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Well, we had a successful run of “Humpty Dumpty”, and we’re gearing up for two, count ‘em, TWO big musicals this fall.  

“Great American Trailer Park Musical” at the Shack in September/October.

“Evil Dead: The Musical” this October at the Venue in Lincoln Park.

I am also reading scripts for our 2010 Season.  I gotta tell you, I love the freedom of being able to pick and choose whatever scripts I want, and asking whomever I want to be involved in shows.  I guess, in that respect, I should thank the Renegade board and the good folks at TZ for making it all possible.

Nah.

I forgot to mention Sharon in my previous post and that was a huge mistake on my part.  

Sharon was one of the first people to come to my defense when the Renegade crap went down.  She supported me 100% and was one of the first people who I contacted when I got Rubber Chicken going.  She has been instrumental in several Rubber Chicken projects, including the Rubber Chicken Improv Troupe.

Sharon is my friend, and we would not be where we are one year later without her.  No question.

I am a big calendar guy.  I am always taking note of what happened this time last week, last month, last year, etc.

So I noticed in my calendar that it was one year ago today that I was ousted at Renegade Comedy Theatre.  While I was sitting in that back room at MNDOT last year, waiting to hear what the board decision was going to be–keep me and be forced to leave Teatro Zucconi or fire me and get to stay at Teatro–I thought A LOT about my future in local theater.  (Pacing and talking to yourself for an hour and a half will do that.)  If the board bowed to pressure and decided to support a space and not a person, I knew that I would start up again from scratch.  I love theater and I love this community.  I created Renegade from nothing in 1991, so I knew I could do it again.  

Finally, the word came that I was out, and so Rubber Chicken Theater began. 

But I have to say, I am very happy with where I am at one year later.  I was fortunate enough to receive support from wonderful artists and audience members, enabling me to get Rubber Chicken Theater up and running.  I will always be grateful to every artist who has stepped up to create theater with me this past year, especially Chris Nollet, Tony Davis and Minden Anderson.  There are many, MANY more, of course, and I will never be able to tell you all how much you all mean to me, but please know that you do.

And I am also grateful to the audiences who have sought us out to see what we have to offer.  From Proctor, to downtown Duluth, to Superior….it is not easy to be a wandering band of gypsies, but I always appreciate the effort our audiences make to find us and have some fun.

We have an exciting 2009 Season coming up:  ”QED”, children’s theater, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical”, “Evil Dead The Musical”, lots of radio shows and a few more Chicken Hat Plays.  I hope you’ll come check us out, or come play with us.  It’s fun!  

Unless I become difficult and demanding again.

We wrapped up the revue last week and I have a few random thoughts….

1-Once again, veterans Chris Nollet and Cheri Tesarek saved my bacon by appearing in a Rubber Chicken show.  Just like they did in “Bushed”, they helped the newbies with their strong characterizations and talent.  More than anyone else this year, Rubber Chicken owes Chris and Cheri a lot.

2-The folks who have never done a revue before were amazing.  Minden, Greg, Nate and Tony were funny and strong.  We all had our favorite backstage moments with these four.  Mine were Minden’s excited Max the Dog portrayal, Nate’s “Home School Musical” dancing, Tony’s emotional moment when Batman gave him a homemade frame, and watching Greg’s bravery onstage every night with some of his offbeat but wonderful sketches.  (And wearing a Renegade tshirt every night as the evil Joker?  Brilliant.)

3-Apparently, Paul Brissett was crabby he had to come out in the snow to see a show.  Sorry, Paul, but that’s no reason to go all “Dominic” on your review.  You don’t like the show?  Fine, that’s your perogative, of course.  But please leave out the personal attacks and mentions and just review the show.  Oh, and also?  It’s not your place to tell potential patrons that the ticket cost is too much and the drive is too far.  I would love to work WITH the Duluth News Tribune to combat that challenge, not against it.

On to the next project!

