Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in The Royal American Shakespeare Company and Lounge's LiveJournal:

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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
1:18 pm [tompurdue]	Announcing auditions for staged readings at Venus Theatre Venus Theatre Announces: a Kennedy Center Reading wRighting Women Reading every month Full productions in the works Fall Auditions Laurel, Maryland - July 22, 2008 - before 2008 comes to a close Venus Theatre will be putting more than 40 new characters on the stage inside of five new scripts.  It begins on the first of September at the Kennedy Center with a brand new twist on an old Greek tragedy.  Venus Theatre will read Julianne Homokay's (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson) new play at the Kennedy-Center-Page-to-Stage Festival thanks to our friends there.  This reading on the first of September will launch Venus into reading a new play the last Saturday of each month to the years end.   The wRighting Woman Reading Series is a program Venus has been producing for many years.  It's given playwrights, actors, and directors, the opportunity to explore new work and in doing so, improve craft.  Some of the development done on new plays at Venus has given opportunity for writers to land full productions at other Companies around the Country. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of the living breathing art, and Venus invites you to participate. The Scoop this is a lot of information so pour a cup'a'joe! Auditions Sat August 2 Noon - 3 VENUS THEATRE THE FALL/WINTER We are looking to expand our creative team wRighting Women Reading Series Full Productions Email deb@venustheatre.org for a preferred time slot on the 1/2 hours (12-12:30, 12:30-1, 1-1:30, 1:30-2, 2-2:30, 2:30-3) Auditions and rehearsals held at the Venus Theatre Play Shack.   21 C Street  Laurel, MD  20707 (unless otherwise noted) To get to the Play Shack in a car: Exit 35A off of 95 Left at 3rd Light onto Main St. Left onto C St. www.venustheatre.org will have the whole scoop. For many years Venus Theatre has been reading new or out-of-print plays for the public.   The wRighting Women Reading series gives Venus an opportunity to work with new or new-to-us artists as well as exploring works between the time they are typed into a laptop and the time they are fully staged.  We look at these works to see what is effective and what might need tightening.  It is all about process and development. In the months ahead we will need MANY hands on deck to pull off FIVE different scripts before the year comes to a close.  So, if you are the adventuresome type and ready to invest three to four rehearsals into a script to see where we can take it, WE WANT YOU! Venus Theatre's wRighting Woman Reading Series kicks off again with a reading by playwright Julianne Homokay's secret and not-yet-fully-disclosed Greek Project at the Kennedy Centers Page-to-Stage Festival on Labor Day Sunday.  Beginning the last Sat in September, Venus will read a new play on the last Saturday of each month throughout the end of the year at the Shack.  In addition, Venus is casting for a full production, dates and more info TBA. The readings do not pay a stipend.  The wRighting Woman Reading Series is not yet funded.  Rehearsals are limited and no time is wasted. SEEKING The Secret Greek Project by Julianne Homokay**: to be read at the Kennedy Center on Labor Day Sunday and performed in full production to follow: Casting: Hispanic Male, Middle Aged (representing entire chorus)     Female, 20's - Nanny (sexy, trendy, will do anything for a role) Male, 20's - Hollywood Assistant (sexy, man-whore) Girl, 9 - Beloved Daughter Female Hispanic, Middle Aged (representing entire chorus) Male, Patriarch Female, 30's (Best Friend, Saint, Oracle) Male, late 20's (killer handsome, smart) September reading of Carolyn Gage's "The Amazing Yamashita and the Gold Diggers of 2009" Casting: 14 women of various types 1 man October reading of Lisa Bonita Bridgens "On Thin Ice" Casting: Female, 50's - Minister (African American) Male, 22 - Artist (African American) Female, 20's - BiPolar Male, any age - of Middle Eastern descent November reading of Claudia Haas' "Three Sisters from Queens" Casting: Female, 70's Female, 70's Female, 60's Female, 50's December reading of Gina Stewart's "A Slice of Her Life" Casting: Female, 22, 12-14 Male, 26 Male, 16-19 Male, 30's Male, 40's Female, 30's Male, 50's        2 Females (no lines) Synopsis of Readings Sept 1 (Kennedy Center P2S) The secret Greek Project by Julianne Homokay** Julianne Homokay, a graduate of the MFA Playwriting program at UNLV, is a Los Angeles-based playwright, librettist, lyricist and performer.  