ÿþ<?xml version="1.0"?>

<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">

	<id>http://rivendelltheatre.org/atom.xml</id>

	<title>Rivendell Theatre Ensemble</title>

	<subtitle>Our Blog</subtitle>

	<link href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/"/>

	<link rel="self" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/"/>

	<updated>2012-05-13T21:21:15Z</updated>

	<generator>Tasty CMS</generator>

	<entry>

		<title>Hey, so, um& I made you a mix CD.</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/05/hey_so_um_i_made_you_a_mix_cd/167/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-05-13:/blog/167/</id>

		<updated>2012-05-13T21:21:15Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c563" class="module module_text" data-position="0"><p>By Hannah Gomez, playing Maribel in <em>crooked</em></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><em><img width="410" height="308" alt="" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/Just%20Us%20Girls.jpg" /></em></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Just Us Girls</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite how hardworking and intelligent the production team of Crooked  has been, there is also this fun vibe of &ldquo;just us girls.&rdquo;  This isn&rsquo;t meant in a condescending or demeaning sense, but in the sense that there is a vibrant, empowering, FUN energy that comes from being in a setting with such great women.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="410" height="546" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/LaneyWriting.jpg" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Laney Writing</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;In the play, Laney (Rae Gray) writes&hellip; a LOT.  It&rsquo;s kind of her thing. She even goes on to dedicate one of her stories to Maribel (myself). One of my favorite &ldquo;fun&rdquo; things, thus far, was when Rae (as Laney) made me (as Maribel) a mixed CD of &ldquo;Laney&rsquo;s top 16.&rdquo;  It read, &ldquo;For Maribel &lt;3 Laney.&rdquo;  This is not in the text, mind you.  There is no part of the play where Laney gives Maribel a mixed CD.  Maribel wouldn&rsquo;t even have a way to play it at home, given her strict, sheltered upbringing.  This kind act was just Rae being awesome and sharing some of the music that her character might like; music that, I assumed intentionally, coincided with some of the events of the play.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="410" height="546" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/LaneysTop16.jpg" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Laney's Top 16</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;I liked many of the songs already.  I&rsquo;ve now listened to the whole CD in my car and it made me laugh. It even made me think about things I hadn&rsquo;t thought about in the play before.  &ldquo;Laney&rsquo;s top 16&rdquo; consists of:</p>

<p>1.	Mean by: Taylor Swift<br />

2.	I Kissed A Girl by: Katy Perry<br />

3.	Boyfriend by: Justin Bieber<br />

4.	Pure Imagination by: Maroon Five<br />

5.	Call Me Maybe by: Carly Rae Jepsen<br />

6.	A Year Without Rain by: Selena Gomez<br />

7.	What Makes You Beautiful by: One Direction<br />

8.	Never Say Never by: Justin Bieber<br />

9.	The Heart of Life by: John Mayer<br />

10.	You Belong With Me by: Taylor Swift<br />

11.	Hot N&rsquo; Cold by: Katy Perry<br />

12.	Stronger by: Kelly Clarkson<br />

13.	Eyes Open by: Taylor Swift (We sing this occasionally in rehearsal?.)<br />

14.	Firework by: Katy Perry<br />

15.	Bang Bang Bang by: Selena Gomez<br />

16.	Something That I Want by: Grace Potter</p>

<p>I guess you&rsquo;ll have to see the show to get some of the songs listed&hellip;  In light of this awesomeness, I decided Maribel might&rsquo;ve stolen a CD from school and burned it on the library computer, where she goes to discover most things secular.  I made a CD for Laney (Rae) that also mildly coincides with the play. The mix is mostly some of the things that Maribel would want Laney to hear.  Rae&rsquo;s mix was a little more age appropriate, but I&rsquo;m not as up-to-date as Rae is, so I did my best ?.  Maribel&rsquo;s mix CD consisted of (in order):</p>

