Jay Croft » Kudzu Playhouse

A Christmas Story and Kudzu’s final days.

jcroft — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:43:35 +0000

After 3 weekends, A Christmas Story is finally getting light and sound tech whipped into shape. We are over halfway though with the run. The problem with tech has been that so many different people have been doing it and we have not had a consistent crew. There is nothing more frustrating to an actor than to be standing in light or darkness waiting for the lights to go down or up. During the first couple of weekends there were times when I had to give lines in complete darkness. I had no choice.
Of course A Christmas Story is a very complicated script. Lots of lights up and down with indoor, outdoor and fantasy scenes which take place all over the stage. The techs really have to pay attention and be ready with the next light and sound queues.
This is the second time I have done this show. The first was in 2007 at Act1 Theater in Alpharetta. I think I would like to do this every year but unlike A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story is not done every year in Atlanta.
A Christmas Story and A Christmas Carol will be the last shows Kudzu will produce. Due to financial troubles (and who doesn’t have them), Kudzu is having to close their doors after 20 years.

It is with great sadness that we announce that Kudzu will be closing after our Christmas shows this year. We have to be out of our current location by January 14. We have survived a lot over the twenty four years we have been doing theatre in Georgia (20 years in Roswell in 4 locations) but this time, the economy has just been too tough for too long and we are unable to keep our doors open past the end of the year. We wish to thank the many patrons, season ticket holders, actors, directors, donors, volunteers, and many others who have become part of the Kudzu family through out the years. It has been a great run and we have loved every minute of it. It saddens our hearts to have this happen, but there are many great and happy memories that will live on in our hearts and we hope in yours also. And knowing that we have added to the arts and the hearts of so many gives us great happiness. But we want all of you to know we have truly been blessed to have had the wonderful relationships with all of you. Many of you are more like our family than friends. Thank you to everyone who has ever crossed our doors, and may we see each other in the times to come. Your outpouring of good wishes and love is the only thing that is keeping us going right now. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
We love you all,
Wally & Jeannie Hinds

Twitter: Week Ending 2010-12-05

jcroft — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:42:00 +0000

Between the matinée and the evening performance. Sorry I have not posted about my current show. A Christmas Story at Kudzu. Am the Narrator. #

What I Did On 2009-01-05

jcroft — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:59:59 +0000

By busy schedule this week: http://tinyurl.com/8cxran #
Off to buy some fruit. #
Enjoying fresh strawberries and a cup of Peach White tea. #
OK, no voice over for “The Interview” which means “Bright Flames” rehearsal tonight. Maybe, and that’s a maybe, for voice over tomorrow night #
Which means possible missing a Gwinnett Gladiator’s hockey game Thursday so I can audition for Driving Miss Daisy if I can’t tomorrow night. #
Those last two tweets were both exactly 140 characters. #
Crap. I may miss an audition because of all this re-arranging. S’pose I should at least email and express interest in auditioning. #
Know the director of Driving Miss Daisy, but not sure who is directing Sabrina Fair. It’s at Kudzu and they like me, so I have an in at both #
Not that having an “in” means getting a role. Just that they know my work. #
On my second cup of Mandarin Orange Green tea. #
Well, I am off to Bright Flames rehearsal. #

First full week of 2009

jcroft — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:29:44 +0000

Today, I mailed off the application with headshot and resume for the Unifieds. Deadline is January 16th. Hopefully I will be accepted again this year. Last years attendance got me auditions at The Alliance, Theatre in the Square, Marcus Jewish Community Center Theatre and with Tyler Perry Studios. This year, I plan to work with Pat Hurley on a couple of monologues in preparation for the Unifieds.

Tonight will be one of two things: Ether voice over for on the short film I did in August (The Interview). And/Or rehearsal for Bright Flames TV. Let’s talk about The Interview. My understanding is that this is nearly complete in post-production. Matt McGahren is hopping to submit this for the Atlanta Film Festival. Deadline is this Friday. I assume the voice over is for my part. I guess the sound is not what they wanted when originally shot. If not tonight, then tomorrow evening.

