Heading Up This Mountain

This post is from the magical Michaela Morton! Pictured here, seated on the far left, with the 2012 cast of Open Dream Ensemble.



Two years ago, in an airport in Texas, I started writing Big Shoes. I finished the play six months later, in France. And last week, I began it all over again, in the Stevens Center basement in Winston-Salem, NC.

I’ve had the kooky luck not only to write a children’s show and see it produced, but also to be a part of the ensemble of performers and teaching artists that make it come alive. This is my first gig out of college, and I pinch myself to test that it’s true. It was surreal auditioning for the Open Dream Ensemble using a monologue that I had written, and even surreal-er walking into the first day of rehearsal to hear and see the story of Gordy and his brother’s big shoes come to life before my eyes.

Of course, that life comes into theater in fits and starts – it’s not a full play until it’s played, until it’s scored and strummed and danced around, until it’s set on its set and seen. As we do the play, I’ve made countless minor edits to the script, often at the risk of sounding like a crazy person (“Cameron, could you just cut the ellipsis? And change that comma to a dash?”). Balancing the roles of actor and writer can be tricky, especially on a show about which I have many preconceptions. Listening helps.

What I’m learning when I keep my mouth shut is that our story is propelled by moments and melodies that my script did not contain. Thanks to my co-conspirators, Big Shoes now knocks out operatic high notes, boasts back-up singers, manipulates a brace of puppets, and marks time with tap-shoes.

I’m also learning that I can be wrong about what I wrote. Sometimes I don’t understand my own words as well as my director does. Sometimes what I thought I put down isn’t on the page at all. Sometimes I’ve created confusion, and I’m lucky that I get to clear it up in person (or watch as other actors settle the mess). Forget “teaching artist” – I’m learning first.

And that’s a real thrill. Like every ensemble member, I’ve picked up a range of new skills. I’ve lifted a truss, loaded in a tree, been fitted for a leotard. I’ve sung a wickedly tricky three part harmony, learned four dance numbers, and plucked a solid line on the upright bass. In fact, this weekend I’m taking said bass home, courtesy of our Jack-of-all-Strings, William. He’s made it possible for a couple of newbies to strum those strings like we had two weeks to learn, instead of just two hours.

As a team, our story is coming together. We’re heading up this mountain at a fast clip, and thank goodness, we’re not going it alone!

This Show RULES!

This post is from beautiful Haydee Thompson. She is pictured here as a cab driver in Open Dream's new show, Big Shoes.


This show RULES! Michaela Morton has not only crafted a beautiful work of theatre but I have had the pleasure working with her. The talented Michaela is also in the ensemble playing Deepish the philosophical ish sister and her casting is apropos, as she takes her part as actor and resident play write very seriously and it is an absolute joy to play in her world. This experience has been inspiring and so, in my 6th season in the ensemble, I am confident we have an amazing production on our hands and I can't wait to shoe this show to the kids!

"Wickedly Talented"

This post is from the wonderful William vonReichbauer. Not only does William play two roles in the new Open Dream production of Big Shoes, he also runs the sound equipment, plays upright bass, guitar, mandolin, and dances. He is shown here playing his upright bass.


We are now a day into our second week of rehearsals for Open Dream Ensemble's season 8 (!) production of Big Shoes. We have an absolutely amazing cast and crew, this year! Everyone involved is wickedly talented and has brought a ferocious enthusiasm towards bringing this show to life. I count myself very fortunate to be working so closely with such an incredible group of artists.

Julianne mentioned it in her post, but it bears repeating; the sets and costumes are absolutely stunning. Not only that, but they are lightweight and compact, which will make loading and unloading the truck twice per day a little easier, this season.

Speaking of Julianne, she is our choreographer, this year, and it has been very exciting learning to tap from her! I even get to go up against her in a mini tap battle in the show. If you've ever seen Julianne tap, you know I have my work cut out for me. Fortunately for me, I don't have to win.

I can hardly wait to get this show in front of audiences; I think it's really going to blow people away!

Big Shoes Taking Open Dream Places

This post is from the lovely Julianne Harper, Open Dream Ensemble cast member and choreographer. Her photo is from Open Dream's residency work in Monroe, NC.



