In June Summer Performance Intensive with Ki Gottberg June 17th, 18th, 24th & 25th 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM For students in 8th grade and above, adults welcome! Working with theater professional and The Merc’s Artistic Director Ki Gottberg, students will learn specific techniques in acting, stagecraft, voice, and movement in this four-day workshop. With a strong focus on preparing the body and the voice for stage work, participants will learn how an actor uses body and mind as an instrument to bring out meaning in text. Workshop sessions will provide an exploration into the craft of acting and will also develop life skills such as ensemble building, self-confidence, and public speaking. Focus on the process rather than the end product will be emphasized. This intensive workshop is designed to compliment summer working schedules by spanning two weekends for three and a half hours each day. This valuable educational experience is for actors, teachers, lawyers, leaders, or those that want to be. Students in 8th grade and above will learn critical skills, not just for onstage, but for life! Adults are encouraged to participate. Cost is $250. A $75, non-refundable deposit is due at registration. To register, call 997-7529 or email . Partial scholarships are available. Download registration form here:
In August Musical Theater Camp with Megan Hicks & Kathryn Stahl August 7 - 11 10 AM - 4 PM Musical Theater Camp is for ages 8 and up. The Merc Playhouse is pleased to bring back Megan Hicks and Kathryn Stahl for Musical Theater Camp! Young actors improve their singing, dancing, and acting skills while being a part of a musical theater production. Campers all get a part in Magic Tree House Collections’s Pirates Past Noon, Kids which will be performed for audiences twice at the end of the week. Friday, Aug 11th at 4:00 and Saturday, Aug 12th at 2:00 we invite friends, family, and the public to come see the show. Admission to this special performance is by donation. No previous theater experience is necessary. Campers should dress comfortably and pack a sack lunch, snacks, and a water bottle. Cost is $250. A $75, non-refundable deposit is due at registration. To register, call 997-7529 or email . Partial scholarships are available. Download registration form here:
Calling all folks interested in a totally fun and totally worth-it Summer Theater Experience at The Merc. Come join our theater family. We want YOU!! Come on out and audition to participate in our summer production of The Real Inspector Hound, a comedic spoof in the style of an Agatha Christie parlor mystery. Rehearsals begin in June and the production opens Thursday, July 27th. Performances run for two weeks, ending on Sunday, August 6th.
Auditioning for all roles: Critics (male/female): Moon – a second-string theatre critic, called to the production to review it in the absence of Higgs, another critic. Moon's jealousy of Higgs' superior reputation seems to make him question his own purpose, with Moon's ultimate thoughts being of Higgs' death. Birdboot – a theatre critic and a womanizer, who catapults young actresses to stardom by delivering dazzling reviews in return, we assume, for sexual favors. While married to Myrtle, he is having an affair with the actress who plays Felicity in the play within the play. Higgs – the senior critic, Moon is his stand-in. Puckeridge – the third-string theatre critic, or Moon's stand-in. ***** Mrs Drudge – The maid, or char, of Muldoon Manor. One of Stoppard's primary vehicles for emphasizing the satirical character of the story. Her cockney accent adds to the humor of Stoppard's play. Simon Gascoyne – Hunky womanizer. New to the neighborhood, Simon has had affairs with both Felicity and Cynthia. He takes an instant dislike to Magnus, as they are both in love with Cynthia. Later in the play, Birdboot assumes the role of Simon Gascoyne, and vice versa. Felicity Cunningham – Young lovely. A beautiful, innocent, young friend of Cynthia's who has had an affair with Simon and Birdboot. She is seemingly sweet and charming, but soon seeks ruthless revenge. Cynthia Muldoon –Femme Fatale. Apparent widow of Lord Albert Muldoon who disappeared ten years ago. She claims to be very upset about her husband's disappearance, but the audience is led to think otherwise. Sophisticated and beautiful. She has had an affair with Simon. Major Magnus Muldoon – Lord Albert Muldoon's crippled half-brother who just arrived from Canada. Has a desire for his late brother's widow, Cynthia. Takes an instant dislike to Simon, as they are both in love with Cynthia. Inspector Hound – Appears from outside the house in the middle of the play to investigate an alleged phone call. Moon assumes this role near the end of the play, and vice versa. Bring your calendar to auditions and come prepared to read pages from the script. Contact Ki if you would like to audition but can not attend April 2nd. Or call The Merc office at 997-7529. The Facilities role is responsible for cleaning and maintaining The Merc’s Facility, including:
Must be a responsible self-starter and take initiative to keep the building in good repair and equipped as a public/performance space. Approximately 20 hours per month. Starting at $12 per hour, DOE. The Merc Playhouse connects curious seekers through live theater. The Merc’s staff enjoys the creative process involved with making magic onstage in a lively and energetic theater space. We make connections and interact with The Methow Valley community while engaging in performing arts. We have fun and work hard to create quality live theater and we are looking for a new member to our team. We look forward to meeting you! Email Missi with questions or call 509.997.7529. Download an application here:
All students ages 8 and up are invited to audition for our spring production of Peter Pan, directed by Missi Smith. Come to either day of auditions dressed in comfortable clothes, wearing shoes that are easy to move around in, and ready to read pages from the script. No previous acting experience is necessary to audition. Non-speaking parts are available.
