Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Great Visuals for Wonderland


Just wanted to give everyone a chance to see this great collection of photos (slideshow style) from 2010's Wonderland Workshop production at the Ballard Locks.

Remember, Wonderland returns this summer in four King County locations: July 16 & 17 at the Ballard Locks, July 23 & 24th in Kent, July 30th & 31 in Bellevue, and August 6th in Auburn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktCSLHznJ3Q

Sunday, October 03, 2010

New Podcast! Part 2; The Redmond Central Connector

theater simple’s Park Bench: The Redmond Central Connector, Pt.2

This podcast completes our look at the City of Redmond’s Central Connector Project Visioning Event during which residents and city users were encouraged to share their ideas, hopes and dreams for their city and the development of the newly purchased Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Line. On Sept 15th, at 5:30 the rains came…and so did the people…over 100. The simpletons logged over 4 hrs of comments and conversations and have been busily editing them into two 30 minutes programs. And so, please enjoy theater simple’s Park Bench: The Redmond Central Connector, Pt 2.

Sunday, August 15, 2010




















Ok, these are AHHHHSOME! Scenic and prop elements from our new site specific work in progress. What's it all about?

WONDERLAND: ALICE ADVENTURES

August 21 at 5:00pm - August 22 at 5:00pm


Carl S. English Botanical Gardens and the Hiram Chittenden Locks
3015 NW 54th St.


theater simple's latest site-specific adventure WONDERLAND 's latest fun-in-progress experience is in August!

A free theatrical park adventure, WONDERLAND is inspired by and adapted from Charles Dodgson’s (Lewis Carroll) Alice stories, as well as his word games and puzzles.

An all-ages adventure inspired by Lewis Carroll’s writings.
...Theater and visual arts weave whimsically together within a parkland, playing with the creative perspectives of imaginations.

The goal: To look at ideas of PERSPECTIVE, CREATIVITY and PLAY - and have some serious fun.
Who can play? EVERYONE.

STAY TUNED!


WONDERLAND is supported in part by 4Culture.
And theater simple.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Reviews!



Shows and ReviewsHello! Monique here.

To give you a little idea of all the work that we've been doing, here are some of the great reviews from the shows we've been working on! I'm sure I've missed a few...but this will give you something to read for a while! :)

First off, This Is a Play written by Canadian playwright Daniel McIvor.
This fun short show is a three-hander in which the audience gets to hear the inner workings and thoughts of the actors as they perform on stage instead of only the "script". Llysa, Pamala and Ricky were great (as you'll read from the links below) and even though we really had only just started hitting our stride by the time the show closed, the run was good and anyone who had any experience being on stage or even watching people on stage certainly enjoyed themselves. Hopefully you or someone you know lives in Canberra so you'll get a chance to see it or hear about it first hand!

From the Adelaide Advertiser: 4 3/4 stars out of 5!

From Australian Stage

From Adelaide Theatre Guide


From Glam Magazine (5 out of 5 stars!)

From Talk Fringe


Billed as our 'kids show' Myth Understandings is a fun production that Andrew and I wrote a number of years ago to perform as a part of the Youth in Education program here in Australia. We've been touring it around the Northwest for the few years and so we decided to bring it back to the South Australian shores this year as well!

From the Adelaide Advertiser: 4 1/2 stars out of 5!

Adelaide Theatre Guide


From Glam Magazine
(5 out of 5 stars)

From Talk Fringe

The Snow Queen is our indoor version of Hans Christian Andersen's tale by the same name. While this is the same basic story of our outdoor version (Gerda's Journey) it is performed by only five actors who play a total of 55+ characters! Also currently playing in Canberra at The Street Theatre!

Australian Stage

Glam Adelaide (5 out of 5 stars)

Talk Fringe


52 Pick up, by TJ Dawe has been a fun and popular hit for theater simple for many years. Andrew and Llysa perform it seamlessly (or at least so from the audience's perspective! ;) and they've played to sold out houses numerous times! Why is it so popular? Well besides the fact that the script is great, the actors are fabulous and the theme is something we can all relate to...the show is never the same twice! (well the odds are nearly impossible for that to happen!) So even if you've seen the show before, you can never see the same show again...tons of fun!

Talk Fringe Reviews


And the largest production that I directed (as well as managed way too many other things) only had one review that I know of. Although we had a lot of wonderful comments from the masses of audiences who came.

