Make Certain You Can Be Heard and Seen

VOICE PROJECTION -- MAKE SURE EVERYONE CAN HEAR EVERY WORD YOU SAY

The audience needs to hear every word you say. Practice reaching the back row with your voice.  Enunciate clearly so they can get the words, even when doing an accent or different stage voice.

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND LETTING YOUR FACE BE SEEN

Facial Expressions accentuate your words.  Make certain your face can be seen by the audience, especially on laugh lines.

Tickets Are Going Fast

Call for Tickets to Come and Smile Often and Laugh More --

 Call Jan Hellman at the Main Street Pub and Grill'

515-885-0008

Come and See a Fun Play in an Intimate Dinner Theater Setting and Laugh the Night Away

Bancroft play promotes Murder, Laughter, and Better Plastic Surgery

In Better Times -- Bad Seed Jonathan Brewster and his Dear Aunt Martha 

Singing Karaoke ("Bad to the Bone") at the Main Street Pub and Grill 

Backstage in Bancroft presents “Arsenic and Old Lace”
 by Nathan Countryman, Assistant Editor, Algona Upper Des Moines

BANCROFT—The classic play “Arsenic and Old Lace” will be presented on Thursday, August 18, Friday, August 19 and Sunday, August 21 at Main Street Pub and Grill.

“This play isn’t about sex or love,” said director Rev. Dr. Glenn Wilson. “It’s about murder.”

Recently, members of the cast took a chance to introduce their characters to those in attendance of the Party in the Park.

Rev. Robert Wolfert is playing the character of Teddy Brewster. He is convinced he is the president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt, and is digging the locks of the Panama Canal in the basement of the Brewster house.

Rev. Dr. Glenn Wilson portrays Jonathan Brewster, who has received a bad plastic surgery job. The role was originally played by Boris Karloff, the actor made famous for playing Frankenstein and the Mummy.

Aunt Abby is played by Kate Thompson.

“My favorite line is ‘there is one gentleman in the basement that isn’t ours. The other 12 are our gentlemen,” Thompson said.

Victoria Koestler, co-president of Backstage in Bancroft, plays Dr. Witherspoon, the superintendent of the Happy Dale Sanitarium.

“All conventional households have secrets,” Koestler said.

Rev. Wayne Garman is portraying Mortimer Brewster, the titular character of the Mortimer household. He is a drama critic.

“Playwrights have no imagination and are killing theater,” Garman said was one of his favorite lines from the play.

Aunt Martha is played by Diane Wilson, a woman who loves to cook and mix up great things like elderberry wine.

“I take one gallon of elderberry wine and mix one teaspoon of arsenic, a half teaspoon of strychnine and a pinch of arsenic,” Diane said.

Director Glenn Wilson has had fun with working on the new theater start-up in Bancroft.

“Everything is new and takes building from the ground up many things that other theater groups have already done,” Glenn said. “We have a great cast, many of which have been acting for the first time.”


Glenn also praised Joseph Kesserling’s script as a drama that even new audiences could enjoy.

“Kesserling’s script holds up really well,” Glenn said. “He pokes fun at newspaper drama critics, and the script is a lot of fun.”

Tickets are currently on sale for the dinner theater of “Arsenic and Old Lace” to be shown on Thursday, August 18, Friday, August 19 and Sunday, August 21. Thursday and Friday’s shows begin at 6 p.m., and Sunday’s show begins at 4 p.m.  A social time begins at %;30 before the dinner on Thursday and Friday,  ON Sunday the meal follows the show.

The cost of the tickets is $30, with $20 going towards the four star meal meal.

“The staff of Main Street Pub and Grill will be serving a four star chicken cordon bleu, salad, potatoes and dessert,” Glenn said.

The other $10 goes to helping the new not for profit theater company starting up.

Advance tickets for the chicken cordon bleu meal need to be purchased by Friday, August 12.

The show has drawn talent from across Kossuth County and part of Hancock County for the production, including five different pastors in the roles of cast and crew.

“We’ve drawn talent from Algona, Burt, Titonka, Bancroft and Woden,” Glenn said.

Glenn also said that without Koestler and Charlie Kennedy’s work and vision, the creation of Backstage in Bancroft wouldn’t have been possible. Special thanks is also due John and Jan Hellman, owners of the host restaurant, the Main Street Pub and Grill in Bancroft.

Meet Out Great Cast of Characters! (And Get Your Tickets for the Play!)

The classic comedy, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” will be performed in a dinner theater at the Main Street Pub and Grill in Bancroft on Thursday, August 18, on Friday, August 19 and on Sunday, August 21.  

Start time on Thursday and Friday is 6 PM for dinner, preceded by a social time at 5:30 PM, with the performance after the dinner. On Sunday the performance begins at 4 PM with dinner afterward.  This show, popularized in a 1944 Cary Grant movie, is a great farce, with broad comic touches.

The year is 1941. The location is a pleasant house next to a cemetery, across from a church, in Brooklyn. In this house live two kind, thoughtful, sweet old ladies, Martha and Abby Brewster who have developed a very bad habit. It appears that they murder lonely old men who have some sort of religious affiliation and they consider doing it a charity, a kind of Christian mercy killing.  