Currently, Julianne is a writer on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, but her time on the boards is not over yet!  Recent productions and readings include "Cottonmouth" at the Blank Theatre Company (Los Angeles,) "Favors" at Bloomington Playwrights' Project, and a collaboration with composer Ron Barnett, "Around the World in Eighty Days," at the Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA.), and "Breaking the Bell Jar," with Venus Theatre (Play Shack in Laurel, MD)  Special thanks to Adam Kinsinger and the William Inge Center for the Arts for aiding in the development of "Breaking the Bell Jar," and to longtime colleague and general kick-ass babe Deb Randall. the greek script is still a secret September by Carolyn Gage**+ THE AMAZING YAMASHITA AND THE GOLDDIGGERS OF 2009 About the playwright: Carolyn Gage is a playwright, performer and director whose work foregrounds lesbians and survivors in plays that electrify audiences.  She takes risks that few contemporary theatres are willing to share, and, if productions of her work are hard to come by, her fans cherish them all the more. About the play: The A-Mazing Yamashita and the Golddiggers of 2009 is "the transnational, post-modern magic show of the millennia!"  The A-Mazing Yamashita promises to levitate a woman, cut a woman in two, and disappear thirteen million women -  all through the wizardry of modern pharmaceuticals, the mesmerism of sexual objectification, and the economic hocus-pocus of the Great Cabinet of GATT.  An interactive play, Yamashita blurs the distinction between performance and reality, entertainment and exploitation, compelling each member of the audience to draw that line for herself. October by Lisa Bonita Bridgens ON THIN ICE About the playwright: Lisa Bonita Bridgens is an emerging playwright living in Boston, MA. She attended Foothill Theater Conservatory in California and is currently a Research Intern at Boston Theatre Works. Her one-act play "The Party" made its premier in New York in February of 2008. About the play: Mary Jacobs has brought healing and hope to millions through her evangelical ministry. But, she has a secret that could rob her not only of her ministry millions, but her life as well. Is Mary a fake and a fraud, or is she blessed with a divine gift? November by Claudia Haas THREE SISTERS FROM QUEENS About the playwright: Claudia Haas has been writing plays for fifteen years after a long stint as an actress.  She works with five publishers and her plays (mostly for youth) have seen over 400 productions world-wide.  2007 has been very kind with her heartfelt play By Candlelight being honored at the Bonderman Symposium and as the winner of the 2007 Aurand Harris Play Writing Contest. About the play: During an evening of saying good-bye to Tess's recently deceased husband, three elderly sisters find themselves sorting out the scattered threads of their relationship to one another.  The Italian saying that "blood is thicker than water" never rang with such resonance.  Old resentments flare up as the sisters rediscover each other and their earlier bonds. December by Gina Stewart A SLICE OF HER LIFE About the playwright: Gina Stewart, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, came to Playwrighting late in life (30ish), although her younger sister had performed in plays in school. It just never dawned on Gina that someone had to sit down and write what the actors were saying! After writing several plays, she became a drama teacher for middle schoolers and sometimes high schoolers. About the play: The piece is semi-autobiographical. It's about an abusive relationship and how the woman came to cope with the abuse by cutting herself. We visit Joyce and Glen and their families as teenagers and find out where their abusive pasts began. It's very intense and not for the faint of heart. ** Member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. +Member of International Center for Women Playwrights   About Venus Theatre Venus Theatre Company is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to setting flight to the voices of women and children with theatre for a lifetime.  The wRighting Women Reading series does this by giving artists a means to explore their works in a collaborative, professional environment.   The Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival Each Labor Day weekend the Kennedy Center celebrates independent Companies doing important work with the Page-to-Stage Festival. Venus Theatre Deborah Randall Founder/Artistic Director www.venustheatre.org deb@venustheatre.org 202.236.4078 (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
