BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE PLAYHOUSE
This marks the Winter 2006 issue of The Playhouse's volunteer e-newsletter. We e-mail news you can use – Playhouse programming news, special volunteer opportunities and staff news – every quarter. If there's something you'd like included in the next newsletter, such as a question to be answered by John Viars or other staff, contact e-newsletter editor Lee Ann Bakros, 515-974-5358.
- Usher Training Scheduled for Jan. 7 & 9
- Playhouse Looking for a Mutt for Next Mainstage Show
- Fun-Lovin' Volunteers Needed to Masquerade as Lunch Ladies
- Upcoming Volunteer Needs
- Wish List: Couch
- Spotlight on Props Volunteers
- Round of Applause
- 2006-07 Seasons Sneak Peek
- Playhouse Staff Farewell
- Important Links
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USHER TRAINING
Interested in becoming a Playhouse usher, ticket taker or ticket office volunteer (Will Call window)? It’s fun and easy, and takes just a couple of hours to learn the ropes!
Training sessions are scheduled for:
- Saturday, Jan. 7: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM noon
- Monday, Jan. 9: 6:00-8:00 PM
You only need to attend one of these training sessions. Current volunteers do not need to attend a training session.
Please RSVP your attendance plans by Friday, Jan. 6, to Susan Gulbranson, Playhouse volunteer coordinator, 515-974-5357, volunteers@dmplayhouse.com. Please include your name, address, phone number, email address and which session you will be attending.
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DOG AUDITIONS
The Playhouse is seeking a medium-sized, well-behaved, mature mutt to play Candy’s dog in Of Mice and Men. The dog must be available for all final dress rehearsals and performances, Jan. 20-Feb. 12, as well as selected rehearsals in mid-January. If you think your dog would be perfect, send a photo and obedience training information to Candy’s Dog Contest, The Des Moines Playhouse, 831 42nd St., Des Moines, IA 50312, or e-mail a photo and information to volunteers@dmplayhouse.com. Five finalists will be invited to meet the director and key cast members on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:00 PM. Questions can be directed to Susan Gulbranson, Playhouse volunteer coordinator, volunteers@dmplayhouse.com, 515-974-5357.
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CALL OUT FOR FUN-LOVING VOLUNTEERS
It’s the second year for The Playhouse’s original production, High School Reunion! In the spirit of Tony 'N Tina’s Wedding, this audience-interactive, improvisation-based theatre experience includes dinner, dancing and a little whodunit. It’s a rockin’ good time, and we need your help! We need fun-lovin’ volunteers, 16 and older, to help serve a good, old-fashioned school lunch just like your lunch ladies used to make, at each performance. Last year’s volunteers will tell you they had a BLAST! If you’re interested in being a High School Reunion foodserver this year, contact Susan Gulbranson, Playhouse volunteer coordinator, volunteers@dmplayhouse.com, 515-974-5357.
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UPCOMING VOLUNTEER NEEDS
- Props Crew for A Year With Frog and Toad (A great way to start learning the ropes!)
- Light and Sound Board Operators for A Year With Frog & Toad, Winnie-the-Pooh and The Foreigner (training provided)
- Dog Wrangler for Of Mice and Men (Ask Susan for more details on this unique opportunity!)
Contact Susan Gulbranson, Playhouse volunteer coordinator, if you are interested in any of these positions: volunteers@dmplayhouse.com, 515-974-5357.
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LOOKING FOR A GREEN ROOM COUCH
The Playhouse is hoping for the donation of a couch, preferably full-length, for the Green Room. The couch should be in reasonable condition (ie, no springs poking through, no mysterious liquids trapped inside, four legs intact). The Playhouse will come and pick up the couch. If you have a couch you think we could use, contact Susan Gulbranson, Playhouse volunteer coordinator, volunteers@dmplayhouse.com, 515-974-5357.
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SPOTLIGHT ON PROPS CHAIRS
Some of The Playhouse’s most unsung volunteer heroes are the production props chairs. Finding, designing, creating, building and buying props is a theatre art that takes years to learn and perfect. The tireless volunteers who undertake these projects devote hours of work and boundless energy to make every prop perfect. Armed only with a hot glue gun, some power tools and paint, they have created everything from birthday cakes to shepherds crooks to six-foot stacks of books.
One such artisan is Joy Kripal.
Long ago crowned "Props Goddess," Joy creates and finds props for nearly every Mainstage Playhouse production and some of The Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre shows as well. Joy attends production meetings, consults with the shows' directors and fellow designers, and pours over scripts to make sure each prop fits seamlessly into the vision of the show. She works with a dedicated props crew, who often work backstage for each performance, resetting the stage during scene blackouts.