The two women are assisted in their crimes by their mentally challenged nephew who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and who frequently blasts a bugle and yells "charge" as he bounds up the stairs. The aunts leave it to Teddy to take them to the Panama Canal (the cellar) and bury them. In the most recent case, they say the "poor fellow" suffers from yellow fever found in the window seat. It is another of their nephews Mortimer Brewster, a dramatic critic, who returns home only to find the man in the seat by mistake. Then the sinister nephew Jonathan, and his alcoholic friend, Dr. Einstein arrive, and all confusion breaks loose! 

Here are the cast members and the parts they play:

Mike Lavelle plays Mr. Gibbs, a gentleman looking for a quiet place to stay, who sees his life flash before his eyes when he is offered a glass of the aunt’s special, homemade elderberry wine.  It packs quite a kick.

Kate Thompson plays Aunt Abby Brewster: Abby, like her sister Martha, is old-fashioned. She appears to be a quite conservative elderly woman who values the conventions of the past. She attends church regularly and donates toys to the local Christian fund.   But she murders the older gentlemen as an act of” charity.”

Abby’s sister, Martha Brewster is played by Diane Wilson: Martha is as ironically old fashioned as her sister. She exhibits kindness and compassion with the neighbors and follows social conventions of behavior.

Mortimer Brewster, played by Rev. Wayne Garmen, exhibits genuine affection for his fiancée Elaine, his aunts, and for Teddy. As soon as he discovers the dead body in the window seat, his immediate goal is to protect his aunts. He bravely stands up to his brother Jonathan at the risk of his own safety.

Elaine Harper is played by Carole Bernhard. : Elaine exhibits a modern sensibility for a woman during the 1940’s She is self confident, quick witted, and "surprisingly smart for a minister's daughter."

Next we have the most fun character of all, the President of the United States, Teddy Brewster, played by Rev. Bob Wolfert: Teddy has lost all contact with reality, completely immersed in the delusion that he is Teddy Roosevelt. He covers up the aunts' murderous activities as he buries the dead bodies in the basement, which he insists contains the locks of the Panama Canal.

Then we have the famous Dr. Einstein, played by Shelly Pederson: Dr. Einstein, Jonathan's evil sidekick. He adds to the comedy through his alcoholic tendencies, which cause him to remake Jonathan into the image of Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein.

The toughest cop in Brooklyn, Lt. Rooney, is played by Pat Berte– Rooney is a driven commander of her squad. She has a iron will and refuses to believe the “fantasy” of 13 bodies being buried in the cellar.

The loyal police person, the esteemed Officer Brophy, is played by Sharon Berte : Brophy has known the Brewster family for a long time, and helps in rescuing Mortimer and Klein from Jonathan's clutches.

The Reverend Dr.Harper, played by Charles Kennedy” has old-fashioned values, appreciating the "gentle virtues.”. His disapproval of the theater makes him initially wary of the union between his daughter Elaine and Mortimer.

Any police force has an officer who has more brawn than brain – on the Brooklyn police force it is Officer Klein, played by Benjamin Wilson: Klein, like his partner Brophy, appreciates the sisters' charity and believes them to be among the kindest inhabitants of the neighborhood.

Then we have the policewoman turned playwright, or should I say the playwright turned policewoman, the cute by clueless Officer O’Hara:: Officer O'Hara distinguishes herself from her fellow officers by the fact that he has written a play, only it is all in her head!

Dr. Witherspoon is played by Victoria Koestler – The respected psychologist and Superintendent of Happy Dale, she is very careful and meticulous, but is still swayed by the promise of a donation and the peace given by a glass of wine.


The sinister villain Jonathan Brewster is played by Glenn Wilson. Jonathan is a vicious criminal with a penchant for torture. He was "the kind of boy who liked to cut worms in two--with his teeth." He has no consideration for his aunts as he plots to turn their home into a “beauty parlor.” He is the father of all bad guys.

Come and Have A Night of Laughter and Smiles

 Backstage in Bancroft Players Production

Thurs., Aug. 18 • 5:30 pm
Fri., Aug. 19 • 5:30 pm
Sun., Aug. 21 • 4:00 pm
$30.00 -- Four Star Dinner and a Show
Main Street Pub & Grill • Bancroft, Iowa
Make your reservations early!
Limited seating.
For tickets or more information call
Jan Hellman at 515-885-0008

Arsenic and Old Lace (Whole Play) - Northside Theatre

An Ad for Another Production of Arsenic and Old Lace -- Mortimer Sings the Blues

Arsenic and Old Lace Schedule of Practices and Director's Notes

Let us make every effort to be off book on these practices -- It is time for everything to come together ...

