#allison bloechl

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Auspicious Start to 2016-2017 Season -- From "Bathing" to "Mrs. Warren"

Auspicious Start to 2016-2017 Season — From “Bathing” to “Mrs. Warren”

So far, so good.

And I mean really good. The 2016-2017 theater season has begun with almost unanimous quality in productions ranging from musicals to classic to the new-ish. Even the shows that do not exactly rate as excellent, provided fine performances and something to think about. The most critical comment I can make about the early season offerings is one play wasn’t thought out or finished…

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Or, -- Hedgerow Theatre

Or, — Hedgerow Theatre

Aphra Behn should be lauded among women, especially among woman playwrights. She wrote for the theater in an era when such work was the exclusive province of men. Not only that, she wrote at a time, the Restoration of the British monarchy under Charles II after decades of the Puritan Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, when women were at last permitted to portray their gender, and do pants roles,…

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“Or,” is really Something!

Hi again!  We've just opened a fantastic new show at Hedgerow Theatre called Or, (the comma is part of the title) and I'm going to tell you all about it.  (Brief refresher: I'm Allie, I graduated in '14 and I'm working in Philadelphia as a company member at Hedgerow Theatre)  It's an amazing, complicated, fast and sexy piece.  Summing it up is a bit tricky but here's what you've got.  Aphra Behn, the world's first female playwright, has been a spy for the British Crown.  She's returned home to her beloved London, still ragged with the great fire, to finally achieve her dream of theatrical renown.  However, it's not an easy feat.  Not only is she juggling writing a five act play in one night, she's also got her ex-lover-current-spy William threatening a dastardly plot, her current lover King Charles the Second determined to love, and a potential new lover, the young actress Nell Gwynne who wants to meet Charles.  Throw in a couple cranky crazy ladies and that's at least a start. As soon as I was handed this script I fell in love.  Not only has Or, been fun, it's a play that I feel really gives the artists behind a chance to say something.  Written by Liz Duffy Adams in the late 2000's, this 1660's bedroom farce is surprisingly modern.  Yes everyone wears a ridiculous amount of ruffles, and don't get me started on the wigs, but it could be taking place today.  Aphra fights for her own happiness against all too recent extreme confines of the Puritanical rule of Cromwell.  She fights to make her own path as a woman and earn equal respect as the men around her.  She fights for the right to love how and who she wants. These are all things people today struggle with on a daily basis.  [Insert joke about choosing not to say "quotidian"]  It's a play that is there to entertain you as any other, but it's also there to push and challenge the way people think.  One of the biggest messages is that love is love no matter what.  It's an important message in 1666 and it's an important message today.  That's why I do theatre, to affect change and that's what this crazy play is doing. What have been the biggest challenges for me are the multiple characters I play in the show.  Oh?  Did I not mention?  There's three people in the cast and 7 characters.  I play Nell Gwynne, a brilliantly witty but foul-mouthed actress, a cantankerous servant (Maria) and a very wealthy and quite possibly unhinged patron of the arts (Lady Davenport).   It's tough giving each character a different posture, age, walk, and voice, but that's what also makes it so fun.  One of the highest compliments I get after a show is when an audience member tells me they had no idea that I played all three women.  It means I've done my job well.   Best of all is, you've still got four weekends to come see it.  We've recently been Barrymore Recommended (meaning judges will be coming to the show to nominate the cast and designers for potential awards) which is tremendously exciting.  It's a truly fantastic show that we've all worked hard on.  Also - if you say I sent you tickets are $10. Seriously.  Come see it.  It's sexy and witty and wonderful.  We run through February 28th!  You can reserve tickets atwww.hedgerowtheatre.org as well as read more about the show or call [phone].  For more on what I'm up to check outallisonbloechl.weebly.com. 

See you soon Mules!

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Hedgerow Theatre

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — Hedgerow Theatre

Certain books have their day, and one of them is Douglas Adams’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which expands into a series of six books, the first five written by Adams, and originated as a radio play.

Britain loves its radio plays, which are a staple part of the country’s entertainment.

Adams’s script for “The Hitchhiker’s Guide” become a perfect readers’ theater piece as Hedgerow…

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Dracula -- Hedgerow Theatre

Dracula — Hedgerow Theatre

How wonderful to attend a classic play that could be done as a “39 Steps-like” comedy and see it taken seriously!

In addition to praising Hedgerow and director Dan Hodge for maintaining a straightforward Gothic approach to “Dracula,” I express gratitude that, for one blessed time, a favored work was allowed to reach audiences on its own terms and prove why it enjoys its longevity instead of being…

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In the “Real World”... Rehearsals and Tech

In many, many ways, Muhlenberg prepared me excellently for life in the rehearsal hall. The theatre I work for, Hedgerow Theatre (see earlier post for more!) is an SPT, meaning that we have an arrangement with Actor’s Equity allowing us to use union actors in some (but not all) of our performances.  This means we run by equity rules, much like Muhlenberg.  Five’s and Ten’s are regular.  Rehearsal is daily (Mondays off). And yes, 10 of 12 (10 hours of rehearsal in a 12-hour period) exists.

