Opening Night

Last night was the opening night of Late Bloomers and Glory Days by Allyson Currin, produced by the Conservatory’s Alumni Committee. The opening was a tremendous success and is the culmination of three months of pre-production work undertaken by the committee from casting to marketing. I know I speak for everyone on the committee when I say how fulfilling if was when those stage lights went up.

And it just got better from there – the stellar work of the cast of Conservatory graduates Karl Bittner (‘07), Leigh Anna Fry (‘06), Lisa Margarita (‘08), Samantha Merrick (‘04), and Dane Petersen (‘07), as well as NCDA graduates Ric Blackwell (‘08) and Michael Harris (‘08).– under the direction of Jessica North Macie (ART ’05) as they transitioned between their thirty-two year old characters at a fifteen-year high school reunion seamlessly to their seventeen year old former selves for the flashback monologues that playwright Currin added to give the audience insight into their past were remarkable. A challenging acting experience to be sure, and this cast knocked it out of the park.

Late Bloomers and Glory Days will also be featured in this summer’s Capital Fringe Festival in July hopefully with this cast intact. We will be blogging about the Fringe experience as the festival draws near so be sure to check back in.

None of this could have been possible without the excellent efforts of the Conservatory staff and the alumni committee. The Conservatory provides free space for rehearsal and performance to its graduates as a part of its Actors Producing Project, a three month period in the spring where the school’s theatre is made available to alumni to produce work. And it is thanks to the Conservatory’s business class offered in fourth semester, as well as the professional theater training offered in the advanced program (ART), that we have the knowledge and experience to take a show from pre-production to a solid opening night.

Now we’re looking forward to a great weekend of shows. If you get the opportunity, come on out and see us this Saturday March 21st at 8:00 and this Sunday the 22nd at 3:00. Whether you were a Late Bloomer or you remember high school as the Glory Days, there is plenty to laugh about this weekend at the Conservatory.