Joy is joined in the ranks of veteran props chairs by others without whom our productions would be impossible. Here are just a few:
- Ellen Harvey, a longtime Children’s Theatre and Mainstage props mistress, has begun training the next generation of Playhouse props chairs. Her daughter, Alison, often helps her on shows.
- Nancy Darsee, who is not only an accomplished props mistress but also an invaluable assistant director, brings her daughter, Jenna, on board to help as well.
- Shelley Graber has chaired props for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for the past three years! She recently stated that she strives to make props for next year’s Pageant even better.
- Young people are learning that props are a great way to get involved in theatre. On our recent production of There’s A Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, two high school students, David Van Cleave and Tyler Lubinus, earned high school credit for being props chairs.
- The Playhouse has many of these brave volunteers, including Keith Ryan (Pippi Longstocking, Seussical the Musical), Jean Leibold (The Emperor’s New Clothes, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Keith Hayes (Master Class), Patti Daft (Over the Tavern), Anne Good (The BFG) and more!
If you’re interested in learning more about props at The Playhouse, we will help you learn from these experienced individuals. They have a lot to teach! Contact Susan Gulbranson, Playhouse volunteer coordinator, volunteers@dmplayhouse.com, 515-974-5357, if you’d like to work on props for an upcoming Playhouse production.
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THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
An enormous Playhouse Thank You is extended to these two incredibly helpful groups.
- Hollywood Halloween Servers: Thanks to your hard work, we were able to raise $100,000 for The Playhouse. We couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you to Isabelle Abarr, Jessica Brown, Carol Clow, Vickie Costanzo, Cheryl Critelli-O’Donnell, Pat Crosley, Sue Dittmer, Joanne Erpelding, Susan Ferguson, Mark Ferguson, Bonnie Hodson, Jan Larson, Matthew McConnell, Jamie Nicholson, Marge Pinegar, Marilyn Rutherford and Mary Whisenand.
- Shear Madness Strike Volunteers: It was a big show, a big set and we had a limited amount of time to get it all down and out of the Temple Theatre. Thanks to these volunteers and their tireless hours of work, we were torn down on time and out of the Temple on schedule. We couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you to John Cisar, Dan Graber, Shelley Graber, Joe Leonardi, Greg Millar, Jeff Phillips, Jesse Phillips, Darlene Pullen, Mark Pullen, Jesse Soloman, Mike Soloman and Nicole Taweel.
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2006-07 SEASONS TO BE ANNOUNCED
The Playhouse is getting ready to announce our upcoming seasons, and want our volunteers to be among the first. Titles and dates are subject to change. Children's theatre titles are indicated by an asterisk.
- Footloose, July 14-Aug. 6, 2006
- Swing!, Sept. 8-Oct. 1, 2006
- *The Stinky Cheeseman, Sept. 29-Oct. 15, 2006
- The Graduate, Oct. 20-Nov. 5, 2006
- *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Nov. 10-26, 2006
- *The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Dec. 8-23, 2006
- Metamorphoses (co-production with StageWest, to be produced in the Kate Goldman), Jan. 5-Feb. 4, 2007
- *Peter and the Wolf (to be produced in the Mainstage), Jan. 19-Feb. 4, 2007
- High School Reunion, Feb. 16-Mar. 10, 2007
- *A Woman Called Truth, Mar. 30-Apr. 15, 2007
- The Full Monty, Apr. 13-May 6, 2007
- *Anastasia Krupnik, May 4-20, 2007
- Hank Williams: Lost Highway, June 1-24, 2007
Watch The Playhouse website for season finalizations, show descriptions and audition dates.
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SO LONG, FAREWELL
The Playhouse bids farewell to marketing director Jonnie Nordaker. Jonnie, who has been with the theatre a little more than a year, is returning to the world of radio, handling promotions for Citadel Communications (KGGO, KJJY, The Hawk, WOW and others). We wish Jonnie well, and look forward to working with her again when The Playhouse pairs with her stations for show promotions. Jonnie has also already signed up to house manage and usher upcoming Playhouse shows!
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Keep up-to-date on all The Playhouse news and volunteer opportunities by visiting our website frequently. Of special interest to volunteers:
- Front of house schedules
- Backstage work calls
- Audition schedules
- Cast lists
- Volunteer sign-up form
- Staff contacts
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The fine print:
The Playhouse uses e-mail to communicate directly with our volunteers. The Playhouse does not rent or sell our e-mail lists to anyone.