S2E3: Meet the Ensemble

What you see onstage is just the tip of the theatrical iceberg. It takes many hands, brains, minds, and hearts to run a professional theatre. In this episode you’ll hear from eight of BTE’s Ensemble Members about their jobs, favorite theatre stories, and much more!

Recorded and Edited by: Amy Rene Byrne
Original Music by: Aaron White
Transcription by: Kimie Muroya

Transcripts of all Season 2-5episodes are available on our Buzzsprout website.

Check out our current season: http://www.bte.org
Ensemble Driven. Professional Theatre. Arts Education. Rural Pennsylvania. For Everyone. With Everyone.

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Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble Down Center
Episode 3
Transcription

[INTRO MUSIC]

AMY
 Welcome to Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble Down Center, a podcast where we, the people of BTE, highlight our company, our people, our art, and our town, and put them front and down center.

AARON
We are sitting here in the Montour Chamber of Commerce, and we'd like to thank the foundation of the Chamber of Commerce for the use of their space and equipment that helped make the recording of this podcast possible and bringing it to your ears.

[MUSIC FADES OUT]

AMY
Hi, Aaron White. 

AARON
Hi, Amy Rene Byrne. How you doing? 

AMY
I'm doing great. How are you? 

AARON
I'm good. I'm hot. 

AMY
Yeah, it has been really warm. 

AARON
Yeah, we were out marking the lines for Twelfth Night out in the park and we were gripping. 

AMY
Yes, at the time of this recording we are just about to open Twelfth Night. 

AARON
That's right, that's right.

AMY
And it has been a scorcher. 
[AARON CHUCKLES]

AMY
So, you, our audience, heard from Aaron and myself and Elizabeth in our first full episode about being Resident Acting Company members and running a professional theater in rural Pennsylvania. But Aaron, it occurs to me that it takes a lot more than some actors to run a theater.

AARON
[LAUGHS] Well, and it takes a lot more of those actors to do other things. Absolutely.

AMY
Yes. 

AARON
We are supported with a group of dedicated individuals that make this thing go. Nothing happens in a vacuum, for sure, for sure. 

AMY
Absolutely not. And BTE's history is pretty interesting in terms of how it grew, because it did start with a group of actors and they were dedicated to creating this thing that then grew to need support people and to be able to support hiring support people which is really fascinating. And so now we have, at any given time, a dozen full time employees. 

AARON
Right now we do. At our height, when we were fully staffed, I will say, I think we - we - we were close to 18 full time. 

AMY
Yeah.

AARON
Um, and right now, because we're in a transition, we have fewer than that. And I also think that it's really interesting you were talking about the support staff and that support was, was very much a part of that position, uh, that the folks around the ensemble would support the ensemble. And now I think it's very clear that those support folks are not support folks. They're essential members and active members of the ensemble. We opened up the ensemble. So the folks who in the past might've been viewed as support for the ensemble are now essential members of the ensemble and equal partners in making it go. And it's been a big paradigm shift, I think, for the company and also financially because we have reached pay parity where everyone's paid the same and everyone's got to play their position to the nth degree to make it go.

AMY
Yeah. 

AARON
Yeah. But they're incredible folks, they're incredibly skilled, and so, uh, we're excited to share those folks with you today on this podcast. 

AMY
Yes, you're just going to meet some of them. We have too many to interview in one podcast, so this will be part one of Meet the Ensemble. 

AARON
Yeah, they're pretty keen, you're going to like them!

AMY
All right, listen up. 

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

MICHAEL
Hi, my name is Michael Yerges. 

A’NIE
Hi, I'm A’njulean Kirchner, most of you know me as A’nie. 

ABBY
Hi, I'm Abby Leffler. 

JENNIFER
Hi, I'm Jennifer Lippert. 

KIMIE
Hi, my name is Kimie Muroya. 

DIAMOND
Hi, I'm Diamond Gloria Marrow. 

ARRIANNA
Hello, my name is Arrianna Daniels. 

BRUCE
Hi, my name is Bruce Gomez.

[MUSIC FADES]

MICHAEL
Hi, my name is Michael Yerges, and I'm the production stage manager at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. Broadly speaking, that means that I'm in charge of coordinating the production department (sets, costumes, lights, etc.), and that I also am one of the two full time stage managers that run the rehearsal room and run the shows.

AMY
Awesome. What is your favorite part of being a stage manager? 

MICHAEL
That it is never the same day twice. Um, no matter how many times we've rehearsed a show, no matter how many times we do a show, I have never had the same day of work twice. 

AMY
That is one of the biggest reasons I became an actor. 

MICHAEL
Definitely. 

AMY
I cannot handle monotony in any way.

MICHAEL
Neither can I. 

AMY
I can do anything for about three months, but after three months of monotony, I will go berserk. 

[MICHAEL LAUGHS]

AMY
Michael, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

MICHAEL
Uh, sure. I was born and grew up in Bloomsburg. Well, outside of Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, for those of you keeping track. And I grew up here, and I'm a graduate of Bloomsburg University, uh, with my degree in theater. And my first show at BTE was 20 years ago. 

AMY
Wow! You're one of only two Bloomsburg natives at BTE, is that correct? 

MICHAEL
I think so, yeah. Most everybody is at least from out of town, if not out of state. 

AMY
Yeah, wonderful. Do you have a favorite theater story? 

MICHAEL
I have... Tons of theater stories. Uh, one of my favorites is about the hazards of quick changing.

AMY
Ooh. 

MICHAEL
So, with all shows, there's a lot of things that happen backstage that the audience doesn't get to see, and for the most part, that's a good thing. But, uh, one of the things that is something we do right before we open is figure out quick changes. And depending on who's backstage, uh, it's usually just me and the actor, and we have to figure it out.

And we had a show called The 39 Steps, and The 39 Steps is a clown show comedy based on the Alfred Hitchcock film. Uh, so it's very film noir, and there were two clowns who played over 50 characters throughout the entire show. And so, of course, that meant they were changing costumes pretty much every other minute.

And one of the costumes was a full Scottish... kilt. Whole nine yards. And I was changing, uh, Danny Roth, one of our ensemble members, Resident Actors at the time, and kilts are way more complicated than they seem. They look like a plain old skirt, but there are buckles, there are straps, it's twice the size you think it is, and we decided we needed to practice.

