http://capandbells.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tigers.jpg

No, we’re not trying to hoover Tostitos crumbs from the carpet into our mouths… although I wouldn’t put it past us, judging from way we’ve nommed Ephporium’s entire stock of carbohydrates over the last two days.

Instead I’d like to title this vignette “Still Life of Tigers, Loving the Set.” It’s been great to get into our space. While rehearsals in Wood living room and the Makepeace Room were intimate and incredible (I wouldn’t give up Lily running to the Greylock bathroom screaming “SUPER PEE!” for anything,) I think we’re all glad to be in the CenterStage. Here, the dulcet tones of a rugby team upstairs throwing all of the things can’t reach us.

While we’re tired after this weekend, it was worth it to see the creations from our fabulous designers come together in one room (not to mention watching stage manageress Anna Barnes be a boss from her tech-table-throne.) As many in my current Plays and Performance class can attest to, a wise woman named Anne Bogart once said to think of a play as a peep show, and to imagine that each designer and actor and director and stage manager had their own little window with its own little curtain onto the play. And when these many little window views get added together… poof. You’ve got a show.

I asked some of the cast, crew and production team to tell me what their view of Tigers Be Still was — either their experience working on the show, or what they saw when they watched it. But so we wouldn’t go full Williams-admissions-essay on you guys, I asked them to do it in six words or less. Here’s what they had to say.

Emily Loveridge ’14, Assistant Stage Manager: “Depressed people finding comedy in hope.”
Holly Fisher ’13, Set Designer: “Top Gun. Tom Cruise. Bubbliness. Bannister.”
Lily Riopelle ’14, Director: “AAAAAABOOOOOJEEEEEEDAaaaa. Feelings.” [plus wild gesticulations.]
Petra Mijanovic ’14, Grace: “Jack Daniels. Waiting for car horn.”
Emily Ciavarella ’13, Production Manager: “People should go to work call.”
Griffith Simon ’15, Lighting Designer: “Seriously, get your ass to work call.”

Wanna know how all of these come together (PLUS MUCH MORE?)

I have six small words for you:
This. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Seven. Thirty.

And also:
Be there.

It has been an honor, and my pleasure, to keep you all punctual and properly scheduled for the past eighteen months. For those of you who don’t know it, I’m the rising Assistant Production Manager and the stage manager for Cap and Bells’ latest creation, Tigers Be Still, directed by the brilliant Lily Riopelle and featuring a brilliantly talented and (for the most part) on-time, off-book cast.

Stage managing is a truly unique experience. I’d never experienced anything like it before coming to Williams. From the god-like rush of calling a show to the little voice in my head going, “Oh my god, if I screw up, the whole thing is going to come crashing down and everyone is going to hate me,” it’s certainly never a dull job. It also happens to be one that I’ve come to love with all my heart, especially in the course of the Tigers rehearsal process. I’m continually amazed at how the script blends off-the-wall hilarity with heart-breaking human suffering, allowing Lily and the actors to let themselves go and just have fun even with the heavier passages. I spend rehearsals laughing myself silly, pausing only occasionally to put in a request to our props master for extra-large odor-protecting tampons, or perhaps to use my laptop to blast the Top Gun theme under the sound of barking Chihuahuas.

Unfortunately, I will have to take a break from stage management next fall, as I’m going to England to indulge my ever-growing obsession with Jane Austen. However, when I return in the spring it will be to serve as assistant to the lovely Miss Emily Ciavarella, our rising production manager. Production management has been something I’ve been aching to try ever since I found out the position existed , so I’m super-excited! Also, I will get to spend lots of time with Emily, who was the first stage manager I encountered at Williams and thus holds a very special place in my heart. It was her dedication, quiet sense of control amid chaos, and general badassery that first inspired me to try out the whole production side of things, so of course I’m very happy to be teaming up with her for the coming spring. Get excited. And slightly terrified.

In conclusion, I look forward to continuing to schedule your lives and make theatre with you all in the coming year!

