Picnic in Tech Rehearsals

The moon rises above the buildings downtown during tech rehearsals for Picnic.

Beth Ritson, Cheryl Koski, & Lorraine Shackelford relax as an entrance is restaged with light.

Preston Lane, Kate Muchmore, Sasha, and Kelsey Hunt watch from the seats.


Kate Muchmore (assistant director), Howard Jones (scene designer), & John Wolf (lighting designer).

Emily Mark as Christine Schoenwalder.

Meg Steedle as Madge asks for her cue.

Preston at tech notes at the end of the day following rehearsal. Tech notes happen after every technical rehearsal and performance preview. All the designers, the director, and the crew get together to go over what needs to be fixed, changed, adjusted, reblocked, refocused, hemmed, or painted.

Amy Peter (props master) talks with Tom McCoy (master carpenter).

Amy creates prop newspapers with actual articles from 1950s newspapers. You will be able to see Amy's handywork on display in our lobby.

Lighting design by John Wolf.

David Smith (sound designer) talks with Preston Lane (director) as Meg listens.

Joe Tippett as Hal relaxes as lights are adjusted.

Amy Peter & Howard Jones wait to redress the laundry lines with new linens.

Donna Bradby (choreographer) watches the dance scene.

Amy da Luz & Jim Crawfor relax as sound & lights are adjusted for their scene.

Beth, Lorraine, & Amy.

Beth & Preston ponder milk.

Christina & Kate search for a snap.

Preston sometimes sits that close in order to get an audience's perspective from the front row and also to check sight lines.

Preston & Beth.

Meg Steedle & Beth Ritson.

"If there was one thing..."

So, I asked the cast of Picnic the following curious question:

If there was one thing from your experience thus far that has helped you get into character within this William Inge world of the 1950s in Kansas,
what would it be?
Here's how some responded:

Emily Mark playing Christine Schoenwalder said, "If I had to choose one thing that's helped me the most I'd say it was the opening scenes from The Wizard of Oz. The flat landscape, the farm images, the way that people (especially Margaret Hamilton!) spoke, all of that has been the strongest influence for me. "

Matthew Carlson playing Alan Seymour said, "For me, its been Alan's car keys. My entrances in both Act I and II are preceded by the sound of a car, so I asked for a set of keys to use. It's been a subtle reminder of class difference for me, creating a little social distance and a pride that sets Alan apart."

Amy da Luz playing Rosemary Syndey said, "Images are big for me, I always cut and past a lot of historical and geographic (to set time and place), but also conceptual. Which is often a lot less "literal" as you know. Anyways, this one clicked for me in a big way for Rosemary. Everything about it. What it once was. What it is now. The proud stalk still standing - but with the hopeless droop of its head. The washed out fence behind it. It worked for me on several levels...

Funny thing is, I had no idea the state flower for Kansas was the wild sunflower until after I had cut the image. Who knew?"

Jim Crawford playing Howard Bevans said, "There were a lot of helpful visual images, but the thing that helped me the most on Picnic came from Chris Morris, our dialect coach. She recommended that we listen to Kansas-based Farm Radio (KFRM link). I listened to it often in my apartment. There is a particularly midwestern way of talking about business--the rhythm is clipped and upbeat, and it's simultaneously friendly and keeps people at arm's length. It helped me to get a handle on my character, Howard the shop owner, more than anything."

Beth Ritson playing Flo Owens said, "For me its the image of the landscape: flat, barren, and endless, but with a beauty so extraordinaire that its pioneer ancestors said, 'Let's stop here.' "

Don't forget the "Closer Look" @ our website...

Click here

for Dramaturgical Links of the 1950s, Photos of the Set, Costume Renderings & more...

~

Picnic Cast & Crew Readies for Tech

The set for Picnic under construction.

The technical director, Christian Young, checks something off a list.

The crew have cut out two seats from the house right seating area in order to make a door for Mrs. Potts's house.

Nick & Scout explain to Julie how scrollers (a fixture attached to the front of lighting instruments that has color scroll through at the lighting designer's choice) get power from that little black box.

Nick attaches a scroller.

Nick prepares to attach another scroller with help from Julie.

Photo taken on Wednesday.

Scout coils cable.

Jenny the carpenter nails in shingles as Christian the technical director rigs some wires.

Rich Whittington, our Managing Director, conducts the company meeting we had earlier this week.

Julie, Jenny, and Kalyn listen at the company meeting.

Then they listen to people introduce themselves.

Beth Ritson as Flo Owens in Picnic.

Meg Steedle tries to dodge explaining what getting romantic means to her mom played by Beth Ritson.

Preston watches as Lorraine (Mrs. Potts) consoles herself with a pair of boots.

Meredith Riggans spreads "dirt" made from glue and sawdust on the stage floor.

Amy Da Luz plays Rosemary Sydney.

Chatting about Greensboro history before rehearsal begins.

Amy Da Luz, Matthew Carlson, and Cheryl Koski listen to Preston recount part of the violent history of Greensboro.

The marketing staff interviews Meg Steedle (and others) on video for our forthcoming website addition.

Picnic Build & Rehearsals

The load-in and build for Picnic has begun. Here you can see the groundplan and carpenters working.


Source 4's at the ready.


Master Electrician Nick Hussong handling pipe.


This is a pile of sod--which will be laid down between the two houses.

During the same day, someone kindly donated a couple dozen old shoes to our costume shop and our Production Manager, Christy Wright, inspects the goods.

(OMG, shoes...)

And then the costume ladies descend... Kelsey, Sasha, Kate, & Ms. Cassstevens.

Matthew Carlson & Joe Tippett go over their scene with Preston Lane.

Joe Tippett & Matthew Carlson.

On a break from rehearsal, Matthew, Preston and Joe discuss how the 1970s produced the greatest films of American cinema.

Meg Steedle resting on the fence post during a break from rehearsal.

Meg Steedle

Chris Morris, dialect coach, watches rehearsal.

Cheryl Koski resting on the fence post during rehearsal.

Chris Morris sits as Emily Mark and Joby Strachan anticipate their entrances as school teachers.


Meg Steedle, and Cheryl Koski (who play the sisters Madge & Millie) rehearse as Beth Ritson readies for her entrance as their mother, Flo, before most of them go to the picnic.