The people around me

In many ways the company is a reflection of my life. It is comprised of pieces of the places I love. It includes individuals like our lighting designer Dan Gallagher who I grew up with right here in Amherst County, it includes our costume designer Sally Southall who I grew up watching do work in the Lynchburg theatre community, and people like our set designer Krista Franco who I went to school with at FSU.

Dan working on The Mind of Poe

Krista and I at Poor Paul's, one of our favorite bars in Tallahassee

There is no escaping the FSU presence at the Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival. None of this is by design, but because FSU was such a big part of my life, it has become a big part of the festival. Today we received word that the FSU alumni newsletter wants to do a story on the company. This created the need for an FSU/Endstation photo. I realized at this moment that we had 12 FSU graduates on the Sweet Briar campus and that was with three individuals involved in the festival missing (Jason Chimonides, Ryan Clark, and Bryce Page). This brings the grand total of FSU alums involved in this year's festival to 15. This may seem like a lot and it is, but when it is all said and done we probably have over sixty total individuals involved in the festival. So FSU is in the minority, but there is no doubt that the Noles are present. (I know it has to get annoying for many to constantly hear: "Remember back at FSU when...")

Walter, Josh, and I at Universal Studios in Orlando. We meant to ride rides, stayed in the bar and when we finally rode the Hulk, Josh lost his phone....

Josh and I at Poor Paul's. 2006

Michael is here, on the left, in my thesis production of Amadeus

Tallahassee and the Florida State School of Theatre is where I met and worked with an amazing group of talented young collaborators. I matured and grew as a director and teacher at FSU. The people I met shaped who I am and in turn they are a big part of my artistic path both in the past and the present. It is exciting for me to continue my artistic collaborations with so many of these individuals from my Tallahassee days. It is also exciting for me to infuse these collaborations with those that I know and love, right here in Virginia.

Sergio and Natalie in one of my favorite theatrical experiences, The Birds

Jason working on The Bluest Water in 2007

I love watching A Midsummer Night's Dream because it is the perfect mix of my past. It is filled with my peers from school and my peers from my home. I love it. I love watching this hybrid of people create magic on the SBC grounds each night. It is a reflection of my company and a reflection of the places I have been and the places that I am going.

Sally and Ryan discussing A Midsummer Night's Dream during tech

I am excited to build new collaborations, foster new partnerships, and expand my involvement with Virginia artists. I also love my collaborators that I share a deep past with. Both of these will share a place with Endstation and the Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival into the future. I love you all. Endstation is what it is because of you.

Geoffrey Kershner

Artistic Director

I, E. B. II

E. B.

E B White? E B Lewis? Electric Boogaloo?

No. It is I, the Endstation Bouncer. I return with my reflections on some happenings in and about Endstation theatre and my thoughts on where we've been and where we're going. I'll jump right in by answering the two most commonly asked questions of the Endstation Bouncer.

Question: Why Bounce? Like, why stay with it, what with the Settle family fortune there to support your indulgences (A fortune made at the turn of the century by running 'shine in old VA.). Answer: The Bouncer usually sees more tail than a bar stool on a Saturday night. [I jest.]

Bouncing? For Endstation Theatre? That's ridik-ilous!...OH YEAH?!? Truth: Just this past spring, this collection of badasses had a squad of uniformed Police Officers burst in on a meeting pre-planning the Sonnets & Chocolates fundraiser! Solution: Someone to 'work the door'. [Rest assured, there was no cause for alarm.]

I want to thank my buddy and theatrical associate, Geoff Kershner, for being willing to overlook the handicap I occassionally suffer. I don't think so good; not since my early days of practicing the sweet science, the gentlemanly art of pugilism, uhm..dusting knuckles for pay with me chums. Geoff has always been very conscienscious of using the terms ex- and former boxer, instead of 'washed-up' and 'has-been'.

[The Frightful Four become the Fearsome Five as J. David Settle joins the ranks of Rocky Marciano, Don King, Cassius Clay, and Muhammad Ali. Known just as much for their bombastic turns-of-phrase as their devastating ring-side ways.]

And now some random musings, hopefully amusing, badass and bemusing, on the goings on at Sweet Briar's resident 'Endstation Theatre'...:

-The coolest cats in the company, the Endstation Interns, all get together 'after hours' and party like it's 1999, a year most of them are too young to remember.

-The way Dan adjusts himself whenever Angie says 'fixture check' makes me uncomfortable.

-I laugh every time Maria cuts me a check from the Endstation account, and says, "Boiiii-ooii-ooiiing!".

-Sophisticated joke? I've got one about Endstation's first season;... the Punchline..."The Tell-Tale Fart".

-Bouncing ain't the most glamorous job but it beats my first job at Endstation, maintaining the bathroom upstairs outside the conference room; or as I call it, "visiting Planet Funk-o-tron".

-The chances of some type of reprise of MBK or MND are actually pretty good, since it would seem pretty hard to just 'lose' all that great rock music like I've heard happens occassionally. (Oh Snap!)

-Ashley Zach could have any of us killed at any time with one phone call.

-My suggestion for next years season? An adaptation of Patrick 'Philosophizing Bouncer' Swayze's "Road House"

-Truth: Wanda, of "The Bluest Water", is sexier than Honey Ryder, Kitty Stroker, Plenty O'Toole, and Pussy Galore combined; she's MARRIED to James Bond!

