The Wheels of a Dream

Yesterday, I did a "back.story" shoot with my friend, actress Shemika Berry. We were originally going to do a shoot with her as Ruth from the play "A Raisin in the Sun", but in order to continue with the theme of my series we decided to cast her as Sarah from the musical "Ragtime". Instead of telling you about the character and the show, this is the back story Shemika provided...

"Sarah in Ragtime is an idealistic young woman raised in Harlem during the Ragtime heyday of music. She grew up in a staunchly religious home and was very active in her church. Her one true passion has always been music. It stirs her soul and when she heard the piano playings and singing of a young musician named Coalhouse she instantly fell in love. The passion she felt for him made her forget about everything around her. Her love for him cause him to compromise her standards and the morals her parents raised her with. Her parents disowned her and forced her to leave her home upon discovery that she was pregnant with "that musician" Coalhouse's baby. Pregnant and unwed, Sarah was a disgrace to her family. When she had her baby, Coalhouse, Jr. she was alone, the baby came early and was so small he wasn't breathing. She didn't know he was still alive when she buried him, she would have never tried to harm her own child. Her anguish and horror at what she has done comes crashing down around her after her baby is discovered alive and crying in the garden."

Here are the photographs we came up with!

And the photograph that will be featured in my book... sb.imagery

All images owned and copyrighted by Scotty Beland.

back.story

.Today I wrote my artist's statement that I will include in my book. The book will be called "back.story", and... well... you'll figure out what it's about once you read below!

"What is a back story?

A back story is a device used literally as a background story which chronologically would have taken place prior to the narration of a novel, film, or in this case, a dramatic work. These devices are directly related to the narration and usually deal with the history of characters or other underlying elements. Kind of like a prequel.

There are a lot of considerations an actor has to make when coming up with a back story for their performance to make it their own. The lines in their script are only a basis for practically birthing a new character. The psychology of a character simply cannot be provided in a script or the brief character summary that not even all scripts provide; it is the actor’s responsibility to create this psychology and what makes the character tick. After all, if you think about the way a person was raised, who they knew growing up, what trials they faced, the obstacles they overcame, their first kiss... All of these things shape who a person is. This should be a testament to how powerful a back story can be. Two actors playing the same role with two different back stories will portray the character in very different ways.

My intent for this series was to create a collection of “character stills” that show actors, who have played these characters, in full costume and make-up and for them to talk about the back stories they developed for their characters. The photographs are meant to capture the essence of the character and what makes each character unique. Accordingly, each photograph and back story is accompanied by song lyrics that give insight to each particular characterization.

If anything, a person who reads this book should be able to take away the importance of a back story in someone’s life and how these “prequels” shape a character, and ultimately an entire society.

So, tell me... what’s your back story?"

If you want, you should totally let me know what you think! I want as much advice as possible. I will be posting about my progress in the making of this book on my other blog: http://sbimagery.blogspot.com/. Be sure to check it out!

And on this blog, I will be posting a new set of "character stills" soon. My lovely friend and actress/make-up artist, Shemika Berry will be portraying Sarah from the Broadway musical, Ragtime. I met Shemika when we were both cast in a production of Gypsy. She was cast as a stripper with a gimmick, and I was a 12-year-old! We have worked together several times since then and I know she is the perfect actress to portray this character. I'm sure it will be beautiful! I don't want to give too much away about specifics, but this is a song from the show that Sarah sings (hope it will get you in the mood Shemika!).

sb.imagery

Something's Cookin'

Last Friday was the opening night of another show I was in! Despite a short rehearsal process and some serious microphone issues (in addition to a period of mass confusion in which I forgot the words to one of my songs... :-) ), it was well-received by our opening weekend audiences! The show is called The Spitfire Grill, and it will be running for two more weekends (this Friday and Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 3 as well as next weekend). You can order tickets online at http://www.tantallonstage.com/ or call 301.203.6070.


Although this particular show is not well-known, it is a really good show filled with great music and intense dramatic moments! I play a somewhat dim-witted Sheriff who falls in love with a parolee who came to this town after being entranced by a newspaper clipping. She takes employment at The Spitfire Grill and soon enough, the town is thriving with life again. If you want a review, you can find one here from the folks at Showbiz Radio: http://www.showbizradio.net/2010/09/29/review-tcp-spitfire-grill/.

And here's another one from the Maryland Independent: http://www.somdnews.com/stories/10012010/weekmor130843_32199.shtml.

Here's a few more photographs shot by my good friend, Kristin Leahy.

I really hope to see some of you there!!!

sb.imagery

All of the images in this post copyright Kristin Leahy.

show.time

So, I thought it was important to include the live performance shots I have decided to include with my book that I will be making. These will all be compiled at the end of the book design, after all of the narratives I have shot.

Here you go...

Secret Garden - Port Tobacco Players

Dracula and the Curse of the Silver Scream - Port Tobacco Players

Little Shop of Horrors - Greenbelt Arts Center

You Can't Take It With You - St. Mary's Ryken

Cinderella - St. Mary's Summerstock

West Side Story - Rockville Musical Theatre

sb.imagery

All images owned and copyrighted by Scotty Beland.

New Website Design!!!

My website is finally published to my domain name!!! AND it's a new design. Hopefully you like it! A few things need to be added and changed and fixed, etc., but it's functional. Sooooo... just go to...

http://www.scottybeland.com/

I also created a blog for recent works to keep my other, non-theatre stuff in the open so I don't have to update my Web-site all the time. So go here to look at it!

http://sbimagery.blogspot.com/

In other news... the film I was cast in just wrapped!!! Now, I just have to wait for pick-ups and reshoots and such. The production crew is hoping to have a rough cut done by the end of the year, and then to release it sometime next spring... meaning probably next summer or fall :-) I've also been cast as Joe Sutter in a production of The Spitfire Grill, and I have to say that this score is a DREAM for me to sing! It fits practically perfect on my voice. The rest of the cast is pretty fantastic for what I've heard so far. Here's a cast list and some other information...

