Hey everyone!
My name is Catya McMullen. I am an Educational Associate for Ground UP and the Assistant Director of our educational residency's production of Letter From Algeria here at UNC. I am also still currently a Carolina undergrad, serving as a Producing Director for UNC's Department of Dramatic Art. Affectionately nicknamed "the mole," I get to be a part of hosting a company I am a part of.
I joined Ground UP after I Assistant Stage Managed Barefoot in the Park last summer and fell in love with the company and have been able to assist in the coordination of the education program.
It has been an awesome few days so far! I have been so impressed with the undergrad student body! Everyone rallied together and have been working SO hard to create what I anticipate to be a great show and great week! The idea for this started so long ago as an off book reading and it's really been watching my classmates' enthusiasm rocket this into a full scale production. There are students milling around I haven't even met! The word has spread and the campus is ready. Last night at FallFest, there were more people interested in the production of Letter From Algeria than anything else. And we had people in blue wigs and scrubs making a ruckus (including Josh Wolonick, cast member of Letter From Algeria).
We are in the midst of a hectic tech week and everyone is in great spirits, in true Tar Heel form. Everyone is communicating so well. As always, I am impressed with Kate. Her leadership and humor are preventing this from being stressfest '10.
I am so excited for opening night and that I get to be a part of this project, the Ground UP family and that this may be one of the most exciting residencies Ground UP has had. My classmates are really grateful for the additional experience and assistance this week is providing.
Catya
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tech Week, Here We Come!
Hey there!
Andrew Slater here! Recent UNC graduate and currently stage managing the Chapel Hill premiere of Letter from Algeria!
Working with GroundUP has been unlike anything I could have imagined for my first professional theatre experience post-graduation. Watching a company invest so much time, energy, and passion into the work they do has reaffirmed my love for this art and inspires me to work harder on all the projects I commit to. Everyone always warns you as an undergraduate that moving up to New York to pursue theatre is a guaranteed failure and that the people you meet there will only want to bring you down, but GroundUP has been the complete opposite. Their design team has spent the entire summer mentoring our UNC designers on this project, and Kate has been so engaged throughout the rehearsal process that you can't help but feel that you, too, are a part of this very welcoming company.
It's also nice to work with a group that has such high respect for new playwrights and new pieces of theatre. It's incredible to watch a group of actors breathe life into characters for the very first time, and to be able to look back on a completely original and exciting project and say that I helped create that. The themes and ideas within Letter from Algeria definitely hold relevance to younger generations and speaks to modern times in terms of how we interact with each other today.
We have finished up our rehearsal week in NY, and are headed back down to Chapel Hill to dive head first into a busy tech week starting Sunday, August 22nd. That night, however, we're taking some time off of rehearsal to visit UNC's Fall Fest, so be sure to look for us to find out how to get involved backstage with the show and how to sign up for the master classes that GroundUP will teach Aug. 28-31!
We're one week away from opening night so be sure to keep up with the blog and the facebook group! See you at Fall Fest!
Andrew
Andrew Slater here! Recent UNC graduate and currently stage managing the Chapel Hill premiere of Letter from Algeria!
Working with GroundUP has been unlike anything I could have imagined for my first professional theatre experience post-graduation. Watching a company invest so much time, energy, and passion into the work they do has reaffirmed my love for this art and inspires me to work harder on all the projects I commit to. Everyone always warns you as an undergraduate that moving up to New York to pursue theatre is a guaranteed failure and that the people you meet there will only want to bring you down, but GroundUP has been the complete opposite. Their design team has spent the entire summer mentoring our UNC designers on this project, and Kate has been so engaged throughout the rehearsal process that you can't help but feel that you, too, are a part of this very welcoming company.
It's also nice to work with a group that has such high respect for new playwrights and new pieces of theatre. It's incredible to watch a group of actors breathe life into characters for the very first time, and to be able to look back on a completely original and exciting project and say that I helped create that. The themes and ideas within Letter from Algeria definitely hold relevance to younger generations and speaks to modern times in terms of how we interact with each other today.
We have finished up our rehearsal week in NY, and are headed back down to Chapel Hill to dive head first into a busy tech week starting Sunday, August 22nd. That night, however, we're taking some time off of rehearsal to visit UNC's Fall Fest, so be sure to look for us to find out how to get involved backstage with the show and how to sign up for the master classes that GroundUP will teach Aug. 28-31!
We're one week away from opening night so be sure to keep up with the blog and the facebook group! See you at Fall Fest!
Andrew
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Way to go TARHEELS!
Just a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this week's Education Outreach Program for UNC-Chapel Hill, which by the way has now been named The UnderGround Project (Thanks UNC Students!!)
