Casting the cast

Things are ticking along quite well!

This past week, we were elbow deep in alginate and plaster! Well, not me. The cast was. We're making custom latex masks for the characters for when they turn into Candarian Demons, so my poor cast was forced to sit for an hour at a time with crap over their faces and straws up their noses. A few little claustrophobic episodes later, we finally had most everyone done! My Prosthetics team is amazing, they have been working like demons to get the molds done so that they can get "playing"!

We also had a screening of "Army of Darkness" before rehearsal. Just a tidbit for the future, it's not a good idea to rehearse after consumption of a few wobbly-pops.... lots of giggles, and say goodbye to LINES!! However, it was a heap of fun, and we all felt refreshed and excited!

My set crew has been pushing me to get my lighting crew going, because they want to put the set on stage by the end of THIS WEEK! Unfortunately, my lighting crew wasn't expecting to be prepared so quickly, so we're in a bit of a scramble! A scramble between lighting and set construction, 5 weeks before opening night..... I CAN HANDLE THAT!

And finally, I'm on the uphill stretch towards recovery, and may finally direct a rehearsal without drugs running through my system! Last week, I got blasted with a sinus infection, and yesterday I had dental work done. So I've been on antibiotics, Benelyn and Advil for about 2 weeks! Better now rather than opening night!

So, we're well on our way! Next week I get my vocal director back from Mexico, and we can start running the show! Honestly, I don't think I've ever been able to say that I've been involved in a show where we were running complete acts a month before opening night... there are a lot of firsts involved with this show!

And to top it all off, we've already sold out the equivalent of one night out!

So last night, it was a cast member's birthday. I brought a cake, decorated in true Evil Dead form. Happy birthday Shelly!

The adventure continues....

In the beginning....

Oops. I'm late.

I have been meaning to create a blog about my directorial endeavor, but said endeavor seemed to eat my life up and chew it up like a Chichlet. So, I'm about a month into rehearsals, and I've finally found some late night I-should-be-in-bed-but-can't-sleep energy to get this shit started.

In this, the day and age of the glorious iPhone, I rarely get to a real PC anymore, so I will try to update this as often as humanly possible. Or, shall I say, Amberly possible. It will be a first-time director's account of putting on a community musical production.

So, what the hell am I babbling about, you ask? And what am I directing?

Evil Dead: The Musical!

It's my directorial debut. I have been involved in theater for as long as I can remember. School plays, drama classes, then straight into local theater companies.
I have assumed the roles as (in no particular order): Lead Actress, Supporting Actress, Chorus Member, Dancer, Pianist, Props Department, Makeup Department, Head of Makeup Department, Set Painter, Bar Staff, Stage Hand, Dialect Coach, Choreographer... and now, I am trying my hand at that all ominous dictator.... THE DIRECTOR. *cue flashing lights, fog.


I have been obsessed with Evil Dead: The Musical since I learned of it's existence about 2 1/2 years ago (maybe longer). I can remember scrolling through the Samuel French, Inc.'s website at scripts, adding to my 'cart' as shows in the Musicals column caught my eye...... "Clue: The Musical"... okay add... hmph.... "Doctor! Doctor!", write that one down ... E's..... Evil Dead: The Musical.


No. Nuh uh. No fucking way. Nah, it CAN'T be based on the B-horror movies I so dearly love. There's just no fucking way. Let's see... "Based on Sam Raimi's 80's cult classic films, EVIL DEAD tells the tale of 5 college kids who travel to a cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil force...."

I didn't get past the E's. I don't even think I read the entire description. I stopped there, pushed 'ADD TO CART', threw my Mastercard number at the Samuel French Gods,
and sat at my mailbox for a week, giggling in anticipation of receiving this little book of theatrical gold. In the meantime, I spent every spare minute Googling this little off-broadway smash hit musical. I was in love. And it exceeded my expectations.

In summer of 2009, we heard that a Calgary company was putting on my beloved Evil Dead: The Musical. We got a team of thespians (who I had recently recruited to love this musical as much as I did), and we took the 3 hour trip to watch it live and in action. Dressed as zombies (of course), most of us sat in the Splatterzone where we were introduced to an interactive flood of blood, and laughed until we couldn't see straight
(or was that because my contacts were stained pink due to the bevy of Candarian demon blood?). In fact, I enjoyed the show so much that I ended up going back up for their closing night again, just to sit in the front row, dressed all in white (what the fuck else would you wear in the front row of a demon killing spree!?).

So here I am. 2 years later. The CTAC. I didn't ever think it would come to fruition, but suddenly, I find myself having a full production team, a full cast, posters, advertisements, ticket sales... sometimes I just stare at the incredible actors on stage, singing the refrains of "Cabin in the Woods", in awe that it's reality and that it's actually happening.

Shit yeah.