Encore!
Here it is!—Next Sister has posted on her website the long-awaited video recording of The Ugly Duckling by A. A. Milne, performed by the Soirée Society of the Arts. Gather everyone ‘round for a rollicking half-hour of intrigue, romance, and quick wits. A combination of witticisms and some slap-stick humor will keep grown-ups and children all interested. (Put the volume up!)
Enjoy these glimpses from opening night:—
Above, Next Sister (“Dulcibella”) and Littlest Brother test the effect of their staging and lighting. Unfortunately, its magnificence didn’t translate entirely into home-video.
When the entire cast was assembled, a flurry of dressing and making-up ensued behind doors marked with golden stars. The girls arranged hair, powdered noses, and put on their jewelry. The boys made a lot of noise in their dressing room, and an investigation discovered them applying wet coal dust to their faces for beards and moustaches.
Meanwhile, outside in the “theater lobby,” my two youngest brothers managed the crowds—immediate families, as well as grandparents and an aunt. Third Brother managed the cash box ($5.00 admission for adults) and distributed programs. Littlest Brother removed the red “velvet” rope to admit the audience before the start of the play.
You can see the smiles of relief as our actors emerge from behind the scenes after their stellar performance. Here are Carlo and Prince Simon.
The little ones were fascinated by the Chancellor’s wig, affectionately known as the Wooly Mammoth. Here, I am told to “Stick ‘em up.”
Friday, January 7, 2011