January 2007 Archives

Commenter registration now required

posted by Cheshire on Sat, Jan 27, 2007
in News

I hated to have to do this, but as the spam attacks have increased quite dramatically, it was finally time to institute commenter registration. Like most other blog owners who use the Movable Type software, we've elected to go with TypeKey. Don't worry, it doesn't mean we're keeping tabs on you. In fact, since so many other blogs also use TypeKey, all you have to do is register once, and you're good to comment automatically on thousands of blogs, not just ours. So please go to TypeKey and get yourself registered so we can hear what you have to say. Thanks, homeslice.

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Top Ten No-Holds-Barred Audition Tips

posted by Melissa on Mon, Jan 22, 2007
in Making Theatre

Actors deserve to know the truth about what casting directors and directors think about their auditions. Speaking as someone who's watched hundreds (if not thousands) of actors audition over the years, I have seen a lot of great auditions and a lot of crappy ones, and despite the amount of audition workshops going on in the world, for some strange reason lots and lots and LOTS of actors make the same, easily avoided mistakes. I have no desire to be less than fully honest or to pull punches here, so here's what I think -- NO HOLDS BARRED.

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Go see Pillowman at Berkeley Rep

posted by Cheshire on Thu, Jan 18, 2007
in Local Theatre

(Full disclosure: I work at Berkeley Rep.)

Berkeley Rep's Pillowman, written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Les Waters, is a mesmerizing production of a brutal, blistering play. It's now in my all-time top ten productions. Honestly, nothing can prepare you for how disturbing and disturbingly funny this show is.

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Best Blocking Ever!

posted by Diana on Thu, Jan 18, 2007
in Current Shows

Screw that "exit bear stage left" nonsense, here's something we can all get behind: GIRLY ASS HUG. As in, "Akane & Yumi girly ass hug," not "girly-ass hug." Wondering what a girly ass hug is? Come see Cartoon!

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Introducing Impact 6-Packs -- 6 admissions for the price of 4

posted by Cheshire on Wed, Jan 17, 2007
in News

Impact already produces kickass theatre at prices everyone can afford, plus we're the only game in town where you can eat pizza and drink beer while you watch the show. So how can we make it any better? By giving you two free admissions, leaving you more money for pizza and beer!

Introducing the Impact 6-Pack, a card that gives you six admissions for the price of four -- you can use it just for yourself or for any number of people in your party, and it never expires. Here's how flexible it is: use it just for yourself, and you'll get into two shows for free; take a date to two shows, and the third one's on us; or bring five people with you to a show, and two of y'all get in free. How cool is that?

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Now at the Sub: 43 Plays for 43 Presidents

posted by Cheshire on Thu, Jan 11, 2007
in Local Theatre

Our friends at Rough and Tumble have rented out our space for their new show, the Neo-Futurists' 43 Plays for 43 Presidents. (Does that remind anyone else of "88 Lines About 44 Women"?) I haven't seen it yet, but I hear it's good. Check it out -- it runs Thu-Sat for the rest of the month.

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Today's holiday

posted by Cheshire on Wed, Jan 10, 2007
in

A lot of you have downloaded the January 2007 pinup girl calendar wallpaper and noticed that today is marked as a holiday. But, but, you say, Martin Luther King's birthday isn't until Monday! Well, that birthday is marked, too. And at least on mine, you still get your mail delivered. That's my present to you.

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Cartoon press photos posted

posted by Cheshire on Sun, Jan 7, 2007
in Downloads

The press photos for Cartoon have just been posted in the Press Room, along with the show's press release. Download away if you want to help us get the word out about this fantastically violent and funny new show, coming to you in just a few short weeks.

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Jose Rivera's 36 assumptions about playwriting

posted by Cheshire on Thu, Jan 4, 2007
in Playwriting

This is a really interesting list by Jose Rivera, an award-winning playwright who wrote the plays References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot and Cloud Tectonics, among others, and who received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay of The Motorcycle Diaries (a movie I loved despite its being a biopic, which I usually hate). It's a list of 36 assumptions he makes about playwriting. There's something in every item that's meaningful to me, but this one speaks to me loudest at the moment:

"Embrace your writer's block. It's nature's way of saving trees and your reputation. Listen to it and try to understand its source. Often, writer's block happens to you because somewhere in your work you've lied to yourself and your subconscious won't let you go any further until you've gone back, erased the lie, stated the truth and started over."

(via Part of the Problem)

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New Pinup Girl Wallpaper!

posted by Cheshire on Mon, Jan 1, 2007
in Downloads

Happy new year! Celebrate 2007 with the first pinup girl desktop wallpaper of the year, a sophisticated little number in seven different sizes, one of which is perfect for your screen. Download and enjoy, and keep February 2 open -- that's opening night of Cartoon.

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