Bringing the arts to the streets

A new theme for the year is to bring the arts out of the studio classroom environment and bring it to the community. We see so many children transformed through the performing arts, but we need to CAW that it is happening right here, right now!

Here's our idea. Workshops that engage people. Simple. One day stands. No big commitment. Just come and experience it instead of just watching it. It is crazy good stuff to watch the Hot Mamas Adult Hip Hop dance. Who are they? Not some group on famous hip hop group about to appear on So You Think You Can Dance. What's in a name - they are MOMS! The "hot" part probably has more to do with sweaty than sexy, but they really do glisten at the end of a Thursday night workout with Joe Bell (now he is hot!) Drop ins are always welcome. Give it a try!

Acting - The Art of Transformation is September 28th. Work with Jonathan Siegle, a well known actor, director, on learning how to transform into the body of another. Kind of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing but using theatre techniques you could only experience in a college level course. Maybe you will be inspired to join the Black Feather Players, our new adult theatre company. Not your traditional acting company but when has Upstart Crow ever followed tradition? A chance to experience community theatre. Why? Because it is fun. Not as sweaty as hot mamas but a great place to stretch your wings. September 28th - 5 - 9 PM Ages 16 though adult.

Mask-erade - a fun furlough day for kids ages 7 - 12. Make your own mask and costume and use them acting on stage in Where the Wild Things Are and dancing to Thriller. A full day of no school work, just fun! October 11  9 - 3 PM

We will be doing workshops at the Eugene Public library on December 1 and March 2. We plan to have a Hip Hop Workshop in February. More acting workshops and theatre discussion groups (like a book club only discussing plays) at local brewhouses.

Watch for all the opportunities to engage in the arts. Think outside of the box and explore the world of the arts! Come for the day and just maybe you will stay!

The Black Feather Players

Raven Maven believes that when one door closes, you had better be ready for the next one to open. With the postponement of our summer stock production of Sweeney Todd, that is exactly what has happened.

Sweeney Todd was to be the launch of our new adult theatre company. The struggles to build a new  company, obtain the rights to the property of Sweeney Todd, and finally the illness of our lead, Mrs. Lovett, it seemed that all hope was lost and the work over the past year was for naught. I did not bank on the sturdy constitution of the troupe and the bond that had formed in just a few short weeks.

Unwilling to give up on the momentum they had built in the prior weeks of rehearsal, the company wanted to perform this summer, if the right material could be found. The door opened and The Black Feather Players walked through rising from the ashes of Sweeney Todd to produce Fireside Theatre, a series of ghostly tales to be performed round the campfire.

With a more adult theme to these ghostly stories, the kickoff event will be a Pub Crawl joining with our Brew House neighbors. Hop Valley has just opened down the street and Oakshire Brewery is around the corner on Madison. Our long time supporter, Ninkasi is on Van Buren, making the 1st Avenue Crawl the perfect event to introduce The Black Feather Players. There will be a different performance at each pub on July 25th beginning at 8:00 PM. Check out the web site event page for more information.

Upstart Crow miracles usually happen on a wing and a prayer, so this is no exception. The troupe is excited about the opportunities to work with Jonathan Siegle, a well respected and long time director here in the area. We are delighted to be able to offer our older students and adults a way to continue their dramatic talents. So as the Sweeney Todd door closes, please welcome The Black Feather Players through the new door.

And those of you who were so anxiously awaiting the Sweeney Todd production, never fear. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street may show up on 1st Avenue yet, come June 2014.

If you would like to join The Black Feather Players you must be 16 years of age or older. Call the office for more information.

Adult theatre comes to the Crow

Raven Maven has exciting news for all Crows. Upstart Crow Studios is taking a new direction this summer with adult summer stock. Jonathan Siegle, a well known director and now retired drama teacher at Springfield High, will be heading up the summer stock in its pilot production, Sweeney Todd. This is an exciting position for the Crow to be in and we are thrilled to be able to bring this addition to adult actors/actresses in the community.

With so many of our young people graduating and moving into theater arts programs around the country, we have long seen the Crow as a training ground and feeder system for theatre companies and theatre arts departments. Students have acted in productions at The Shedd, Pleasant Hill Theatre, Cottage Theatre, Lane Community Theatre and UO Robinson Theatre. Some are in theatre, music and film from New York to Los Angeles, and have been invited to workshops and summer courses from some of the top people in the industry. We are proud that their training began here at the Crow, but more so that they have taken flight based on their confidence and talents.