-As big of a dizzle as Drew is about fire exits and fire safety, he'd just as soon see us all burn.

-"THEY'LL NEVER WORK IN AMHERST AGAIN!" pronounces Dr. Kershner the day after a player blows the 'sweet briar' line in MND.

-Brian, the bit about getting drunk (or 'something') and going out one night to change all the signs on campus to read "SWEET BRIAN" was funny last year; let it go, man.

-I trust Sally more than anyone else in the company; last year during a Combat Workshop she could have totally kicked me in the business and she didn't.

-At the behest of Board members, next year's season includes more comedies; first up...a rollicking & wacky, camp send-up of the school integration crisis in Prince Edward County of the 1950s. (oooo...to soon?)

-Ken Parks and I bolster our lucrative Endstation contracts by being those guys that videotape 'drunk and drugged' bum fights in parking lots.

-Aahh, the good old days at FSU! (What the heck am I talking about?)

-How Ol' Shakespeare could write in rhyming verse and have a main character named 'Puck' and keep it clean I'll never know...

And that about wraps up this week's view from behind the velvet rope. I've tried to show just about everybody a little love. If I didn't call you out individually, trust me, it is a matter of either taste, decorum, or legal liability; and if we learn nothing else from the 'Rocky' movies (source of my personal mantra and the 'quotable' fare of the summer) it is that sequels are rarely as good as the original.

Regardless, we are a family. As the Bounce-man, I've got your back!

J. David Settle

Clap Your Hands Everybody

A feeling of accomplishment. Great audiences. Finally, we can catch our breath.

Both shows that make up the 2nd half of the Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival are open and we are getting the chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the work that we've produced. My parents came down to VA from CT for a short visit to see the shows the last few days and in the words of my father "there is so many wonderful things happening here... superb talent on stage, boundless creativity behind the scenes (although I think his opinion on production is biased), and an overall great feeling you get when you leave a BRSTF show because you've witnessed something of really spectacular quality". They love making the trip down here to take part in the festival and of course are tee shirt wearing, tote bag carrying Endstation supporters.

I had a very nice time while they were here; managed to eat out a lot more and found myself going to bed a lot earlier "because it's better for you to get a good night's rest while you are busy, busy during the day" as my mom put it. I even managed to drag them to a party while they were here. Safe travels Mom & Dad Franco... see you in a couple of weeks.

The Birthday Boy with Geoff

Last night we celebrated Michael's 23rd birthday. It was themed with the 20's, a decade of music, literature, and fashion that Michael has been quite fond of. Our lovely hostess, Kirin, opened her home to everyone for the festivities and a good time was had by all.

The festival brings together such cool people. Each summer I look forward to getting to know new faces, reconnecting with familiar ones and enjoying the time we spend at Sweet Briar College while the students are away. I bet they have no idea how much more fun their school is when they leave.

Here's to an awesome weekend, an awesome summer and an awesome festival! I can hear the Midsummer audience going wild outside which means the show must have ended. Enjoy the applause everyone... you've earned it!

Drink!

Artistic Director Vlog: Round 2

tonight, we take time to pause.

We are at the point in the summer where we start pressing on the brakes, never wanting summer like these to come to a close. We have rehearsed and brought to life some beautiful stories. We are sharing them with audiences. We are creating memories that we will never ever forget. And even though it is MOST DEFINITELY not time to say goodbye. We still have many a show to share. YOU SHOULD COME AND SEE THEM IF YOU HAVE NOT. THEY ARE WONDERFUL SHOWS. TRULY, TRULY.

Tonight, I received an email from Geoff that mentioned Karl Tamburr. We take time to pause and remember a dear friend and lovely human.

Karl Tamburr was a part of Sweetbriar, a part of Endstation and has a very special place in many hearts. Last summer, he played my father in Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet. And he did a wonderful job. I wish I could go into detailed memories. One that I will share is... I walked out of rehearsal one day early on and said "See ya later pops!" and lingered to see if I would get a response. There was not a verbal one. I had just met Karl, and hadn't quite figured him out yet. The next time I came into rehearsal, I was having allergies and had a small cough. Karl came right up to me while I was warming up and started giving me remedies. "This is no time to get sick," he said with a smile. It's a small thing, but he let me call him pops, and I took the remedies from my summer dad. I wish that he could be here this summer to see all the great things Endstation is doing and to meet all these crazy kids we have running around this time.

This summer, due to the Karl Tamburr Memorial fund, myself, Walter Kmiec and Sergio Soltero are able to be here sharing our love for the theatre. We've been busy. Having a blast. Working hard. And laughing hard. And enjoying every moment.

natalie caruncho

walter kmiec

walter kmiec and sergio soltero

natalie caruncho and sergio soltero

walter kmiec

natalie caruncho

Thank you Karl.

CHEERS TO A WONDERFUL SUMMER THUS FAR.

-Natalie Caruncho (Juliet for the night)

actor

thanks for all the memories, egio!

here are some endstation photos taken completely out of context (courtesy of sergio soltero pictures, inc.):

kirin usually stays in on a full moon.
"oh my god, he...he was the one. and i let him go."

the pressures of running a theater company have taken their toll on geoff.

'nuff said.

this is the last thing sergio ever saw.

"well, officer, there was michael and there was joe and there was david and, i don't know... they f------ exploded. i mean, just like that! poof, man."