The Official Blog of the
Williamstown Theatre Festival

Welcome!

Follow the Within The Festival blog for the latest goings-on at WTF '11.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hello from the Literary Department!

In its 57 years of existence, Williamstown Theatre Festival has developed an outstanding artistic legacy of supporting extremely gifted playwrights. This fabulous season is no exception to the rule. We in the Literary Department here at the Festival are excited to be a small but mighty force that helps to support both these playwrights and their work.

Throughout the season, we’ll be giving shout-outs and interviews to playwrights we love here at the Festival, and you’ll be getting a sneak peek at what they’re up to now since they last spent time with us. We’ll also be giving you an inside look at the processes behind programs like Fridays@3, the Workshop’s Fellowship and directing projects, and our Nikos Stage productions. You will discover some interesting tidbits about the incredible artistic energy that WTF exudes every summer. We’ll be searching for answers to such burning questions as: What are some great new plays to see and new writers to follow? What’s happening with that brilliant play from a previous season? What fantastic new heights has the playwright’s work reached? Do they brush their teeth up and down or side to side?

Stay tuned for more from the literary department and your favorite playwrights. Feel free to leave us comments about those writers and plays you can’t stop thinking about. They may even end up in one of our posts!


Pictured (nerdy and fabulous) from left to right: Eric Shethar (Literary Intern), Anne Joy (Literary Intern), Stephen Sanders (Literary Associate), Rachel Lerner-Ley (Literary Assistant)

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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The blog chats with Jessica Hecht!

Our publicity intern, Lily Cardaropoli, got to sit down and talk to Williamstown favorite Jessica Hecht about her time here at the Festival. Check it out!



Photo of the day by Clay Barron:


Company members enjoying a game of Kubb on campus.
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Monday, June 27, 2011

Meet our 2011 Directing Interns!

We got to talk to some of our directing interns to about what they'll be up to this summer!



Photo of the day by Clay Barron


The crew at the Scene Shop receives a lumber delivery.
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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Meet Becca Euliss, Apprentice Coordinator!


Introduce Yourself
My name is Becca Euliss, and I'm the Apprentice Coordinator for WTF. (Pictured: Becca Euliss with Stephen Sanders, Literary Associate)

Who are the apprentices?
The apprentices are a core group of 70 actors who are the greatest source of support for the festival, and in turn they receive some fabulous performing and networking opportunities throughout the summer. It is an educational program that offers multiple acting and improv classes, as well as master classes that cover everything from tap dance to stand-up comedy. They truly are the heart, soul, and fresh voices of the festival.

What is the average day like in the life of an apprentice?
On any given day, an apprentice will start work at 9:00am, doing some sort of work call (for lighting, the scene shop, etc.). After lunch, they'll get the chance to sit in on a "How I Got Where I Am" session, a Q&A opportunity with equity actors from the season. They'll go from their class to pick up a quick dinner, just in time to head backstage for their wardrobe crew call for the Main Stage. When the performance ends at 10:30, their work doesn't. They'll then head into an acting rehearsal for a 10-minute directing scene with a Directing Intern before their day finally ends in between midnight and 1:00am.

Tell us about two or three classes you have planned for the summer.
One really exciting class, or series of classes rather, that we have planned is stand-up training with  Lewis Black. He is going to show archival tapes of some of his work, then put the apprentices to work. The classes will culminate in an amateur stand-up night for those apprentices who take the workshop.

Tell us about your past experience with the Festival.
This is my second year with the festival. A few years back I was the Workshop Intern, where I basically trained to do the position I have now. I remember the summer as being incredibly difficult but very rewarding, and ultimately, I had to come back. If nothing else, I needed another summer with access to Pappa Charlie's...

Name two or three things apprentices should do outside of the Festival this summer.
Visit Mass MoCA, hike to the top of Mount Greylock, and find a good swimming hole. I work seven days a week, so mostly I want them to do all the things I missed out on my first summer here! This summer, I'm making sure I get to check some things off my WTF bucket list.


Tell us about an apprentice who has gone on to reach celebrity status.
Some of our famous apprentices include...
Chris Pine [Film] Star Trek
Ben Mackenzie [TV] The OC
Nate Corddry [TV] Studio 60
Xanthe Elbrick [Broadway] Coram Boy
Logan Marshall Green [Off-Broadway] King Lear (Public Theater)

Is there an apprentice task you'd like to try your hand at?
I think Apprentice Night is one of the most exciting Workshop nights of the summer. They select, direct, and perform (and essentially completely line produce) their own short pieces to perform for the company. We perform in The Log, and the event always has an amazing atmosphere that really epitomizes The Workshop Department to me. I have some involvement in casting and producing Apprentice Night, but I'm always excited to do more.

What do you think is the coolest part of your job?
By far, the coolest part of my job is meeting and knowing the apprentices. So many of them go on to become the most influential artists of our craft. They do some of the most progressive, fresh, and innovative work in the American Theatre, and I genuinely believe a lot of their inspiration comes from the time they spend here. It's an honor to be part of that process.

2011 WTF Apprentices





All photos by Clay Barron.
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Friday, June 24, 2011

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE - Opening Night!

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE opened last night. We've officially kicked off the 2011 season! Check out our opening night photos!



Anne Joy, Eric Shethar, Molli Duckworth, Becca Euliss


Ariel Woodiwiss, Jon Bass, Phillipa Soo, Michael Shaw


Graham Forden, Vanessa Coakley


Kristin Brain, Jeff Maloney, Olivia Spears, Josh Hackett, Gabrielle Heerschap


Crystal Lucas-Perry, David Cromer, Vella Lovell, Emily Ryder Simoness, Luis Vega


David Cromer, Jessica Hecht


Mike Weiser, Gabe King


Gustavo E. Valdes, Jon Goldman, Rob Ross, Heather Gilbert, Jane Chan, Steven Maturno, Alejandro Fajardo, Chase Gutman, Danny Moss


Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ana Reeder, Harry Ford


Elizabeth Cardaropoli, Alexandra Rubin, Ryan Hallett


Stephen Milosevich, Peyton Becker, Josephine Ganner, Kevin Schlagle, James Hickey Jr., Christopher Metzger


Eliza Huberth, Phillipa Soo, Chris Bannow, Danielle Thorpe, Nicola Martin, Josephine Ganner

All photos by Clay Barron.

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE - Audience Reactions

See what audience members had to say after the first preview of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE.



Photo of the day by Clay Barron:


The Fellowship Play Company chat after their first read-through of Act I.
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

WTF 2011 - WELCOME!

We're so excited the 2011 season is underway! We've got a ton of new faces who are ready to rock 'n roll this summer. Meet a few of them...



Things you can look forward to on the blog this summer:
Audience Reactions
Opening Night Photos
Department Tours
Interviews with Cast and Crew
Guest Posts by our Literary Department
Time lapse changeovers (our personal favorite)
And so much more!!

Photo of the day by Clay Barron:


Associate Lighting Supervisor, Steven Maturno, at the tech table in the Main Stage Theatre.
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