Hughie - Goodbye Old Pal

That's it. It's over. The flats are back in the warehouse, the costumes are back in storage, and I have a trunk full of sand (anyone want play sand?).

Hughie was a great adventure, a great challenge, and a production I am very proud of. But of course, I did not do it. We did it. A lot of people helped out to make this happen, and I want to say thank you to all of them.

First - Thanks, as always to Kevin Ferguson and Cardinal Gibbons High School. We were able to rehearse in their space, and, as always, it was probably the single biggest contribution to the production we received. Two weeks of free rehearsal space is such a blessing.

Second, a huge thank you to Cary Players. Again they let us borrow flats and use their warehouse to paint them. Such a big help!

Theatre in the Park also deserves a thank you. They let us borrow several lamps, plus that big mailbox. And Jeff snagged that desk for us (which we got from Mortal Coile's production of Master Harold). He stored it for us (and painted it black).

Big thanks also to NCSU theatre department for loaning us the costumes. They looked great, and there's no way we would have been able to source anything nearly as good without your help.

Ok. Take a minute and look at this list of thank-yous so far. Four theatres in the area gave us major assistance to put this show up. That's cooperation. That's a theatre community.

Thanks also to the people that helped us out with load in and out. Chris Hayworth and Matt Spitler were a huge help, and veteran theatre volunteer Jamie Marlowe also pitched in for our load in, helping us rig the lights. We also got help from Ami Kirk-Jones with painting the set, and Kieth Bugner was a fill-in stage manager for a day. Olivia Griego coordinated our front-of-house volunteers. Big thanks to all of you.

And then, of course, there's the production team.

TODD HOUSEKNECHT - our technical designer, and who I forgot(!!) the first time I drafted this. Wow. Todd has been a key part of the team for every single production of South Stream. He was our technical director. Making sure we had the flats, and jacks, making sure the walls were properly supported. and supervising load in. I would not have been able to do any South Stream show without him. Thanks so much Todd!

Mia Carson our Lighting Designer (who is in Boone for the summer running their show) helped set the mood for the show. So did Will Mikes, our Sound Designer. Sound and lights create the atmosphere for a show. Often under appreciated, sometimes not even consciously noticed, but there. Thanks to both of you.

Laura Parker designed the costumes. She selected our outfits and made sure they fit the character, the period, and the actors of course. She even made the vests specifically for the show. Costumes are a huge part of creating the character in a piece. I often feel like the character can't be fully there until you have the clothes. Until you're literally walking in that characters shoes (and pants) you don't know who they are. Thank you Laura for everything you did for the show.

Huge thanks to Jennifer Sanderson, who designed the set AND was responsible for the awesome graphics. That cool neon sign? Her. Those cool pics of me and David? Her. The look of the set, the paint on the flats, the damn brass fixtures on the mailbox and the green tassels on the keys? Her. I meant to get a post up about the set, and how it tied into the story. Maybe soon. But thank you Jenn!

Thanks to my producing partner John Honeycutt. John didn't have a huge hand in the show, but he secured the rights, and he was there providing support when he could. It's always great to have someone else who believes in the show and helps on the production end. The reason John wasn't a bigger part of the show? He's in Ragtime with Justice Theatre Project. Go get a ticket to their show!

Huge thank you to our amazing stage manager Elaine Petrone. I always say, SM'ing is the hardest job in theatre. You have to be at every rehearsal just like the director, but you ALSO have to be at every performance, and you don't get any creative control. Well, put an asterisk on that one, because I think a good SM knows when and how to offer creative suggestions. They shouldn't try to direct the show, but the absolutely should be part of the creative team, not just the principle organizer. Elaine did all that and more. We were so, so lucky to get her and it was a pleasure to work with someone so skilled and accomplished.

Thanks, of course, to Andy, our director. Andy has directed three of the five South Stream shows. He's not only fun to work with, he has a great eye and a strong and confident voice in the process. I love working with him and spending time with him, and for a two person show, both are important. He is next directing Tuesdays with Morrie at Temple. (Also with John)

Finally, huge thank you to David Klionsky. It's absolutely true that when I first brought the idea of switching roles to Andy, you were one of the first names we thought of, and we both instantly agreed you'd be great in both parts. And we weren't wrong. I was so lucky to have you in the rehearsal process. It was such a pleasure to work with you on both Erie and Night Clerk. Thank you for agreeing to take this adventure with me. It was incredibly rewarding and educational as an actor, and damn fun. Thanks for being the other half of this crazy experiment.

Well, that's it for now. Erie and Charlie and Hughie are gone but not forgotten. Thanks to everyone who made the show possible, and thank you to everyone who came to the share the show with us. We hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time,
Brook