Images from the Chamber of Commerce

Remember that event we did at the chamber of commerce? Well, here's a few photos. The body that they're trampling on is a dummy constructed by Karina Smith. The actors are... Brian Clark and Hilary Holmes.

To Catch a Tooth Set

A first look at the To Catch a Tooth set - designed by your favorite Patrick Johnson. For more of Patrick's work, check out http://swazzle.com/blogs/puppetdesign.html

Rehearsals have begun!

The ship has sailed, rehearsals have begun. The cast is on time, the cast is ready. I don't think I could be more excited about the progress.

We've been focusing on getting the blocking done - you know, you go here, you go there, step in here on this line. What's helping tremendously is that everyone knows their lines! It's much easier to get into the flow when everyone isn't stumbling over lines.

Now that we've got the blocking down for most of the first act, we're going to be running it, and running it - finding the parts to let it breathe. I have a tendency to do that as a director, I rush everyone. Because I don't want to have those moments where actors mug. Some actors, if given too much time, will mug for the audience - as if to say, look at me, I'm here, and I'm acting, see?

Ugh. I hate that almost as much as I hate it when actors find themselves motioning with their hands, waving them up and down, or in the words of hamlet, "Sawing the air with their hands, thus..."

But, none of the actors have been doing that. Everyone is making it incredibly easy to direct them.

So far, our first act is noisy - everyone is running around. And now that everyone knows where to go, we're going to find the parts to breathe, the funny parts, the human parts. You know... the acting parts!

But it's going great. I recommend that anyone who is looking to write a play, put up a play, read Moss Hart's memoir: Act One. It chronicles his journey to the Broadway production of "Once in a Lifetime." Inspriational, and educational. Anyway... great job everyone.

New Art

Here's an ad that we'll be having in the Chamber of Commerce Gala awards event program this Friday (March 16th). You can see more of Patrick's work at: http://swazzle.com/blogs/puppetdesign.html

A Scene for your enjoyment!!!

This is the scene we'll be performing at the event on Friday. For your reading enjoyment.


TO CATCH A TOOTH


By


Dylan Campbell

AT RISE:
Peter turns on the LIGHTS. Peter and
George, aged eight, stand over a figure
covered in blankets.

PETER (CONT'D)
(awed)
We did it.

GEORGE
We're gonna be rich!

Peter pulls out a bottle of SPARKLING
APPLE CIDER. The boys toast their
victory.

PETER
To us.

GEORGE
To us.

PETER
To going where no kid has gone before.

GEORGE
Here, here.

PETER
To successfully, baiting, and capturing, one of the most
elusive creatures of all time. To the Tooth Fairy.

GEORGE
To the Tooth Fairy!

PETER
And here’s to becoming very, very rich men.

GEORGE
Amen, brother.

They drink. Then...

PETER
(holding a pretend mic out for
George)
Sir, sir. Can you tell me how you did it. What brought you
here to this illustrious moment?

GEORGE (CONT’D)
Well, Peter and I have been scheming for some time. After
several attempts, we finally pulled one of my teeth out,
created a giant trap, and used the tooth as bait to catch the
Tooth Fairy.

PETER
The Tooth Fairy?

GEORGE
Underneath that net right over there.

PETER
Right.

GEORGE
See for yourself.
Peter is beside himself with
excitement.

PETER
(calming himself down)
Okay, okay. What do you think she looks like?

GEORGE
I don’t know.

PETER
Okay.

GEORGE
Okay.

PETER
Here we go.

GEORGE (CONT'D)
(not so confidant now)
You ready?

PETER
It’s game time.

Peter carefully takes the net off. Once
the boys begin to see just WHO is
underneath, their reaction turns from
curiosity, to color-draining fear: it’s
Peter’s dad.

PETER (CONT’D)
Oh my god.

GEORGE
We just hit your dad with a frying pan.
Peter’s dad lies limp on the ground.
Peter grabs George’s inhaler and takes
a puff.

