NRT Excitement with Emma: Throwback to NRT 2013

While we, as theatre artists, are always looking ahead to the next opening night, next season, next promotional event or what have you, sometimes it can be a joy to look back and reflect on works of the past. In honor of Throwback Thursday, today we are going to do just that, with a glimpse back to Nebraska Rep's 2013 season!

We opened the season with Jon Jory's adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, featuring Jessie Tidball and Sean Schmeits. Emma is convinced that she is the perfect matchmaker. But, in an attempt to set up her friend, Harriet, with Mr. Elton, Mr. Elton falls for Emma. As Emma deters Mr. Elton, she sets up her friend, Mr. Knightly with Harriet, which of course backfires when Emma begins to fall for Mr. Knightly. In true Jane Austen fashion, by the middle of the play, everyone seems to be in love with the wrong person!

Mr. Knightly (Sean Schmeits), Emma Woodhouse (Jessie Tidball), and Mr. Woodhouse (Alan Knoll)

The Cast of Emma
(Alan Knoll, Jessie Tidball, Emily Martinez, Chet Kincaid, Sasha Dobson, Richard Nielsen, Sean Schmeits, Dan Rodden; Not pictured: Jaimie Pruden, Alexander Jeffery, Kimberly Clark Kaczmarek)

Emma Woodhouse (Jessie Tidball) and Mr. Knightly (Sean Schmeits)

Next, we polished our etiquette skills with Mrs. Mannerly by Jeffrey Hatcher, starring Mark McCarthy and Juanita Pat Rice. In this comedy, a young boy by the name of Jeffrey attends a manners and etiquette class taught by none other than Mrs. Mannerly herself. In preparation for the final test, for which Jeffrey aims to achieve a perfect score (never before reached by one of Mrs. Mannerly's students), Jeffrey and Mrs. Mannerly may learn things about themselves they never knew, and develop an unlikely friendship along the way.

Mrs. Mannerly (Juanita Pat Rice) and Jeffrey (Mark McCarthy)

Mrs. Mannerly (Juanita Pat Rice) and Jeffrey (Mark McCarthy) sit down for a drink together.

Mrs. Mannerly (Juanita Pat Rice) and Jeffrey (Mark McCarthy) get up to dance!

Finally, our season closed with the stories of holidays past in Making God Laugh by Sean Grennan, with Alan Knoll and Melissa Epp. Spanning a time frame of four decades, this story focuses on Bill & Ruthie's family, with their children, Rick, Maddie, and Tom. The audience witnesses their Thanksgiving celebration in 1980, Christmas in 1990, New Year's Eve of 2000, and finally, Easter in 2010. A heartwarming dramedy, this play had audiences laughing and crying by the end of it!

Melissa Epp and Becky Key Boesen take a photo backstage before the show!

Tom (Dan Rodden), Maddie (Becky Key Boesen), Ruthie (Melissa Epp), Rick (Mark McCarthy), and Bill (Alan Knoll) attempt to eat the infamous cheese dip.

Bill (Alan Knoll) braces himself before taking a bite of Ruthie's fantasia cheese dip. Alan is back at NRT this season to direct Unnecessary Farce! 

Maddie (Becky Key Boesen), Tom (Dan Rodden), Ruthie (Melissa Epp), Rick (Mark McCarthy), and Bill (Alan Knoll) pose for their traditional family photo.

As we look back on the successful 2013 season of NRT, it only makes us more excited to share the 2014 season with you! We're less than a month away from our first opening, so get ready to start making new memories with the Rep.

It is Poor Etiquette to Miss "Mrs. Mannerly"

The second show to close is Mrs Mannerly, which has its last performance on Saturday, August 10th at 7:30 PM.  The two leads, Juanita and Mark, have been delighting audiences for three weeks, but they have one more big finale in them.  Plus, it is just a poor etiquette choice to not see Mrs. Mannerly.  How will you learn about place settings, walking correctly, and what you should and should not do at a well-attended DAR luncheon?