Took the whole costume down to the men's dressing room, and I had to get him out of a suit, fedora, the whole nine yards. and get him into this kilt. So, we took it slow, and we figured out the straps. Now, the catch is, is that part of this costume is an item called a sporran. And for those of you who don't know what it is, it is a leather pouch that is worn around the waist, and it hangs on a chain right in the front.

And, uh, the sporran we were given was the size of a salad plate and made of rock hard leather. This was not a delicate piece of costuming. And so as we're figuring this out, I said to Danny, I said, “Okay, I'm gonna be behind you and I'm gonna pass the sporran in front of you and I need you to hold it so that I can thread the chain and hook it and we can do it really quickly.”

And Danny looked a little puzzled and asked, why did he need to hold it? And I said, “Well, I - it's pretty bulky. I don't want to hit you with it.” 

And Danny said, “No, no, no, don't worry about it. It's fine. I completely trust you.” 

I said, “Are you sure?” 

And he said, “Absolutely. You and I have worked backstage before. You have quick changed me out of all sorts of weird things. I trust you.” 

I said, “Okie dokie.” So we ran the quick change at show speed. And, you know, kilt went on, buckled, strapped, tight, great. I flicked the sporran around him and pulled the chain back. And because gravity and physics being what they are, that salad plate of rock hard leather hit Danny in what I can only describe as a sensitive area because this is a family friendly podcast.

AMY
In his bikini zone? 

MICHAEL
In his bikini zone. 

AMY
[PAINED] Ooooohhh…

MICHAEL
And all I heard from above me was [MIMICKING PAINED GROAN] “Oof!” 

AMY
[LAUGHING] Oh no. 

MICHAEL
And I kept going, and finished the change, got him, got his little plaid hat with a little pom pom on top, and he was done. And we stopped, and we checked our time, our time was good, and I said, “Okay Danny, what can I do to make that better?”

And he looked me dead in the eye, and said, “I'm going to catch the sporran.”

AMY
[LAUGHS]
Lesson learned. 

MICHAEL
And these are the things we have to take into account when bringing live theater to life. 

AMY
I love it. I love it. If people have seen shows like Noises Off or something that has given them a glimpse to what backstage life can be like on a show - and of course Noises Off is an exaggerated version - however! 

MICHAEL
Only by a little. 

AMY
Right. I can think of several shows that have gotten, have gotten up there. We had one performance of The BFG that was very Noises Off-esque with spilled props and manic panic, trying to get it, uh -  

MICHAEL
And the stage manager backstage yelling at this child, “Go on, leave me!” As though it were a war film.

[BOTH LAUGH]

AMY
Yes, yes. Beautiful. That's one of my favorite things about what we do. 

MICHAEL
Definitely.

AMY
All right, Michael, what is something that our audience may not know about you? 

MICHAEL
Well, one thing they might not know about me is that all of my training is actually in performance and direction. I picked up stage management and scenic design and all the other design work I do sort of by accident.

AMY
You just were at the store one day and you said, “I'll take two of these.”

MICHAEL
I - my joke is, is that I wandered into BTE and nobody's kicked me out yet.

[BOTH LAUGH]

AMY
I love it. I took the fungus approach. 

MICHAEL
Which is? 

AMY
I'm just going to like slowly grow here until I've overtaken to the point where they can't eradicate me. 

MICHAEL
[LAUGHS] I completely respect that. I just figured out what was in all the closets and found the keys.

[BOTH LAUGH]

AMY
That's awesome. As Michael mentioned, he is also a designer, uh, and a director. You directed The Thin Place in our last season. Michael, if you could direct any show, what would you direct? 

MICHAEL
Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. 

AMY
Ooh! 

MICHAEL
That is my pet hobby, murder mysteries, and that is my favorite. 

AMY
Thank you so much, Michael.

MICHAEL
Of course, thanks for having me.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

A’NIE
Hi, I'm A’njulean Kirchner, most of you know me as A’nie, and I'm the company stage manager here at BTE. 

AMY
Hi, A’nie! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

A’NIE
Sure. I have been at BTE officially 13 years as of August 9th. Um, I started out here as a stage management intern and then I just fell in love with this place and it's now my home. Uh, I come from, uh, Arlington, Texas, so I use y'all a lot. It's just natural. Uh, I think that might be all I can think about right now. I don't know what else to say about me. 

AMY
Perfect. What does a company stage manager do? 

A’NIE
So I am, along with my cohort, Michael Yerges, are the two stage managers for BTE. We have production meetings, uh, which are the scheduled meetings we have with our director and all of our designers. We basically are the ones who run the shows. So we help coordinate cues, all the lights and sounds that you see, we're the ones pushing those buttons to make them go. Uh, we help make sure that the rehearsals and shows start on time.

I mean, we're basically glorified people watchers in a lot of ways. We watch actors and make notes on them for six hours a day. So, we're almost like stalkers. 

AMY
Okay, so no pressure. 

A’NIE
“Amy did this silly thing with her hair.” No, but I definitely - 

AMY
“Amy picked a wedgie at two minutes and three seconds into act two." 

A’NIE
Okay, won't lie. If it's part of the show, then yes, I'm going to write it down. 

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

A’NIE
But more often than not, it's like Amy picked up her coffee mug and then took it from table A and put it on table B so that if we come back to that scene, I can be like: oh, Amy's coffee isn't here. It's over there so that we know how to, like, pick it up, track it, that kind of thing.

AMY
Yeah, stage managers just do a lot of things that, as an organized mind, that I find very appealing. Like, before our rehearsal process starts, you take the set design and you tape that out on the floor so that when the actors walk into the room, we know where things are even before the set is built. 

A’NIE
Yeah, so we get these, uh, scaled ground plans and measure them all out and then tape them in real time in the space. However, we can put up, this is a wall in a tape line, but then we get the real walls. And sometimes actors like there's a wall here. Yes. That's not just a tape line. 

AMY
Yes. My favorite are when we are working with kids and they have zero concept of the walls. 

A’NIE
Oh, I love it so much. 

AMY
It's like, dude, you just walked through a wall.