The week was a huge success thank you to the hard work of soooo many:
Master Class teachers, (Flor de Lis Perez, Joy Jones, Matthew Murphy, Guy Olivieri, and Adam Fitzgerald), NYC "tourguides", Ground UP's Guy, Seth, and Catya, everyone who dropped by the TARHEEL TAILGATE party or the stumble-through, and of course the fabulous cast and crew, that worked every second (and will continue to work every second) on this AWESOME play, LETTER FROM ALGERIA. Thank you Michael Walker for that!
It was a great week, with the second half quickly approaching August 21-Sept 1 at UNC! Stay tuned for more info, excitement, and another great Ground UP production in the Kenan Theatre at UNC Aug 27th-29th!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
THE UNC CAST IS HERE!
Hi Everyone!
I'm Christine-- the Education Director for Ground UP Productions-- and I'm here to announce that what we've been working towards for 8 months is finally happening-- our first ever New York Internship Week for UNC undergrads!!
The three students that are up here with us this year are all cast in a workshop production of Letter From Algeria, which will be performed down in Chapel Hill at the end of August. We are keeping them very busy--- every day they have two master classes with theatre artists that have a history either with UNC or with us, and then rehearsals at night. So far they've had classes in movement, voice, monologue work, cold reading, and an introduction to what being a New York actor means from our very own Guy Olivieri. We also took them out on a tour of the theatre district today-- showing them Times Square, the Equity Building, The Actor's Fund, and several casting offices, among other things.
Rehearsals have been intense. It isn't easy to block such a complex show in six days, but the actors are diligent and Kate just knows her stuff, so it's coming together beautifully.
What has inspired me most throughout the week is just watching these students-- they are dedicated to both the work and each other in a way that you don't often see. They are so excited to be here; to learn everything they can about the city but also to soak up the artistic process. It makes me so proud of the work that we do, and so honored to be able to watch them grow. I can't wait to see how they and the show continue to develop both here and down in Chapel Hill!
This Friday night we are throwing a networking party for them-- A Tarheel Tailgate: A Networking Party for UNC Undergrads. It's a chance for them to meet other New York Artists and industry folk and start to build a network for themselves before they even move up here. Please come! If you want information about it, please contact me at christine@groundupproductions.org.
That's all for now! It's been a fantastic week. Thank you to everyone who made and continues to make it such a huge success.
Christine
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Must-See Pix Additions...
OK, so 4 very, VERY important visual additions to previous blogs...
1. Post-Show with Guy after his STELLAR performance as Seymor in LITTLE SHOP...
2. The money-crazed Foxwoods Casino-Goers...
3. Dan the MAN at his awesome CAMP!
4. Our FABULOUS UNC CAST!
This first night with the UNC Cast or ALGERIA! Congrats all of you on a fabulous start to the week and a huge THANK YOU to the master class teachers!
1. Post-Show with Guy after his STELLAR performance as Seymor in LITTLE SHOP...
2. The money-crazed Foxwoods Casino-Goers...
3. Dan the MAN at his awesome CAMP!
4. Our FABULOUS UNC CAST!
This first night with the UNC Cast or ALGERIA! Congrats all of you on a fabulous start to the week and a huge THANK YOU to the master class teachers!
Taking a gamble with A "Little" trip to Rhode Island
....and may I say, we won the jackpot. Well, I lost money but Kate tripled hers. The real winner of the night though was our very own Guy Olivieri who gave an outstanding and smashing killer plant of a performance as Seymour in Theatre By The Sea's Little Ship of Horrors!!!
Kate and I decided to do a day trip up to Rhode Island. Yes, yes, I know, we were nuts to want to drive from NYC to Rhode Island and back in a day, but oh man, oh man IT WAS WORTH IT. After 5 hours in a car and getting upset that we wouldn't make curtain, we arrived at 8 pm on the dot. Here we were in Wakefield Rhode Island running up the stairs to get our seats. We were here to support our dear friend and fellow Ground Upper. The show started and what we got was more than a man eating plant, we got a garden full of wonder. The show was wonderful and Guy was fantastic. It was so enjoyable that I honestly forgot that I had spent 5 hours in a car. The show directed by Amiee Tuner was so much fun. You hear horror (no pun intended) stories about summer stock but I have to tell you, Theatre By The Sea gave its audience a delightful show full of great talent, fun direction, and lots of fun music!
After the show, Kate and I were in no mood to head back. We wanted to stay, we wanted to have fun, we wanted to celebrate with Guy. So off we went down the street to the main part of Wakefield where we found a pizza joint. We ordered a pie and was told it would be ready in "15 minutes", so what do we do, we book it across the street to go to down a beer on the roof of an Irish Pub next to the ocean. No joke. Pretty amazing, right? We toasted Guy's awesome performance and great show then we ran back on over and downed an entire pizza pie. You see, in the 5 hour drive, we forgot to eat!!!