Well, it’s finally over.  I read Bart’s script over a year ago, had some personal unpleasantness in February, started a desperate search for actors over the summer, started an even more desperate search for musicians in early fall, rehearsed, memorized, danced, sang, and performed!

It all came together and it’s a show that puts a giant rubber feather in the giant rubber chicken hat.  The crowds slowly grew into big, appreciative audiences.  And we even made a buck or two while paying actors.  Gotta love that!  I will always be grateful that Bart decided to stay with me and let me stage the world premiere of his script.  I think he is happy with how it came out, and I am proud to be associated with it.

Show is open.  We’re finally here.  This has been an interesting and fun piece to head up.  I took a couple of parts in the show as well, which is always a challenge.  I hate the director/actor position.  But we got it done.

I hope the crowds turn out and that we can get this show in front of a whole buncha people.  Bart’s script is delightful, insightful, angry, funny and sad.  They don’t get much better than that.

The cast has been a joy to work with…are we ever lucky that Chris Nollet could do this show!  He carries the entire show on the weight of his shoulders and he pulls it off wonderfully.  He sings!  He dances!  He’s George W. Bush!  Taylor, John, Susan, Betsy, Ric, and Cheri also do a great job with a difficult script.  

Read my lips.  See this show.

Well, the show is over and it was a blast, as always.  I am always amazed at how these come together, especially with all the little things than can get goofed up during a live show.  But the actors (Tony Davis, Cheryl Skafte, Cathy Berggren, Tom Martinson and John Munson) always move it along, improvise on the spot, and it always comes off great.

If I could figure out a way to get paid to do these shows, I would gladly do it for the rest of my life.  Radio is fun.

Tonight we get ready to air our second Rubber Chicken Radio Hour.  Combined with our Renegade Radio Hours, John Munson and I have produced almost 20 of these bad boys now, and it is always a good time.  

I love the format of radio.  You can add last minute sketchs, provided they don’t need preproduced sound effects, you don’t need costumes or props, you don’t need to memorize lines…it’s great!  But more importantly, it’s that theater of the mind.  We can do whatever we want because it’s radio!  We can set a sketch in the future with Russ Stover and I riding on hovercraft chairs looking down at people riding elephants on Superior Street.  We can bring Herb Bergson into a super secret cave under the DECC and show him Duluth’s secrets, including how the polar bears at the zoo really control the budget.  There is no end to the fun that can be had in radio.

A few years back I saw Garrison Keillor when he brought “Prairie Home Companion” to Duluth and I was impressed with how much fun he was having onstage.  Dancing, smiling, singing…none of it evident to the folks listening on their radios but it was there for us in the live audience and it was great!

I’m going to keep doing these until John doesn’t let me anymore.  But I hope that’s not for many years to come.  

Next one is October 30, live from Hell’s Kitchen in Canal Park!  Hope to see you there!

So I’m looking at needing one more show for the Rubber Chicken 2009 Season.  It would go up in March and/or April.  Any suggestions?

In no particular order:

Because you can do it anywhere.  We are proving that this weekend with the Finnish Dinner Theater.  All you really need is a place for an audience, a place for the actors, and you can be transported to three distinct worlds.  All the way from a 1930’s house in Virginia, Minnesota, to a rural farm house in Finland in 1866.

Because you laugh.  We are still giggling every night at things that made us laugh five weeks ago.  That’s a good sign. 

Because it’s fun.  New discoveries every night, surrounded by good friends, what could be better than that?

The people.  This area constantly surprises me with the wealth of talent.  Go ahead and pick a script that you love, or write one.  The roles will be filled with the right people.  It just seems to have a way of working out that way.  Our local actors, especially the ones I have been privileged to work with at UWS, are every bit as creative, hard-working and professional, as anyone in the Cities or other markets.  Hands down.

The audience.  Once the circuit is complete and the waves of laughter are washing over these actors and their antics, a real sense of accomplishment sets in.

The next project.  There is always another performance, waiting in the wings, ready to be brought to life on an area stage.

I love it.