[NEohioPAL] Going behind the scenes of ACT's 'Noises Off'

[ACT Business Office]

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/NOISES OFF/ Opens Friday at Aurora Community Theatre


*Aurora Advocate, Oct. 29, 2008*


    Going behind the scenes of ACT's 'Noises Off'

<http://www.hudsonhubtimes.com/news/image_popup/1386473>

Photo courtesy of Aurora Community Theatre >From the bottom stair, Don 
"Arbie" Arbuckle, Chris White, Brian Diehl, Kevin Horak, Jennifer Klika, 
Adam Young, Mia Pesce, Brenda Redmond and Eric Oswald are featured in 
Aurora Community Theatre's production of the comedy "Noises Off."


    Going behind the scenes of ACT's 'Noises Off'

by April Helms
Special Products Editor
Record Publishing

The typical theater audience comes in to appreciate the action and 
talent they see on stage, but may not realize everything that happens 
behind the scenes.

"Noises Off," which is coming to Aurora Community Theatre starting Oct. 
31, is one show that takes the audience "behind the scenes" in a way, as 
a cast works to rehearse and, later, stage a comedy. The 
play-within-a-play is amusing. But the antics backstage, while a 
director's nightmare of infighting and mishaps, should leave the 
audience in stitches, if one rehearsal I briefly watched earlier this 
month is any indication.

"It's the funniest show on the planet," said Chris White, who is playing 
Dotty Otley, of "Noises Off." "It's also one of the most difficult to 
pull off."

The staff and cast of the Aurora Community Theatre allowed me earlier 
this month to come in for a behind-the-scenes look at the staging of 
this behind-the-scenes play.

Both White and her husband, Towar Vilas are involved in the show, 
although Towar, as stage manager, will be controlling the managed chaos 
behind the scenes. White and Vilas, who married in July 2006, both 
reside in Aurora.

Barbara Rhoades, the director, said this is the third time she has 
directed "Noises Off." The first act of the play covers a rehearsal. The 
second act covers opening night, "and by the third act, there is nothing 
that can go wrong that wouldn't fit in the show," Rhoades said.

"The actors start sabotaging each other," Vilas added.

Rhoades said that one of the biggest challenges for this show was the 
fully rotating set.

"It's really cool," she said. "It's huge. It's one of the most elaborate 
sets we've had here."

One side of the set shows the backstage area, while the other side shows 
the set used for "Nothing On," the play that the characters in "Noises 
Off" are staging.

Don "Arbie" Arbuckle, who helped build the set, said the two-story set 
rotates twice in the show. Arbuckle also plays Selsdon on stage.

"We're still fine-tuning and tweaking now," he said during the early 
October rehearsal. "It is massively heavy. The trick wasn't so much 
about rotating it as stopping it. But we've got it rotating smoothly 
now. But we still have to be careful. We had to move some of the lights. 
It was an engineering challenge, since the set is free-standing."

Rhoades said that Arbuckle's wife Jean was one of the volunteers who 
helped "dress the set," which included staining the wooden panels for 
the "Nothing On" part of the set.

Vilas said another challenge was the number of props needed for this 
particular show.

"I help manage the props backstage and make sure everything is in 
place," he said. "No one is really offstage in this show, so there is 
really no down time for the actors."

White said that Vilas had never worked in community theater before they met.

"He had been to a few professional performances, but that was about it," 
she said.

Vilas said he first got involved with community theater "because it 
wasn't fun to be home alone for three months."

"Towar is a great stage manager," Rhoades said. "And now he is on the 
board of Aurora Community Theatre."

"A weak moment," Vilas said with a grin.

"Now we've really roped him," White added.

Ticket and show information

Aurora Community Theater will open their 49th season with "Noises Off" 
at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 31 through Nov. 22.

Single tickets at $15 each are available online, including seat 
selection, at www.auroracommmunitytheatre.com or by calling 330-562-1818.

E-mail: ahelms at recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3153

-- 
Christine Patronik-Holder
Business Manager
Aurora Community Theatre
P.O. Box 9
115 E. Pioneer Trail
Aurora, Ohio 44202
330-562-1818
christine at auroracommunitytheatre.com
www.auroracommunitytheatre.com

-- 
Christine Patronik-Holder
Business Manager
Aurora Community Theatre
P.O. Box 9
115 E. Pioneer Trail
Aurora, Ohio 44202
330-562-1818
christine at auroracommunitytheatre.com
www.auroracommunitytheatre.com


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