A’NIE
Sometimes we can, in our rehearsal room, facsimile stuff in the way, like a block or a chair or just something to be like, hey, this is a wall, please don't walk through here. Um, especially for comedies, it's so important to, like, know when you can hide, when you can't. So having walls and that kind of stuff is really important.

AMY
Absolutely. What is your favorite part of being a stage manager? 

A’NIE
Watching a play come to life from the beginning all the way through the end, and being able to like, see and hear the audience's reaction to what everyone's done, like seeing the lights and the sound get put with a set that was just, you know, lines on paper, and a script that is just typed text become alive and moving and breathing, there's just something really I'll never get over that wonder of having, you know, a show open and an audience get to watch it, whether it be something spooky, something silly, some raucous comedy, something with kids, there's just something really magical about watching a play on paper, come to life. 

AMY
Do you have a favorite theater story? 

A’NIE
I have soooo many stories. Um, one story that I really love is when we did, it was Christmas 2019. We did, uh, Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley. Beautiful show. The cast was so amazing and fun. And we have a tech process, which if you don't know is when we move into the theater, have a set, have the everything built and ready. And that's, we can cue stuff and all the light changes and everyone gets to really move in the space. So there's a fake piano. And so all of the piano playing was all sound cue. So it's our tech afternoon on Saturday and the cast the night before decided to come in in pajamas and we get to the end and there's this beautiful song that everyone gets together around the piano and sings.

It's really, really sweet and pretty little Christmas song. And I look at my sound designer and say, “Hey. We're about done with tech. Can you do me a solid? Can you put on the Charlie Brown Christmas song with the piano?” 

And so we ran through it once or twice, and I said, “Okay guys, just one more time, good measure, and then we'll be done, and then we can take a break, and then we can come back tonight and do the show and try costumes.”

So everything's queued up, everyone's standing around ready to sing this song. And that Charlie Brown Christmas song goes, and the entire cast, the electricity and the light in their face, and they just start doing the Charlie Brown dances, I mean, you can see it in your head if you know, just all over the stage, it was a beautiful moment.

And it's one of those things that I love about that kind of, like, spontaneity of live theater, and that, like, ability for all of us on stage, off stage to kind of play with each other and connect with each other. 

AMY
I was in that cast. I was on that stage.

A’NIE
Yes, you were!

AMY
I was wearing pajamas!

A’NIE
Yes, you were!

AMY
And I Peanuts-danced my heart out. A’nie, what is something that our audience may not know about you? 

A’NIE
So I have been stage managing, oh goodness, since college. However, in high school, I was an actress. I did a lot of bit parts on stage. I played an 11 year old Mozart. I was in the ensemble in Sound of Music and my favorite one was I played Dr. Ava Van Helsing in Dracula and it was one of my favorite roles and it's like endeared me to Dracula forever. Um, and I was gonna go to this acting conservatory in Texas and it was gonna be, you know, all the thing and then I went to the conservatory and went, oh, this isn't what I want. I don't know what I want.

And I found this little outdoor theater in Texas and they're like, we need someone to come be a stage manager. I'm like, oh, I've never tried it. And I haven't turned back since. 

AMY
And you've been a stage manager ever since. 

A’NIE
Literally. Yes. 

AMY
Perfect. Thank you so much, A’nie. 

A’NIE
You're welcome. Thank you, Amy.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

ABBY
Hi, I'm Abigail Leffler, Education Director at Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. 

AARON
Hey there, Abby Leffler. 

ABBY
Hey there, Aaron White. 

AARON
How are you doing? 

ABBY
I am doing well. How are you? 

AARON
I'm good. Can you tell me a little bit about what you do here at BTE? 

ABBY
Sure. Education Director is just a fancy word for saying that I'm in charge of all the educational content that goes out. So, theater school, uh, residencies at schools or whatnot, that is the stuff that I administrate. And so, if your child has ever taken a theater school class in the last few years, I've been the one in charge of making sure it happens. And a lot of the times teaching it!

AARON
Gotcha. Well, I'm so glad you're here.

ABBY
Thank you. I am too. 

AARON
Yeah. So I'm wondering the - do you have a favorite theater story? 

ABBY
Well, I have two. Can I share two? 

AARON
Absolutely. Do it.

ABBY 
They're quick. I have a point of pride theater story in two different instances. So when I was in North Carolina, I did a show, uh, Sweeney Todd, where I played Mrs. Lovett, but the point of pride is not that. The point of pride is that I got to ride the death barbershop slide. 

AARON
Yes. 

ABBY
And that was a lot of fun. So that it's terrifying because of the angle with which you're sliding down, but I got a chance to get - Mrs. Lovett doesn't die on the murder slide, we'll call it. So, um, but I got a chance once the show was over to ride the murder slide and it was amazing and I was terrified, but that's more of a selfish story on my end. The story that I managed to think up was - it has to do with my son. One of the first times he ever took theater school was this summer and he took the improv class with my friend Violet teaching it. I was not teaching it. I do not teach my children if I can help it.

And so he went the first day and he was nervous and he didn't know what to do. And you know, he managed to conquer his nerves and he showed up and then three hours later I came to pick him up and he went into my car and he went, “Mom, I found my people.” And that's the story that is most recent in my mind of being a theater professional that has been, like, most rewarding.

AARON
Yeah. 

ABBY
Because that's kind of why I do it. Yes, I get to ride murder slides, but I also get to make sure people find their niche in the world, you know? 

AARON
Well, that's something, as education director, I think you, you get a special purview. 

ABBY
Yeah. 

AARON
Like you are giving those kids the opportunity to find people in that way, which is pretty great.

ABBY
Yes, it's a sanctuary of sorts. And that's why I really love it. 

AARON
Yeah. 

ABBY
That's what motivates me. 

AARON
Very cool. Very cool. Is there - you mentioned your son - is there, um, something else that our general public or the kids that come to see you in class, uh, that they may not know about you? 

ABBY
Oh, Lord. Um, I'm never good about talking about that kind of stuff because my main thing is theater, right? But everybody knows that that's the thing I do. And I realized it doesn't have to be something that you don't know about me, Aaron White, but something that others don't know about me. 

AARON
Outside of this room. That's right. 

