ACT Board of Directors for 2010/2011

Executive Board

President:  Jason Abbott

Vice President:  Megan Mulder

Treasurer:  Gary Davis

Secretary:  Darren Beecher

Membership:  Megan Halloran

Assistant Treasurer / General Board:  Bill Muchow

Board at Large

Perry Thrun

Max Alschlager

Open Positions

by Andrew Miller
Thisweek Newspapers

PHOTO: The Tin Man (Dan Lundin), Dorothy (Stephanie DeMars) and the Scarecrow (Matthew Englund) join forces once more for Applause Community Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Photos by Andrew Miller

Chemistry between two actors, no problem. Chemistry between an actor and a puppet - that takes a little practice.

That’s something Matthew Englund discovered as rehearsals kicked into gear for Applause Community Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz,” which opens July 8 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center.

Englund, cast as the Scarecrow, faced the daunting task of harmonizing with puppets. During one musical number, Englund’s vocal talents are paired with two crows, manned by Peter Schmitz, 15, and Christian England-Sullivan, 16.

“The crows are my backup singers, and it was a little weird at first - you feel like they’re alive,” said Englund, a Lakeville native who returns to Applause this summer after his freshman year as a musical theater major at Minnesota State University-Moorhead.

Puppets that seem like living, breathing creatures - that’s just part of the magic  being conjured by director Laura Wilhelm and the cast and crew of “Wizard.”

Wilhelm, a Lakeville High School graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in directing, is making her directorial debut with Applause. It’s a return to the community theater group for Wilhelm - she landed a part in the ensemble of Applause’s production of “Annie” her junior year of high school.

Wilhelm designed all the puppets and enlisted adult members of the crew to help with construction. In addition to the traditional puppets (the crows, Toto), there’s also a gigantic black-light puppet to depict the titular wizard, as well as shadow puppets for special effects such as a hot air balloon ascending and a witch flying across the stage.

The visual spectacle Wilhelm is seeking to create comes across in the sets and costumes as well. Dan Lundin is ready to do his part - and that means carrying around an extra 30 pounds.

Cast as the Tin Man, the 2006 Lakeville North High School graduate will don a 30-pound metallic-looking plastic suit for each performance. The suit, it turns out, was donated to Applause after being used in an Ordway production of “Wizard.”

Visually striking, sure, but the Tin Man’s suit has its drawbacks.

“I can do all my dance numbers, but I can’t do simple things like scratching my nose,” Lundin said.

While Applause’s version of “Wizard” seeks to pull out all the visual stops, fans of the original film starring Judy Garland won’t be disappointed, Wilhelm said.

“There’s so much magic - you have crows that talk, monkeys that fly, all these fantastic things that happen,” Wilhelm said. “It’s got this magical element, but it’s the show you know and love with the tried and true characters.”

Andrew Miller is at av.thisweek@ecm-inc.com. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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IN BRIEF: Applause Community Theatre presents “The Wizard of Oz” at 7 p.m. July 8-10, 16 and 18, and 1 p.m. July 11, 12, 18 and 19. All performances are at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Ave. Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for students and seniors, and are available at www.applausecommunitytheatre.com .

http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2009/06/19/news/fw18wizard.txt

Dan Lundin of Lakeville puts the finishing touch on his Tin Man costume during rehearsal for an upcoming Applause Community Theatre production of “The Wizard of Oz.” The cast features more than 50 adults and children from around the metro area. (Joseph Palmersheim Sun Newspapers)

By Joseph Palmersheim - Sun Newspapers
(Created: Thursday, June 18, 2009 7:09 AM CDT)

 An upcoming production of “The Wizard of Oz” features a familiar story - with some strings attached. Director Laura Wilhelm has made some unique casting decisions.

 “Puppeteering is my niche as a director, so when I’m visualizing things, my theatrical problem-solving skills come through puppetry,” the Lakeville native said. “When you’ve got a show like ‘Wizard of Oz,’ and there are cows that fly in tornados, and flocks of flying monkeys - there are no limitations with puppets.”

Some puppets allow the Applause Community Theatre production to do things that couldn’t be done normally - like having crows that sing, walk and dance onstage. A large puppet, portraying the Wizard, will be painted so as to glow under black lights. A puppet operated by Anna Hermanson of Lakeville will portray Toto, Dorothy’s dog. 

