digital copy of the script. The musical has 9 speaking parts, and the script is nearly 100 pages long, ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=381 by Ginger Steiner [caption id="attachment_358" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="Boys wrestling"][/caption] My brother inspires me, all the hard work and dedication he puts into a traditional family sport (Swiss Wrestling), that he loves. Despite the toll it is taking on his body. (He is the one about to get tossed) [caption id="attachment_364" align="aligncenter" width="498" caption="Group ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=359 by Maria Mastroyannis Recently my family and I went to Portland, OR on vacation--one, to visit some good friends and two, because we love hanging out there.  We stayed in Hawthorne, in the southeast section of the city, east of the river.  In some ways, Portland is the opposite of ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=310 by Kenneth Requa My high school World History teacher had a big sign up in the front of his room that said simply, “Warum”, which is German for “Why”. It may seem a bit cynical. After all, it’s more fun to ask “Why not?” But, it’s often an important question to ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=317 by Myron Davis I have unashamedly been listening to Michael Jackson’s 2001 Number 1 hit “You Rock My World” on repeat in my car. I’ve watched the full-length short film and various other music video-length versions of the same. As I watch the video two thoughts go through my mind: 1) ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=303 by James Utt When I first arrived here, a local friend told me the L.A. rule regarding left turns:  “After the green light changes back to red, two cars are allowed to turn left. If a third car tries, it will be honked at or cut off.” Seeing my skepticism, my ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=300 by Taylor Coffman [caption id="attachment_258" align="alignright" width="223" caption="photo by steev-o"][/caption] From a young age, I’ve just been one of those people who aims to please… probably not the healthiest thing… probably still isn’t. When I think of myself as a performer, it’s pretty clear how this need manifests--the joy I get from ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=257 by James Utt MTC will soon decide upon its next production.  In addition to budget, cast size, set design and other considerations, there is the eternal debate:  Comedy or Drama? It’s doubtful that any theatergoer seeks out one format exclusively.  I know I don’t. For example, in the span of a week, ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=251 by Taylor Coffman Check out this video. A group of artists collaborating to make this in a week of time. Watching this kinda thing will surely lower your blood pressure. http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=234 by James Utt I enjoyed Hamlet 2 the other night.  Even though it’s a comedy about the self-absorption and insecurity of actors — embodied almost too well by Steve Coogan — the movie illustrates some useful principles: •         Personal stories — like the fight for a father’s approval — are universal stories. •         ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=182 by James Richter I’m in Sunriver, OR this week visiting my wife’s family. It’s a gorgeous setting amidst the pines and meadows of the high desert, and I’m surrounded with good company and good food. Yet I’m making an effort to tear myself away from all that for at least two ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=161 by Ginger Steiner We had a stab lab today (see Taylor's blog post, What is this thing called STAB LAB???). We worked on Taylor's play "Ditch", a piece that is about a relationship between a man and a woman and their inner struggles to deal with that relationship. I got to ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=158 by Ryan Mulkay It's sometimes the hardest thing to do. Recently I embraced the idea that I was coming up on my one year anniversary of residency in Los Angeles. So far I can say that this town has been good to me—even in the harsh times it is going through. ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=150 by Taylor Coffman [caption id="attachment_146" align="alignright" width="203" caption="Anne Lamott (Photo by mdesive)"][/caption] So I've decided to re-read Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird. I read it in college a couple moons ago, and now seemed a good time to read it again. The first page struck me as she says simply: "The first thing ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=143 by Myron Davis Women: While growing up in the black church and within a black family, respect was something that was drilled into me. I was surrounded by strong, assertive women who spoke their minds; the men were no slouches either. Now as a man, I have some amazing female friends. My ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=125 by James Utt [caption id="attachment_133" align="alignright" width="198" caption="Titan Arum"][/caption] I went to the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens last month to see the Titan Arum or "Corpse Flower."  With a bloom reaching six feet in height, this native to Sumatra is considered the world’s largest flower, but it is just as famous ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=132 by Ginger Steiner [caption id="attachment_106" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Crack Dip"][/caption] So, I got a lot of great comments on my last blog "LA living!" and one major question. "What exactly is Crack dip?". It is a delightful highly addictive sausage dip that I try to bring to every Mutineer company meeting. I introduced ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=105 by Taylor Coffman You might be wondering... as am I... what's next for MTC??? Well in my personal opinion, it could be one of the amazing things percolating in what we MTCer's call STAB LAB. What started as a workshop for scenes and audition sides has truly evolved into where the ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=103 by Myron Davis I was walking down the street in my neighborhood and thinking about what I need to be doing to kick my career to the next level as a director-writer-actor. The main answer that came to me was to “be prolific.” What prolific meant to me as I walked ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=101 by Jon Cohn I have long believed that theatre artists were far more successful at their craft when they had the opportunity to experience the world that they live in rather than submerge themselves in rather extensive programs to learn about it.  That's not to say that training is irrelevant or ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=97 by Maria Mastroyannis Upon my suggestion, three of us Mutineers went to see La Didone at the Red Cat last week.  My husband and I had seen Wooster Group’s ‘Hamlet’ there last year, and loved it.  That production had simply employed a fast-forwarded Richard Burton film recording of Hamlet from 1964 ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=95 by James Richter About half of the company gathered at my house last weekend for a table read of Act One of “Prom Night!” It wasn’t going to be practical to present any music in this format, since the folks reading the various characters weren’t necessarily singers, and I hadn’t ... http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=84 by Amber Hamilton Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.  (Find out more about Matt) I really just want to see the world.  I love this video because it shows so many amazing and beautiful places I can travel to some day! http://mutineertheatre.com/blog/?p=80