<![CDATA[11:11 Theatre Company - Blog]]>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:05:22 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Foreverendia Rehearsal Notes]]>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:14:25 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/07/foreverendia-rehearsal-notes.htmlI was cleaning out my apartment when I found some old Foreverendia rehearsal notes from February 18, 2010.  They contain many words of wisdom from our director, Brian Tuttle.  Let's see what I wrote:
  • Don't worry about props; just act!
  • Right now the audience is ahead of us.
  • Life is a run-on sentence.  (Until someone stabs you.)
ACT I:
  • Don't exhale, dude.
  • Keep the essence of Lawrence.  Careful not to be precocious.
  • Have energy to find my echo.
  • Make that "yes and" happen in scene 1.
  • Remember my hand is upstage.
  • The monologue should be a run-on sentence.
  • Play with my hand more before touching Bailey's face.
  • Napkins.  Red handkerchiefs.
  • Good pace!  (yay)
ACT II:
  • Good stakes!  (hooray)
  • Don't raise head after death.
  • Don't look at Bailey post-revelation about Dad.
  • Don't talk like RoboCop.
  • You need a letter!
  • Learn that speech better!
  • Connect with Maureen before we hug!
  • Check lines.
  • Go right to ladder with Babbles.
I still talk like RoboCop.  But everything else I think I fixed, more or less.  Cheers!

   -Evan (Lawrence)
]]><![CDATA[Plotting a Heist]]>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:23:48 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/07/plotting-a-heist.htmlDon't worry, we haven't turned the theatre company into a den of thieves.  We are instead working on our fourth show of the season, The Great Heathersby Heist!  Brian Tuttle's first draft of this new work was read out loud for the first time last week amid lots of laughter and bad accents.  You like Transylvanian accents too, right?

The Great Heathersby Heist

World Premiere by Brian Tuttle
The Heathersby House is a beautiful museum in the heart of Boston that features a priceless heirloom art collection.  Unfortunately, the museum is only famous for one thing: theft.  Twelve years ago thieves made off with $20 million in paintings.  Now three down-on-their-luck friends see opportunity where others see only empty frames.  If someone else could steal paintings, why couldn’t a trio of bumbling idiots make off with some artistic loot too?  In this world-premiering comedy, everyone comes for the art—but they stay for the heist.

Weekends of April 8 & 15, 2011

See photos from the play reading

Check out our upcoming season]]><![CDATA[Start of Summer Means It’s Time to Write]]>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:04:37 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/06/start-of-summer-means-its-time-to-write.htmlPicture
Art by Sarabbit
Happy Summer!  11:11 has a busy few months ahead of us.  Not only are we preparing a fun, one-night-only audience-driven theatre night, we are also in the midst of writing for our upcoming season.

First on the docket: Edgar Allan Poe.  Each season we adapt a classic work for the stage, and it was back in March, I think, that we had that “Aha!  We should do Poe in October!” moment.  So we contacted Mr. John Greene, who created a fantastic proposal incorporating Poe’s short stories, letters and poems into a crazed, frenzied piece of theatre.

Next came the creation of a writing team.  To give John’s vision some 11:11 flavor, company members/playwrights Evan Quinlan and Noah Tobin agreed to take on some writing, while Brian Tuttle and I became supervisor/overseer/big picture types.

And after a few brainstorming and ground rules meetings, the writing began.  This included flurries of emails, arguments, pen throwing (I assume), and lots of Poe reading and rereading.

Finally, last night we reached a new step.  We gathered anyone who was willing to be gathered in our circle of company members, friends and coworkers (thanks guys!), and read the plays OUTLOUD.  Excitement!  For the first time we heard shorts of The Tell Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and about seven more plays all in one sitting.  I was never a Poe fanatic when I had to read him in high school, but it was really cool listening to all these works back to back.  
So next steps? Give feedback to the playwrights, and start figuring out how to turn all of these separate short plays into a whole.  And spend some time in the sun.
]]><![CDATA[Foreverendia on the Radio]]>Tue, 18 May 2010 16:21:52 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/05/foreverendia-on-the-radio.htmlPicture
On May 8, 2010, the whole cast of Foreverendia (excepting Noah Tobin, whose part of Mr. Babbles was played by Brian Tuttle) headed down to WHRB radio, Harvard's local broadcasting station.  The session was recorded by Alyce de Carteret.  It was a great time and we learned a lot!  The show aired on May 17.

