"Hours' Traffic of Our Stage"

Mercutio lounges languidly, ankles crossed, on a blanket in the grass during Romeo and Juliet. Somehow, one can imagine that is the pose Shakespeare would take were he at Sweet Briar to watch. There is something uniquely elemental and accessible about Romeo and Juliet, as audience members experience not only the story, text, and characters but also the incredible beauty of the campus and the setting around Benedict.

Derek Arey and Kathryn Williams greeting patrons

Greeted by costumed actors near the parking area, audience members begin to be transported back to the turn of the twentieth century. The sounds of Ragtime music fill the space. Many bring picnics, blankets, pillows as they make their way toward the brick, columned front of Benedict. The volunteers at the ticket table check reservations and welcome each party cordially; they also offer extra blankets as well as insect repellent.

Drew, Krista, and Nancy greet some of the first arrivals of the evening.

The next step is claiming a parcel of space on which to settle. Some bring fast food, while others have prepared a full spread, including dessert (one group brought key lime pie).

Sarah Daggett joins a group just in time for dessert.

The sun is still a bit warm as the actors have begun to gather on blankets and chairs under trees (Capulets on one side of the walkway, Montagues on the other, of course), and, in some way, the picture of cast and audience together is reminiscent of lazy summer days in the past.

Audience members getting comfortable before the show's beginning scene.

As the performance begins, the plates and food are forgotten, and the story captures the attention of the audience immediately with the Capulet/Montague challenge scene, not only because the fight itself, carefully choreographed by Geoff and Michael, is entertaining to watch, but because the action is close. As the play continues, Mercutio and Romeo, particularly, merge into the audience space, intermingling or teasing audience members. One evening, the duel between Tybalt and Romeo prompted a father to cup his hands over his daughters' ears, to warn them about the coming shot, since they were sitting at the front, close to the scene.

Romeo, played by Michael Stablein, shares a blanket with a young audience member as he intently watches Juliet dance.

Intermission arrives, and patrons relax, refill, refresh, and sample wares provided by a local service club - sometimes homemade cookies, cups of fruit as well as beverages. No meat pies, but the traditional orange is available - Shakespeare would be pleased.

The lamps beside the sidewalk and around Benedict begin to ease on, just as the daylight is fading. The moon is also beginning to appear, and people begin to pull on light jackets as the coolness sets in. The dark and cool set the mood for the final scene of Romeo and Juliet - just as director Bill Kershner envisioned it would. The torches lining the sidewalk complete the picture, and as the play ends with the circle around Romeo and Juliet, no one stirs for several moments, even as the characters begin to move toward the curtain call. There is something sacred about the quiet, and not being quite ready to disturb the moment with applause.

Shakespeare would be pleased with that, too.

Playgoers greet performers, pack their blankets and chairs, and make their way gradually back to the parking lot and to the present - after several hours' "traffic of our stage."

"In" stages

The audience's experience is a key component of an Endstation Theatre Company production. What will they feel? What will they see, smell, and hear?

From the moment our guests arrive, happily outfitted Endstation volunteers are waiting at the box office with tickets, programs and hospitality. Our kind volunteers also have been urging our guests to peruse the art gallery which is currently running an exhibit called 100 views of High Peaks which showcases the Blue Ridge's beauty 100 different ways.

Volunteers Nancy & Lauren Kershner wait at the Box Office to greet our guests.

Meanwhile, the cast and crew man their positions backstage waiting for the house to open. Props have been set, the actors are in costume and wait for information from Stage Manager Maria Hayden.

Hey Thomas, where' ya goin'?

Lucas Hayden, Sound Board Operator

From the very beginning of the design phase, the seating was being set on stage. Many audience members wondered why we would waste a whole empty 800 seat auditorium and only use the constructed seating for 60 guests. Our answer is this... it would be a very different show seeing it from that far away. "When you are within 5 feet of the heartache, the awkwardness, and the long pauses of silence, you become those things along with the characters in the play" remarked one audience member. And that is exactly it, having the viewers right on stage with the action makes the audience inherently part of the show.

Company member, Andrew Becker waits to escort guests onto the stage.

Thus far we've gotten great responses to the show. People who remember the tragedy relive moments in a positive way. People who have heard the stories from family members and friends connect with characters who retell the tales. One of our audience members commented on how the air smelled in the theatre... it was moist and filled with an earthy odor, thanks to the debris pile. We even got some complements on our miniature version of a HAM Radio tower... it acts as the pedestal for the projector and is operated from the lighting booth.

Welding together our mini HAM tower.

Just over 2 years ago the Endstation Theatre Company planted its feet at Sweet Briar College. Here's a peek inside our office. This is where it started and congratulations to everyone on a very successful summer festival.