But, that is just my opinion.  If you want more reasons, let the podcast below give you many, many more reasons why you should not miss Mrs. Mannerly.

Top Ten Reasons You Should See "Mrs. Mannerly" at the Nebraska Rep

Countdowns always make me so excited for events. Whether it's for the first day of school, the last day of school, or any of the major holidays, my enthusiasm increases tenfold when I am able to make a big red "X" on the calendar, signaling one day closer to the big day. That being said, it's easy to guess that I'm extremely excited for our second opening night of the season: Mrs. Mannerly!

That's right, folks: today is the day. We've been counting down all week long (quite excitedly on my end), and we are finally able to say that the second show of our 2013 season is ready to be seen and enjoyed by the public! To keep in the spirit of countdowns, I've put together a "Top Ten" countdown for reasons why you should come see "Mrs. Mannerly" on stage in the Studio Theatre at the Nebraska Rep. Let's get to it, David Letterman style... 

Number 10: It's nostalgic! - Everybody loves to "remember when", and "Mrs. Mannerly"gives plenty of opportunities for one to reflect on his own childhood while they follow the hilarious story of Jeffrey's memories back to Mrs. Mannerly's etiquette class. An extra bonus for those who grew up in the 1960s: there are tons of references to what was popular in entertainment and culture back then! 

Number 9: It's educational! - Believe it or not, you learn a bunch of etiquette rules and tips throughout the show! Not only will you get an entertaining performance, but you'll also get a fair amount of helpful hints on how to properly throw your next social get-together, among other etiquette rules. Who could ask for more?

Number 8: It's incredibly relatable. - Let's face it: all of us have reached a point in our lives where all we wanted was to find something we were incredibly good at. Though not all of us may have wanted to become professionals in etiquette like Jeffrey, we know how he feels.  We've all wanted to find our special niche, and we've all wanted to be the best we could be at it. When you see Jeffrey on stage trying to accomplish his goal and reach the right of passage that is graduation (another thing we all have our sights set on), you can't help but know how he feels. 

Number 7: The Studio Theatre. - You won't realize how important the style of theatre is until you see this show. Performed in the Temple Building's intimate Studio Theatre, all 160 seats are arranged in a way which all audience members have a close-up connection to the show.  The actors are right on the floor, which makes it easier to see their expressions and gestures, and it makes the audience feel like they're part of the show.

Number 6: The set. - Combine the expertise of Scenic Designer Laurel Shoemaker and artist David Tousley, and you've got an artistic set that is second to none. Rather than build an elaborate set, Laurel uses images of murals located in Steubenville, Ohio (the actual setting for "Mrs. Mannerly") for light projections that set the nostalgic stage for each scene. Add illustrations, inspired by vintage etiquette books, courtesy of UNL student David Tousley, and you've got a one-of-a-kind scenic experience that is begging to be seen. (Get it? Seen, which sounds like "scene"? Ha.) 

Number 5: The cast is entirely Equity. - The two cast members of the show, Juanita Rice and Mark McCarthy, are both members of the Actors' Equity Association.  Mrs. Rice, an alumna of the University, has been both performing and teaching theatre for decades, from Nebraska to California (She's also a doctor!...of theatre). Mr. McCarthy has traveled all over the country to perform in different  companies, and he is also an accomplished playwright and voiceover actor. These two don't mess around when it comes to any aspect of theatre, so you know they're going to bring nothing but fantastic talent to the stage. 

Number 4: The chemistry. - Looking at all of the credentials above, of course these two talented actors are going to have loads of chemistry! Since they are the only two members of the cast, they work wonders to keep things interesting, and the way they play off of one another is amazing as well as hilarious.

Number 3: The character pops. - Perhaps it's the inner speech nerd inside me, but there's nothing I love more than a variety of characters, especially when they're all portrayed by one person.  Not only does Mr. McCarthy personify young Jeffrey, but he also plays all of Jeffrey's very...um...charismatic classmates. With changes in posture as well as voice, you are sure to notice the special panache that Mr. McCarthy brings to every one of the characters he plays, and you are sure to get a laugh. 