The full-size dog puppet is operated by several handles controlling head and body motion, and features a spring-loaded tail that moves on its own. Hermanson augments the puppet’s performance with matching facial expressions (concern, curiosity) and the occasional bark or yelp.

“Anna will be with Toto on stage the whole time, and will perform alongside for the whole show,” said Wilhelm, who was interviewed by the Sun-Current in 2006 for the Aug. 3 story “Former Lakeville resident one of the hands behind the curtain at puppet freak show.”

Wilhelm added, “Toto jumps and licks and barks and does all the things a dog would, but with no training or potty breaks involved.”

Some of the work put into developing the cast members is no less impressive.

The nearly 50 human cast members range in age from children to adults, and come from all over the metro area.

To portray the Tin Man, Dan Lundin of Lakeville dons a metal and plastic suit donated by the Ordway Theatre. It is made out of old cans, metal duct piping, and of course, a metal funnel for a hat.

“It’s ridiculous,” Lundin said. “It’s about 15 pieces, and weighs about 30 pounds. It’s pretty hardcore, which is fun, because it reminds me that I’m not me, I’m the Tin Man.”

Wilhelm said the production would use all the depth in the Lakeville Art Center’s stage, going all the way back to the wall of the church. That depth, she said, makes it possible to hide the Wizard puppet until late in the show, and also allows for the use of shadow puppets to augment the human cast on stage. The technical nature of the play is one of the most challenging things about it, Wilhelm said.

“There’s so much magic - the witch melting, the poppies that are supposed to grow on stage, and snow coming down,” she said. “To try to come up with a way to make it possible for these elements to happen within our means [is a challenge]. It’s a really large show - there are four main characters and they meet group after group of people. That means there are 20 Munchkins and 10 Flying Monkeys - so there are a ton of costumes.”

The script for the play is an authorized version developed by MGM for the Royal Shakespeare Company. One major difference between it and the story everyone knows is the inclusion of “The Jitterbug Number,” which was written for the movie but cut. The dance number stems from reluctance on the part of the Flying Monkeys to grab Dorothy and her friends, so the Wicked Witch of the West sends the Jitterbugs instead.

“The Jitterbugs’ power is that they can make you dance and you can’t stop dancing,” Wilhelm said. “Essentially, they wear out Dorothy and her friends so the monkeys can scoop them up.”

L. Frank Baum published “The Wizard of Oz” in 1900, and the film version was made in 1939. Despite the fact that the story is well over 100 years old, it continues to resonate even with today’s audiences for a variety of reasons.

“It’s a coming of age story,” Wilhelm said. “Everyone identifies with the rebel child who is being told to be good and not cause trouble. It’s a heartwarming, feel-good, conquering all evil [type of story]. I mean, the Wicked Witch is pure evil - and what makes a story better than a truly evil villain?”

“Everyone has seen this as a kid,” said Stephanie DeMars of Eagan, who plays Dorothy. “It’s [about coming] back home and realizes that home is where the love has been all along. It has a good meaning.”

“People really enjoy the iconic references in this story,” said stage manager Philip Hocks of Eden Prairie. “People know it so well from such a young age that it is something they can carry with them through adulthood to bring them back to [childhood].”

Burnsville-based Applause Community Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” will take to the Lakeville Area Arts Center stage at 7 p.m. July 8-10, 16 and 18, and at 1 p.m. July 11-12 and 18-19.

For more information on the production go to www.applausecommunitytheatre.com

Opportunities for Kids 6-17 

Stagehands Productions (children’s theater) will begin rehearsals for our next performance of Snow White in October, 2010.  For more information please click here!  Thank you for your interest!

Applause Community Theatre awards two scholarships annually under the following terms and conditions: 

Two Scholarships: 

1.  The Len Nachman Scholarship – for the study of directing, acting, choreography music direction. etc. 

2.  The William P. Muchow Scholarship – for technical or administrative including theatre manager, lighting, sound, set design, construction, etc. 

Scholarship Amount:  Each scholarship is for $500. 

Eligibility: 

1.  Applicant is a graduating high school senior from a public or private school in the Burnsville, Rosemount or Lakeville district attendance areas.

-or-

Applicant or an immediate family member has participated in an Applause Community Theatre main stage production within three years of graduation (Stage Hand shows are not main stage productions). 

2.  Applicant has applied to study in a Theatrical Arts Baccalaureate program (4 year college).  Theatrical Arts are performances of live plays and musicals and would include directing, acting, choreography, music direction, theatre manager, set design, sound, lighting, construction and the like.  The scholarships are payable to the school the student will be attending on the students behalf. 