P.S.: Guys. Chihuahuas. Top Gun. Extra-large, odor-protecting tampons. Seriously. Come see the show.

I look at all this and though it seems scary and very daunting I realize one very important thing; I am ready and excited for it. I am ready to take on all of the responsibilities that are being handed down to me because unbeknownst to me these last two and a half years have been preparing me to take them all along. The new people I meet each year, the great leaders here who are leaving or are already gone, and every experience I’ve been blessed to share with them have taught me exactly the type of person a good leader on this campus should be and hopefully through this next year I will come to embody that.

I have a lot of new and bold ideas for Cap and Bells and where I want the organization to go that you will all be hearing about very soon. I couldn’t possibly do this job alone and I’m very lucky because I have an amazingly talented group of people around me who are as excited as I am to get this ball rolling and start this next year of Cap and Bells. There is still a lot I need to learn to do this job right but I feel like I’m in a good position and heading in the right direction thanks to you guys.

You will definitely be hearing much more from us in the coming weeks and I thank you for listening to my rant about the future. It will probably not be the last time I talk about it.

Of course, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised that a comedy about depression (it’s not an oxymoron, I promise) would not reveal itself to me entirely (or even mostly) on a first-reading—or any of the many other readings I did on my own in order to prepare for the design meetings, production meetings, and rehearsals that now occupy my afternoons and evenings. This process has reminded me of why I love making theatre, as opposed to other kinds of art—the input of others, be they actors, designers, or technicians— constantly challenges my preconceived notions about the play’s characters and themes.

Starting to work on the play has also reminded me of why, back in the Fall when I proposed Tigers Be Still, I thought the story it tells would be such a fantastic one to share with the Williams community here and now. Williams is a small place. We all know (or think we know) one another. It can be so easy to feel trapped in a way of behaving, or a mindset. Every character in Tigers is stuck in some way. The play shows us how these four people get up the courage to make changes, but more importantly it helps us understand that the process of changing is simultaneously scary and hilarious, and that we shouldn’t let fear hold us back. The play shows us that process of changing is inevitably full of missteps, embarrassments, and misunderstandings, but a willingness to laugh at oneself and with one’s companions can make changing a task that is not quite so daunting.

I am grateful for the chance to tell this story at the end of the academic year—a time when we naturally reflect on how we have spent our time, when we look back and ask what we might have done differently, and how we might like to change for the future. Until then, the lessons I am learning from Tigers about change will serve me well in rehearsals; rather than let hesitation or fear take over, the cast and I will continue to cultivate the evolution of the the play, which should (and will!) be changing constantly as it evolves into the performance you will all see in May.

But maybe it’s high time for me to doff the mantle of treasurer. To be honest, handling money all day has hardened me. I no longer get any joy from watching people sweat and slaver as they wait for me to reimburse them. I’ve begun to turn in receipts as soon as I receive them, walking to the College Council offices in some listless daze. Dead in the eyes, like a mailman taking pain meds for his hip replacement. Maybe it’s best that I quit this line of work before I become as jaded as these jade Benjamans I manhandle so responsibly.

Don’t mistake me – I’ve loved being a treasurer and working closely with the fine folk of Cap & Bells. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has even the slightest desire to take money that doesn’t belong to you and give it to people who ask for it. It’s like being Robin Hood.

And there’s plenty for me to look forward to! Tigers be Still, directed by the brilliant Lily Riopelle, has only barely begun and I already can’t get the soundtrack of Top Gun out of my head. Lily’s directing style is already something I respect greatly. I can’t wait to see what she does with this wild and heartfelt play, and to work with the fantastic lineup of cast & crew.

TL;DR:

-Apply to be treasurer if you want the feeling of sweet, cottony money between your fingertips.

-Tigers be Still! Come for the Top Gun, stay for the confusion over whether you’re laughing or crying.

Warm regards,
Tallis Moore

First, calm down. You don’t have multiple personalities. Next, try asking these instead: “How do I explain to the world how I tapped into my inner prairie dog?” and “When can I convey what it means to write lyrics for a man-bear-prince?” They’re better questions (albeit a little clunky, but Self doesn’t use great syntax), and each has an answer.

