Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

We here at Three Dog Productions celebrate Christmas. Here are the boys waiting for gifts - I mean - more treats so they look at the camera. It's not easy working with amateurs'! They do seem to come through in a pinch though and always make our lives brighter!

We also want to acknowledge every other celebration people have at this time of year: Happy Holidays to everyone!

As an aside, were people able to see the Christmas Star? Well Jupiter and Saturn aligned recently, the closest they have been in 800 years. Below is a picture from our backyard taken last night. Take a look below and see if you can find them. Hint: they are above the moon!

From everyone here at Three Dog Productions to everyone out there, we wish you a heartfelt safe and peaceful holiday season.

Intermission!

As you know, many shows this season are going on-line because of COVID. Well, the Inclusive Theatre of WNY is no different as they teamed up with Iconic Rocket Productions to create a live performance "It's a Wonderful Life.... with Zombies". Billed as a racy, hilarious satire of the classic “It’s A Wonderful Life," it was written by Andrea Woodbridge and Chris Barker of Iconic Rocket Productions and directed by Chris Barker and Virginia Brannon as part of Inclusive Theater of WNY (ITOWNY)'s Readings Series.

So you're in this show, right? Um, no.

That's all very nice, you say. What does this have to do with intermission? Well, let me tell you. About two weeks prior to the performance, our improv group WNY Improv, Inc was approached to film an intermission for the show. So we huddled together, came up with an idea, filmed and edited it all in time for the show.

When is the live show you ask? Um, er, well, it was this past Saturday night (12/12).

So I missed it, you ask? Of course not! Below is the link to the entire show and below that is our intermission video. Please be cautioned, the show can be pretty raunchy. This is not your parents' "It's a Wonderful Life!" Our intermission video is fairly benign. Just remember, no-one wears pants on Zoom! Enjoy

https://www.weareiconicrocket.com/live-stream

The First Show

So in the last post, I spoke of my first show - ever - which was only a short 8 years ago. I responded to an ad in the Penny Saver in North Collins regarding auditions for a new theatre troupe which at the time was right down the street from my house. Anxiously, I prepared, dressed up, and arrived in good time. Two other ladies, Roz Warren and Lu Ann Gugino were sitting at a table with a number of scripts talking about which show they should do. I took a seat at the table. If I remember correctly, only two other women also showed up.

While we were at the table, we read a few passages of a script. Mainly Roz and Lu Ann discussed what shows were available for a cast of women-only since only women showed to the audition. After we talked for a while, I asked if I got a role and they looked at me funny and said - 'Of course! You showed up! YES!!!! I was in!

Thus began the 'Gotta Start Somewhere Theatre.' It was decided our first show would be 'Here Comes the Bride... There Goes the Groom' by Billy St John. Synopsis: when Millie Compton's fiancé bolts from the altar, she rushes into the church dressing room in tears. She is joined by her sister (the matron of honor), her mother and grandmother, and the groom's mother and sister. I was cast as Julianne Gordon, Millie's sister.

The cast included Roz Warren, Lu Ann Gugino, Laura Gates, Maggie Orrange, and Wendy Chuba.

Being my first show ever, I learned a lot about the theatre and that it was more than just showing up with your lines memorized. For instance, I was on stage for most of the show and needed to do something besides sit there and watch the other actors. So as a 'bridesmaid' my job was to keep the bride's dress neat. So I smoothed it, hung it, and re-hung it and smoothed it some more, etc. You get the idea.

Our theatre was the local community center. Another lesson learned theatre shows can occur anywhere! This lesson was solidified with my improv troupe WNY Improv, Inc.

Then the crowd poured in, and believe it or not, we had good crowds for both shows. Another lesson learned, people like comedy.

We had two shows one at 2 pm and 7pm. It was surprising that the second show was not quite like the first one! Lines were said differently, not in order, even repeated when desired by a certain actor! All in all both shows were very funny!

Our program below which includes my very first bio! After struggling to write a bio with very little experience, I took the less serious and stuffy route.

Through all of this, I realized I was truly a diva!

Actually, I just really liked my hair. We had our hair professionally done by a local hairstylist and she was awesome! When I took my hair down, the curls were fabulous.

YUP, my road to becoming a diva was complete! I used the lower right picture

as a head shot on my future acting résumé.

Any other shows you ask? Well, we were working on another one called 'The Queen of Bingo' but unfortunately, this did not occur. Now one would think this was the end of the Gotta Start Somewhere Theatre but it was not! Working so much with the other actors to create characters and tell a story you get to know them and realize that these are really cool women! That is when the bond formed between Roz, Lu Ann, Laura, and myself. We are still the Gotta Start Somewhere Theatre. We meet for drinks, share hors d'oeuvres, stories about our families, and dream of the day we will all be on stage together again. These are some awesome women who continuously enrich my life.

Oh yeah, a special shout out and THANK YOU to Lu Ann who put up with my 'high maintenance ' and helped me with this article by providing much-needed information. Thanks Lu Ann!