Work Wanted and Available

Light Board Operator Needed

The Summer Company's production of Solid Gold Cadillac is looking for a light board operator for the following dates:

Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31 at noon. 

Monday June 1 through Saturday June 6 at 7pm.

Thursday June 11 through Saturday June 13 at 7pm. 

Light board operating is not a complicated process and the show's light cues are fairly simple. If you are interested and available for any or all of these dates, contact Rebecca Stevens at rjstevens21@yahoo.com. 

Looking for Set Design Positions

Hey hey! I thought I would shoot over an email to see if anyone could help me out. i didn't send it to everyone because I have no idea who is all on the email list. But I have a friend who just moved in from out of town. And I was wondering if anyone knew about any set design positions that were open at all. So if you know anyone you could forward this too that would know also, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!!! I hope all is well. Miss you guys!

-Kimberley Janosko
Red Masquers Alumna '07

Meeting Today at 6pm

Don't forget that our end-of-the-year meeting is tonight at 6pm in Peter Mills Theater. We will be discussing this year's Banquet and next year's board and chairs. If you want to be nominated for a board position you MUST attend this meeting. More details and a less-than-clever graphic here.

Congrats to the cast and crew of Carbomb for a great opening night!

Showcase 2009

We are proud to announce a brand new event for the Duquesne University theater community! Showcase is taking the place of this season's One Acts for Charity. Showcase combines the talent and hard work of our Playwrighting students, our Directing II students, and our many actors and actresses! This type of show has never before been put together on Duquesne's campus. The same opportunities are available for students interested in One Acts, but the format has changed slightly.

Auditions are Saturday March 28 from 2-4pm and Monday March 30 from 5-7pm in the Red Masquers office.

Important End-of-Semester Information

One Acts becomes Showcase
To save our sanity at the end of the semester and showcase our talents on multiple levels, this year's One Acts for Charity has been changed to a Directing II and Playwriting I & II showcase. Eight plays by the Playwrighting students will be directed by Duquesne's first-ever crop of Directing II students. We will still hold auditions (to be announced at a later date) as we would have for One Acts, and since this project requires so many parts there is no lack of opportunities to get involved! We will also be collecting money for a charity to be determined, so there are no losers in this equation. The Showcase will be held on April 29, our Reading Day, to leave everyone free to enjoy Banquet and Finals Week without worrying about their extracurricular theater activities. This leads to our next announcement...

Banquet!
Woo! Banquet is scheduled for Friday May 1 this year. Keep your calendars open! Banquet is our end of the year get-together at a local restaurant to celebrate all that we have accomplished over the year. Anyone involved in a Red Masquers show this year is invited. Guests are also welcome. More information is coming soon. Speaking of Banquet...

General Meeting April 17, 2009
We will have our bi-annual general meeting on Friday, April 17 at 6pm. The most important thing we will discuss at this time is the executive board and chair positions for next year. If you are interested in running for a position you MUST attend this meeting. If you are interested in attaining a chair position (lights, sound, set, house, social, hair and make-up, public relations, costume), please speak to the current chair of that position. We need AS MANY MASQUERS AS POSSIBLE to come to this meeting for nominations. After nominations, we will then talk about...
Voting
Voting for this year's executive board (and ham sandwich) will take place from Monday April 27 through Thursday April 30. Voting for this year's executive board (and ham sandwich) will take place in the English office on the sixth floor of College Hall. Voting for this year's executive board (and ham sandwich) will be explained in greater detail at the general meeting. Don't forget to vote for this year's executive board (and ham sandwich)!
Comedian Gab Bonesso!
Fabulous Red Masquer alumna, comedian, actress, and radio personality Gab Bonesso is coming to do a show in Peter Mills Theater on April 4th at 8pm. This hilarious act also features our own Jay Keenan in several of the skits. Definitely not worth missing. Tickets are $10, but FREE with a DU ID.

Summer Company Auditions
This year's Summer Company auditions will be held April 19 from 1-4pm and April 20 from 6-10pm. The Summer Company is a theater company founded by Jay Keenan and John Lane of Duquesne University and Steve Fatla of Carlow University. They perform in Peter Mills Theater and are tied very close to the Red Masquers. For more information email John Lane at jelppt@aol.com.


As always, if you have any questions at all or see any misinformation in the above copius notes, please email us at redmasquers@gmail.com.

