Tech Week and Breakfast Cereal

Posted by DCA Theater on April 15, 2009 in January-June 2009 Season, Movement/ Gentlemen

Submitted by Mark Hackman, Producing Director of Chicago Dance Crash

In case you’re not aware of how the creation-process goes for making a show, the final week or so of rehearsals before opening night are usually the first ones spent in the actual theater… called “tech week”.  Lights are cued, the floor is laid, etc…etc…  and it typically involves very long hours on behalf of the dancers and even longer hours on behalf of the technical crew. After this last Saturday’s 9am-9pm practice for Movement/Gentlemen (opens Friday, April 17), I did what any considerate producer would do and text messaged various men involved in the show asking them to compare the status of “tech week” to a breakfast cereal. Here’s what they texted me back…

Daniel Gibson (performer)
It’s like Trix, get it? Always chasing a rabbit, hopefully come show time we’ll catch it.

David Ingram (performer)
Captain Crunch, it’s good no matter what time of the day it is

Christian Castro (performer)
I could go the easy route and say Crispix, but i won’t. Or i could go the fun, happy route and go for the Cosco-econo brand-size of Lucky Charms cause we’re not charging, like 100 bucks a pop for a ticket, BUT you still get exactly what you want… and then some!

Nick Matonich (Technical Director and head of tech week)
*** Nick was unavailable to answer this question as he’s temporarily lost the ability to formulate words or feel feelings unless it has to do with lighting cues***

Garrett Jones (performer, choreographer, pioneer of Chicago’s hip hop fusion style)
Cheerios, tastes like crap but good for you in the end.

Paul Christiano (performer, choreographer)
Wheaties.

Michael Dice Jr. (Head Writer)
Honey Nut Cheerios- The burden of this tech week definitely helped me lower my cholesterol!
(Note: Michael had nothing at all to do with tech week)

Where’d the title come from?

Posted by DCA Theater on April 8, 2009 in January-June 2009 Season, Movement/ Gentlemen

Written by Mark Hackman, Producing Director of Chicago Dance Crash

Oddly enough, Read more »

Dance Crash Poster

Posted by DCA Theater on April 7, 2009 in January-June 2009 Season, Movement/ Gentlemen

Submitted by Mark Hackman, Producing Director of Chicago Dance Crash

Recently, Chicago Dance Crash producer Mark Hackman sat down with company dancer Brian Hare over some biscuits and gravy and discussed his role in the Movement/Gentlemen** promotional materials and why it took so long for Crash to finally put Brian on a poster.

Mark: So Brian, is there any significance to this poster for you personally?

Brian: Um, yes actually. After 4 years of complaining and submitting written complaints, formal written complaints on detailed Dance Crash stamped paper.Having never been on a poster I’m now finally sharing a poster, SHARING but on it nonetheless with Kyle Vincent Terry and Daniel Gibson.  I’m also under the “Movement” not the “Gentlemen” which holds particular significance to me.

Mark: Do you have any idea why you’ve not been on a poster for so long?

Brian: I think it has something to do either with my face, personality, or prejudice within the infrastructure that is Chicago Dance Crash.

Mark: You mean towards white people or towards men?

Brian: Take your pick. I have a lot of “isms”. I’m just a walking swirl of contradiction.

Mark: How was the actual photo shoot?

Brian: I liked that it was Emmo (company photographer Emily Coughlin) who took the photo. I was comfortable being shirtless in front of her. I knew that she wasn’t judging me. She made me feel safe like I was one within the universe, although I was judging her. And note, Daniel Gibson is not actually in the front in that picture. That was Photoshopped so his feet blocking my legs was not originally there cause I would not have stood for it.

Mark: We wanted to block the hottest part of you, your knees.

Brian: My knees, yeah. You know what, sexy knees. Not “sexy back” … sexy knees.

Mark: Now that you’re looking at the poster, is there anything in particular that strikes you?

Brian: Yeah, that I’m just not big enough. I feel that if we could get those other two out of the picture and then just enlarge me. Like, go in Microsoft word and just go up to the toolbar… cause there’s a drop down that you can increase people by percentages…

Mark: Uh huh

Brian: …and if we could just increase me by like 400%. Maybe so it’s just like the entire poster is my stomach.

Mark: Will that really sell tickets?

Brian: I really think it would.

Mark: Would you say that would “put butts in the seats”?

Brian: I don’t know. They might not be in the seats cause they might be standing the whole time.

Questions recently posed

Posted by DCA Theater on April 7, 2009 in January-June 2009 Season, Movement/ Gentlemen

Submitted by Mark Hackman, Producing Director of Chicago Dance Crash

The following questions were recently posed to selected cast members of Movement/Gentlemen will be a huge success because…
we prescreened everyone in the show to make sure no one has more than 6% bodyfat. if you do, you’re out!

As of today, Movement/Gentlemen will be a miserable failure because…
it can’t fail or else we go our to our day jobs in the cheese factory earning 13 cents an hour. times are rough…

GARRETT JONES (choreographer, pioneer of Chicago’s hip hop fusion style)
At the most recent rehearsal, I realized…
That my piece has even more for movement development.

I most recently hurt myself doing…
KTF (the company’s monthly late night competition show)

As of today, Movement/Gentlemen will be a huge success because…
scrawny white boys gettin’ jiggy with it is trendy right now.

As of today, Movement/Gentlemen will be a miserable failure because…
oops!Scrawny, jiggy white boys was last season’s trend. Currently, it’s cougars in bikinis.

Tech and 10 minutes

Posted by DCA Theater on March 27, 2009 in January-June 2009 Season, INCUBATOR Series: Rasaka Theatre

by Anita Chandwaney, playwright, actor, director, Dir. Playwright Development

After a very busy month we have arrived to our final weekend of rehearsals and tech.  I have visions of tech being a total nightmare - 10 new plays with 10 writer/director/actor teams all waiting for their turn to tech.  But we need them all there to ensure the entire program flows seamlessly (ha-ha).  I hope the technician the DCA assigns us comes equipped with an abundant supply of patience and good humor.

I’ve invited both playwrights for the plays I’m directing to our final rehearsal tomorrow in case they see any final tweaks they’d like to make before tech on Sunday.  I know as a playwright I am always awed at how much actors bring to a piece.  I always find that I have overwritten or gone off on some strange tangent ... like now.  Hopefully Devi and Mary Anne will avail themselves of the opportunity to further finesse their plays with the invitation.

I myself will be attending the final rehearsal for my play, Instant Recall, which will happen immediately following the two I’m directing.  Minita, who is in both the pieces I’m directing, is also the actress in the one I wrote.  Note to self:  keep my mouth shut during the Instant Recall rehearsal and be a well-behaved playwright and let Sonny do his job!!  Unless there’s questions that have to do w/ the text itself that are confusing because of the way I wrote it.

As an actor, Insignificance has come a nice way with Kamal’s dedicated focus on the moment to moment beats.  It looks like it will still have to be cut as Rasaka is remaining strict with the “10-minute play” designation.