Furman Theatre's "Moonchildren" by Michael Weller

Milk Botttles Now Gone!

2007-01-19T15:44:00.000-05:00

Sorry to anyone who might have wanted the big mess of milk bottles we used for this show, they finally made a graceful exit from Furman Theatre in Fall of 2006. Hope the show went well guys!

Milk bottles, milk bottles and milk bottles

2005-12-08T20:57:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has ever had to put on "Moonchildren" comes up against two major obstacles in building the set and obtaining the props. What are those obstacles? Obtaining the multitude of milk bottles the script calls for AND disposing of them afterward. So, here's the point.

"Moonchildren" has completed its succesful run at Furman Theatre and now we have about 75 milk bottles we don't need anymore. SO if you need 75 two quart milk bottles for your production of Moonchildren, contact us by e-mail PRfurmantheatre@gmail.com And we'll see if we can give you ours. Probably, all we'll ask you for is that you pay for shipping them wherever you need them. So, if you need a good start on milk bottles, contact us. Thanks.

Here is one of the bottles in question:

So, that's it.

2005-11-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

Moonchildren closed Saturday night with a great audience and a great performance.

The cast and crew of MC would like to thank everyone who came to see the show, and everyone who has been following our production over the internet.

This blog will now, of course be updated much less, but there will be a few posts to come:
-Stay tuned for information about Furman Theatre's next play "An Empty Plate at the Cafe du Grand Boeuf"
-Stay tuned for a link to pictures of the production, taken by a professional photographer
-Stay tuned for a few more surprises.

Till then, thanks again to everyone who gave their time, energy and appreciation to Moonchildren

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, address them to PRfurmantheatre@gmail.com and let us know what you thought of our first live production blog, the performance or anything else!

What Do the Papers Say?

2005-11-16T20:53:00.000-05:00

Here is some of what is being said about Furman Theatre's Moonchildren,
The Greenville News

Students deal with war-time realities in 'Moonchildren'
Furman play echoes voices from the past, reminds us of the present
Posted Sunday, November 6, 2005 - 6:00 am
By Ann Hicks
ARTS WRITERahicks@greenvillenews.com
"It's an epitaph for its time," says director Jay Oney of Michael Weller's 1972 play "Moonchildren," which opens at the Furman University Theatre on Wednesday for 10 performances.

The New York-born playwright's work about Vietnam War era college seniorsis "a timely work for our students facing a war that's getting lots of attention in the news," Oney says. The 62-year-old Weller, who currently resides in London, is also known fornumerous screenplays, including 1971's "Hair," the 1981 "Ragtime" and1999's "Once and Again." "If I were to pick a comparison to Weller's writing, I'd say it's rooted in Tennessee Williams and Chekhov," Oney says.

Throughout the play, Weller's keen focus is on eight students who live together in a house on an unspecified campus. They reflect the angst thatsplit the 1960s generation, whose members either became politically committed to change the world or chose to side with the establishment, Oney says.
A black comedy, "Moonchildren" is about the latter group. Living in a tumultuous time and facing the draft after graduation, the students succumb to lack of trust, loss of communication, and the inability
to be a friend or have friends. For comic relief, they put each other on, says Oney.

The right-on thing about the production is the music it rocks with, the director says. "We'll start with Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody to Love,' because it isabout relationships and how they disintegrate and reflect the kind of needand desperation that is in the play," he says. You'll also hear the artistry of Jimi Hendrix, Country Joe and the Fish,Credence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Buffalo Springfield and Bob Dylan.
"This is not necessarily an anti-war play," Oney adds. "It's more about what choices students have open to them."

Moonchildren in the News!

2005-11-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

Moonchildren is generating a lot of interest at Furman and in the Greenville Community!

Paladin writer Jessica Lopez has just published a great review that is out today, and the FUnet internal server at Furman has a good one too. You can find the FUnet article here. The Greenville News also published a review that is viewable online here.