Revisions and Reminders

First Tuesdays Moved to 03/24/09
Due to a continuing string of conflicts, this month's First Tuesday play reading has been moved to Tuesday March 24th in Peter Mills Theater from 4:30-6:00pm. We shall be reading Georg Buchner's Danton's Death. Georg Buchner is considered by some to be the first modern playwright. Come enjoy and engage in his French Revolution drama! Viva la revolution!

One Acts Directors
If you are interested in directing for One Acts for Charity, you MUST email Katherine Flaherty at flahertyk@duq.edu TODAY! Go! Mach snell meinen Freunden!

Spotlight Light Board Operator
Spotlight is looking for a substitute light board operator for one or two nights of their upcoming Into the Woods. Unlike substitute high school teachers, substitute board operators are treated with the utmost respect and not responsible for taking attendance. Interested parties who did not abuse their temporary secondary instructors during their adolescence should contact Jake George at george569@duq.edu.

Actors for Film Project
AJ Minotti is looking for a few good Masquers to help out as actors with his Advanced Digital Video production class. Information is available here.

Help Wanted

Three Actors Needed Soon for Small Roles
Leah Cassella is looking for three bodies to fill walk-on roles in a St. Patrick's Day one-act as part of the Desmond Egan reading. These two actors need to be available for Saturday-Monday rehearsals, but the times are very flexible. The performance is Tuesday at 7pm. If you are interested, contact Leah Cassella at cassellal1772@duq.edu.

Actors for Film Project (03/21/09)
Good day, Masquer folk. It's your old pal, AJ [secretary's note: this is Armand Minotti, Masquer alumnus for those of you who are sadly unfamiliar with AJ]. How would you like to be in an exciting movie film production? We're filming a short film for our Adv. Digital Video production class, and we need actors. I'm looking for 4 males and 2 females. Filming will take place on March 21 from 9am till whenever at the Beehive on the South Side [secretary's note: great place to get coffee]. The 22nd is open as a possible day of filming if we don't get everything done, but I don't see that happening (knock on wood).

If you're interested, please email me at ajguy711@gmail.com. I can email a script to you and let you know other details. And if you need a ride to the South Side on the day, that can be provided. Thanks in advance, everyone!
- AJ

Spotlight Light Board Operator
Spotlight is looking for a light board operator for their upcoming Into the Woods. As we all know, only the sexiest can truly become light board operators. Interested sexy parties should contact Jake George at george569@duq.edu.

This LARGE Week in Masquerdom

Two Actors Needed Soon for Small Roles
Leah Cassella is looking for three bodies to fill walk-on roles in a St. Patrick's Day one-act as part of the Desmond Egan reading (exciting details below!). These two actors need to be available for Saturday-Monday rehearsals, but the times are very flexible. The performance is Tuesday at 7pm. If you are interested, contact Leah Cassella at cassellal1772@duq.edu.

Amish Monkeys Show (03/14/09)
This month the Amish Monkeys offer a new improv game or two, some favorite games, and at least one we haven't tried in a looooong time! The next performance of the Amish Monkeys, improvisational comedy troupe, is this Saturday, March 14. The troupe performs a series of outrageous sketches and games based on audience suggestion. Location is the Gemini Theater, part of the Factory, a building at 7501 Penn Ave. in Point Breeze (near the South Braddock Ave. intersection). Content is generally PG-13. For reservations, call the Gemini at (412)243-5201. Showtime is 8pm. Admission is $8--cash only, please.
Visit their REDESIGNED website at http://www.amishmonkeys.com

One Acts Directors (03/16/09)
If you are interested in directing for One Acts for Charity, you MUST email Katherine Flaherty at flahertyk@duq.edu before Monday March 16th. If you don't participate, then you hate charity.

Desmond Egan and Red Masquers Performances (03/17/09)
Come enjoy a poetry reading by Irish poet Desmond Egan and a performance of "Bedtime Story" by Sean O'Casey presented by the Red Masquers. It promises to be a perfect beginning to your St. Patrick's day celebration! Refreshments will be provided! (Not those kinds of St. Patrick's Day refreshments. Naughty, naughty, naughty!

In "Bedtime Story," John Jo Mulligan finds himself in a situation with which his pious conscience cannot cope: more or less against his will, he has spent a night with the cunning seductress Angela. Full of remorse, and dreading the ruin of his reputation, he tries to get rid of her, fearing that his pal Daniel or his landlady Miss Mossie might get to know.

