From director Allison Shoemaker

Neal Starbird makes a last minute costume change. He has my full support. I always thought HEIST PLAY was a little like 'Eraserhead.'

From Bridget Dougherty, stage manager

Last night, we got to hang out in an alley and sand down furniture. Oh joy. The Old Style and show tunes made it worth it. A little. Mostly the Old Style helped. A lot.

So if you wanna see what the finished pieces look like, you better get to HEIST before it closes.

Here’s a sneak peek at the awesome bars that got delievered to us early this week by our set designer (and owner of a really pimp truck) Clay Barron.

Can you tell I like to read blogs with pictures? In normal life I quite prefer books with out them, but there is something pretty about seeing them on the computer screen in the middle of the blogs. When I was a kid, reading books of scary stories (specifically “Scaries Stories to tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz) I would never place my finger in between pages that had freaky pictures on them because in my head the pictures might come alive and hurt/kill me.

How could this pic not scare you?!? It is intended for ages 9+. I was and still am a wimp. Stephen Gemmell’s illustrations are so freaky. The stories fail to scare me now (I’m not THAT much of a wimp still), but the images remain awful.

This is the story by Alvin Schwartz that goes along with it. No wonder I was a morbid child.

HAROLD by Alvin Schwartz

Thomas and Alfred were two best friends. Whenever it got hot, they would take their cows up to a cool, green pasture in the mountains. Usually they stayed there with the cows all summer. The work their in the mountains was easy, but really boring. All they did was tend their cows all day. They would return to their tiny hut and night. Every night they ate supper, worked in the garden, and went to sleep.

Then one day, Thomas said "Let's make a life-size doll. We can put it in the garden and use it as a scarecrow." There was a farmer they both hated named Harold, so they decided to name the doll Harold and make it look like him. They made it out of straw and gave it a pointy nose and tiny eyes, like Harold's. Day after day, they would tie Harold to a pole in the garden to scare away the birds. They brought it in the house every night. Sometimes, they would talk to it, saying things like "How's it going?" And the other would say in a weird voice "Not good." Of course, Harold wouldn't appreciate it. When they were in a bad mood, they would even curse at him or kick him.

A while later, when Thomas was taking out his anger on Harold, Alfred swore he heard the doll grunt. "Did you hear that? Harold grunted!" "Impossible, he's just a sack of straw," replied Thomas. Alfred dismissed it, but they both stopped talking to it, kicking it, or even touching it, they just left him neglected in the corner of the room.

After a while, they decided nothing was to be feared. Maybe a few bugs or rats were living in the straw. So they went back to their old routine. Every day, they would take it outside, and bring it back in at night. Then they even started treated him badly again.

One night, Alfred noticed something that scared him. "It looks like Harold is growing." "I was thinking the same," answered Thomas. "Maybe it's just our imagination. I think the elevation is getting to us." The next morning, they saw Harold stand up and walk outside, climb onto the roof, and he stayed there all night. In the morning, it came down and stood in the pasture. They got very scared and decided to flee. They took their cows and started heading back down for the valley. After going only a mile or so, they realized they had forgotten the milking stools. They knew they didn't have the money to replace them, so Alfred forced himself back to get them. "I'll catch up with you later. You just keep moving." After walking for a while, Thomas looked back at the hut and did not see Alfred. What he did see, however, horrified him. He saw Harold, on the roof of the hut, stretching out a bloody piece of flesh to dry in the sun.

From director Allison Shoemaker

When people make ‘noir-esque’ movies today, what they mean is that they look like film noir, or the dialogue is similar in rhythm and cadence -- essentially, they’re talking about style. There are a lot of remarkable movies that fall into this category. I was entertained as hell by 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ and ‘Brick.’ ‘L.A. Confidential’ and ‘The Man Who Wasn’t There’ are both beautifully shot and incredibly evocative of the genre. Here’s the thing, though: when film noir movies were being made, it wasn’t just about the style. That was a huge part of it, yes, but so was moral ambiguity and characters that refuse to inhabit a world in which one can be truly good or purely evil. The movies we now call film noir were about failed redemption, about what it is to be unable or unwilling to assert your own destiny and avoid damnation. They were about the clever banter, certainly, but also about what happens in the air between the words. When I started to think about what contemporary examples we have of that fundamental aspect of the noir tradition, a scene popped into my mind.

At the risk of sounding like an entry in ‘Stuff White People Like,’ I have to say -- I think The Wire might be the best show in the history of television. At the very least, it’s the closest thing to film noir we’ve seen this decade. As a result, it’s been on my mind a lot lately. (Fellow fans can listen for the theme song in ‘Heist Play’.) A lot of factors went in to making The Wire what it was -- talented writers, a devoted, adventurous and mostly unknown cast, a network brave enough to produce a show where the most heroic character is a gay stick-up boy who only robs drug dealers and lives by a code. This is a show you actually have to learn how to watch. You expect it to be one thing, and it’s not. It’s more. It’s a novel. It’s an epic.

