2005

Hi, all!

First, rehearsals are coming along swimmingly. If you haven’t already made plans, consider reserving tickets for Six Characters in Search of an Author for one of our six performances: Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, or Thursday-Saturday, September 29-October 1. Tickets are $12 ($10 for students and seniors). All performances are at 8pm except Sunday at 2. The show is approximately an hour and a half (no intermission). For more info, visit our web site at http://www.OutOftheBlackBox.org/ or the Greenbelt Arts Center’s site at http://www.greenbeltartscenter.org/. Note: The play contains mature themes and language. Parental discretion is advised.

Secondly, we’ll be helping to support the Greenbelt Arts Center during the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival. Watch for me on Monday, from 11am-2pm at the GAC booth.

Third, BIG NEWS!!! From the Bowie Star, a Gazette paper: School system could sign off on arts center this month, Thursday, Sep. 1, 2005 http://www.gazette.net/stories/090105/bowinew215508_31888.shtml (Go read the article!) This is the information we’ve been waiting for. It means we could see the BCPA open to the public as early as this coming spring/summer! We’re planning a summer project for 2006, and will continue to get the word out about us, but in the meantime, this is huge news. When things have been finalized and we’ve had an opportunity to discuss our company with management for the new building (pending selection of the management individuals), we’ll post more here.

All in all, things are progressing at a steady rate!

Hope we’ll see you soon!

No. Really.

Contact me or Jonathen E ASAP if you are willing to commit your time for the remaining month between now and the close of Six Characters in Search of an Author. More info about the production is available at: http://www.OutOftheBlackBox.org/ or by calling me at 301.922.1865.

It’s been a while, but I just wanted folks to know we’re heading into the home stretch in a week. We’ve got just about one month to go, and we’ll be off-book starting the 22nd of August.

Folks who might be interested in kibbitzing on the production should consider getting in touch with me, since we’re not rehearsing at GAC, so I can get them directions to the rehearsal space. And we’ll be in the actual space starting Sunday, September 18, which is the start of our Hell Week. We’ll need as many hands as we can get, to make load-in as easy as possible. If you want to help out, please let me know, and I’ll add you to the production mailing list (which is being managed through my personal email).

Tickets will be going on sale soon. The poster is online now at our web site: http://www.OutOftheBlackBox.org/. There will NOT be reserved seating, and there will be NO standing room, so consider buying your tickets early!

Performances will be 9/23-25 and 9/29-10/1, with 8pm performances all nights except the 25th (matinee at 2pm).

We’ve also got some strong leads for future productions, and a potential time slot with GAC this coming summer (July). More information will be forthcoming soon.

If you have any questions, and you have trouble getting through to me on my regular email address, I’ve been going through email hell this last week or so. Try me at aramintamd at gmail or hotmail dot com instead.

Thanks for thinking about us! Hope you get a chance to see the show – it’s going to ROCK!

One more piece of paper finished in the long trail to 501(c)(3) status…

YAY!

We need to finish working out our By-Laws. If you have an interest in helping to form this document, please consider joining our O2B2 Board.

Contact me by commenting here or by sending email.

Hi!

I had it down in my calendar that this coming Saturday, the 30th, might be a good day for the next O2B2 meeting.

I don’t think I ever heard back from anyone on the subject, so now I’m asking – does this work for you?

I believe I know the answer. Just wondering…

Hi, all!

Here’s what’s happening (in no particular order)…

1. We have a complete cast. This may sound like a no-brainer, but we had no less than 28 individuals read over the last month for various parts. Our latest addition, Noelle Burk, will be filling the role of “Ariana” for our last performance, and will also be costuming the show. We will still need a wardrobe master/mistress for the actual run of the show, but at least now I’m not directing *and* designing the set & costumes! We have also made a casting swap (ELISE and KRYSTEN), due to scheduling difficulties. With these changes, the cast list is now finalized. Thanks everyone for all the help with casting the show!

2. We are now a legal Nonprofit Maryland Incorporation. You may refer to OutOftheBlackBox Theatre Company, Inc. or to O2B2, Inc. as necessary. Many thanks to GS for heading up the processing of the paperwork!