PETER
(pacing)
We can fix this.

GEORGE
I should probably get going.

PETER
You’re not going anywhere.

GEORGE
You’re right, I’m staying here. Why am I staying here?

PETER
Because we can do this.

GEORGE
It’s your dad!

PETER
I KNOW IT’S MY DAD!

GEORGE
We could run away.

PETER
We don’t have to run away. We just... we just have to get him
back to his bed. My mom’s at work. We get him back to his
bedroom, tuck him into his bed, and then he’ll wake up
tomorrow --

GEORGE
With an impressive headache.

PETER
Come on, help me grab his arms.

Peter grabs the dad’s arms. George
grabs the legs. With much effort, they
barely manage to drag him a foot or
two. Suddenly, Peter lets go. The head
THUDS against the ground.

GEORGE
What are you doing?

PETER
I just thought of something.

GEORGE
What?

PETER
How do I know that’s my dad?

GEORGE
I don’t know, because it looks like your dad!

PETER
I know it looks like my dad, but how do I know that it is my
dad. Do you know what I mean?

GEORGE
No!

PETER
I mean... what if it’s the Tooth Fairy? What if this whole
thing, looking like my dad, is a fail safe mechanism? Like an
emergency backup plan.

GEORGE
I don’t get it.

PETER
If the Tooth Fairy is caught, I mean -- we can’t be the only
ones who have ever tried this -- she automatically takes the
shape of one of the child’s parents.

GEORGE
(catching on)
That way, the kids are fooled, they let the parent go --

PETER
-- and she gets away.

The two of them both look at the figure
underneath the net with newfound
understanding.

GEORGE
You know how smart we are to have figured that out?

END OF SCENE

To Catch a Tooth's First Performance!

A small strike team of To Catch a Tooth will be performing at the UCNH Chamber/UCNH Jaycees Annual Award Gala on Friday March 16, 2007. We'll be performing a "truncated" scene from the play. Cross your fingers for us, wish us luck, and stay tuned for photos to follow.

HOW TO BUILD A TOOTH FAIRY TRAP

The first thing you need is bait. And by this, I mean a tooth. And you can’t just grab any tooth. We thought about getting a tooth from the skeleton that’s in our science class, but we figured it was better to go with the real thing. In our case, we got George’s tooth. I pulled it out by the classic tie a string to the tooth and then tie the other end of the string to the doorknob and slam the door.

There are other ways to do this, bite into an apple, wiggle it out with your tongue, or get hit in the face by something hard (like tripping on your shoelace and falling on the sidewalk).

Once you’ve got the bait, you tie a string to it, and link it to a net or a large clubbing device. This way, when the Tooth Fairy pulls the tooth out from under the pillow, she’ll either get hit on the head, or trapped underneath a net. Either way, you’ve got her.

Advertising!

Have you ever wanted to have an ad in two theatrical productions for the price of one? Well, well, well... now's your chance. Check it out!

CONCEPT ART

"Every change is a form of liberation. My mother used to say a change is always good even if it's for the worse."
- Paula Rego

A sneak preview of the postcard concept art. Designed and illustrated by Patrick Johnson. We'll be interviewing him in weeks to come. You can see more of his work at http://swazzle.com/blogs/puppetdesign.html

Ooooo, it's getting exciting now!

The Child of Neil Simon and Calvin and Hobbes

CALVIN AND NEIL

If Neil Simon and Calvin and Hobbes had a kid… it would be To Catch a Tooth. I’ll never forget reading my first Calvin and Hobbes comic book. My mom gave it to me while we were taking a train ride from California to Chicago. I read it that first night and kept my sisters up with my giggling.

Neil Simon… well, the first time I’d really sat down and read any Neil Simon was at Ventura College. I grabbed his collected plays Vol. 1 and just started reading. Come Blow Your Horn was the first one I read. And once again, I got in trouble for laughing… this time in the library.

Both pieces are different, but both are fun, with heart, and a lot of laughs.