The demand for summer theatre has risen over the past few years and since the Crow is known for its edgey approach to innovative projects, it seemed a good fit to extend the program to adults, recognizing this new emerging market. As young people return for the summer and are looking for challenging work and parents are looking for opportunities to explore their own acting skills, we are lucky to have Jonathan recognize the professional theater setting at the Crow and our ability to produce quality work.

So join us Saturday for auditions for Sweeney Todd. We are looking for adults age 16 and up for this dark look at the streets of London. Contact the office by email or phone and we will send you out the vocal material required for this audition. An accompanist will be available. Auditions will be held upstairs in the vocal department from 1 to 4 pm. Check the web site for more information. We look forward to this new summer stock production and if you are not on stage, please join us in the audience. Prepare to be amazed!

Auditions - Saturday, April 20 from 1 - 4 PM  Vocal audition material supplied on request.
Looking for range and expression. Prepare a short monologue as well as the requested vocal material.

Rehearsals begin in May. Show dates July 18 - 21 & July 26 - 28

Savannah Knight Meigs - Star on the Rise!

Savannah Knight Meigs is our Rising Star this week. Savannah is a great Crow following in her brother, Nick's foot steps, she has been hanging around the Crow since 2007. She has been in 20 shows and that is quite a few when you consider she is only 12 years old.

Savannah is a costume and prop master! Along with her mom, Heidi, Savannah has spent many long hours working in the backstage, organizing costumes and making props. She made the maid hats we used in Annie from laughing cow containers. We have since used those hats in several shows, the latest was Aladdin as the hats for the Sultan's servants.

The best thing about Savannah is that you can always count on her. She is ready to step into a role, pick up lines, come in for extra rehearsals and work with other cast members as well as the crew. Here are her plans for a future in theatre. Can't wait to bring her on a director's role!

"I enjoy sewing, knitting, crafting, and embroidery. Along with swimming, and a little bit of carpentry. I would like to go to the UO with a theater degree majoring in costume, set, and prop design."

Crow Readers vote for The Best Theater In Eugene

Raven Maven here, with some exciting news to Caw about. Thanks to your itchy voting fingers we made it into the final selections for Best Theater in Eugene. Time to shift into high gear and vote us into the number one spot.

There are five nominees in the category of Best Theater. The procedure is the same as the nomination, but now the drop down window will give you choices and we hope you vote for Upstart Crow. Odd pairings with the local movie houses but that is even a better reason to have your vote counted. Bringing the family to a live theatre experience offers kids an opportunity to engage in the arts in a personal and more meaningful way. It is live, not generated. Voting for the Crow demonstrates that these kids have so much to gain from the live theatre experience.

Click here to begin. Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit next. Repeat this until you arrive at the last page and the last category in the Entertainment Field. From the drop down menu under Theater, choose Upstart Crow. Then submit. You may only vote once from your email address. Once you submit the information, you will receive a thank you from the Register Guard for your vote. And a great big thank you from the Raven Maven!

Now get out there and VOTE.

RG Readers Choice Award - Let's hear it for the Crow!

THE REGISTER-GUARD READERS CHOICE — NOMINATE UPSTART CROW!

We’re very lucky, not only to have amazing young people to represent Upstart Crow in the community, but to have a family of supporters. Our hope is that we can show the Eugene/Springfield community why Upstart Crow is the best and most positive theatre experience for kids.

Thanks to The Register-Guard, we have that opportunity. The 2013 Reader’s Choice Awards is underway, and we’d love to be nominated. Wait a minute -- we’d love to win! Only YOU can help make this happen. Here’s what you can do:

1. Click here to nominate us for Best Non-Profit. (link the word HERE to http://ow.ly/hq0ZL
   
2. Scroll to the bottom and click on the blue bar that says CLICK HERE TO START YOUR NOMINATIONS.
   
3. In the dark blue bar, hit the NEXT PAGE button. You'll need to do this six times to get to the Entertainment & Recreation section on page 7 (yes, a VERY tedious process).
   
4. Once you arrive to the Entertainment & Recreation page, scroll to the bottom to the very last category, THEATER.
   
5. Type UPSTART CROW STUDIOS in the box and click 'Next Page'.
   
6. Fill in your name and email address.
   
7. Click SUBMIT.
   

If you've gone through the process correctly, you'll get a 'Thank You' email from The Register-Guard.

The nomination phase goes through February 17th. The top 3 nominated businesses in each category will go through to the next phase. If we make it, we'll need your votes. Voting takes place February 25-March 11. We'll let you know if we're in the final round! Let's get out there and CROW! Thanks in advance for your support. 

