Gerardo (Ezra Colon), Paulina (Amelia Ampuero) and Roberto (John Hardy)

Reviews for my latest directing project, Death and the Maiden. We opened Duke City Rep's sixth season (and my third as a full-time company member) with this dynamic and challenging play.

 

"The Duke City Rep staging, directed by Katie Becker-Colón, heightens [the] lack of comfort by presenting a tight psychological space... Becker-Colón has wisely chosen a minimalist approach, downplaying action and instead letting the actors’ expressions provide whatever clues the audience receives." (Grace Labatt, The Alibi)

 

Roberto (John Hardy) and Paulina (Amelia Ampuero)



"...thanks to the sturdy direction of Katie Becker Colón and the honest performances of the three actors, the production is a success." (Matthew Yde, Albuquerque Journal)

Roberto (John Hardy) and Paulina (Amelia Ampuero)

"The Duke City Repertory Theatre production at The Cell is bold and timely... the drama maintains its power." (Barry Gaines, barryreviews.wordpress.com)

Gerardo (Ezra Colon), Paulina (Amelia Ampuero) and Roberto (John Hardy)

"Director Katie Becker Colón takes a sensible approach to Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman’s disconcerting material, allowing for maximum awareness of the gripping dialog among the story’s three principals." (Jain Lemos, ABQ To Do)

 

My latest directing project, ANIMAL FARM, ran at The Cell Theatre in March.

Review highlights from Talkin' Broadway's Rob Spiegel:

Director Katie Becker Colon keeps the action at a high pitch...

The rough and tumble of Colon's production is like a raucous ballet. Animals battle humans, animals battle each other, and the precision of the mayhem is impressive. 

Review highlights from Alibi's Blake Driver:

This play is a must-see for its original take on a timeless tale that has been done by much bigger companies with much smaller ambitions. 

This is my second full season as a company member with Duke City Rep. This past Fall/Winter, I was in two shows.

Show Number One...

Play: The Drowning Girls by Beth Graham, Daniela Vlaskalic, & Charlie Tomlinson

Role: Bessie (Pictured with Amelia Ampuero as Alice and Lauren Myers as Margaret)

Show Number Two...

Play: All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth by Catherine Bush

Role: Lucy Lesprit (Pictured with Ezra Colon as Gus, Evening Star Barron as Mena, Amelia Ampuero as Anna-Lori, Josh Heard as Joel, and Willis Miller as Sister Susie)

I'm in the midst of directing Animal Farm, which we toured into schools in Central New Mexico. I'll share pictures very soon!

A recent video audition...

Desdemona from Shakespeare's "Othello"

Photos of my latest projects and a much-needed update - coming soon!

We are one weekend into our last show of the season, These Shining Lives, over at Duke City Repertory Theatre.

Here's a quick look at the three amazing roles I've played this season:

Play: Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton
Role: Elizabeth (Pictured with Frank Taylor Green as Mr. Manningham)

Play: A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare; Adapted by Dr. John Hardy

Role: Helena, Snug the Joiner, Peaseblossom (Pictured with Josh Heard as Demetrius)

Play: These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich
Role: Charlotte (Pictured with Amelia Ampuero as Catherine)

We (meaning me and the fine folk of DCRT) are a week and a half into rehearsals for POE and there has been a lot of discussion about the inherent difficulty of creating art.  There are infinite obstacles that come between us and the creative impulse.

Top of the list (for me, at least) is distraction.  There is no disputing that it is easier to scroll through Pinterest for an hour than to rehearse alone in a room with a script in hand.

Then there is the pull of fame, which is rooted in the idea that, if we create a product that people like, we will become rich (!) and famous (!) and we will automatically be creatively fulfilled.  Because we are rich (!) and famous (!).  But often our creative impulse is vastly different from what is currently popular.

And then there is the difficulty of creation within the rehearsal room.  Every play is built upon unfamiliar circumstances.  Every character is confronted with unfamiliar and often uncomfortable situations.  Our instinct as human beings is to ease all of that tension, to do everything in our power to make the world easier to navigate.  But our challenge as artists is to allow every moment to be difficult.

That takes an enormous amount of concentration.

What I'm finding in rehearsal is a lesson that I thankfully learn over and over again - overcoming the obstacle, however difficult, is ALWAYS better than giving into the obstacle and giving up.

Here are a few local news clippings from the Omaha World-Herald about The Borrowers.

1. http://www.omaha.com/article/20121018/GO/710189988

My favorite part of this feature article is a quote from our incredible director:

Young audiences are the best, because they'll go with you anywhere... Adults sit back and analyze what they're seeing. But young audiences will go with you anywhere — as long as you do it in an honest way.

2.  Review: http://www.dealsomaha.com/article/20121020/LIVING/710209938

Enjoy!!

A dynamic summer of teaching is complete!  I taught Classical Scene Study for 8 weeks at Springer Theatre Academy.  At the end of a session, the students are asked to submit an anonymous evaluation.  I've included some quotes from those evals.  I also sat in on 2 weeks of class at the brand new WildCat Theatre Conservatory and spent a lot of time with C2s (4th-5th graders) and the C3s (6th-8th graders).

Enjoy these photos and quotes from 10 weeks of incredible humility, generosity and learning!

"Classical lets me calm down and find my self.  I'm glad we had this class." - a 7th grader

Springer Theatre Academy: Rehearsal for "Julius Caesar" in the ruins of the Actor's Arena

 "I felt really pushed in this class, which I REALLY enjoyed." - a 9th grader

"This class is wonderful!  Kyle & Katie REALLY focus on classical scenes.  They challenge you, but it's fun challenges that make you want to accept them." - a 6th grader

WildCat Theatre Conservatory: John and I make our best lizard faces at Banquet.

"Very fun, Kyle explains things well and Katie gives the swag in it." - a 5th grader

"I love how the teachers made the work of Shakespeare funny and enjoyable." - an 8th grader

"I loved this class.  Teachers communicate well.  Great experience.  I learn something new every year." - an 8th grader

WildCat Theatre Conservatory: Front Page News!  Doing the negative space exercise with 4th and 5th graders!

Some photos from the DCRT production of Phoenix I directed this past Spring.  More photos can be found under The Director tab in the Gallery.

Enjoy!

Three weeks down, five to go at the theatre academy this summer!

I'm teaching Classical Scene Study and, in addition to the joy innate in reading Shakespeare half for fun and half for work, I'm enjoying the process of students slowly filling the Bard's words with meaning for themselves and opening their mouths to speak them to an audience.

My team teacher and I began this summer with certain objectives in mind - students engaging their bodies in heightened movement as a tool to endow the heightened text, telling stories with aforementioned movement and text...

But it is a daily revelation to witness the other skills they are absorbing - commitment and responsibility for their actions, trusting others, the value of teamwork and collaboration.  I come away from each day thankful that I have the opportunity to teach students these skills in a world where these skills are sometimes undervalued.  It feels really good.

The reviews are in!

Here are a few excerpts from the three reviews of Phoenix, which ran in Albuquerque from May 10th - 20th.

From the ABQ Journal:

"Director Katie Becker uses the play’s simplicity to its advantage... 'Phoenix' is presented in 75 minutes without an intermission, but its images linger."

From Broadway World:


"Organ’s quick-paced, witty dialogue always appears true to character and is deftly delivered by the two principals. They - and director Katie Becker - get extra hurrahs for creating a world of their own within the confines of a very small theater, where the ‘stage’ is simply a part of the floor...

The professional, core company, draws talent from around the country (Katie Becker is based in Chicago) and they clearly operate to a very high standard. I look forward to their next season."


From Talkin' Broadway:

"A playgoer never knows how much of the interpretation of a role depends upon the actor and how much upon the director (in this case, Katie Becker), but there must have been some magical synergy going on because this is the best performance I have ever seen by Frank...

The play is enjoyable, with several laughs, some drama, and a satisfying ending. I've been purposefully vague about the plot, hoping that you will see the play for yourself. The performances make it well worth the effort."

Oedipus photos are up!  Check out my Acting Gallery for the full spread.

But here's a couple to whet your photo-viewing appetite:

The production photos from Wooden Snowflakes are in!  The show was produced by Duke City Repertory Theatre and ran from December 8th - 18th, 2011.  More photos with headings can be found by clicking on "The Director" box above and then selecting "Gallery" from the green bar.

But here's a smattering for now!

I've been in Albuquerque for four weeks now, rehearsing the pants off of Oedipus the King.  The process has been energizing and transformative in that every artist working on the production is committed to risking daily in rehearsal and learning as quickly and effectively as possible; but also because I've had the good fortune to live in actor housing with my main squeeze (who is playing Oedipus) and the director, who is a mentor, a friend, and a scientist of acting.

Rehearsal spills into our living room conversations.  And what we ate for breakfast becomes fodder for rehearsal.  For the past four weeks, it seems that we have been having a continuous conversation about the art and craft of creating theatre and how many of the common practices in the theatre community are not necessarily the most effective practices.

Like memorizing.  Why would we try to remember our lines?  A character will never do that.  Instead, we can rehearse needing the words to get to the next moment.

Or the read-through.  Or the off-book rehearsal.  Why have we condemned those rehearsals to being "just" this or "just" that?  Instead, we can allow them to be as risky and compelling and illuminating as every other rehearsal.

We go into tech tomorrow and I am excited to continue the experiment of making character-driven choices whenever possible.  Allowing my character to live in the clothing, the space, with the new light.  Allowing myself to follow each impulse I have in order to navigate the pestilence-filled square of space that equals Thebes.

And remembering constantly: I, the actor and the character, am capable of much more than I think I am.  Always.

Oof!  Since I last wrote, I journeyed to the High Desert of New Mexico and worked for five weeks with the Best Theatre Troupe in Albuquerque: Duke City Repertory Theatre.  I directed Wooden Snowflakes, a beautiful holiday play by my good friend Cathy Bush.  A brief synopsis?  Sure, I'll oblige.  During a Kentucky ice storm, Eve, a cynical and world-weary woman, slides her car off the road and is forced to take refuge in the home of Simon, a man who believes fervently in God and Santa Claus.  Throughout the course of the play, new truths are illuminated for both of the characters and they discover the power of belief in one another.

My major goal for the production was to trust myself.  Trust that I had studied the play so thoroughly that I could follow my impulses and instincts throughout the rehearsal process.  In rehearsing other plays, I learned that I missed a lot of what was happening between characters because I was searching for the answers in my notes and in the script.  With this play, I experimented with an idea: what if the answers are within the rehearsal room, waiting to be unearthed by me and the actors?  What if I know the script so well that I can spend rehearsal time listening with my entire self?

It was a very successful experiment.  I felt confident when the play opened that it was in service to the audience - that the play was worthy of their attention because the pursuit of truth in every moment was central to every rehearsal and, consequently, every performance.  Leaving the play in the hands of the actors and the wonderful stage manager was not as jarring as it had been for past productions because we shared the challenges of the play together and found solutions as a group.

To act is to do.  I say this to the students I teach all the time.  Acting isn't being; it is doing.

I've experienced the truth of this statement in my days at Navy Pier this month.  I'm playing a little girl named Milliveca...

And I go out on "the floor" - the South Dock - with two incredible physical actors who play human marionettes.  They have elastic around their wrists and attached to their back; the other end of the elastic is attached to two wooden crosses that I carry behind them.  The illusion is that I'm their puppetmaster.

We reach our stage - a two-level scaffold - and they crumple on the lower level while I detach their "travel strings" and attach their "stage strings," the stage strings being elastic that is attached to wooden crosses at the top of the scaffold.

I detach and reattach strings in silence.  And crowds of people stop to watch.  50 - 75 people at the beginning and the end of every show.  They stop to watch because I am DOING something.  And struggling - the wind is blowing and wig hair blows into my mouth and across my eyes, I have a straw purse that doesn't stay up on my shoulder, the stage is tiny.  But the struggle makes the action even more fascinating.  When it is more difficult, people, especially children, stay for the entire changing-of-the-strings.

It is a beautiful reminder that we, as actors, are enough.  Our commitment and concentration to the characters (puppetmaster and puppets) and the task at hand (changing of strings) is fascinating.  And there is meaning generated for the audience - a story! - without any words or music or spectacle.

Three weeks in Chicago and three big lessons I've learned:

1.  This is going to take some time.  Ezra, (Mr. Equity actor boyfriend) and I met with a casting director at one of the big Equity houses here and he encouraged us to take our time and get to know the theatre companies and the community.  See productions and determine whether or not we would be a good fit for that company.  Audition with their playing space in mind.  Take classes and make connections in the theatre community.  We were grateful for the advice and I realized (and this is something I didn't think about when I lived here four years ago) that planting roots in the Chicago theatre community will take some time - just like the roots of any other living organism.

2.  It takes an hour to get just about anywhere.  On the El, on the bus, in the car - one hour.  To walk, to wait, to board, to ride, to deboard, to walk again.  To check my hair after walking in the wind.  One hour.

3.  I choose art.  Yes, I'm afraid of the bills and October rent being due and at this moment, I'm ready to work at least 40 hours a week in whatever capacity.  But my life will never be about my nice possessions.  It will be about the odd piece of furniture I found in the alley, brought home, scrubbed and sanitized and reinvented to be the greatest conversation piece in my apartment.  The creation and the conversation will fulfill me.  And, as much as I think I might be happier with a living room set from a catalog, happiness will be in the rose-made-of-palm-leaf, purchased by Ezra from a Savannah sidewalk vendor, that sits on the dash of my car.

Since the beginning of the month, I've been traveling - sleeping in new beds and new rooms, driving all across the Southeast, meeting new people, and allowing my friends to dictate my itinerary.

The simplest reason for all this - I like to travel.

But in a phone chat with a college friend last night, I realized that this month of vagabonding is also my giant experiment in letting go.  Two years ago, had I embarked on this same trip, I would have had a set of directions printed for every destination, plus a list of things to do and rad places to eat, the weather forecast for the week, and the location of the nearest banking institution.  And now, I get in the car and go.  Sometimes, I know where I'm going and how to get there.  Most of the time I don't.

In addition to this grand and difficult experiment in 'going with the flow,' I'm also learning how to live the life I want.  I set the goal of running every day in August.  And, no matter the location, I've done it - I've run in the moist heat of Savannah and Columbus, in the cool trees of Appalachia, through the coastal homes at Sunset Beach.  I have the power to live the active and healthy life I want in any geographic location.

August has turned into a beautiful, eye-opening, and life-transitioning month.

Some feedback from the Classical Scene Study I taught this summer:

"I like the scenes you assigned and the freedom we got choosing monologues.  I like the games we played and your supportive and positive attitude.  I enjoyed this class thoroughly."

"I love how you are always smiling and not negative."

"You sure know your stuff which is very inspiring.  You are serious about what you do - which I love."

"You have helped me grow so much as an actor.  My love for classical work has increased so much thanks to you and Kyle!"

"I really appreciate all the energy you put in with every student.  Your encouragement and challenges helped me grow this summer, thank you."

"I always looked forward to your class; your incredible patience and genuine kindness never cease to amaze me.  I never once heard you say anything negative or get angry with the students, and you inspire me not only to be a better intern, but a better person in general!  I sincerely hope to work with you in the future!"