On the Bright Flames TV front, apparently Robert Howell has found a crew with equipment so we are not dependent on the local community TV studio. The local community studio never could get their act together, so this will be good. Robert wants me (and I assume the rest of the cast) to do a voice over for a trailer. And the new shooting location is at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Looks like a very nice place. If The Interview voice over is tonight and early enough, I can make tonight’s Bright Flames rehearsal.

Tomorrow AM is a stress test with the cardiologist to see if I can exercise without killing myself. I have been on medication for high blood pressure now for 6 days. Not fun. I have to drink plenty of fluids so my pressure does not drop too low. It did Saturday night, not enough intake during the day. So light-headednes kept me from going to the Gladiators game that night. Last night I did not sleep very well. Due to fluid intake/output, I believe I am short on Potassium. My back of my legs really ached. Very painful.

Tomorrow PM. Depending on if I do not have to do The Interview voice over tomorrow night, I plan on auditioning for BOOLIE WERTHAN in Driving Miss Daisy at Act1 Theater. BOOLIE is the son of DAISY WERTHAN. But if the voice over is tomorrow night, then I will audition on Thursday night, missing another Gladiators game.

Wednesday PM is an audition for Sabrina Fair at Kudzu Playhouse. I think I would make a good DAVID LARRABEE. DAVID is the younger brother of LINUS LARRABEE JR.

Thursday PM will hopefully be a Gladiators’ game, but that depends on … well, see above.

Friday PM is supposed to be another Bright Flames rehearsal.

So everynight this week is something.

Audition Notice: Sabrina Fair

jcroft — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:39:12 +0000

Kudzu Playhouse is holding open non equity auditions for Sabrina Fair by Samuel Taylor on January 6 (Tuesday) and January 7 (Wednesday) from 7-9pm at 10743 Alpharetta Highway. Be prepared to do cold readings from the script.

The show will run from February 13 until March 15, 2009 on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. No appointment necessary. See www.kudzuplayhouse.org for directions. email to kudzuplayhouse@aol.com if you have any additional questions. (Theatre box office is on vacation until Jan. 12)

Sabrina Fair is a modern version of the Cinderella fable. It is set on Long Island in the 1950s, and deals with the involvement of a very rich family, named Larrabee, with Sabrina Fairchild, the daughter of their family chauffeur.

Characters:
Maude Larrabee- the beautiful mother of wit and perception
Julia Ward McKinlock- the smart magazine editor who, as a house guest, is the interested observer.
Linus Larrabee, Jr.- The elder son. He is a good-humored tycoon who has taken control of the family fortune. He detects Sabrina’s feeling for his brother, and for his own amusement lays a trap to bring them together. Casting 7 men and 7 women:
Linus Larrabee-; the father, whose one passion is attending funerals
Margaret-the Larrabee maid/Mother figure to Sabrina
David Larrabee-the younger Larrabee son.
Gretchen-David’s ex-wife
Sabrina Fairchild-, the daughter of their family chauffeur. She is bright, well-educated, and has just returned from five years in Paris, where she has done a brilliant job as an executive in a U.S. government overseas office. She has come home to find out if she is still in love with the younger Larrabee son, David.
Fairchild- the chauffeur who has been dabbling in the stock market and likes his job because it gives him time to read
Paul D’Argenson- a rich young Frenchman who has known Sabrina in Paris turns up and asks her to marry him.
2 young women-at the party
2 young men-at the party

What I Did On 2008-12-16

jcroft — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:59:59 +0000

Just got a call from my audition for Out Town at Lionheart Theatre. Did not get the role I wanted, but the director called anyway. very nice #
OUR TOWN, not Out Town. Out Town is that _other_ play. #
Planning ahead, I want to audition for Sabrina Fair at Kudzu (Jan 6,7) and Driving Miss Daisy at Act1 (Jan6,8). Wit at Onstage Atlanta (???) #
I think I can get back into Pat Hurley’s Advanced Scene at the Alliance in January as well. Will be working monologues with him in any case. #
But if I win the lottery, travel will be first order of business. Somewhere with a hammock and an ocean breeze. #
Yes, Alaska does have an ocean breeze, but I am thinking somewhere more tropical. #
DO’H! Arena Football League suspends the 2009 season. Double DO’H. At least we get our money back for season tickets. #AFL http://is.gd/c0TR. #
So ready to leave work. 23 more minutes to go, then off to a @gwtgladiators game tonight. #

