Month: April 2012

What a great night!

Posted on by CJ Verburg
watching dress rehearsal

How can this possibly work? Why didn’t I choose some other career? Should I warn all these nice people walking in the door to go home? you wonder an hour before show time. Then the audience is seated, lights rise on the stage, and–mysteriously, magically–it’s wonderful! Laughs! Tears! Applause! Flowers! & you wish you could do it all over again.

Thanks to all who supported Centenary Stage Company’s reading of my play “Spin, or Twilight of the Bohemians,” especially the actors, crew, and unsung staff who made it happen. This past week has been a marvelous adventure!

at Centenary Stage Co. in NJ

Posted on by CJ Verburg

The Garden State is at its most delightful this fourth week in April, lush with lilacs and dogwoods and thick green grass (and, at the moment, heavy rain.) We’ve just spent 2 days rehearsing my play “Spin, or Twilight of the Bohemians.” This is Centenary Stage Company’s 20th anniversary season for their Women Playwrights Series, which I’m proud to be part of–especially since Program Director Catherine Rust is not only producing the reading of my script, but playing a lead role.

Catherine Rust, Quinn Warren, Will Rothfuss, Becky Engborg, Nick Wilder, Eric Rolland

As always, Day One of rehearsal was scary. (Who are these people, and what are they doing to my play?!?) Day Two brought ever-larger glimpses of brilliance from the cast, and hints of more revelations to come when we finally get onstage Wednesday night.  It also showed me that the fully staged reading I hoped for is way beyond the limited prep time available to WPS winners: my play follows hard on the heels of last week’s, will be followed in a few days by next week’s, and overlaps with not only the mainstage production (winner of last year’s Susan Glaspell Prize) but a student production and a special event for children.  Luckily we’re in the Centenary College’s fabulous new Lackland Center–a thespian’s dream!

Tomorrow I head for a NYC break, to catch up with old friends and other arts besides theater.  Then back for a final run-through and our 7:30 PM reading on Wed. PM.

at the Edward Gorey House

Posted on by CJ Verburg

The murmur of Gorey fans is filtering up the stairs: this is the first week of the EGH’s 2012 show, “The Envelope Art of Edward Gorey,” after last Sunday’s grand opening. (Everyone here was so busy, they didn’t realize the gala day was also the 12th anniversary of Edward’s death on 4/15/00.)  Ombledroom the vast white-and-black cat is as chunky and friendly as ever, and Yarmouth Port is sparkling with green grass and yellow forsythia.

The exhibit is extraordinary: dozens of envelopes and postcards dating back to the days when you could mail a letter for 5 cents, addressed by Edward Gorey to his mother and three of his closest friends, and lavishly hand-decorated with lumplike creatures, rainbow dragons, flying babies, mini-dramas starring a pair of black-and-white dogs in letter sweaters, or entire parlor scenes fit for PBS’s “Mystery” series.  Curator Rick Jones has managed to find a number of the items featured in these remarkable pictures, too: a display of blue glass bottles, a curtain tassel, even the head of a fly.  If you’re on Cape Cod between now and October, don’t miss this remarkable showcase of a genius having fun!