"Thoroughly Modern Millie" cast profile: Katie Crozier-Theis

Katie Crozier-Theis plays the wisecracking Gloria in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.

KC: I am playing Gloria, a Stenographer and one of Muzzy's adorable friends. Gloria is a wisecracking modern woman who knows the ropes and enjoys helping the newer residents of the Hotel Priscilla navigate the ins and outs of modern life.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
KC: I was last seen in the ensemble of GCP's production of "The Producers," which was an amazing experience. One of my most memorable roles was Bertha in "Pippin," where I got to bring down the house with "No Time at All" and get carried off stage each night by a pack of handsome boys. Other past shows include "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Cinderella" and "Hot Mikado."

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"?
KC: I was itching to be in a show with a lot of dancing!

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
KC: "Forget About the Boy," hands down! It's a great number, and I get to tap dance with all of the ladies. Oh yeah!

GCP Girl: Why should people see "Millie"?
KC: I hope people are inspired to follow their dreams AND their hearts. Oh, and that they had a great evening at the theater!

GCP Girl: "Thoroughly Modern Millie" is based on a 1960s movie starring Mary Tyler Moore and Julie Andrews. What other movies would you like to see turned into stage musicals?
KC: I think "Connie and Carla" would make an awesome stage show.

GCP Girl: For Millie, moving to New York City on her own is a big adventure. What do you dream of doing?
KC: Planning parties for a living!

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
KC: Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Hands down!

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
KC: I have really enjoyed getting to work with such a great group of women on this show. All of these ladies are seriously bad ass.

Thanks, Katie! Break a leg tonight!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" cast profile: Sissy Bell

Sissy Bell takes on her dream role of Millie Dillmount in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
SB: My name is Sissy Bell, and I am playing Millie Dillmount. She is a young girl from Kansas who moves to New York to experience the "modern" life. She's very driven to achieve what she thinks will bring her happiness, but figuring out what makes her happy is her real challenge.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
SB: My first show at GCP was "Carousel" in 1996, and I've done many a show since then. Most recently, I played Maureen in "Rent."

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"?
SB: At no time did I ever consider not auditioning for this show. I saw it the year it came out on Broadway and absolutely loved the show and especially the music. I've been pretending I was Millie since I saw it, so when I found out they were doing the show here, I was beyond excited.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
SB: My favorite number to perform in the show is probably "Forget About the Boy." It's the token angry woman song, which is always a lot of fun to perform. My favorite to watch might be "As Long As I'm Here With You." Muzzy's Boys are just too precious in that number.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "Millie"?
SB: It's fun! There's great music, great dancing, beautiful costumes and a fabulous set. It's everything you think of when you think "Broadway."

GCP Girl: "Thoroughly Modern Millie" is based on a 1960s movie starring Mary Tyler Moore and Julie Andrews. What other movies would you like to see turned into stage musicals?
SB: For years, I have been saying that they should turn "Anastasia" (the animated movie) into a stage musical! The music is just so good, and I only can imagine what amazing choreography and sets could come from it. Also, because I love it when men sing so much, "Oceans 11" the musical. I think that one has potential. Oh! And "Moulin Rouge." It would just be killer on stage.

GCP Girl: For Millie, moving to New York City on her own is a big adventure. What do you dream of doing?
SB: Coincidentally, I have the same big dream as Millie. I'm hoping to move to New York this summer or fall, but not to marry rich. I've always wanted to have a go at the theatre scene in New York, and it's now or never!

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
SB: Millie used to be one of them, and now I can happily cross that one off my list. I would love to play Eponine one day. Also, Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." I've also recently developed this urge to be in "A Chorus Line." If they did end up turning "Anastasia" into a musical, then Anastasia. It's gonna happen, folks!

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
SB: "Green glass love" is really difficult to say!

Thanks, Sissy! Tonight is opening night, so be sure to call the box office today and get your tickets!!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Agnes of God" auditions are this weekend!

