MUCH ADO BLOG: Valentine’s Date Night

REDUXION REDEFINES VALENTINE’S DATE NIGHT: Theatre Groups Offers Fun, Unique Night Life Experience in Oklahoma City

Reduxion Theatre Company's cast of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 17, 2012) – This February, new energy is brought to the classic Valentine’s Date-Night by Oklahoma City’s fastest growing Theatre Company: Reduxion Theatre (RTC).

RTC received much attention and positive reviews in 2011 with the opening of their intimate new venue, The Broadway Theater in OKC. Critically acclaimed productions of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet and the American classic Hair, the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, drew more than 2,000 fans to RTC at 1613 North Broadway Avenue near Automobile Alley and downtown.

“We love romantic stories and audiences love seeing them,” said Tyler Woods, RTC Artistic Director and Much Ado About Nothing director. “We push boundaries and challenge people on an emotional level, and we hope to make a name for ourselves as producers of plays that people enjoy sharing with a loved one.”

This season, RTC gets back to its roots by revisiting some of their first productions as a company. RTC continues their successful, “Original Sins” season with the romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, which was the first show independently produced by Artistic Director, Tyler Woods, in 2000. Woods directs this hilarious, touching and fast-paced romance with the same love and care he gave the first time around, on the show that started it all!

“Although we are considered a young company, this journey has taken many years,” said Woods. “From that first independent production in 2000, to this season, our fourth residential season in Oklahoma City, and the second year in our own performance venue – we must honor our growth and the support of the Oklahoma City community in fostering our development for over a decade.”

RTC welcomes patrons to another decade of growth this year. Each RTC opening night is celebrated with a unique after-party, gaining popularity as a distinctive Oklahoma City social event. The opening night of Much Ado About Nothing, Feb. 9th, will be immediately followed by a Sicilian-style gala, featuring food, drink and fun for attendees for no extra charge. Food is sponsored by Café Nova.

A romantic “Couple’s Package” is offered on the Friday and Saturday performances, February 10th and 11th, before Valentine’s Day, and includes preshow champagne and couple’s cupcakes at intermission. “We want to offer couples a fun and romantic alternative or addition to their Valentine’s plans on this romantic weekend,” said Managing Director, Erin Woods, “An entertaining evening of live theatre provides a memorable, romantic experience.”

The show opens Feb. 9th and runs through Feb. 25th on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., with a special Sunday Matinee, Feb. 19th at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $17 for adults and $13 for students, seniors and military with I.D. A free parking lot is adjacent to the theater. Additional street parking is available. Tickets are available for purchase online at reduxiontheatre.com or at the door, before each performance.

About Reduxion Theatre Company: Reduxion’s performance venue, the Broadway Theater, is located at 1613 North Broadway Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73103. For more details, directions or to order tickets visit reduxiontheatre.com.

Reduxion Theatre Company is a non-profit corporation with a mission to professionally produce both classical and contemporary theater, enriching Oklahoma’s cultural, educational and economic climate, attracting artists and audiences from around the world.

MUCH ADO BLOG: character study

Reduxion’s Much Ado About Nothing set in 1963 Sicily explores the exploding sexuality as well as the misogyny of the time and place. For actor inspiration, director Tyler Woods, puts forth some fun visual inspiration of the characters that make up this world.

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Reduxion Theatre Company performs at 1613 North Broadway Ave in Oklahoma City. To order tickets http://reduxiontheatre.com/index.html

MUCH ADO BLOG: 1st Rehearsal

Rehearsals began for Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at the Broadway Theater yesterday. We started out our year with a little prose and a little hos.

David Fletcher-Hall             Leonato/Conrade

Erin Woods                          Beatrice

Ian Clinton                         Borachio/Ursula

Jeff Burleson                    Antonio/Dogberry/Friar

Kathryn Spurr                   Hero/2nd Watch

Kyle Gossett                      Claudio/George Seacole

Rachael Barry                  Don John/Margaret/Balthasar/Verges

Sam Bearer                      Don Pedro/Sexton

Tim Berg                          Benedick

Tyler Woods                    Director

Lloyd Cracknell              Costume Design

 

HAMLET BLOG: Pre-show Lecture

Reduxion Theatre Company presents

Dr. Jame Yoch of University of Oklahoma

Pre-show lecture Saturday, Nov 12 at 7:30 pm

Kronborg Castle which appears in Shakespeare as Elsinore Castle

Hamlet, Notes for Reduxion Theatre Company by Dr. James Yoch, University of Oklahoma Background: 12th-century Icelandic saga about Amleth, who revenges the assassination of his father by killing the murderer, his father’s brother, Feng. The story includes models for Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Polonius under the ominous theme “goodness is not safe even from those of a man’ s own house.”

Length: 3766 lines (66.3 blank verse, 5.7 rhyme, 28.0 prose). 27 parts. Shakespeare’ s longest play (by about 150 lines) and by far longest lead—Hamlet has 1422 lines, about 400 more than the next longest part. One of many contradictions in a play famous for “Brevity is the soul of wit.’