This. Blog.

Oooo look how important that sounds when each word gets its own sentence! Now you’re paying attention.

As a Junior Board member, I have had the great privilege of running this blog since the start of the semester. And now I get to post?! Well, here’s a gift from me to you. You’re welcome.

Not only are you welcome, you are thanked. Whether it’s your first time on capandbells.org and you chanced upon the news section (read all the things!) or you live and breathe this blog (…please email me), we are so happy to have your eyes on this page. It’s wonderful to include everyone with a simple post each week. Want to know another way we can include you? And/or a shameless segue into my pitch?

Board. Elections.

Yes! They’re coming up the week we get back. If you’ve read this far, you clearly care about Cap and Bells. Or me. Either way, run for a position! If you don’t know what the Board is, continue exploring this website and email us with questions. If you find yourself interested after some investigation, write a self-nomination for the position(s) you’d like most. Check your March 14th email, from Noah Schechter, for job descriptions and instructions on applying.

I’ll keep this short and sweet so you can get tan/sleep/write your essay due the week we get back. Check in regularly for more updates on Board adventures and C&B’s next show: Tigers Be Still!

Thank. You. For. Reading.

We put so many new efforts into C&B shows this year. Apart from the things that the audience never sees (weekly and bi-weekly production meetings, organized build and hang/focus calls, weekly board meetings to help shape and then fine tune the season, and so many others) we put on The Pillowman – long renowned as one of the most technically difficult as well as emotionally challenging shows in modern drama. We changed people into stone, into birds, into ships and gods and trees in Metamorphoses, and we just last week produced a reading of an entirely Williams’ student created work, East o’ West o’. In the middle of that, a series of fantastic ten-minute plays over winter study which challenged directors to work minimally and cooperatively, a challenge to which a great group rose magnificently. Look what we can create in just a few short weeks. And we aren’t even done yet! Williams students will never stop overachieving, will we?

And just who is “we” anyway? Is it the 10 board members I’ve had the great pleasure to work with all year? Is it the 32 actors who have participated in our many productions? How about the 14 designers for those shows? Or the 8 great stage managers and assistants? How about the 9 amazing directors? The 25 people I call upon (which doesn’t include actors or crew for an individual show) to help with our sets and lights, sound and costumes? (PS. If you want to join that list, e-mail me!). And let’s not forget the vast majority of the C&B community – the hundreds of audience members that come to see our shows?

“We” is all of these people. You guessed that from the top of the last paragraph, too, didn’t you? Because Cap & Bells is a smart, creative, dedicated, energetic and mostly fun group. We have cool ideas that we then make happen! From everyone who sends in a show proposal, to everyone who participates onstage, backstage, and looking at the stage, we need you, you make us, and we are grateful. And also (as I just misspelled that word entirely on the first try) we are Great-Full.

Enough terrible puns. I have you people’s lives to schedule for the sake of Theatre.

I have spent the semester serving as the production manager for Michelle Rodriguez’s beautiful musical, as well as lending a little bit of creative and textual advice to our wonderful director, Alison Pincus, and our fantastic librettist, Elena Faverio. It’s been a challenge, to say the least. Most of my theatrical experience has been in the acting department. I’ve always loved acting. While it can be hard work at times, I usually enjoy every moment of it and try to do as much of it as I can with Cap and Bells. So, when the rest of the Board asked me to think about signing on to “stage manage/production manage/assistant direct/keep Alison and Michelle sane,” I found the task more than a little daunting. However, I thought, “Why not? I’ll help out.” Perhaps I shouldn’t have entered into it so casually, because I have done a lot of work for this production—I’ve collected schedules, reserved spaces, hung curtains, dug up rugs and stools, set up chairs, operated microphones, and sent just around ten thousand emails since the beginning of February. I’ve learned that production management is all about making sure your actors look good. I’m used to being one of those actors. I’m used to having other people make me look good. So being the one doing that work has been strange and difficult. However, I’ve also found it incredibly rewarding. We made a musical!

