by tracyrenee | Feb 16, 2010 | Comedy, New Releases, Play Perusals
So There Was This Rat
Another wonderful play from the creative and sometimes delightfully warped minds of playwrights, Sapperstein & Murway. Made for adults, with grown up humor and references, “Rat” promises to keep your audiences laughing long after they’ve left the theatre.
SYNOPSIS:
Myra Guthrie has lost her Mother. Her Father, Virgil Eldridge, is completely heartbroken, and her husband, Carl, insists that he come to live with them.
After doing so, Virgil makes a new friend, Dave McMenamen. Some sort of chemical reaction happens, or something, when Virgil and Dave get together. The mischief meter goes WAY up, and they get into all SORTS of trouble. They have both been hard working men all their lives, and now that they are in their 70’s, they figure it’s time for a little FUN!
Additionally, Myra has five close girl friends. They LIVE for Mah Jongg. As a group, they feed off of one another, and CONSTANTLY jump to the wrong conclusions with regard to just about everything.
Myra is at her wits end, trying to keep Virgil and Dave in toe, when she gets that terrible phone call that no one ever wants. Carl has been in an accident and has been rushed to the emergency room.
Myra falls apart, and suddenly, Daddy reemerges into that strong “in charge” man that she knew she could always count on.
Through it all, she manages to come to know, understand, and love her Father stronger than she ever has.
This is a charming, funny story about family and friendship…and an Ostrich!
OH! Also a RAT!
CONTACT J&G today to receive a free perusal script of This Man Is An Island. 215-345-5550 or email Creative@JandGUnlimited.com
Learn more about Rat on our website, click here.
by tracyrenee | Apr 4, 2009 | Articles, Children's Theatre
It is really wonderful to see how “Children’s Theatre” has taken off. I don’t mean children “performing” theatre. I’m talking about professional adults creating professional performances and taking them TO the children. New theatre product is being created and performed in schools and theatres for the benefit of exposing children to the wonders of live theatre very early in their lives.
Advancements in costuming and puppetry has made for an instant lure to the inventive and imaginative minds of children everywhere. There are more Children’s Theatre Groups popping up all over. Some are associated with a particular theatre and others are independents…ready to travel and perform in a variety of different locations.
In this world of television cartoon characters shooting and blowing everything, including themselves, up … as well as the frightening and sinister super villains that are ready to spew fire and pound the bad guys into the ground with their super human powers, it is good to see a venue evolving that gives our children at least a fighting chance of experiencing wholesome, pleasant adventures through the magical ride that is live theatre.
That is precisely why we created BLOOMIN™. We wanted to put something out there for theatres to perform, that lets children laugh with fascination, while adults can laugh at the double entendre and not be bored as they might with a live expo of say … Thomas the Tank Engine or Barney. We really wanted to promote a positive message for children to grow up with and adults to enjoy. BLOOMIN is deliberately exposing children to the joys of live theatre and music as well as concepts such as gardening being fascinating, fun and productive (very green).
Sometimes it’s good to take a step back in time where the old carefree and easy musicals of the early days of theatre might become the new fangled kid on the block in today’s theatrical industry, such as we’ve tried to do with BLOOMIN. There’s truly something for everyone. Each piece of music is a different genre so that NO ONE will be disappointed.
So what is your theatrical group doing in the sub-set of Children’s Theatre? What do you look for when you look around for something new to show your young audiences?
by tracyrenee | Apr 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
by tracyrenee | Feb 3, 2009 | Comedy, New Releases, Play Perusals
Comedy … Play … Small Cast … Laime Inventions released today…
Laime Inventions Cover Art
SYNOPSIS:
Efram Davenport is a very dashing, fastidious and wealthy elder gentleman. These are supposed to be his retirement years but peace and quiet do not seem to be the order of the day.