Don't forget! Moonchildren has 8 more performances! November 9 - 12 & 15 - 19 @ 8:00 Sunday, November 13 @ 3:00

Friday Night is SOLD OUT but there are still tickets available for other nights. Don't forget you can get RUSH SEATS - $5.00 when available - by arriving early and signing up starting at 7:30.

If you're worried you might not get a Rush Ticket, call ahead at 864.294.2125 and use a Discount Certificate for $1 off all reserve tickets.

Tonight is the night!

2005-11-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right.

After weeks of rehearsal, Moonchildren opens tonight in the Furman Theatre Playhouse. It has been a long, hard and exciting journey to bring this to the stage, and now we get to show an audience all the results. We hope you can come join us for opening night, and for as many nights after that you'd like to return.

If you don't have a ticket yet - and they are are selling fast, go to the Furman Theatre Box Office to purchase your tickets or call 864.294.2125.

All student reserve tickets cost only $8 OR get a dollar off all reserve tickets with a free DISCOUNT CERTIFICATE download and print off the certificate here (see previous post). Student rush tickets are $5, but you can only buy rush tickets a few moments before the show starts, and there's no guarantee we'll have enough tickets for you and your friends, so arrive early and get your tickets early. Oh yeah, and if your a Furman Student you might like to know it is a CLP

You can also still get your Season Tickets with this form!

See the 60's

2005-11-04T17:04:00.000-05:00

Like everyone, you probably know about the student protests and rallies that took place during the 1960's for causes like civil rights, protesting the war and challenging authority.

But you probably haven't, unless you were alive in the 60's, ever seen a protest.

That brings me to this:

The Internet Archive, or www.archive.org is host to thousands upon thousands of pictures, documents, programs and films that are now public domain under the Creative Commons License. What the CCL does is allow people like yourself to share material without copyright fees for the shear pleasure of learning and enjoyment. What does this have to do with the 60's?

Well, as part of their film, or "Moving Pictures" archive, they provide access to many historical films from the 60's. They have several films available for viewing online or downloading under their heading for Social Issues: 1960s.

Tonight, as one of our final rehearsals, the cast of Moonchildren will be meeting to watch footage from these videos to learn just how violent protests could get and how passionate these people were about their causes. We hope you will take a look at these videos too, and come see our play to find out more.

Check out this link to see information about the following films:

Brink of Disaster (Parts I and II) - Fairbanks (Jerry) Productions
How 1960s activism "threatens" American moral, religious and ethical principles.

Operation Correction (Parts I and II) - American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California
In May 1960, students and progressive activists opposed to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) demonstrated when HUAC held hearings in San Francisco's City Hall. San Francisco police turned firehoses on the demonstrators, washing them down the main staircase of City Hall, and the resultant publicity did much to engender the social consciousness of the 1960s. HUAC sympathizers produced a film, "Operation Abolition," condemning the demonstrators as Communist-inspired activists...

Poverty in Rural America (Parts I and II) - U.S. Department of AgricultureVisits poor areas of the United States and discusses "War on Poverty" social and economic programs.

Narcotics: Pit of Despair (Parts I and II) - Marshall (Mel)Dark vision of drug use and its effect on American youth.

Also, check out this link for a chilling film about the draft in the United States in the 1950's- not entirely period to Moonchildren, but fascinating all the same.

Stay Tuned and Buy Your Tickets!

Come Together, Right Now...

2005-11-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

Things are coming together for the premier of Moonchildren on November 9th. Costumes, Set and Lights are rapidly nearing completion. We have some pictures from rehearsal for you today; we hope you enjoy!

Don't forget to download and print off your free Discount Coupon (see previous post) and buy your tickets at the Furman Theatre Box Office or by calling 864.294.2125!

You can also still get your Season Tickets with this form!

If your looking for the posts on the Music of Moonchildren, Scroll down some...

Tickets on sale today!

2005-10-30T18:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right, tickets for Moonchildren by Michael Weller go on sale today!