10:57 am [cisic]	Next Play Reading Sunday, August 3rd 2pm GB Shaw's You Never Can Tell You Never Can Tell is an 1897 four-act play by G. Bernard Shaw that debuted at the Royalty Theatre. It was published as part of a volume of Shaw's plays entitled Plays Pleasant. The play is set in a seaside town and tells the story of Mrs Clandon and her three children, Dolly, Phillip and Gloria, who have just returned to England after an eighteen-year stay in Madeira. The children have no idea who their father is and, through a comedy of errors, end up inviting him to a family lunch. At the same time a dentist named Mr Valentine has fallen in love with the eldest daughter, Gloria. However, Gloria considers herself a modern woman and claims to have no interest in love or marriage. The play continues with a comedy of errors and confused identities, with the friendly and wise waiter, Walter (most commonly referred to by the characters as "William," because Dolly thinks he resembles Mr Shakespeare), dispensing his wisdom with the titular phrase "You Never Can Tell." Cast: Stage Directions - this is Shaw, there are lots of them, and they are funny Dorothy Clandon - hardly 18, a very pretty woman in miniature: cisic Philip Clandon - Dolly's twin, a handsome man in miniature: Ben Gloria Clandon - hardly past 20, Dolly and Phil's sister: aeonata Mrs. Lanfrey Clandon - their mother, between 40 and 50 Mr. Valentine - 30 or thereabouts, a dentist The Parlor Maid Mr. Fergus Crampton - about 60, tall, hard and stringy Walter, the Waiter - a silky old man Finch McComas - about 50, the Clandon's solicitor Mr. Bohun - between 40 and 50, a stout, tall man There are lots of age-inappropriate roles available, so let me know if you want to play a crank old person! The script can be found in your local library, google books, project gutenburg, etc. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
2:08 pm [cisic]	Play Reading It's time for another brunch and play reading - this time Maxwell Anderson's Mary of Scotland. Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959), an American playwright noted for his verse dramas, tried to show men living by their beliefs even in a world where evil tends to dominate. Anderson's verse dramas were often about historical characters, such as Elizabeth the Queen, and my personal favorite (and one of my dream roles) Anne of a Thousand Days. In 1933, Anderson won the Pulitzer Prize for his political drama, Both Your Houses. June 29th, 2008 11AM My Place Message if you want added to the Evite. http://cisic.livejournal.com/98624.html (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 15th, 2008
11:33 am [thirdbase]	Looking for a stage manger I have to bow out of stage managing Julius Caesar because it winds up I'm not going to be in the country for any of the performances. Would you like to stage manage Caesar? You get to work with an absolute crack team... Please reply here -- Sean and I will keep an eye on this space. Auditions are Monday, Tues, with callbacks Thurs. It would be best if you could make callbacks this week. (Comment on this)
Thursday, June 12th, 2008
7:07 am [cisic]	Tony Awards Party My Place in Silver Spring This Sunday, June 15th Starting at 7pm All are invited. Message for more address. (Comment on this)
Monday, April 28th, 2008
2:39 pm [tompurdue]	Laurel Mill Seeks Swords My name is Diana Simmons, and I am producing “Pirates of Penzance”  at Laurel Mill Playhouse. I would like to know if you might have available for us to borrow any swords, especially foils/epees. Our show is running from May 23rd to June 14th. I would appreciate any information/help you can give me.   Thanks!  Diana If you'd like to help, let me know and I'll put you in touch. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