I can’t exactly say I’ve stolen things from ‘The Wire’ for ‘Heist’, but it has certainly informed my work. When Katie Canavan and I started talking about Dietrich, we talked about cops who want but aren’t sure how to be more, and I was thinking of poor Beadie Russell. When Josh Davis was working to find how exactly Nick is altered when he’s drinking, Jimmy McNulty was swimming in booze through my head. When I talk, or rhapsodize, really, to my cast about the amazing things Mitch does with language, with such simple words and the great meaning they convey, I think of that scene where D’Angelo Barksdale teaches Bodie and Wallace and Poot about how chess works using the drug trade to communicate the ideas, and the total lack of expression on each of their faces as they begin to talk about the pawns. And when I want to remind myself to think about the remarkable things you can do with great characters and great actors, I think about that amazing scene in season one when McNulty and the Bunk go to investigate a crime scene that was royally botched by the first set of police who looked it over, and figure the whole damn crime out, and talk it through and figure it out, and they only ever say ‘f*ck’ and its many derivatives. Talk about inventiveness.

*

We’re a few days out from opening now. We’re close enough to opening that I am just now getting around to writing this thing I’ve been so stoked about writing. We’ve found the props (or most of them) and fitted the costumes and taped the floors. We’ve emptied a 12-pack of Old Style and need to empty many many cans of Coors Light in the next few days (for props, I swear). We’ve gotten it done. It’s a terrifying and exhilarating feeling.

It’s been a real privilege to work on ‘Heist Play’. I’ve known many of the people involved for many years, and hope to know the new ones for many more. (Katie Canavan stole my blog idea -- but how many Odes to Starbird or Melton or Stulik can one blog take? Anthem of Hornreich and Dean, perhaps?) We of The Ruckus are so fortunate to be working with such a remarkable cast and crew, and I can’t wait for the world at large to see the remarkable work they’ve been doing. I’m proud and inspired and humbled and wildly entertained. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

Last but far from least, I’m so lucky to be working elbow to elbow with Mitch Vermeersch again. In a world of style-but-no-substance, Mitch creates these truly original plays that never fail to surprise. In ‘Heist Play’, Mitch gets to convey his love of film noir through Nick, and the passion and fascination he feels is so clearly conveyed that it cant’ help but be contagious. His braveness in breaking rules of structure and in allowing characters to be ugly people who do ugly things has created a genuinely unique work of art that has inspired me to be better and do more, and has done the same for our remarkable cast. I can’t wait for ya’ll to see it.

Back to work. Oh my wow, I hate and love scene changes. But mostly hate. But mostly love.

Down to the Wire

Submitted by Katie Canavan

It’s that time again. We have a scant few days. We are all working hard and it feels like it just might not make it. Everyone is stressed. It’s almost 100 degrees in our rehearsal space. We are adding costumes and props and sets and lights and music and dancing and it is a bit overwhelming.

This is my favorite part of the process.

Don’t get me wrong, this is also the most horrible part of the process. The most stressful part. But this is what will make everything more satisfying on Sunday night. This is why we do what we do. I cannot think of anything better than telling a story with little more than ourselves, some lights, and a few pieces of wood to sit on.

And this story is a pretty good one. So please come join us. If not on Sunday, then on Monday. Or Tuesday. Or even Wednesday!

An Ode to Starbird

Submitted by Katie Canavan

The cast of Heist Play is above-average fantastic. I may be slightly biased, since I have known most of them for years, including my roommate and a best friend from college. But there are a few new faces, and I could not be more pleased with the people we have picked up along the way.

Today, however, I come to talk to you about Neal Starbird (how great is that name?!). Neal is playing Murphy, a role that was hard to fill. Since I live with the casting director of the company, I know that quite a few rounds of auditions were held for Murphy. The way the character is written is very specific, and it takes a special person to step into that. Neal has not disappointed. His grasp on Murphy’s language is complete, his humor razor-sharp and sometimes disturbing.

Neal and I have only one scene together. Alas. However, this scene has not been played exactly the same way twice. Neal is the kind of scene partner you dream about – he works with you, he makes new choices, he listens and reacts. He is solid without being predictable. I have not had this much fun within a scene in years.

I could not be happier that Neal found his way to The Ruckus and Heist Play. Please come out and find your way to the Ruckus and Heist Play this weekend. We won’t disappoint.

A Room of Our Own

Submitted by Bridget Dougherty, stage manager

So at the risk of sounding like a space/control freak, and writing another blog on the same topic – wow it was nice to be in our own home for the last week of rehearsals. We moved in this evening, and while the space has not been taped out yet and we are without air conditioning, we are finally on our own. Actors no longer are sitting on top of each other in the space and can actually run lines in another room. We have room to spread out on stage and make all of the entrances and exits accurately and now have a bar and barstools!!