Selection Process: 

The applicants shall submit an application which will be reviewed by a committee of five composed of one ACT Board member (including ex officio past presidents) and four non-board members of the theater.  The decisions of the committee are final and unappealable. 

Application Process: 

The applicant shall file an application to Applause Community Theatre, 1200 Alimagnet Parkway #3, Burnsville, MN  55337. 

The application shall include the following information: 

1.  Applicants name, address, phone number, and email address. 

2.  The name of the school they plan to attend, and the address and phone number. 

3.  A resume of the applicant’s theatrical experience, including shows they were in, classes and workshops attended, leadership positions held, etc. (if not a resident of the Burnsville or Lakeville districts – include connection to Applause Community Theatre). 

4.  A 1-2 page essay including information on: 1) what the applicant wants to do after college and 2) what is the best show they’ve done.

5.  Include 2 references from theatrical activities with contact information.  (Someone who they’ve worked with in theatre.) 

The committee will select up to 5 applicants for each scholarship to interview before making the final selection.  The children of committee members are not eligible for the scholarship. 

Applications should be submitted by May 1, 2009.  Scholarships will be awarded by May 31, 2009.

Lakeville Area Arts Center

20965 Holyoke Avenue, Lakeville, MN.  Click here for directions.

Neill Park  (Please note:  There are No performances here!  This location is sometimes used for board meetings, rehearsals and auditions.)

13481 Upton Avenue, Burnsville, MN.  Click here for directions.

Prior Lake High School (PLHS)

7575 150th Street West, Savage, MN.  Click here for directions.

Twin Oaks Middle School (TOMS) 

15860 Fish Point Road SE, Prior Lake, MN.  Click here for directions.

Stagehands Productions (our children’s theatre) has performing opportunities for children ages 6-17 in the South Metro area.  Our performance based program encourages students to develop artistic, social and personal skills through the exploration of their own creativity and expression.  Our course cultivates stage presence, performance technique and an appreciation of the performing arts.  This creative environment nurtures children’s natural gifts and develops the strengths critical to theatrical performances, such as character development, vocalization, focusing on diction and projection, memorization and choreography. 

Stagehands Productions proudly presents   

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

In this production of Snow White, you’ll bring to life the enchanting tale of the beautiful, gentle Snow White and her jealous stepmother, the Queen.  Sent on a perilous journey into the woods, Snow White befriends the forest animals and the delightful seven dwarfs. Tricked into taking a bite of the poisoned apple, the lovely princess sleeps until Prince Charming awakens her with “love’s first kiss”.  

Due to increased interest in these programs, an additional section has been added for this production.  Please select your section and register early!

Rehearsals are Saturdays, October 2 through December 11, 2010.   Additional fees are charged to attend performances (All tickets $5), however each cast member will receive two complimentary tickets to one performance.

Ages:  6-17    Cost:  $125 per person

Location:  Twin Oaks Middle School Auditorium, 15860 Fish Point Road SE, Prior Lake, MN.  Click here for directions.

CAST #1 - SATURDAY MORNINGS

Rehearsal Schedule:  9:30am to 12 noon, October 2, 9, 16, 30, November 6, 13, 20, December 4.  NO CLASS October 23 or November 27.

Tech Rehearsals: Mandatory Attendance - Wednesday, December 8th from 6pm to 8pm and Friday, December 10th from 5pm to 7pm.

Performances:  Friday, December 10 at 7:00pm and Saturday, December 11 at 11:00 a.m.

CAST # 2- SATURDAY AFTERNOONS

Rehearsal Schedule:   12:30pm to 3pm,  October 2, 9, 16, 30, November 6, 13, 20, December 4.  NO CLASS October 23 or November 27.

Tech Rehearsals: Mandatory Attendance - Thursday, December 9th from 6 - 8pm and Saturday, December 11 from 12 noon - 2pm.

Performances:  Saturday, December 11 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. 

TO REGISTER ONLINE, PLEASE CLICK HERE or contact Prior Lake-Savage Community Education at 952-226-0080.

Please contact Prior Lake-Savage Community Education at 952-226-0080 if you have any questions.  Thank you so much for your interest!

Dakota Fine Arts Consortium

Lakeville Area Arts Center

Minnesota Association of Community Theatres

Minnesota Fringe Festival

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