3. After a discussion yesterday evening, we now have on board JP, a trusted friend of mine whose business it is to help organizations file for 501(c)(3) status. He has agreed (volunteered on his own, even!!!), to complete our paperwork so that I may file it with the feds.

4. Our first blocking rehearsal is tomorrow evening, 7:30pm, at Jo Rake’s house. Interested individuals who may wish to kibbitz are welcome to attend – just let me know that you’re planning to come. Directions are available on request. We’ll be meeting at 7:30pm on Monday/Tuesday/Thursday nights until Hell Week begins (September 18), with some exceptions. If you plan to attend a rehearsal, be sure to doublecheck and confirm when and where we’re meeting!

5. Jonathen has agreed to be our Producer. This means she’ll be handling some of the staffing requirements prior to the run of the show. She’s a member of the /King John/ cast, and will only be making the Thursday evening/Sunday afternoon shows as a result. She will also be at as many of our Tuesday rehearsals as she can manage.

6. A flyer for the show should be ready soon. When we’ve finalized content on it, the copy will be available on our site. Please feel free to print and post it anywhere you may think appropriate.

There’s sure to be more, but this is the major stuff.

I am contemplating holding our next production/open Board meeting on July 30th or August 6th. I also need to spend time on the ICG Newsletter, but these seem to be the best dates for me at this point.

I know Gale will likely not attend – she’s been on light bedrest for the last week or so, and will probably have had the baby by then, but how do these dates look for the rest of you? I know the weekend of the 6th is Pennsic Land Grab, but I was concerned that the 30th might be too soon. Please let me know when you can.

In addition to discussing our proposed By-Laws, we also need to discuss future projects. I’d like to get on the radar of the potential venues we’ll be using as early as possible, and to begin planning for auditions (if necessary). We’re also starting to build a wish-list of shows to produce, and that’s important as well.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to become our primary dramaturg/head of our project selection committee (informal title – not actually formed yet) or would be interested in participating as a play-reader on the committee, please let me know ASAP! Jonathen and Nell/Rob have both provided suggestions for possible upcoming projects, as has Izolda.

If you have any questions, input, etc., please let me know!

Talk to you soon!

It’s taken me days of tweaking, twiddling and adjusting, but I think I finally have a workable rehearsal schedule for the cast. I also visited the house where we’ll be doing most of our rehearsals, and we seem to have a battle plan now.

David S and I are heading to the theatre Saturday. It’s my hope we’ll have a working ground plan by the end of the session.

Tomorrow, I need to redo the floorplan so that I can start fresh with the Six Characters version.

I’m also meeting with Jonathen tomorrow to discuss the producing end of this baby.

I need to start the process of creating the final flyer, and I need to do a couple of other housekeeping things, too. Anyone who wants to take an artistic crack at producing the final art is welcome to do so, but until I hear otherwise, I’ll just assume it’s me and move on.

Oh, and in the general front, we got our certified copies of the Articles of Incorp, so we’ve got the first key to getting the rest of our stuff established. That includes a bank account and the 501(c)(3) status.

We need to schedule another Board meeting, but I’ve been so busy trying to break up the script into manageable chunks, I’ve been concentrating my attention elsewhere.

Hoping that’s coming to an end soon.

It’s not too early to start thinking about other productions/schedule items, I might add. I know there’s Alice in Wonderland, and that’s cool. Any other ideas out there?

As of this afternoon, we have our official incorporation!

GO US!

Thanks to Gale S for helping the paperwork along.

YAY!!!

A CAST!!!

Just finalized a few minutes ago, and thank GOD!

YAY!

Alan D has posted his cast list.

I have a back-up plan for the Stage Manager (too late to call her now, will do so tomorrow morning), and already talked to Steve K about considering a role. That still leaves the part of the SON wide open.

If you know of anyone in the 18-25 range who is male or who can pass, please let me know. I’ve got a plan for tomorrow, but I’d like to see anyone who is available at this point.

Check out the site at: http://www.outoftheblackbox.org/6char/index.shtml

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