Attention, ladies! Auditions for the GCP production of "Agnes of God" are this Sunday and Monday, March 25-26. I got some inside info from guest director Carlos Asse.

GCP Girl: Why did you want to direct "Agnes of God"?
CA: Directing "Agnes of God" could be one of the most satisfying experiences that one could have on the stage. This play is part who-done-it, part psychological drama that should grab audiences from the moment of the first opening speech. A small and tight straight play that will allow the director and cast to explore the world of the characters created by John Pielmeier. It is a very powerful experience.

GCP Girl: Why should people audition for this show?
CA: This play contains three very strong character interpretations for women. There are not very many plays that afford the opportunity for actresses to sink their teeth into such meaty roles as this play gives. For this reason, it keeps appearing year after year in the marquees of theaters across the country.

GCP Girl: How should people prepare for the auditions?
CA: There are techniques that help actors with their auditions. You may work on those on your own. For this show, where we do cold readings from the script, my suggestion would be to read the play beforehand. Get to know what the part you are auditioning for is all about. For example, Agnes must sing throughout with a lovely soprano voice. Well, if you cannot sing, that is not the part for you. But if you feel you are capable of doing the role, then relax and give it your best try. There is an art to auditioning, and the more you do it, the better you get at it. Do not get discouraged by rejection. This play has only three parts in it, so if forty actresses audition, there will be 37 of them not getting cast. That is part of the process.

GCP Girl: What will you be looking for in a potential cast member?
CA: One needs someone that one feels could be believable in the role. But there may be three or four actresses that could play a specific role. Then, it all comes down to the chemistry on the stage that those potential cast members have among themselves.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about this show?
CA: The rehearsal time with the cast has to be one of the highlights. Also, when one works with other designers and crew. The collaborative and creative process in which we get involved trying to tell the story well. When we all zero in and apply ourselves toward that single goal, it is amazing. That is the most gratifying, rewarding and thrilling part of working in theatre.

Thanks, Carlos, and a special thanks to co-director Jennie Stringfellow for her assistance! For more information about auditions for "Agnes of God," please visit the GCP Facebook page. Break a leg!

The world in 1905

"Intimate Apparel" takes place in New York City in 1905, a time when the world was rapidly changing. Here's a look at some of the important events going on around the world at the time we meet Esther and her friends:

• The "Bloody Sunday" massacre in St. Petersburg, Russia, triggers the Russian Revolution of 1905, which led to the establishment of the Duma (an elected assembly) and the country's first constitution.
• German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein began his "Miracle Year," publishing papers that laid the foundation for quantum physics, introduced the special theory of relativity, explained Brownian motion, and established mass-energy equivalence.
• The Cullinan Diamond, the world's largest diamond at 3106 carats, was discovered in South Africa.
• Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States.
• Norway achieved its independence from Sweden.
• King Edward VII officially recognized the title "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom."
• Novocaine was introduced.
• The first automobile exceeded 100 mph at Daytona Beach.
• Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt were married in New York.
• The Niagara Movement was founded by W.E.B. DuBois.
• "Variety" was first published.
• Notable births in 1905: Christian Dior; Maria Von Trapp; Henry Fonda; Jean-Paul Sartre; Myrna Loy; Greta Garbo.

See for yourself what life was like for Esther and her friends in "Intimate Apparel," but hurry - this is the last week!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Intimate Apparel" cast profile: Shetiquea Davis

