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Photo and model by Tristan Jeffers
Tristan Jeffers, John Eckert, Chad Raines, and Izzy Fields, our outrageously talented designers from last season, took a moment to chat with Davi Napoleon at Live Design about their work with Fault Line Theatre. The result: a fantastic article that provides a glimpse into their masterful attention to detail and storytelling.
Back in February, we invited a group of students from Young Playwrights, the only professional theater in the country “dedicated to identifying, developing, and promoting playwrights age 18 and under”, to attend our production of The Faire. A few weeks ago we received a parcel of beautiful letters from some of the students congratulating us on our run. We asked their permission to re-publish some excerpts from the letters here:
“All the characters were distinct and fresh, with pockets of wisdom from the most unexpected of them”
“Theatre should always be an enjoyment, and the Fault Line Theatre makes art so enjoyable. I hope to see many more shows at the Fault Line Theatre outside of Young Playwrights, but I am always glad when companies donate tickets to assist young artists along such as I. It is always appreciated, and such generosity should not go without notice.”
“I loved how timeless yet timely the story was.”
“Thank you so much for providing tickets to see The Faire. I don’t get to see theater often, so when I am able to it is always a treat. Writing plays can at times seem to be a process far removed from performing plays, when the keyboard and the screen are more important than the actors or stage set up. It is therefore refreshing and invigorating to see the lines of a script become sound out of an actor’s mouth. I always feel like my writing improves after seeing a performance.”
Photo by Jacob J. Goldberg
Today we have our first guest post on the blog! The Faire has come and gone. And what an amazing adventure it’s been. Our good friend Valerie Bondura saw the show on opening and closing night, so we asked her to share her thoughts on being an audience member at both the beginning and the end of a run.
Seeing a show on opening night is a special kind of experience. Not
only are you excited to be experiencing this story for the first time,
but you have the added excitement of sharing that unique moment with
the actors. Because despite countless hours spent rehearsing and
preparing, there is something irreplicable that occurs when the
performers and the audience meet. Once everyone has entered that
theatre for the first time, and the actors have appeared on stage,
each moment is a new mutual creation in which everyone’s experience
depends on everyone else in the room. The shows that Fault Line
Theatre consistently puts up are the kind that pull you out of your
seat and engage you before you even know what is going on. The actors
draw you in, and the audience does the same for them. To be there for
the very beginning of that type of process, on opening night, is truly
special.As we all filed in to our seats on opening night of The Faire, the
energy in the theatre was palpable. People whispered excitedly, old
friends recognized one another and exchanged hugs, and all of us
looked forward to the performance we were about to see. Suddenly, as
though just another part of the general chatter, Olivier (played by
Grant Krause) stumbled on to the stage and added his voice to the din.
Though a hush fell over the audience, we never lost that sense of
being immersed in the show that that initial entrance imparted.
Nothing in the theatre had really changed, but suddenly we had these
new people to listen to, to laugh with, to react to. We were all
backstage together at a Renaissance Faire, complicit in all the
conversations the characters were having. That shared intimacy is, of
course, what made The Faire so funny. We were all in on the secrets
together.I had the chance to get in on the fun one more time on closing night
of The Faire. This time, walking in to the theatre, I was looking
forward to spending more time with these wonderful characters, who I
felt I had developed a bit of a rapport with. I worried for Olivier’s
addictive habits, felt for Angela’s artistic aspirations, wanted to
grab one of Ursula’s churros (and give her a hug), longed to cheer at
one of Drake’s fencing matches, and…well, with Tilly, I just wanted
to sit her down and make her take a few deep breaths. The actors gave
confident performances, and the audience responded in kind.Maybe it was just because the last monologue is the most poignant, but
near the end of the show I thought I felt a collective nostalgia
settle in over the theatre, all of us realizing that this time
together was ending. The effervescence and promise of opening night
were replaced by a pride in a story well told and a solidarity that
can only come from the sharing of a performance. I feel fortunate to
have gotten to experience both sides of The Faire. It really
emphasized to me the two great things about theatre: the ephemerality
of an individual show and the strength of the intimacy it can create.
