Stay for the Cake Opens Oct. 30!

PORTLAND ACTORS CONSERVATORY AND THE MONTGOMERY STREET PLAYERS PRESENT STAY FOR THE CAKE

In 25th Year, Professional Actor Training School Gives Rise to Alumni Performance Group

PORTLAND, ORE. – Sept. 25, 2009 – Portland Actors Conservatory, the premiere school for actor training in the Pacific Northwest, will present a new theater company comprised of Conservatory alumni called The Montgomery Street Players in Stay for the Cake, an evening of one-act plays running October 30 through November 15 at the Conservatory’s Firehouse Theatre. Tickets are $10 and available online at actorsconservatory.com.

Stay for the Cake represents all-original work written, directed, designed and performed by The Montgomery Street Players.

"Creating work opportunities, rather than just waiting for them,is essential for a theatre artist to remain vital," said Philip Cuomo, Associate Director of Portland Actors Conservatory. "As a school, we wanted to provide the faculty guidance, the infrastructure and the space that would allow alumni to create new works while exploring the producing, directing and design aspects of theater."

Each of the three plays in Stay for the Cake explores multiple aspects of the creative life. In Phyllis Hartnoll's Final Lesson, our heroine spins her last lecture as professor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but gets most of it wrong. The Grimm Brothers take a break from folk tales in Donnerstrasse to write a pop song that will become popular one hundred years later – and a lawyer in a red hood tries to sort out the resulting legal mess Wrapping up the evening, a character based on philanthropist Paul Graham instructs the audience on constructive disagreement in How to Have an Argument. The existential crisis that interrupts him brings about an exploration of the creative process, gratuitous accents and cake for all.

Founded in 2009, The Montgomery Street Players is a performance group comprised of graduates from the conservatory's professional actor training program. They promoted Stay for the Cake with a public interactive performance on the Oregon Cultural Trust’s Day of Culture, October 8, in and around Pioneer Courthouse Square.

ABOUT PORTLAND ACTORS CONSERVATORY
Portland Actors Conservatory is the premiere school for professional actor training in the Pacific Northwest. Artistic director Beth Harper leads the Conservatory's multiple offerings including its fulltime, Two Year Professional Training Program, ongoing Studio Class offerings, and the Summer on Stage youth theatre program. Portland Actors Conservatory provides the highest standard in actor training with distinguished faculty.The Conservatory is located near Portland, Ore.'s city center in the historic Firehouse Theatre, housing an upstairs studio space as well an intimate 70-seat theatre. Portland Actors Conservatory annually produces a three show season featuring its second year students working alongside professional guest artists, in addition to two student showcases. Portland Actors Conservatory is Oregon's only independent professional actor training school accredited with the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

ABOUT THE MONTGOMERY STREET PLAYERS
The Montgomery Street Players is a performance group comprised of conservatory graduates from the classes of 2007 (Sarah Farrell), 2008 (Maria Aparo, Elizabeth Calhoun, Robby Lundergan, Tom Mounsey, Scott Rogers) and 2009 (Vinnie Duyck, Phoebe Smallwood). Stay for the Cake is the first production to be written, designed, directed and performed by the group.



 

All Gussied Up, Ready to Go

We're ready to go back to school! In preparation for the first day of the 2009-2010 Conservatory this Tuesday, Sept. 22, the building is all clean and spiffy, thanks to a major cleanup headed by Chris Mikolavich. We've dusted cabinets, trounced old furniture (you wouldn't believe our prop storage) and repainted the stairwell with the help of our intrepid Second Year students! Though it was a bear, we DID eventually get the dumpster delivered from the City.

Personal heroes and First Year Conservatory students Rich Cashin and Dan Selivonchick did the heavy lifting outside. Alum Kendall Meyer sorted through the all-too-well-stocked kitchen with Beth backstage. Together we got the place into tip top shape.

Even Beth is excited about starting Conservatory this week, and she's been doing this for a while. There's no denying it: the shift to a fulltime day program is a major, exciting, big deal change for Portland Actors Conservatory. I can tell you what the press release says, which is that our Conservatory enrollment has grown 41% over the past year and 33% from three years ago. I can even tell you that this year’s enrollment is the largest in the Conservatory’s history (with 24 students - we like it that way). And you might go "Hm. Impressive statistics."

