11/30/20 Blog of Shadows of the Mind Performances
by Kitty Inouye
Our play, Shadows of the Mind, was most unusual. It
was written long before Covid-19 hit, yet it was extremely relevant for the
time. Some people were affected by the content, that they wanted other people
to come watch it, as well. Being relevant to our current pandemic environment was
incredibly important. For me, being one of the actors was both an honor and a privilege.
Although it was challenging to convey the emotions of a grieving mother, it was
not foreign to me. I appreciated the direction of Valerie Herrera who
encouraged those raw feelings to emerge.
Here are some different perspectives as well. From one of
our actors and board members, Beverly Dennison; My experience as an actor
playing a Shadow was stretching for me, as I have never played an evil entity
before! It really put me in touch with the dark and manipulative side of those
voices in our minds. Those tapes in our heads convey lies and tricks which degrade
and destroy us, or can even ultimately kill us! As a Board Member, the actual
mounting of the play, seemed daunting at times, but very satisfying in the end!
There is a myriad of details that go into producing a play, and everyone took
their responsibilities seriously. For me, I assisted my husband Don, and Kanaan,
our playwright. From the planning and purchasing of the playbills, the purchasing
of merchandise and food items to sell in the lobby, to the provision of
snacks/meals for the cast and crew, there were many other details to manage.
This labor of love was fraught with setbacks and new learning curves. However,
for our very first production, Shadows of the Mind was a rousing success,
as well as a huge confidence-builder for us here at Hidden Treasure
Productions! We are excited to expand and build our repertoire as we delve into
our future productions!
As the
environment changed from one of embracing theatre arts to a complete shutdown,
we had to get creative. When indoor rehearsals were out of the question, we had
online auditions, zoom rehearsals, and finally, we went to outside, backyard in-person
rehearsals. This felt like such an accomplishment, as we drew closer to being
able to rehearse onstage. Finally, the culmination of 2 thrilling and
fulfilling performances took place, before restrictions shut us down again. To
gain some insight from the technical side, here is our Director of Technology,
Chris Inouye’s perspective;
Our
cast poured out their hearts to express the difficulty of this serious message.
As actors, they showed the importance and relevance of depression in today’s
world. There were funny moments and, also times when a tear was shed. The raw
and refined talent blended well with the emotions felt in each scene. There is
an amazing transformation that occurs in live theatre as you watch the growth from
rehearsal to performance. From the technical aspect, there was not anything
that could improve the message and hope that each performer conveyed. If you
missed the performances, we are intent on providing more performances in the
future!
Many of
the crew were stretched by working on this play, both on stage and off. From
the technical challenges, to set design (our carpenter, Rick McConnell, had to
create a back wall to provide a backstage), to the running crew (working in the
dark, while moving large set pieces), to the make-up artists (who had a small
space to work in), to the Prop Mistress (who learned quickly what set pieces
were needed for each scene), to even the Front of House Staff. Here is our
CEO/Founder Don Dennison’s perspective on the lobby and Front of House and how
it worked;
My
experience in the front lobby area was positive, but also challenging! The six
of us in the Front of House Staff (Ron, Nolan, Espie, Rhonda, Denise and
myself) gave a nice first impression, by the way, we were dressed in formal
attire. We smiled behind our masks and received many smiles back, along with
some occasional flirts! The patrons seemed to enjoy coming in, as they received
their playbills and complimentary HTP chocolates. From the business
perspective, we were not quite ready for using our new Point of Sale cash
register. Some sales were lost due to some lack of training on usage. Some
folks decided not to wait, as they were frustrated by how long it was taking.
Even though we lost some sales, we did okay for our first time out. One of my
responsibilities was to answer any questions or complaints, and some did occur. One patron was upset over not
having assigned seating, which I resolved through listening and kindness, and
by giving her a future complimentary ticket.
As you
can see, each perspective was unique, just as each person is unique. Our goal
is to perform high-quality productions that make a difference to our audience
members. Also, as we bring excellence to the stage, we present real world issues,
but with some real solutions. We want to strive to bring hopefulness in our
messages that will uplift and inspire, touching hearts and minds. We hope you
will join us in our future productions.
Edited by Beverly Dennison
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