Head on over to the Furman Theatre Box Office (in the playhouse behind McAlister Auditorium) to purchase your tickets. Or you can call 864.294.2125 and speak to the Box Office representative to buy tickets that way.

Don't Forget! You can download a free Discount Certificate for a dollar off reserve tickets here. Just print it off and fill it out and bring it with you when you buy your tickets. To get the whole skinny on what that is about, go to this previous post.

You can also still order your season tickets by using this form, last seen in the post here.

Come see what we've been working on!

(if your looking for the post on the Music of Moonchildren, scroll down)

Music of Moonchildren - Part 2: “I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag”

2005-10-30T17:16:00.000-05:00

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Those verses are from I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag by Country Joe McDonald and the Fish, one of the most popular and well known songs that voiced vehement opposition to the Viet Nam War in 1968.

Thanks to Songfacts.com again, for more information:

This is a satire of US government attitudes toward the Vietnam War. Country Joe McDonald released it at the height of the war after he had been discharged from the US Navy for several years. He wrote it in about 30 minutes after it popped into his head.

The song attempts to put blame for the war upon the politicians and leaders of the US military and the industry that makes its money from war, but not upon those who had to fight the war... the soldiers. It expresses the thoughts of a person trapped in the military system and forced to go to war by something called "conscription." Conscription, or the "draft" as it was called, was a system that picked young people and forced them into the military and into the war. The only other choice was jail or an attempt to "dodge the draft" for religious, physical or mental reasons. It was very hard to get out of the draft because so many people were being killed in the war that they would take just about anyone.

The song attempts to address the horror of going to war with a dark sarcastic form of humor called "GI humor." GI humor is a way people have of complaining about their situation so it will not get them in trouble and keep them from going insane in an insane environment: war.This was the title song for the group's second album. When they performed it at Woodstock, they became legendary.

The song was of course, wildy controversial, for obvious reasons. One of the closing verses was:

Well, come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send 'em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

There have been many covers of the song since it first came out, and it has been frequently rewritten to protest other wars.

If you want to hear what all the fuss is yourself, then go to Amazon.com. They will let you listen to a sample of the song if you go here. And Sonfacts.com has more information and lyrics available here.

Music of Moonchildren - Part 1: “For What It’s Worth”

2005-10-27T16:35:00.000-04:00

Stop,
Children,
What's that sound?
everbody look what's going down...

For many, those words speak clearly to struggle and conflict of America in the 1960's.

Hello, and welcome to a new series of posts: "The Music of Moonchildren" where we will be posting information about songs that were influential in the 1960's and speak to the world of the play.

This classic song, "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)" by Buffalo Springfield originally appeared on the album "Buffalo Springfield" in 1967. According to http://www.songfacts.com/,

This was going to be about rookie soldiers who had been thrown to the front lines during the Vietnam War, but when Stephen Stills witnessed a Los Angeles Police Department overreaction to a protest on Sunset Strip, he changed the message of the song. It became a song about unrest among youth who have been subjected to police oppression in the name of law and order. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

Steve from Los Angeles, California, adds:

Stills had penned some lyrics on an envelope, and handed it to his manager, telling him he just wrote it "for what its worth" its about riots at Pandora's Box , a club on the Sunset Strip. The LAPD started arresting kids after 10 PM (curfew) and the hippies protested. [...]

Songfacts also provides the full lyrics and more information here.

Another website here, will let you listen to a sample of the song, and others.

Stay tuned for more Music of Moonchildren!

Want to see Moonchildren, cheap(er)?

2005-10-24T16:06:00.000-04:00

Want to buy a ticket to see "Moonchildren" at a cheaper price?

Download and print off this form here to get $1.00 off reserve ticket prices when you buy your ticket! With this discount, Furman student reserve tickets cost only $7.00!

Just print out the form, fill out a few quick questions to help us out and bring it with you when you purchase your ticket. It should only take up half a page when you print it, so you can print two at once! (One for you, and one for a friend.) Only one discount per ticket, of course.