ABBY
So, I will say that I am a lover of languages, so I enjoy learning languages. When I was in high school, I studied German and I even went to Germany. And then when I was in college, I took a Sign Language course. And so there is a little person in me that can learn languages rather easy, as long as they're not the romance languages. But yeah, so I know a little bit of German. I know a little bit of Sign Language and that's my little thing that people don't know about me.

AARON
I envy your German speaking. 

ABBY
No! 

AARON
‘Cause I'm Pennsylvania German. And I mean, it's a very different language. 

ABBY
Very aggressive language, we'll say. 

AARON
Oh, I don't know. 

ABBY
It is. 

AARON
I mean, you mean German in general? 

ABBY
In general, yeah. 

AARON
Yeah, gotcha. 

ABBY
It's very, it's very punchy. 

AARON
Yeah. Well, Pennsylvania German is very lazy. 

ABBY
Aaah. 

AARON
My grandfather's favorite thing to do was, because in retirement, he was a farmer, and in his retirement, they actually traveled a lot, because they couldn't when he was working. And so he'd love to go to Europe and particularly Germany and see if he could speak with people because he was fluent in Pennsylvania Deutsch. 

ABBY
Yeah, yeah. 

AARON
Um, he could match people in the south of Germany, uh, but he couldn't, uh, in the north of Germany, high German. 

ABBY
Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

AARON
Because it is very punchy and, yeah, Pennsylvania Dutch is, is such an interesting mash-up.

ABBY
Not just, yeah, not to speak ill of North Germany, but North Germany is also a little less patient for people who want to try and speak the language. When we went to Germany, they told us, don't even bother trying to speak it in North Germany. They'll just be like, “Sprechen sie English.” Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I'd be like, yes, but I want to learn. So, yeah, so that probably didn't help him in his journeys to try and speak the language. 

AARON
Yeah, I imagine that. Well, I mean, that was part of the fun. Like, some people go to eat and some people go to, like, sightsee. My pap wanted to speak German. 

ABBY
Oh, I would be right there with your pap. I'd be right there. That'd be so much fun. I remember I was in Germany and we were at a German restaurant where, like, this was not a touristy restaurant. And we found it off the beaten path and nobody else wanted to order because they were too paranoid to, like, speak the language. So I had to order for every single person and there was, like, 12 people. Like, I'll always remember that. That was interesting for my life. 

AARON
Well, thank you for that interesting fact. 

ABBY
You're welcome. Anytime. 

AARON
Pretty cool. Thanks so much. 

ABBY
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you for having me. 

AARON
You betcha.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

JENNIFER
Hi, I'm Jennifer Lippert, and I'm the Costume Shop Manager, which means that I manage the costume shop, which includes doing some building for the shows you see, working on those costumes, collaborating with designers that come in as well as the production team and actors that are already here at BTE.

AMY
Awesome. What is your favorite part of being a costume shop manager? 

JENNIGER
I love seeing the process from when we get the script, going through ideas, renderings, designs, and then seeing it come to life in actual garments. Whether that be building garments, purchasing garments, altering garments. I just love seeing it go from page to stage.

AMY
It's always so exciting to think about, like, when I first read a script, what I imagine in my head, then getting to see, like, the designer's vision for that, and then getting to see the final product. Being a part of that is always very, uh, thrilling. 

JENNIFER
Yeah. And it's always so fun when actors come in for fittings. And they love their costume, and they're enjoying the process, and it's just, it really brings it to life and, like, makes it fulfilling to what we do. 

AMY
Jen, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

JENNIFER
Yeah, so I'm not originally from Pennsylvania. I was raised in Missouri, just outside St. Louis, and I went to school at Missouri State. And then I've traveled around, and this is my third year living in Pennsylvania, and it's been fabulous. 

AMY
That's awesome. Do you have a favorite theater story? 

JENNIFER
I do. It is one of me participating as an audience rather than me working in theater, but I went to go see Angels in America on Broadway, and there's this moment where these, like, dancer people, like, crawl into, like, a bed, and then the person rips off the sheets, and they've disappeared. It's very few times that I, like, feel that theater magic, because I - I know the tricks that we use, but in that moment, I was like, how did they disappear? I felt that magic, and it was amazing to be in that moment. 

AMY
I got goosebumps when you said it. I can feel that magic. Like, I - I've had just so very few of those experiences myself, and when they happen, oh my goodness, it hits you in a way that just stays with you. I swear I live for those - those moments in theatre. 

JENNIFER
Yeah, that's what we strive to create is that magic for our audience, and so it's wonderful when we get to also, like, experience that, it kind of, refreshes and rejuvenates the magic and why we do these things. 

AMY
Absolutely. Uh, now, Jen, you just started working for BTE, so there's probably a lot that our audience doesn't know about you, but what is something that our audience may not know about you that you would like to share on this podcast?

JENNIFER
Fun fact, I have a dog. His name is Henry. He's three years old. He's a pandemic puppy, so. 

AMY
Oh, I love it. 

JENNIFER
Yeah, he's an Australian Shepherd-Blue Heeler mix. Very cute, and he knows it. 

AMY
Oh, and those are usually pretty smart dogs, both Australian Shepherds and Blue Heelers. 

JENNIFER
Correct. He's a smarty pants. Sometimes to a fault, but he - he listens when he wants to. 

AMY
I have a dog that was, when he was a puppy, he was smart to a fault. He had a proclivity for just my left shoe. I couldn't tell you why, but what he would do is he would take my left shoe and he would leave a dog toy in place, like he would trade me. He'd be like, I would like this. You can have that. Uh, does Henry do anything quirky like that? 

JENNIFER
He doesn't steal anything, but he talks back. Not very loud, just, just a whine, but he knows. When I - when I say quiet, he'll get quiet and I'll give him, like, a treat as a reward for being quiet. And then he starts all over again. 

AMY
I love it. I used to, had taught Bosco at one point “Inside Voice.” So if he was being really loud, I'd be like, “Bosco, Inside Voice!” And he'd go [IMITATING DOG GRUMBLES]. It was great. That was awesome. Thank you, Jen. 

JENNIFER
Thank you, Amy.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

KIMIE
Hi, my name is Kimie Muroya. 

AMY
Hi, Kimie. Can you tell me what you do here at BTE? 