Backstage with "The Bluest Water"

A typical evening for The Bluest Water finds the actors arriving between 5:45 and 6:00 to begin their preparations for the show. While the crew initializes the playing space, tests the lights, sound, and effects, places props and setpieces, warms up the projector, and lowers the curtain (busy busy busy!), the cast enters its own routine. For most this begins with hair and makeup. Since the space is so intimate, most cast members do not use much on their faces. (The exception would be the two actors who feature in the opening sequence, soaked with water and covered in mud-mimicking makeup.)

Tanya Anderson, Michael Stablein, and Sally Southall apply their makeup.

In the 'calm before the storm', there is always a balance between light-hearted socialization and the This time also provides the actors a chance to review before stepping again onto the stage.

Brian Chaitin (Cuddy understudy) reviews his lines before his first time in a performance!

Cast members Wanda Bond and Thomas Bell sneak an opportunity to sign a castmate's birthday card.

Stage Manager Maria Hayden notifies the cast of the time remaining to get ready.

As 'places' is called, and the curtain speech begins on-stage, a few final preparations are made and the performance begins.

Michael Stablein and Natalie Caruncho soak themselves just before the opening sequence.

Actors wait in the wings for the first entrance.

As the show is progressing, there is not a great deal of "down-time" for the cast, particularly without an intermission. The actors do enjoy the moments of reprieve they get but always keep a close eye/ear out for what's happening on-stage.

Wanda Bond, Thomas Bell, and Derek Arey enjoy a few minutes to chat and relax.

The monitor in the Green Room provides a glimpse of the stage to keep everyone prepared.

Especially since the audience is seated on the stage, the backstage area (which is already quite small) demands care to be taken in quietness at all times ... in the wings, on the stairs, or even in the Green Room. It also serves as makeshift dressing-room for quick-changes.

Michael Stablein goes through one of his quick-changes
(in this case, from "Wet Bobby" to Nathan).

As with the play itself, the backstage goings-on before and during The Bluest Water are a unique experience. Just because something is routine doesn't mean it can't be interesting, or fun!

Jared M Anderson
Endstation Blogger

Two Households, Equal Dignity, and Lots of Hairpins

"Romeo and Juliet," if you can believe it, has a very different pre-show feel and routine. The cast arrives around 5:30 to get into costume, do make-up and hair, and warm up. Because it's a period piece--and an intricate period (Edwardian), at that--a lot of effort goes into the look of the actors. All of the men are in three-piece suits, sporting meticulously parted-and-gelled hair, but fortunately, due to the proximity of the audience and the heat of the outdoors, do not have to wear make-up. Women are in high-necked, long-sleeved dresses or blouses, with heavy, layered skirts. Street make-up was the choice for this show again because of proximity and heat. But the hair--some spend time doing it at home, others twist and pull their hair in the dressing room, and some take it to (forgive the pun) higher levels.

Catherine Arnold's inspiring Gibson Girl hair-do.

Once everyone is dressed and ready, actors head over to Benedict for fight call. However, due to varying times of "dressed and ready," actors are forced to warm up and prepare on their own, either while they're getting ready or sometimes, on the walk over. There is no group warm up, no quiet time, and very little space for personal preparation. Never once, until intermission, is the entire cast together. 

Fight call is run around 6:00 at Benedict, and by then, audience members are already arriving. This adds just another layer to the actors' responsibilities, because even fight call--a time for warming up, reviewing the fight, and in general, getting into the mood of the play--has an audience. On top of that, fight call has the actors already sweating and wheezing; as if sitting in the heat in layers of costume weren't bad enough, everyone gets physically riled up before they have to sit in the heat! Once all of the fights are run, the cast disperses, some heading inside to enjoy the air conditioning briefly before full exposure to the heat, some lounging on the blankets outside, and some greeting the audience at various "entranceways." Because there is no backstage, Geoff decided to have us embrace the lack of a fourth wall right off the bat by placing rotating cast members at these entranceways. There, cast members greet and welcome the arriving audience or, in some cases, inform bemused passersby of the three hours traffic of our stage.

Kirin McCrory

Endstation Blogger

A little snip it

This entry is about a sneak peek. A preview. A trailer. Enjoy.



Make sure to book your tickets now! We are already sold out for this week for The Bluest Water and Romeo and Juliet has been very popular. So order your tickets for the final performance of The Bluest Water and make sure to get to Romeo and Juliet early for a prime spot!

Geoffrey Kershner
Endstation Blogger and Artistic Director

Spotlight on Brian Chaitin!