Number 2: The Urbinati. - No, I don't use Director Rob Urbinati's last name for reason number two just because it sounds cool, but also because all you need to hear is his last name to know how fantastic he is. Mr. Urbinati has accumulated an extreme amount of experience directing for many productions and companies in New York City, and we are so pleased that he has returned for the second time to the Nebraska Repertory Theatre. Mr. Urbinati uses a creative vision and enthusiasm that helps bring the play together, while keeping it entertaining and fresh.

And the Number 1 reason you should come see "Mrs. Mannerly" at the Nebraska Repertory     Theatre... The script. - Without the amazing script brought to us by Jeffrey Hatcher, we wouldn't have a production to begin with! Mr. Hatcher's ability to write a play chock-full of humor, nostalgia, fantastic characters, relatable lessons, and entertaining plot is what brings us to Studio Theatre tonight. Without the script, we wouldn't have a show, and we are SO glad to have such a talent company bring you this fantastic work tonight.


...And there you have it! The top ten reasons (and their explanations) of why you should come see "Mrs. Mannerly" at the Nebraska Repertory Theatre this summer. Though our shows for tonight and tomorrow are sold out, we certainly hope that you are now convinced to order your tickets for the next available performance. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Costumes for Mrs. Mannerly

A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed Sharon Sobel, who designed the costumes for Mrs. Mannerly and Making God Laugh.  I'll keep what she told me about Making God Laugh for next week, but thought you might enjoy hearing about upcoming costumes in Mannerly (because it opens tomorrow night!).

For Mrs. Mannerly, Sharon's main costume inspiration was pictures of Kay Thompson, specifically Kay Thompson in Funny Face. Sharon also said that she saw Mannerly as a woman who is "secluded by Manners." Although Mrs. Mannerly is set in the 60's among lots of cultural and political turmoil,  none of that really seems to exist.  Instead, Mannerly's world is still all manners and etiquette and creates an interesting mindset for her.

In theory, Jeffrey is slightly trickier to costume because the same actor that plays Jeffrey also plays the four other children in the manners class.  In theory, you could do quick changes or alter part of the costume to help with those changes; instead, Mark McCarthy, who plays Jeffrey, changes his body language and voice for each of the kids while maintaining the same costume.  Jeffrey, himself, is a very mature 10-year-old, and his costumes reflect that.  He gets those trendy 1960's hush puppy shoes, a sweater vest, and a rather sharp suite for his big manners test at the climax of the play.  He, like Mrs. Mannerly, is also a character that uses manners and appearance to create an outer character that is more polished and "mannered" then his inner self, and Jeffrey's costumes do a great job of showing his more formal outer self.

If you want to see the costumes in person, well then you will just have to come see the performance! 

Mrs. Mannerly: A Popplet

As I did with the opening of Emma, I decided to create a Popplet focused on Mrs. Mannerly. If you missed the Emma Popplet, Popplet is an online program that allows you to create graphic organizers and diagrams. In this one, I've given another "who's who" of the characters, information on the setting, and facts about the author, Jeffrey Hatcher. Don't miss the opening of Mrs. Mannerly this Thursday! 

To see the Popplet, use the zoom buttons and just "click and drag" below.  Or, you can click on the link below to open in a new screen! 

Mrs. Mannerly: A Popplet

Mannerly Mondays: Wedding Etiquette for the 19th Century Bride and Groom

The concept of a wedding has not changed much since the 19th century, and it is still a major event in a person's life.  There are some 19th century traditions that we've lost in the 21st century.  For instance, in the 19th century the bride and groom were not to see each other during the engagement without a chaperone.  Also in the 19th century, when the groom was proposing, custom dictated that he should ask the bride's father for permission to marry his daughter. Today, the act of asking the father's permission is not a must, but it is still considered a show of good etiquette.

