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As I write this we are just over 27 hours away from the opening of Chicago. It has been a long week of preparation, but I think we are getting close to being ready to open.  It’s exciting to have all but one performance sold out prior to the opening of the show.  We are trying to find some additional performance times to add to our schedule.  It can be difficult to get 19 cast members and 11 orchestra members to collectively agree upon added dates.  Everyone is busy and it makes adding dates to the schedule a trick.  I am confident that we will add at least two more performances, so stay in touch with the box office for more information.  We will also post new information on our website and our FaceBook page.

I have had a number of people ask why we didn’t stage Chicago on the mainstage.  There are several reasons.  First, we initially staged the show at the Adventure space in 2003 with great success.  We believe that part of the “magic” of that production was the intimacy of the show in that space.  I still believe the show would lose some of its magic if done on the Mainstage.  I also want to point out that this show is pretty racy.  The subject matter and language is fairly coarse and the costuming and dancing is pretty provocative.  I am sure we would get some complaints if we staged this show at the Mainstage.  Finally, even though we are sold out for the run, this still represents less than half of the seats available for the same length of run at the Mainstage.  We would have a lot of seats still left to sell if we were performing at the Mainstage.  We might in fact be able to sell that many seats, but I’m not sure.

Regardless of whether you agree with this “logic” or not, I believe that Chicago is a perfect fit for the Adventure Space and it is going to be a great show.  If you are lucky enough to have a ticket, I think you are going to love it.

I look forward to seeing you at the theatre.

Allen Shankles

ALT’s Mainstage production of Of Mice and Men opened last night to a small but appreciative house.  Though the show is heavy, I am having a hard time understanding why our audiences are not breaking down our doors to see this classic American masterpiece.

Our production Of Mice and Men is an incredibly strong show that I believe deserves to be seen by every theatre-lover in our area.  The story is very rich and compelling and the performances are great………across the board.  I am very proud of the show.  Can you tell?  As I related in an earlier blog, I am also proud of the “look” of the show.  I think we have wonderfully captured the coarse and rugged feel of this difficult time in America’s history.  The characters depicted in this play are struggling mightily to grab hold of a small piece of the American dream.

As an interesting side note, this show requires that a dog be on stage for an important scene in the show.  As you have always heard, it can be tricky to work with kids and/or animals on the stage.  I also knew it would be a challenge to find someone who would be willing to give their time to bring a dog to the theatre each night of performance.  To further complicate this, the dog is only in one scene and it didn’t seem appropriate to have a dog sitting at the theatre during the entire show.  The solution, which has turned out nicely, is my own dog, Dakota.  After some arm twisting, I convinced my wife (her agent)  to agree to bring Dakota to the theatre each night at a specified time.  Dakota makes her appearance and then loads up and heads back home.  Even though the whole process takes less than an hour, it’s quite a commitment of time and energy on Carrie’s part.  We are all grateful.

Dakota is a “rescue” dog that we found wandering in the country several years ago.  She is completely deaf, but has a remarkable sense of smell and she obeys hand signals very well.  She is one of the most loyal and gentle dogs we have ever had………..and we’ve had many.   I think she is tolerating her time on stage pretty well, although I don’t know if her “agent” will allow her to work for us again anytime soon.  Dakota and I are hoping that her appearance in the show will inspire someone to consider adopting a “rescue” rather than buying a dog.  There are so many great dogs just waiting to give their unconditional love to some lucky person.

If you have not yet made your reservations for Of Mice and Men, I hope you will do so today.

Allen Shankles

Dakota on stage in "Of Mice and Men."

After two weeks and a couple of days with Chicago, I rejoined the cast of Of Mice and Men on Wednesday night.  That show was being led by my very capable assistant, Melanie Sanders, for the past two weeks.  I was anxious to see what shape the show was in after spending such an extended time away from it.  I was very happy to see that the cast had made huge strides forward and that the show was in really good shape with a week of rehearsals still remaining before its opening.  Melanie did a great job guiding the cast in my absence and I am confident the show will be in terrific shape when it opens Thursday, January 19.

I am very excited that ALT is producing this classic piece of American literature.  Most everyone read the novella at one point in their lives and I believe high school kids are still reading it today.  Yes, it’s a pretty heavy piece, but it is also poignant and warm.  It is a story of true friendship and loyalty and the sacrifices that must sometimes be made to protect one’s friends and family from harm.   I believe the story holds up very well even today and it is certain to put a lump in your throat as it reaches its tragic conclusion.

Of Mice and Men is going to have a very rich and authentic look.  The set design, skillfully executed by ALT’s technical team, is an interesting mix of realism and expressionism, with the set pieces being very realistic but only fragmented pieces of a complete picture.   We are also featuring some great new talent in this production.  Of the cast of ten, four members of the cast are performing in their first ALT production.   These newcomers will join some of ALT’s most prolific performers including Travis Johnson, Scott Royster, Don Washburn, Don Shipman and Michael Westmoreland.

Allen Shankles

The ALT Academy production of “13,” which ran January 5-8 was a triumph in every way imaginable.   I was fortunate to have a seat for the Saturday matinee performance and I was overwhelmed with the creative work displayed by the cast members, director, music director and technical crew.  This show featured 21 young thespians, many of whom have been in our program for several years.  It showed.  These performers sang, acted and danced their way brilliantly through a very difficult piece of material and made it look easy.  Perhaps what impressed me most was the enthusiasm and “commitment” that made this production thrilling to watch.   This production reminded me again what I love about the theatre.  It can truly be inspiring and good for the soul.

