Hello again!!
I am here with a couple of glances into the instant hit that is Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson!
The inside glances for this Inside Cabaret post come from Paige Austin, Co-Stage Manager, and Tom Milburn, Assistant Director!
First up…Paige’s story!
“If there’s anything I’ve learned from my almost year of being a part of Cabaret Theatre, it’s that there’s nothing like watching a play as it transforms. From the beginning to the end, watching the acting go from practices in the basement to a fully decorated set is a beautiful thing. When I was the Assistant Stage Manager for [title of show] I came on a little later than everyone else. With Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, it was different. I saw everything from the beginning and now as we approach the end it’s a little saddening. I remember greeting people when they came to auditions and briefly chatting with some of them and offering some words to calm their nerves. It feels like that was such a long time ago, but in reality it wasn’t. When I first met up with the director, Leah Christians, her passion for the show was definitely contagious. I didn’t even know if I was going to be picked to be a part of the Pro Staff, but I was still really excited. She had so many great ideas, and it has been amazing to see them come to life. A fourteen-member cast is A LOT of people. Having everyone at practice was seemingly impossible, with the crazy/hectic schedules they all have. But as we got closer and finally got everyone in the same room at once, it was really fun to see what each actor brought to the characters they play. Now that I’ve seen the show what feels like 20+ times, I can promise you it never gets old. I literally laugh until I cry every single time I watch it. Every single member of this cast is really talented and has made this show something really special.
The Pro Staff for the show was made up of some seriously talented people as well, and I’m so glad I got to spend this time with them. Leah, Tom, Brian (and THE BAND), Janine and Sasha have done such a kick-ass job. All of their creative contributions have added elements to the show that really take it up a notch. The funny thing to think about is that if ONE person from the cast or crew were different, the show probably wouldn’t be the same. I honestly think this was the perfect group of people to work together. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is rebellious, provocative, and hilarious. Seeing the audience respond in such a positive way and watching the cast excel has been amazing. I’m really going to miss spending time with this crazy group of ruffians…”
Well said, Paige. Well said.
And here is Tom’s story!
“I had an absolute blast working on Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. The cast was wonderful, Leah was the coolest, and the show was hilarious. I was initially really nervous about the role of assistant director because I’m not a theater person – the last time I was in one was when I was part of my high school tech crew, like, four years ago. I don’t think it could’ve gone any better, though, and I gained a lot of leadership experience throughout the production process. I had so much fun working with everyone else involved and don’t think I would change a thing.
In addition to helping direct, I ran sound and designed lights for the show. The sound setup for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson was surprisingly intricate – we had keyboards, basses, guitars, prerecorded material, and microphones to worry about. I’m an aspiring sound engineer, so this was a really fun learning experience and a challenge I took a lot from. It was nice to work with sound reinforcement in the type of space that Cabaret is, and I think the sound design positively contributed to the concert-like atmosphere of the show. The lighting helped with that, too. Designing the lights was a pretty terrifying task for me – I’ve never worked with stage lighting before and had to learn how to do it from scratch. It was stressful, but I learned a ton about lighting design and theatrical design and had a bunch of fun doing it.
In short, being a part of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at Cabaret this semester was a really great experience.”
Well, there ya have it!
Obviously, this show has been life-changing and completely awesome and fun for all involved!!
Be sure to see the show so that you can soak in all the awesome!!!!!!
The remaining performances are as follows:
April 11th at 8 pm
April 11th at 11:59 pm
April 12th at 8 pm
Tickets:
$7 for Students/Staff/Faculty
$12 for General Admission
**The show contains adult content that may not be suitable for all audiences.
People are sponges.
And shows are water.
Soak in the performances and you will have them forever.
Because human sponges don’t let go.
…
Poetry.
It’s easy if you try it.
Anywho…
I hope to see you at the show!!!
A-Kroeps out!