It's finally here! Season 8 has officially begun for the Open Dream Ensemble! I am so happy to be returning for my fourth season and I am eager to move forward with our brand new show, BIG SHOES. Written by cast member Michaela Morton, BIG SHOES is an exciting new production that incorporates an evolved focus on music and visual design. In just four days we are finding a strong connection between cast members who all bring an array of talents to the project. Our production team has built a stunning set that is unmatched with any of its kind and we are very eager to utilize it creatively. Working closely with the shows composers is also giving us, as a performance team, a much deeper involvement with the show's music. We are just getting started and I am thrilled to see where our Big Shoes take us!

Curiosity and the Red Planet

Curiosity is a great thing! It pushes boundaries, it expands knowledge, it allows us to ponder new truths.

Watching Curiosity landing on Mars today was stellar in so many ways.

Two years ago Open Dream Ensemble performed Peril on the Red Planet to a packed audience at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. Peril on the Red Planet takes place in 2618 and features a spirited girl, Diana, using her brains, wits, imagination, and courage to save Earth’s first community on Mars.

We wanted to make sure the facts we presented about Mars were as accurate and current as possible, so through our status as a cooperating organization to JPL’s Imagine Mars program, we enjoyed tapping some of the great minds at JPL during the scripting process. Needless to say, we learned A LOT!

As part of our time at JPL, we were given an amazing tour. We got to watch the fabrication of parts used to make the intricate and unique innards of the rover, glance at a Mars simulation field, see Curiosity being built and sign a guest book (the contents of which are preserved on a microchip recently landed on Mars.) The enduring impact of the show and tour was evident in our first Big Shoes rehearsal this morning; our returning cast members had stayed up late last night to watch the landing live.

So thank you and congratulations to the dreamers at JPL! Your years of hard work on Curiosity are now paying off for all of us.

Ready, Get Set....

On May 7th, the Big Shoes Production Team had its first meeting at UNCSA’s School of Design and Production. We looked through the script and brainstormed ideas on the general appearance of Big Shoes.

We met again two weeks later, and again two weeks after that. At each meeting the look of the show became more refined, streamlined in purpose, and yet enlarged in vision. It’s always amazing to watch the dreams of creative individuals unfold, and seeing the ideas of Stephen Davis (set and props) and Kendra Peine Weeks (costumes) gradually coalesce was no exception. By July, Scott Garey, our technical director, was hard at work turning the designs into light-weight, durable, packable, and beautiful structures.

Working with these three young artists -- under the mentoring eyes of UNCSA production faculty Bland Wade and director Beth Bostic -- has been an affirming experience. Everyone is committed to making Big Shoes a great production. And Kendra, Stephen and Scott have put in hundreds of hours in the creation of a truly gorgeous configuration of set, props and costumes. The attention to detail, the ability to “figure it out,” the willingness to not settle for something that will merely work but will also propel the story – these baby steps and giant leaps have us motivated to excel as we prepare to start rehearsals tomorrow.

Big Music for Big Shoes

On Sunday, a sizable portion of the creative team for Big Shoes assembled in UNCSA’s Gray Building to hear how the music was shaping up for the new show. Three composition students – Kenneth Florence, Ted Oliver and Bruce Tippette – had each written one song, and were on hand to share their efforts for critique.
Bruce composed music for the opening scene -- a scene that switches in midstream from Alexander’s braggadocio to his kid brother Gordy’s sense of comparative inadequacy. Bruce sat down at the piano and launched into a full-throated anthem of youthful energy and strength that morphed beautifully into the fragile admiration of a younger sibling. Everyone in the room was pulled in by the danceable rhythms and charismatic performance.
Next came Ted, who had written a song for the Ish Triplets, Weepish, Sheepish and Deepish. Ted had recorded his song with midi-piano accompaniment, singing all three parts himself (despite having a head cold). The close harmonies and gentle sway quickly established it as an homage to the Andrews Sisters. Chuckles were heard as the clever lyrics bounced off the syncopated accompaniment. At the conclusion, Beth Bostic (the director) praised the song but asked Ted if he could channel some of the 8-to-the bar energy of
Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy. After a brief discussion among the composers, Ted figured out how he could juice up the accompaniment to her specifications.
Kenneth’s turn was next. His Robber song was set as a sinuous tango, with the lyrics mostly rhythmically spoken. Like Ted, Kenneth played a recording of synthesized piano, over which he had recorded the vocals. Fully inhabiting the character, he managed to be both villainous and hilarious, a tricky combination to pull off, and an essential one in children’s programming.
It is clear at this point that Open Dream has a winning combination for the musical aspects of our new show. Hurrah! We look forward to hearing more of the music as it is composed and are eager to hear it come to life in the rehearsal process this summer.
Next up: starting the design process. Definitely more fun to come!