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Listen to Mike and Laura discuss some behind the scenes work of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [MP3 2:55 1.3MB].

Laura: This is the ShowBizRadio podcast for Tuesday, June 17, 2008.

Mike: We just wanted to share a little bit about the shows we are working on with the NoVa Woodbridge Theatre Group.

Laura: For the preshow play to be performed before the main attraction of Shakespeare Abridged, we started blocking last Tuesday so that has been a little interesting. We meet in a side room kind of behind the stage. We have started blocking and we are also all busy learning our lines.

Mike: For Shakespeare Abridged things are moving along quickly. We rehearse three or four nights a week. The set construction has started. I have learned how to do some cutting and drilling holes, and making the flats. We actually put up some of the walls yesterday. So the actors at tonight’s rehearsal will have an actual door to go through instead of just walking through the taped doorways they will have a wall they will actually have to go around. It will be interesting to see how they will have to adapt and adjust.

Laura: We are also working on gathering props together and costumes and accessories for both of the shows.

Mike: It is amazing how detailed it is. It seems to be a very simple play, but is very prop heavy. It is an improv play and you have to be ready for anything. I think the actors are getting closer to that. They have done the blocking and they will be off book this week. Then we will get to the point of having to speed up the actors and make it more natural so they can improv their way out of whatever happens.

The other thing I have done was to create a set of posters to help advertise this show. What I came up with was a series of posters. One poster will be released every week. The first one is simply a picture of William Shakespeare. The second one adds in fake glasses a mustache and beard as if he had been graffitied. The third week lists a little bit about what Shakespeare has done. The number of comedies, the number of tragedies and things like that. The final week is the actual poster with all of the details. The goal of the posters is to get people curious about what is going on with this show. It is easy when you put posters up, in this case at the NoVa Woodbridge Campus, that you see it once and forget about it. We only have four weeks until we open. By doing one a week people will get curious and maybe come out and see the show.

Laura: July 10th is the pay what you can preview night. Then the show opens on Friday July 11 and Saturday July 12 at 8 pm. There is a Sunday matinee on the 13 at 2 pm. Then Friday the 18 and Saturday the 19 at 8 pm. It will be at the Theatre at the NoVa Woodbridge Campus in Woodbridge, Virginia. (View the complete performance schedule.)

Mike: We’d love to have some of our ShowBizRadio site visitors come out and see the show.

Laura: And now, on with the show.