What is different from rehearsals at Muhlenberg is that you don’t know who you’re working with or what you’re working on before rehearsals start.  When you walk into an audition you may not know the people on the other side of the table and the direction in which they’re taking the project – also true of the first day of rehearsal.    

Typically, you get three weeks of rehearsal, one week of tech, previews and opening.  At Hedgerow, we have two previews before an opening, whereas other theaters in the area, such as the Arden, have multiple weeks of previews.  Rehearsals are also far less regularly scheduled than the mainstage rehearsals at Berg.  It’s much more like trying to schedule rehearsals in Directing Class and its midterms.  Virtually everyone involved with a show has another job, so you may have an erratic rehearsal schedule.

All this is to say – it gets a little less organized once you venture outside of the Bubble.  To combat this be AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE.  The best approach to any rehearsal is to be ready to go as much as possible whenever possible.  That means in your shoes and rehearsal jacket before the start of rehearsal with your lines off book and your body warmed up.

Usually, everyone is on the same page and ready to work, which makes rehearsals as rewarding as possible.  In the most recent show I rehearsed, Dracula, our director, the inimitable Dan Hodge, was acting in a production that opened the same week as we did, and so we had three hour morning rehearsals the week we opened.  That’s a small amount of time to get a lot of work done. We had to be on our game and ready as soon as it was time so that we were able to fit a run, notes and fixes in before the end of rehearsal.

Working with such an amazing, professional and dedicated group of artists, as was the case with Dracula, was a real privilege.  Amongst our numbers are ’06 graduate Meghan Winch and ’14 graduate Josh Portera (also a company member at Hedgerow).  We were able to create a fantastic production with a limited rehearsal period due to the tenacity and readiness of everyone involved.

For more info on Hedgerow Theatre or to get tickets for Dracula visit www.HedgerowTheatre.org (Student/Educator tickets $15).  For more info on what I’m up to visit www.allisonbloechl.weebly.com.

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Hedgerow - Allison

Hey ‘Berg!

For those of you whom I have not met, I’m Allison Bloechl, a graduate of the class of 2014.  For those of my friends who read that and had a heart attack, don’t worry, I’m still Allie.  Here’s what I am up to out in the “real world.”

Currently, I am a full-time company member and acting fellow at Hedgerow Theatre, America’s oldest repertory theatre.  Hedgerow is located just outside of Philly, about an hour from Muhlenberg. Our legacies include Shaw, Brecht, Ibsen and, yes, even Keanu.  Hedgerow is a company-based theatre that produces professional theatre all year long.

I do a lot at Hedgerow.  Technically, I am the female Acting Fellow with the company, but really it is so much more than that.  Hedgerow prides itself on being company-based.  Everyone does everything.  Besides being the resident leading lady, I am the Box Office Manager and Fight Choreographer, and I offer support in other departments, such as production, props, and marketing.  Josh Portera (’14), one of our three male Acting Fellows, additionally works in marketing and dramaturgy on top of his work as a performer. We wear many hats here.

I’ve been with Hedgerow a little over a year now and since then have had the opportunity of performing in four of their mainstages: A Murder has been Arranged (Lady Beatrice), Don Quixote (Maritornes, Curate, others), No Sex Please, We’re British (Susan), and most recently Bullshot Crummond, in which I not only performed as the evil Lenya Von Brunno but was the show’s fight choreographer.  This Saturday (10/24) we open a five week run of Dracula in which I am playing Lucy.

Coming up we have our yearly production of A Christmas Carol, followed by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in January, where I will be playing Trillian.  February brings the regional debut of Liz Duffy Adams’ Or, a three-person show about the life of Aphra Behn, playwright, mistress, and spy.  Among several characters, I will be playing Behn’s favorite actress and lover, Nell Gwynne.  In March we have the world premiere of Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles followed by a new adaptation of The Servant of Two Masters — both of which I will be performing in as well.

So all in all the real world has been pretty fantastic.  Keep cultivating relationships and learning as much as you can, Muhlenstudents!

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you at Hedgerow soon!  For more info on our season check out www.hedgerowtheare.org.  For more on what I’m up to check outwww.allisonbloechl.weebly.com

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No Sex Please, We're British -- Hedgerow Theatre

No Sex Please, We’re British — Hedgerow Theatre

The Hedgerow production of the farce, “No Sex Please, We’re British” creates a great conundrum.

From a theatrical point of view, everything is on the mark. Damon Bonetti’s cast hits every joke and gambit on cue and with high style. The dexterous Carl Nathaniel Smith is matched, and even surpassed, in agility by Mark Swift who can land in a lounger from practically midair and thrust the footrest…

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