<p>1.  Ordinary Day by: Vanessa Carlton<br />

2.  F***kin Perfect by: P!nk<br />

3.  Shine Your Light by: Nichole Nordeman<br />

4.  There's Hope by: India.Arie<br />

5.  Stuck Like Glue by: Sugarland<br />

6.  Friday by: Rebecca Black<br />

7.  In the Highways by: The Peasall Sisters<br />

8.  All The Way Up to Heaven by: Guster<br />

9.  Carry On by: Fun.<br />

10.  Gratitude by: Nichole Nordeman<br />

11.  New Soul by: Yael Naim<br />

12.  Follow You Down:  Gin Blossoms<br />

13.  This One's For The Girls by:  Martina McBride<br />

14.  Wild Young Hearts by:  The Noisettes<br />

15.  I Do Not Hook Up by:  Kelly Clarkson<br />

16.  I'm Not Your Toy  by:  La Roux<br />

17.  Why Baby Why by: The Secret Sisters<br />

18.  You Lie by: The Band Perry<br />

19.  Messiah by: MoZella<br />

20.  Jesusland  by: Ben Folds<br />

21.  This is Not an Exit by: Saves The Day</p>

<p>&hellip;.Now you really have to see the play, right?</p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>Crooked Rehearsals: a Family of Mothers and Daughters</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/04/crooked_rehearsals_a_family_of_mothers_and_daughters/165/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-04-30:/blog/165/</id>

		<updated>2012-04-30T16:30:37Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c561" class="module module_text" data-position="0"><p>By <em>crooked </em>director Sandy Shinner</p>

<p><em>Crooked </em>is, in part, a mother-daughter story.  And I was thinking about my mother in rehearsal the other day (when the actors were running lines, of course!).  The last time I directed for Rivendell was in the fall of 1997&mdash;H<em>oly Days</em> by Sally Nemeth.  My mother loved that show, as did my then-12 year old daughter.  It was one of the last productions I directed that my mother saw&hellip;so it&rsquo;s a special memory.</p>

<p><img width="125" height="144" align="left" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/sandy%20rehearsal.JPG" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px;" alt="" />The mother&ndash;daughter bond is so amazing&hellip;and so complicated. In rehearsal, we&rsquo;re all bringing our experiences as daughters to the table to try to explore and illuminate specific moments and relationships.  Tara and I get to contribute from the mother&rsquo;s perspective too.  One of the by products of these conversations is that you get to know each other quickly, and sometimes deeply, by sharing pivotal moments in your lives.  All actors talk about building a family of sorts&hellip;either happy or dysfunctional&hellip;during each show.  And it&rsquo;s true.  As the director, I&rsquo;m a part of that family in the rehearsal process: they know some of my secrets and I know theirs (and we&rsquo;re not telling).  My <em>crooked </em>&ldquo;family&rdquo; (Tara, Rae, Hannah, Stephanie, Meredith, Megan) is great: smart, creative, open, energetic, hard working and FUN.  I think all those qualities will translate to the stage as we inhabit the unique world Catherine Trieschmann, the playwright, has given us.</p>

<p>And I expect that my mother would be proud of this one too!</p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>Pride March for Holiness Lesbians, anyone?</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/04/pride_march_for_holiness_lesbians_anyone/164/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-04-24:/blog/164/</id>

		<updated>2012-04-24T13:05:13Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c559" class="module module_text" data-position="0"><p>by <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/megan_carney/" target="_blank">Megan Carney</a></p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">First Saturday rehearsal for <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/crooked/" target="_blank">Crooked</a></p>

<p style="text-align: center; "><img src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/P1060863.JPG" width="410" height="308" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; " alt="" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">Director Sandy Shinner has the cast on their feet working script in hand and pausing for lots of discussion.</p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">Where are we finding these women at this moment in their lives?</p>

<p style="text-align: center; "><img src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/P1060851.JPG" width="410" height="307" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; " alt="" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">Fourteen year old Laney (played by <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/rae_gray/" target="_blank">Rae Gray</a>) just came out as a lesbian. Now who are we to question young love? Teenagers feel things so deeply and fully, feelings so powerful they can redefine the world in an instant. The way Laney is feeling things for Maribel (played by Hannah Gomez) And its real. It's the truth. Undeniably. For this very moment.</p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">Laney says &quot;I&quot;m a holiness lesbian... I believe in the holy ghost and I kiss girls... If there were a holiness lesbian march, I'd march. It's a good thing.&quot;</p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">Wait. What?</p>