(note cards can be used this week, if needed -- also, you may need to make notes on your blocking, as we will drop reading stage directions aloud after this week)

Tuesday, August 9 --  (Act 1 twice) (6:30 PM school)

Wednesday, August 10 -- (Act 2 and 3) (6:30 PM School)

Thursday, August 11 -- (All acts) (6:30 PM school)

Sunday, August 14 -- 3 PM at school (all acts)

Monday, August 15 (All Acts) at Main Street Pub and Grill
                            Check Lighting and Sound Effects 6:30 PM
Dress Rehearsal (Pictures)

Tuesday, August 16 (All Acts) at Main Street Pub and Grill
                  6:30 PM

Wednesday, August 17 (All Acts) at Main Street Pub and Grill
Dress Rehearsal and Makeup 6:30 PM

Thursday, August 18 -- PERFORMANCE 6 PM  (Intermission after Act One each Performance -- Toast at end)

Friday, August 19 PERFORMANCE 6 PM

Sunday, August 21 PERFORMANCE 3 PM


The Dinner at the End of the Play will also serve as our Cast Party


Curtain Call -- 
The Four Police Persons
Rev. Dr. Harper, Dr. Witherspoon, Mr. Gibbs
Dr. Einstein and Jonathan
Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha
Mortimer and Elaine 
Teddy 


Then Jeff and Crew
then acknowledge Hellmans
then the final toasts

If needs be we will practice at 2 PM on Sunday, August 14

If we have time each night we will do parts of  the same or another act in addition to what we are focusing on. We will stop at 9 PM each night, no matter where we are in the script, until the week before and the week of, when we may go later if necessart. Please make practices if at all possible, we are entering crunch time. Learn your lines and make notes to yourself on blocking so that you are where you need to be on each line of the play.

We are in progressing well, we just need to tighten it all up for a good show.  And remember to invite people to buy tickets and come to the show.

Also, if you need any prop or costume accesory tell Shelly so she and Diane can look for it for your character.

Once You Learn Your Lines, Acting Becomes Fun!

How to Memorize Lines!

Memorization Tips for Actors and Actresses

from the late great actor George C. Scott:

How do those actors and actresses memorize hundreds of lines? How does someone commit all those fancy Shakespearean lines from Hamlet to memory? Memorizing lines takes practice and constant repetition. However, there are a few ways to make the memorization process run smoothly and quickly.

Read Out Loud (And Repeat, Repeat, Repeat):
For most performers, there is no short cut to memorizing lines. To learn lines, an actor must recite the play out loud, over and over again. Most rehearsals encourage this by “running through the lines” or having a “read through.”

By the time opening night arrives, most actors have spoken their lines hundreds of times. In addition to constant repetition, consider these supplemental techniques:

When possible, read lines with other actors or with a friend or family  member.  The other person will give you support and provide good learning tension for the memorization of the lines.  You will never learn your lines by osmosis or magic.  Open the script and work at it.  There is absolutely no other way. Once you learn your lines you are like a baby that has learned how to walk.  Now it can be fun!

Write them down while saying them aloud

Make note cards with your lines.  Write them down while saying them aloud to cement them in your brain. Do this process several times, until you get them.  First, just write your own lines. Then write them with cue lines and your lines.  Then write them with cue lines and your line and the next line.  Use a card for each of your lines (Note cards are cheap and it will be worth it to you -- once you learn your lines, every other part of the production comes into place.  You can then concentrate on blocking and stage business to accentuate your lines and identify your character's personality.)

Listen to Your Cast Members:

Sometimes inexperienced or poorly trained actors spend rehearsals staring blankly at fellow performers, waiting patiently to say their next line. Instead, they should be listening attentively, responding in character at all times.

This will not only generate a better performance, it will also help the actor learn his lines because the context of the dialogue is absorbed. Pay attention and the other person’s lines will serve as a cues or “memory triggers” during the performance.

Record Your Lines:

Because there is often not enough rehearsal time, many performers find ways to listen to the play’s dialogue during everyday activities. Turn your work-outs, chores, and recreational activities into a “read through” with the help of your headphones or your i-pod. Aside from constant rehearsals, this method seems to be the most popular way to memorize lines.

Use a tape recorder (or  an MP3 player-GW) to capture the lines from each relevant scene. Some actors prefer to record the lines of all the characters, including their own. Then, they not only listen intently, but they speak all of the lines. Others opt for recording the lines of fellow cast members, but they leave a blank space so that they can insert their dialogue while listening to the recording.

Monologue While Motoring

Personally, I have found the freeway to be to best place to memorize lines. I mastered all of my Shakespeare monologues driving back and forth on Highway 128. If your commute to work is twenty minutes or more, then your automobile can become a makeshift rehearsal space. For one, it’s a nice private place to listen to your recorded dialogue. Then, when you have the basic dialogue and monologues down, you can perform as your putter your way through traffic.

The acoustics in your car might be lousy; however, it’s a great place to guffaw, growl, or shout your lines, getting them nicely solidified in your memory banks. Hopefully, your carpool group won’t mind!

Get Up and Move!

Whenever possible, incorporate your stage directions while you say your lines aloud. According to a scientific study conducted by psychologists Helga and Tony Noice, the combination of movement and speech strengthens a person’s ability to recall the next line.

Here’s how Ms. Noice explains it: “Memory is aided by physical movement. In one study, lines learned while making an appropriate motion — e.g., walking across a stage — were more readily remembered by actors later than were lines unaccompanied by action.”