Things to bring:
Rehearsals will begin Tuesday, March 14th. Production runs May 5th - May 14th. There is a $45 costume fee to participate. Includes a production t-shirt. Partial scholarships available. Email Missi with any additional questions at missi@mercplayhouse.org. We have great plans for 2017! We will further our mission to connect curious seekers through live theater with some very exciting selections. Here is the run-down: Getting Through, a festival of one-act plays specially curated and directed by Artistic Director Ki Gottberg, opens our season with clever and touching scripts centered on the theme of new beginnings for our New Year. Next, in March, we will produce The Miss Firecracker Contest, a full-length comedy set in the South about a gal trying to refurbish her reputation through a beauty contest, and directed by former Liberty Bell High School teacher, Jane Orme. In May, our Tom Zbyszewski Children’s Theater Production will be...wait for it...the beloved Peter Pan, directed and choreographed by Missi Smith. We are looking forward to this beautifully staged version of the story that will involve music, dance, Lost Boys, plus the magic of Tinkerbell! Check our website, facebook, or sign up for our email list to get important information about auditions coming toward the end February. Later in May, over Memorial Day Weekend, we have the honor of hosting a performance of Words that Burn, a dramatic performance first produced in Portland, which uses the words of William Stafford, along with others, surrounding the theme of war. After that, our summer production of The Real Inspector Hound, a parody of a “parlor mystery” in the style of an Agatha Christie Murder Mystery, once again directed by Ki, will bring us through August. Typically, the summer production marks the end of our season, but to better align our season planning with budget planning for our fiscal year, we’ve made the change to a January through December season, beginning in 2017. So, continuing the season into the Fall, we are excited to reprise The Last Salmon in October. Back by popular demand, we are delighted to present this all-ages, all-original, all-locally inspired chamber musical about the life cycle of salmon. We are then approaching the close of 2017 when we hope to present a very special holiday event that is, at the moment, still in the initial planning phase. Shhh...it's still a secret. Stay tuned for future announcements. Between and amongst these full productions will be Reader’s Theater productions, plus workshops and children’s theater camps. We plan to continue working with Seattle University to bring their productions to The Merc and we will host all of our usual rental events throughout 2017. We hope to see you at The Merc for any or all of these offerings throughout 2017. The holidays are rapidly approaching and we have a full December calendar this month. The first two weekends of December -- starting with the Dec 3 production of Seattle U's The Tempest and going through our Special Holiday Reader's Theater Dec 9, 10 & 11 -- we will have our annual Silent Auction in The Merc Gallery & Lobby. Each year, local businesses and artists donate merchandise, art, and experiences to help us raise money to support our annual operating costs. This means you can come see a show AND do some holiday gift shopping (or pick something up for yourself) while also supporting live theater in The Methow. We have a great line up of items this year, including: Fun for the Family:
Fun for the Grown Ups:
Some of our favorites are priceless experiences that are only available here! Road Trip:
Beauty and Pampering:
All these things, plus original art: Donations from local artists Mary Kiesau of Mountain Kind Photography, Mary Lou McCollum, Nice Nests, Marilyn & Dennis O'Callaghan, Marraci Designs, plus others... Come check out all of these fun items, plus merchandise from Purple Sage Gallery, Rascals, and Twisp Feed and Rentals. Bidding begins on December 3rd and ends with the closing of the Holiday Reader's Theater on December 11th. Want to check on your bid during that window of time? Call Missi at 997-7529 or email her to see if you need to increase your bid to win your gift. After nearly three years working at The Merc on all things related to Technical Production, Mike Doran recently passed the TD baton on to Stephen Kish. First of all, we would like to thank Mike for countless hours working in rehearsals, in productions, and with our rental folks. His dedication to the theater helped increase the quality of our lighting capabilities. Since the start of 2014, he has done an excellent job transitioning us to the technology we now use. We are sad to see him go, but we are also very excited to introduce his replacement, Stephen Kish. Kish joined us in August and he’s been hard at work learning the ropes. The TD is not only responsible for lighting – he is in charge of every aspect of the technical side of live theater and all of our technical equipment. It’s a big job, and we are very excited to have Kish join our team! Before moving to The Methow Valley, Kish was at The McMurdo Station in Antarctica working in the Recreation department. As a stage manager for the three local venues, he was in charge of live music production and running sound and lights. Some of the biggest challenges of his job were the off-site mobile productions, including the annual ‘Icestock’ outdoor music festival. Kish has composed music and played guitar in several touring bands. He’s performed in a myriad of venues and on many different stages: dive bars, theaters, symphony halls, coffee shops & mountaintops, festivals, research bases and amphitheaters. He’s even played in a helicopter hanger, he’s been a busker on street corners, and