Monday, December 15, 2008
Rogue, Interrupted
As of three weeks ago, I am the newest Remote Rogue. There's been a few of us so far: Ryan (ensemble member, Finance Manager, and board member extraordinaire) worked from fabulous Las Vegas for more than a year, Lindsay (founding ensemble member) has been off getting her MFA for a while now, and we have Associate Artists as far away as Canada.
So what does being a Remote Rogue mean? Well, for us, it means living too far from LA to help in a hands-on capacity, but still being able to work on things from a distance. Although I can't help build masks for the next show (and oh man, do I want to!), I can still write the newsletter and update the website. But for Rogue Artists Ensemble in general, it means that the work we do is so incredible that people just can't give us up--even if they're suddenly far away. It's a really strong testament to the power of Rogue art.
And, fortunately, the Rogues have friends in many places. Remember the NET Conference Tyler and I attended in August? Well, many of the new friends we made in New Orleans are based in San Francisco, so last week I got to attend a NET workshop with a bunch of familiar faces right here in SF. Even though I hadn't met everyone beforehand, they had all heard of the Rogues. How exciting! It's times like these that I'm most grateful to be a Rogue.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Punch Puppet Theater - On Vacation



Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mailing Fun Dec 2008

Shannon and Pat stopped by Rogue house to help with compiling our December mailing. It was a great night full of lively conversation and a million labels and stamps! This photo just about sums it up!
Look for your mailing with amazing new ROGUE bookmark for Gogol Project coming to a mailbox near you! If you don't get one, it's even more reason to sign up on our mailing list.
Also in the news - We've made three new Ensemble members and more news will follow soon.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Shannon and John at the Ovation Awards!
Wanted to report on our wondrous adventure to Cal State LA's Luckman Auditorium for the LA Stage Alliance's Ovation Awards last night!
I think everyone knows that the amazing and talented John Norbori was a nominee in the category of Sound Design for Intimate Theater for his work on The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, and although he did not walk away with a statuette last night, I think it bears repeating that we are all so SO proud of him and all the Rogues for producing such an amazing piece of theater. Hello?! We got a nomination on the very first year we applied!
Anyway, the ceremony was fantastic and included flying theater seats, very bizarre projections of giant disembodied heads making strange faces, Neil FREAKING Patrick Harris as emcee doing magic tricks, and a very touching speech by Terrance McFarland, Executive Director of LA Stage Alliance, about theater, the LA community and the changes coming to our country.
I also have to admit that I was a little star struck and did almost drool on Zach Quinto (Sylar from Heroes!)
Special thanks to Amy for making it out! I'm sad you missed the opening, but glad you saw at least a bit!

<3 - Shannon
Thursday, October 23, 2008
We're in a book!
...hours of exclusive interviews with Gaiman and conversations with his collaborators, as well as wonderful nuggets of his work such as the beginning of an unpublished novel, a rare comic and never-before-seen essay, this is a treasure trove of all things Gaiman. In addition to providing in depth information and commentary on Gaiman’s myriad works, the book also includes rare photographs, book covers, artwork, and related trivia and minutiae, making it both an insightful introduction to his work, and a true “must-have” for his ever growing legion of fans.We received a couple promotional copies of the book the other day, and we were not disappointed. Of the dozen of so pages of color photos in the book, a full three are from our production of Mr. Punch! In fact, the Rogues have a whole chapter: "A Conversation with Rogues!" There are interviews with Sean Cawelti, Megan Owings, Jenny Owings, and me about our process, our inspirations, and more. See?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Thanks for coming!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Hypercast #2: Unmasking Mr. Punch

Say hello to our sweet, sweet second Hypercast!
Listen in on a conversation with Patrick Rubio, mask designer for our latest production: The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch. We'll learn about the craft of creating masks, chat about the relationship between fear and memory, and be a fly on the wall for an actual mask making session.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Frog Belly's journey to WEHO





Thursday, September 25, 2008
It lives!

