Apogee Theater Company

Affairs of Face cast finalized

2009-08-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

As of tonight, "Affairs of Face" has been cast.

Steve: David Yen
Eric: Matt Farrell
Carrie: Laura Tennyson
Meadow: Denise Elia
Molly: Maria Magdalena Giordano
Sarah: Karen True
Marshall: Len Improta
Paul: Elliot Simon

The project is a team effort, led/directed by David Yen.

Production Assistants: Jonathan Johns, Jon Rathjen

Please join us for this groundbreaking work! Episode schedule can be found on the Affairs of Face blogspot page.

Interesting quote

2009-08-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

From Elizabeth Bibesco, an early twentieth-century writer of short stories, plays, and poetry:

"To others we are not ourselves but a performer in their lives cast for a part we do not even know that we are playing."

This is similar, in many ways, to the Bard's "All the world's a stage" monolog (As You Like It, II.vii.):

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts....

This theme is foundational to this company--that we, as people, fulfill roels in one another's lives in ways we cannot predict, do not fathom, and often do not expect.

Affairs of Face (audition information)

2009-07-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

(For a corporate brief presenting an overview of the project, please read our previous post here.) Affairs of Face is a largely-improvisational series of one-act plays addressing contemporary concerns. In addition to performances, characters will interact online during non-performance times via character pages on social networking sites. Rehearsal times will be spent developing characters and improvising those characters in different situations. The main story arcs are set in advance; arriving at the main points will be up to the individual performers. This project has been selected as part of the Arts Sonoma '09 Fringe Festival.

Auditions:
Auditions will be held Wednesday, July 22, from 7:00-10:00pm in Rohnert Park, CA (street address will be e-mailed to you with your audition slot confirmation). Advance signups for audition time slots are strongly encouraged. Audition slots will be no more than ten minutes in length, and will be scheduled in fifteen-minute increments. Drop-ins will be audited on a first-come, first-seen basis.

Please prepare a contemporary monologue no longer than 2 minutes in length. Your character should possess at least one physical mannerism not your own. (This may be as subtle as the way they stand or walk, or as outward as fidgeting with a lock of hair or cracking their knuckles. Physical composition of the characters will be very important in this production.) Be prepared to discuss why you made the decisions to perform the piece as you delivered it (motivations, backstory, physicalization, etc.).

Actors should be over the age of 21 and non-union (apologies to union actors). Please bring a headshot and resume, and arrive with any possible conflicts to the below dates.

Callbacks:
Callbacks will be held Wednesday, July 29, from 7:00-10:00pm in Rohnert Park, CA (street address will be e-mailed to you with your callback information). Callbacks will be longer in length, and will be conducted in groups. You will be expected to use the character you chose for your audition piece. There will be no sides, but there will be situations (think "What's My Line", but dramatic rather than comedic). This is an ensemble piece, so characters (chemistry between, but primarily devotion to) will be important.

Rehearsals:
Affairs of Face will rehearse Monday and Wednesday nights, 7:00-10:00pm, for the month of August, beginning Wednesday, August 5. We will also rehearse two Saturdays, August 8 and August 22, from 9:30am-12:30pm.

Shows:
Care has been taken to schedule performances specifically when other theaters are not doing shows, with only a couple of exceptions. In addition, not all characters/actors will be called for every show.

Performance Schedule (exact locations TBD):

Episode 1: Monday, August 31 - 5:30-6:30p
Location: bar in Santa Rosa
Characters: Steve, Carrie, Eric (see below for character descriptions)

Episode 2: Saturday, September 5 - lunch or dinner (time TBD)
Location: restaurant in Sebastopol
Characters: Steve, Carrie, Eric, Meadow, Kelly

Episode 3: Friday, September 11 - 5:30-6:30pm
Location: bar in Santa Rosa
Characters: Steve, Carrie, Eric, Meadow, Kelly

Episode 4: Tuesday, September 15 - 5:30-6:30pm
TWO Locations: coffee bar / bookstore in Santa Rosa
Characters: Steve, Carrie, Marshall / Carrie, Sara

Episode 5: Sunday, September 20 - day (time TBD)
Location: wine tasting in Healdsburg area
Characters: Steve, Carrie, Eric, Meadow, Kelly, Marshall

Episode 6: Thursday, September 24 - 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Coffee shop in Rohnert Park area
Characters: Steve, Carrie

