Former Russell Hall custodian, Joe Ruminski, has passed away. His family has requested the Russell Hall auditorium for his memorial service since Joe spent most of his time here with us. The service will be this Monday, October 5th between 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. in the Theatre.
Joe's featured obituary in the Portland Press Herald.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Presenting a pair of rollicking, Russian plays
The combined casts of the University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre's production of two plays (The Bear & The Proposal) from the pen of 19th century Russian playwright Anton Chekhov appear in an authentic tintype by photographic artist Troy R. Bennett. From left Matthew Defiore of Mexico, Maine, Ellen White of Hallowell, Jake Cote of Bangor, Sarah Dube of Eagle Lake, Samuel Rapaport of Bangor and Joshua Adams of Amesbury, Mass.THE BEAR & THE PROPOSAL
Two bite-sized, comic, one-act plays by Anton Chekhov
Directed by Professor Thomas Power
October 1-4, 2009
Fiery women and bombastic men battle for love, lust and the last word in a pair of bite-sized, energetic Russian comedies from the pen of the master, Anton Chekhov. Hilarity ensues when an overbearing creditor hounds a young widow with no reason to grieve, and a declaration of love goes horribly wrong in two stories where romance and passion meet at the end of a barrel.
October 1, 2, 3 at 7:30 p.m. and October 4 at 2 p.m. in Russell Hall, on the Gorham Campus of the University of Southern Maine.
Tickets: Students $7, seniors/faculty/staff $10, general public $14
Buy a Season Flex Pass: Good for six tickets, in any combination (limit two tickets to the spring musical) to the play or plays of your choosing for $40
For reservations: call the Theatre Box Office at 207-780-5151
Old school publicity photos
On Saturday morning, September 6, 2009, the combined casts of both one-act plays being produced this fall at USM gathered at a downtown Portland photo studio to make some very special publicity photos. Nineteenth century Russian playwright Anton Chekhov wrote his bite-sized comedic masterpieces "The Bear" and "The Proposal" at the tail end of the tintype era of photography. Tintypes were inexpensive instant photos made on sheets of blackened tin. The Department of Theatre's promotions manager, Troy R. Bennett, who is in charge of publicity materials for the theatre, is also one of a handful of tintype practitioners in the world today. It was an opportunity too cool to pass up. The images made that day may well be the first theatrical publicity tintypes produced in over a hundred years.
The combined casts, above, appear in an authentic tintype: from left Matthew Defiore of Mexico, Maine, Ellen White of Hallowell, Jake Cote of Bangor, Sarah Dube of Eagle Lake, Samuel Rapaport of Bangor and Joshua Adams of Amesbury, Mass.
The cast of Chekhov's "The Bear” from left, Matthew Defiore, a 2008 graduate of Mt. Valley High School from Mexico, Maine plays the brutish Smirnov, Jake Cote, a 2008 graduate of Bangor High School plays the harried and confused servant Luka, and Ellen White, a theatre major from Hallowell, plays the mourning Popova.
The cast of "The Proposal" from left, Joshua Adams of Amesbury, Mass, plays the hopeful, yet misguided suitor, Samuel Rapaport, a 2008 graduate of Bangor High School, plays the Chubukov, the frustrated father, and Sarah Dube of Eagle Lake, a 2006 graduate of Fort Kent Community High School, plays the lovely yet stubborn bride-to-be Stepanovna.
Englishman Frederick Scott Archer first introduced the wet-plate process, by which tintypes are made, in 1851. By 1860 it became the dominant method of picture making in America and abroad. It’s called the wet-plate process because the plate (a piece of blackened tin for tintypes and glass for negatives or ambrotypes) is coated, sensitized, shot, developed and fixed within just a few minutes, during which it remains wet.
First, Troy flowed plates, in this case black trophy aluminum, with collodion, a mixture of cellulose, acid and ether.
Collodion is what adheres the picture to the aluminum plate.
Then Troy dipped the plates in a lightproof bath of silver nitrate.
The silver nitrate makes the collodion sensitive to light.
In total darkness, the sensitized plates were loaded into the back of the camera and exposed.
Troy's camera is a replica of a 19th century model and was built last year by the Star Camera company of New Jersey. The lens was made in Germany around 1870. Troy used his baseball hat as a shutter and the exposure times were around 10 seconds.
After the plates were exposed they were developed with an iron sulfate and acid mixture inside the dark box. Troy's ever present furry assistant, Hook, was on hand to supervise the operation.
