Maryland Ensemble Theatre
March 1st, 2010 — Maryland Ensemble Theatre
Will Emory as Anthony, Amber Levow as Jackie-O and Matt Baughman as Marty. © Joe Williams 2010
DC Theatre Scene reviews “The House of Yes” and finds it to be a “…a dark, delightfully creepy little play that will greatly appeal to the avant-garde theatregoer looking for something delicious.”
February 26th, 2010 — Maryland Ensemble Theatre
Interviews with the cast, designers and director of “The House of Yes.”
February 26th, 2010 — Maryland Ensemble Theatre
From Comedy Pig Anne Raugh:
Once upon a time there was a blizzard. It didn’t start out life as an evil, mean-spirited blizzard, but it couldn’t help but notice that, despite the fact that it was planning to dump a record amount of snow on two of the most important cities in the world, the meteorologists still wouldn’t give it a name. Every stupid little tropical depression that lasted more than 5 minutes got a name, but not a record-making blizzard. So when the blizzard did its worst and still didn’t get a name, it called its bigger, eviller, naturally mean-spirited cousin. That second blizzard ripped through town like eggs through a hen, but still no name. Then they called a friend – another record-setting blizzard that just happened to be in the neighborhood. This third blizzard was so annoyed at the ongoing, no-name-giving, flagrant disrespect that it took a left at the jet stream and headed back towards Washington, D.C. to spit out a couple more inches of snow, just to remind the nation’s weather-heads that blizzards don’t screw around. AND STILL NO NAME.
So you have to wonder – who, exactly, does a blizzard have to blow in this town to get a name?
Cabin-feverish enough that that sounded funny? Come see the Comedy Pigs Saturday night at 10:30pm! Blizzards get in half price!
February 23rd, 2010 — Maryland Ensemble Theatre
“The Amazing Interactive Adventure” opened last weekend! It’s a super fun and crazy show – it has…
… sneaky thieves…
…sharp shooting cowboys…
…aliens…
…mad scientists and a leggy octopus…
…a warm milk-loving sultan…
…a mischievous troll…
… a lonely dragon…
…and a kind wizard. You also get to do some magic wand waving, feet stomping and adjective shouting. So bring the family on down to MET for an “Amazing Interactive Adventure!” The show runs on Saturdays at 2pm thru April 3rd.
February 15th, 2010 — Maryland Ensemble Theatre
“The House of Yes” (finally!) opened last weekend! How was it? Well, I think it totally rocked, but check out these comments from the audience to see for yourself!
February 11th, 2010 — Maryland Ensemble Theatre
I’ve been costuming since I was in the eighth grade, when I helped my mother costume The Wizard of Oz. I’ve done shows ranging from Fiddler on the Roof to The Full Monty. I love dressing the actors, allowing the clothing to convey aspects of their personality and their psychology subtly to the audience. I also love a challenge, whether it be a period (such as Tommy, which ranged from the 1940s to the 1960s) a fantasy concept (Morgan le Fey’s gown in Camelot) or a really unique piece (like g-strings. I had to make seven of them for The Full Monty. No, I did not keep them).
The House of Yes offered me two distinct challenges. One: to recreate the iconic pink Chanel suit Jackie Kennedy wore when JFK was assassinated. Two: to capture the fashions of the 1980s without letting those costumes overwhelm and distract the audience from the performance. Because, let’s face it, people (even those considered highly fashionable), wore some pretty laughable things in the 1980s.
A dress worn by Jackie-O (Amber Levow). It may not look very impressive on the hanger, but on Amber, it is stunning. Very classy, very 'Jackie'. This is actually a Ralph Lauren dress I got for $20 at Chic Consignments on Patrick Street.
For the second, I had to work to create the feel of the 1980s fashions without making them look like a bad 1980s theme party. Although I’m sure I’ll get a few dirty looks, I was born in 1982, so the entire decade isn’t that clear in my memory. I looked for the cuts and silhouettes of the clothing of that era. I looked to people like Nancy Regan and Princess Diana, Michael Douglas in “Wall Street”, the girls of “The Facts of Life” and Alex P. Keaton of “Growing Pains”. For these looks, I spend several weekends trekking to Goodwills and consignment shops not only in Frederick, but in Germantown, Gaithersburg, Hagerstown and Charles Town, West Virginia.
In terms of preparation, I read the script and figured out the basics: year, place, the number o f days the show takes places over and if any specific costume items are mentioned. I made note of those and then sat down with Gené, the director, to see how she saw the characters and the overall look of the show. I firmly believe that it is the costumer’s job to help bring the director’s vision to life, so I wanted to make sure I understood how Gené saw the characters and the overall look of the show.
Even after the costumes are on the actor’s, the job isn’t over. As rehearsals go on, Gené may think of something else she wants, that she isn’t crazy about a certain outfit, or that something just doesn’t ‘work’. In the case, I try to find something else. I also took care of any pieces of clothing that appear on-stage, such as the clothes that appear in Lesly’s suitcase. I also keep an eye on what I call “costume consistency”, meaning things like if a character falls asleep on the couch, would their shoes be on the next morning? I keep an eye on thinks like hair and make-up, making sure that the actors not only look appropriate to their character, but also the time period.
Once opening night arrives, I still have to do laundry at least once a week, as well as iron the costumes. I repair any damages that occur (lost buttons, etc.)
And that’s how I costume. Or at least, that’s how I costumed “The House of Yes”!
February 3rd, 2010 — Maryland Ensemble Theatre
Local Frederick band Trout Zilla will be playing this Friday, February 5th at MET, following the performance of “The House of Yes!”
Erin (bass), Janelle (vocals), and Kevin (guitar) have been playing together for 2 years. They met Chris (drums) in the fall of 2008 and recently added Adam (trumpet) and Jamie (flute) to the mix. The 6 piece has settled on the name TROUTZILLA. Rumors of a bizarre noodle fishing accident, tales of mythical trout, and good old fashioned innuendo are some of the meanings behind the name. Indie Funk-ish-ness straight to the gullet!!!!!
Trout Zilla will start playing around 9:30 on February 5th and your ticket stub for “The House of Yes” gets you in. February 5th also happens to be $5 First Friday, so you can see two fab shows for just 5 bucks! Our bar will be open, so you can enjoy $3 Flying Dog beer all night!
Learn more about Trout Zilla and listen to their music here. Purchase tickets here.