Our podcast is now available for subscription on iTunes. It feels like the Little Engine That Could (please tell me I wasn't the only person to read that as a kid).
To subscribe, just go to iTunes and search for "rogue artists." I'm sure there are other ways to find it, but that worked for me just fine. Click "subscribe," and from then on, every time you update your iPod, you'll get our latest episode.
Right now, we're planning on 1-2 podcasts per month, and we've got some great ideas for the next few. So go ahead and subscribe!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Photocall
photos will be prettier than this, I imagine.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
So:
Our first read-through was great. There were donuts. It just doesn't get any better than that. I met our new stage manager, Joe. He seems like a very nice guy. He's an Army guy, so I vowed to never be late. (I saw Private Benjamin. I don't want to mess up. I like my toothbrush.)
Tech week was VERY tech-y. I read all my back issues of the New Yorker and started "Everything is Illuminated". An excellent book. (I know Miles and Cari agree.)
The show opened! I am so thrilled! We got such a warm reception from our Gala audience. We're really ready to do this for an audience. They are the most important missing ingredient.
We are into the run now. We decided that the Mermaid needs lots of blood to really make the violence and the implications of it clear. I think it is very effective. However, the MESS that I trail with me through the theatre, down the stairs and into the dressing room is...icky( yeah that's the best word). Plus, it's made with minty sugar and we have an ant problem, so it all needs to be cleaned up nightly. I'm in charge of myself and my bloody shoes, Kerry is in charge of my bloody costume and poor Tim, Tricia and Joe are in charge of the major mop-up duty. Chins up, everyone and thank you for all the hard work!
Ants will go away if you draw with chalk on your walls and surfaces. It's pretty incredible. They hate chalk. Sean says I'm confusing ants with voo-doo.
This coming weekend is our closing weekend. I will miss driving into the parking lot and hearing Tom singing and playing on his banjo. I'll miss watching Tricia putting blood on that babydoll's face, Tim rinsing out the mop, Joe, standing in the middle of the stage doing his mental checklist, fightcall with Dana and Kerr, Miles making me happy with just a hello, Don smoking and saying something wry and cynical, huge hug from little monkey-Sean, and...(drumroll) Cari Turley and the ongoing blockbuster that is her life, and Scarecrow, I think I'm going to miss you most of all.
It's almost time to click my heels and pack all the magic back up into a rental truck. It's sad, but I'll never forget it. Because I can't get the minty blood off my feet.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
It's here! Rogue Hypercast #1
The podcast--or as we're calling it, Hypercast--features audio from the "Mr. Punch" talkback on August 24 with cast and crew from the show. Listen to behind-the-scenes stories, original music, and more!
The Rogue Hypercast is available on iTunes and wherever else fine podcasts are distributed. Thanks for listening!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Alan Cook's Review
Sean Cawelti has already posted the glowing review of the Rogues Artists production of their Punch show. Whatever the level of various reviewers enthusiasm, they ALL seem to agree on one thing--the high level of production values, and for this alone, the show is a "must see."
The L.A. Times review will undoubtedly carry the most weight, which should keep audiences coming. The Bootleg Theater space is a great improvement over the previous location of the earlier version of the show. The amount of group effort put in to this production is mind-boggling.
The show has remained faithful to the graphic novel source material. I had never specifically thought of a graphic novel having high production value in its own right, but so it is here, and the Rogues production has caught that on stage.
Some reviewers admitted to "mixed feelings" about the script, but that comes from the graphic novel, and it seemed important to remain close to the source.
In this Punch & Judy show, Punch is having a not-for-children romp in the hay with Pretty Polly, and the crocodile does not vanquish Mr Punch.
The punchman says something about probably ending his life in the workhouse--unfortunately, this was in keeping with historical accuracy. The Italian puppeteer (Picini) whose show was written down by Collier, illustrated by Cruikshank, and became a publishing phenomenon (being published in over 100 editions by different printers and becoming the "standard Punch script" for later Punchmen) did indeed end his life in the workhouse (aka the poorhouse).
I hope today's punchmen & women will fare better.
- Alan Cook
Saturday, August 23, 2008
At Punch on a Friday night in August








