Reno Little Theater in partnership with Hug High School presents Veronica’s Room By Ira Levin Directed by Dr. Sam Coleman Starring Michael Joey, Tamara Kuebler, Peggy Schmidt-Tune, and Ryan Tune Audience Advisory: This play contains nudity and adult situations and may not be suitable for all members of the family. No one under 18 will be admitted. November 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 10 at 8:00 pm November 7, 14, 21 at 2:00 pm 2004 Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Veronica’s Room The play is set in a room in a house about an hour’s drive from Boston. The time in an evening in spring. Act One Susan Fifteen Minute Intermission Act Two Veronica Director’s Notes I have been fortunate to direct two wonderful thrillers by Ira Levin; I am attracted to thrillers, with their action and intrigue, and I have always enjoyed orchestrating surprises. With many thrillers, unlike conventional mysteries, it is impossible, unless one is psychic, to predict what will happen next. Ira Levin is particularly adept at lulling audiences into thinking that all is well, only to hit them hard in the next act. My good fortune has been extended to working with yet another wonderful, talented cast and crew. Everyone worked incredibly hard to make this play first class, surprises and all. Without them, and without support from a lot of other Reno Little Theater people, and without the support of our audiences for the past 70 years, this performance would not have been possible. I hope that you will enjoy the play. Your comments are always welcome. Sam Coleman Cast (in order of appearance) Woman ----------------------------------------------- Peggy Schmidt-Tune Girl --------------------------------------------------------- Tamara Kuebler Man ------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Joey Young Man ------------------------------------------------------- Ryan Tune Behind the Scenes Director --------------------------------------------------------------- Sam Coleman Assistant Director ----------------------------------------------- Megan Conelly Stage Manager -------------------------------------------------------- Joan Varley Lighting Design -------------------------------------------------------- Jim Martin Set Design ------------------------------------------------------------- Sam Coleman Set Construction ---- Diana Carter, Sam Coleman, Megan Conelly, Kristen Davis-Coelho, Cameron Dyer, Kirk Gardner, Jim Martin, Robert Mills, Doug Mishler, Nancy Podewils, Lloyd Shanks, Mike Trojak, Joan Varley Props --------------- Peggy Schmidt-Tune, Lloyd Shanks, Anne Stewart Costumes ------------------------------- Diana Carter, Peggy Schmidt-Tune Special Thanks To Tom Kallay, Principal; Jim Studer, Vice Principal; and Keith Roberts, Theater Director, all with Hug High School. A-1 Used Furniture Wendy Ricco University of Nevada, Reno Art Department Jim Ainsworth, Art Images AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY THEATRE Casting People often ask about Reno Little Theater’s casting procedures and how best to prepare for auditions. Here are some thoughts. Dedication Dependability and dedication are at least as important as talent. Recently, a seriously ill actress performed beautifully, only to collapse every time she went off stage. That is dedication. Another actor, feeling ill, took a week off of work so he would be in better shape to perform the following weekend. Legend has it that one Reno Little Theater actor had an actual heart attack on stage, but refused to go to the hospital until the performance was over. That’s going too far, of course, but actors with a reputation for showing up, on time, for rehearsals and for every performance, will have an advantage during auditions. Directors are happy to work around scheduling conflicts during rehearsals if they know about them in advance. Becoming known New actors can enhance their chances of being cast by volunteering to work on the crew for other productions or other volunteer activities. We encourage new actors to audition for many plays, even when there seems to be no appropriate role, to learn the process and become known. And you never know! Preparation Actors who study the script, in advance, perform better at auditions and show serious interest in being cast. They also know the special requirements of the script, which might ask actors to use an accent, perform a challenging physical stunt, kill or be killed (safely, of course), scream, sing, wear a ridiculous costume, kiss someone, disrobe, etc. Studying the script also eliminates surprises at the first rehearsal! Actors known to be willing to do what the script requires have an advantage at auditions. Being professional Obviously, cast members need to work well with others. One basic theater rule, often broken, is that actors and crew should not try to direct the play by suggesting to actors how to say their lines or how to move. (Most directors welcome suggestions, but comments should be addressed to the director.) Even