"Forum" cast profile: Kelley Addis

Kelley Addis joins the family business in her first show at the GCP! She plays Domina, the lady of the house...and don't you forget it.

GCP Girl: Tell me about about your character.

KA: Domina is very much her namesake. She wears the pants in the family and is not afraid to show that off at anytime. She pushes not only her slaves around, but also her husband and her son. However, all this "domineering" (get it? Domina; Dominant; Dominatrix) comes from a place of love. All she really wants is love, but she has a really rough way of showing that.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.

KA: Although this is my first GCP show, this is not my first rodeo, so to speak. I started acting when I was four, went to Florida State (insert boos here) for theatre, and then spent seven years pursuing theatre professionally. I spent four years with the Chicago cast of "Tony N' Tina's Wedding," in which I played six different characters at any given time, including the bride, Tina, to Loretta, the New Jersey former beauty queen who owns the reception hall, to DJ Monty, the former stripper turned wedding DJ. I think I liked that show because I was playing characters closer to my age. Most shows that I'm involved in, I play a mom in some shape or form, not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm really good at it, I guess. I've also done a couple of movies, including "Spiderman II" and "The Break-Up," and also appeared on Animal Planet on an episode of "Animal Witness."

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?

KA: "Forum" was always a show that I'd been wanting to do. It's just a really fun romp that, at the end, leaves the audience wanting to watch it again. I've been having a really great time with this show and have met some really amazing people.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?

KA: Kicking Thomas around stage has to be my favorite. The song "Dirty Old Man" is Domina's 15 minutes, so I've been having fun milking it for all it's worth. Plus, don't tell him this, but I think he actually likes it as well.

GCP Girl: If you could sing one song in the show that is actually sung by another character, which one would it be and why?

KA: "Pretty Little Picture" is a very nice patter, stereotypical Sondheim song. However, as much as I like that song, I LOVE the song I get to do. It's a lot of fun.

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?

KA: Just a sense of fun. I think the world is full of very real, very serious problems and if I can take the audience away from that, even for a minute, then I have done my job well.

GCP Girl: What inspires you?

KA: People who are fearless. Not just with acting, but with life. Someone who is not afraid to take chances and put themselves out there. It inspires me to get out into the world and experience everything I can and not be afraid of what other people think of it.

GCP Girl: Broadway is drawing a lot of its inspiration from TV shows and movies lately. What TV show or movie would you like to see turned into a Broadway musical?

KA: Well, "Harry Potter" would make a great musical and might be coming to Gainesville sooner than you think (keep your ears peeled for that). "Dexter" might make an interesting musical. Plus a singing serial killer is funny - "The night is dark as lead; I come up behind you; BOOM you're dead." ...might need to work on it a little.

GCP Girl: Tell me something about yourself you'd like everyone to know!
KA: I'm a cheap date.

Good to know. Thanks, Kelley!

Will I be at preview tonight, or will I make my appearance on opening night, or at the fundraiser gala on Saturday night? What will I be wearing? What will I think of the show?! Stay tuned!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Forum" preview article!

Check out the "Forum" preview article in the Gainesville Sun!

"Forum" cast profile: Ed Smallman

Meet Ed Smallman, a veteran actor from New York in his first production at the GCP!

GCP Girl: Give me your name, your character's name, and a bit about your character.

ES: Erronius is described as a “befuddled old man.” Hopefully, the audience will see him that way.  He has been searching for the past 20 years for his two children, stolen in their infancy by pirates.  In the first act he returns to Rome, unsuccessful in his attempt to find his son and daughter, and becomes involved in all the craziness of the show. 

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.

ES: This is my second production with GCP.  I worked on the stage crew for “Singin' In the Rain,” and enjoyed every minute of it, including mopping up all the water on stage at the end of the first act.  Also in that production, I had a very small “walk-on” part as a bouncer who evicts a young Don and Cosmo from a burlesque performance.  That experience whetted my appetite for more time on stage. Though this is only my second show with GCP, I was involved in the Glens Falls (NY) Operatta Club, now the Glens Falls Community Theatre, throughout the 1970s.  During that time I was in musicals including “Brigadoon,” “Fiddler On the Roof,” and “Oliver!.”  I also performed in plays, my favorite being “See How They Run.”  My preference is to play smaller roles, since that gives me more time each show to enjoy the performances of the other very talented people on stage.  That is certainly true of the actors in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”  What a multi-talented cast we have!