Monday, August 18, 2008
What happens when you spend too much time together...
As we made a U-turn onto the correct side of Beverly Blvd, John Nobori (Rogue ensemble member) and Shannon Goldsborough (Rogue staff member) drove past us and pulled into the driveway of the theatre. They were there because they had to pick something up.
As the four of us are standing around amazed that we caught each other at the same time, ANOTHER CAR with two Rogue associates drove up. They had forgotten to double check something on their way out of the theatre.
9pm. Six people. One theatre.
Mind Meld? It must be. How else could it happen that three independent cars of people arrived at the theatre, unannounced, after hours, for three different purposes?
I think I need a different hobby.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Backstage at "Mr. Punch"
Mobile blogging is fun!
No one should be awake at this hour.
This just happened:
(Tyler gets out of the shower, whistling.)
Cari: You cannot be this cheerful at 5:15 in the morning. I will stab you.
Tyler: Fair enough!
It's sick how excited he is to be up right now.
Anyway, we're heading out now. See you back home shortly!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Jackson Square
Today, I went to a seminar on the aesthetics and process of the New York Neofuturists, who are very funny, very talented, and very heavy drinkers (ask Tyler about that one). They're just one of the NET companies we've met over the past few days.
Flight out is tomorrow at 7:30 (thanks, Stamets. Ugh). It's been a great trip so far. Thanks to everyone who followed along on the blog as we figure out what we're doing.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Lunch at Cafe Reconcile
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Goodnight!
It's the end of day one...finally. It's been crazy busy, and already we've been to several lectures, seen four visiting ensembles give very interesting performances, and taken a tour of the French Quarter (which we are smack in the middle of). New Orleans is gorgeous, and Tyler and I are both super excited to be here.
More pictures and audio tomorrow. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out Chris Rose. He was our keynote speaker today and he's very, very cool, and he has a lot to say.
Goodnight from New Orleans!
Greetings
Thursday, June 26, 2008
How to Help the Rogues...for Free!
One thing you can do is replace your usual search engine with GoodSearch. Just visit goodsearch.com, enter "Rogue Artists Ensemble" into the "who do you GoodSearch for?" field, and click "verify." That's it! Now, every time you search for something using their website, the Rogues get a small donation. Use it often--it really adds up!
Another REALLY HELPFUL method is to register your Ralph's Club Card (they're free!) online. Just click the link above (or visit http://www5.kroger.com/EnterpriseLoyaltyWeb/crenrollment?divId=703), type in our NPO number (84744), and enter your information the way you filled it out on your card application. Whenever you shop at Ralph's, a sizeable portion of the money you spend comes to us, at no extra cost to you! This really does help. We've made hundreds of dollars from this program alone, but we can always use more help!
The last option is to use our special Rogue link when you make purchases on Amazon.com. Bookmark that link and use it anytime you make an Amazon purchase...again, we receive a portion of the sale, and it helps us immesurably.
Just think, by making a few minor adjustments, you could be funding the next Rogue blockbuster! On behalf of all of us, thank you so much for your support. :)
Monday, June 23, 2008
Mr. Punch Tech Meeting
I showed up today to help tape the floor (since the show which was in here last week [Cornerstone's Someday, a fabulous work] has struck their set, we are now free to take over! Mwah ha ha ha!), and am hanging out because the Rogues are such wonderful people to hang out with, even when they are mired in a meeting that I have no part in.
But let me tell you: this is going to be an awesome show. They are dancing in the house while the techs meet in the lobby, and I feel surrounded by extra-ordinary ideas, out-of-the-box ideas, innovative, Hyper-theatrical ideas.
Man, I love this company!
(Oh yeah, and as Box Office Manager of this wonderful show, I feel it is my duty to remind everyone to buy tickets--and sell them too!)
Heat Wave
Grandpa
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Feeling Punch-y
Since I have been involved with this show (after seeing the first incarnation last year) I have been forced to: play with inanimate objects and bring them to life; wander around in weird-looking masks, forced to "interact" with "people" (ew!); freely and openly discuss story concept and ideas; play a hunchback, a talking larger-than-life badger and a falsetto-voiced cockney puppet; hit on a mermaid (metaphorically and literally); discuss literary characters and authors; explore the human psyche and memory; learn outlandish and multi-faceted character- and story-based choreography; work with ten-year-olds; immerse myself in strange, dark, brilliant theatrical settings; and mingle with people who LIKE doing all of this stuff and would probably be quite content doing it for the rest of thier lives.
Why in God's name did I sign up for this?
Oh.
Oh, right.
That's why.
; )
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
An Ode to Nate Hodges
Anyway. It's been widely established that I am possibly the worst dancer of all time. I've nearly failed every class I've ever taken (even with perfect attendance and a positive attitude! I thought that was supposed to count for something...), and I can't learn choreography to save my life. I think if my life literally depended on being able to learn a six-step combination, I would actually die. It's that dire.
So imagine how well I did last night when Nate taught Don, Matt, Tom, Sean, Connor, and me a three-minute (maybe? I don't know, it felt like hours) piece that involves backflips and explosions. Seriously! OK, the explosions are sort of just mimed. But the backflips are real!
Other things the piece contains, courtesy of Nate's own special language:
- "Glitter-BAM!"
- "Take a pony! Take a pony!"
- "Pirate skips,"
- "Pull the rope,"
- "Row the boat,"
- "Throw the pixie dust!"
- "Twinkly fingers,"
- and, yes: "Jazz hands!"
Friday, June 6, 2008
Mr. Punch
Dana Jr ("The Grandfather")
Monday, June 2, 2008
Mr. Punch (the Remix): First Rehearsal
Saturday was the first rehearsal, and the first time many of us had read the new script or seen the theater. I think everyone was really pleased by both. There were some familiar faces (hi Dana, Tom, Nina, and Miles!) and some new ones (welcome, Connor, Sean, Don, Kerr, and Matt).
I'm a visual learner, so here are some photos to help you feel like you were there:


And as a reward for sticking with the entry for so long, here's some exciting news: in addition to all the other new stuff Punch 2.0 has going for it, there are two more updates I haven't shared with you yet. First, we're going to have a Punch podcast launching soon, so you can keep up with all the latest news on your iPod! And second, we've got musicians lined up to play every Friday during the run--not just at the gala anymore! So far, we have Figureone, Marcela Carmona, and Jesca Hoop (wow!). The best part is, we have some other amazing bands in the works...but I don't want to spoil all my surprises at once. Good things come to those who wait! :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Frog Belly in Pictures
There's too much going on for just one entry, so for now I'll just focus on Frog Belly Rat Bone. After our record-breaking tour to Balboa Park in San Diego, Frog Belly was invited to perform at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books...where we met Frog Belly author Timothy Basil Ering himself! Tim was so excited about our show that he literally grabbed random passersby and forced them to watch. Below: The Rogues get a coveted 3pm slot at the Festival of Books (we drew the biggest crowd of the day!), and Emily and Shannon set up the stage before the performance.



Thursday, April 24, 2008
Three Tales of Good and Evil: Concept Art

So, while we're touring Frog Belly and preparing for the remount of Mr. Punch, we're already starting to do some heavy lifting with The Cowboy Elektra and Three Tales of Good and Evil.* Good and Evil's project page has just been updated with some new concept drawings, but here's another that didn't fit--just for you, loyal blog-readers!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this one is from puppet designer Joyce Hutter.
*Title subject to change.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Frenzy
s.