KIMIE
Yeah, I am the Resident Acting Company Candidate. For now, I'm observing a lot of things and I'm learning a lot of things. Um, I think the ultimate hope and goal of it is to see if I fit in this company. And, uh, and we'll see where that goes.

AMY
Yeah, Kimie is just in her first show of the season of her candidacy, so very much still in the discovery phase. Um... Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

KIMIE
I am, uh, an Asian American actor, most recently from Philadelphia. I spent six years-ish building a theatrical career in Philadelphia after having graduated from Temple University. And prior to that, I went to high school in Lewisburg, so a little bit local. I was not born in Lewisburg. My family moved around all over the world. I was born in Australia. We lived in Hungary. We lived in Italy. Lots of places. So, yeah, I don't - I think it's very hard to, uh, describe myself. Um, I feel very self conscious about it.

AMY
I... empathize with that completely. I have to say I'm a little bit jealous you have dethroned me as the coolest place to be born. 

KIMIE
Oh, where were you born? 

AMY
Alaska. 

KIMIE
Alaska, yeah. 

AMY
Yeah, but I think Australia's cooler. 

KIMIE
Yeah, Australia's further, I think. 

AMY
It is further, yeah. 

KIMIE
I don't think it's cooler. I think Alaska is probably colder. Get it?

AMY
Ba dum tsh! 

KIMIE
It's warmer. It's hotter! 

AMY
Fair, fair. Okay. 

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

AMY
Do you have a favorite theater story? 

KIMIE
Hmm. So I was doing this, uh, fringe production with some friends in college, um, of a musical that my friend Nathan Landis Funk had written called The Tale of the Phantom Ship, and there was this moment where my character - This is so funny because this is a story that doesn't actually involve me because I was dead on stage, so it was my character's - it was my character's wake. A bunch of pirates. It was a very pirate-y week. So everyone was drunk and then a brawl breaks out, right? 

AMY
I am so here for this. 

KIMIE
So there's several, there's actually several things about this particular, uh, scene. Um, when they were, uh, staging the - the combat around and the dance around the scene, they wanted me in place so that they knew where they were swinging and wasn't going to hit me. So, um, that is - I took a nap. Uh, lying on stage while they did stage combat around me. Um, so fun fact about me, I can sleep anywhere. 

AMY
It's impressive. 

KIMIE
And then, um, and then during one of the performances, a set piece came loose and started to fall, like, forwards - it was a mantle piece, like, um, around a fireplace. And so it started to fall, it came loose and started to tip forward. And it was just this magical moment. I think we have it on, on tape. I think that was the night we recorded. Where people throughout the fight are just slightly adjusting their blocking and holding up this set piece and passing it off as they need to go and do their next move with the fight.

And it was just kind of a really magical moment where everybody just on stage communicated without words. Like this is, this is the thing. This is the game we're now playing, is hold up the mantelpiece while still, and most of the audience didn't even notice, um, because it was just such a smooth, like, it was like, great, I'm - I know I'm headed in that direction next, so, my hand's on the mantelpiece now, and throughout the whole thing, I was pretending to be dead, so I wasn't involved in it at all. 

AMY
That is thrilling. That's like the ultimate improv game. 

KIMIE
Yeah. 

AMY
Like, sit, stand, kneel, hold up the mantelpiece, do your line. Oh, wow. I've never had a set piece fiasco like that. I've had costume fiascos like that, where, like, the game was, now don't turn your back to the audience, because the zipper on your dress broke during the quick change, and everyone's going to see your butt.

KIMIE
Yes. Yeah. Mm hmm. 

AMY
I love it. And, and you're just asleep. 

KIMIE
Yeah. I'm just asleep through the whole thing. 

AMY
Can't do a thing. 

KIMIE
Can't do a thing. Can't move. Not allowed to move. 

AMY
Love it. 

KIMIE
Would break the storytelling if I moved. 

AMY
Love it. Love it so much. Um, what is something that our audience may not know about you? 

KIMIE
Um, I really love Lego.

AMY
I love how much you love Lego. 

KIMIE
I love Lego a lot. I have, uh, probably a problem. I was, um, packing up my stuff to move to the Bloomsburg area, and I had to break down all my Lego sets, and put them in several boxes, and I kind of looked at it... all, and I kind of went, I might have a problem. So, yeah. 

AMY
Have you ever been to Legoland?

KIMIE
The first time I tried to get into Legoland, I was actually working for BTE. We were doing the Theater in the Classroom tour, and I had all my certifications that said that I am not a child abuser and I can be near children. And the thing about Legoland is you need a child to get in. 

AMY
You need a child to get into Legoland?

KIMIE
You need to be with a child to get into Legoland. 

AMY
What? I mean, I get it. I get it. 

KIMIE
They don’t want just random adults wandering. 

AMY
I get it. But also, adults can love LEGO, too! 

KIMIE
Yes. Yes. So, um. 

AMY
Did you borrow a child? 

KIMIE
I was tempted. But I, so I called them. And this isn't like the big Legoland, this was like a, uh, an off site in, in, um, Plymouth - or King of Prussia Mall.

AMY
Okay. 

KIMIE
Uh, so we were performing in Plymouth Meeting, which is not too far. And I called them. And I was like, “Hey. I'm a huge fan of LEGO. I don't currently have a child. I do have all my certifications. I can show you, I can prove to you that I am not a child abuser. Can I please go to Legoland?” And they were like, “No.”

So, um, so I stopped by just to be in the store. So I couldn't - but I couldn't go in. And then I found out later that they have adult only nights like once a month or something.

AMY
Oh, that makes sense.

KIMIE
Every other month or something like that. Uh, I'm not sure what the - how frequent it is post COVID. So I did go with a friend who used to live in King of Prussia.

So I spent the night at her place and we went. And she, I'm sure, was very bored. But I had the time of my life. I won a - I won a building competition. Yeah. But yeah, so the first time I tried to go, they wouldn't let me in. 

AMY
Denied Legoland. 

KIMIE
Denied. 

AMY
Oh, this was wonderful. Thank you so much. 

KIMIE
Thank you.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

DIAMOND
Hi, my name is Diamond Gloria Marrow, and I'm a Theatremaker Apprentice at Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. 

AARON
Hi, Diamond Gloria Marrow. 

DIAMOND
Hi, Aaron White. 

