Meet the Cast: Each week we will be profiling one of our cast members for Beauty of the Father,

This week, we introduce Emily Feliciano who is portraying Marina, the daughter of Emiliano who comes to Spain to see her father for the first time since her childhood. Her arrival innocently triggers unexpected romantic complications for the whole household.

Here is her message to you:

“Emily is a ecstatic about being given the opportunity to play the role of Marina with this fabulous group of people. She originally hales from San Antonio but is now a fully adapted vegetarian Seattlite. A graduate from Seattle Pacific University; her favorite roles include Carnellle Scott (The Miss Firecracker Contest), Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors), and Miz Hattie (The Alto Part). Much love to her friends, family, Brian, and POP for all the support and love.”

Get you tickets TODAY

BLT arose out of Workshop Theatre and another small theater.  These theaters started in Burien in 1955.  In 1980 the Highline School District surplussed a school, Chelsea Park Elementary.  King County took over the ownership of the building and offered part of it to the local theaters provided they joined forces and became just one theater.  (There was no City of Burien at the time, so King County was the landlord.)

King County was a great landlord.  It did upgrades and kept the buildings in good shape all at no cost to BLT.  King County brought in power.  Two separate 200 amp lines to run lights and other equipment.  Even today BLT and Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services runs off of just one of those lines.  In 1993, when Burien became a City, King County gave the building to the City and Burien Parks.  Burien Parks is BLT’s current landlord.

In 1980, BLT incorporated and became an IRS 501(c)(3) (not-for-profit) entity.  The name Burien Little Theatre must have made good sense at the time.  It is a long way from Workshop Theatre.  It has Burien in the name so people would know where the theater was located (at least generally).  Little at the time had many meanings.  First, this was a small house (90 seats).  Second, little was common nomenclature in the theater world to mean community based, which was the model that BLT was coming out of.  What little never meant was children’s theater.

BLT went on producing better live theater.  Some shows were for the whole family, some for those 12 and above, and occasionally a show was for those a little older.

Move forward 33 years from 1980 to 2013.  For those 33 years BLT has gone under the name Burien Little Theatre.

Over the last few years BLT has been noticing a disturbing trend.  More and more people think BLT does children’s theater.  It does not.  More and more people think BLT does just community based theater, but BLT has actors and tech people  come from around the area.  An actor you see on stage at BLT today will be on stage in other theaters Seattle or Tacoma in their next role.  The same is true of designers.  Some designers are the in-house designers for some of the biggest theaters in Seattle.

To survive BLT must reach out to a larger audience (or dramatically raise ticket prices).   For example, BLT’s rent is increasing 66.66% next season.  So BLT must get people who have not come to see a show at BLT to take the risk and try out better live theater at BLT.  Will a name change guarantee more people will check out BLT?  No.  But based on the phone calls and comments BLT has been getting from more and more first-time audience members and potential actors, BLT’s name is getting in the way of growth.  It is time BLT’s name more closely represents what is happening on the stage.

BLT’s Board of Trustees voted and a new name is in the works.  It will have Burien in the name, because Burien is moving forward.  Burien has a long glorious history of performing art well worth embracing.  During BLT’s 2013-14 season the theater will celebrate the 59 years of live theater in Burien, and look forward to another 60 years.

BLT is committed to increasing its community support.  There has never been a time in history when the arts did not rely upon patrons.  Those who can, help those who cannot.

This season BLT’s donors did more than they can ever be thanked for doing.  Each and every donor is an angel by any standard.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This season BLT set a goal to double the amount of donations from individual donors compared to last season.  BLT came close, but it is still just over $2,000.00 short.

BLT is thankful for those who could and did donate.  Next season BLT is setting its individual donation goal even higher.  Things are changing again at BLT and those changes are all for the better.  While costs rise BLT is trying its best not to raise ticket prices.

There is still time to donate for the 2012-13 season.  A chance to help BLT live through the summer, to pay the rent, the utilities, and to gear up for “Young Frankenstein the Musical.”

Donate ONLINE, or send a check to:

BLT
P.O. Box 48121
Burien, WA 98148

Next season BLT celebrates 59 years of live theater in Burien.  Don’t miss the fun.

And “Data collected from 151,802 attendees at a range of arts events revealed that nonprofit arts and culture audiences generated an estimated $24.60 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission (an estimated total of $74.1 billion in 2010).

So what does BLT do for Burien?  Using the figures from both Seattle and Tacoma, after all Burien is in between these two cities, BLT’s current audience brings over $100,000.00 to Burien.  BLT has internal information that shows that over 82 percent of BLT’s audience eats or drinks at a restaurant or bar before or after coming to a performance at BLT.