First Tuesdays (03/17/09)
Due to spring break and other conflicts, this month's First Tuesday play reading has been moved to this Tuesday March 17th in Peter Mills Theater from 4:30-6:00pm. We shall be reading Georg Buchner's Danton's Death. Georg Buchner is considered by some to be the first modern playwright. Come enjoy and engage in his French Revolution drama! Viva la revolution!

Actors for Film Project (03/21/09)
Good day, Masquer folk. It's your old pal, AJ [secretary's note: this is Armand Minotti, Masquer alumnus for those of you who are sadly unfamiliar with AJ]. How would you like to be in an exciting movie film production? We're filming a short film for our Adv. Digital Video production class, and we need actors. I'm looking for 4 males and 2 females. Filming will take place on March 21 from 9am till whenever at the Beehive on the South Side [secretary's note: great place to get coffee]. The 22nd is open as a possible day of filming if we don't get everything done, but I don't see that happening (knock on wood).

If you're interested, please email me at ajguy711@gmail.com. I can email a script to you and let you know other details. And if you need a ride to the South Side on the day, that can be provided. Thanks in advance, everyone!
- AJ

Dr. Al Labriola
I must regretfully conclude this email with a message concerning Dr. Al Labriola. Dr. Labriola was a great friend of the Red Masquers and indeed all of Duquesne University. The following is the official statement from the university:
I regret to inform you that Dr. Al Labriola, Acting Dean of the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, has died. Our prayers are with Dr. Labriola, his wife Regina and his family, as well as his many friends in the College, University, and throughout academia. He was one of Duquesne's leading teachers and an internationally recognized scholar. We are indebted to him for his leadership in the College and his dedication to our students.

One Acts Directors

I hope you all had a lovely spring break! Welcome back to finishing the homework you didn't do over break because you were YouTubing American's Best Dance Crew. If you lack sick wicked dance moves, here are two other ways to get involved:

One Acts Directors
Anyone interested in directing for this year's One Acts for Charity should email Katherine Flaherty at kflaherty32@gmail.com by Monday March 16th. Include your name, what play you would like to direct, your blood type, and what you think of this whole Watchmen phenomenon. Who watches the watchmen? You do. It's meta, friend.

Little Lake Auditions
If you are interested in auditioning for Little Lake Theatre's summer performances, click here for more information. Auditions are April 5th. Little Lake Theatre is about 40 minutes south of the city on Route 19 and puts on about eleven plays during their May-December season. This could be a May-December relationship that could last longer than that last one with the restraining orders attached. You can't stop our love! Do you hear me Court System of Allegheny county!

Greek Carnival One Act

The following email was sent to the Red Masquers regarding this year's Greek Carnival event. Is anyone interested in putting together a one act? If you are interested in some part of this, email me at jasekj919@duq.edu. (I am not in charge of it, I am just accepting information of those who are.)


Hello!
My name is Jessie Gluck and I am the assistant director of this years Carnival event. This year we are trying to open Carnival to more people than just the Greek community. Therefore, we created One Acts, giving other organizations the chance to have a ten to fifteen minute performance during carnival. There are about nine spots open for one acts, we are hoping to fill them all and have the best act be rewarded with a trophy. Would Red Masquers like to perform for one or two of the One Acts? This year Carnival will be held on April 3rd and 4th. Please let me know if anyone would be interested as soon as possible. We would love to have you for this years event!

Sincerly
Jessie Gluck

Simpleton! and One Acs

Simpleton Opens!
Today marks Charles Darwin's 200th birthday! In order to celebrate, you might visit the lecture on humans as evolutionary patchwork, enjoy a turtle ice cream sundae, pet your beagle, listen to Finch, or better yet, come to the 8pm Red Masquers opening of The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles! A fabulous ensemble cast helps George Bernard Shaw lampoon...well everything. John Lane directs this beautiful production that is sure to dazzle your eyes and invigorate your brain.

More information is available here on the announcement blog.
Visit the Facebook event here!
One Acts Directors
Anyone interested in directing a one act play for this year's One Acts for Charity (May 1) should email Katherine Flaherty at flahertyk@duq.edu.

This (Pretty Awesome) Week in Masquerdom

Hello all!
Most of you know that Simpleton is coming along swimmingly (island joke) and set to open on February 12. Here are some other announcements that are coming up this week.

