And so it begins…
This will be the first entry in the Aeterno Elementum Production blog.
We’ve set a date for July 31st and made arrangements with the Everett Historic Theater. Everything is in motion now. Three months is not a long time to accomplish everything we need to prior to opening night. In fact, it’s a ridiculously short amount of time. Between our shoestring budget and the sheer scope of what we’re trying to do, it’s daunting. I have to admit, there are very few days when I don’t look at the project and wonder to myself, ‘What the hell are we doing here? Are we insane?’ Truth is, we probably are; but then, I think that’s a requirement for anyone who does anything in theater.
The first order of business is getting the people we need. We’ve had a really amazing group of 8 or 9 chorus members for the past several months. Ideally, before the show, we want to grow this to about 25. To this end, I’ve been contacting local chorus groups and telling them about our project. Last night I went out to talk to Everett Chorale. The Director, Lee Matthews was incredibly welcoming, and the reception among the 70 or so singers there was surprisingly good. I am consistently surprised by the demographics that are excited about what we’re doing. Now if only we could translate that interest into action. I figure I’ll keep corresponding with area choruses until we exceed our goal.
We’ve found a few incredible people already. We’re working with a costume designer named Linnaea Wilson, who is a student at UW. Despite her hectic schedule, she’s managed to put together some really impressive costume designs for the band members. Unfortunately she’ll be leaving for the summer, so we won’t be able to work with her on any other part of the project, but she’s certainly earned our admiration.
We also met with a martial artist/acrobat/all-around badass named Eric this last week. He’ll be starring in and doing the choreography for a few of the more action orientated sections of the show. We’re really excited about this after having talked to him and getting some of his ideas. Initially, we’d wanted to incorporate some other elements, such as fire dancers and aerialists, but we’re probably going to have to wait on that due to licensing and insurance concerns. There’s always AE: Act II or Act III.
The search for actors is beginning, as well. We have several roles to fill, and not a lot of time to fill them. We’re sending out casting notices everywhere we can think to do so, so hopefully we’ll get a good turnout to our auditions on the 12th of this month. The Priest role in particular is going to be a tricky one to cast. I had initially envisioned a friend of mine, Cliff, as the part. He’s a raging Scotsman who likes nothing better than to yell and rant at people and in general act like a crazy person. Considering the Priest character is not only the narrator for the show, but also the main source of comic relief and contrast, he would have been an ideal fit. Unfortunately, he works for the state, and the state didn’t feel that he should be able to get that time off. Not only is he a prison guard, apparently he’s a prisoner, as well.
Musically, I’m in the process of writing out a new piece which will feature Whitney, our operatic soprano, along with another soprano and an alto. Accompaniment will be piano and a few pieces of our string section. I want to include a few pieces like this throughout the show to help break up the overall heavy metal vibe. I’ll probably write a similar piece for myself and I know Randy is working on learning a very impressive classical guitar piece. I’m hoping that elements like these will help to draw in people who might not otherwise be fans of the heavy music.
Here’s to yet another day of throwing myself out there and pitching this insane plan.