he’s played on a flat-bed trailer in Antarctica at Icestock six different times! His music has brought him to Jamaica, New Zealand, Tanzania, Tasmania, New Orleans, Hollywood, and across the US. He’s is always searching for more ears to tickle, and more stages with which to become acquainted, so The Merc is a natural next step! Kish’s journey to the Methow began in Spring 2013 at the Southern Terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail in Campo, CA on the border with Mexico. He and his wife Deneen walked to Winthrop via the PCT, covering 2600 miles! After one last deployment to McMurdo Station, supporting scientific research for the United States Antarctic Program, they found themselves at North Cascades Mountain Hostel – Deneen was the manager and he helped out around the hostel. During this time, he took a musical sabbatical to focus on classical guitar which culminated in founding the Winthrop Guitar Studios, where he now teaches guitar lessons. Over the years Stephen Kish has played many parts - musician, guitar teacher, mountaineer, Antarctican – now we are thrilled to welcome him in his new role as Technical Director at The Merc. He’s excited about joining our team too, “I love the space, the crew, and our mission. I look forward to bringing creative zest and positive energy, and to engage those curious seekers, and delight them with our magical part of the Globe.” Welcome Kish!Where is stage right? What direction do you go to get down stage? How does a designer create a set for a show? What is casting and how do directors do it? How can dance enhance a theater performance? What makes Reader's Theater different? Methow Valley Elementary students in the after school Cub Club program will have the opportunity to explore all of these questions, and much more, throughout the 2016-2017 school year. The Merc is super excited to have about fifteen students in grades three through six registered for this Children's Theater program that will focus on skills like character development, set design, mask-making, dance, reader's theater, stage blocking and many other elements of theater performance. With the generous help of volunteers, we have a variety of sessions planned for each Tuesday after school. We are calling it The Merc Playhouse Cubs. As part of the program, senior Liberty Bell High School student Bryce Tillman will be leading some of the sessions for work on his Senior Project - making this a partnership that spans into the high school as well. Bryce will call on his own experience acting onstage (you may have seen his excellent performance in Footloose in the spring LBHS show) to teach the younger students theater skills and also learn about theater leadership and teaching methods himself. We are thrilled to have him on board! After providing a six-week dance session last year, this is the first time The Merc has worked with Cub Club to provide an entire year of programming and we are looking forward to it! It's wonderful to have this extra opportunity to teach students the necessary skills for stage production and performance. If you are interested in volunteering to help with any of the sessions - it doesn't matter how many. Step in for one week, or help with a series of sessions. Have an idea for leading a session? By all means! We do have room in the calendar for additional volunteers and would love your help. Contact Missi at 509.997.7529 or email her with your idea for a session and/or available dates. All volunteers need the necessary background check paperwork on file at the district office. A season in review It was an exciting and busy season at The Merc! We began last October with Diabolical Elixir, a live, gothic radio melodrama, and from there we finished 2015 with Winter Wonder II, Holidays in The Methow. We started 2016 with The Last Salmon—a musical inspired, written, and produced from the ground up, in The Methow Valley, which then toured to Seattle in June. Our Children’s Theater production of The Wind in the Willows brought us to spring, and the adult comedy Venus in Fur closed our season to delighted audiences. These fully-produced selections featured all-local casts, TWO world premieres of original work (Elixir and Salmon), and were joined by five professional guest artists: Casey James (Grammy Award-winning composer), Harmony Arnold (costume designer), Lily McLeod (lighting designer), Rod Molzahn (children’s theater director), and Dominic Cody Kramers (sound designer). In between all of those productions, we presented readings of Snapshots and two one-act scripts: Rain and Red Coat. Plus, Seattle U brought us Women of Troy for which we reached out to Liberty Bell High School students and teachers with classroom materials and free tickets—about 30 students took advantage of those to see the show! If that didn’t fill the calendar... We were fortunate to have scheduled two full camps in July and August, both focusing on a variety of theater skills and reaching out to broad ages—including adults! We enjoyed pre-school dance throughout the season when the stage wasn’t in use, and Ki taught an enriching theater workshop on a winter Sunday afternoon. And there was even more! We also hosted numerous rental events for community organizations like the Methow Conservancy, Liberty Bell Drama Club, Cascadia, Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival, and many more. We socialized in our re-decorated office salon with Friends of the Merc, held two open rehearsals, and celebrated with cast parties on Opening Nights. We invited two new visual artists to display work in our space and we even left room in the calendar for a theater upgrade that includes a stage right exit, which you should come check out as soon as you can! The Important News: |