<p style="text-align: center; "><img src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/P1060885.JPG" width="410" height="308" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; " alt="" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">Elise (played by <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/tara_mallen/" target="_blank">Tara Mallen</a>) is starting a new career - one that PAYS - but her training as a clinical social worker runs deep. We got to talking about whether or not Elise can see the world without her &quot;social worker lenses.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">We can't unlearn what we know or not see what we're trained to see, right? So how do we keep our professional selves in check when dealing with the family? And what constitutes a crisis anyway?</p>

<p style="text-align: center; ">&nbsp;</p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>Rivendell at Humana Festival 2012</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/04/rivendell_at_humana_festival_2012/163/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-04-11:/blog/163/</id>

		<updated>2012-04-11T14:07:02Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c557" class="module module_text" data-position="0"><p>By <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/janice_pytel/" target="_blank">Janice Pytel</a></p>

<p>Our trip to the <a href="http://actorstheatre.org/humana-festival-of-new-american-plays/" target="_blank">Humana Festival </a>was inspiring on so many levels.  The productions themselves were a treat to watch - some moving, some funny, some just silly, - but all interesting, and definitely worth seeing.  It was also wonderful to connect with our fellow audience members - agents, literary managers, casting directors, and many other theater artists - all of whom had something wonderful to share.  We also had the opportunity to meet many of the artists who worked on the productions we saw, including playwrights, actors, directors, and designers.  I reconnected with many old friends and made some exciting new ones.  All in all, the whole weekend was a hotbed of creative energy, and I've returned rejuvenated, and ready to tackle the challenges ahead as we plan our next season, and continue work on our Women Warriors project.  A special thanks should be extended to Les Waters and Jennifer Beilstein who made the whole weekend possible, especially for <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/tara_mallen/" target="_blank">Tara</a> and me.  We are truly lucky to have such wonderful friends and collaborators. And a HUGE special thanks to our friends and long-time supporters The <a href="http://www.driehausfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Richard H. Driehaus Foundation</a>, who gave us the grant to fund our trip to Humana. Where would we be without you?!<br />

&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: center; "><img src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/Janice%20at%20Humana_JPG20120411182514.jpg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; " width="410" height="547" align="middle" alt="" /></p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>Fresh Produce: Graveyard of Empires</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/04/fresh_produce_graveyard_of_empires/162/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-04-03:/blog/162/</id>

		<updated>2012-04-03T21:56:06Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c555" class="module module_text" data-position="0"><p><em>by Lisa Dillman</em></p>

<p>Last Monday night, Rivendell's <em>Fresh Produce</em> new play development series was back in action once again with a concert reading of Elaine Romero's newest work, <em>Graveyard of Empires</em>. The play, a moving meditation on the human fallout from contemporary warfare, was workshopped over the preceding week by the playwright, director Susan Bowen, and a talented cast of actors. The reading drew a full house, and afterwards the Rivendell lobby was abuzz with great conversation.</p>

<p>Featuring: Rengin Altay, Ra&uacute;l Castillo, Stephanie Diaz, Keith Kupferer, Kathy Logelin, Jesse Thurston, and Mark Montgomery</p>

<p><img width="410" height="273" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/Romero%20Reading/romero3.jpg" /></p>

<p><img width="410" height="328" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/Romero%20Reading/romero16.jpg" /></p>

<p><img width="410" height="328" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/Romero%20Reading/romero23.jpg" /></p>

<p><img width="410" height="273" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/Romero%20Reading/romero20.jpg" /></p>

<p><img width="410" height="328" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/Romero%20Reading/romero6.jpg" /></p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>Falling: A Wake, Flight Conditions</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/03/fallingawakeflightconditions/161/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-03-31:/blog/161/</id>