Stream the broadcast
Part 1
Part 2
Download the broadcast
http://www.zshare.net/audio/762152682f558569/

Watch the video diary
]]><![CDATA[The Return of Discount Bookmarks]]>Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:33:49 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/04/the-return-of-discount-bookmarks.htmlPicture
We're breaking out the DISCOUNT BOOKMARKS again! 11:11ers are psyched to support Bad Habit Productions by attending Stop Kiss tonight at The Factory Theatre! Look for us, we'll be handing out our discount coupons to From Places Unknown opening April 30th!
]]><![CDATA[Help Us Find Color!]]>Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:34:05 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/04/help-us-find-color.html11:11 Theatre Company is considering some new color schemes for its company identity.  These colors would influence the new design of the Website, as well as our Twitter profile, programs, emails—you name it!  What do you like?  Leave a comment below!
]]><![CDATA[Watch The Three (Un)Wise Men Online]]>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:13:11 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/03/watch-the-three-unwise-men-online.htmlPicture
Check out our YouTube channel to watch the entire show of The Three (Un)Wise Men, our well-received bible parody with a big heart!

There's more as well, including our ongoing Building a Show series about 11:11's process for bringing a story to the stage.  Enjoy!
]]><![CDATA[Adding an Audience: The Final Piece of Any Production]]>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:10:12 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/03/adding-an-audience-the-final-piece-of-any-production.htmlOpening nights are always a strange experience. After hours in the rehearsal room poring over a play, any play becomes an event for those involved in the production. On opening night, for the first time you let people see it. It is exhilarating. It is terrifying. What will they think? Will they love it? Will they hate it? Will they even get it?

Foreverendia took the fervor of opening night to an extreme beyond what we had ever imagined. Artistic Director Brian Tuttle said it best on opening night. In 10 years of existence, 11:11 had never been so excited to share a production with the world. Foreverendia was a truly special experience for everyone involved.  From the first reading of the very first draft back in September through the run-up to opening night, it was nothing but a true joy.   We had worked together as a well-oiled machine with a unified vision. This play was special and we would do whatever it took to make it great.

The energy was palpable on opening night. We gathered for a pre-show conversation, and we looked back over the months of work leading up to that moment. This play was no longer just ours. No longer just a very special, private experience. We were about to share it with an audience.

Something magical happened that night. We shared. The audience came along with us for the ride. We could feel them every step of the way as the story unfolded. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Our audiences said it made them remember what it was like to be a child again.

As if we needed any further proof that what we had was worth sharing, we were greeted Tuesday morning by a glowing review from the Boston Theatre Review proclaiming our production of Foreverendia as “one of the most tender and thoughtful pieces” of the year and lauding every aspect of the production, from the writing straight on through the original score and ensemble acting work.

We were thought-provoking and induced nostalgia. Who could ask for anything more?

If you haven’t already, don’t hesitate. Buy your tickets now to one of our final three performances. You won’t regret the time and money spent with us in Foreverendia. It has been an honor for all of us to be a part of this production. Rarely do we get a chance to share such a special experience with so many people. For those of you who have already visited our land, thank you. For those of you we’ve yet to meet, I look forward to that opportunity!]]><![CDATA[Auditions for From Places Unknown by Jen DuBois]]>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:27:14 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/02/auditions-for-from-places-unknown-by-jen-dubois.htmlThis original play is about a couple who grapple with their memories regarding a foreign exchange student who dies on their watch.

Audition Time: March 9th and March 10th, 7:00pm-10:00pm
Audition Location: Factory Theatre Rehearsal Studio
Audition Requirements: Monologue, Headshot, Resume. Auditions will include reading from sides. Please be prepared to stay up to an hour. Please e-mail 1111theatre@gmail.com for an audition appointment.

Rehearsals start in late March. Rehearsals are Sundays-Thursdays in the BU area.