Or I can tell you this: we've got more international interest than ever before (possibly three non-US countries represented by our new First Year class) and Beth made the front page of the Oregonian's Business section last week. Who would have thought? These are firsts no one would have thought possible even a few years ago.

The icing on the cake will be our new banner on the front of the building that should go up this week. Wheee!!!

Philip's even gotten a haircut for the occasion. It is the $12 variety, but it looks darn good.

Our new office manager, Maureen O'Connor, is fresh from Chicago and wo-manning the front desk with class and style. Make her talk Chicagoan to you; it's pretty cute.

And First Years - you are welcome to fill this (blog) space with your thoughts, experiences, travails, and worries. Email me to find out how to contribute and share your Conservatory Confessions with the world.

We're ready. Are you? What's you're worst back to school fear? What was your best back to school outfit ever? Mine was first grade, I think: fleece lined denim jacket with plaid shirt underneath. What can I say, I'm from the Northwest. :)

First Top 25 List of the 25th Anniversary Season!

In honor of our 25th birthday, we're going to be compiling Top 25 Lists. Here's the first one:

Top 25 things an actor should never say

“I only had a few drinks before fight call.”

"Do I have to read the whole play?"

“Bummer. I was hoping the dressing rooms would be unisex.”

“When you say nudity, do you mean like, naked nudity?”

“You’re doing a great job as the lead, but I have a few notes for you if you’re interested in some feedback.”

“When there’s a long pause after you stop speaking, I’ll know it’s my line.”

“Sorry about my acid reflux in our love scene tonight. Those burps really burn and I just have to let ‘em out.”

“Can everyone be quiet before the show? I need four hours of complete silence before I go on.”

“Can you give me a little more in this scene? Because whatever you’re doing, I don’t really get it.”

“We can take it on the road!”

"I'll try that action but I'm sure is not going to work."

"My character would never do that."

“But what’s my motivation for the kick ball change, jump jump freeze?”

“Do you think this sequined unitard makes me look fat?”

“I can definitely learn classical guitar for the role by the end of our two week rehearsal process.”

“I’m sorry, I got a pilot.”

“Can I get a cue light for that? I don’t want to have to listen to the play, I’m really sick of it actually.”

“Hmmmm Me May Mi Mo MUUUUU! Can I get one Power Ball and a pack of Camel Lights? And $30 on pump 6.”

“I kicked the light two weeks ago but I think I moved it back to the right spot.”

“Is it ok if I just paraphrase this speech? I don’t think the exact words really matter here.”

“What’s your name? I know you’re not that important to the production, but I like to appear friendly.”

“Boy, sucks to be you after that review in the paper. Do you want me to read it to you before you go on tonight?”

“Am I supposed to remember everything we did yesterday?”

“What’s wrong with punching someone for answering their cell phone during the show?”

“What I really want to do is direct.”

Additions? Suggestions? Shout it out!

Shoutout to Alums!

Whutup, PACtors? That's what we call those who have been through the two years of growth, challenge, bonding and sometime insanity we call Portland Actors Conservatory's Two Year program. Some of you may be reading this before dashing off to rehearsal, and some of you may be feeling a deep yearning to hit the boards again after being away for too long. But one thing is true: you indubitably possess the skill, the training, and the experience to pursue your craft with tenacity and tenderness. We promise.

In short, the world is a PACtor's oyster. A good way to keep this in mind is to reconnect with fellow actors from your class, or even from other Conservatory classes. Sometimes losing the small, tightly-knit (some would say crocheted) community of your class after graduation can be a swift kick to the support system. But the reality is, we're all in this big world of professional theater together - and the good news is that the world is not really that big.



Need a good talk with Beth? Or just to vent about an audition with someone who understands? Want to celebrate getting the role, or seeing yourself on the small screen? I promise you, there's a fellow alum out there who wants to do it with you, and that Beth would love to hear from you.

Ways to Connect

You can start right here by commenting on this post. Or you can write your OWN darn post by emailing here: jessicawallenfels.pacblog@blogger.com. It'll go into drafts and then I publish it, easy peasy.
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pdxactorsconservatory
Twitter - Follow us at @pdxconservatory or go to https://twitter.com/pdxconservatory
Email List - http://eepurl.com/cTMS - Make sure to check "Alumni News" under your interest areas for targeted alum-specific updates!