in a volunteer organization, putting on a production is hard work, and actors who demonstrate short attention spans, don’t take direction well, disrupt rehearsals (talking or joking off-stage, etc.), or attempt to act as the director will hurt themselves in subsequent auditions. “Why wasn’t I cast?” There are usually more actors at auditions than roles, so many fine actors will be disappointed. Most directors are willing to discuss why an actor wasn’t cast, but the most common reason is that another actor fit the director’s vision for the play better. The director also has to consider actors who “fit together” best, for example actors whose ages match the other cast members or who generate the right “chemistry” during auditions. The mechanics Different theaters and directors have different audition procedures. Typical Reno Little Theater auditions are held on two consecutive evenings. Everyone is encouraged to come both evenings, so that the director can pair actors differently the second evening; there are no “call-backs”. Directors usually select parts of the script for the actors to read but, sometimes, actors are asked to bring prepared monologues. The audition is not just a reading; actors should put their hearts into their audition to show the director what they can do. A good audition feels like a performance. Often, the director will give “clues” about how they envision each character; occasionally they will describe what they are looking for in detail. It's to your benefit to pay attention to this. Casting Veronica’s Room I needed an older couple and a younger couple, and each couple needed to be well- matched. A mix of experienced and new people came to the audition. I saw Tamara Kuebler perform two completely different roles in The Beverly Hillbillies, showing her versatility. Ryan, on the crew of Henry IV, replaced an ill actor in a small part, with no time to prepare, and did a wonderful job. I also saw Ryan perform at McQueen High School. Tamara and Ryan have proven themselves to be dependable, and they did very well together at the audition. Peggy and Michael were new to me. They put emotion into their reading and reacted well to the other actors when their characters had no lines. They seemed comfortable with the Irish accents and with each other. I’m sure that others at the auditions could have performed the roles well but, since history does not record its alternatives, we’ll never know Sam Coleman Biographies Cast Michael Joey (Man) has been singing since he was in kindergarten. He started acting as a sophomore in high school, appearing in Grease. He wanted to do back-up vocals, but ended up on stage and enjoyed it. He played Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and was in a band for three years. Michael studied acting in college, and is currently taking acting classes at John Robert Powers. In his spare time, he writes songs and poetry. This is Michael's Reno Little Theater debut. Tamara Kuebler (Girl) performed with her drama class in all four years of high school. She is excited to be involved in theater again. She most recently appeared in Reno Little Theater's Beverly Hillbillies. Tamara is not sure what her future holds but, hopefully, it will include more theater fun and less real world work. Peggy Schmidt-Tune (Woman) won awards for her high school roles in The Curse of the Aching Heart and Shakespeare's Women. She worked backstage at the New Trinity Players, in New Jersey, and McQueen High Schhol in Reno. She loves to sing, paint, knit, and read. Peggy worked backstage at Reno Little Theater's Sierra Street theater for four years. She met her husband at a Reno Little Theater party. Now, being on stage with her son, Ryan, life seems to have come full circle with this play! She is looking forward to renewing her involvement with Reno Little Theater. Ryan Tune (Young Man) is a Freshman at TMCC. He appeared in The Desperate Hours, Mr. Hobbs' Vacation, Fiddler on the Roof, The Laramie Project, Under Milk Wood, and Brave New World. He jumped from crew to cast in Reno Little Theater's Henry IV last season when another actor was ill, and appeared in Beverly Hillbillies. Ryan is a member of the International Thespian Society. Director Dr. Sam Coleman has worked on most of Reno Little Theater's plays in the last four seasons and appeared as Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest. As a member of the Board of Directors, he has served on committees, trucked props and furniture, and has done lots of other things necessary to help keep the theater going. Sam directed Deathtrap last season, winning Blythe Awards for Best Play and, with Anne Stewart, Best Set. Previously, Sam was a scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for 25 years before retiring to the beautiful Reno area. When there's nothing to do for the theater, Sam enjoys snowboarding and hiking. SAVE THE DATE! Reno Little Theater announces Shakespeare in the Garden June 25, 2005 Featuring Elizabethan feast and entertainments, and a silent auction.