Shetiquea Davis plays Mrs. Dickson, who gives Esther plenty of advice in "Intimate Apparel"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
SD: My character is Mrs. Dickson. In a story of women who are constrained by societal expectations and standards, Mrs. Dickson is the only woman in this story who is rather free in the way that she lives her life from an external view, although her constraints come more from a place within as she fulfills her mother's hopes for her life. Mrs. Dickson is jovial and possesses wisdom, confidence and a to-the-point attitude.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
SD: This is only the third production I've performed in. My acting experience started in a one-act play titled "At the Punch Bowl" in the role of Idamae. It was directed by Natasha Lee, a local zumba instructor, and marked her directing debut. That experience is priceless to me as it gave me the encouragement to continue acting, which has both enriched my life and propelled personal growth.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Intimate Apparel"?
SD: Well, I had never worked with Rhonda Wilson, our director, before, and I was seeing her everywhere around Gainesville when I would attend different events/shows in the theatre community. It seemed that she was affiliated with every theatre venue in town, and I knew she had done many good shows here, so I welcomed the opportunity to get to work with her. As auditions approached, I read the script to familiarize myself with the play and thought it was a wonderful story that people could see themselves in and/or others they knew. I personally identified with the lead character in a lot of ways. So all of that shaped my desire to audition.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show?
SD: Wow, there are several moments I like in the show. When Mr. Marks asks Esther to have tea with him, that scene always makes me smile. The way they smile at each other and the sweetness of it. When he allows her to fix the smoking jacket made of Japanese silk on him, that's a touching moment. I also actually like to see George go in and steal the smoking jacket while Esther is out and he's on his way over to Mayme's. Not that I' m for infidelity, LOL -- I hate George -- but I love the way that Troy McCray has embodied the character as I watch him stop in the mirror on his way out with the cigarette in his mouth, check his look in the mirror and then strut off like a pimp. :-) Great job, Troy!

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
SD: This is a play by a talented African-American playwright, and I am honored to be playing a role in one of her productions. It's been great meeting new people. I pretty much had never worked with anyone involved in this project before, and all have been great to work with. Madeleine Escarne and I have some tennis coming up after the show. (I'll try to go easy on you, Madeleine. :-) It's been a huge time commitment, and has meant giving up certain joyful pastimes of mine for now, but seeing a great production come together that exceeds people's expectations and that they truly enjoy is so worth it. I'd do it all over again!

GCP Girl: What have you learned during the show about life in 1905?
SD: None of the issues that we deal with in relationships are new -- or old, for that matter. Some of the same things that are portrayed in this play based in 1905 are still very relevant today. And I learned what a smoking jacket was. Men actually wore them to smoke in so that the smell wouldn't get into their regular clothing. We need to bring this one back. :-)

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from "Intimate Apparel"?
SD: Well, you can never say what an audience will take away from a production, as it depends on what they bring to it, but I hope that they will identify with some of the characters and perhaps see that we all as humans share the same emotions, experiences and obstacles regardless of race, age, social status, etc. None of those things make you or anyone else exempt.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
SD: "The Color Purple."

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
SD: Despite what some may tell you, I'm actually shy. But don't get my timing wrong, though! :-) Enjoy the show!

Thanks, Shetiquea! She's the quite the philosopher, isn't she -- not unlike her character! Come see for yourself!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Intimate Apparel" cast profile: Amanda Edwards

Amanda Edwards makes her stage debut as Esther, the heroine of "Intimate Apparel"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
AE: My character's name is Esther Mills. She's a hard-working, good-natured intimate apparels seamstress who has big dreams of owning an elegant beauty parlor for black women.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
AE: I consider "Intimate Apparel" my first show as an actress. I did some smaller type of showcases in college. My theater experience is comprised mainly of working backstage as a techie doing lights, props, carpentry, and costumes for the different shows at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Intimate Apparel"?
AE: I auditioned for "Intimate Apparel" because the story sounded fascinating. It's set in 1905, but so many of the issues and themes of this show are timeless.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show?
AE: I honestly enjoy all of the scenes in this show and I look forward to performing them all each night. I can't pick just one.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
AE: The entire experience has been incredible but the highlight has been getting to know and work with so many talented creatives. The cast and crew of this show is AMAZING! They've all been so helpful and hard-working. It's really been great.

GCP Girl: What have you learned during the show about life in 1905?
AE: Getting dressed as a woman in 1905 was NO small feat.