		<updated>2012-03-31T12:05:51Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c554" class="module module_text" data-position="0"><p>My name is <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/stephanie_hurovitz/">Stephanie Hurovitz</a>; I&rsquo;ll be your stage manager and &ldquo;show-attendant&rdquo; for the evening.  Fasten your seat belts; this will be a bumpy ride.  Take off was scheduled for 6pm on Sunday, March 11th.  I got to the theatre at about 4:30.  We were cleared for take-off.  I did my preshow set-up which included a dimmer check that went as it should.  There was a small delay on the runway w/ a temperamental speaker.  I got <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/victoria_deiorio/">Toy</a> on the phone and she suggested I try something on the board and it worked.  Great.  We took off, wheels were up and I thought we were in for smooth sailing.  Then (at about 10,000 feet-between 5 and 5:15pm) I noticed that one of the legs of the side table (a prop, backstage) was on the cord for the lamp.  I moved it and had a gut feeling that I should check all my lights again, to make sure they were coming on.  I did; they did not.  In fact, only about half of the lights were coming up. Toy, our knowledgeable and fearless director, dragged the ladder up and down the stage and thru the house almost a dozen times trying to see if we could solve the problems by turning dimmers off, then on again, to reset the lights.  Turning one dimmer pack off then back on, we got half the lights to come on, and the practical lamp.  Switching another dimmer pack off, then on, caused the rest of the lights to come on, but the lamp and one light, went off.  We powered the board down, (which did NOT result in the lights going off) and turned it back on.  (The only thing that turned lights off, was turning the dimmers off.)  It was at about 23,000 feet, 10 minutes to 6, when I remembered that there were actors backstage who hadn&rsquo;t gotten a single call from me; that was also about the time Tara went to the reception in the rehearsal room and announced that it would be a few more minutes and that folks should pour themselves another glass.  Onstage, we continued turning dimmers on and off to no avail.  Finally, I powered down the board, we turned off all dimmers, turned off all sound equipment, and even cut the breakers.  Then we turned everything back on and waited w/ baited breath to see if our problems were solved&hellip; .  They were not.  29,000 feet:  major turbulence; I was afraid we were heading down.  We still had lighting issues, but we had a plan!  A water landing:  Toy was going to stand on a ladder under the upstage-left dimmer pack and turn it off and on when necessary, to get the lights to cooperate.  But before we opened the house, we did one last speaker check.  Of course a speaker was out.  Toy fiddled w/ the board and cursed at it until it worked.  Then she took up her post on the ladder, and we opened the house.  We hit our cruising altitude of 33,000 feet, and thanks to Toy on the ladder at the dimmer pack, it was smooth sailing.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Stephanie is the Stage Manager for <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/falling_a_wake/">Falling: A Wake</a>, currently running in our new space at <a href="http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/theater/15154281/rivendell-theatre-ensemble-gets-new-home-in-edgewater">5779 N. Ridge Avenue</a></p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>5 Questions for Playwright Elaine Romero</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/03/5_questions_for_playwright_elaine_romero/133/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-03-21:/blog/133/</id>

		<updated>2012-03-21T09:40:45Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c525" class="module module_text" data-position="2"><p>This week Elaine Romero is workshopping her play <em>Graveyard of Empires</em> with us at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. We&rsquo;re thrilled to be working with Elaine in the development of this important new work, and we asked her to tell us a little bit about the play and her recent life and times.</p>

<p><em>RTE: Can you tell us what inspired you to write </em>Graveyard of Empires<em>?</em></p>

<p>ER: I had seen a 60 Minutes episode about predator drones.  The remote nature of the warfare and the lack of accountability of it eerily reminded me of the atomic bombs, something that has always disturbed me at a visceral level.  After learning of predator drones, I couldn&rsquo;t sleep for days.  All I could imagine was a soldier sitting in Nevada killing people in the Middle East, and then going home to his pretty wife and trying to lead some semblance of a normal life.  This led to a series of what-if questions.  If you can&rsquo;t see your target, who might you hit? That&rsquo;s when I stumbled upon the idea of a friendly fire incident.  I don&rsquo;t like black and white ideas so I further complicated the story from there.<br />

<br />

I had written a series of short plays about war, including <em>Rain of Ruin</em> (the bomb), <em>Revolutions </em>(Latin America), and a shorter version of <em>A Work of Art</em> (Vietnam).  In one of my earlier works, <em>Memorial Day</em>, I had taken my first stab at writing about Vietnam. I realized that I had a lot to say about war, and that my life experience as the granddaughter of an Iwo Jima vet, a former exchange student in Japan, and the niece of a soldier killed in Vietnam had given me a lot of raw material.  I&rsquo;m so excited to be tackling my first trilogy.</p>

