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December 19, 2011 - leave a comment

The Twelve Days of (a) Christmas (carol) - Secret Santa

Carly Nelson (Sled Boy) is careful to cover her eyes as she draws a name from the bag....

After 5 days of small presents... it's time for the reveal! Santa (I.A.T.S.E crew member, Tom Boddy) joins the cast and crew from the North Pole (aka Parma)!

Assistant Technical Director, Bill Amato, gets a special message from his SS!

Cameron Nelson (Sara/Polly) shows off a poem written by her Secret Santa!

Cameron Nelson is excited to share her cookie cake from her Secret Santa with other members of the cast!

Our Secret Santas get very creative leaving "Mad Gab" clues!

Look at all those presents!

The Cast and Crew gather in the house of the Ohio Theatre find out who their Secret Santa was and open their final gift!

The youngest member of the company, Carly Nelson (5 years old) gets to guess her Secret Santa first!

Darryl Lewis (Mr. Fezziwig) poses for a picture with Santa!

GLT Scene Shop Foreman, Bill Langenhop, proves that you're never too old to sit on Santa's lap! ;-)

Rachel Jones (Elizabeth/Martha Cratchit/Fan) thinks very hard before she guesses who her Secret Santa may be....

On the tenth day of (a) Christmas (carol)....
Secret Santa!!!
 
Every year the cast and crew participate in a week-long game of Secret Santa! For one week during the run, presents are hidden all over the backstage of the Ohio Theatre (dressing rooms, green room, hallways... you name it!) This GLT tradition really brings a sense of holiday excitement to the theatre!

After 5 days of small gifts - everyone brings in one special final present for the reveal of Secret Santa! This year out of 33 participants, only 4 people guessed their Secret Santa correctly! Our cast and crew are pretty sneaky....

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December 18, 2011 - 1 comment(s)

The Twelve Days of (a) Christmas (carol) - Q&A with Laura Perrotta

Laura Perrotta as 'Mother Cleaveland' in the 2008 production of "A Christmas Carol"

Laura Perrotta in her dressing room before the show...

On the ninth day of (a) Christmas (carol)…
Q&A with Actress, Laura Perrotta:

 
Q: What is your favorite part about being in Great Lakes Theater's production of A Christmas Carol? 
A: A Christmas Carol brings a sense of family more than anything else at Great Lakes. It always feels like a homecoming. I love the sense of tradition and how people are connected through the production.


Q: After performing the same role of “Mother Cleaveland” for 11 years, how do you keep it fresh and new?
A: It’s always a challenge as an actress to keep things new. But, every year there is something new and different about the show. With different stagers and new cast members each season, there is a different angle and a different way to look at the same story. I love the story A Christmas Carol and the adaptation by Gerald Freedman.

I also love that so many students get to see the show during the student matinee performances. The Great Lakes Theater education program is so important and especially with A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens has a very direct impact on our world. I love telling the story during every show and communicating its message...that transformation is always a possibility.  It is never too late to change or for doors to open. A Christmas Carol has a timeless message.   


Q: What is your favorite family tradition during the Christmas Season?
A: My husband, Donald, and I open our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve. Christmas day is all about our kids. That’s the way it has been for 25 years.

                                                                      
Q:  What plays are on your “wish list” to perform in?
A:  Royal Family, Anthony and Cleopatra, Sunset Boulevard...and anything by Noel Coward.


Q:  What is your favorite thing about living in Cleveland?
A:  I have lived in Cleveland for 17 years. My husband is from Cleveland and it’s nice to be close to family. I love all the great restaurants, the metroparks...no traffic...and I feel very connected to the community. One of my favorite places this time of year is the Holden Arboretum!

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December 11, 2011 - leave a comment

The 12 Days of (a) Christmas (carol)- Marley's Ghost

Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:00pm A half hour before show time, fresh faced actor, Lynn Robert Berg, sits at his dressing table just before he begins to apply his makeup for the role of Ghost of Jacob Marley.

Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:02pm Berg begins to apply a white base to his face...

Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:10pm Fellow actor, Paul Hurley, stops by to make Berg laugh while he applies his makeup...

Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:15pm Berg adds shadows and highlights to his face.

Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:22pm Berg adds wrinkle lines to help age him into the role of Jacob Marley

Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:25pm Finishing touches! Berg uses a toothbrush makeup to turn his beard white.

Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:30pm Artistic Director, Charles Fee, just took the stage to welcome the audience to the show during a curtain speech. Lynn has completed his makeup but still needs to get into his costume and wig before he makes his entrance.

Actor, Lynn Robert Berg, as the Ghost of Jacob Marley...seconds before he puts on his chains and takes the stage...

The transformation is complete!

On the eighth day of (a) Christmas (carol)...
Marley's Ghost!

On average, it takes actor Lynn Robert Berg about 30 minutes to complete the layers of makeup that transform him from a handsome actor to a haunting ghost that has been dead for seven years! Berg has always had an interest in art, especially painting and he enjoys using his face as a canvas during every performance.

Berg is only onstage as Marley for 6 and a half minutes. But it takes him 4 times longer to apply his make-up. However, it's all worth it to hear the gasps from the audience when he makes his magical appearance from under the stage of the Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare!

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November 29, 2011 - leave a comment

The 12 Days of (a) Christmas (carol)- Technical Rehearsals

Meet some of the members of the Great Lakes Theater run crew who bring the magic to the stage every night! (Pictured from left to right: Bill Amato, Fritz Lombardi, Bill Langenhop, Alisha Glasser, Tim Kinzel, Corrie Purdum and Terry Martin.)

Production Stage Manager, Corrie Purdum, in the Ohio Theatre during technical rehearsal of "A Christmas Carol."

Check out the Stage Manager's "Bible" (prompt book) which contains over 350 "A Christmas Carol" show cues!

Scrooge (actor, Aled Davies) takes a quick 5-minute break in the house. The flower adds a nice touch! We're glad he still has his sense of humor after the long hours of technical rehearsal!

Actors Maggie Roach and Rachel Jones pause for a photo just before they enter for the "Fezziwig Dance!"

The crew works on the lights and fog for the top of Act 2.

Some crew members adjust the mic of The Ghost of Christmas Present (played by actor, David Anthony Smith) during technical rehearsal.

Several young company cast members pass the time by playing cards in the Green Room under the stage of the Ohio Theatre.

Esther and Kristen work on a quick change for Tiny Tim (actor, Cassidy Nelson).

"A Christmas Carol" newbie, actor, Paul Hurley, is all smiles as he signs in on the callboard!

On the fifth day of (a) Christmas (carol)...
Technical Rehearsals

After 9 days in the rehearsal hall, it is time to move into the Ohio Theatre for technical rehearsals. The cast and crew came together over Thanksgiving weekend, for two 10 out of 12 days (meaning: 10 hours of rehearsal in a 12 hour day). Backstage, 19 members of the Great Lakes Theater run and wardrobe crews work together to make A Christmas Carol magical! The team incorporates all of the technical elements including trap doors, a flying clock, fog, snow, light up costumes and ‘Christmas Cheer’!  
 
Production Stage Manager, Corrie Purdum, and Assistant Stage Manager, Tim Kinzel, give the GO for 255 light and sound cues and an additional 100 cues for scene changes/special effects during every performance!

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November 23, 2011 - 3 comment(s)

The 12 Days of (a) Christmas (carol)- Load In

Santa (aka Tom Boddy) flies in set pieces during lighting focus.

The BRAND NEW ACC clock before it is hung in the Ohio Theatre!

Wardrobe Crew Member Leah Loar rolls in costumes....

On the fourth day of (a) Christmas (carol)...
Loading into the Ohio Theatre

The Great Lakes Theater Scene Shop Crew and the PlayhouseSquare IATSE Team spend 3 days loading in set pieces and focusing lights in the Ohio Theatre for A Christmas Carol. The crew of 30 unloads 3 trucks (including two 53-foot trailers) and transform the empty stage into a Victorian era Christmas in London! Even Santa (stagehand, Tom Boddy) pitched in by flying set pieces in and out during lighting focus!
 
Some of the set pieces have weathered the run of A Christmas Carol at GLT for 22 years!  Going into our 23rd season of the production, it was “time” to replace the large clock that is present throughout much of the show. Our carpenters and painter spent 3 weeks rebuilding, rigging and painting the new clock using the original design. This year, the tombstones also received a face lift! 
 
The GLT Costume Shop Ladies load the costumes into the theatre for technical rehearsals. With 25 actors in our production, there are over 70 “costume looks." That’s a lot of loads of laundry and dry cleaning!

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