Festival Freak

Friday, March 19, 2010

Catching Up/Down Under


Ok, Ok, so what can we say......we been busy.

We leave Adelaide after nearly 7 weeks of full-on, flat out work. Lot's of great art (both created and viewed) and lot's of great stories. Over the next two weeks we will be traveling back in time to catch everyone up on our adventures.

Today's picture comes courtesy of Monique Kleinhans, Feb 19th. It finds us getting ready to march in the insanity known as the Fringe Parade. Upwards of 30,000 people lined the streets. It was madness....and quite fun. It was also dear Llysa's Birthday, so really, the parade was for her.

The picture should also come with this caption:
theater simple asks "you wanna start something? Do ya?" Yes, my sorry ass is back on the blog. You wanna make something of it? Do ya? Just talk to my posse. That's right! I didn't think so!!

More soon!!!!

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Australia Update # 2


Today was a great day.

We have been in Australia for 6 days and are on the brink of pulling off a major outdoor production halfway around the world. We are performing our all-ages park adventure, Gerda's Journey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTpP6aaVFOk) in three locations in the Adelaide region. First up is setting the piece on the estate of the Para Road Wineries (Richmond Grove, Peter Lehman & Langmeil Wineries) just 9 days after we arrive. Today we got our entire cast for Gerda's Journey (five simpletons, three Aussie professional actors, and eight community-based actors from the local Barossa Valley wine region) for the first time.

Ok, our whole cast is not together YET; key simpleton Ricky Coates is just about to hop on a plane, having just finshed his run at the Washington Ensemble Theater. Ricky arrives in the Barossa about an hour into our final dress rehearsal.

Regardless, had a lovely 4 hour rehearsal in the blazing heat (37 C, 100ish F), and were rewarded with a glorious sunset whilst sipping the open bottles from the winery's cellar door. Good art, good will, and good wine. Good combination. We open the show on Friday, and much remains to do, but it all seems a little more doable right now.

Australia Update # 1

AUSTRALIA UPDATE Feb 7th: Three days of wonderfully mild weather (mid 70's) turns HOT today, lest we forget where exactly we are. We have our first outdoor rehearsal for Gerda's Journey in the lovely Botanic Garden's while, simultaneously, Monique heads to the Barossa Valley to work with our Aussie Ensemble. We open in 5 da...ys. GO, YOU BIG RED FIRE ENGINE (named theater simple). Love to all, around the globe.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Fringe in Full Swing (reviews)


Hello Simpletons Worldwide,

We have made it through a busy 6 first days of the Fringe here in Edmonton. Between The Snow Queen and Myth Understandings, we had 12 shows in 6 days. Add to that radio and TV appearances, flyering, postering and seeing a couple of shows per day.......and you start to understand the creative delirium that is the Fringe.

The picture is from the North Beer Garden, deep in the heart of the fringe. The Mid Way is a closed off street that cuts right through the heart of the site, lined with vendors, buskers, indoor theaters, outdoor stages, and cut across by a set of railroad tracks on which a vintage streetcar runs. Last night we saw the Melbourne, Australia St Kilda streetcar coming into the trolley barn from it's final run. The two conductors then walked through the site in their blues looking for all the world like just two more Fringe performers in costume promoting their show.

Reviews: some great stuff has come in for both shows.....

SNOW QUEEN got a 5-star review on Global TV - whooop!
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/index.html (look at Fringe Reviews 8/19!)


Myth Understandings nails a 5 star rating from the major daily.
Festival puts science clearly on the fringe

This makes our jobs somewhat easier, but we still have to get the word to people on the site.

Again, if you know anyone in Edmonton.....
LET THEM KNOW THAT WE DON'T SUCK.

Big Fringey Love,

Andrew

Monday, August 17, 2009

Wherever you go....


Hello theater simple fans far and wide! (Monique here--dashing in for a quick update) We've been working hard since we landed here in Edmonton last Tuesday (and we have a the great Edmonton Journal review to prove it!!!--but more on that in a minute!)

I thought I would post a few photos from the roads traveled to get to where we are. They have been filled with long days, (and sometimes long nights!), great scenery, beautiful and generous hosts who have offered their homes as a shelter to this band of actors, and of course good food!

The lovely Christine and Rick who hosted Andrew, Yana and I
in Hamilton, MT for our performance of Myth Understandings at the Hamilton Players.

Dinner at "the Cabin" on the Swan River in MT, with our wonderful host Bob.