<p><em>RTE: </em>Graveyard of Empires<em> is the first play in a trilogy. This season, you have been writing the second play of the trilogy, </em>A Work of Art<em>, as a member of the Goodman Playwrights Unit. What has that process been like for you?</em></p>

<p>ER: It&rsquo;s been really amazing to be part of the Goodman Playwrights Unit.  We have a great group of writers, but you could also call us actors, because we constantly read our work aloud for each other.  It&rsquo;s a tight-knit group.  We meet frequently, so we&rsquo;ve had a chance to give each other a lot of feedback on our works in progress.  It&rsquo;s been an entirely different process than doing five drafts and then bringing them to a cast.   It&rsquo;s a vulnerable feeling to bring in pages so early, but it has been so worth it.  I&rsquo;m excited about the play.  <em>Graveyard of Empires</em> is feeding <em>A Work of Art</em> and vice-versa.</p>

<p>RTE: Does working on a trilogy require you to, in a sense, work on all three plays at once? In other words, as you go about writing one play, do you find you need to keep the other two very much in mind?</p>

<p>ER: I love that question.  Going in, I knew a lot about all three plays.  I&rsquo;d done two of them in the short form, and even though I&rsquo;m not referring to those shorter pieces, having written them has given me a much greater sense of what the works are about.  The other day I came up with the question that each play asks.  I&rsquo;ve used those questions to frame my thoughts about the plays.  Two have been drafted and one is not drafted yet.  The question for <em>Graveyard of Empires</em> is &ldquo;What do we ask soldiers to live with when we ask them to commit atrocities during war?&rdquo; <em>A Work of Art </em>asks &ldquo;What do we ask families to live with when we send their loved ones to war?&rdquo; <em>Rain of Ruin</em> (undrafted play) asks &ldquo;What do we ask countries to absorb when they commit atrocities during war?&rdquo;</p>

<p>RTE: You are fairly new to Chicago, having moved here a year and a half ago from Tucson. Tell us something about your experience in adapting to Chicago and its theatre scene.</p>

<p>ER: Chicago is an addictive place.  There&rsquo;s always something to see. Something to eat. Interesting conversations to be had. I&rsquo;ve really enjoyed the theatre scene here.  I feel like a little child who is eating her way through a mountain of chocolate.  I&rsquo;ve seen a lot of shows. I&rsquo;ve met a lot of people, and of course, working with Rivendell and the Goodman has been super wonderful.  I&rsquo;m so honored. I can&rsquo;t wait to have my first production in Chicago.</p>

<p>RTE: What's coming up next for you?</p>

<p>ER: My next reading will be <em>A Work of Art</em> at the Goodman in June. I&rsquo;m not allowed to start <em>Rain of Ruin</em> until after that&rsquo;s done.  I hope to pen that one over the summer, so that&rsquo;s my master plan.  And, of course, go to Yoga Tree at Andersonville in between to keep my head and shoulders screwed on straight.</p>

<p>Graveyard of Empires<em> will be presented on Monday, March 26, at 7:30 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble.</em></p>

<p><img height="625" width="415" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/EROMERO.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<h3>About Elaine Romero:</h3>

<p><br />

Elaine Romero is a 2011/2012 member of the Goodman Theatre&rsquo;s Playwright&rsquo;s Unit for which she is writing a full-length version of <em>A Work of Art</em>.  <em>Graveyard of Empires </em>is the first in a trilogy Elaine is writing about the U.S. at war. <em>A Work of Art</em> is the second piece of the trilogy. She has won over $125,000 for her plays, which have been presented at the Goodman Theatre, Alley Theatre, Newtown Theatre, and Actors Theatre of Louisville, among others.  Recent commissions include Goodman Theatre, Centerstage, American Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company (<em>The Dalai Lama is Not Welcome Here</em>), and Kitchen Dog Theater Company.  Her plays include <em>Walk into the Sea</em> (Sloan Foundation/Magic Theatre, Sundance Playwrights Retreat),<em> !Curanderas! Serpents of the Clouds</em>, <em>Before Death Comes for the Archbishop</em> (TCG Pew National Theatre Artist in Residency grant), <em>Sun, Stone and Shadows</em> (Arkansas Repertory Theatre), <em>Alicia</em> (Zachary Scott Theatre), <em>Something Rare and Wonderful</em> (Alley Theatre), <em>Xochi:  Jaguar Princess</em> (Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), <em>Revolutions </em>(Manhattan Theatre Source; in Spanish at the Panama National Theatre), <em>Ponzi </em>(Kitchen Dog Theater)&mdash;Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, <em>A Work of Art</em> (short version, American Theatre Company), and <em>Barrio Hollywood</em>, which received its Spanish World Premiere at Aurora Theatre and was published by Samuel French in English and Spanish. Her play <em>Wetback </em>is in development with Teatro Vista. Elaine taught in the RTVF Department at Northwestern University. She has adapted <em>Revolutions </em>for the screen for a film production company in Spain, and is currently revising a film that will be produced in Mexico.<br />

