Theatre UCF has Zombies on the Braaaain

Photo by Erin Lartonoix

Don't be alarmed, the zombies on the UCF campus aren't real, they are merely actors playing the role of zombies in Theatre UCF's upcoming production of Zombie Town: A Documentary Play. The new comedy will run November 15-18, November 29-30, and December 1-2.  

The play centers around a pretentious San Francisco theatre collective that travels Harwood, TX, to retell the story of the small town's recent zombie invasion. The collective is presenting a play and each member of the collective comically re-enacts the experience through the eyes of several townspeople. The play-within-a-play has five UCF students portraying the twenty-five characters at a very fast pace.

"This play gives students a chance to practice playing multiple roles and personalities that quickly change from one character to the next," says director Jim Helsinger. "This is difficult to do and an acquired skill."

BFA Musical Theatre student Jeffrey Peacock plays five characters in the show. He uses several methods to keep them distinct: each character has his own identity, they all speak different and carry themselves differently. "The physical props and costumes help me keep the roles straight--one wears a bowtie, another has glasses, someone wears a lab coat...," says Peacock.

"The hardest thing has been finding the character and not the caricature for each role. We don't want to just go on stage and be schmucks. It's funnier when there is a real personality behind the humor," he continues.

In addition to the student roles, audience members might want to keep their eyes open for surprise guest appearances by community members and university officials.

Unlike many of the other plays on the Theatre UCF season schedule, Zombie Town isn't asking theatre-goers to examine deeper issues. It's a comedy, pure and simple.

Helsinger encourages community members to attend. "When the zombie apocalypse comes, will YOU be ready? See this play and know what to do! Zombie Town is a really funny play with wonderful roles for college students. It's going to be a blast for students and community members to come see."

Come Look at the Freaks in "Side Show"

Theatre UCF is bringing the circus to life in the musical Side Show, scheduled to run Thursday, October 25 through Sunday, November 4.

The musical, written in 1997 by Henry Krieger (music) and Bill Russell (book and lyrics), is based on the real-life story of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton. The sisters were famous vaudeville performers in the 1930s, having been discovered as a circus act. The sisters struggle with balancing fame, love, and their individual--and often opposing--desires. 

"Side Show is about relationships and finding 'family', whoever that may be," says Director Earl D. Weaver. "Everyone feels like a freak during some part of their life. Where do the outcasts of society find a place of support?"

The music, Weaver says, is a pop score with vaudeville numbers blended in. "It's extremely difficult material for students. You have to have the right cast in order to present it, particularly with the female leads."

The Theatre UCF costume shop has been in overdrive preparing for the production. The musical has thirty-two cast members, many of whom will be adorned in elaborate costumes. The costumes are designed by Theatre Faculty Member Huaixaing Tan and include costumes such as a reptile man, Dolly Dimples, a cannibal, a sheik and harem girls, and a tattooed geek.

"We started working on these costumes the first week of classes," says Theatre UCF Costume Shop Manager Dan Jones. "There are thirty-six custom builds and almost all of them are one-of-a kind. That is nearly triple the number we usually produce." There are about twenty students in total working on the costumes, and six or seven working on the costumes at any point in time during the day.

Deirdre Manning and Catie Pires-Fernandes, the actors performing the roles of Violet and Daisy Hilton, have nine costume changes and three wigs changes during the performance. One of the changes is fewer than twenty seconds.

All of the freak costumes will be exciting, says Jones, but there is one costume that the twins wear that will be show-stopping; it is designed to make the twins look like a bird. It is the only costume that is built for two people; all of the other costumes for the female leads are separate.

The attachment of the actors playing the conjoined twins is perceived rather than physical. "We start off the show walking in from opposite sides of the stage," says Manning. "That allows the audience to not be looking for the theatre magic that is keeping us together, and accept that, yes, we are two people who are obviously not conjoined twins."

"In early rehearsals Catie and I tied ourselves together at the hips and rehearsed in front of mirrors so we could get used to shifting our weight. On breaks, though, we could untie ourselves. Violet and Daisy never got to do that. It really changes your view of the characters."

Theatre UCF is on the UCF campus near the intersection of University Boulevard and Alafaya Trail in east Orlando. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.

To purchase tickets or for ticket information call the box office at 407-823-1500. Standard tickets are $20 ($18 for seniors; $10 for students) and group rates are available. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance, available through the Theatre UCF box office. UCF offers accommodations to make the theatre more accessible to patrons with disabilities; for assistance, call the box office in advance.

The Sideshow of "Side Show"

Mathew Mayer, "XX", acrylic painting on canvas, 36" x 48"

The School of Visual Arts and Design and Theatre Department at UCF are pleased to announce a collaborative event themed around the theatre's production of Side Show.

"The Sideshow of Side Show" is an exhibition of student created and sideshow-themed artworks that will be displayed throughout the run of Theatre UCF's production of Bill Krieger and Henry Russell's musical Side Show, which runs October 25 through November 4. The artwork will be displayed in the lobby of the theatre building (TH-6).