Episode 7: Wednesday, September 30 - 5:30-6:30pm (tentative)
Location: Coffee shop in Santa Rosa area
Characters: Eric, Meadow, Kelly

Episode 8: Sunday, October 4 - day (time TBD)
Location: outdoors in Petaluma area
Characters: Steve, Carrie, Eric, Meadow, Kelly, Marshall, Paul

Characters (working names--not final):
Steve: (late 20's). Steve is personable and outgoing, and initiates everyone going out after work.
Carrie: (mid-late 20's) Works in HR at the same company as Steve. She is very PC until she has had a drink or two.
Eric: (late 20's-mid 30's) Works tech support at the same company as Steve & Carrie. Quiet, but very deep.
Meadow: (mid-late 20's) Over-the-top earth lover, but with an upper-social-class air. Also Eric's girlfriend.
Kelly: (early 20's) Waitress at a local healthy eating establishment. Lonely and a little shy, but hungry for friends.
Marshall: (mid-late 30's) Out-of-towner with a slight accent. Looking for things to do and people to do them with, but clearly likes his own company just fine.
Sara: (late 40's-early 50's) Carrie's mother. Looks much younger than she is. Independent, intense and successful.
Paul: (early-mid 30's) One of Marshall's new friends. Recent divorcee.

Other supporting characters may be added at a later date.

Pay:
A stipend will be paid to all participants (amount TBD).

Appointments:
To schedule an audition time, please submit your contact information (name, e-mail address, phone number) and your preferred time slot to apogeetheaterco@hotmail.com (please type "AOF Audition" in the subject line). If you are interested in auditioning, but cannot make the scheduled audition time, please contact us and we will attempt to work out an alternate time.

Affairs of Face (project overview)

2009-07-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a description of Apogee's upcoming production, "Affairs of Face":

Overview

Affairs of Face is an ambitious theater project that seeks to break the boundaries of entertainment media and culture. A series of six one-act plays will combine live theater, reality television, and online social networking to provide an experience that encapsulates all of what theater should be about: thought-provoking, personal, inspiring, and moving. Affairs of Face will also break the traditional "fourth wall" of theater by bringing the actors directly into the laps of the audience. In addition, this project seeks to embrace much of what our local community has to offer--performances will take place not in a theater, but in local coffee shops, restaurants, and attractions. In short, an audience experiencing Affairs of Face will be experiencing Life.

Creative Elements

Affairs of Face is a series of one-act plays, similar in many respects to a television soap opera. A core group of three characters initially carry the storylines, but additional characters will be added/exchanged as the plays progress. In each performance, characters will meet to socialize. In the course of the six weeks, they will discuss topics relating to real life: death of family members, employment, self-worth, dating, substance abuse are some of the many topics that may be addressed.

Production Elements

In addition to the theatrical performances, Affairs of Face will also utilize the internet as a means of storytelling and networking, making the experience even more personal. As with many popular television programs, there will be a website that includes rebroadcasts of previous episodes via streaming video, as well as discussion boards for fans. Each character will have a public Myspace page, and comments can be made there by fans as well as by other characters. The website will also be a resource and means of communicating the venue for the next episode.

Community Elements

In an effort to bring the live theater experience closer to communities in Sonoma County, as well as to showcase the rich culture of the county, performances will take place in different local venues. One performance may take place in a microbrewery or coffee house, another might be an excursion to a beach or a local winery.

We're back up and running!

2009-07-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome!

After a long hiatus, Apogee Theater Company is back up and running, with a refreshed vision, a new look, and an exciting new project!

You can find our mission and vision statements to the right. We have spent a great deal of time and energy developing them, and feel very strongly about them. We hope not only to always hold to them as our compass, but to accept feedback to return to them, if ever we go astray.

We have a new look, as well:

The above image combines design elements of a 'Play' button, and the symbol for anarchy, turned on its side. The overall look suggests action, change, and breaking out from tradition--all of which mirror our production goals as a company.

And, last but certainly not least, we have an incredible new project in production. The show, "Affairs of Face," combines elements of live theater, reality television, and internet storytelling to create a compelling, intimate tale of real-life struggles. The show, a series of one-act plays, will take place in nonconventional venues--coffee shops, bars, restaurants and the like--throughout Sonoma County, California, in the fall of 2009 as part of the Sonoma County Arts Festival. Please click the link above for more information.

We are looking forward to a successful journey. Please join us!