So, during the learning the script, make certain your join the words with appropriate movements and gestures. Of course, this tip might not be helpful if you are playing the paralyzed protagonist from Whose Life is it Anyway. But for most roles, the Noice team has provided excellent advice!

Think Positively and Don’t Panic!

Don’t let the butterflies in your stomach torment you too much. Most thespians experience stage fright minutes, hours, even weeks before opening night. While a certain amount of nervousness can get the adrenaline going, too much anxiety over lines might hinder an actor’s performance.

Actors forget lines now and then. It happens. When it happens, however, most of the time the audience never notices. Forgetting a line is only disastrous if the performer breaks character.

So, if you forget a line in the middle of your performance, don’t freeze. Don’t get flustered. Don’t look out to the audience. Don’t call out, “Line!” Stay in character. Keep the scene going to the best of your ability, and with the help of your fellow cast members you will get back on track.

Take solace in the fact that if you forget a line once, you will probably never forget that line ever again! Sometimes embarrassment is the strongest and toughest method of memorization!

Make Plans to Come to the Classic Comedy!

August 18, 19 and 21

Backstage in Bancroft Production

at the Main Street Pub and Grill

Bancroft, Iowa
Tickets on Sale Now at the
Main Street Pub and Grill
$30 each for Dinner and show

Blocking and Stage Business -- Some Explanations and Rules for the Play

Think of acting as like baking a cake. To make a cake, you need the ingredients -- eggs, milk, etc. To make a cake pretty, you need things like icing.  So we start with lines in acting, and then add other things to make the illusion a reality on stage.

Blocking is stage movement such as go downstage right at this one specific line or part in the play. Stage business is what makes blocking into acting. It's what a character would really do. 

Imagine how your character walks -- not how you walk, but your character -- blocking is putting stage directions into reality onstage.  Remember the divisions of the stage that we posted earlier.  You can go back and find them on this blog.  We have a narrow stage, so we will not be moving as much physically, which means, all the more, we must show "movement" in our eyes and facial expressions, and, when we do move, it must be for a purpose.

Remember that a key concept is usually only one movement on stage at a time, allowing the audience to focus on the moving character and/or on the line being spoken at the time.

Stage Business

Stage business are the actions that make real the character, in addition to the blocking movements.  This includes all visual activity an actor does on stage other than personal business that fills out the details of his character. Some stage business is in the stage directions of the play itself.  But some stage business, because we are a COMMUNITY theater, must be altered a bit for our audience and our non-professional cast.

So pats on the fanny become pats on the arm or shoulder, and kisses become pecks on the cheek or "stage kisses" -- where on actor's back is to the audience and foreheads touch in imitating a "kiss".  The key is to sell the illusion of the kiss without being personally invasive on another actor or actress.  Hits on the head become hits ont he back or arm, with the reaction of the one hit selling the illusion.

Stage Furniture Needed

a small dining table

a small desk

a set of shelves where the wine is kept

period stuffed chair or small couch

period lamps (2)

period telephone

A WINDOW SEAT BOX (one may need to be made)

Steps for staircase (that leads offstage to a platform)

Props Needed (more may be added, but these are necessary)

 bugle (trumpet)

painting easel

set of china for shelves and to be used by Martha and Abby

Garnet Ring (Grandmother Brewster's)

large envelope (Mortimer's)

papers to be signed for committals and pen

Body for window seat

Second body (Mr. Spenalzo)

luggage for Jonathan and Einstein

Medical bag for Einstein's instruments

glasses for wine and Elderberry wine container

handcuffs for Jonathan

fake (rubber or plastic) billy club

fake pistols for police persons

Cross for Rev. Dr. Harper to wear

Costumes Needed

check with each actor

Police Costumes (4 uniforms)

Elaine's outfits
'
clerical collar for Rev. Dr. Harper

Yet Another Production -- Arsenic and Old Lace Trailer

Still One More Arsenic And Old Lace Trailer

Another Arsenic and Old Lace Trailer from Another Production of the Classic Play

A Commercial by AAnother Drama Troupe for Arsenic and Old Lace -- JMB Drama Presents: Arsenic and Old Lace

The Cast is Set -- Learn Your Lines, Get Your Blocking, and Get Ready to Rumble!

The cast of the Bancroft dinner theater production of the play "Arsenic and Old Lace" has been announced by Backstage in Bancroft President Victoria Koestler and Producer Charles Kennedy.  The play will be presented on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, August 18, 19 and 21 at the Main Street Pub and Grill in Bancroft.

The characters and the actors are: Mortimer Brewster: Wayne Garman; Elaine -- Carole Bernhard; Aunt Abby- Kate Thompson; Aunt Martha -- Diane DiPietro Wilson; Teddy Brewster -- Robert Wolfert; Dr. Einstein -- Shelly Pederson; Officer Brophy -- Sharon Berte; Officer Klein -- Benjamin Wilson; Lt Rooney -- Patricia Berte; Dr. Witherspoon -- Victoria Koestler; Rev. Dr. Harper -- Charlie Kennedy; Officer O'Hara -- Joanna Wilson; Jonathan Brewster --Glenn Wilson.

