Performers wanted: Theater prepares for upcoming historic show
Barbara Gregson and Eric Porter of the Gregson Theater. They will be holding an information session for their upcoming show "The Players and the Pirates Along the Chenango Canal" on Wednesday, June 30, in the Community Room at the Guernsey Memorial Library, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rehearsals will take place through the summer, and the show will be performed on August 27 and 28 at the Chenango Arts Council. (Submitted photo)
NORWICH — Barbara Gregson of Gregson Theater and local musician Eric Porter are seeking performers and musicians for their upcoming show, "The Players and the Pirates Along the Chenango Canal."
They will be holding an information session from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Wednesday, June 30, in the Community Room at Guernsey Library. Everyone interested in the production is welcome to attend, regardless of experience.
"We need people," said Gregson. "I'm sure we'll get an audience. It's the actors we need. You know, anybody. They don't have to be experts. Like we say, all creatives wanted."
The information session will allow those interested to learn more about the production, and Gregson's creative process when putting together a show.
"Basically show everybody how we work. We'll do a workshop, a theater music workshop, so they'll see. We'll do some theater exercises, games, improvs, and get to know everybody a little. And they'll get all the information, the schedule. They'll get to see how we work," said Gregson.
Rehearsals for the production will begin on July 12 and run through the summer, and end with the performances on August 27 and 28, which will be held at the Chenango Arts Council in Norwich. Schedules will be given out at the information session Wednesday.
The show is made possible through decentralization grants from the Earlville Opera House and the City of Norwich. Gregson said she had received several in 2019 but due to the timing of receiving them, she couldn't use them until now.
"You apply usually around the fall or something like that, it was all different this year, and crazy. And then you hear about it like by December, and then you get your award," she said. "So in 2019 we had applied for a bunch of grants, and we got them all, but that's why we're doing them all now."
"The Players and the Pirates Along the Chenango Canal" will be an original piece. Gregson said it is based off of a Japanese legend.
"It's based on an old Japanese legend, tenth century, of a musician that was sitting in the harbor ... and all of a sudden he's attacked by pirates," she said. "And he says, 'don't kill me yet, just let me play one song.' And of course he plays his beautiful song and they say, 'okay, you'll live.' And they leave him in peace."
The show by the Gregson Theater will follow the legend, but instead of tenth century Japan it will take place along the Chenango Canal in the 1870's.
Gregson said she has always done original works, and that working with Porter allows her to add in original music as well.
"Always I've done original work with the group. So I don't come in with a script. And Eric does original music. He'll find like- is there a band, who plays what, who sings. Okay, let's put together original music that's gonna go with the theater piece, what we're doing. It's really fun. It's the only way I work," said Gregson.
Due to coronavirus concerns, Gregson is asking that only vaccinated individuals participate, to ensure the safety of everyone involved as masks would hinder performance abilities.
"We're saying you need to be vaccinated," said Gregson. "You can't do it in a small group, you can't run around with a mask on doing theater or music or singing."
In addition to creating their own original work, Gregson and Porter will also be doing research with the Chenango County Historical Society to ensure their play is historically accurate.
"It's honoring the forefathers in this area, who built this whole community, the infrastructure," said Porter. "Their way of life and how they coped with life. You know, it's in some ways simpler but in a lot of ways it's different and probably more difficult for them to pull things off."
Cast members are tasked with creating their own characters, said Gregson, but added that there is one character they want to make sure to include in the performance.
"One character that we definitely want to have is a concert pianist from New York City, who's coming by to test out the pianos in the piano factory that was made right here in Norwich," said Gregson. "So you can see imagining a concert pianist traveling by boat to come and check out the pianos for them in there, and he gets attacked."
Gregson and Porter also stressed that the production is a group effort, meaning everyone involved is expected to participate in all facets of putting the show together.
"It's gonna be a collaborative effort," said Porter. "I mean they contribute to the whole production."