Living with him are his daughter, Lavinia; her two children, Trudy and Nigel; and regrettably, his son-in-law, Ogden Laime. While Nigel delights in the pictures of naked tribes-women in the National Geographic, and Lavinia and Trudy are sweet, agreeable, kind people … Ogden on the other hand is a definite problem.
The arrogant, pompous and self-centered Ogden Laime wants to go down in history as one of the world’s greatest inventors … but he has no talent as an inventor himself. His solution is to hire true inventors to create great things for him while his business, Laime Inventions, maintains ownership of everything his employees create.
This might not be so bad except that he is infamous for cutting corners. “Mr. Laime’s Inventions” have a habit of not working out so well and for some reason, the Mayor always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. For the sake of his daughter and grandchildren, Efram Davenport is continually picking up the pieces from all the disasters.
After firing one of his inventors, Percival Good, and following the “sound” advice of his clever and in-love secretary, Ms. Caruthers, Ogden releases the object of her affections (Percival), from any contractual obligations to Laime Inventions.
Soon after leaving Laime Inventions, Percival’s simple yet amazing “Good” inventions skyrocket to major acclaim and financial success, causing Ogden so much angst, he begins to lose touch with reality.
Laime Inventions is a humorous journey through the lives of this turn-of-the-century family as they navigate their way through the industrial revolution to find love, success and happiness.
CONTACT J&G today to receive a free perusal script of This Man Is An Island. 215-345-5550 or email Creative@JandGUnlimited.com
by tracyrenee | Feb 2, 2009 | Articles, Current Affairs
Has anyone noticed that musicals just don’t seem to stick in the head like they used to? Yes, some rise to great fame and popularity like Cats or Wicked, but what do you remember about them 10, 20 or 50 years later? Once their run is over, do you think 50 years later theatres all over the world will still be paying to perform them as they do Gypsy or Oaklahoma?
Think about it … “I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair” became a commercial ditty, but got its start in the amazingly popular stage musical and movie, South Pacific. Then There’s always “Singin In the Rain,” while that was a movie, it was still a musical and who can forget that tune? Come to think of it, where did the musical and dancing movies go?
So, how many songs from “Cats” do you remember well enough to hum a few bars? What about Wicked? They’re amazingly popular Broadway musicals, but the music from them don’t seem to have longevity with any age bracket. Why is that do you suppose?
Well, I’ve read a number of blogs on the topic … the general consensus is that today’s musicals are actually being classified as “modern operas.” The songs are actually the speaking lines set to music whereas the good old show tunes and memorable plays like “Funny Girl” or “Gypsy” even “Oklahoma” have the story happening in the lines and the songs are there to enhance the story line, but not be the actor’s lines. Because of this, they’re memorable, they’re catchy … and today, in the new millennium, 50 years or so after they were originally produced, these plays are still the popular favorites for small and large theatrical groups around the world.
What’s going on in the entertainment industry these days with the types of productions being produced? So many things are spin-offs, remakes, rewrites, spoofs … where’s the original works? The truly new stuff as once came about in the early days of Broadway? Research has brought me to realize that the smaller theatres wont do it unless the production is proven to bring in a crowd and make money and Broadway wont take much note unless it’s been performed in smaller venue’s. Kind of a catch 22.
Has the stage seemed to have lost it’s draw to the world as the silver screen spin’s off the new “classics” like “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra,” and “Transformers,” or yet another Friday the 13th remake. It’s all death, dismemberment, violence, big guns, high tech, blow it up bigger than the other guy and scare you out of your pants. It’s no wonder the kids are doing this to each other. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Transformers :), and I’m sure when the kids drag me to GI Joe I’ll probably enjoy it at least once, but I just wish there was more going on with entertainment than this.
I wish there were more opportunities to take the kids to the theatre, off Broadway, off-off Broadway, doesn’t have to be on Broadway. But if I take them, I don’t want to see another rendition of Cinderella, or a stage version of a Disney cartoon and they don’t want to see a long boring drama … wouldn’t it be nice to walk out laughing with a tune stuck in your head that you enjoy humming throughout the house?
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