The play is directed by Glenn Wilson and the four star meal will be provided by the chefs at the restaurant.  Tickets for the production will go on sale in mid-July at the Main Street Pub and Grill.

The Fun of Creating -- Another Production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" Presentation

Working Together We WIll Make a Great Production!

Chairman and Crew Responsibilities

This is a guideline, especially created for those who are doing their first show. Feel free to add to this list, being careful to coordinate with the Production Team, Glenn Wilson, Victoria Koestler and Charlie Kennedy.

Thank you all for sharing your special talents! It's going to be a GREAT SHOW! 

Show dates for Arsenic and Old Lace are Thurs. Aug. 18, Fri. Aug. 19 and Sunday Aug 21. 

ALPHABETICALLY

The Costume Chairman will help facilitate all matters involving costumes collaborating with the Production Team to create the costume style and "looks." Each cast member will be asked to prepare what they believe would work for their costumes. Collaborating with the CAST, the Chairman will assist in finding costumes, conducting fittings, and coordinating a sewing crew. They will be responsible for setting up the dressing rooms, backstage dressing logistics and maintaining costume racks.

The Costume Crew is responsible for sewing, upkeep, repair, and cleaning of all costumes during the run of the production. They may also be assigned to assist with quick changes or other backstage duties. During Strike, the Costume Crew and Chairman are responsible for returning all costumes in good condition.

Hair and Make up Crews are responsible for assisting cast members with hair and make-up application during the dress rehearsals and all 3 productions. Actors should apply their own make-up and hair style unless there are special make-up effects or particularly complicated hair styles. Then Hair and Make-up Crew will assist, possibly making changes during the show or other back stage duties. They are responsible for keeping the hair and make-up area clean, sanitary, and restocking supplies.

The Lighting Designer will be responsible for creating the lighting environment for the show in consultation with the director. With the director, the designer will need to set specific cues and levels for the show during rehearsals, watching the blocking in rehearsal to determine the control necessary for the lighting, for example, if an actor should be isolated. As cues will change, the designer must be able to make refinements in between rehearsals. For the sake of the production, the designer should integrate lighting into the rehearsal as quickly as possible. 

The Lighting Crew will be responsible for hanging lights and focusing the lighting plot, running the lighting board during the technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals and at our public performances. The light board operator is responsible for maintaining any paperwork including the Light Cue List for the show and performing dimmer checks as well as light checks before each Dress Rehearsal and performance. 

The Menu Chairman is responsible for deciding on the menu, coordinating with the Pub owners, and creating a great meal for our audience.

The Paint Chairman is responsible for coordinating with the production team to determine colors on the set. The paint chairman will obtain the paint, stain, brushes, rollers, pans, etc and organize the crew to complete the painting before dress rehearsals begin, if possible.

The Paint Crew is responsible for painting or staining the set, backdrops, possibly furniture or anything that needs to be painted.

The Fundraising/Marketing/Publicity Crew will assist in the development of a publicity campaign to promote and raise funds for our show. This will include brainstorming how we might promote the production, get people to attend, create and distribute posters to display, a program cover, getting articles in the newspaper one week prior to performance, scheduling TV coverage, making banners or any additional promotional ideas and materials to help advertise our play. 

 The Fundraising/Mktg/PR Crew may need to assist the Program Designer in doing a program layout, the data entry, and creating a final proof for the printers. You will need to ask the cast to e-mail you their bios for inclusion in the program and one member of the crew will need to take their head shots. Basically, your job is to advertise the show, fill all the seats, prepare the tickets, prepare the programs, raise funds to pay for the show and basically sell the show! That's all.

The Program Designer is responsible for designing the program handed out to the audience before each performance. It will contain information about each person in the cast, a director's note, perhaps a brief history of the playwright, perhaps a brief summery of the play, an outline of the acts of the play with intermissions noted, advertising, etc. The Program Designer will coordinate with the Fundraising/Mktg/Publicity Team to have the programs printed and delivered well in advance of the performances to the Ushers Chairman who will see that they are handed out to the audience by the ushers.

Making Tickets

(The Ticket Sales Chairman is willing to do this, but you'll need to coordinate with her.)

A specific deadline for the publicity campaign will need to be determined. 

The Props Chairman is responsible for coordinating their crew and obtaining all props on the prop list and/or any the director sees fit to add to the production. She/he maintains the prop table neatly, so that actor/actresses may obtain them quickly before going on stage, oversees the placement of props on the set between scenes, oversees the return of props to the table and ultimately to their owners after Strike.

The Props Crew assists the Chairman in obtaining all the props for the production, setting them on stage between scenes, returning them to the props table if necessary and keeping the props table neat and orderly. During Strike they see that all props are returned to their owners in good condition.

The Set Designer is responsible for designing the set in coordination with the director, organizing the construction crew to create the set, and striking the set seeing that any salvageable parts are properly stored until the next production.

The Set Crew is responsible for constructing the set, with the safety of the actors in mind, by following the plan set out by the Set Designer. This includes the platform or stage itself, back drops if needed and any items of décor that need to be made.