After the plates were developed they got a quick wash before going into the fixer.
The fixer takes away any undeveloped silver and reveals the image. Then more washing happened before the plates were set out to finally dry.
A rack full of plates, above, dry on the edge of the sink. When completely dry, plates are varnished with a mixture of alcohol, lavender and gum of sandarac to protect them.
Sarah Dube, Samuel Rapaport and Joshua Adams wait . The wet-plate process is a time consuming one.
The camera is set for the shot.
University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre Costume Director Kris Hall, above, fits Ellen White into a vintage 19th century Maine schoolteacher's dress lent by Dr. Assunta Kent for the photo shoot.
Costume designer and student Desiray Roy holds a false mustache on Jake Cote's face before the shoot.
Jake Cote, Samuel Rapaport and Joshua Adams sit for a test shot.
The combined casts, above, appear in an authentic tintype: from left Matthew Defiore of Mexico, Maine, Ellen White of Hallowell, Jake Cote of Bangor, Sarah Dube of Eagle Lake, Samuel Rapaport of Bangor and Joshua Adams of Amesbury, Mass.
The cast of Chekhov's "The Bear” from left, Matthew Defiore, a 2008 graduate of Mt. Valley High School from Mexico, Maine plays the brutish Smirnov, Jake Cote, a 2008 graduate of Bangor High School plays the harried and confused servant Luka, and Ellen White, a theatre major from Hallowell, plays the mourning Popova.
The cast of "The Proposal" from left, Joshua Adams of Amesbury, Mass, plays the hopeful, yet misguided suitor, Samuel Rapaport, a 2008 graduate of Bangor High School, plays the Chubukov, the frustrated father, and Sarah Dube of Eagle Lake, a 2006 graduate of Fort Kent Community High School, plays the lovely yet stubborn bride-to-be Stepanovna.Englishman Frederick Scott Archer first introduced the wet-plate process, by which tintypes are made, in 1851. By 1860 it became the dominant method of picture making in America and abroad. It’s called the wet-plate process because the plate (a piece of blackened tin for tintypes and glass for negatives or ambrotypes) is coated, sensitized, shot, developed and fixed within just a few minutes, during which it remains wet.
First, Troy flowed plates, in this case black trophy aluminum, with collodion, a mixture of cellulose, acid and ether.
Collodion is what adheres the picture to the aluminum plate.
Then Troy dipped the plates in a lightproof bath of silver nitrate.
The silver nitrate makes the collodion sensitive to light.
In total darkness, the sensitized plates were loaded into the back of the camera and exposed.
Troy's camera is a replica of a 19th century model and was built last year by the Star Camera company of New Jersey. The lens was made in Germany around 1870. Troy used his baseball hat as a shutter and the exposure times were around 10 seconds.
After the plates were exposed they were developed with an iron sulfate and acid mixture inside the dark box. Troy's ever present furry assistant, Hook, was on hand to supervise the operation.
After the plates were developed they got a quick wash before going into the fixer.
The fixer takes away any undeveloped silver and reveals the image. Then more washing happened before the plates were set out to finally dry.
A rack full of plates, above, dry on the edge of the sink. When completely dry, plates are varnished with a mixture of alcohol, lavender and gum of sandarac to protect them.
Sarah Dube, Samuel Rapaport and Joshua Adams wait . The wet-plate process is a time consuming one.
The camera is set for the shot.
University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre Costume Director Kris Hall, above, fits Ellen White into a vintage 19th century Maine schoolteacher's dress lent by Dr. Assunta Kent for the photo shoot.
Costume designer and student Desiray Roy holds a false mustache on Jake Cote's face before the shoot.
Jake Cote, Samuel Rapaport and Joshua Adams sit for a test shot.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
A man, his wife and the dog he loves
SYLVIA
by A.R. Gurney, directed by Senior Theatre Major Joelle Clingerman
Greg (Joshua Adams) tries to keep the peace between his wife Kate, left,
(Tarra Haskell) and the dog he loves, Sylvia (Hayley O'Connor)
WHEN: April 24, 25, 30 & May 1, 2 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 & May 3 at 2 p.m.,
also a special 5p.m. show on April 29
WHERE: Russell Hall on the University of Southern Maine’s Gorham Campus
TICKETS: Students $7, Seniors/Faculty/Staff/Alumni $10, General public $14
BOX OFFICE: (207) 780-5151
After 20-something years of marriage and raising children in the suburbs, Greg and Kate move to Manhattan. Kate (Tarra Haskell of Sidney, ME) loves her challenging, but rewarding, job teaching literature to inner-city kids. She revels in the freedom of having her own children out of the house and in college. Greg, (Joshua Adams of Amesbury, MA) on the other hand, hates his job in finance. He frets about the unknown, middle-aged life ahead of him and teeters on the edge of a full-blown, mid-life breakdown.