Last Sunday morning comes to mind as a good example of the dichotomy I’m talking about. I had just gotten a text from an actor telling me that she would be half an hour late to our rehearsal and been informed by another that Michelle had given her a different rehearsal time than I had. When I arrived at the Directing Studio, I found disgruntled actors and a very upset Michelle, coming close to breaking down over the progress of the production and telling me how angry she was with me for not telling the actors the right rehearsal time. As soon as the music started, though, our frowns melted into smiles and the tension in our bodies morphed into enthusiastic foot-tapping and general merriment. In fact, I have a hard time precluding myself from dancing to just about any song that Michelle writes. Throw Kevin Lawkins’ musical genius in there and you’ve got a surefire recipe for success.

Even as Alison would give me six different tasks to do at once, I have loved putting it all aside every once in a while to watch her work with the actors. I once sat in on a rehearsal in which she and Pat Megley, our stellar man-bear-prince, acted like bears. Exclusively. That’s all they did for an hour—and it was great! The way Pat’s character improved after rehearsals like that is a testament to Alison’s talent as a director.

While things were certainly not always easy, my work on East o’ West o’ has reminded me why I love theatre. It’s a total community exercise. Cap and Bells cobbled such a diverse group of people together—some of our cast and most of our musicians had never done any work with Cap and Bells before this! And we were all in it together, 100% of the way. Our American consciousness conditions us to love our “rugged individualism,” but theatre gives us the opportunity to rely on others and to be relied on. It’s a great feeling. So, to Michelle, Alison, Elena, Kevin, and the entire cast and crew of East o’ West o’: thank you, thank you, thank you.

Prior to East o’ West o’, I had never acted in a production at Williams. Although I’ve sung in different groups and settings at Williams, this is my first time doing *serious* acting. I mean, I basically learned about acting when my friends Anna Barnes ‘14 and Quinn Solfisburg ‘14 made me watch the “Sir Ian McKellen, On Acting” video (which was totally educational and super serious) after the cast list came out. The video and my experience have not quite matched up; I haven’t had the chance to yell “Wizard, you shall NOT pass!” yet, which Elena Faverio ‘15 can hopefully write into the libretto before opening night. But overall, this whole process has been like a prairie dog cuddling with a teddy bear: just awesome.

Although Michelle and Alison might say that we are banned from having any fun in rehearsals, I’ve been having a blast working with other people, exploring another artistic medium with which I haven’t been so familiar, and assessing characters’ motivations. One unique aspect of the play that I had not foreseen is the process of adapting an old Norwegian folktale into a musical. I really liked the discussions among the cast, director, and writers who all have striven not only to make the language and relationships more “realistic” but also to replace archaic morals and values with contemporary sensibilities. For example, in the original fairytale, Ava screw things up (classic, it’s always the girl’s fault), and later saves the day by doing laundry well, which implies that her value as a a life partner/human being to the Prince-Bear depends on her laundering skills. And because we are trying to break the norms established by the original story (Elena loves to rewrite… or maybe we just love making her do it), I find that the characters and the background stories have been constantly evolving from one rehearsal to the next.

Another aspect that I enjoyed was the animal transformation session with Margy Love ‘12. Using how animals rely so much on impulse and unmasked wants and needs, the session revolved around the cast members’ embodying their assigned animals. She explained her own experience as a meerkat first then gave us time to become our animals, occasionally giving us scenarios that brought out aspects of our characters. Being a prairie dog, breath was especially an important part of the transformation: knowing the speed, depth, and placement of breath in the body (chest, belly, etc.) all helped me to embody Ava with the quick energy of prairie dogs. The session gave me a physical tool of becoming super excited (and a little bit scared) Ava is to see the mountains, the ocean, and the world.

It’s really cool to see a parallel between Ava and myself as a novice actor: new and eager to know more! I am grateful for the opportunity to perform and really excited about the show, which runs from March 8-10 in the directing studio. Hope to see you there!