Did not win a MAT award

jcroft — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:24:29 +0000

The Metropolitan Atlanta Theater Awards ceremony last night was a lot of fun, despite not winning. Got to see a lot of people I had been in other plays with. Still, I am very please to have been nominated. There were, I think, 27 productions reviewed and over 500 people involved with those productions.

Of the two plays that I was in that were judged, Breaking Legs and A Christmas Story, there we 10 nominations and the winners were:

Wally Hinds – Best Set Design for a Play – Breaking Legs

Murray Mann – Best Sound Design for a Play – A Christmas Story

Martha Kennedy – Best Minor Supporting Actress in a Play – Miss Shields – A Christmas Story

People I have been with in other plays who won:

Barbara McFann – Major Supporting Actress in a Play – Mrs. Baker – Come Blow Your Horn at ACT1 Theater.

David Shelton with Rob Roy Hardie and Kelly Lane – Best Sound Design for a Musical – Little Shop of Horrors at Kudzu Playhouse.

Nominated for a MAT Award

jcroft — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:58:01 +0000

The 2008 Metropolitan Atlanta Theater Awards nominations were announced yesterday. The two plays that I was in and reviewed were Breaking Legs and A Christmas Story.

Breaking Legs at Kudzu Playhouse
Best Major Supporting Actor in a Play – Chris Arapoglou – “Mike Francisco”
Best Minor Supporting Actor in a Play – Jay Croft – “Frankie Salvucci”
Best Set Design in a Play – Wally Hinds

A Christmas Story at ACT1 Theater
Best Minor Supporting Actress in a Play – Martha Kennedy – “Miss Shields”
Youth Award in a Play – Bobby Cookson – “Ralphie Parker”
Youth Award in a Play – Andrew Hudson – “Randy Parker”
Best Costume Design in a Play – Anne Voller
Best Set Design in a Play – Rich Vandever & Gayley Crockett
Best Lighting Design in a Play – Murray Mann
Best Sound Design in a Play – Murray Mann

Invited to Audition

jcroft — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:40:00 +0000

David Shelton, who is firmly integrated into the Kudzu Playhouse family, has invited me to audition for a play he is directing for the Family Theatre. Says he likes my work. Cool! I like hearing that.

I am not sure when the audition is but here are the play details.

Play: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Written by Judy Blume. Adapted by Bruce Mason

Dates: August 30, 2008 – September 28, 2008
Saturdays & Sundays at 2:00pm
Special Saturday Evening Performances: September 20 & 27 at 7:30 pm

Description: Peter Hatcher has some problems at home. But it isn’t his mother, who’s always studying art history. And it isn’t his father, who watches TV just for the commercials. No, Peter’s biggest problem is Fudge, his disgustingly adorable baby brother. Fudge is always in Peter’s way and messing up everything he sees, whether he’s scribbling all over Peter’s school project, trying to fly off the jungle gym, or stealing the limelight in the Toddle Bike commercial. And when Peter’s pet turtle Dribble turns up gone…. all gone… everybody’s only worried about Fudge, who ate him, instead of Dribble, who got eaten! Based on the acclaimed novel by Judy Blume, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing reminds us that sibling rivalry isn’t always sweet… especially when your brother is Fudge!

Cast of Breaking Legs to see Breaking Legs

jcroft — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:09:22 +0000

The cast of Breaking Legs at Kudzu is going to Breaking Legs at Stage Door Players this Saturday night. It’s always interesting to see other productions of what you have done; to see how a different director, venue and cast perform the very same play that you have been in.

So a cast reunion. We will meet for dinner before hand, probably Italian, and then see the show.