This last year the City of Burien provided $20,000.00 in grants to all of the arts organizations in Burien.  Of that, BLT was awarded $2,000.00.  So, for its $2,000.00 investment in BLT, BLT returned over $100,000.00 to the City, beyond the cost of admission.  Not a bad return on its investment.

Plus BLT spent its own money on productions.  BLT shops locally whenever possible.  (There are some things a theater needs and uses that are not available in the greater Burien area.)  BLT shops locally even where there is a slight premium to do so.

The many hardworking (and loved) volunteers at BLT also eat and shop locally while working on a production.  A good example of this is that you can often find members of the cast and crew at the Mark Restaurant and Bar (one of BLT’s fine sponsors) after an evening performance.  Most of the time the crowd is so large that the theater folk take over much of the restaurant seating because the bar area cannot hold us all.

So what can you do to help the local economy?  First come to performance at BLT.  Eat and drink before and or after the show.  And don’t forget to make a donation to BLT.  Donate online HERE.  (BLT is just $2,600.00 short of this season’s fund raising goal.  You can join the ranks of BLT’s donors, and keep better live theater alive through the summer.)

That is one of the great things about art.  You are entertained and the local economy thrives, which should lead to more support for the arts.  A happy circle.

My curtain speech

What is going on with the hair on this guy? This picture was taken on preview night for the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival, which opened on May 3. (The next two shows open May 17.) Getting ready to open a play is crazy busy. (If you want to volunteer to join in the madness let BLT know – volunteer@burieblittletheatre.org.)

Theater is one of the few places where you cannot push something off a few days because you are not quite ready. Opening night is a firm deadline. You would think that if something was not quite done you could come back after the opening and fix it. My experience is that is not the case.

Once open, no matter how good the intention, those little things are very rarely fixed. Likely it is because BLT (and other theaters) are on to the next show(s). BLT is currently working on the next two plays in the Festival “17-B” and “Parsing Race”; “Beauty of the Father” which is being co-produced the Latino Theatre Projects in August; “Young Frankenstein the Musical” opening in September, and the Holiday show, opening the day after Thanksgiving. So, once a show opens the production team’s focus moves on.

Back to this guy. Photos are taken during the last full dress rehearsal, the night before the show opens. This gives the production team as much time as possible to get things perfect before photos are taken (there was wet paint on the skirting when the photos were taken).

At the full dress there is a practice “curtain speech.” That is where someone from the theater comes out and asks for money and reminds you to turn off your cell phone, among other things. The rehearsal curtain speech is usually nothing other than a chance to see if the light is in the right place.

This time, no one thought to mention that a comb would be a nice touch. In part, because rarely is a photo taken of the curtain speech. However, this time a photo was taken and in may ways it sums up energy and rush of the night before a show opens.

There is still time to catch “Bottom Line” and “Undiscovered Places” both run through May 12. Then don’t miss “17-B” and “Parsing Race” from the 17th through the 26th. Get your tickets HERE. Tickets are just $10, less than the cost of movie ticket!

From my first meeting with the playwright I learned that the story grew out of a series of talks between diverse racial groups.  These became the basis for the many conversations portrayed in the play and for quite a few lively discussions throughout the rehearsal process!  In this show the characters, dissect, inform, expound, argue, react, pontificate, separate, regret, forgive, reconcile, fear, love, learn and grow all in response to the subject of race. They come to honor their differences but also to transcend them and to find that place, deep in our collective core, where we are all ultimately connected.

Since we started working on the show, we have come across an astonishing number of articles that show how far we have yet to go in regard to race relations.  It’s tempting to become a part of the problem through blame and frustration.  “Parsing Race” offers some alternative perspectives.  May the conversation continue ……………………………………………

“Parsing race runs May 17 through 26.  Get tickets HERE.

By Rochelle Flynn

Actors Eli Tuck (The Boy, left) and Kevin Finney (Dan) rehearse a scene from the BLT production of “Undiscovered Places”, April 27, 2013.
Photo by Craig Orsinger for Burien Little Theatre

So don’t miss it.

There is be another stagehand working with you so you will not be on your own.

If you can help email BLT at info@burienlittletheatre.org.

If not you, do you know someone who can help?

$10 ticket gets you in to see 2 plays!
Twice the plays, half the price!

For the price of a movie theater ticket, you can see two—count ‘em, two—live, brand-new, award-winning plays by Washington State playwrights in the 2013 Bill & Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival.