&nbsp;</p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>Falling: A Wake Opens - A Bumpy But Magical Night</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/03/falling_a_wake_0pens_a_bumpy_but_magical_night/132/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-03-14:/blog/132/</id>

		<updated>2012-03-14T18:44:23Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c524" class="module module_text" data-position="3"><p>By <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/tara_mallen/">Tara Mallen</a>, Rivendell Artistic Director</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="410" height="308" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/DSCN8615.JPG" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" alt="" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Rivendell founding ensemble member Keith Kupferer welcomes guests to the pre-show reception in our rehearsal room.</em></p>

<p>What a magical night we had on Sunday March 11th during our, slightly bumpy technically, but nonetheless fantastic gala opening of <em><a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/falling_a_wake/">Falling: A Wake</a> -- </em>the official unveiling of our brand new GORGEOUS space.</p>

<p>We had a crowd of fifty dear friends all sporting our new Rivendell buttons, crammed into our newly renovated rehearsal room (thanks to new ensemble star <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/rebecca_spence/">Rebecca Spence</a> and Board member extraordinaire <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/board/">Jodi Brewer</a> for a marathon painting/wallpaper removing session that has transformed our rehearsal space).</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<em><img width="410" height="308" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/IMG_4210.JPG" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" alt="" /></em></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Katherine Kupferer sporting her Rivendell button.</em></p>

<p>We all enjoyed delicious hors d'ouvres: crab salad, mushroom pastry, melon and prosciutto skewers (loved especially by Trisha) and not to mention several cases of wine and champagne, all prepared and served by our exquisite dining partners at <a href="http://www.broadwaycellars.net/">Broadway Cellars</a>, thanks to owner and Chef Tom Foley and his lovely wife Geri.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="410" height="546" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/DSCN8611.JPG" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Delicious delay in the rehearsal room while we tried to get the lights back on line.</em></p>

<p>And thank god we had all that fantastic food and wine because we had to delay the start of the show for 45 minutes due to a huge technical issue with the lights. So we poured everyone another glass of wine, put Toy up on a ladder to trouble shoot the wonky dimmers, walked everyone next door to the theater and went on with the show.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="410" height="549" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/photo(2).jpg" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Our intrepid director enjoyed the opening night performance of Falling: A Wake atop a ladder so she could continuously switch the dimmers off and on....so we had lights for our sold out, slightly drunk audience!</em></p>

<p>Congratulations to the entire cast and production team led by <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/victoria_deiorio/">Toy DeIorio</a>! What a magical moment to stand on stage for the very first time and raise a glass of champagne with so many friends and supporters there to toast to another 17 years in our brand home.</p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>AJAX as a Vehicle for Healing </title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/03/ajaxasavehicleforhealing/131/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-03-08:/blog/131/</id>

		<updated>2012-03-08T18:14:40Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c522" class="module module_text" data-position="4"><p>By Emily Siefken</p>

<p>I am a cynic, through and through. Really. My family and friends at first glance, might call me a bleeding heart, altruist, sweet, endearingly naive, artsy, pseudo philosophical, blonde, cheery..... but really I am a bitter cynic.  I have been dwelling on the topic of Bloodlust for so many years, that I can&rsquo;t remember Lacan from Freud anymore. If anyone talks about PTSD, especially with respect to men, and they continue on with a story about a male soldier going on a killing rampage here in the civilian world, or chopping up a girlfriend, I find it hard to garner sympathy.  Probably because of all of the shit-talk I witnessed my fellow male (and sometimes female) soldiers spew in the late 90's.... &quot;So you really want to go kill huh?&quot;  I would reply after a particularly graphic rant in the shop about what would happen to a &quot;towel head&quot; if he tried to do x, y, or z. This usually preceded a marathon porn session broadcast on different closed circuit channels that changed every night. Suffice to say I have seen it all....</p>