Vladimir Nabokov’s observation, “Fancy is fertile only when it is futile,” gives a key for exploring this play of theatrical pretendings that include characters who professionally perform roles on stage, “ By indirection find direction out,” and are actually mad or “but mad north-north-by northwest.” Into the ruthless symmetries of design—three young males in relation to their legacy from older men, two women abused, a dramatic play and a play at swords both with deadly results, invocations of Alexander and Julius Caesar—drop in comic passages and coloratura descriptions that disrupt patterns and open the story to radical new dimensions. Hamlet comes to resemble the jester Yorick, and Elsinore takes on the character of Troy on the edge of ruin.

Competitive imaginations structure this play in which opponents attempt to outfigure each other like Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, Batman and the Joker, Autobots and Decepticons of The Transformers, and Will Schuester and Sue Sylvester on Glee.

In Elizabethan performances, the running time of the play was probably about 2 and ½ hours at 65 lines per minute which barely ended before the rigorous London curfew; in his 1996 movie, Kenneth Branagh directed a production using all the lines, and it lasted at the pace of modern English four hours and three minutes. Most performances, even in Shakespeare’s time, cut some or many lines.

Tampering with the play becomes a common practice, and by 1623 three versions of the text with some notable differences were in print. Later variations include the early nineteenth-century Hamlet Travestie: With Burlesque Annotations, the similarly 2006 spirited romp, Hamlet, the Artist Formerly Known as Prince of Denmark, and last summer’s performance in Avignon where amidst political despair for modern times, the hero’s most memorable dying line is, “At least I left a good-looking corpse.”

Photos above Kronborg Castle / Elsinore Castle. Drawing above right 1627-1628 showing the Kronborg Castle at Elsinore where the Sound Toll was levied on shipping.

More serious, the part of Ophelia (in Shakespeare’s versions of the story a mere 114 lines, not even 1/12th of Hamlet’s role) becomes increasingly important through the centuries. By 1868 in Amboise Thomas’s opera Hamlet, Ophelia is the only lead performer in Act 4. The rest is chorus. Her role expands, too, in the 2007 Chinese movie version Prince of the Himalayas that uses only 500 lines from Shakespeare’s text and ends with Hamlet and Ophelia’s child taking over Denmark.

From the beginning, the play celebrates flexibility—in multiple dimensions of puns, in disguises, in tricks, seemings of many sorts, especially in the hero who dares to enter the battlefield of his soul in soliloquies boldly facing enemies and dangers within himself. Fittingly for his funeral, “Four captains/ Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage” and he merits “The soldiers’ music and the rite of war.”

Finally, modern Hamlets carry on his role in unexpected places. Vladislav Surkov, a member of Vladimir Putin’s court in Russia, has “a soft, smooth face, something demonic.” He has written a best-selling novel, Almost Zero, which he both admits to and denies writing. “Its most interesting parts come when the author moves away from social satire to the inner world of his protagonist. Egor is described as a ‘vulgar Hamlet’ who can see through the superficiality of his age, but is unable to have real feeling for anyone or anything . . . talking to others in false voices to fish out whatever he needed.” (London Review of Books, 20 October 2011). ©James J. Yoch

HAMLET POST: Before the Play Begins

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Study Guide

Prince Hamlet, our hero, is the son of Old Hamlet and Gertrude, the King and Queen of Denmark. Upon the sudden death of his father, Hamlet returns home from school at Wittenberg, to the castle of the royal family, Elsinore. Upon arrival, Hamlet finds that his uncle, brother to Old Hamlet, Claudius, has married Hamlet’s mother, and taken the crown, becoming the new king of Denmark.

Tyler Woods and Rob Gallavan in RTC's Hamlet

Prior to the play, Hamlet’s father, Old Hamlet, killed the Norwegian king, Fortinbras, in a combat in which Denmark captured many lands from Norway. Now motivated by the death of his father, the young Prince of Norway, also named Fortinbras, whose uncle is also now king, marches with the intent to avenge his own father’s death and recapture the lands his father lost to Old Hamlet. During the play, King Claudius sends diplomats to Norway to communicate with the current Norwegian king about young Fortinbras. In Act Four, Hamlet crosses paths with Prince Fortinbras, who is on his way to invade neighboring Poland in an effort to gain more land.

Polonius, top advisor to the king of Denmark, has two children, Laertes and Ophelia. Laertes has returned home to Denmark from school in France for the coronation of King Claudius. In the first act of the play, Laertes makes a formal request to return to France that is granted by the king. Ophelia is romantically involved with Prince Hamlet, and in Act One is warned by both her brother and father to end the relationship, fearing that the grieving prince does not have honorable intentions. During Act Two, Polonius announces that he believes that Hamlet’s mad behavior has been caused by a romantic dispute with Ophelia.

Horatio, Hamlet’s good friend and school companion, has also returned to Elsinore. Horatio is approached by castle guards to witness a ghostly sight they have seen twice during the night watch. In the first act, Horatio is able to confirm for the guardsmen that the specter indeed resembles the former king, Old Hamlet. Horatio believes the appearance of the ghost is an omen of battles to come with Young Fortibras and all things ‘Rotten’ in the state of Denmark.