Percy Talbott - Valerie Holt
Hannah Ferguson - Lani Howe
Shelby Thorpe - Roberta Chaves
Caleb Thorpe - Ron Sweeney
Joe Sutter - Scotty Beland
Effy Krayneck - Pat Myers
The Visitor - Bob Chaves

Shows will be performed on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. September 24th thru October 9th. Sunday Matinees on October 3rd and 10th at 3 p.m.

10701 Livingston Rd.
Fort Washington, MD

Go to http://www.tantallonstage.com/ for more information!

sb.imagery

All images owned and copyrighted by Scotty Beland.

Impossible Things Are Happening Everyday

Rodgers and Hammerstein undoubtedly left a mark on the world of musical theatre. Penning dozens of scores including Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, The King and I, Carousel and South Pacific. Included in this roster of unforgettable, legendary musicals is that of Cinderella.

I had the pleasure of seeing a production of this show on Sunday, and I have to say that the company did a wonderful job! St. Mary's Summerstock is a... well... summerstock program in Southern Maryland for performers under the age of 21 to come audition and put on a show. The show was very well executed on all counts and the talent within the cast was great. Definitely worth travelling out to see. The night I went to watch, the title role and that of Prince Christopher were played by the understudies, Kylie Oosterink and Nicholas Browne. They did a wonderful job! Coincidentally, when I returned to take pictures today, they were playing these roles again, so the following pictures are of the understudies mentioned. I am including 9 photos from the production to tell the story... I hope you enjoy!

Nicholas Browne as Prince Christopher (L) and Kylie Oosterink as Cinderella (R).

From Left to Right: Kylie Oosterink, Rachel Baylor, Alanna Adams, and Alina Stone.

Kylie Oosterink as Cinderella.

Kylie Oosterink (L) and Nicholas Browne (R) waltz at the ball.

Alanna Adams as Grace (L) and Alina Stone as Joy (R).

Nicholas Browne (L) and Kylie Oosterink (R).



Matt Dowdle as Lionel (L), Nicholas Browne (C) and Kylie Oosterink (R).

There are four more chances to see this show! You can call 301-475-4200 Ext. 1800 for more information or to reserve your tickets now! If you do go, I really hope you enjoy the performance as much as I did, and also hope you enjoyed looking through this post! I'll be writing again soon about some other personal undertakings that I am going through that I can't wait to tell you about!

sb.imagery

All images owned and copyrighted by Scotty Beland.

No Business Like Show Business

Helloooooooo blogosphere!

I have not written anything on here for quite some time, so this is me checking in. Much has happened over the past month, and I have been relatively busy, but I am here now and that is all that matters.

...Spelling Bee has come to a close after a well-received and successful three weekend run for considerably less-than-packed audiences who made up for the short-coming of turn-out with loads of applause and laughter. This was the review given to us by the folks at ShowBiz Radio.
www.showbizradio.net/2010/06/01/review-tcp-spelling-bee/. Although a few points were assumed and not actually valid, the review is fairly accurate. I would also like to mention that I personally got a great review, which makes me really happy because I had only rehearsed the role for a week and a half. I could not be prouder of my cast for their exceptional review and performances over those few weeks! I will definitely miss you all!

In terms of the whole schpiel with Wildwood Summer Theatre, I did go to the auditions for Merrily We Roll Along, the replacement production for A Chorus Line. I did not end up participating in the show itself, however, because a new and better opportunity had opened up. I was offered the position of Choreographer for a production of Reefer Madness with STROyKA Theatre! This would have to be one of my favorite shows, regardless of it's shortcomings in terms of script and music and overall over-the-top, kitschy theatre. In all honesty, the over-the-top, kitschiness is exactly what makes the show so appealing for me. It requires a lot of energy and something is always happening to keep the audience interested. I also believe that the show itself has reached a platform of being a cult classic, like that of Rocky Horror and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. BUT... another travesty was about to strike. The day after I had choreographed the piece I was going to teach at auditions and e-mailed the director about it, I got an e-mail saying that the rights had been pulled. Foiled, yet again, by technicality! Luckily, I had not been truly and completely attached to the position or the show yet, so it did not kill me inside as much as ACL had. It's still heart-breaking, though, for lack of a better word.

Given all these signs, I have decided to take a bit of a break from auditioning for anything for about 6 months. I'll be graduating in December, so it is probably for the better in order to focus on school and developing a truly KICKASS portfolio and keeping my grades up. Speaking of which, I should be getting my portfolio review paperwork back very soon so keep your fingers crossed that I passed! Please and thanks. Although I may have decided to take a break for auditioning and participating in mainstage performances for a stint, I will probably be spending more time reading and writing, and probably taking some lessons and working on becoming better as an all-around performer. After a recent visit to NYU to stay with my dear friend and sitting in on one of her rehearsals, I realize that I do not work hard enough. I have just as much raw talent, I just have to work to make myself better than everyone else. On a side note, I commend all the people in that studio that day on the work they have put forth so far... I have a lot of faith in your potentially ground-breaking, very interesting original work. While I was visiting, my dearest friend Peggy-Sue Boone... or... Sylvia... or whatever character she is at this moment in time... made a short, silent film. It actually turned out pretty interesting and it was my first experience with filmmaking, which was cool: AKA I really enjoyed it. Maybe it will be posted here soon??? Guess you'll have to check back to find out!

'Til then, PEACE!

sb.imagery