The Sound designer is responsible for the creation of the sound environment of a production. Working with the director, the sound designer selects appropriate music for transitions, in between scenes, internal sound effects, records sound effect cues, and selects change and preshow music. During rehearsals, the designer with the director will set sound levels and specific cues. As cues will change, the designer must be able to make refinements. For the sake of the production, sound should be integrated into the rehearsal as quickly as possible. 

The Sound Crew/Board Operator is responsible for implementing the Sound Design and maintaining all sound equipment for the show as well as any paperwork including Sound Cue Sheets. The Sound Board Operator performs a sound check prior to each Technical and Dress Rehearsal, and each performance. He/she is responsible for safely storing all tapes, master tape, mini discs, and/or CDs after each rehearsal and performance. During Strike, the Sound Board Operator returns all tapes, mini discs and/or CDs.

The Stage Décor Chairman is in charge of obtaining “time appropriate” furniture, pictures, curtains, bedspreads, tablecloths or anything that sits on the stage for the production that is not hand held. (Hand held items are under the direction of the Prop Chairman.) The Stage Décor Chairman is also in charge of coordinating the placement of all décor items securely on the set well before dress rehearsals begin. She/he also coordinates the striking of these items.

The Stage Décor Crew is responsible for assisting the Chairman in locating items used in Stage Décor, placing them on the set, striking them and returning them to their proper owners in good condition.

The Stage Manager assists in the facilitation of rehearsals, including taking notes, recording blocking (movement on stage) and moving furniture when necessary. An important aspect of the stage management function in a production is to keep a PROMPT BOOK. It includes the script, scenery shift plans, special effect cues. Therefore, the Prompt Book needs to be present at each rehearsal so that notes and alterations might be made. The stage manager for each scene is in charge of the Prompt Book. You will need to show up for this rehearsal ahead of time to set up the space and prepare for the rehearsal. 

The Stage Manager's Crew is responsible for implementing any scene changes during dress rehearsals and performances including but not limited to set pieces, set dressing, furniture, etc. and for any flying and some costume changes. Typically the crew wears black. Scene changes should be accomplished with polish, professionalism and purpose.

The Ticket Sale/Office Chairman is responsible for preparing, printing and distributing individual tickets for each performance, taking calls and requests for tickets, assigning seats for the dinner which coordinate with seating for the theater presentation. Ticket preparation should be coordinated with the Fundraising/Mktg/Publicity Team.

The Ushers Chairman will be responsible for organizing ushers for each production and seeing that programs are available for them to give to the audience.  Ushers will move the audience from the dinning room to the theater in an orderly manner passing out programs in the process. Ushers are encouraged to be as friendly and helpful as possible. Usually ushers wear black and white dress clothes.

Thank you all for making this a great show!

Off to Work We Go, to Plan a Wonderful Show!

Back Stage in Bancroft

Community Dinner Theater

Crew Lists

Administrative Team

President

Victoria Koestler victoriakoestler@gmail.com 320-6395

Vice President

Charlie Kennedy ekennedy@hickorytech.net 885-2269

Secretary

Patricia Berte berte76@hotmail.com

Treasurer

Gene Vaske

Production Team

Director

Glen Wilson glennwilsonusa@hotmail.com 341-5467

Assistant Director

Victoria Koestler victoriakoestler@gmail.com 320-6395

Producer

Charlie Kennedy ekennedy@hickorytech.net 885-2269

Lighting

Designer

Jason Pederson

Technician

Jeff Broesder

Crew

Ben Wilson

Sound

Technician

Tony Heldorfer

Crew

Ben Wilson

Ushers

Chairman

Ellengray Kennedy

Crew

Tony Accurso 

Sharon Cowin

Jan Deiterin

Darlene Caylor

Annette Ratigan

Patricia Berte

Stage Managers

Patricia Berte berte76@hotmail.com

Jeff Broesder

Crew

Carol Bernhard caroleleeb@hotmail.com

Ben Wilson

Patricia Berte 

Paint

Designer

Christina Gibbs

Crew

Diane Zeller napa@hickorytech.net

Ashley Kelly

Jaxon Leslie

Ben Wilson

Mandi Goche

Set

Designer

John Hellman mstpub@hickorytech.net

Jan Hellman

Construction Crew

Allison Delperdang

Darren McGregor

Scott Goche

Stage De'cor

Chairman

Joanna Wilson

Crew

Annette Ratigan

Ben Wilson

Make Up Artists

Christina Gibbs

Molly Eichenberger 538-0397

Hair Stylist

Ellengray Kennedy

Props

Chairman

Diane Zeller

Crew

Christina Gibbs

Ashley Kelly

Sharon Cowin

Ben Wilson

Shelly Pederson machp23@aol.com

Kate Thompson kthompson@algona.com

Costume Design

Shelly Pederson machp23@aol.com 320-0356

Crew

Diane Zeller

Sharon Cowin 320-3222

Annette Ratigan

Program Designer

Sharon Cowin

Fundraising/Mktg/Publicity

Chairman

Charlie Kennedy ekennedy@hickorytech.net 885-2269

Crew

Christina Gibbs

Allison Delperdang

Sharon Cowin

Annette Ratigan

Shelly Pederson

Sharon Berte mailto:sberte@netamumail.com11

Ticket Sales/Office

Chairman

Jan Hellman janhellman49@yahoo.com 320-3470

Crew

Helen Ricke

Menu

Darlene Schiltz

Additional Help If You Need It

Helen Ricke

Lora Moore

What a Great Cast! What a Great Play! Wbat a Great Restaurant!