Brian Chaitin, our June Savior, has been serving as the ASM for both shows, as well as an actor in "The Bluest Water," the sound "board" op for R&J, and a general handyman for the festival. I asked Brian some questions and, as it turns out, he does a lot more than just behind-the-scenes work: his list of theatre-related interests and skills is about as endless as it gets in the business.

Brian, reciting lines for an actor in what looks like the balcony scene. A rose by any other name, eh?

Brian first jumped into the world of theatre at a young age and as an actor. After being cast as Joseph (take a guess as to what show), he discovered a love for musical theatre. The show was being put on at his Temple in West Palm Beach, FL. His "most rewarding experiences" have been "working for [his] temple and doing community theatre." Brian then auditioned for a magnet arts high school and got accepted, which kept him doing theatre throughout high school. However, he'd tired of it by the time he was headed to FSU. He declared mechanical engineering as his major, and stayed in the program for two years before switching to the theatre major.

Brian gets a talking-to from Maria.

Brian's skills run the gamut. We've seen him mainly as an ASM and part-time techie, and acting was his first theatrical passion, but he also enjoys (and can "perform" in) construction, lighting, costuming, and directing. He hopes this will keep him out of restaurants and away from waiting on tables, allowing him to hop from theatre job to theatre job, in and out of his various roles.

Brian and Shelbie at the opening night of "The Bluest Water"--also Brian's birthday!

Brian got involved with Endstation after Geoff, previously a teacher of his at FSU, offered Brian an "internship-like" position with the theatre company. It was exactly what Brian had been looking for, and come June, he headed up to Virginia to join us. It's been one of the most "rewarding and educational" experiences for him thus far, and he's been enjoying his time here. That, in no small part, is due to his largely attractive casts. "I have met some great people," he said, "and have seen some fantastic scenery...both onstage and off!"

Kirin McCrory

Endstation Blogger

The Audience Arrives: Thoughts from the Artistic Director

So we have completed week one with great success! Our audiences have been fantastic and we can head into the next two weeks with our heads held high. I am very proud of the design team, the actors, our volunteers and our crew. This has been such a rewarding experience.

Audience at Saturday's performance of R & J

I decided to focus this blog on the experience of the audience. We were very fortunate with our press coverage this summer and have gotten a fantastic turn out. The turn out has been about as good as we could have hoped for in our first year. We hope we can maintain this through the next couple of weeks. Advance sales are very good for The Bluest Water and it appears people wait on good weather to commit to Romeo and Juliet. So far, the weather has been good and so have the audiences.

Audience for Sunday's performance of The Bluest Water

We also offer audiences refreshments during Romeo and Juliet. Most of the nights these concessions have been provided by the Clifford Ruritan Club. Hillary Jenkins, Ned and Lynn Kable have done an excellent job with this, even making little preprepared plates with cheese, crackers and fruit. Of course one of the most important things offered is WATER. It is a little hot at the start of the show...but things quickly cool off as the sun sets.

Ned Kable selling concessions

This year has been a challenge with handling tickets. Along with job titles like the director, the scenic designer, head of marketing and pr, treasurer, board member, house manager, and crew head...Krista and I have also been handling box office duties. Thank God for Ken Parks and his LynchburgTickets.com. With Ken's help with have managed to sell advanced tickets online and print tickets. We still though have the responsibility of taking phone reservations and questions as well as keep the ticket sales at the door organized. With the help of Lynn Kable we have kept this moving with relative smoothness. (We almost over sold on Friday...oooops!)

Patrons wait in line for tickets in the Babcock Lobby

The action of Romeo and Juliet works its way into the audience during the show. This is a lot of fun. Endstation knows nothing of this "fourth wall" you speak of.

Michael Stablein (Romeo) runs into the audience when he first sees Juliet

Action also takes place around the audience...

Michael Stablein appears behind the audience during the action of the play (can you say...brochure photo...;) )

For The Bluest Water the audience is seated on the stage. This is important to us. The disadvantage of Babcock Auditorium is that it has a very low rake and the audience is held at a great distance from the stage. I really don't like this kind of theatre. I like a space that takes advantage of the audience and the performer sharing a space and because of this, we sat the audience on the stage.

Here you can see the audience seated ON the stage

The audience for Romeo and Juliet start in the light and end in the dark. The sun sets on the production which is a very powerful and exciting element of the show. Torches light up the space along with campus street lights.

The audience views the very end of the Romeo and Juliet

We have discovered that many of those who watch The Bluest Water stick around to meet with the cast. Many who remember the storm like to discuss the production after the show.

Audience exit at the end of The Bluest Water

We are very excited to head into Week 2 of performances. Stay tuned!

Geoffrey Kershner
Endstation Blogger and Artistic Director