Aidan Ziegler Hansen - Our Rising Star

After watching an old video of Aladdin from February 2005, it was striking to see Aidan in a principal role at the age of 10. Realizing he has been involved in the Theatre program at the Crow for over 8 years, is a tribute to the dedication of this young man. From principal to chorus, Aidan has displayed all the Rising Star attributes that say Crow. We recognize Aidan as a Rising Star not because he has been here so long, but because he is "always" here for the staff, cast and students in the building. His passion makes him an artist but his compassion truly make him a Crow. Ask any student at the Crow, and they will tell you they want to be like Aidan. They have seen him or watched him in a role and it has inspired them to take their place on stage. His role at the Studios inspires the younger students to set their own goals, gain self confidence and respect the strengths of the one as you work in a cast of many.

In his own words, Aidan talks about his life as a Crow.

"I plan to study musical theatre in college and become a working professional making a living performing.  

I am currently involved in the South Eugene High School select jazz choir, Dorians; South Eugene Theatre Program, currently working on Roger and Hammerstein's Carousel; Utah Ballroom Dance Company, semi professional touring dance company; All That! Dance Company; just finished working with the Angel Hair Foundation on their fundraiser performance Shall We Dance.

The Crow was the beginning.  That is where I first had the opportunity to perform and develop my love for the stage and performing arts.  The Crow gave me the support to realize my love of the theatre and inspired me to make my passion become my career." 

Aidan graduates this year from South Eugene High School. His rigorous academic program includes AP (advanced placement) classes, completing the highest math class offered at South and he maintains a 4.0 GPA. These are the stories about Aidan you don't hear. But we all know that wherever Aidan flies, the Crow will always be home.

Star On The Rise - Sabrina Gross

Our Star On The Rise this week is the lovely Sabrina Gross! No surprise as to the talent this girl has displayed since her role as Mrs. Pugh in Annie almost three years ago. Recently, Sabrina had an amazing adventure that has taken her dreams of being an actress to the next level.

After meeting with Seattle Talent in October, Sabrina, found herself in a whirlwind of workshops, auditions, vocal lessons and finally on the fast track to IPOP in Los Angeles. The experience was filled with the fast paced life of the Hollywood world. Running from one audition to the next, Sabrina was tested on so many levels of her talent. She was put through the paces in five categories: Singing, Monologue, Commercial, TV Beauty Commercial and Scene. In these categories, the beautiful Miss Gross scored in the Top Ten.

Interviews with managers, agents and talent producers followed, with 18 of them showing an interest in our Crow. Sabrina will be going to Los Angeles for the next three months to work and continue her dream, auditioning in the Pilot Season. She was described as a young Reese Witherspoon. Her school is making it possible for her to continue her studies while she is away and we at Upstart Crow will miss her triple threat talent her in the theatre and the dance studio.

Sabrina and her parents wanted to share their thoughts about her life at the Crow in their own words

"We are grateful and thankful for the growth and learning experience she has gained while at Upstart Crow and All That! Dance. Words cannot even express that enough! (Much of her resume' consists of her performances and experiences with both;-) She will always be a true Crow at heart!! And, if we end up in LA, I'm sure she is going to miss the 'goings on' at the theater and dance studio! It's like a second home to her! Thank you so much to you and everyone there for being the spark, flame, and catapult that directed Sabrina in a path that I'm sure will enrich her life forever!"

All our best wishes as we watch our Crow star, Sabrina Gross, fly away and continue to be on the rise!

A Magic Carpet Ride

Getting ready to welcome parents and cast members tonight for the Winter production of Aladdin. Always fun to start a new production and to see old faces, as well as the new ones. We will be producing this musical here at the Crow's Nest Theatre and at the Hult Center in March. Tonight along with a meet and greet, parents are invited to ask questions to learn more about the logistics of putting on a musical of this caliber.

With a large cast we double cast the principal roles. This gives us an opportunity to offer more roles. It also has the leads playing chorus one night, seeing both sides of the acting world. One of the biggest challenges is casting. The directors work very hard to make sure the role fits the child so that the focus is on their success. Call backs and final auditions will be held tomorrow, with casting decisions made within the week. Rehearsals begin on Thursday with basic acting skills for the new kids and a chance to read and stretch their acting muscles for the return students. Once the cast has been set, we move on to the challenge of costuming so many young people. Last year we had over 80 kids and we expect about the same number this year. Lots of roles in this production, so it will be interesting to see how it all comes together. We are also working on a couple of magical scenes to surprise and delight both cast and audience. So welcome to Agrabar! Hop aboard our magic carpet, sit back and enjoy the ride!