AARON
How you doing? 

DIAMOND
I'm great. How are you? 

AARON
I'm good. Um, so tell me, um, what is it that you do here at BTE, and can you give me, like, a little description about that? 

DIAMOND
Sure. So I'm a Theatremaker apprentice. I am essentially, like, one step removed from R - two steps removed from RAC, the Resident Acting Company. I am an actor, and I am also slated to assistant direct a show in the spring called Sanctuary City. 

AARON
It's really exciting. 

DIAMOND
Yeah. 

AARON
Glad you're here. 

DIAMOND
Really excited to be here. 

AARON
So actually that's a great question. How long have you been at BTE? Because you're freshly minted, right? 

DIAMOND
Yes. Uh, my first day was August 8th. 

AARON
Yeah. 

DIAMOND
So I'm very, very, very brand new. But, um, I've been a fan of BTE since I saw you in Airness, back during fall of my junior year college. 

AARON
Gotcha. And where'd you go to school? 

DIAMOND
I went to Susquehanna University.

AARON
Really? I went to Susquehanna University. 

DIAMOND
No way! 

AARON
But that was decades earlier. 

DIAMOND
Oop. We won't have to talk about it. We don't have to throw out numbers or anything. It's fine. 

AARON
That's right. Well, I'm so excited you're here. Uh, how about a favorite theater story? 

DIAMOND
Ooh, ooh. 

AARON
And it can be any theater story. It can be high school, college, professional.

DIAMOND
I have to go back to high school. It's the most gory story I have, but - 

AARON
Okay! 

DIAMOND
But it's fine. So, my senior year of high school, I played Christine Daae in a production of Phantom of the Opera. 

AARON
Mm hmm. 

DIAMOND
This was a dramatic rendition. It was not the musical. Your girl is not a soprano. But it's fine. We worked it out. It was great. During one of the rehearsals, it was the scene where Raoul comes into the Phantom's lair and the fight ensues between Phantom and Raoul. There are risers in front of our stage that we're using to become the lair. So the stage is clearly above and that's like the, um, the opera house, but the - the space in front of the stage is the lair.

AARON
Mm hmm. 

DIAMOND
So there are risers and my blocking is I'm supposed to run up the risers and like slap Phantom in the face or something or other. And I run up and I trip. Here's the thing about me when I do theater, especially at the high school I was at. Because I was very comfortable and very much at home, I wouldn't wear my shoes. Especially when I would choreograph, because, you know, your girl didn't own jazz shoes back in the day. I would just pull my socks halfway down so I could spin on it, but still have my heel to break on. So I was wearing no shoes and I tripped on risers. And I continued with my line. Can't even tell you what it was. And I feel this hot, burning sensation in my foot. 

AARON
Oh, no! 

DIAMOND
I look down and my pristine white socks were ruby red. 

AARON
Mm hmm. 

DIAMOND
And I just screamed, “Hold! Mr. D, my foot's bleeding!” It's the first and only time I ever cried in rehearsal, truly. It was - it was really scary because it was after hours. Like, we had to hold for at least 20 minutes. My mom was still at work. Mr. D had 20 other students to take care of. 

AARON
Yeah. Yeah. 

DIAMOND
Like it was after school hours, so the nurse wasn't present. Luckily my choir director was there, and she's a dear friend of my mom's, so she nursed my foot, and my Raoul carried me to my car that night. 

AARON
Ooh, really? 

DIAMOND
Yes, he did. 

AARON
So something, something beneficial came from it?

DIAMOND
Yes. Yes, it did. 

AARON
But it's never fun to, like, bleed at school. 

DIAMOND
No. 

AARON
I have a couple of those stories, too, where it's like, you know, that's like the worst place to bleed. 

DIAMOND
Yeah. Because there's so many other things going on, and life is going to continue to happen. 

AARON
Yeah. 

DIAMOND
Why, why shall it stop for you? 

AARON
And it's so public.

DIAMOND
Yeah. 

AARON
Yeah. 

DIAMOND
So now I'm not too upset at those jokes that are like, the school nurses will just say, put a band aid on it, lay down for five minutes, go back to class. Because there's so much going on, like, what else are they supposed to do? 

AARON
Yeah. Okay, cool. So, can you tell me, what is a story or something, an aspect of you that people might find interesting?

DIAMOND
I'm a big fan of Elvis. 

AARON
Really? 

DIAMOND
Yeah, you wouldn't expect me to, like - going on a music tangent. People always ask me like, oh, Diamond, what kind of music do you listen to outside of musicals? Cause they know I'm a theater kid. And I really am into early 2000s R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul. I grew up on that, like Earth, Wind & Fire, Usher, T-Pain, whatever. But once this Elvis movie came out, with Austin Butler, Aaron White, you know me. I've seen that movie four times, and yes, I saw it in theaters. My goodness. And it just like, because my parents never told me the story of Elvis. I, up until I was about 14, 15 years old and 22 now, didn't know he was dead. Because we just played his music all the time. 

AARON
Gotcha. So, so he was already in your house -

DIAMOND
Mm-hm!

AARON
- when you were a kid, gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. 

DIAMOND
Yeah, but my extended family members just assumed he was racist. 

AARON
Oh, interesting. Because of - of stealing -

DIAMOND
The stealing of songs, yeah. But then we watched the movie, and they were like, “Oh, they're paying homage to all the artists that he stole from.”

AARON
Mm hmm. 

DIAMOND
This is okay with me. Oh, now it's okay. 

AARON
Interesting. 

DIAMOND
Now it's okay because you know the full story, but I'm also very much into rock. Like, I love Guns N Roses. Slash is my favorite guitarist. Love him to death. 

AARON
Hey, thank you. That's fun. 

DIAMOND
Thank you. 

AARON
I will see you later. 

DIAMOND
I'll see you at rehearsal. 

AARON
At rehearsal, without a doubt.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

ARRIANNA
Hello, my name is Arrianna Daniels and I am a Theatermaker Apprentice at BTE. 

AMY
Hi Arrianna, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? 

ARRIANNA
Sure, so I am originally from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Um, I've been doing theater since I was a kid with Strawberry Playhouse and Lucille Fala-Brennan. Went to DeSales University, studied theater there as well. Now I live in New York City and I find myself here for the season with BTE. 