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?

ES: This show has long been a favorite of mine, and is one in which I have wanted to be involved for many years.  I was particularly excited to learn that it had been chosen as a production for this year.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?

ES: My favorite part of this show so far has been meeting and being on stage with the cast and crew of this show.  They are not only very talented people, but great people as well.  I also have to say that I have enjoyed the set construction and painting that I have done.  That experience has allowed me to connect with everyone involved in this show, and really enhanced my enjoyment of the experience.

GCP Girl: If you could sing one song in the show that is actually sung by another character, which one would it be and why?

ES: I don’t have a great singing voice, which is why I have the only non-singing part in this show.  However, if I had the voice of any of the other male cast members, I would really like to sing the “Lovely Reprise” in Act 2.  This song has the wonderful melody of the original song sung in Act 1, and introduces the comic element that I really enjoy.  It is more than just a good song, it is a good song and a good laugh.

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?

ES: I hope the audience leaves the performance with a sense of having enjoyed the past few hours, and having had some very good laughs.  I have enjoyed every rehearsal and every performance, and I hope our audiences have as much fun watching the show as I have being a part of it.

GCP Girl: What inspires you?

ES: Dedication and strong commitment to anything inspires me.  Perhaps that is why I enjoy being a part of GCP.  Everyone is so dedicated to GCP and to putting on the best performances possible.  Everyone puts a great deal of time and effort into offering excellent shows and opportunities to have an enjoyable time.  Being a part of that inspires me.

GCP Girl: Broadway is drawing a lot of its inspiration from TV shows and movies lately. What TV show or movie would you like to see turned into a Broadway musical?

ES: Unfortunately, there isn’t much on TV that I would like to see on Broadway.  However, would have to vote for something like “Family Guy.”  It is funny and has some outlandish characters.  And I’ve always been a big cartoon fan, going back to my days watching “The Flintstones” when I was very young.

GCP Girl: Tell me something about yourself you'd like everyone to know!

ES: Having grown up in New York City, I have been going to Broadway shows for as long as I can remember. Seeing 'A Chorus Line," "Phantom of the Opera," "Shenandoah" and "No, No, Nanette" stand out in my mind as particularly enjoyable times. Given that, I’ve enjoyed the productions I’ve see put on by GCP as much as many of the Broadway shows I’ve seen, and have really enjoyed being a part of “Singin' In the Rain,” and now, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”  I want to thank GCP for allowing me to be a part of community theatre again.

Thanks, Ed! Look for me at the preview performance tomorrow night! Tickets are $5, and the box office opens at 7 p.m.!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Funny Money" auditions March 21-22

In all the excitement over the upcoming "Forum" opening, don't forget auditions for "Funny Money" are next week!  Here's the message from director Jan Cohen:

Auditions for "Funny Money," a comedy scheduled for May production at GCP, are scheduled for Sunday and Monday, March 21 and 22, at 7 p.m.  Call backs will be on Monday at 8 p.m.
There are parts for five men and three women, all ranging in age from mid-twenties to mid-sixties, with exact ages dependent on who "plays well" together.
Come early enough to get your photo taken, fill out the audition form and peruse the character descriptions and rehearsal calendar before 7 p.m..
No need to prepare an audition piece.  We will be doing cold readings from the script.  But do work on your British accents!
Any questions? E-mail  director Jan Cohen at jan_cohen@yahoo.com

Character descriptions are available on the GCP website! Break a leg!

xo xo GCP Girl

Breaking News: The 2010-11 Proposed Season!

A little birdie sent me the proposed shows and directors for next season! No dates yet, but we'll keep you posted!

"45 Minutes From Broadway"  – Jennie Stringfellow
"The Wiz" – Rhonda Wilson
"GI Holiday Juke Box" – Leannis Maxwell and Bob Garrigues (holiday show)
"The Murder Room" – Pat Thomson
"Company" – Jerry Brewington
"Trip to Bountiful" – Margery Pierson
"Anything Goes" – Susan Christophy

Congrats to everyone! Stay tuned for all the latest news!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Forum" cast list!

I finally got the cast list for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"! Congrats to everyone!