The cast of the Bancroft dinner theater production of the play "Arsenic and Old Lace" has been announced by Backstage in Bancroft President Victoria Koestler and Producer Charles Kennedy.  The play will be presented on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, August 18, 19 and 21 at the Main Street Pub and Grill in Bancroft.

The actors and their parts are: Mortimer Brewster: Wayne Garman; Elaine -- Carole Berhard; Aunt Abby- Kate Thompson; Aunt Martha -- Diane DiPietro Wilson; Teddy Brewster -- Robert Wolfert; Dr. Einstein -- Shelly Pederson; Officer Brophy -- Sharon Berte; Officer Klein -- Benjamin Wilson; Lt Rooney -- Patricia Berte; Dr. Witherspoon -- Victoria Koestler; Rev. Dr. Harper -- Charlie Kennedy; Officer O'Hara -- Joanna Wilson; Jonathan Brewster -- Glenn Wilson.


The play is directed by Glenn Wilson and the four star meal will be provided by the chef's at the restaurant.  Tickets for the production will go on sale in mid-July at the Main Street Pub and Grill.

Arsenic And Old Lace -- Jonathan Returns With the Face of Karloff!

Blocking -- Deciding Where Actors Are Standing or Moving When They Speak Their Lines

Blocking is a theater term which refers to the precise movement and positioning of actors on a stage in order to facilitate the performance of a play.

The term derives from the practice of 19th century theatre directors who worked out the staging of a scene on a miniature stage using blocks to represent each of the actors.

In contemporary theatre, the diretors usually determines blocking during rehearsal, telling actors where they should move for the proper dramatic effect, ensure sight lines for the audience and work with the lighting design of the scene.

Each scene in a play is usually 'blocked' as a unit, after which the director will move onto the next scene. The positioning of actors on stage in one scene will usually affect the possibilities for subsequent positioning unless the stage is cleared between scenes. Once all the blocking is completed a play is said to be 'fully blocked' and then the process of 'polishing' or refinement begins. During the blocking rehearsal usually the assistant director or the stage manager (or both) take notes about where actors are positioned and their movement patterns on stage.

Stage directions

House right/left are from the audience's perspective

The stage itself has been given named areas to facilitate blocking.

• The rear of the stage is considered up-stage. This derives from old outdoor performances, where the stage sloped up away from the audience.
• The front of the stage is down-stage.
• Stage Left and right, at least in British and North American theatre, refer to the actor's left and right facing the audience. Because this is sometimes misunderstood the terms prompt (actor's or stage left) and opposite prompt (actor's or stage right) are also used.
• House left and house right refer to how the audience perceives the stage. The audience’s left is referred to as house left, and the audience’s right is referred to as house right.)

Other Productions -- Arsenic and Old Lace (Whole Play) - Northside Theatre

Other Productions -- The Alban Presents Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace -- Teddy, Mortimer and Witherspoon

Teddy and the Aunts and Mortimer -- The End of the Movie

Stage Dictionary -- Common Terms of Stage Directions and Other Important Things

STAGE AND ACTING TERMINOLOGY

 STAGE DIRECTIONS, AREAS, BODY POSITIONS, and MOVEMENT 


Closed            The actor is turned away from the audience.

Countercross    Adjustment in the opposite direction of the cross.

Cover             An actor stands in front of another actor.
                           


Acting Area    Two sit-down positions 6' or more apart.

Action             Pursuit of a specific goal.

Apron             Also known as forestage, that part of the stage which juts out in front of the curtain.

Aside              A line spoken to a character which is not supposed to be heard by others on stage.

Beat                From the beginning to the end of an intention or objective.

Build               Increase volume or tempo to reach a climax.

Concentration    Giving complete attention to something. Key to effective acting.

Cue                 Line or piece of business which tells another actor it is time to speak or act.                                   
Pick up cues - Actors may be given the direction to pick up cues. This means to begin speaking immediately as the cue is finished, and possibly even before.

Dialogue         Lines spoken by the characters in a play, scripted by a playwright. Be true to the script.

Ensemble Acting    The stress is on the group rather than on an individual performance.

Fourth wall       In an interior setting of four wall, the side between the actor and the audience.

Given Circumstances                     
Unchangeable fact that affects the playing of the scene. Particularly important are time, place, social, educational, and climactic facts.

Ground Plan   
Arrangement of the place of the scene. Includes walls, steps, furniture, doors and so forth.         Drawn as if directly overhead. NOTE: A high-tension ground plan has 5 or more acting areas.

Motivation      Why a character does what he or she does.

Mugging         A term for exaggerated facial expressions.