AMY
And we are so happy to have you here. 

ARRIANNA
Oh, thank you. 

AMY
So, uh, can you tell our audience a little bit about what being a Theatermaker Apprentice entails? 

ARRIANNA
Sure. So, there are three of us who got accepted to be, uh, an Apprentice this season. We are scattered throughout the shows. So we are working with the Resident Actors in this community and the guest artists that come through. We're also invited to attend all of the meetings that go on behind closed doors in terms of like production and seeing how this ensemble actually works. We're part of Play Selection Committee. We help out with assistant directing or ASMing (tr. note: Assistant Stage Managing) so there's a bunch of different tracks that we are learning while we are here, other than just acting. 

AMY
That sounds like a lot. 

ARRIANNA
Yeah, but it's fun!

AMY
Good. I'm happy to hear that. You're under no obligation to say that. I promise, audience, she's under no obligation to say that. Um, do you have a favorite theater story? 

ARRIANNA
I do. It's not in a show specifically. I was doing a Shakespeare competition at Lincoln Center. So we got to like the national level, we're there for about five hours that day. So it's four and a half hours and you start to see all the people fading just from the excessively long few days that we had at the time. And this woman stepped up on stage and delivered a monologue. Uh, she was doing Joan of Arc and the first line that she said just shot the entire room up on their feet. Like they're illuminated, the space became alive again. I remember the lighting. I remember the sound and I just remember her in that moment.

And to me, it's like, when I see artists like that, it inspires me and makes me want to strive to becoming that. It's like, oh, I want to be like that when I grow up, you know. But, yeah. 

AMY
Wow, that gave me goosebumps. 

ARRIANNA
Right? 

AMY
Yeah, because I think all of us have had one of those moments where that electricity just shoots through you and you can feel it shooting through everyone that you're sharing the space with.

ARRIANNA
Right. 

AMY
And that communal experience is just what we live for. 

ARRIANNA
Yeah, absolutely. 

AMY
That's beautiful. 

ARRIANNA
Thank you. 

AMY
Arrianna, what is something that our audience may not know about you? 

ARRIANNA
Yeah, so I like to think of myself as an artist with a few different things that I dabble in, so when I'm not on stage, I'm usually sketching, uh, I'm a portrait artist, and a lot of my pieces take about 50 to 60 hours at a time if I'm really doing an in depth, you know, detailed piece. Um, I love that, I love hiking… Uh, all sorts of things, but I guess mostly the sketching. 

AMY
I have, I have only peeked over her shoulder in rehearsals and seen some of these sketches and they are brilliant. 

ARRIANNA
Aw, thank you.

AMY
They are intricate and they are the type of sketch where you - you want to look at it for a really long time.

ARRIANNA
Oh, thank you so much.

AMY
You're welcome. I also love hiking. I'll have to get you out to my house. 

ARRIANNA
Please!

AMY
I live out in the woods. It's gorgeous. We're like, a couple miles south of the Loyal Sock Trail. 

ARRIANNA
Please. Yeah, I mean, it's been a while since I've been in a small town like this, and not having a car at the moment has been my detriment.

AMY
I - I feel that. Like, sometimes you just need to be able to get in a car, drive down a country road, with the windows down, especially this time of year. 

ARRIANNA
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely, absolutely. 

AMY
I feel that I'm so, I'm sorry that you are - 

ARRIANNA
That's okay. I'm ready. You know what, I'm looking forward to the fall spooky season is rolling in.

AMY
Yes, it is. It is almost upon us. Okay. Those were all of my - my standard questions, but I have some - some off the book questions if that's okay. 

ARRIANNA
I love off the book, I love cold reads. Let's do it. 

AMY
Alright. I hate cold reads, so I - I love you for that. I - I am fascinated by people that are good at and love cold reads, 'cause my brain just doesn't function that way. 

ARRIANNA
Mm. Right, right. 

AMY
So, I’m - I am absolutely intrigued by it. What is your favorite role that you have ever done? 

ARRIANNA
Oh my, oh that changes on the daily. Wow, I would say the immediate one. Which I would never play right now. It would take me about 20 years again, but I played Amanda Wingfield in the Glass Menagerie, my senior year of college. Um, that was an undertaking because we moved in, uh, next day was auditions and the day after was callbacks. And then we started rehearsals the day after that. Um, so it was learning a lot of text in a very short span of time. And it really challenged me as an artist to actually dictate and get my stuff in order and in place and ready to work when I stepped in the room.

Um, so that was my favorite for a long time. But I've also… I've most recently played Ophelia, and I loved exploring her, just in terms of not being delicate, but being strong to the point where she's carrying so much that she eventually breaks from all that weight that she's been holding in. So I - I was really proud of those two pieces. I love character development. I love deep dives, if you have not gathered that from the table work that we were doing for so long. Um, I really just love conversations and peeling back layers to see what these relationships are and who these human beings are when we come to the space.

AMY
Yeah. And I have to say, just from being in that room with you while we are doing table work, you have such a great connection to people. 

ARRIANNA
Oh, thank you. I really appreciate that. I love, oh, I love talking to people though. Like, I talk to people all the time. In New York, I take myself out to, like, coffee shops, and I will just talk to strangers for, like, three hours at a time. I really want to hear their story, or I want to know why they find themselves there in that moment, in that afternoon, and then it turns into, like, a whole rabbit hole, and I make some really cool friendships and connections from them. 

AMY
That's amazing. Thank you so much, Ariana. 

ARRIANNA
Yeah, thank you.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

BRUCE
Hey Aaron, thank you for having me. It is I, Bruce Gomez. I am a theater maker apprentice here at Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble. 


AARON
[LAUGHS] How you doing Bruce? 

BRUCE
I'm so good, how about you? 

AARON
I'm okay!

BRUCE
That's wonderful, I'm happy to hear it. I'm very good. 

AARON
So you're newly minted, right? The apprenticeship just started not too long ago. When did you come in? 

BRUCE
August 4th. So it's been about a month. 

AARON
Can you tell me a little bit about what the last month has been for you? Absolutely, the last month, uh, for me has been getting settled into the town, and being introduced to the company, as well as the people that you need to know. Uh, much, much like yourself, um, I've been working on Twelfth Night.