Gregson added that, "everybody does everything. That's the thing. Nobody just sits there and does all the acting, and nobody does just the set. Everybody does everything. That's how we do it."
"It's going to be really fun," said Gregson. "Very creative."
For more information on the show, contact Barbara Gregson at 607-895-6032, or email her at blgregson@gmail.com.
They will be holding an information session from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Wednesday, June 30, in the Community Room at Guernsey Library. Everyone interested in the production is welcome to attend, regardless of experience.
"We need people," said Gregson. "I'm sure we'll get an audience. It's the actors we need. You know, anybody. They don't have to be experts. Like we say, all creatives wanted."
The information session will allow those interested to learn more about the production, and Gregson's creative process when putting together a show.
"Basically show everybody how we work. We'll do a workshop, a theater music workshop, so they'll see. We'll do some theater exercises, games, improvs, and get to know everybody a little. And they'll get all the information, the schedule. They'll get to see how we work," said Gregson.
Rehearsals for the production will begin on July 12 and run through the summer, and end with the performances on August 27 and 28, which will be held at the Chenango Arts Council in Norwich. Schedules will be given out at the information session Wednesday.
The show is made possible through decentralization grants from the Earlville Opera House and the City of Norwich. Gregson said she had received several in 2019 but due to the timing of receiving them, she couldn't use them until now.
"You apply usually around the fall or something like that, it was all different this year, and crazy. And then you hear about it like by December, and then you get your award," she said. "So in 2019 we had applied for a bunch of grants, and we got them all, but that's why we're doing them all now."
"The Players and the Pirates Along the Chenango Canal" will be an original piece. Gregson said it is based off of a Japanese legend.
"It's based on an old Japanese legend, tenth century, of a musician that was sitting in the harbor ... and all of a sudden he's attacked by pirates," she said. "And he says, 'don't kill me yet, just let me play one song.' And of course he plays his beautiful song and they say, 'okay, you'll live.' And they leave him in peace."
The show by the Gregson Theater will follow the legend, but instead of tenth century Japan it will take place along the Chenango Canal in the 1870's.
Gregson said she has always done original works, and that working with Porter allows her to add in original music as well.
"Always I've done original work with the group. So I don't come in with a script. And Eric does original music. He'll find like- is there a band, who plays what, who sings. Okay, let's put together original music that's gonna go with the theater piece, what we're doing. It's really fun. It's the only way I work," said Gregson.
Due to coronavirus concerns, Gregson is asking that only vaccinated individuals participate, to ensure the safety of everyone involved as masks would hinder performance abilities.
"We're saying you need to be vaccinated," said Gregson. "You can't do it in a small group, you can't run around with a mask on doing theater or music or singing."
In addition to creating their own original work, Gregson and Porter will also be doing research with the Chenango County Historical Society to ensure their play is historically accurate.
"It's honoring the forefathers in this area, who built this whole community, the infrastructure," said Porter. "Their way of life and how they coped with life. You know, it's in some ways simpler but in a lot of ways it's different and probably more difficult for them to pull things off."
Cast members are tasked with creating their own characters, said Gregson, but added that there is one character they want to make sure to include in the performance.
"One character that we definitely want to have is a concert pianist from New York City, who's coming by to test out the pianos in the piano factory that was made right here in Norwich," said Gregson. "So you can see imagining a concert pianist traveling by boat to come and check out the pianos for them in there, and he gets attacked."
Gregson and Porter also stressed that the production is a group effort, meaning everyone involved is expected to participate in all facets of putting the show together.
"It's gonna be a collaborative effort," said Porter. "I mean they contribute to the whole production."
Gregson added that, "everybody does everything. That's the thing. Nobody just sits there and does all the acting, and nobody does just the set. Everybody does everything. That's how we do it."
"It's going to be really fun," said Gregson. "Very creative."
For more information on the show, contact Barbara Gregson at 607-895-6032, or email her at blgregson@gmail.com.
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