As PlayMakers’ resident crafts artisan, in addition to all the millinery, another of my responsibilities is to function as the company dyer, assisting the costume designer in careful control of the color palette of the show by making adjustments in fabric hues. Because we share space with the facilities for UNC’s nationally-known Costume Production… Read more »
Here’s a tiny sneak peek at some pieces costume designer Jan Chambers and associate designer Jade Bettin have pulled for the show. I’m told that there are over 600 pieces in this room. Costume designer Jan Chambers inspects pieces pulled for the Crummles Company. The men’s dressing room served as a temporary staging area as… Read more »
Video production has hit a small technological snag, so today I’m posting some fun character analyses of the Nickleby “Power Couples,” as seen by our dramaturg Anthony Fichera. Enjoy! Long before Bill/Hillary, Nicholas/Elena, Bennifer and TomKat, Dickens seems to have made considerable use of the Power Couple. Here are a few of them. Mr. and… Read more »
We don’t normally do two posts in one day, but yesterday I got this great note & photo from Deirdre Haj. Definitely worth sharing… “This was taken over the weekend. When the rehearsal stops, the directors gather on their down time to plan ahead for what will go on in the Nicholas rehearsal rooms. They… Read more »
We rarely take photos of first rehearsal, but when it comes to the biggest show in our history, exceptions have to be made. The first rehearsal is typically a read-through, as you’ll see here. This is our rehearsal hall, which is large enough to tape out the actual specs of the stage. With a set… Read more »
Last Tuesday kicked off the first rehearsal of Nicholas Nickleby, and we’re all very excited around here. Of course the first rehearsal is always preceded by a company “Meet & Greet.” This tradition brings the company together to welcome guest artists and to hear from the directors and designers exactly what’s planned for the coming… Read more »
Yesterday, as I rounded the corner that leads to my office, I noticed our new Technical Director, Neil Williamson, speeding towards me. The Nicholas Nickleby build has begun and the shop is literally covered in steel, which Neil wanted me to see and photograph for the blog. I’m so glad he did because it is an awesome… Read more »
As promised, director Tom Quaintance has provided today’s blog post. Rehearsals got underway today as well, so check back later in the week for photos of the presentations and table read. NICHOLAS. And there was so much to be done, KATE. And so little time to do it in. I think I caught… Read more »
Last week I asked directors Joe Haj and Tom Quaintance to submit new posts from their perspective, as we rapidly approached first rehearsal (10/6). Tom has promised us something for next week, and Joe was gracious enough to fight through a nasty cold to deliver the piece below. So here I am, lying in bed,… Read more »
Librarians think a lot about the “appeal factors” of books and authors. If you’ve ever asked a librarian, “so . . . what should I read next?”, we’re trained to ask exploratory questions to get you to identify what appeals to you about the books you enjoy. Then, we can lead you towards books with… Read more »