Most 19th century weddings were held in the morning between 10 and 12 a.m. normally in a church.  Back then the date of the wedding was extremely important, there were months and days not even considered because of superstition. I think the date is still important to the modern bride and groom but more in the way of what season they both like and dates that are significant to the couple.

Now, as for the reception, the 19th century reception is quite different in comparison to modern weddings. For example, since 19th century weddings were held in the morning, the reception food was usually breakfast. At modern day weddings, most weddings are help in late afternoon and usually dinner is served. Another difference was that the bride would cut the cake alone, and she saved a piece that represented fidelity. As I'm sure you know, a modern tradition is that the married couple feeds the first slice to each other, laughing as they get it all over themselves.

Next time you see your fiance unchaperoned or go to a wedding where the couple smears cake over each others face, think of your 19th century counterparts eating breakfast together and keeping moldy cake locked away as a memento. 

Keep up those manners and we'll see you next week.

Scene Design for Mrs. Mannerly

Last week, I sat down with Laurel Shoemaker, who is the scenic designer for Mrs. Mannerly.  What is really exciting and fascinating about this production is that it utilizes very little set design, and instead relies on projections, which Laurel has been creating and photo-shopping.

The director for Mrs. Mannerly, Rob Urbinati is interested in creating sets out of found spaces.   So, in the Spring, Laurel took pictures of the Studio Theatre to help give him ideas about how to use the space.  What they decided was to put the production in the back, right corner and use minimal sets.  The set is the outline of a basketball court, a basketball net, a chandelier that will drop down for the bar scene, and then props and furniture Mrs. Mannerly will arrange during the performance.  In the collage below, you can see Laurel's picture of the Studio and then her design for the set.

With a minimal set, a lot of the stage story is going to be told by projections.  For the projections, Laurel brought in lots of images from the internet, photo-shopped to create what she needed, or with the help of a former grad student, created original drawings.  Here is just a smattering of different types of projections you'll see in the show.

School Pictures:
In the production, Jeffrey and the other kids in the manners class are all played by one actor, Mark McCarthy.  Laurel created a class of five students using old photos and photoshop.  There are couple of different pictures of the class, but here is one that shows them all together.

Manner's Book Illustrations
One of the other projections in the show are original pictures illustrated by David Tousley, a former UNL graduate student.  Laurel had found pictures in old manners books, and David created pictures modeled after some of the images.  Here is an example of two of them:

Different Inspirations for the Gym:

Although not part of the projection series, before the production Laurel researched older style gyms and pulled a couple of pictures that she shared with me.  My favorite one was the picture of the dance in the gym.  In Mrs. Mannerly, the gym doubles as a manners classroom, so I thought it was neat to see all the ways gyms get to perform multiple functions and create many types of settings.   

There is lots of other things that Laurel talked to me about, but the rest of it is up on our Pinterest page, in the board called "NRT's Production of Mrs. Mannerly."  While you are there, you can also check out Pinterest board for "NRT's Production of Emma."  

Mannerly Mondays: Children's Etiquette, 19th century vs. 21st century

Think back to the first manners you were taught as a child. Personally, I remember these: be kind to others, respect your elders, keep your hands to yourself, and do not talk when others (especially adults) are talking.  I will admit, I did not always follow these rules; I loved to talk during class and always had a story to tell my neighbor. So, I was often reprimanded by both teachers and my parents, and thus I was taught what was expected of me as a youngster. 

In the 19th century, children were taught many rules we still practice today. As you can image, there were a couple of etiquette rules that we in the modern age might think strange. Here are a few examples:

• Always greet every family member when entering a room
• Keep yourself clean and tidy at all times 
• Always bid your elders and parents goodnight 
• Remember to wear the appropriate clothing for indoors and outdoors.

I think that it would be exhausting as a child to be expected to be so prim and proper at such a young age. Likewise, it would seem difficult for parents to keep watch over unruly children who might get too dirty or not greet you in the right way. 