<p>I try.  I really try to remember that I cannot lump everyone into a category and many, many men sincerely have never felt the need to draw blood or even talk about it.  I know these men, and they keep me sane.  I dearly love these men.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.outsidethewirellc.com/projects/theater-of-war/programs">When Outside the Wire</a>, <a href="http://www.goodmantheatre.org/Artists-Archive/creative-partners/companies/Theater-of-War/">The Goodman Theatre</a>, and <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/">Rivendell Theatre Ensemble</a> decided to mount a re-telling of Sophocles' AJAX, changing the gender of Ajax to female, without any other changes in the script, I was skeptical.</p>

<p>AJAX, in her fury and absolute drive to be recognized AS THE GREATEST, and most worthy of Achilles shield over Odysseus is tricked by Athena into exercising her bloodlust on barnyard animals, when she is discovered by her husband and forbidden from seeing her daughter, Ajax realizes what she has done and falls into despair. At the end Ajax takes her own life.</p>

<p>I watched the play at The Goodman Theatre and again at the <a href="https://www.nvam.org/">National Veterans Art Museum</a>, where I had a profound moment of lucidity.  Elizabeth Laidlaw played the role of Ajax.  In the Goodman, from afar, Elizabeth strikes a proud, tall figure.  It is easy to watch her; she is beautiful and her voice resonant and rich, In the more intimate setting at the NVAM, surrounded by military relics, I appreciated so much more nuance.... the pause in between sentences or sometimes just after a word, the slightest breath in, an ever so subtle waver in her voice.  At the NVAM, I found the anxiety Guy Massey plays as Tecmessa in dealing with his wife's circumstance and his own ability to survive without her heartbreaking.  At such close range, Mr. Massey's tone, sweet cadence of delivery, and physical restraint changes when you can feel the energy of so many people gathered together in a place where repositories of people's souls hang on walls or are spread on the floor.   Ahhh, and the power of Rebecca Spence, the spice of <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/kathy_logelin/">Kathy Logelin</a>, and <a href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/keith_kupferer/">Keith</a>&hellip; I love them all for their chosen profession and devotion to women in the military.  Rivendell.  I have begun to soften.</p>

<p>We have a ritual.   The Goodman has ensured that through &quot;Mission Homefront&quot;.  Willa Taylor, and many, other benefactors have ensured a space, for us to gather together.....Yet I still have a hard time letting the bloodlust question go. I had to ask the panel, which consisted of veterans, Willa Taylor, J. Sherrod Taylor of the Adler School of Professional Psychology, Joseph Troiani and Tammy Duckworth to PLEASE answer my question about bloodlust and women.</p>

<p>I directed my question to Tammy, who pretty much changed my thought process through a very sincere and pointed observation about resilience, what the VA has done for her, what her team at the National VA is doing for others, and how healthcare can happen for us all, with thoughtful restructuring of the systems in place</p>

<p>What I have sensed before and I definitely know now is how devoted this woman is to equality, social justice,and yes,  the arts. More to the point, I realized how she LIVES HER PRESENT, and how none of my obsessions matter.  What matters to everyone--Man, Woman, Service Man, Service Woman--is that we gather together and share in a ritual.</p>

<p>Where two or more gather&hellip;</p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

	<entry>

		<title>An Intimate Conversation with Playwright Gary Kirkham</title>

		<link rel="alternate" href="http://rivendelltheatre.org/blog/2012/02/n_ntimate_conversation_with_playwright_gary_kirkham/126/"/>

		<id>tag:rivendelltheatre.org,2012-02-22:/blog/126/</id>

		<updated>2012-02-22T16:12:16Z</updated>

		<content type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="c507" class="module module_text" data-position="5"><p>By Frances Limoncelli, Rivendell Marketing Consultant</p>