The box office will open officially October 31rst!

AND, you can still order your season tickets by using this form, last seen in the post here.

Come see what we've been working on!

How do you dress for the 60's? - Part 3.5 Where'd you get those cool police uniforms?

2005-10-20T14:32:00.000-04:00

As a little addendum for the series on dressing for the 60's, we have a little note about the costumes for our two police officers in the play.

Moonchildren features two police officers, 'Effing' played by Jacob Parker, and 'Bream' played by Michael Wolford. In the play, they will be wearing real vintage police officers coats as part of their costumes.

When asked where she got the coats, Margaret Caterisano told us that "The policeman’s coats for Moonchildren belonged to my father-in-law, Richard Caterisano. He was a policeman in Niagara Falls, New York from the mid 1950s to the mid 1980s."

Another touch of realism is added to the play!

Here are some pictures of the articles in question:

More to come!

Other Professional Blogs Here at Furman

2005-10-14T08:18:00.000-04:00

Today we have something a bit different to tell you about. We just noticed here at Furman Theatre that the The Center for Collaborative Learning and Communication has started its own blog about the great work they do there. Because at we're all working towards a better education here at Furman University, we thought you might like to learn something more about them.

The CCLC, in their own words:

The Center for Collaborative Learning and Communication offers Furman faculty, staff, and students access to cutting-edge technology along with up-to-date software and provides one-on-one assistance in learning to use them. ,,, But we're not just a place for those who "need help": everyone can benefit from intelligent conversation about their work!

The Center also serves as a support base for small group collaborations and collaborative teaching projects. Comfortable meeting spaces, spacious work stations, and a relaxed, informal atmosphere make CCLC an ideal environment for planning and work sessions. Faculty are welcome to consult with us for ideas on using technology to enable or enhance teaching and collaboration, both inside and outside the classroom.

And there's another reason for telling you about them. They found our blog and had this to say:

Maybe I'm beind the times a bit, but I just discovered that the Furman Theatre Department has been blogging about their newest production, Moonchildren, by Michael Weller. What a great way to increase interest in the production, advertise the show, and give the audience a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the incredible shows that the Theatre Department always puts on each year. There are some great entries on the blog, and some great pictures, too.
Posted by jschwab

We love it that more people are finding out about our work here. This concept of blogging about a production is still very new here, and we hope that it is paying off for you, our audience.

So, if you have any feedback for us on this project, we'd love to hear from you. Have you seen anything about Furman Theatre or Moonchildren online lately? Would you like to ask some questions or make some comments? Email us at PRfurmantheatre@gmail.com with your finds, thoughts, questions and comments.

We'd love to hear from you.

How do you dress for the 60's? Part 3 - Trying out the costumes

2005-10-12T13:25:00.000-04:00

We have the final 3 costume charts for you today, as well as something new...

Costume Designer Margaret Caterisano has started allowing the cast to wear costume pieces in rehersal, and we have some pictures of some of the costumes here for you now...

Ruth's Costume chart and Meredith Neville in her costume for Ruth.
Allison Allgood (left) in her costume for Shelly,

and Ian Phillips (right) in his costume for Bob.

There will be lots more to come, so check back frequently!

Interested yet?

2005-10-11T22:15:00.000-04:00

So, if you'd like to see the show we've been talking about for a couple of weeks now, I've got something for you. You can't buy tickets for this show just yet, but you can get your student season subscription (or regular, for that matter) and get tickets for all three great furman mainstage plays by printing out this form here.

How do you dress for the 60's? Part 2 - A Note from the Costume Designer

2005-10-04T10:27:00.000-04:00

Today we have 3 more costume charts to show you and a statement for the Costume Designer!

Our head Costumer and Costume Designer Margaret Caterisano recently took the time to set down a Design Statement about "Moonchildren" for us.