HAMLET POST: Ensemble of Leads

The first Hamlet post!  Rehearsals begin Monday for our 7-actor Hamlet and we couldn’t be more excited!

Beginning notes from the Director:

Reduxion Theatre Company’s Hamlet by William Shakespeare pays homage to our company-beginnings, specifically a striped down 7-actor version produced at Sanford Meisner Theater in New York City in the summer of 2006. This was the first show we produced in New York City and the first production under our current name, Reduxion. Born out of a love for the show and an urge to present Shakespeare, tech-free, actor intensive and without the burden of heavy conceptual design, Tyler Woods brought forth an extremely satisfying production with 5 men, 2 women and three boxes as a transformative set. Swift, energetic, vital and ambitious were some of words the press used to describe the show.

In our fourth residential season in Oklahoma City, we revisit this inaugural production, using the same the script cutting and 7 actor character-tracks. We also use a minimal set, universal lighting and exclusively live sound effects and music similar to the first production. Added is a musician, outside of the cast, to provide moments and score to the piece, and a specific time period /place: 1938 Denmark.

Time period

This time-period helps to visualize an immediate, brink-of-war or brink-of-occupation environment. While Fortunbras is in no way the “Hilter” of our story, the threat of the outside and the government’s efforts to remain neutral come into play. Utilizing this time-period to tell the story offers the following context: political and royal unrest, economic crisis throughout Europe, and perhaps a time when strong leaders, such as Claudius, felt it necessary to use unthinkable measures to take control in order to bring assurance and balance back to his world. Also, for a hero concerned with action, the turmoil of this time and place mirrors the smell of something rotten just about to hit.

This is also a time when jazz hits Scandinavia in a big way! The freedom and sensuality of this musical invasion underscores, literally, our story’s quick evolution. The music of 15 years prior, by comparison stuffy and old-world, is placed side-by-side with the progressive sounds of change.

Actors

Seven actors tackle all roles of the show, in whirlwind fashion, shifting character and gender at a moment’s notice. A challenge, by any actor’s standards, this ensemble, unlike any before or since at Reduxion, expose their versatility and exercise their talents to the extreme. The purpose of this casting choice is to showcase a founding principal of Reduxion – that are no small roles. Instead of populating the stage with countless spear-carries to reflect the reality of the court, we assert that the practice is unnecessary at best and at worst, hinders the imagination of the audience. We have stripped down the cast to the 7 leading actors in order to illustrate that Hamlet, like most of Shakespeare’s works should be performed with an equal ensemble of leads.

Erin Woods, Managing Director

reduxiontheatre.com

EDUCATION BLOG: fall classes

Announcing Acting, Text, and Combat Classes

Reduxion Theatre Company teaches acting, text & voice work and combat for teens and young adults. RTC believes in accessible and energetic classical theatre performed with an emphasis on language and actor connection with the audience. All classes held at The Broadway Theater. All courses recommended for ages 15-23.

Sincerely,

Reduxion Theatre Company

Download Course Brochure

Fall Schedule – September 19- October 29, 2011

Monday 4:00-4:50 pm          Acting Shakespeare with Erin Woods

Tuesday 4:00-4:50 pm         Shakespearean Voice and Text with Erin Woods

Wednesday 4:00-4:50 pm   Acting Shakespeare with Erin Woods

Saturday 9:00-11:00 am      Stage Combat with Tyler Woods

Acting Shakespeare: Learn the art of classical acting with RTC Managing Director, Erin Woods. Learn the techniques to performing Shakespeare and classical texts. Good for students new to classical performance as well as those wanting to expand their abilities.

Meets: Mondays & Wednesdays

Times: 4:00-4:50 pm

Costs: $240/student

Prepare: Shakespeare monologue for first class, no less than 16 lines

Shakespearean Text and Voice: The core building block of performing Shakespeare begins with learning to “speak the speech!” Learn to tackle the poetry of verse and the elegancy of prose in this six week course. Learn the technique to unlocking classical performance: know what you are saying and how to communicate it. Good for students with upcoming college auditions or performance prep.

Meets: Tuesdays

Times: 4:00-4:50 pm

Costs: $120/student

Stage Combat: Learn stage fighting from choreographer, director and actor, Tyler Woods of Reduxion Theatre Company. Learn the basics of various combat styles and weaponry, and the most important component, safety.

Meets: Saturdays

Times: 9:00-11:00 am

Costs: $240/student

Private Coaching: Work one-on-one with Shakespearean actor and director, Erin Woods. Work on speeches and roles or tackle general text, voice work and movement. Course is tailor-made for students requirements or areas of focus. Recommended for students:

Preparing audition monologues for college or summer programs

Preparing a role for a classical production

Interested in focused, one-on-one training sessions

Sessions: 1 hour

Times: Arranged per student

Costs: $35/session

Contact: erin.woods@reduxiontheatre.com