The cast at a turn out in Glacier National Park

"you never know what might happen"

Llysa, getting 'blown away' at our picnic spot in Glacier Park.

Pamela living on the 'edge' of our 'picnic precipice'.

Andrew and Yana getting an 'even better' view while stopped in Glacier Park.

Enjoying an evening of rest and entertainment in Red Deer AB with a friend that Llysa traveled the world with in Up With People (and her wonderful family)

Getting warmed up to Hit the streets of Edmonton and Poster Poster Poster!
And finally....after teching, and rehearsing and flyering, and mending and stretching and a thousand other things to get these shows up and running....we opened and got some beautiful recognition from the Edmonton Journal for Snow Queen!

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/summer-guide/Snow+Queen/1875858/story.html


Now I'm off for another performance of Myth Understandings! Remember if you have friends or family in AB...please tell them about the shows!

See you in the theater!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Edmonton, HERE WE COME! (the blog returns)

Hello and re-welcome patient blog followers!  
After a hiatus of many moons, the simpleton blog has returned!!!!
August 10, 2009, Dateline, Red Deer, Alberta.
We find the Simpletons (7 strong) cruising at 110 kilometers per hour towards Edmonton, Alberta and the largest theater festival in North America.  
On tour are productions of the sleek and elegant The Snow Queen and the superlative and sophisticated Myth Understandings.  The company hits Edmonton at 1oam tomorrow and goes straight to work, doing interviews, hanging posters rehearsing and, I dare say, drinking a beer (as is Fringe tradition).

Stay tuned for blog entries from Andrew, LLysa, Ricky, Yana, Ian, Pamala and Monique.
(Today's blog by Andrew, picture by Pamala)

Ricky Coates knows how to road-trip.
(cruising at 110 klicks)


Thursday, March 12, 2009

A NEW POSCAST (KCLS Part 3)

PARK BENCH

THE KCLS LIBRARY PROJECT

(PART 3 - Covington)

Episode 23:

PARK BENCH HEADS INDOORS!!!

to hear episode, click the silver player-box to the right

In the Fall & Winter of 2008-2009, theater simple teamed with the King County Library System (KCLS) and 4CULTURE to launch

"THE LIBRARY PROJECT: BOOK BENCH"

a 10-part podcast series covering every region of the King County Library System. We talked with Library users about books, reading, the importance of libraries....and anything else that was on their mind. Many thanks to KCLS and it's users for making these podcasts possible.

stream it, download it, or check it out further at:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

PARK BENCH premiered at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe Festival and Episodes 1 & 2 are taken from those Australian interviews.

PARK BENCH made it's North American Premiere as part of the 2007 Site-Specific Performance Network (funded by 4 Culture)in King County, Washington. Park Bench visited 7 communities (North Bend, Auburn, Bellevue, Kent, Duvall, Redmond, and Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood) in a two month span, and rolled out 9 community podcasts. In the Spring and Summer of 2008, Park Bench took part in civic planning charettes in Bisbee and El Mirage, Arizona, resulting in highly acclaimed episodes (#14-20). Powered by Gcast, Park Bench has been made possible by the generous support of 4 Culture and the local sponsors who brought us in to each community.

Thanks for listening. Enjoy!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

A NEW POSCAST!!!!!!!


PARK BENCH

THE KCLS LIBRARY PROJECT

(PART 2 - MERCER ISLAND)

Episode 22:

PARK BENCH HEADS INDOORS!!!

to hear episode, click the silver player-box to the right

In the Fall & Winter of 2008-2009, theater simple teamed with the King County Library System (KCLS) and 4CULTURE to launch

"THE LIBRARY PROJECT: BOOK BENCH"

a 10-part podcast series covering every region of the King County Library System. We talked with Library users about books, reading, the importance of libraries....and anything else that was on their mind. Many thanks to KCLS and it's users for making these podcasts possible.

stream it, download it, or check it out further at:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

PARK BENCH premiered at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe Festival and Episodes 1 & 2 are taken from those Australian interviews.

PARK BENCH made it's North American Premiere as part of the 2007 Site-Specific Performance Network (funded by 4 Culture)in King County, Washington. Park Bench visited 7 communities (North Bend, Auburn, Bellevue, Kent, Duvall, Redmond, and Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood) in a two month span, and rolled out 9 community podcasts. In the Spring and Summer of 2008, Park Bench took part in civic planning charettes in Bisbee and El Mirage, Arizona, resulting in highly acclaimed episodes (#14-20). Powered by Gcast, Park Bench has been made possible by the generous support of 4 Culture and the local sponsors who brought us in to each community.