12:14 pm [tompurdue]	See Ty for free! A production of Richard III, featuring the immensely talented Rude Mechanical Ty Hallmark, is seeking ushers. Cathy Ryan is our Front of House Manager for the run. She is looking for usher volunteers. Please forward this request to your friends and family, and ask them respond to Cathy directly at cathyrryan@hotmail.com Ushers can see part of the show the night they help, and may return for free any other performance. We also need a sub FOH Mgr. for May 17, when Cathy has a conflict. This involves the dreaded wearing of the headset, plus supervising the ticket taking, late seating and intermission refreshments. Show dates are May 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 at 7:30 pm; May 11, 18 at 2:00 pm (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
3:04 pm [tompurdue]	More Theater in Laurel The Rude Mechanicals will be holding a rehearsal at Venus Theatre this weekend.  If you have time, come see Venus' staged reading, starting at 11.  I participated in their last staged reading, Breaking the Bell Jar, and it was a lot of fun. Venus Theatre presents: wRighting Woman, a staged reading series The Venus Theatre Play Shack 21 C Street Laurel, Maryland 20707 Won't you join us this Saturday with a picnic brunch? It is the mission of Venus Theatre to set flight to the voices of women. Since 2002 the wRighting Woman play reading series has embraced living playwrights from around the country, as well as out-of-print works by playwrights worldwide. We would love to share the experience with you!   Sincerely,   Deborah Randall Isaac, I am by Mary Steelsmith Mary Steelsmith has been writing since her high school days in Boise, Idaho. Her plays have won numerous awards, including THE OLD MAN AND THE SEED, which brought Mary to Singapore for its Asia premiere. "Isaac, I Am" won the Helford Prize at Jacksonville University in Florida. "Isaac, I am" Set in the world of seductive cyber chat rooms and instant messaging, Angela finds herself torn between a budding "real life" romance and a darker online relationship with a family seemingly bent on its own destruction. As she struggles to come to terms with her own feelings of insecurity and loneliness, she is simultaneously pulled deeper into a bizarre cyberspace by the perplexing and emotionally elusive family of Joshua, his younger sister Katie and their obsessive father, Isaac. Eventually, Angela's dual worlds of reality and "virtu-ality" begin to blur together, until her computer life threatens to devour her whole.   Saturday The Venus Theatre Play Shack 21 C Street Laurel, Maryland 20707 April 26, 2008 11AM BYOBrunch! Venus Theatre is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to setting flight to the voices of women.  Donations are tax deductible and can be sent to:  +Venus Theatre+The Venus Theatre Play Shack+ +21 C Street  Laurel, MD  20707+ To reach us directly call Deb at 202.236.4078 (Comment on this)
Friday, April 18th, 2008
12:04 pm [tompurdue]	Deb Needs Bodies Venus Theater is doing a play reading next Saturday (the 26th) in the morning.  (Right before we're holding Tempest rehearsals at the same location, actually.)  They need some actors for that reading.  And since I'd like to show them how talented and fun the Rudes are so that they like us and we can hold more rehearsals there, well... I'm asking you guys. The character descriptions I have are: Josh, 16, ill and frailish Isaac, just not right in the head Ben, funny and horny (HAS to be male) Also, need to get a 16 year old female character If any of you ladies and gentlemen would like to help Deb (and, indirectly, the Rudes) let me know. (Comment on this)
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
3:55 pm [tompurdue]	Full house As is so common with DCAC shows, we are SRO for the final performance.  I hope some people will come to GAC instead. (Comment on this)
Friday, February 15th, 2008
4:13 pm [tompurdue]	Mazel tov to Rude Mechanical Amena Hassan AMENA HASSAN AND CHRIS HOBSON Amena, 33, and Chris, 32, will marry Aug. 9, 2008, in D.C. The Post Express is having some sort of contest where you get to vote for your favorite couple, and they'd love the vote of all of the Midsummer veterans.  Clicky the linky. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 24th, 2008
8:49 am [cisic]	Staged Reading of Arcadia Sunday, Feb 3rd, 2008 for more info: http://cisic.livejournal.com/67210.html (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
10:09 am [cisic]	Sweeney Todd Midnight Showing http://cisic.livejournal.com/62271.html (Comment on this)
Saturday, November 10th, 2007
