The Curious Savage
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1749
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 3:00pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: The Curious Savage
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Subject: The Curious Savage
Date Posted: 3/13/06 at 10:02am
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Two
weeks ago, we wrapped up my first play as director. It was wonderful. I
have asked a lot of questions over this past year and you folks in this
group were so helpful. Our play, Meanwhile, Back on the Couch, was terrific and I am so proud of all the actors and their hard work. Now I am preparing for my second play. I have auditions for The Curious Savage this week. Since we are in a senior community we only have older folks to draw from so right off the bat that will be something to overcome. Does anyone have any suggestions? Barb ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Replies:
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 3/13/06 at 11:04pm
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Maybe it's just me. The thing I LOVE about community theatre is that you can usually find someone the right age for the part, be it a 7 or 77 year old. It's not like High School where Grandpa is played by a 17 year old with sprayed hair and using a cane. Is there any way you could import some slightly younger actors for Mrs. Savage's children (they aren't extremely young - an undetermined age really). But it just seems that it adds depth and texture (for lack of better words) -- variety? -- to have people be different ages. Or is there some kind of rule about using members and not casting outsiders? |
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 3/15/06 at 1:24am
Yes, we have to use people from our community and this is a senior community. With very few exceptions everyone here is over 45. Barb ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 3/15/06 at 4:37pm
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What about the resident's grandchildren? Would that be a workable solution. Think of the wonderful bonding experience it would be to do a play with gramma or grampa. There won't be a dry eye in the house. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 3/15/06 at 11:04pm
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That sounds like a good idea. What about it Barb? Turn it into an extended family thing! |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 3/17/06 at 1:15am
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When we do "A Christmas Carol" every year the cast grows as the actors' families grow. In some scenes we have three generations represented on stage. Some cast members even choose to have their annual Christmas cards photos taken with the entire family in Victorian costume. It's a warm, wonderful experience that enhances the feeling of the entire show for cast and audience alike. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 3/17/06 at 10:09am
I asked at tryouts yesterday and all of their families live in other states. Arizona is a snowbird haven and the people here leave families to come here. It was a good idea, but so far I am not finding the younger people. Well, I found one but he can't rehearse during the day when all the others want to rehearse. I guess the play selection committee should have picked a different play. Barb ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 3/18/06 at 12:47am
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But the fact remains that you have THIS script to work with NOW, so let's see what you can do... I'm sure you can do a great job with the script you have. It's a good one, really well written and funny. Tender, even. You will want to pay close attention to the appearance and voices when auditioning. Casting the most youthful-looking and youthful-sounding actors in the roles of the daughter and sons will be the obvious thing to do, and the more elderly-looking and -sounding people in the most mature roles (no brainer, right?). Also, use your makeup and costuming insights to your best advantage -- using contouring makeup techniques to help "youthen" those who need it, using minimal make up on the actors playing more elderly roles -- tart up the daughter with something sexy looking, give her a great looking stylish hairdo while mom can go in the opposite direction. You might have to really exaggerate some of this if you can do it without making them look rediculous, unless that is what you are after, which I doubt. Here is a site that might help with finding plays that would be geared to the talent that you have on hand... http://www.seniortheatre.com/index.html - http://www.seniortheatre.com/index.html There are extensive resources on the subject. Good luck, Barb. |
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 3/18/06 at 4:18pm
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Thanks Kathy, I did cast the play as of yesterday and did find younger
looking people for the kids etc. I am really pleased with the cast and
all are happy with their roles. They will have all summer to learn
lines as we don't start rehearsal until fall. We set the tryouts in the spring so they can take their books "home" for the summer. It can take seniors a little longer to learn lines. Thanks for the link to Senior Theatre. I had looked there before but since a lot of our seniors are in their mid 40s (which seems very young to those of us in our 60s) we think of them as young. Even some one in their early 50s seems young. Our audience is only seniors (residents of the community) so they kind of like seeing themselves as younger people. It works for us. Barb ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Posted By: mrslifeofreilly
Date Posted: 9/09/06 at 6:03pm
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I know this post is rather late, but I just had to say I love that show! It was a college theater production for me, so we had age issues to overcome as well, I'm sure you did a wonderful job. I was 20 when we did The Curious Savage, and I played Mrs. Savage. |
Posted By: eveharrington
Date Posted: 9/16/06 at 2:25am
------------- "If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights." |
Posted By: eveharrington
Date Posted: 9/16/06 at 2:27am
Now I'm probably too old, I'll have to wait till I can play Mrs. Savage.  ------------- "If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights." |
Posted By: mrslifeofreilly
Date Posted: 9/17/06 at 11:03am
Our theater is quite small, so we didn't do a lot of aging makeup on me, but the blue tinged grey wig was fun (and my 86 year old grandmother asked if she could borrow it!) We got some http://tinyurl.com/rkmdl - funny rehersal pictures (notice half-costumed and no makeup) especially with my brown mop of a rehersal wig (we hadn't gotten the real one yet). |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 9/18/06 at 10:13am
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Way, way, WAY off topic, but do you want to fill us in on that UPLIFT thing? That's the happiest looking group of kids I've ever seen. ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: mrslifeofreilly
Date Posted: 9/18/06 at 10:25am
haha...those aren't my photos! A friend of mine doing tech for Curious Savage took the rehersal photos, and the uplift photos are from her summer camp job. |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 9/18/06 at 12:04pm
I didn't think that was you in any of those . . . I was just poking around, hoping for some more of those way-hot "bad-wig-frowsy-dress" photos.  ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: mrslifeofreilly
Date Posted: 9/18/06 at 4:45pm
It is ironic that although I am usually in charge of costuming our shows...I usually (read always) end up in some rather hideous garments. |
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 12/01/06 at 9:57am
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We had the read through recently and this play and my actors are going to be superb. I am so very excited with this cast. It just doesn't make any difference that they are older than they should be. My actors are terrific. We start rehearsals January 3 for our play which will run February 22-25. I will post pictures of rehearsals on our web site after we get started. Thanks for all of your help. Barb ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Posted By: red diva
Date Posted: 12/01/06 at 10:21am
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Oh, I agree in spades that this is a lovely, lovely play. I played Mrs. Savage when I was about 29 or 30 (there's the age issue again....some aging, but mostly the wig, posture, mannerisms, etc.) and directed it in 1993, and I cried every night during the dream sequence. We are reading it in our Playreading Committee, and I really hope it is chosen as part of our next season. It's a crowd pleaser, and offers many fun character roles......what's not to like? Just as a matter of curiosity (ha, ha....didn't actually plan that pun!), those of you that have done the play: what music did you use during the dream scene? We used "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair", I believe by Ravel (or was it Debussy?) and to this day I tear up whenever I hear it! ------------- "I've worked long and hard to earn the right to be called Diva!" |