Thanks for listening. Enjoy!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

THE KCLS LIBRARY PROJECT


Announcing

THE KCLS LIBRARY PROJECT

(PART 1 - Valley View)

Episode 21:

PARK BENCH HEADS INDOORS!!!

to hear episode, click the silver player-box to the right

In the Fall & Winter of 2008-2009, theater simple teamed with the King County Library System (KCLS) and 4CULTURE to launch

"THE LIBRARY PROJECT: BOOK BENCH"

a 10-part podcast series covering every region of the King County Library System. We talked with Library users about books, reading, the importance of libraries....and anything else that was on their mind. Many thanks to KCLS and it's users for making these podcasts possible.

stream it, download it, or check it out further at:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

PARK BENCH premiered at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe Festival and Episodes 1 & 2 are taken from those Australian interviews.

PARK BENCH made it's North American Premiere as part of the 2007 Site-Specific Performance Network (funded by 4 Culture)in King County, Washington. Park Bench visited 7 communities (North Bend, Auburn, Bellevue, Kent, Duvall, Redmond, and Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood) in a two month span, and rolled out 9 community podcasts. In the Spring and Summer of 2008, Park Bench took part in civic planning charettes in Bisbee and El Mirage, Arizona, resulting in highly acclaimed episodes (#14-20). Powered by Gcast, Park Bench has been made possible by the generous support of 4 Culture and the local sponsors who brought us in to each community.

Thanks for listening. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

PARK BENCH: El Mirage




IN September, a team of 4 simpletons (Monique, Bob, Andrew and I) went to El Mirage, Arizona to create a PARK BENCH event, asking questions of the community about growth, local history ~ recent and past, wish lists for their community for the future, and ways to arrive at those desired destinations. An interesting part of all of our interviews was the idea of community - what makes work, or fall apart... what are the common threads that tie a neighborhood or a group together, and how can that be used for the betterment of the city... One common thread that now exists: If a simpleton interviewed you about El Mirage, you got a rubby ducky. So there are a whole new flock of rubber ducks 'floating' about in Arizona.

We spoke to folks at the Bulk Trash Clean Up event, At Pueblo El Mirage Resort, At the new Walmart on Thunderbird, and at Dysart High School. We came away with over 100 interviews with more than 140 people, encompassing countless opinions, suggestions, kudos and criticisms.
There are FOUR PODCASTS - we really had to let the people of the city speak for themselves...
(they're pretty great - Andrew did a great job of editing them together! Whew!)

The podcasts create an interesting sketch of El Mirage - incomplete, of course, but still a complex interweaving of people old and new, established and fresh, young, old, thoughtful and thoughtless. Kind of like what you might expect of a diverse, rapidly growing community. We can't say we 'know' the community, but we at least now know them a little better than before, and harbor great hopes for their future.

And let us know YOUR thoughts and opinions - the good, the bad, the _____(enter adjective here) ~
Here's a good start -
How does one (or many) translate the ideas of 'what makes a good community' into something tangible that actually creates that? What might be successes, lessons, and 'what if's?? How does the public/private enterprise and responsibility come into play? What do YOU think?

Thanks again to The City of El Mirage (cityofelmirage.org), Maria and Raquel and the Planning Center (azplanningcenter.com) for letting us come in and speak with folks. We can't thank you enough for bringing this city into our lives.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

It has been a while....


...since we updated this page! But rest assured, that we have been very busy!

Currently, we are approaching our last performance of the outdoor version of our latest play "Gerda's Journey". We've performed this adventurous production in Kent, Ballard, at Bumbershoot and as a part of a showcase held at ACT. And if you're not able to come and see the show this Saturday in Duvall, look for the indoor version in November!

See...I told you we've been busy!

In about a week, we'll also be traveling down to Arizona to do another version of our Park Bench project, and one here in Seattle this fall that is focused on reading and libraries.

We hope you've had a great summer, and that part of that summer has involved going to support some art (of any kind). But of course, we always look forward to seeing you in the theater...even if 'the theater' just happens to be your local park. ;)

Keep you eyes out....art IS everywhere.

Cheers!
Monique

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

A SOLO antipodean adventurer

Hey gang -

Greetings to many of you from the Other Side of the World. To the rest of you, G'day.
Llysa here with a long-overdue update from my time here (two weeks already!! How the %$(@@#! did that happen!?)