Another aspect of the show that was very cool was the set.  The set was a giant iPad on which images for every scene in the show were projected.  It was very impressive.  Much of the work on the projections was completed by Academy parent, Dennis Humphrey, who volunteered many hours to this project.  His work was terrific and it added a great dimension to the production.

Even though this was an Academy production, the rich resources of ALT helped to make it truly spectacular.  These lucky students had the benefit of wireless microphones, one of our best sound technicians, great lighting and a live band featuring four of the area’s best musicians.  These are some of the same people who play for ALT Mainstage shows.   Few youth programs anywhere in the state offer such great opportunities.   It’s always worth remembering that as ALT prospers, so does our Academy.

If you missed “13″ this weekend, you missed a truly great theatre production.  Congratulations to Jason, Brandon and the cast and crew of “13″!!!

Allen Shankles

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a couple of days away.  It sneaks up on me every year, but this year it really took me by surprise.  Much of that is due to my crazy schedule.

It’s a pretty well known fact that I am not the jolliest of souls during the Christmas season.  I have been known to quote Ebeneezer Scrooge pretty regularly.  One year not too long ago, I proudly wore a button that said “Scrooge was right.”   I finally removed it after my wife told me how much it was irritating her.  Don’t need to ruin everyone’s mood just because mine is foul.  I don’t know where this attitude comes from………..I’m such a jovial and warm person all the rest of the time!  (That was an attempt at humor which will be appreciated by those who know and love me).  Honestly, I really love the fun times with family and friends during the Holidays, but I get annoyed with Christmas decorating and music starting right after Halloween, the traffic, the crush of people everywhere you go and the insane commercialism of what should be a warm and serene time.   Anyway, it usually puts me in a “funk” and it seems to be a little worse than normal this year.

My daughters both arrive from out of town tomorrow (Friday) and I plan to “turn my frown upside down” for the duration of their stay.  After tonight, I don’t have another rehearsal until Tuesday……….a much needed break………..and I am going to really try to relax and unwind for a few days before things get really intense.  Honestly, I really enjoy Christmas itself, it’s just the month or so leading up to it that gives me the blues.  Maybe I should try to go to more Christmas parties………….

So here’s the good part.  Despite the information given above, I truly want to wish all of my friends and family and everyone involved at ALT, the very best of Holidays.  I also wish for an abundant New Year for all of us.

We have some amazing theatre productions on tap for the first half of 2012 and I can’t wait to share that “gift” with all of you.

Merry Christmas……….peace to all…………goodwill toward all men (and women).   Those are my wishes for all of us.

Allen Shankles

Tonight we begin our second weekend of performances for The 39 Steps. Our opening weekend was a blast and, although the weather hurt our attendance, our audiences responded very favorably to the show.   Understandably, farce doesn’t appeal to everyone, but for those who enjoy it, I think this show is a treat.  I have to applaud the cast and crew for really taking control of this very difficult show and making it work so well.  It has been a challenge, but also lots of fun.  I’m hoping for four more great performances.

We had auditions for Of Mice and Men on Monday and Tuesday of this week.  I was concerned about casting nine men for the show, but we had a terrific turnout for the auditions and I was able to have some good choices for every role.  The cast list can be found on our website. We begin rehearsals on Wednesday.  That happens to be the day after we complete auditions for Chicago. Crazy, huh?  I will be directing two shows almost simultaneously.  This can only be accomplished with good assistance.   My Assistant Directors for both shows will share a lot of responsibility and will actually run several rehearsals during the process.

Speaking of Chicago. Auditions for that production are Monday and Tuesday, December 12 and 13 at 7:30 pm at the ALT Mainstage.  We expect to see an abundance of talent for this show and the competition should be fierce.  If you have never sat in on the audition process, this promises to be a good “show.”  Auditions are open to all…………both as performers or spectators.

If you have not made plans to attend The 39 Steps, I would encourage you to do that today.  It is lots of fun and should lift your spirits during this Holiday season.  Below is a photo from the production.

See you at the theatre.

Allen Shankles

Justin Loe and Carrie Huckabay in a scene from "The 39 Steps"

The 39 Steps, ALT’s second Mainstage production of the season is just one day away from opening.  It has been quite a process to get this show ready, but I believe the results are going to be lots of fun.  I have already blogged about the numerous sound cues in the show.  This week, we programmed 126 light cues for the show.  That process took most of the day on Monday and about half of Tuesday.  To put this into perspective, that is a typical number of light cues for a major musical.  In fact,  La Cage Aux Folles had just a few more cues than that.    To be such a “small” show  The 39 Steps has become a technical behemoth.   There are more than twice the number of people working behind the scenes than there are actors onstage.  There are a total of nine crew people working in support of just four actors!!

Even though the “tech” is a major part of this production, its success will certainly be due in large part to the great performers bringing the show to life on stage.  These three actors and one actress are all ALT veterans with lots of experience and training.  They are working hard to create a show which I believe will delight ALT audiences.   Even though Justin Loe only portrays one character in the show, he is onstage almost the every minute of the production.  It’s a big load.  Michael Newman and Travis Johnson play all of the other male characters in the show and even a few of the females.  Carrie Huckabay portrays three of the major female roles including a classic Hitchcock femme fatale and the classic “blond ingenue.”  Great performances abound.

ALT’s The 39 Steps promises to be a fun-filled night of laughter.  Even though it will appear very simple and light-hearted, I hope our audiences will also appreciate the great work that has occurred behind the scenes to make this show work.   It has certainly proven to be a “major” production.

I look forward to seeing you at the theatre.

Allen Shankles