Now-a-days parents still expect their children to have manners but go about it in a more casual way. In the 21st century we can expect our children to behave with manners like these:

• Using words such as "thank you" and "excuse me"
• Being friendly to the people your parents introduce you to
• Not raising your voice or screaming at your parents. 
• Being willing to try different foods and using your napkin 
• Using your big girl/boy voice when talking to adults instead of mumbling or whining.

I’m just thankful for childhood memories of making mud pies and dancing around the kitchen in my underwear. Thankfully I had great parents that knew where the balance between being polite and being a kid was.

Meet the Cast of Mrs. Mannerly

Last week I introduced you to the cast of Emma.  Today, I'd like you to meet the small but enthusiastic cast of Mrs. Mannerly.

Director: Rob Urbinati:

Rob is a freelance director and playwright based in New York City,  Literary Manager of Private Theatre, and Director of New Play Development at Queens Theatre, where he curates the Immigrant Voices Project.  In New York City, he has directed for The Public Theatre, Classic Stage Company, The Culture Project, Abingdon Theatre, New York Music Theatre Festival, New York University, York Theatre, Pearl Theatre and Cherry Lane Theatre, among others. He directed Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story at the Lied Center, and The 39 Steps for Nebraska Repertory Theatre.

His plays as a writer include Hazelwood Jr. High, West Moon Street and Death by Design, all published by Samuel French.  His play, Rebel Voices and his musical, Shangri La, will be published by Samuel French in 2013. His adaptation of Cole Porter’s Nymph Errant opened in New York City in July 2013, and his latest play, UMW, was commissioned by Linfield College in Oregon, where it opened in March 2013.

Rob is an alumnus of the Drama League, The Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s Lab, and a member of the Dramatists Guild and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Mark McCarthy -- Jeffrey 

Mark McCarthy is proud to make his Nebraska Rep debut.  

Previous Roles: 

• Hampton Theatre Company: How the Other Half Loves
• Shadowland Theatre Company: Dangers, Of Electric Lighting, The Seafarer
• International Mystery Writers’ Festival: Sherlock Holmes: the Final Toast (Dr. Watson)
• Illinois Theatre Center: Moonlight and Magnolias 
• Mercury Theatre (Chicago): King O' the Moon 
• Denver Center Theatre Company: The Rivals 
• Portland Center Stage: The Rivals, Macbeth, As You Like It
• Notre Dame Shakespeare: Tamking of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing 
• Heart of America Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream 
• Kansas City Rep: Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Tempest, The Deputy, Julius Caesar, The Imaginary Invalid.  

Mark has played hapless people in several cheesy TV movies and independent films. He voices over a

hundred characters in the audio book version of Alan Brennert’s new novel Palisades Park. He’s also a

stage combat choreographer and published playwright. He lives just outside New York City with his wife,

the brilliant and talented Hollis McCarthy. 

Juanita Pat Rice -- Mrs. Mannerly

Juanita Pat Rice began her theatre career right here at UNL then went on to San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, where in addition to acting she taught the performance of Shakespeare. She then earned a PhD from UC-Berkeley and became a Theatre Professor at CSU-Sacramento where she directed numerous distinguished productions of Shakespeare, Shaw, Moliere and contemporary American theatre. While there, she was head of the directing, acting and graduate programs and served as the first woman department chair.  After retiring, she returned to Nebraska, and has appeared in Lincoln with Angels Theatre Company, and as Queen Margaret in Flatwater Shakespeare's Richard III. 

She is a writer, pianist, master gardener, Tai Chi teacher, and a longtime social activist for environmental, peace and equality issues.  

Fifty years ago, in 1963, she debuted at UNL  in Eugene O'Neill's one-woman play Before Breakfast and won her first acting award, a "Dallas," as Widow Paroo in a production of Music Man directed by Dallas Williams, her first role on the Howell Memorial stage.  So this is the golden anniversary of her acting career, back where she first began. In her career she has worked with directors William Ball, Edward Hastings, Nagle Jackson and Alan Fletcher. She has performed as Lady MacBeth, Blanche DuBois, Jocasta (in Cocteau), Molly Brown (in The Unsinkable) among numerous other roles and has emcee'd The Vagina Monologues numerous times at benefits in California.