From May 3 through May 26, Burien Little Theatre’s (BLT) Festival offers 4 weekends of new shows.  Pay just $10 to see a performance of two plays — a one-act followed by a full-length. The one-act Bottom Line is paired with the full-length Undiscovered Places May 3-12. The one-act 17B is paired with the full-length Parsing Race May 17-26.

After each play is performed, audience members are invited to give their opinions and ask questions of the director and playwright. These talk-backs provide playwrights with fresh ideas, valuable comments, and honest audience response.

Festival sponsors include the new film The Maury Island Incident, Mark Restaurant & Bar, 4Culture King County Lodging Tax and City of Burien.

Staged performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are just $10 and include 2 shows.

Shows are recommended for ages 13 and older due to occasional language or mature subject matter.

Tickets and information on BLT’s main page (http://burienlittletheatre.org)

MAY 3 – 12
Bottom Line, one-act written play by Judith Jacobs AND Undiscovered Places, full-length play written by D. Richard Tucker

In the comedy-drama Bottom Line, a lottery ticket is the answer to a young couple’s financial problems, or is it? Directed by Robert Harkins and featuring the acting talents of Natalie Schmidt (Crystal) and Riley Donohue (Jack).

A man meets his adult daughter for the first time in the drama Undiscovered Places, just as his wife is grieving the loss of her son by a prior relationship. Directed by John Ruppeck and featuring the acting talents of Kevin Finney (Dan), Eloisa Cardona (Greta), Patty Bonnell (Candice), Kiki Abba (Julie) and Eli Tock (The Boy).

MAY 17 – 26
17B, one-act written play by Stephan Feldman AND Parsing Race, full-length play written by Dave Miller

A woman buys two seats on an airplane for her own comfort in the comedy 17B, and arguments ensue about airline policy and common sense. Directed by Russ Kay and featuring the acting talents of Geni Hawkins (Doris), Tim Takechi (William), Shanda Russell (Pam), Dennis Moore (Captain Scully) and John Flynn (The Passenger).

The drama Parsing Race explores what happens when two mixed race couples and a troubled young man deal with the different ideas of race relations held by three generations of friends and family. Directed by Rochelle Flynn and featuring the acting talents of Maria Knox (Yolanda), Adam Hegg (John), Malcolm J. West (Walter), Melissa Malloy (Maddy), Charles Reccardo (Franklin), Patrick Tolden (Saleem) and Vera Werre (Lydia).

ABOUT THE BILL AND PEGGY HUNT PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

The mission of the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival is twofold:  to encourage Washington State playwrights to pursue their craft and to showcase previously unproduced plays written by Washington State residents. Playwrights are invited to submit their scripts, which are evaluated by a panel of judges who select the winners. BLT produces the winning plays in the festival. Top winners in the one-act and full-length script categories are produced as fully staged performances on BLT’s main stage.

The Festival was named to honor Bill and Peggy Hunt’s dedicated service to theater and their devotion to and involvement with BLT. Peggy Hunt joined Burien’s theater scene in 1960 with a leading role in the play Harvey. Over the next 35 years both Bill and Peggy appeared in and directed plays, designed and built sets, served on the Board of Directors, and were involved in some aspect of every theater project.

Note: BLT’s web host is having trouble with its servers so the links are not currently working.

Director Robert Harkins, production manager Barbara Reamer, and playwright Judith Jacobs watch Natalie Schmidt (Crystal) and Riley Donahue (Jack) rehearse a scene for the BLT production of “Bottom Line”, Apr. 24, 2013. Photo by Craig Orsinger for Burien Little Theatre.

Since we’re only a few days from tech week, the actors were using just about all the props they will be using in the show, or reasonable substitutes. It’s time to work out all the details of staging that don’t involve costumes, sound, and lights. It looked like they had a good handle on things.

Riley Donahue (Jack) and Natalie Schmidt (Crystal) rehearse a scene from the BLT production of “Bottom Line”, April 24, 2013. Photo by Craig Orsinger for Burien Little Theatre.

In fact, they ran through the play twice. After the first run through, there were quite a few notes, and after the second there were very few. Judith and Robert discussed some dramatic points about the play, and I asked a question or two, then we were done.

For me, this looks like a simple show. The action is confined to one set, a living room. If it weren’t for the fact that the actors spend a part of the show sitting on the floor, it would be easy. Since we tend to have to cover a lot of the stage with lighting during a Playwrights’ Festival, I’ll just need to be a little more careful when I aim. That’s not a big deal.

On Saturday, I get to see the full length play “Undiscovered Places” for the first time, and then we set up the lights on Sunday.