Objective        Pursuit of a specific goal. Must be phrased in terms of action - to _____ him/her. Intention.

Obstacle         Physical or psychological hindrance or obstruction.

Point  (or punch)     Giving special emphasis to a word or business. For instance, the last line of a scene, act or play is usually pointed.

Properties       "Things" or "objects" which are integral to the performance.                                       
Kinds:    1.    Hand props - small things held in the hand (coffee cups, pens, etc.)
                                                       
2.    Personal props - Things which are carried by an actor but are specifically used by him                                (watches, cigarette holders, glasses, etc.)
                                                       
3.    Costume props - Costume accessories (gloves, etc.).
                                                       
4.    Stage props - Items used to dress the stage (books, lamps, etc.)
                                       
Prop table - Table placed offstage where properties are placed when not in use.

Runthrough    An uninterrupted rehearsal of the entire scene, act, or play. This is in contrast to a "working" rehearsal where director or technicians may stop the run to work problems, or a "blocking" rehearsal where director gives movement to actors.

Stealing           Taking the audience's attention when not supposed to have it. Scene stealers are frowned upon.

Subtext            The text beneath the text.

Telescoping    Overlapping speeches. Used to build

Top                  To build a line higher than the preceeding one.

LINES and DIALOGUE, MISCELLANEOUS TERMS,
STAGE AREAS

Rules:    1.    It is the responsibility of the downstage actor not to cover the upstage actor.
                                                   
2.    If you are the upstage actor and are covered, make a slight adjustment.
                                                   
3.    Make crosses below actors.

Cross            Abbreviated X, it is a move from one place to another on stage.

Give, take    When two actors are not equally open, one gives and the other takes the scene

Open            An open position is one which faces the audience. An open turn is one which turns towards the audience.

3/4 or 1/4  Half turn towards audience, so they can see your facial expressions.
                                  
Rules:    1.    Play shared scenes equally open in quarter position.
                                                  
2.    Whenever possible, turn downstage, but make the most logical turn.
                                                  
 3.    Kneel on the downstage knee.
                                                  
4.    Use your upstage arm for gestures so as to avoid covering yourself.

Share           Two actors share when they are equally open.

Wings         Offstage spaces at the sides of the acting areas.


Above            Away from the audience (same as upstage of).

Below            Toward the audience (same as downstage of).

Blocking        The process of working the arrangement of actors on stage with relationship to the furniture. Purposes are to tell the story, develop characterization, set mood, and also to create suspense.

Downstage (D.S)    Towards the audience.

In                   Toward the center of the stage.

Out                Away from the center of the stage.

Stage left      The actor's left as he faces the audience.

Stage right    The actor's right as he faces the audience.

Upstage (U.S.)       Away from the audience.

Stage Acting 101 -- Becoming Your Character and Making Sure the Audience Hears Every Word and Sees Every Movement

First, stage acting is EXAGGERATED with visible movements and facial expressions. Stage acting exaggerates natural gestures and movements so the audience can see them.

Stage acting requires the actor to "play to the back of the house." In other words, when performing on stage the actor must make everything s/he says and does BIGGER so that the patrons sitting in the last row of the third balcony can hear and see the lines and action.

Second, stage actors must PROJECT THEIR VOICES (not "yell"); use their diaphragm and breath control to put some depth and power behind their dialogue. Film actors do not have to project their voices as much as stage actors. They deliver their lines of dialogue much like we communicate in everyday life. Stage actors must also develop VOICE CONTROL. On the stage, more so than in film, it's not what is said that is most important but rather how something is said that communicates with the audience.

Third, stage acting requires a CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE because it is performed live with no second takes. Acting for film requires a talented performance, but it has the "luxury" of reshooting scenes until they are, in the eye of the director, ideal. Film acting lacks the immediacy of live theatre.

Finally, stage acting demands a FRESH PERFORMANCE, no matter how many times you've performed the show. A patron attending on Day 3 of the show should experience the same level of energy, technique, emotion and talent as the patron attending on Opening Night.

Voice Projection: work that diaphragm so that the older lady, who is hard of hearing, sitting in the last row of the house, can hear every line of dialogue.

Exaggerated Gestures and Facial Expressions: practice making physical and emotional dramatics bigger so that the nearsighted man in the last row of the third balcony can clearly see all stage action.

Characterization: develop a character by determining who or what it is and how it reacts to sensory information. Explore the 5 Ws of acting and use your 5 Senses. The 5 Ws of Acting:    WHO is your character?    WHAT is your character doing in a scene? What action is it taking?    WHEN does the action of your scene take place?    WHERE does the action of your scene take place?    WHY is this action happening in the scene? Using Your 5 Senses:    What does your character SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE and FEEL at each moment in the scene?

Immerse yourself in the role completely. Forget that you are pretending and try to become the character you are playing. Envision how that person reacts to life, how that person dresses, walks, thinks and converses with others. Draw on these visualizations when portraying the character. Always stay in that state of mind when acting. If you try to pretend to be sad, it's an effort; if you are sad, it comes out in your acting well. Do not try to act the character - instead, be the character