After recently reading “A Room of Ones Own” by Woolfe for the first time, this experience is really driving those ideas home. While I don’t agree with all her concepts, it is incredibly freeing to have a space that is your own, that you can change, that fees you from having to worry about where you belong – I totally get what she was going through.

And of course, some more fun pics from our first rehearsal in our new home for the rest of rehearsals.

The Oddities of Rehearsal Spaces

From stage manager Bridget Dougherty

What this city really needs is what everyone had in college – a big wipe board with a schedule of all the rehearsal rooms on it and you just get to sign up on the board for when you need rehearsal space. And it’s free. It’s cause you pay tuition, but still, essentially free.

We have been moving around a bit with this show. Next week we get to move into our first real “home” where we can actually tape out the floor (yea!). Of course, this move comes just before we move into the actual performance space to begin tech, but whoo hoo! It’s a real rehearsal space!

Not that we haven’t been treated well as squatters at our usual space…

Pictured in rehearsal for Heist Play are Melissa Pryor and David Hornreich.

Or that our weekend rehearsal home (really a company members apartment) hasn’t been a cozy place to work.

Pictured are Aaron Dean and Neal Starbird.

Heck, it has even been nice getting to rehearse and do warm-ups while enjoying the gorgeous sunset...

Pictured are Joshua Davis, Katie Canavan, Byron Melton, Melissa Pryor and Neal Starbird.

But geeze, it will be nice to be in a real rehearsal space that is all our own. We’ll let you know how it goes.

From Actor David Hornreich

"Maybe Larry really does have super powers," Allison says. "Or Maybe he thinks he does, but Cosmo doesn't believe him. Maybe Larry doesn't have super powers at all."

I'm Larry. I may or may not have super powers.

"Maybe the brothers mug everyone they come across. Maybe not."

This is Allison's direction. It is focused, but non-prescriptive. It makes us think. It's super.

"Let's just try it again and see what happens."

And so we wander through the scene, trying things out. Gestures, ticks, shifting points of focus. Powers super, not-so-super, or althogether non-exisitent. We don't really know quite what the scene will look like when it's a finished product, but we know it will amount to a story that's worth telling and - should we do our jobs properly - well told.

It's in this moment I realize this rehearsal is a perfect microcosm of my own life.

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At fourteen I decided I wanted to try acting. I was a shy kid. Only child. Liked reading. I tried acting because I was terrified by the very thought of it. Where was the order? In math class, for example, we learned that 1.5 = 3/2 = 3:2. This was irrefutably true. But in acting - all interpretation and nuance - what's true? What's right? It's chaos!

By seventeen I'd fallen in love with that chaos and told my parents I was going to make acting my major in college. I auditioned for shows and my life changed every time a cast list was posted. Defining my four years at college were the decisions of dozens of directors. I didn't know who would say "yes" to me, but I know some would, and out of those "yeses" would come adventure.

At twenty-two and on a whim I moved to Chicago. In the five years I've been here I've attempted many things. I've failed - a lot - but I've succeeded too. All things considered, I'm satisfied with the ratio.

And on I go, figuring things out. Today I audition for theatre, commercial voiceover, on-camera work, print, tradeshows; I act, direct, write, teach. I don't know which of these things will take off and which won't. But I'm trying things and seeing what happens. And while I don't quite know what my life will end up looking like when it's all said and done, I know it will amount to a story that's worth telling and - so long as I still have my wits - well told.

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Back in the microcosm, we finish the scene. Some of the things we'd tried didn't work - at all. But others did, and we can tell that we're progressing. Slowly but surely. We're getting there. Allison offers her notes and her encouragement.

"Really good," she says. "Let's try it again."

And on we go, figuring things out.

A Ruckus from Byron Melton - 7/28

First Stumblethrough.

The time ran pretty well for a first run – especially with new material. Found some new things in my character’s act II climax scene.

The company works like I haven’t worked since Southern Methodist University – late night rehearsals – staying focused after a day’s work for most of us, most days. Allison especially has the unwavering focus borne of the skilled worker on a good project. Josh’s character – Nick – gets a bit more brutally effective every time we run the scenes in which he’s intoxicated – there are a few of those.

Shout out to Jeffrey for rocking this publicity thing so mercilessly. He’s treated us cast members like film stars. And the crew in whole has treated my wife and I like family.

Fundraiser.

Money, Money, Money will be performing at the fundraiser Aug 6^th. We’ve got a few new songs to lay on the crowd - so I hope you’ll be joining us there. Dress Noir, I’m thinking it might look something like that night-club scene in Dark City with any luck.

Further bulletins as events warrant.

Game On. Byron Melton.