Production  Dates: April 30th- May 8th, 2010

Casting Breakdown:

LAURA, late twenties to late thirties, a blogger.
JONAH, late twenties to late thirties, a writer/teacher. Married to Laura.
ALICE, late twenties to late thirties, a teacher and co-worker of Laura’s.
PETE, late twenties to late thirties, a cop. Married to Alice.
JIHAN, eighteen, a foreign-exchange student visiting from Germany.
MS. PARSONS, age irrelevant, a social worker.
JIHAN’S MOTHER, forties-fifties. Jihan’s mother.]]><![CDATA[The Adventure of the Very, Very, Very Distant Castle]]>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:18:23 -0800http://www.1111theatre.com/1/post/2010/02/the-adventure-of-the-very-very-very-distant-castle.htmlEvery Foreverendia rehearsal, the actors go on an imaginary adventure in-character, outside, without the director present.  The title of each adventure is pulled from the Foreverendia script, in a section where Lawrence remembers the fantasies he shared with Bailey, Nim, and the imaginary Mr. Babbles as a child.  The intent is to provide the actors with real, shared memories of their characters interacting together as children.  This is an account of the first such exercise: The Adventure of the Very, Very, Very Distant Castle.  Enjoy!

After the capture of the Industrious and Clever Queen of Foreverendia, Lady Nim, our intrepid adventurers, led by the Gallant Sir Lawrence and aided by the Trusty Sir Babbles and the Beautiful Lady Bailey (she of the Face that Could Launch 1001 Ships - take THAT, Helen of Troy!) set out to rescue their Revered Queen.
 
Armed only with Sir Lawrence's clever sword/telescope device, Lady Bailey's healing elixir, and Sir Babbles's possibly-useless Mug of Destiny, they first had to avoid being seen by the Sentries directly outside Foreverendia (cleverly disguised as College Students! Lady Nim's captors would be a formidable opponent, no doubt). Sir Lawrence bravely led the rescue team along the road to Very, Very, Very Distant, astutely steering the party away from the cliffs and glacial rivers. Sir Babbles, ever the gentleman, offered his hand to the Fair Lady Bailey to jump over one of the cliffs after Sir Lawrence, onto the next stretch of road. No sooner had they crossed their first obstacle than they were shocked to find the Hill of the Sudden Suns, startling all three of our Very Intrepid Explorers. When they had sufficiently determined that these Sudden Suns could cause them no harm, they set back out in search of Lady Nim. Sir Babbles recorded this in the map of Foreverendia!
 
Not allowing their hopes to be dashed by the presence of a Mighty Glacial River before them, blocking their progress toward the Very, Very, Very Distant Castle, our trio of heroes used the wrappings of Sir Lawrence's sword/telescope device to create a raft. Lady Bailey made this brilliant observation, and all gave thanks to Crafty Sir Lawrence for his foresight to bring such a useful device on their journey.
 
Just beyond the Glacial River Sir Lawrence observed the Terrifying Fire Hydra, spewing forth flames and blocking their path. Brave Sir Babbles used the Mug of Destiny as a shield to catch the flames while Strong Sir Lawrence cut off the head of the Fire Hydra, and our Explorers continued on their mission until they reached the most insurmountable obstacle yet: A fork in the road!
 
Due to the Castle being Very, Very, Very Distant, our Heroes quickly realized they had never seen the Castle and could not locate it by sight. Trusting Fair Lady Bailey's instinct, the Party veered right and searched for #14, known Far and Wide to be Lady Nim's favorite number. Sadly, #14 did not exist, but such a conclusion led them to the proper region, where they were able to observe the stealthy movements of the Sentries in the Windows of the Very, Very, Very Distant Castle.
 
Our Heroes tugged with all their might and were able to free Lady Nim from the Castle. She appeared to have been Poisoned, as she was unresponsive upon her rescue, even after Sir Lawrence encouraged Lady Baily to use some of the healing Elixir on the Fair Queen.
 
After the trials and battles en route to the Very, Very, Very Distant Castle, none of our Adventurers were excited with the prospect of the equally arduous return to Foreverendia. They were lucky to discover a Friendly Dove to fly them back to Foreverendia, past the Fork in the Road, the Now-Not-So-Terrifying Fire Hydra, the Mighty Glacial River and the Hill of the Sudden Suns. Upon their safe return to Foreverendia, they rewarded the Friendly Dove with the remains of the Raft and Sir Lawrence's clever sword/telescope device.
 
Reunited with their Beloved Queen Nim, our three Heroes returned to the safety and comfort of Foreverendia.]]>