AARON
Yeah. 

BRUCE
So that's, that's very exciting. We've also been introduced to the theater spaces and some of the responsibilities that come with being a member of RAC, which is ultimately, uh, the end game for this apprenticeship program. 

AARON
Yeah. 

BRUCE
And we have sat in numerous Zoom meetings. 

AARON
Meetings after meetings after meetings.

BRUCE
Meetings after meetings after meetings. 

AARON
Yeah, it is the thing that the guest artists don't have to do that you guys have to hop in. 

BRUCE
That I have noticed. Coleman sleeps very soundly. 

[AARON LAUGHS]

BRUCE
While we sit there on the couch, we're watching you guys. We started putting you guys on the TV. 

AARON
So, can you conjure up a favorite theater story? This can be any story in your whole progress of interacting as a theater maker. 

BRUCE
Oh, I can think of a theater story. Okay. This record should be lively in your soul. 

[AARON LAUGHS]

BRUCE
I graduated from Susquehanna university, which is about 45 minutes from here. 

AARON
Uh-huh, yeah.

BRUCE
And my very first production, my very first show was directed by yourself. And opening night was live streamed on Facebook. Uh, mom and dad were watching, never seen me perform on such a level before. Always, well, wonderful show, She Stoops to Conquer. I can't think of a better way to encapsulate baptism by fire -

[AARON LAUGHS AGAIN]

BRUCE
- than by, by throwing on a wig and learning some RP dialect in your very first show, but I thought it went really well.

AARON
You looked good in that wig. 

BRUCE
Until Act 5, very beginning of Act 5, I was on stage with one of the, uh, the maids. I, you know, this is interesting. I had noticed a couple of weeks earlier, our, uh, Tony. Tony Lumpkin, Brian Herman, as we had been introduced to the character shoes had taken a wrong step and had skidded across the stage floor and I thought wouldn't it be funny if that had happened to me during the show. 

And sure enough, me and Annabelle Lucas are on stage there together and I went to run away and I took a step on the corner of the shoe and I went straight down. My legs did not understand me that day. 

AARON
But you, your recovery, that's what is strong in my mind. Cause it was just like, phew. It was like, uh -

BRUCE
Well, I crawled, I crawled off the stage, I crawled off the stage.

[AARON CONTINUES TO LAUGH]

BRUCE
And that, that is immortalized on the Facebook -

AARON
That's right! 

BRUCE
- on the Facebook live stream, which I encourage. I'm a good sport. 

AARON
But - but that is something that's very different for most theater events, right? That seldom are they captured -

BRUCE
True.

AARON
- for posterity.

BRUCE
Or rarely are they immortalized. Just my luck.

AARON
Well, hey, it has to happen one time or another. You know. 

BRUCE
Like life humbles you one way or another. 

AARON
Yeah, well, anytime that you're spending so much of your time in front of people as an actor, there are going to be those moments where you're just human. I mean, yeah, like whether you want to be a character or not.

BRUCE
Well, I do recall crawling off and, uh, and it was like the Rowan Mahoney, uh, was standing there like, “Are you okay? Like, are you good?” I was like, “Yeah, just my pride.” And I turned to the opposite side. So backstage left and I see, um, Ashlyn Cox and Mary Cody in tears. And I thought, this is nice. This is - this is performing.

AARON
That's right. That's right. 

BRUCE
This is what it's all about. 

AARON
Well, and your first show too. 

BRUCE
Thank goodness it was a comedy. 

AARON
Yeah. Made it only funnier. 

BRUCE
Yes. It only made it funnier. 

AARON
Thanks for that trip down memory lane. That's fun. Uh, you're originally from… 

BRUCE
New York City. 

AARON
So being an actor from New York City, what would be something that would surprise anyone who might come to see you at BTE?

BRUCE
Oh, I mean, it's been definitely a culture shock. I'm still living that culture shock. I relocated to this kind of area for Susquehanna. Granted, this is, this is a little different, but... You talk about New York City, the city that never sleeps. I will say with love, there is a very healthy sleep schedule out here, uh, which is for the best. I just happen to be a night owl, a vampire, if you will. So that's definitely been an adjustment to me and being in - I've never done ensemble theater before. I've never been part of a company like this. So this group of people being so tight knit and so close and so comfortable with one another is really interesting to see because I myself I'm not someone that opens up and - and gets comfortable super quickly unless I click really well with someone. So that's also been pretty fascinating.

But honestly, I - the adjustment’s been fine. I like to get away from the city. I like to change. I like to reinvent. 

AARON
Mmm, interesting. 

BRUCE
I like to reinvent. I'm in a reinventing process right now. It's been exciting. I think that would surprise a lot of people. I think at this point in my life, every 6 months, 12 months, people that have known me those 6 months prior see me again. And, you know, it's a different person. 

AARON
Gotcha. 

BRUCE
Which is the hope. I'd be disappointed if I get to a point where I'm stagnating and more than just keeping what is good. 

AARON
Yeah. 

BRUCE
You know.

AARON
Yeah, I think that's one of the benefits of the ensemble work is that there is an opportunity to grow. And I mean, certainly to risk in a way that the open market doesn't allow sometimes. I mean, you - you were - you were out and auditioning, and doing work for about a year, right? 

BRUCE
Yeah, yeah, just about. 

AARON
Yeah, and so much of it is trying to find the niche that you fit into. 

BRUCE
And to find what you can sell. 

AARON
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And what we're selling is something different, I think. 

BRUCE
Yeah, of course. 

AARON
Well, it's - it's such a pleasure to have you here, dude.

BRUCE
Thank you so much. 

AARON
You bet. You bet. Thanks for your time. 

BRUCE
Of course.

[TRANSITIONAL MUSIC]

AMY
This has been Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble Down Center. Ensemble-driven, professional theater, arts education, rural Pennsylvania, for everyone, with everyone. Believe it or not BTE starts rehearsal for their Christmas play in October! So this year we are bringing back an audience favorite, the beloved A Christmas Story.

Our annual food preview is the day after Thanksgiving, and tickets are already on sale! Get yours today at www.bte.org, and while you’re there, check out our information about our fall theatre school!

[OUTRO MUSIC]

AMY
All right!

AARON
Landed that bird.