Mannerly Mondays: Male Etiquette for dating in the 19th Century

In the 19th century dating, the custom was to be very formal when pursuing a young lady.  It was the males’ role to court the female; a lady would never go out of her way to call on a man.  Before the courting could commence, it was important to seek approval from her father first. After approval was granted it was normal for the young man to come over to a young lady’s house and stay for lunch or dinner, play badminton, drink tea, and go on carriage rides. The rules of propriety and good conduct forbade women visiting suitors in their homes, although the rules were not so strict as to prevent her from visiting male relatives unattended. 

A woman with wealth and a high education, however, could get away with being single for an extended amount of time but eventually married another rich man to start a family with.  

One thing I wish we continued in the 21st century was writing letters especially love letters. Writing letters was a crucial step to courting a lady in the 19th century; her love could be kindled with a well-written love letter. Along with love letters, when a man was ready to propose it was done through a letter. This struck me with surprise because in this day and age we always talk about how the man sets up a beautiful evening to pop the question. A letter to me completely dries up any romance of a proposal of marriage. But I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it, so having both love letters and a perfect night for a proposal would be a little too rich.   

So as you go through your dating years remember, a love letter can light the tiniest of flames and might grow into the strongest fire. 

Mannerly Mondays: Girls in the 19th Century

When presenting yourself as a young lady in the 19th century, you must be very aware of your every action and situation. For example, when conversing with mixed company, a polite young lady must never speak loudly or use vulgarities. This is especially true in the company of gentlemen who would be offended by her crudeness and unladylike behavior. Another big no no in conversing in public is there should be no talk of personal family matters outside of ones own home. Conversation should not go into deep matters but should stay light by talking about subjects such as the weather and ones health.

The attire of a young lady in the 19th century was extremely important due to the wealth of her family and her potential to acquire a husband. According to writer Pauline Weston Thomas, girls often wore long, heavy layers of skirts and underclothes, which made their movements very restricted. Despite her limitations, a polite girl would not lift the hem of her dress too far past her ankle, nor would she lift both sides of the skirt at the same time. If the ankle were to show, it would seem that the girl was ill-mannered and indelicate.

Both conversing in public and the attire of a young lady was crucial in gaining status as an ideal wife and talented well breed girl.  This balance of status and public opinion is something that is a rather an important issue for Emma and her friends, but you have to ask "how does it compare to today?"   

For more from Mrs. Mannerly, check out performance dates for Mrs. Mannerly and keep checking the blog every Monday. 

Sources: Social Etiquette for Girls in the 19^th Century

         By Brittany Luongo

Mannerly Monday: 19th Century Dining Edition

During dinnertime in the 19th century, the rules of etiquette were carried out much differently than today. Although both Emma Woodhouse and Emily Post would frown upon impaling ones steak with ones knife and chewing it; at Emma’s dinner table, it was practically a cardinal sin to leave ones gloves on when eating or drinking. That etiquette rule went for both 19th century men and women.

Another rule for men and women was that a married couple would never sit by one another in the 19th century. This idea seems crazy to us in the modern era as couples are always sat next to each other and it would create speculation and intrigue if they weren’t. Another concept to keep in mind was that in the 19th century, men and women had very specific rules for their gender in every category of etiquette. Gentlemen were to be extremely respectful to women in ways such as helping them in and out of chairs, escorting them to the table, and standing when a lady gets up from her seat. In the 21st century, it would be a big deal if my brother were to help me push in my chair. I would probably burst out laughing if my brother offered to escort me to the dinner table. Ladies on the other hand were made to be such dainty figures. This comes into play with even the smallest things such as “A lady never serves herself from a buffet line, but informs her partner of her wishes and he brings her plate to her” (According to The Language of 19th Century Etiquette Book).

 As you go through your week of dining, think of Mrs. Mannerly, whispering in your ear to remember to put your napkin in your lap.