Then, he gets involved with a frisky young thing he picks up in the park one day. She’s all over him, she adores him and he falls hard for her. She gives Greg everything he’s missing: energy, spontaneous adventure, unconditional love and big, wet kisses. He brings her home to meet Kate and suggests they all live together. Her name is Sylvia and she’s a dog — a Labradoodle, to be exact.
It doesn’t take long for Sylvia (Hayley O’Connor of Vassalboro, ME) the dog to become a bone of contention between husband and wife. Kate has no intention of sharing her life, or house, with a dog. She begins to unravel as Sylvia chews her shoes, hogs their romantic weekends and takes up all of Greg’s time.
Three other characters make their way through the canine love triangle (all played by Ryan Nash of Kennebunk, ME): Tom, a dog-living philosopher Greg meets in the park; Phyllis, an old friend of Kate's, and Leslie, a bafflingly androgynous marriage counselor trying to help the trio through the rough spots.
Sylvia ends up being Greg’s constant companion. He even stops going to work to spend more time with her. After many comic twists, Kate puts her foot down. It’s either the dog or her. Greg has to decide — and it’s not easy.
Director Joelle Clingerman is a senior theatre major at USM from Orono, ME concentrating in directing. She is the only student to earn a main stage slot in this season.
Ryan Nash of Kennebunk, Maine plays Tom, a dog-living philosopher Greg meets in the park; Phyllis, an old friend of Kate's, and Leslie, a bafflingly androgynous marriage counselor.
by A.R. Gurney, directed by Senior Theatre Major Joelle Clingerman
Greg (Joshua Adams) tries to keep the peace between his wife Kate, left,(Tarra Haskell) and the dog he loves, Sylvia (Hayley O'Connor)
WHEN: April 24, 25, 30 & May 1, 2 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 & May 3 at 2 p.m.,
also a special 5p.m. show on April 29
WHERE: Russell Hall on the University of Southern Maine’s Gorham Campus
TICKETS: Students $7, Seniors/Faculty/Staff/Alumni $10, General public $14
BOX OFFICE: (207) 780-5151
After 20-something years of marriage and raising children in the suburbs, Greg and Kate move to Manhattan. Kate (Tarra Haskell of Sidney, ME) loves her challenging, but rewarding, job teaching literature to inner-city kids. She revels in the freedom of having her own children out of the house and in college. Greg, (Joshua Adams of Amesbury, MA) on the other hand, hates his job in finance. He frets about the unknown, middle-aged life ahead of him and teeters on the edge of a full-blown, mid-life breakdown.
Then, he gets involved with a frisky young thing he picks up in the park one day. She’s all over him, she adores him and he falls hard for her. She gives Greg everything he’s missing: energy, spontaneous adventure, unconditional love and big, wet kisses. He brings her home to meet Kate and suggests they all live together. Her name is Sylvia and she’s a dog — a Labradoodle, to be exact.
It doesn’t take long for Sylvia (Hayley O’Connor of Vassalboro, ME) the dog to become a bone of contention between husband and wife. Kate has no intention of sharing her life, or house, with a dog. She begins to unravel as Sylvia chews her shoes, hogs their romantic weekends and takes up all of Greg’s time.
Three other characters make their way through the canine love triangle (all played by Ryan Nash of Kennebunk, ME): Tom, a dog-living philosopher Greg meets in the park; Phyllis, an old friend of Kate's, and Leslie, a bafflingly androgynous marriage counselor trying to help the trio through the rough spots.
Sylvia ends up being Greg’s constant companion. He even stops going to work to spend more time with her. After many comic twists, Kate puts her foot down. It’s either the dog or her. Greg has to decide — and it’s not easy.
Director Joelle Clingerman is a senior theatre major at USM from Orono, ME concentrating in directing. She is the only student to earn a main stage slot in this season.
Ryan Nash of Kennebunk, Maine plays Tom, a dog-living philosopher Greg meets in the park; Phyllis, an old friend of Kate's, and Leslie, a bafflingly androgynous marriage counselor.
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