For a show is different each night it is performed, but the feeling of
the relationship created in that temporary space lasts long after the
curtain closes.Valerie Bondura is a PhD student in Archaeology at Columbia University.
Jenny Seastone, Rachel Christopher, Kelsey Kurz, and Grant R. Krause in The Faire (photo by Jacob J. Goldberg)
Only one more week left to see The Faire! After each show, we’ve been asking audience members what they thought about the production. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and it’s been both informative and exciting to hear what people are connecting to. Check out what some audience members had to say about the show:
Come join the fun! Get your tickets before it’s too late! Use discount code FLT10 for $10 off tickets.
Jenny Seastone, Kelsey Kurz, and Grant R. Krause in The Faire (photo by Jacob J. Goldberg)
Opening night of The Faire was an absolute hit! This past Sunday, 4th Street Theatre was packed to the brim with family, friends, and collaborators of Fault Line Theatre. This is the 7th opening night in our young career (and the 8th will be right around the corner!). I’ve been with Fault Line Theatre for almost 3 years now; I was barely 21 when I first started as an intern. When I started, there were only 5 core members. Our company has now grown to 8, not to mention the vast array of friends and collaborators we turn to show after show. In a way, Fault Line Theatre has been one of the few constants in our artistic lives. Amidst this chaotic and unpredictable business, Fault Line Theatre has been an oasis. A place we can always put our trust in.
Forgive the emotions… Back to business!
Show #2 of 20 goes into the books this evening at 8pm. Use discount code HUMP22 for half-off tickets tonight only!
Amanda Sykes in The Faire (photo by Jacob J. Goldberg)
The Faire previews begin tomorrow! It’s been over a year in the making and we can’t wait to hit the stage tomorrow night!
To celebrate, we’re offering $20 tickets to any preview performance (Friday @ 8pm, Saturday @ 3pm and 8pm) with the discount code PRE20.
Get pumped!
Aaron Rossini, Nate Frieswyk, and Melanie Hopkins in rehearsal
Here, director Aaron Rossini, technical director Nate Frieswyk, and line producer Melanie Hopkins are at our production meeting after the first design run of Crystal Finn’s The Faire, discussing the schedules for load-in and tech this coming weekend. Tech is always our favorite part of the rehearsal process; it’s a time when all the elements finally come together. Sure, they’re long days and lots of manual labor, but few things are as fun as watching months and months of hard work from all the different departments all come together on a single stage.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who donated to or shared our IndieGoGo campaign for The Faire. We exceeded our goal of $5000 and couldn’t be happier! Thanks to your generous donations and the continuing support of the NFM Group, this match campaign raised a total of over $10,000!
We would like to give a shout out to all the donors for their significant contribution to Fault Line Theatre:
And of course, a big thanks to all of THE OLD BURNOUTS that contributed to the cause!
We excitedly begin the second week of rehearsals for The Faire. Check in with our Facebook and Twitter pages as our intern Jason posts live updates of the process.
The Faire also has a brand new look. We’ve just released the beautiful poster designed by our friend Mandi O’Brien! Check it out above.
Do you have your tickets yet?
Crystal Finn, Brooke Redler, Aaron Rossini, and Grant R. Krause in rehearsal
Today is the first day of rehearsals for Fault Line Theatre’s opening play of 2014: The Faire!
The cast and crew are all here for the first read-through and designer presentations. The first rehearsal is always this magical moment where all the conceptual ideas we’ve been discussing for months become very real, very quickly. The characters are no longer words on a page, they are people in a room.
Check out our Facebook page and Twitter account for regular photos and updates from inside the rehearsal room by our lovely intern Jason.
Lastly, this is the LAST WEEK to support The Faire through our IndieGoGo campaign! If you haven’t already, please consider donating to help make this World Premiere possible!
For the first time in our young history, Fault Line Theatre is offering a season subscription! For $74 you can purchase tickets to both The Faire AND Breathing Time. That’s not only saving you $14, but also guarantees you seats to the world premiere production of Beau Willimon’s Breathing Time, well in advance of individual tickets sales.
We’re so excited to dive into our 2014 season and we hope you’ll join us for what we’re sure will be an exhilarating ride!