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from "Intimate Apparel"?
AE: I hope audiences walk out of "Intimate Apparel" recognizing that a hope for love is a universal experience that transcends race, gender, and class.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
AE: I'd love to see "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Caroline or Change."

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
AE: I've had an absolute blast working with everyone involved with "Intimate Apparel" and thank everyone who has come out to support this show.

Thanks, Amanda! "Intimate Apparel" begins its second week tonight, so drop by the box office and reserve your tickets!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" cast list!

Congrats to the cast of "Thoroughly Modern Millie"!

Millie Dillmount - Sissy Bell
Jimmy Smith - Paul Rye
Ruth/Stenographer/Ensemble - Mia Frattino
Alice/Stenographer/Swing - Katie Hensley
Gloria/Stenographer/Ensemble - Katie Crozier-Theis
Rita/Stenographer/Ensemble - Claudia Garcia
Cora/Stenographer/Ensemble - Sam Feldman
Lucille/Stenographer/Ensemble - Liz Mignacca
Ethel Peas/Stenographer - Aubrey Wise
Mrs. Meers - Sam Fundenberg
Dorothy Brown - Amy Smith
Ching Ho - Zach Kidd
Bun Foo - Erik Ramos
Mrs. Flannery - Gerri Sterne
Trevor Graydon - Bryan Faux
Muzzy Van Hossmere - Susan Christophy
Muzzy’s Boys/Tap/Ensemble - Malik Grady, Thomas Sanders, Mike Tremaine, Steven Griffin Gershwin /Dexter/Ensemble - Drew Carroll
Policeman/Rodney/Ensemble - Nick May
Kenneth/Dishwasher/Ensemble - Noah Jones
Daphne/Ensemble - Krsnaa Fitch
Mathilde/Ensemble - Patricia Kee

A note from director Dan Christophy:
"I want to thank all who auditioned. You made it hard to make decisions, as you were all great. If you were not cast, I want to ask you to consider working on the show in another capacity. It is a great way to get in and start to work in the theater, as well as be involved in a great show."

Thanks, Dan, and congrats again to everyone!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Intimate Apparel" cast profile: Madeleine Escarne

Madeleine Escarne's Mayme tells it like it is in "Intimate Apparel"!

GCP Girl: Tell me your name, your character's name, and a bit about your character.
ME: I play Mayme, a “good” friend to Esther; she is trying to find her place and validation in life, even with a not-so-glamorous profession.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
ME: I was in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Wiz" at the GCP, and "The Commedia Tales of…King Arthur" and "Sinbad" at The Thomas Center Theater for Young Audiences.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Intimate Apparel"?
ME: First, because Ms. Rhonda Wilson was directing…but mainly, the play is written by one of my favorite playwrights, Lynn Nottage. It is a human story that deals with real life issues that could just as easily be portrayed in today as it was in 1905.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show?
ME: When Mrs. Dickson explains to Esther how her mother did not want her to be a “…washer woman if it killed her.” That monologue is so intriguing and Ms. Shetiquea Davis plays the part so well.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
ME: Getting to play someone who is so far from me in real life. The growth and experience in learning that part (with much appreciated help and direction from Rhonda, Shontae and Steven) has been priceless for my development in theater as a whole.

GCP Girl: What have you learned during the show about life in 1905?
ME: Life is so cyclical…you think a person may have had it easier or harder in a certain time period, but there truly is nothing new under the sun; it just may manifest in a different way.

GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from "Intimate Apparel"?
ME: I hope that they see that this is not just an African-American story, but a true human story. That no matter the make-up of the cast, the importance is to focus on what is being told and support should be shown in the same way as with other plays.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season? ME: A few more plays by Lynn Nottage, and other poignant playwrights. Maybe something adapted from my favorite Haitian-American novelist, Edwidge Danticat.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
ME: Every opportunity I have to come before people through theater, I truly count it as an honor and blessing from God to be able to share the talent that He has given me.