First Tuesday 2!
The Drama Program will hold its second cold play reading on Tuesday, Feb. 3 in the Peter Mills Theater (Rockwell Hall) from 4:30to 6:00 PM.

South African playwright Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa! is set in the apartheid-era turmoil of the mid-1980s, it is the story of an unlikely friendship between a privileged young White woman, a brilliant Black student-activist, and the teacher who chooses them to train together for a national scholastic competition. It is a play of strong ideas, compelling characters and beautiful language. We will read this play as part of the play reading series' interest in the power of drama to engage the legitimate preoccupations and needs of the audience it serves.

All are invited to come and read and listen. Roles will be divided up, and we will take turns so that everyone who wishes will have a chance to read. This is an opportunity to develop your cold reading skills, to make the acquaintance of a wonderful play that you may not know, to hear the words spoken on the human voice . . . and to keep warm in this weather.

While it is expected that this cold play-reading series will be of special interest to drama and English majors, it is open to all members of the DU community.

Weekend Crews
Crews for lighting and finishing work will be this Saturday and Sunday starting at noon and ending at Super Bowl. Listen, if you think a half dozen PARcans are high on Sunday's priority list, you are sadly mistaken.

Ushers, Yeah!
House Chair Gail Hofbauer is still looking for some ushers to...ush. Contact her at hofbauerg@duq.edu.

Future Tenant Space Available
Monsieur Eric Frankenberg recently passed along this notice about the Future Tenant performance space in the Cultural District becoming available for student groups.
"Got a band? A solo show? A circus act? You name it, we want it."
Hear that? They want you. They want you so bad. And you take home part of your profits.
http://www.futuretenant.org/programs_trespass.html

VDay Cabaret Meeting

For the last 10 years college campuses have been hosting events to benefit the VDay organization, a group dedicated to ending violence against women. Through performance and fund raising, the group aims to raise awareness of the problems facing women around the world; rape, marginalization and genital mutilation. While Duquesne is not able to organize an official VDay, this year we are going to have an unofficial cabaret performance dedicated to raising money for this organization. The cabaret will consist of multimedia projects, monologues, music and poetry in a one evening performance on February 22.

There will be a meeting on Thursday, Jan 29th at 5pm in the Peter Mills Theater to start off the production. (If classes are canceled again, the meeting will be next Tuesday same time.) Monologues will be chosen at the meeting (if you have a general knowledge of the plays "The Vagina Monologues" and "A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer" you'll be pretty prepared, but there will be copies of all of the monologues available to read over if you're not) and there will be the opportunity to propose poems, songs and other projects. If you would like to propose your own project, song, poem etc, please have a general idea of what you would like to do. If you'd like to participate but aren't so comfortable up on stage, tech and production positions will be assigned at the meeting as well.

This is a campus-wide event, so if you have friends who are interested, bring them along! The goal is not to restrict this to theater students, but to bring in as many people in the Duquesne community as possible. Questions, comments, ideas, or anything else can be sent to me at flottm@duq.edu.

Thank you!

Literary Intern at City Theatre

Literary Intern
We are currently searching for an intern for the Literary Department at City Theatre. Ideally, we are looking for a candidate that can begin as soon as possible (or when school is back in session for the second semester). The internship would go through May '09. Typically, we have season long internships, but we lost our literary intern last week due to work conflicts. This is a fabulous opportunity for the right student. Our dramaturg/literary manager is a wealth of information and a great mentor to have.

City Theatre's Literary Manager and Dramaturg manages all literary initiatives of the theatre, which include the solicitation and evaluation of scripts for production consideration, as well as new play and production dramaturgy. Interns in this department will have the opportunity to assist in tracking literary submissions and in the research and development of dramaturgical materials to support the artistic process. Candidate must be a strong writer, comfortable with research, and have a strong attention to detail.
Many thanks and happy holidays!

Best,
Kristen

Kristen Link
Director of Education
City Theatre Company
1300 Bingham Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
t. 412.431.4400 x274
f. 412.431.3905
www.citytheatrecompany.org

Double Audition Today and Tomorrow

All are invited to audition! We have many good roles of many sizes to fill!

Don't forget that auditions for Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles and Carbomb are
today and tomorrow from 4-7pm in Peter Mills Theater.
Auditions are cold readings.
British and Irish accents if possible.
More information available here.