The exhibition began as an opportunity for the UCF Theatre and School of Visual Arts and Design departments to work together. The exhibit will feature the works of SVAD advanced painting students in faculty member's Carla Poindexter's class. 

The twenty-four pieces of art featured in "The Sideshow of Side Show" exhibition are unique in subject and message. Some replicate the style of historical sideshow banners with dark humor and irony. Other paintings deal with historical versus contemporary issues related to ethics and exploitation of the sideshow/circus performers and their audiences. Others are simply entertaining and whimsical.

Director Earl Weaver is hoping the exhibit will help set the mood for theatre-goers. "Patrons of the circus or side show are surrounded with visual stimuli that enhances their experience: the smell of the popcorn, the sound of the calliope, the brightly-colored posters. We are hoping to re-create a piece of that experience for our patrons with this art exhibit. From the time patrons enter our theatre building, we want them to have the full sideshow experience, all the way through the end of the show."

The resulting paintings and other artworks in the exhibition are visual responses to Theatre UCF's lobby space; the actual props, costumes, and set designs in the upcoming play; and the content of the script from both a historical perspective and contemporary perspectives.

"Throughout art history visual artists have produced everything from set designs and costumes to hand bills for theatrical productions," says Associate Professor of Art Carla Poindexter. "This project gave our advanced painting students an opportunity to learn how to collaborate with the theatre to create paintings and mixed media artworks that not only support the production but also stand alone as a compelling exhibition of accomplished individual pieces."

Early in the fall semester, the Theatre department presented the script and design inspirations to the advanced painting class. Scenic Designer Joseph Rusnock reviewed the set inspiration and plans, Costume Designer Huaixaing Tan presented costume mock-ups, and Director Earl D. Weaver talked about the script and Theatre UCF's specific production. Students then toured the theatre lobby, where the art will be displayed for further inspiration.

The painting students also studied significant historical paintings with sideshow-related themes, including the famous carnival inspired works of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Diego Rivera, and James Ensor. Students also studied the carnival's "golden age" of art by sideshow banner painters, including the historical but little known works of Johnny Meak and Norman Lewis. 

"With programs in digital media, architecture, film, and art all wrapped up into one school, the school of Visual Arts and Design is naturally a group that needs to collaborate," says Paul Lartonoix, Director of the School of Visual Arts and Design.  "When the opportunity came up for SVAD to partner with Theatre on Side Show, I thought it was an excellent idea--a special situation where the students can craft their pieces around a theme of a theatrical production. It's a fun and exciting topic with lots of avenues to explore. A focused topic forces the students to work within parameters and in this case, to work outside the normal 'client' experience. It truly is very exciting."

The exhibition is free, but tickets are required to see the musical. To purchase tickets or for ticket information call the box office at 407-823-1500. Standard tickets are $20 ($18 for seniors; $10 for students) and group rates are available. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance, available through the Theatre UCF box office. UCF offers accommodations to make the theatre more accessible to patrons with disabilities; for assistance, call the box office in advance.

Annual Theatre Costume Sale Infested by Zombies

Theatre UCF will hold its annual Halloween Costume Sale on Wednesday, October 24 from 8 am-4 pm in room 218D (Key West) in the Student Union on the UCF campus. 

Featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, the sale has become very popular with people seeking unique costumes for the upcoming holiday. Full costumes can be purchased or buyers can creatively build an original concept from the many pieces. 

The costumes come from a range of productions including the 1950s-themed The Pajama Game, the 1970s-themed Deathtrap, and the hilarious No Sex Please, We're British, as well as the dance concert and an array of productions placed in more recent time periods.

This year, the Theatre UCF costume shop has been busy "zombifying" clothes in preparation for the sale. A popular item among the students working in the costume shop is the selection of "zombified" bridesmaid dresses. 

In addition to the zombie costumes, between 10 am and 2 pm, members of the Advanced Theatre Makeup class will be holding demonstrations on how to apply zombie makeup and prosthetics. The makeup lessons are free and the students will be seeking volunteers for the makeup applications.

Dan Jones, costume shop manager for Theatre UCF, explains why zombies have infested the costume sale this year. "Zombies are a fun, hot thing, especially around this time of year. Plus it will help build the excitement for our upcoming production of Zombie Town, which is a new script and deserves as much excitement as possible."

Zombie Town: A Documentary Play is a comedy written by Tim Bauer and will run at Theatre UCF starting November 15. "To complete the cycle," says Jones, "the zombie costumes used in this production will most likely be sold at next year's sale."

The Halloween sale is a benefit for the theatre department. The proceeds from the sale go back to the costume shop and augment costume budgets for future productions, particularly those with student designers like the dance concert or graduate thesis productions. 

The costume sale is open to the public. Most items are priced at less than $10. Cash is preferred, but checks also will be accepted. Credit cards cannot be used. For directions to the Student Union, visit http://ucfsu.com/directions/. Regular UCF parking policies will be in effect, so shoppers will need to have a permit to park.