The night had come to an end and it was time to head back, well, I thought it was the end of the night. We said bye to Guy and started driving back to NYC through Connecticut when we passed Foxwoods casino. I never have been and we were so full of energy that we decided to make this a real road trip and be adventurous. So we parked the car and hit the slot machines. After losing miserably we both were not defeated. We were determined. We hit the tables, black jack that is, and my oh my. I went first and lost. Then Kate decides to go and as Kate has proven over and over again, she is a STAR! She was spectacular playing the role of the innocent southern girl trying her hand at a big man's game. Win after win after win she turns around and triples her money. That's right folks. She Tripled her money!!! She gave an Oscar performance and would have put Paul Newman to shame in the Color of Money.
Kate looked at me and goes "can I stop now?". I said Heck yeah girl. She cashed her chips in, we hit the road, stopped for caffeine and combos and headed back to NYC.
Our day was about theatre and taking a gamble and to be honest, that's what we do every day. We take a gamble in hopes that we can create astounding theater that you, our audience can love. It's a gamble, but when we win, we win big and that makes the early losses at the slot machine worth it!
- Phil
Kate and I decided to do a day trip up to Rhode Island. Yes, yes, I know, we were nuts to want to drive from NYC to Rhode Island and back in a day, but oh man, oh man IT WAS WORTH IT. After 5 hours in a car and getting upset that we wouldn't make curtain, we arrived at 8 pm on the dot. Here we were in Wakefield Rhode Island running up the stairs to get our seats. We were here to support our dear friend and fellow Ground Upper. The show started and what we got was more than a man eating plant, we got a garden full of wonder. The show was wonderful and Guy was fantastic. It was so enjoyable that I honestly forgot that I had spent 5 hours in a car. The show directed by Amiee Tuner was so much fun. You hear horror (no pun intended) stories about summer stock but I have to tell you, Theatre By The Sea gave its audience a delightful show full of great talent, fun direction, and lots of fun music!
After the show, Kate and I were in no mood to head back. We wanted to stay, we wanted to have fun, we wanted to celebrate with Guy. So off we went down the street to the main part of Wakefield where we found a pizza joint. We ordered a pie and was told it would be ready in "15 minutes", so what do we do, we book it across the street to go to down a beer on the roof of an Irish Pub next to the ocean. No joke. Pretty amazing, right? We toasted Guy's awesome performance and great show then we ran back on over and downed an entire pizza pie. You see, in the 5 hour drive, we forgot to eat!!!
The night had come to an end and it was time to head back, well, I thought it was the end of the night. We said bye to Guy and started driving back to NYC through Connecticut when we passed Foxwoods casino. I never have been and we were so full of energy that we decided to make this a real road trip and be adventurous. So we parked the car and hit the slot machines. After losing miserably we both were not defeated. We were determined. We hit the tables, black jack that is, and my oh my. I went first and lost. Then Kate decides to go and as Kate has proven over and over again, she is a STAR! She was spectacular playing the role of the innocent southern girl trying her hand at a big man's game. Win after win after win she turns around and triples her money. That's right folks. She Tripled her money!!! She gave an Oscar performance and would have put Paul Newman to shame in the Color of Money.
Kate looked at me and goes "can I stop now?". I said Heck yeah girl. She cashed her chips in, we hit the road, stopped for caffeine and combos and headed back to NYC.
Our day was about theatre and taking a gamble and to be honest, that's what we do every day. We take a gamble in hopes that we can create astounding theater that you, our audience can love. It's a gamble, but when we win, we win big and that makes the early losses at the slot machine worth it!
- Phil
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A Southern Touch
Hi everyone. My name is Josh Evans and I am a new member of Ground UP Productions. This is my first blog post…ever, and I am quite excited to that Ground UP can take my blog virginity.
One of the traits that attracted me to Ground UP Productions is their hands on approach with their patrons. In fact, it's quite southern. And as most of you know, our theatre company is full of graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We are proud to have brought that southern hospitality to the New York stage.
In fact, earlier this year we called over 50% of our patrons just to say, “thank you.” We send out personal emails and holiday cards, and even passed around cake at our annual Gala event (see the photos below).
The first half of 2010 has been special for us and it is because of our patrons we are able to have the programs that make us a southern transplant in NYC. In fact, at the end of August, we are heading down to Chapel Hill for the 5th year of our Educational Outreach Program with the UNC undergraduate drama students…but you will hear more about that later.
I got run look at apartments now…you know how New York real estate can be. Thank you for reading my first blog post ever.
Make sure to visit us at groundupproductions.org for more info about our educational program and our upcoming fall production of LETTER FROM ALEGERIA.
See you on the boards.
-Josh
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