I am on-site in Adelaide with a few targets in my sights: doing a bit of producer-ship for The Snow Queen in either of its incarnations; attend the Australian Arts Market and get a bead on what artists in other places are thinking; see lots of stuff at the fringe, and SEE what artists have been thinking - both kinetically and ephemerally (trying to see more visual arts, particularly) AND do a little teaching at Urban Myth, seeing where and when Re[ACT]ion might happen. THEN, I will be going to New Zealand, teaching at the Fortune theatre in Dunedin("the Riviera of the Antarctic!") and meeting with folks I met at APAM. whoooo!

Much is percolating in my head - my mental velcro is VERY full already, and I still have 10 more days to go. I've seen two arts exhibits only, (one is a VERY large scale digital piece on historic buildings called Northern Lights - fabulous re-framing of familar places) but have managed to see 25 shows, and teach several classes.
The few things that are striking me: how grimly some folks are seeing the future or the past, yet in other places I've experienced incredible moments of grace, vulnerability and compassion.

Very interesting.

Music has had a personally powerful effect on me. I keep finding myself weeping at the sounds of voices raised together in song. (Not all songs. I didn't cry at the cricket anthem, or the drinking song.) But still - this is a path that we have been talking about re-incorporating, and obviously, we are in synchronicity with other creative types in the world. And lo! Two plays with music on the horizon!

I can hardly wait.

But - this is all for the nonce - I will leap back into the blogging fray more completely soon - just wanted to let folks know that I am alive, albeit alone (this is the first time since 1996 that theater simple has NOT performed at the Adelaide fringe, and Andrew and I have never been apart so long since 1989). If you see one of us, please give us a pat. Or a glass of wine.

Off to a show!

Sunday, December 09, 2007

FINAL KING COUNTY PODCAST

PARK BENCH
PHASE 2 CONCLUDES WITH A OUR FINAL PODCAST FROM THE 2007 KING COUNTY PERFORMANCE NETWORK.
(Episode 13), DUVALL, WA.


Park Bench is theater simple's mobile interview outpost where we invite people to have a seat and have a chat.

Hi there!
As part of the 2007 Site-Specific King County Performance Network (funded by 4Culture), theater simple's PARK BENCH visited 7 communities in August and September. Today's episode, the last of our King County Performance Network podcasts, comes to you from the beautiful town of Duvall, Washington. In mid September, Park Bench played a doubleheader in Duvall. We started out right in front of the brand new shopping center, and finished the evening in McCormick Park, on the banks of the Snoqualmie River and the final night of Duvall's outdoor cinema.
Have a listen by clicking play (on the silver player just to the right; press the "posts" button to search past episodes), and also visit the theater simple "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or get more info on past episodes:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew

Friday, November 23, 2007

NEW PODCAST !!


PARK BENCH
CONTINUES WITH A NEW PODCAST !!
(Episode 12), our day at the Redmond Farmers Market.

(Park Bench is theater simple's mobile interview outpost where we invite people to have a seat and have a chat.)

Hi there!
As part of the 2007 Site-Specific King County Performance Network (funded by 4Culture), theater simple's PARK BENCH visited 7 communities in August and September.

In late September, Park Bench made a visit to the King County city of Redmond, here in Washington State. With over a half a dozen potential sites for us to set up shop, we chose a place where farmers and artists and residents all come together, the Redmond Farmer's Market.
Have a listen by clicking play (on the silver player just to the right; press the "posts" button to search past episodes), and also visit the theater simple "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or get more info on past episodes:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew

Thursday, November 15, 2007

NEW PODCAST is up and RUNNING


More Park Bench Podcasts

In mid September, Park Bench made two visits to Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood. On our first trip we set up shop as part of Beatwalk (Episode 10), and now, today, we are feeding the city, at the farmer’s market.
Have a listen by clicking play (on the silver player just to the right; press the "posts" button to search past episodes), and also visit the theater simple "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or check past episodes and get more info:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew

Sunday, November 11, 2007

More Park Bench Podcasts

What have we been doing lately?

Well, a lot. But one thing in specific. Since our last entry we have posted four more episodes of Park Bench's internet podcast. (again you can listen to it right now by clicking the play button to your right).
Currently we have a dreamy set of interviews from an art event that we did here in Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood. We had folks weigh in on the importance of art and how art is a part of their lives. Have a listen, and also visit the "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or check past episodes:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew