Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!

ACTOR QUESTION #3

What is your ideal role that you are looking forward to playing someday?

Hannah Welter (Ursula) - Mrs. Lovett in SWEENEY TODD

Bill Goff (Sexton) - The Prince in ROMEO AND JULIET

Nicholas Thurkettle (Benedict) - The roles I fantasize about are real-life ones. Mostly, they are people who get paid to be creative.

Elizabeth Marsh (Margaret) - I have no one ideal…but, I’m aiming for something both challenging & memorable. A magnetic, dynamic, flawed but endearing character. I love to both haunt and delight with my roles.

Rachel Webb (Bonnie) - Mother Courage- MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN

Mark Bowen (Friar Francis) - Too many great roles (especially from Shakespeare) to list all of them I’d love to play some day…

Louis Jack (Dogberry) - Judge Turpin – SWEENEY TODD

Jachelle Generosa (First Watchman) – Eponine in LES MIS

Brianna Macinka (Hero) - I can’t say that I have an ideal role, but I would love to see a play that I wrote performed someday.

Karin Kurk (Lady Joan) - Any role that touches the hearts of the audience.

Matt Hinkle (Second Watchman) - Emmett from LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL

Lane Kunce (Conrade) - Capt. Von Trapp

Joanna Beyer (Beatrice) - um… this one!

Paul Jasser (Claudio) - The fool in TWELFTH NIGHT or Faustus

Razvan Melen (Third Watchman) - a drunkard

Dawn Doherty (Leonata) - Dolly Levi in HELLO DOLLY

Reginald Brown (Duke Pedro) - The Oscar winning one…lol! The role that speaks to my soul to the extent that I know it was written for me.

MUCH ADO ACTOR QUESTIONS #2

What is your favorite role that you’ve played so far?

Hannah Welter (Ursula) – Irina Arkadina in THE SEAGULL

Bill Goff (Sexton)- Judge Taylor in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.

Nicholas Thurkettle (Benedick) - Valentine, the chaos mathematician, in Tom Stoppard's ARCADIA. The chance to play a Stoppard character is such a gift to begin with - so brilliant and passionate and eccentric - but Valentine and I clicked in a way that really opened up my outlook on the world.

(Photo Conrade, Borachio, and Lady Joan in a WWII propaganda poster)

Elizabeth Marsh (Margaret) - Either lovable, schizophrenic “Bananas” in John Guare’s THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES or cursed, incestuous “Myrrha” in Mary Zimmerman’s METAMORPHOSES. “Margaret” might be as close to “normal” as I’ve ever been onstage!

Rachel Webb (Bonnie) - INTO THE WOODS – Ensemble

Mark Bowen (Friar Francis) - The Devil

Gina Treasure (Moll Verges) – Miss Hannigan in ANNIE

Richard Treasure (Antonio) – one of the gentlemen in THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL

Louis Jack (Dogberry) - Bellamy in THE FANTASTIKS

Jachelle Generosa (First Watchman) - I love each opportunity to perform equally

Brianna Macinka (Hero) - The Kickass Librarian

Karin Kurk (Lady Joan) – This one!

Matt Hinkle (Second Watchman) - Munchkin in THE WIZARD OF OZ

Lane Kunce (Conrade) - Major General Stanley in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Rev. Shaw Moore in FOOTLOOSE

Joanna Beyer (Beatrice) - The Witch in INTO THE WOODS

Paul Jasser (Claudio) - Jaques, AS YOU LIKE IT

Razvan Melen (Third Watchman) – Policeman in PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Reginald Brown (Duke Pedro) - The Dutchman(Clay)

Dawn Doherty (Leonata) – Eliza Doolittle in MY FAIR LADY

Random Actor Questions

Question Number One - WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Hannah Welter (Ursula) - Tustin, CA

Bill Goff (Sexton) - Laguna Niguel

Nicholas Thurkettle (Benedick) - My life has been evenly split between places up and down California and around the Midwest. For example, I went to high school here in Orange County and college in Peoria, Illinois. I like being able to appreciate both, it keeps me moving - whenever I have one flavor for too long, I start to crave the other.

Elizabeth Marsh (Margaret) - Originally from Petaluma, CA, but now Tustin, CA.

Rachel Webb (Bonnie) - Mission Viejo, CA

Dawn Doherty (Leonata) - Framingham, Mass. to Garden Grove, CA to Lake Forest, CA

Mark Bowen (Friar Francis) - Long Beach, CA

Gina Treasure (Moll Verges) - London, England

Richard Treasure (Antonio) - Wales, U.K.

Louis Jack (Dogberry) - Historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Jachelle Generosa (Watchman #1) - Tustin, CA

Brianna Macinka (Hero) - Mission Viejo, CA

Karin Kurk (Lady Joan) - Near the Happiest place on Earth in Anaheim, CA

Matt Hinkle (Watchman #2) - Trabuco Canyon, CA

Lane Kunce (Conrade) - Compton, CA. Live in Lake Forest, CA

Joanna Beyer (Beatrice) - Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Paul Jasser (Claudio) - Costa Mesa, CA

Razvan Melen (Watchman #3) - Romania

Reginald Brown (Lord Pedro) - Long Island, New York

Aaron Schmidt (Borachio) - Lake Forest, CA

My life as Leonata

(photo of my "house")

We are currently entering tech for our show! We've been busy painting and building and hanging lights and trying on costumes as well as stumbling over lines and blocking. So much to remember! But tonight's first full run through did feel like magic to me!!

I'm very comfortable with my lines and blocking at this point so now I'm really trying to get into my character's head. Trying to live Leonata's life out on stage and what an awesome life it is too. I've discovered that Leonata's husband went off to fight in WWII and was killed in action in 1939. I have now

been widowed and raising my only daughter as well as my orphaned niece, Beatrice. My number one passion is my family and what I want more than anything is to have my daughter, Hero, and my niece, Beatrice, happily married and to begin families of their own.

Lord Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick were friends and fellow airforce men with my husband. They have many times been to my home while my husband was alive and since as a promise to my husband to look out for me and my family. Where our play begins is a happy time for me. The Battle of Britain has just finished and we were victorious. My friends have come for a short visit, and one of them has requested my daughter's hand. Life is truly beautiful.... until it is blown apart.

To be continued.... (on stage!)

Lady Leonata

Interesting Facts about actors in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Interesting facts about the cast of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING!

Both the actors playing Hero (Brianna Macinka) and Claudio (Paul Jasser) have played Jacques in Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT.

The actors playing Lord Pedro (Reginald Brown) and his sister Lady Joan (Karin Kurk) own Yorkies!!

The actor playing Lady Leonata (myself – Dawn Doherty) owns a bichon frise named Shakespeare and a shitzu/bichon frise named Christopher Marlowe.

(Photo of Beatrice and Benedick)

All of the actors were asked the same five questions. Below are the responses of Benedick (Nicholas Thurkettle) and Beatrice (Joanna Beyer).

Joanna Beyer (Beatrice)

1. Where are you from? Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca

2. What is your favorite role that you’ve played so far? “The Witch” Into the Woods

3. What is your ideal role that you are looking forward to playing someday? um… this one!

4. If you had to be any flavor of ice cream, what would it be? daiquiri ice

Nicholas Thurkettle (Benedick)

1. Where are you from?

My life has been evenly split between places up and down California and around the Midwest. For example, I went to high school here in Orange County and college in Peoria, Illinois. I like being able to appreciate both, it keeps me moving - whenever I have one flavor for too long, I start to crave the other.

2. What is your favorite role that you’ve played so far?

Valentine, the chaos mathematician, in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. The chance to play a Stoppard character is such a gift to begin with - so brilliant and passionate and eccentric - but Valentine and I clicked in a way that really opened up my outlook on the world.

3. What is your ideal role that you are looking forward to playing someday?

The roles I fantasize about are real-life ones. Mostly, they are people who get paid to be creative.

4. If you had to be any flavor of ice cream, what would it be?

Tiramisu Gelato

5. Anything else you’d like to share?

Because I am going to be saying jerkface things and kissing another girl in the course of this show, I would like to apologize to my girlfriend in advance.

More to follow in future blogs!!

Our crazy cast at rehearsal!

Obviously, our cast has been bonding EXTREMELY well! We've almost finished blocking the entire show and are currently reviewing and tweaking. We had about two and a half nights on the actual stage this past week and Thursday night rehearsed at my home which afterwards turned into a party. Of course, even rehearsals are a party.

I adore Shakespeare and I love watching this cast have fun with his plots and characters. Each person brings something unique and fresh to Shakespeare's classic roles. Nick, our Benedick, is hilarious and brings something new to the role at each rehearsal. Joanna, our Beatrice, is the PERFECT Beatrice! She is knockdown gorgeous, but so real and comfortable that the audience will not be able to help themselves from falling in love with her!

Aurora's decision to set the show in WWII England is quite brilliant. Tomorrow night, we learn the swing dance for the party and end of show. Why not? It's 1942. We also begin rehearsing in rehearsal clothes tomorrow night as well.

This show could very possibly be the best production of MUCH ADO to date! Obviously, I'm biased. But still, the amount of time, devotion, and love that is being poured into every detail and acting choice can only produce an amazing show.

Tickets can now be purchased online at

https://tix1.seatyourself.biz/webstore/webstore.html?domain=otetp&event.

Also, don't forget to check the website for On the Edge Theatre Productions at www.otetheatre.com

And add us on facebook! More to come....

The fundraiser tea

Well, it's been awhile cause we've been working hard for the show! It's difficult to find time to sit down and write. Last Sunday, March 27, 2011, we held a tea to fundraise for the production of MUCH ADO. It was held in the costume shop of our venue, THE ATTIC COMMUNITY THEATRE in Santa Ana. My husband made homemade scones with devonshire cream and strawberry jam. We also served sandwiches of egg salad, creamcheese and cucumber, and chicken salad. The dessert was homemade tea flavored ice cream in edible chocolate bowls with a strawberry garnish. We served a variety of teas, but handsdown the favorite was.... blueberry tea! Go figure!

Most of the actors were able to come out and help. Some served tables and others performed. Richard Treasure (Antonio) read one of Winston Churchill's speeches. Karin Kurk (Lady Joan) sang "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". It was phenomenal! Brianna Macinka (Hero) and Elizabeth Marsh (Margaret) read one of Shakespeare's sonnets as though they had each received the love letter from the same guy. It was really creative. I know I'm missing some other awesome performances (sorry guys) because I was in the "kitchen" with the hubby. Director Aurora Long emceed the whole production.

Now we're preparing for one more fundraiser, ENTERTAINMENT UNDER THE STARS II. This will be an encore to last year's fundraiser dinner. It will be held at the home of Aurora Long's grandparents on Lake Forest II. Boat rides will be available as long as the weather is good. The entertainment for this one promises to be outstanding! Aurora wants to highlight all of her upcoming shows for the season. Were hoping for a scene from THE GLASS MENAGERIE as well as a few songs from THE MIKADO.

The dinner will be amazing! I have the lovely job of taste tester for every dish Chuck serves. NOTHING goes on the menu until I've declared it to be perfection.

Now... back to memorizing those lines! I'm almost done.....