<p><em>Falling: A Wake </em>was originally produced in Kitchner, Ontario in 2007 by <a href="http://www.lostandfoundtheatre.com/falling-a-wake.html">Lost and Found Theatre</a>.&nbsp;From their website: <em>&ldquo;Playwright Gary Kirkham was devastated when his best friend, Paul Freeman, was killed by a terrorist bomb on Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988. Eighteen years later, he found himself writing a play about a couple who find a body in their yard, and &ndash; to his own surprise - it was a comedy.&quot;</em><br />

<br />

Gary Kirkham sat down with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble to share his thoughts about <em>Falling: A Wake</em>:<br />

<br />

<em>RTE: Thank you for talking with us, today, Gary.</em></p>

<p>GK: You&rsquo;re welcome. I can't tell you how happy I am that Rivendell is doing <em>Falling: A Wake</em>. It's a great honour to have my play open their new space.</p>

<p><em>RTE: It&rsquo;s our pleasure. We&rsquo;re all very excited about opening the theatre, and passionate about your beautiful play. What do you hope audiences leave the theatre with after seeing the play?</em></p>

<p><em><img width="375" height="469" alt="" style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://rivendelltheatre.org/_userfiles/image/GKirkham.jpg" /></em></p>

<p>GK: My hope is that the shared experience of grief  will help anyone who watches it. We have all experienced grief in some form: audience members have told me that their brother committed suicide, or that they lost their job, which is a big one, and they want to share their experience with me.  And in addition to the many different kinds of grief, there are multiple responses to grief. This play is a way of exposing people to this one couple&rsquo;s way of grieving, and encouraging them to talk about their own. <br />

<br />

Conversation is great for healing. I&rsquo;ve talked about this very personal story of mine, losing my best friend in 1988, so much since I wrote this play. It&rsquo;s such a private thing, but now thousands of people know about it. But new details, parts of the narrative, keep coming up. Even though you tell it over and over again there&rsquo;s still something there that wants to be shared. In talking about my grief experience I&rsquo;ve lost something, but I&rsquo;ve gained so much more by connecting with other people and their stories.<br />

<br />

I wrote the play a few years after 9/11 and part of it came from watching what was happening in the States then. Individual American&rsquo;s worked hard to process their grief, but on a political level, America didn&rsquo;t go through a grieving process. They went straight to anger. That made me sad.</p>

<p><em>RTE: Our artists have made comparisons between </em>Falling: A Wake<em> and </em>Waiting for Godot<em>. Although entirely different I style, both make deft use of humor in the face of despair and have characters who are unable to move forward. Was Beckett an influence on you?</em></p>

<p>GK: Not intentionally, no, but I see the connection. It is about waiting and the act of waiting. At one point in time, <em>Godot </em>was thought to be very nihilistic, which is not like my play, but nowadays <em>Godot</em> is seen as more life affirming, and that, I think, is very much like <em>Falling: A Wake</em>. <br />

<br />

<em>RTE: But the characters in </em>Falling: A Wake<em> do eventually move on.</em></p>

<p>GK: Yes, emotionally. In my play, nothing has changed in their lives, except how they view their lives. In the end, people don&rsquo;t really change, but we can change how we view who we are.</p>

<p><em>RTE: What are you working on now?</em></p>

<p>GK: Well, I&rsquo;m currently writing two plays: one is very political and serious and one is just funny and silly. I like going from a very dark place to a much lighter place, working back and forth between the two. And I&rsquo;m collaborating with a theatre company called The MT Space. We&rsquo;re creating a piece about the Occupy movement and the Arab Spring. <br />

<br />

And recently I finished touring a play called <em>The Last 15 Seconds</em>, which is also about terrorism and the bombing of three hotels in Aman, Jordan in 2005. We got to perform it in Aman on the fifth anniversary of the bombing. That was really an emotionally charged performance!<br />

<br />

<em>RTE: How do you feel about the theme of politics and terrorism becoming hallmarks of your work?</em></p>

<p>GK: Terrorism is the smallest part of it. I&rsquo;m not interested in the international politics of it. I&rsquo;m using it to talk about the very small politics of human beings; about the lives of small people in huge events.</p></div>

]]></content>

	</entry>

</feed>