Jay, Rhett and I have talked about setting Furman’s production of Moonchildren in the late 1960’s early 1970’s. Although it may seem important to pin the date down, (which is it? 60’s or 70s?) for me the real effort is to carefully choose garments that represent the idea of the period without appearing to lock in a specific date. Due to the prevailing nostalgia for 60’s and 70’s fashion, there is a danger that many of the audience members will expect the stereotypes. But even though there are extremely funny moments, the play is primarily a relentlessly honest representation of college relationships; then and now.
So my primary costume goal for this production is to have the costumes look like clothing; not like costumes. I am looking for period garments in order to establish a lived-in look. And I hope to avoid the extremes. I wish the costumes will look more like life; less like art. I do hope that the costumes can reflect the current interest in 60’s and 70’s fashion as a nod to the universal aspect of the relationships between the college roommates, however. Although the friends in the play are part of the past; the issues explored in the play relate to the now. I intend to sneak in a few current items and hope that I can blend the old and new.

Another major challenge in the overall costume concept is the movement in color and pattern for the costumes from the beginning to the end of the play. It is a little hard to tell what exactly is going on in the lives and relationships of the central characters at the beginning of the play. The characters are busy and preoccupied with a multitude of issues; the apartment is full; characters come and go at random. By the end of the play the situation is easier to read; the apartment is empty; relationships are over. Hopefully, the costumes can mirror this change in a subtle way with an overall change in pattern and intensity.

Margaret Caterisano is Assistant Professor in the Furman University Theatre Department and holds a B.A., from Troy State University and a M.F.A.,The University of Alabama. Her costumes were last seen in "The Miser" at Furman Theatre. Some pictures of her costume designs can be found on the Furman Theatre Digital Image Database, under the designer search for Margaret Caterisano, Margaret Rose Caterisano and Margaret Rose Pyfrom.

Hopefully that gives you a more rounded view of the costumes and the play itself. Stay Tuned for Part 3!

How do you dress for the 60's? Part 1

2005-10-01T11:24:00.000-04:00

How do you dress for the 60's? We turn to Head Costumer and Costume Designer Margaret Catersiano for the answer. She has given us gracious permission to use her costume charts on the blog.

Normally, a Costume Designer will prepare designer's renderings of what the costumes might look like in show. These are usually hand colored sketches of a finished costume on an actor. But Moonchildren is unique in that almost all of the costume pieces are pulled from existing retro fashions (the 60's and 70's are making a comeback) and still extant clothing from the period itself.

Because Margaret had to know what she was looking for when she went looking for these costumes, she did research about the period and the characters to decide what their costumes might look like. The results of her research are these costume charts here below. Maybe these will give you an idea of what the play will look like and what the characters themselves might be like.

enjoy!

There will be more to come in the following days so stay tuned!

Oh yeah, if you have any pictures of people in the 1960's (copyright free, of course) you think we might like to see, send them to PRfurmantheatre@gmail.com, along with any comments, questions, ect. and maybe we'll put them up on the site!

So what is "blocking" anyway?

2005-09-27T10:15:00.000-04:00

Since some of you may not be as familiar with the theatre as others, we thought you might like to know what exactly, "blocking" is in the theatre.

According to Wikipedia.com blocking is:

a theatre term which refers to the precise movement and positioning of actors on
a stage in order to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, or opera.
The director usually determines blocking during rehearsal, telling actors where they should move for the proper dramatic effect and to ensure sight lines for the audience.
Each scene in a play is usually 'blocked' as a unit, after which the director will move onto the next scene. The positioning of actors on stage in one scene will usually affect the possibilities for subsequent positioning unless the stage is cleared between scenes. Once all the blocking is completed a play is said to be 'fully blocked' and then the process of 'polishing' or refinement begins.
During the blocking rehearsal usually the assistant director or the stage manager (or both) take notes about where actors are positioned and their movement patterns on stage.
It is especially important for the stage manager to note the actors' positions, as a director is not usually present for each performance of a play and it becomes the stage manager's job to ensure that actors follow the assigned blocking from night to night.

