Wondering what Susan is doing in the photo? Susan prefers to design the actors’ blocking (movement on stage) before rehearsals begin. Starting with a diagram of the stage with the set pieces, she moves the “dominoes” with the characters’ names around the diagram, and then makes notes for each actor. (Photo by Terry Sterling)
Ande Molberg
Start planning ahead for dinner theatre this fall! Community Circle Players’ (CCP) fun production “An Evening of One Acts” (plus dinner) will be held from November 13 through 19 at the MountainView Ballroom. Watch for more information in August and September about the menu and ticket sales.
What’s the backstory? Last April, CCP co-founder Susan Sterling attended a unique Windmill Theatre production of eight short plays. Excited by the concept, she encouraged CCP to produce “An Evening of One Acts.” Two of the scripts from that Windmill Theatre performance were chosen to be a part of the eight acts of the SaddleBrooke production, and Susan opted to direct her two favorites.
She likes “Intermission” by Oded Gross, “because of the layering and double meaning of the dialogue. The ending is a little ambiguous which opens up opportunities for different interpretations. Is it a happy ending? Or sad? That sparked my creative juices.”
Susan will also direct Joe Bourdin’s “Stain,” a serious subject with a very funny ending. A laundry mishap reveals things about a married couple that they didn’t know about each other, or about themselves. The play deals with prejudices and the power balance between husband and wife. Sterling says, “I am sure our SaddleBrooke audience will be thrilled with this play!”
When asked why she truly enjoys directing a show, Sterling shared these thoughts, “I love the creative aspect of bringing the written word to life on the stage. I enjoy working with the actors to make their characters believable. It’s always rewarding to see my ideas for sets, props, lighting, and costumes come together to create a world for the characters to inhabit.”
Auditions for the CCP fall production, “An Evening of One Acts,” will take place on Sept. 14 and 15 at 10 a.m., in the MVCC Ballroom West. For additional information, contact Shawne Cryderman, producer, at [email protected].