Pseudolus...Esteban Alvarez

Hero...Jacob Titterington

Senex...Kevin Hanson

Domina...Kelly Addis

Philia...Amy Smith

Lycus...Ian Isom

Hysterium...Thomas Sanders

Erronius...Ed Smallman

Miles Gloriosus...Michael Antinelli

Panacea...Sarah Viskovich

Geminae 1...Katie Crozier

Geminae 2...Brit Garner

Vibrata...Azhya "Asia" James

Spencer Reeder...Gymnasia

Proteans...Nicholas May, Michael Tremaine, Randall Dees

"To Kill a Mockingbird" cast profile: Lola Hassan-Adams

Lola Hassan-Adams talks about her role as Calpurnia in the last week of "To Kill a Mockingbird"...

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.

LH: Calpurnia is the hard-handed, softhearted cook for the Finches. She has raised Scout and Jem and been a constant help to Atticus. She is also the bridge between the white and the black communities.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.

LH: "Nuncrackers," "Peter Pan," "Pippin," "Jane Eyre," "Hello, Dolly!," and that's just within the past two years!

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?

LH: Haha! ACTUALLY, I didn't audition for this show. It is one of my all-time favorite stories, but between Nuncrackers and the holidays I just didn't have the time or energy to even try. Then, about a week and a half/two weeks before opening, I got a phone call from the production team, and the rest is on the stage. Don't judge me! I'm just glad I got most my lines memorized in time!

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?

LH: The welcoming cast. I was an outsider (a diva of a musical actor) who got called in and took over the part... I didn't know how they were going to act. But they were AMAZING! Helping me with my lines and blocking. Giving hugs and smiles and words of encouragement...the cast of this show is so wonderful and loving, AND talented!

GCP Girl: Why do you think "To Kill a Mockingbird" is such a popular story?

LH: It teaches so many good lessons about how our world was and, in many ways, still is. It's not just about race, although that is the main focus; it's about fighting your battles, keeping your head up, not judging someone because of their skin, their age, gender, or ability....we are all fighting our own battles....but we don't have to do it alone.

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?

LH: Love for their fellow human beings...

GCP Girl: What inspires you?

LH: My family, my friends, my girlfriend, my kids (I don't have any but my friends do, AND I get to work with a group of great kids on stage), life, nature, music, I love it all!

GCP Girl: Tell me something about yourself you'd like everyone to know!

LH: It's felt great to do a straight show again. I haven't done one in over five years, so it's felt good to be a dramatic character and not "goofy/sultry Lola" – though that is NOT saying I don't want to get back to goofy/sultry Lola again! It's just a nice change of pace. :)

Thanks, Lola! Only three more shows for "Mockingbird"!

xo xo GCP Girl

"To Kill a Mockingbird" cast profile: Ed Hunter

GCP veteran Ed Hunter kicks off the last week of "Mockingbird"!

GCP Girl: Tell me about your character.

EH: I play Walter Cunningham. Walter is a farmer and one of Atticus Finch’s clients. He is too poor and has financial problems so he can’t pay Atticus cash, but barters his goods – turnip greens, smilax and stove wood, to name a few.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.

EH: Got some time? "My Fair Lady," "The Music Man," "West Side Story," "The Crucible," "Our Town," that’s on stage; and backstage, on "Jane Eyre," "Peter Pan," Oliver!" and "Annie Warbucks," to name a few.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?

EH: Because it’s a great story with great characters.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?

EH: Working with this wonderful cast. This is an amazingly talented group of people and not one of them has any sort of attitude. From the oldest (which might just be me) to the youngest, they’ve been a joy to work with.

GCP Girl: Why do you think "To Kill a Mockingbird" is such a popular story?

EH: Because it's timeless and speaks to a problem that unfortunately still exists in America today. It forces us to look at ourselves in a mirror, or as Atticus puts it, to “climb into someone else’s skin and walk around for a bit.”

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?

EH: That deep down we are all the same, we all have the same problems and challenges that go beyond the color of our skin or our heritage.

GCP Girl: What inspires you?

EH: My family and the desire to put on a good show that impacts the audience in a meaningful way.

Thanks, Ed! I hear seats are filling up fast...get your tickets now!

xo xo GCP Girl

"To Kill a Mockingbird" cast profile: Devin D'Andrea

Devin D'Andrea plays against type as the unhappy Mayella Ewell in "To Kill a Mockingbird"...