We also thought you might like to see how blocking is represented. The Director for this show, Dr. Oney, prepares "blocking plots," which are drawings of the floorplan of the set, with arrows and writing to explain where the actors move on stage. In rehersal he then explains the movements to the actors.

Dr. Oney has allowed us to reproduce some of his blocking plots here on the blog:

That's all for now! Stay tuned.

Moonchildren Starts rehearsal!

2005-09-26T18:10:00.000-04:00

The cast of Moonchildren began rehearsal last Thursday.

We begin by having "blocking" rehearsals, in which the actors are given the movement of their characters by the director. This involves lots of stop and go work while the actors figure out where to place certain movements, but the director was pleased that many actors have already begun work on their characters.

Here are some pictures from the Friday rehearsal:

<-Jeb and John Paul work out their blocking as Mike and Cootie

Dr. Jay Oney, the director, gives some blocking notes->

<-John Paul ponders his character

Courtney, Murdock & Meredith watch the scene->

<-Dr. Oney and Jason Compare notes

Murdock & Courtney's characters make small talk->

More to come Later!

Company Meeting

2005-09-23T16:36:00.000-04:00

On the 21rst of September we had our first company meeting.
Since not everyone is familiar with what a company meeting is, let me tell you about it.

When producing a show on the mainstage here at the Playhouse, it is our tradition to bring the whole company together for the first time after auditions to meet. This includes the director, the whole cast, the faculty of the Theatre, the designers, the crew heads and key technical people.
Due to busy schedules, classes and other things, the company might not convene all together again until the last night of the show, at strike (when we are finished with the show and take the set apart, some time from now).

What happens at a company meeting? First, each member of the company comes and introduces themselves and explains what they are doing with the show. We had several new faces at the company meeting this year.

Freshmen Courtney Sainovich, Greg Weiss, Jacob Parker, and Michael Wolford all tread the boards as actors here for the first time. Hudson Smith, Kristie Henry, and Ben Radford all join us in technical capacities. You will be hearing about them, and all the members of the company in the near future.

Next, the Director, Designers, other Important Folk make statements about their work on the show. The Director tells us his thoughts on the show. The Scenic/Lighting Designer presents briefly on what the set will look like (part of it is already in place!) and the lights. The Costumer Designer usually presents renderings or concept shots of what the costumes may look like. The Sound Designer frequently talks about their ideas. The play begins to form.

Over the next several weeks, we will bring you design renderings of costumes and sets, interviews with cast members and anything that relates to the world of the play.

Stay Tuned!

The Cast and Crew

2005-09-21T01:17:00.000-04:00

This is the Cast and Crew of Moonchildren:

Moonchildren by Michael Weller

CAST
Bob................... Ian Philips
Mike................... Jeb Casey
Cootie................... John Paul Foster
Ruth................... Meredith Neville
Kathy................... Courtney Sainovich
Dick................... Charles Murdock Lucas
Norman................... Chess Schmidt
Shelly................... Allison Allgood
Ralph................... Jason Long
Mr. Willis................... Kevin Frazier
Lucky................... Greg Weiss**
Effing................... Jacob Parker
Bream................... Michael Wolford
Uncle Murry................... DJ Seaman
Cootie’s Father................... Jason Long
Milkman................... DJ Seaman

CREW HEADS
Stage Manager................... Meg Lawless
Asst Stage Managers................... Laura Wolfe, Greg Weiss**
Props................... Laura Winkler
Wardrobe................... Allison Hendrick
Light Board................... Hudson Smith
Publicity................... Stacey Madsen
House Manager................... Kristie Henry
Master Electrician................... Kevin Frazier
Sound Design................... Jeb Casey
Sound Board Operator................... Ben Radford
Light Hang................... Stacey Madsen, DJ Seaman

If you are unable to accept a role or crew post, please email Jay Oney asap.