12:04 pm [tompurdue]	The Bimpster needs your help (crossposted from my own LJ) Calvin needs some help offloading a truckfull of stuff to his place in Laurel tonight or tomorrow.  Email him or call him  if you can assist.  (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007
12:45 pm [cisic]	Sunday on the Rocks Reading You're invited to a play reading! This is just an informal even among friends, but I thought it would be fun. Sunday on the Rocks by Theresa Rebeck Monday, November 19th at cisic's place with rosered2318 as Elly lialife as Gayle cisic as Jen europasings as Jessica On a beautiful Sunday morning in mid October, three house mates decide to have scotch for breakfast in this play by the author of Spike Heels, The Family of Mann and Loose Knit. Elly is pregnant and considering an abortion, Jen is being harassed by a co worker who is obsessed with her, and Gayle just feels a bit lost. Their problems are compounded by a fourth roommate, Jessica, a religious young woman who has little compassion for their confused attempts to make sense of life in the nineties. As they drink, joke and argue, it becomes clear how difficult it is to make a moral decision in an increasingly complex world. The doors are open at 6:30. The reading will start at 7pm or 7:30 depending on when people say they can make it from work. If you want to bring snacks or drinks, feel free. GUESTS WELCOME. Let me know if you need the address information, and I will add you to the evite. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 19th, 2007
10:02 am [tompurdue]	Turkeymas V Turkeymas V December 15 Be there or be somewhere else, unless you want to explain it to Aristotle. (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 19th, 2007
12:14 pm [tompurdue]	Need people to work box office I need people to work the box office for Faustus, any time this upcoming weekend or next.  Let me know by reply or LJ. Thanks. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007
12:02 pm [sabine42]	Faustus Costumes Howdy folks! This is a general notice for costume goods for Faustus. (cross posted). We need donations! Things you're willing to loan are great as well... things you're willing to donate to be altered, distressed or transformed are brilliant. I’m sure you’ve got a bag of old clothes waiting to go to the goodwill. Don’t we all? Here are the general things that may come in handy: Lab coats - we preferably need at least 2. I may have one, and I know where to get them, but new they aren't cheap. Fishnet anything. - If you have spares, fabulous. Larger sizes, great. Male/Female/whoever. Shirts, tights, body suits. . . . Trousers - looking for black/navy/grey/charcoal, preferably pinstripe. Donations are great because there may be some altering, but loaners work. Suspenders– black and red preferably. white tanks/wife beaters - because we're a classy bunch around here vests- pinstripe, textures (velvet/velour) in dark, Victorian colors are faboo. capes - black cloaks, capes, Halloween costumes. Dark colors best, black fabulous, red, not completely unhelpful. Light weight preferred for movement. Will probably get some wear/action, so old cheap ones you don’t need are best—heavy expensive ren fest stuff… I’m hesitant. bodices/merrywidows - dig into those closets and get out the sexy gear, the more Victorian the better ;) hats! – top hats, bowlers, think turn-of-the-century here. I’m sure there will be more/specifics at a future date, but just throwing out the “Wish List”. I have a long list of shopping resources and people to beg/borrow/steal from, but it doesn’t hurt to ask the general populous! Also, any ideas/info, pass it on. ~Heather cj Current Mood: busy (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, March 30th, 2007
3:26 pm [tompurdue]	Casting call Keith Brown (comedic director extraordinaire) is looking for a good man (not a few; just one) who would like to be in the Greenbelt Arts Center production of "Don't Drink the Water", scheduled to perform this June. The role is Axel McGee (the romantic lead), and the right actor should be able to play 30s age range. Any interest, contact me, and I'll send you on to Keith! (Comment on this)
Friday, March 23rd, 2007
10:44 am [tompurdue]	O2B2 seeking a male actor Would you be available to jump into the part (show goes up end of April for a three week run), or know someone who might be? Needs to be in the    vicinity of 20s, but can be a little older if necessary. http://o2b2.org. (Comment on this)