GCP Girl: Tell me about your character.
DD: My name is Devin D'Andrea. I play Mayella Ewell, the young woman who lies about being raped by Tom Robinson. She has been neglected, abused, and molested (as referenced in the novel) by her father, and accuses Tom of rape after being caught coming on to him by her father, Bob Ewell. Bob then goes on to beat her savagely, another crime with which Tom is accused.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
DD: Well, my favorite role, Beth March, the second youngest sister who dies of red fever, in "Little Women: the Musical." Elizabeth Dean played Jo, and she made the entire experience life-changing. She is one of the most intense and beautiful people I've had the honor of working with, and really made it easy to bring out the love and connection between the two sisters. Before that, I performed in several shows with Rhonda Wilson at the Star Center Youth Theater until I began auditioning with GCP. "Mockingbird" is my third show at the Vam York, following "Oliver!" in 2007 and "Jane Eyre" in 2008.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?
DD: "Mockingbird" appealed to me because it is a somber, dramatic show. I had had no luck getting a part in any musicals the past year, and although it may be because of my disastrous dance attempts, I blame it on my seriousness altogether as a person. I'm afraid I usually lack the over-enthusiastic happiness it takes to be a lead in a musical production. (GCP Girl: I doubt this.)

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
DD: Being able to appreciate acting, I mean really appreciate it, for the first time. It takes so much to delve into a character and really become that person, in that place and situation. I have never worked so hard to do justice to a character, and hope it shows in my performance. Great thanks to Esteban for character development!

GCP Girl: Why do you think "To Kill a Mockingbird" is such a popular story?
DD: The fight of black versus white is timeless. It has been a struggle in America for centuries, and unfortunately racism still exists today. This novel shows an evil that is beyond measure. An innocent man, sent to prison and killed only because of his color. It's a marvelous storyline, and plays with the heart-strings of the reader.

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?
DD: The stunning and horrible truth that justice is not always served. The fact that a white woman, ignorant and scared, can point her fingers and send an innocent man to his death. And be cheered on! Racism is a disgusting institution that should never have existed, and should be purged from America today.

GCP Girl: What inspires you?
DD: The actors/actresses surrounding me on and off stage. I've gotten to know dozens of incredible people, and astounding actors. The pain in Troy's (Tom Robinson) face and body language, Mike (Bob Ewell) and his ability to make you cringe with his every step, Amanda (Jean Louise) and her way of carrying you through the story as if you were really in Maycomb, Alabama 1935. They are amazing to work with, and it is constantly a learning experience. The old souls and wonderful friends I've made inspire me the most.

GCP Girl: Tell me something about yourself you'd like everyone to know!
DD: The kids are my favorite part of the show, because one conversation with them will make any bad day brighter. Jack Polefko, who plays Jem Finch, has become as close to me as a brother. In his 12-year-old face I can see so much potential. These kids are truly an inspiration.

Thanks, Devin!

xo xo GCP Girl

"To Kill a Mockingbird" cast profile: Jan Cohen

I'm Jan Cohen, playing Stephanie Crawford, the town gossip. Actually many of my lines are spoken by Scout's Aunt Alexandra in the book, but our two characters got combined, if you will, for the purposes of condensing a long novel into a play.

I like drama better than comedy, even though I will be directing what I think is a really funny farce that goes on at GCP in May. (this is a plug--it is called "Funny Money"!) So, I was keen to audition for "Mockingbird" for that reason. But I also have been very disturbed by what I can only term as "hate talk" flooding our country recently. Since when is it OK for the hatred of someone, anyone, to cause you to wish your own country to fail? And how can anyone but a Bob Ewell (our play's villain) want to hurt a child? The image of a seemingly middle class father's face at the Oncology Desk in Shands Hospital when he was told he owed $2,000-plus dollars that day for his child's bill will not leave me--the little one stood beside him bald, so you know what that means. Nobody wants to be in the cancer treatment center, but it sure makes it a bit easier with only a $20 co-pay. So, yes, I felt extremely energized to get the message of this play--"Walk in someone else's shoes for a bit before you judge them"--to our audiences. Atticus Finch's message still seems incredibly relevant to me and, sadly, probably always will be.
But working on this play had a bonus benefit. This is an ensemble piece and Rhonda managed to select a dream ensemble. Everyone is totally committed, from the person with the most lines to the one with the fewest. "Professionalism is an attitude" was the sign on the stage door at a theatre I used to work for, and this group is professional in every way.

Thanks, Jan! Don't miss your chance to see this show, everyone!

xo xo GCP Girl