We're planning to do more Alumni Meetups like the one at Aura Restaurant and Lounge on Aug. 26, where PAC's first-ever alumni theater troupe will be sharing some info on their Fall show and I'll be giving you a heads up on some new programs for alums and prospective students this year. Want to get involved in the next gen of PACtors? Or just see some familiar faces? Come on down and chow some complimentary appetizers on us!

Lastly, who am I and what in the world do these silly videos have to do with PAC alums? I'm the new marketing coordinator, silly! If you haven't met me yet, drop me a line at jessica@actorsconservatory.com and tell me what you're up to. I love hearing from you guys! And the videos - just keeping you entertained, and reminding you that all the world's a stage, my friends.

Housing Solutions?

Are you relocating to Portland, Ore. for your Conservatory training? Or did you successfully? Let's get the conversation started right here: any tips and tricks for finding your pdx digs? Especially if you're coming from afar, like Greece, Australia, or England...

And Introducing...

If my last six weeks at Portland Actors Conservatory were a theatre piece, it would look something like this: me rustling around in the wings, hurriedly gathering props and building set pieces out of stray bits of string. I'd be rushing from the costume shop to the dressing room, pulling together a costume instinctively out of the most colorful pieces at the ends of the rack. I'd be listening to the first five seconds of many pieces of music, throwing CDs over my shoulder as I toss them out. And I'd be talking to a lot of people about where the rest room is, what act went on before me, what the audience tends to like, and who was going to be on stage with me.

In essence, I'd be getting my act together. :)

I'm the new marketing coordinator here at Portland Actors Conservatory and I couldn't be happier about it. The ramp-up has been steep, but fun: the opening of "The Blue Room," launching the Summer on Stage acting camps, promoting the Graduation Showcase, and of course, learning the ropes. I've been proud to bring some attention to our little school on the hill, like KGW's "PDX Tonight" on "The Blue Room" with Joe Smith, a beautiful piece on KBOO's "Stage and Studio," a fabulous write up on Beth by Bob Hicks on ArtScatter, and a great hit on Portland Arts Watch. This was in addition to our great 'Blue Room' press: Holly Johnson's great review in the Oregonian and the Willamette Week's positive writeup, subtitled 'Sex, Drugs and Rampant Regret.'

Behind the scenes, artistic director Beth is always trying to get me to take a cigarette break and Philip, the associate director, and I have to be careful not to talk my half day away hashing through local productions, producing confabs, and works in progress. Executive director Nurella takes meetings like a madwoman and Summer on Stage kids slam doors all day. Georgia and I talk wedding stuff. Melissa Whitney, our Summer on Stage teacher, comes in to use the copy machine and we laugh about a show we worked on together. In yesterday's staff meeting, we had great fun dreaming up a new street performance class to be led by Philip, and I watched Beth's skin turn pink as she tried to take the joke in stride (not a big fan of street theater).

In short, heaven!

I'm looking forward to composing my mise-en-scene more carefully this summer as we gear up for the launch of our first-ever, full time day-program version of the Two Year Conservatory. The program clearly works, and has been since PAC started it in 1994. I mean, thow a rock in this town and you'll hit a working PAC grad. But migrating our Conservatory training to the day program takes it to a whole 'nother level. Not only does it make the Conservatory 2 legit 2 quit, it opens up a lot of room in our evening Studio Classes serving actor-interesteds who want their first taste, ongoing training, or a new skill.

If you've always wondered what the heck Portland Actors Conservatory is all about, there's never been a better time to dip a toe, or fall headfirst. 25 years of professional actor training, baby, and we wear it well.

...

To paraphrase:

"If today was your last day at PAC, how would you feel?"

It's simple. I'd

Kiss today goodbye
The sweetness and the sorrow
Wish me luck, the same to you!
But I can't regret
What I did for love,
What I did for love.

Look, my eyes are dry
The gift was ours to borrow
We did what we had to do
Won't forget, can't regret
What I did for love.
What I did for love.

Gone, love is never gone
As we travel on,
Love's what we'll remember...

...

Anything added to that seems like sentimentalized blather, so I won't. In two weeks I will be missing my ensemble. Graduating is an awesome, exciting, joyous thing and yet...

"I feel like my heart is breaking. Why am I so sad?"

~Jack