Thanks, Madeleine! Opening night is tonight - do you have your tickets yet?

xo xo GCP Girl

Spotlight on Lynn Nottage

The lives of African-American women are the central themes of the work of Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, author of "Intimate Apparel," opening this weekend at the Vam York Theater.

Nottage was born in Brooklyn in 1964, and is a graduate of Brown University and the Yale School of Drama. The West Coast premiere of one of her first major works, "Crumbs From the Table of Joy," won two NAACP Awards. From 1993 to 2003, she also penned "Poof," ""Mud, River, Stone," "Por'Knockers," and "Las Meninas."

"Intimate Apparel," her best-known play, was produced off-Broadway in 2004, starring Oscar nominee Viola Davis ("Doubt," "The Help"). The play tells the story of Esther, a 35-year-old African-American seamstress in 1905 New York City, who strikes up a long-distance romance with a man who is working on the Panama Canal.

Nottage wrote a companion piece to "Intimate Apparel," the OBIE Award-winning "Fabulation,or the Re-Education of Undine," which is set 100 years later. She went on to produce the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner, "Ruined," about the plight of Congolese women surviving civil war.

Nottage received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2005, and a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2007.

"Intimate Apparel" previews tomorrow night. Tickets are $5 and are available only at the box office, beginning at 7 p.m. Get there early to get your seats!!

Resolve to get involved!

Did you resolve to do something new this year? Maybe you want to finally audition for a GCP show, or become more involved in theatre, but you don't know how to get started. I can help you check that resolution off your list!

Auditioning for shows is a great way to become known at the GCP. I know, it's scary to stand up in front of people you don't know and act and/or sing, but here's a secret: almost everyone, including the most experienced regulars, gets nervous at auditions. Thankfully, here's another secret: everyone wants you to do well. Directors want to be spoiled for choice!! It helps lessen the anxiety if you are well prepared for the audition - check out my audition tips, and these from the GCP website.

If you are cast in a small role or a chorus part, please do not see it as a reflection on you or your talent. Just being cast at all is a pretty big vote of confidence, especially since most shows have many more auditioners than parts. If you are not cast after your first audition, do not give up. The show might not be a good fit for you, or the production staff might have to make some tough decisions. Try again for the next show!

Here's what some of our actors had to say to people thinking of auditioning:
"Take a deep breath and show up. Sometimes all you need a is a break. I auditioned for several shows at GCP without getting in before I got into "Anything Goes" and now "Rent." However disheartening it is not to make it, I never gave up trying and it paid off in an incomprehensible way."
"Just do it. Everyone is very supportive and just as nervous as anyone else to get up there. It's worth it to be a part of theater and a show. It becomes your family for 3-4 months and beyond. So just do it. You don't have anything to lose."
"Please do so -- I personally will do everything I can to make sure you feel welcome and come back. The creative and collaborative effort of talented people working together to make art is a life-affirming continuous action that draws people together and which you really can't find anywhere else."

So what if you don't want to perform? There are lots of other ways to get involved at GCP. We always need stage crew, sound and lighting technicians, musicians, costumers, ticket takers and ushers, and handy people to build and paint sets! It really does take a village to bring our productions to life. Leave us a message on our Facebook page to let us know you are interested!

I hope one of your resolutions this year is to see more shows. GCP has a string of great shows left this season, starting in January with "Intimate Apparel," a drama about an African-American seamstress in 1905 New York (Viola Davis originated this role off-Broadway). "Thoroughly Modern Millie," the 2002 Tony Award winner for Best Musical and the show that made Sutton Foster a star, is coming up in March, followed by "Agnes of God," a drama that turned into an Oscar-nominated film starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly. The season ender is none other than the megahit 2003 Best Musical "Hairspray"!

Join us at the GCP and help us make 2012 the best year yet!

xo xo GCP Girl