*****Organizational Meeting of Cast and Crew heads, Design Presentation,
First Readthru – Wednesday September 21st @ 7:00 pm
Please be Prompt!

Look! It's not so hard to audition!

2005-09-19T17:26:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the folk who came and auditioned today!
If you come audition Sept. 19th and 20th at 3.30 or 7.00 then you can come audition with us too!

What do James Woods and Christopher Guest have in common?

2005-09-19T00:15:00.000-04:00

They were both cast in the 1972 Royale Theatre Premier of Moonchildren!

That's right, Christopher Guest, who was a regular guest on Saturday Night Live and writer for the hit "This Is Spinal Tap" also played the role of Norman in the debut of "Moonchildren" at the Royale Theatre. Guest is probably best known now for his character "Corky St. Clair" in "Waiting for Guffman" and writing the script for "A Mighty Wind" with Eugene Levy.

James Woods, who was recently a guest voice on the hit TV show "Family Guy" (Originally aired: 09.11.5 on FOX ) also debuted in the same production of "Moonchildren" in the role of "Bob" with Christopher Guest. James Woods is known for his voice work, including the role of Hades in the movie "Hercules" as well as acting in "The Virgin Suicides," "Riding in Cars with Boys," and "Any Given Sunday."

If you come audition Sept. 19th and 20th at 3.30 or 7.00 then you might get to play the same character as Christopher Guest or James Woods!

(all career information courtesy of imdb.com)

Auditions!

2005-09-17T10:11:00.000-04:00

That's right, it is already time to start thinking about auditions for Moonchildren. Here's the skinny:

There are about 9 Male roles available.
There are also 3 female roles.
Auditions will be September 19th and 20th, on the mainstage of Furman Playhouse (it's behind McAlister Auditorium) at 3.30 PM and 7.00 PM each day.
There will be cold readings of the script. Audition monologues are welcome, but certainly not neccesary. This audition is open to the students, faculty, and staff of Furman University.

By the way, if acting isn't your thing, and you'd like to get involved backstage, come to the auditions and tell us so! We'd love to have your help.

Also, you don't have to be present at all auditions. Just drop by, let us know your interested, audition and fill out a form. There will be no call backs. The final cast list will be posted on the door of the Furman Playhouse after the faculty have made their decisions.

Sound good? Come try out!

So what is "Moonchildren" all about?

2005-09-15T12:55:00.000-04:00

So, you may be wondering, what is "Moonchildren" all about?

Short answer?

It's a serious comedy about College, Sex, Viet Nam and Hamburgers brought to you by the same Director and creative people that produced "The Miser" last spring!

Long answer?

Well, I'll pull a summary from the Theatre's season brochure...

It is 1965, in an apartment shared by seven college students who are confronted with the specters of Viet Nam, graduation, unemployment and the fear of taking the next step. The play is about “the painful ways in which these young people . . . face their very uncertain futures.” Michael Weller’s poignant, often very funny and always challenging story captures the angst of every generation who must make their way in a confusing world.

Oh, and since it concerns college students, some of the play may be offensive to less mature audiences members, so we offer this friendly statement: "Appropriate for adult audiences. Strong language and subject matter."

Theatre Open House

2005-09-14T08:18:00.000-04:00

Should you read this in time, there is also a Theatre Open House this Thursday, Sept. 15 around 7.30. There will be refreshments, theatre majors, friends of the Department and faculty. Come say hello!

Welcome!

2005-09-13T11:10:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the production blog for Furman Theatre's "Moonchildren" by Michael Weller!

Let's talk.

Soon, this blog will be host to information about auditions for Moonchildren, performance dates and other ways you can get involved.

You may have noticed some links on the right. There is a link to the Furman Theatre website, which has photos of past productions, information about faculty and classes, notable notes on the department, access to departmental webcams and more! There are also two shorcut links to the theatre's webcams (more on that later). There is also a link to Furman University's website -exciting, yes?

That list of links will only keep growing, so keep an eye on it.

This blog should be updated often so stay tuned for more!