End of Semester Masquer Events

Now that the tryptophan has drained out of our gravy-clogged systems, we must drag ourselves back to the grueling realities of exams and essays. But never fear! The Masquers are here to fill you with cheer till the end of the year!

Premieres XXXII
Need a break from the winter cold? Want to see something new and exciting? Peter Mills Theater has heat and the 32nd annual Premieres, which opens this Wednesday and closes on Saturday. Come see four fantastic student-produced one acts. Admission is free and all shows start at 8pm.

Audition Reminder
The double audition for Simpleton of the Unexpected Isle and Carbomb will be this December 3rd and 4th from 4-7pm. More details here on the announcement blog. [Insert wintertime cold reading joke here.]

Spotlight Stage Manager
Anyone interested in stage managing Spotlight Musical Theatre Company's spring production of Into the Woods should contact Joyce Hinnebusch at hinnebuschj@duq.edu. It'll be a real prime Sondheim good time!

V-Day Project
Sarah Charlier is interested in producing a revue featuring several acts and selections from Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues. This end-of-February project is part of the national V-Day project to benefit abused women and children. Anyone interested should contact Sarah at charliers@duq.edu.

Wonder of the World
The No Name Players opened their production of David Lindsey-Abaire's Wonder of the World tonight and it is a fabulous production! Featuring an onslaught of Masquer friends and alumni in the cast and crew, this modern farce follows Cass's adventure that starts with her leaving her husband "for very mysterious reasons" and ends...in a large barrel. The show at Open Stage Theater runs until the end of the month, and tickets are available through nonameplayers@gmail.com.

Wonder Help Needed
Anyone interested in filling in a brief and easy run crew job for Ringa Sunn on December 8th should contact her at stanluvr_lexx@yahoo.com. Free tickets to the show!

Spring Semester Auditions

Auditions for our first two shows of the spring semester will be at the beginning of December. George Bernard Shaw's Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles will run from February 12-21 and the world premiere of Robert Isenberg's Carbomb will run from April 16-25. (Those dates are easy to remember because the first are palindromes and the second are squares!) Being December on the Bluff, auditions will be cold readings. Since both shows use accents, brush up on your British and Irish accents if you wish, old chaps! Tell EVERYONE you know who might have the slightest inkling to audition, because this and One Acts for Charity appear to be it for the semester. Flyers and handbills will be appearing in the not-so-distant future. In a nutshell:

Double Audition

December 3-4, 2008

4-7:00pm

Peter Mills Theater

Cold readings

British and Irish accents if possible.

P.S. See The Glass Menagerie again on its closing weekend, this Thursday through Saturday at 8pm!

Ushers for Glass Menagerie

Dear Fellow Masquers,

As you all know, our production of The Glass Menagerie is less than a week away. Due to the impending performance we need ushers for the performances, which are November 6-8 and 13-15 at 8pm in Peter Mills Theater. If you would like to usher please contact me via email at firnenot@duq.edu as soon as you possibly can. It would be great if you could usher, and you get points toward honoraries. Thanks so much for your time and talk to you soon.

TJ Firneno

Help Wanted

The following positions are open for volunteers:

SOUND BOARD OPERATOR
For The Glass Menagerie
Tech starts this weekend
Controls the sound effects and music during the performances
(pushes play when SM says "Go.")
Prior experience preferred, but not at all necessary.
Interested parties should email Justin Sines at sines908@duq.edu

LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR
For The Glass Menagerie
Tech starts this weekend
Controls the lights during the performances
(pushes button when SM says "Go.")
Prior experience preferred, but not at all necessary.
Interested parties should email Justin Sines at sines908@duq.edu

STAGE MANAGERS
For Premieres XXXII
Show runs December 3-6
Takes notes and assists director Leah Cassella or Justin Sines
Prior experience preferred, but not at all necessary.
Interested parties should email Joe Jasek at jasekj919@duq.edu

Premieres XXXII Auditions

Monday, October 27 from 7-9pm
Tuesday, October 28 from 7-9pm
Red Masquers Office
Union 101

All four of our one-act plays are student-written and student-produced.
We'd love to have you join Pittsburgh's oldest new works festival!
Auditions are cold readings, low-stress, and don't take long. No
experience or preparation necessary. We have a lot of roles to fill this
year, so come in and audition!

Premieres XXXII will take place December 3-6, 2008.

Important Upcoming Dates

Yearbook Picture on Monday

The Red Masquer yearbook picture will take place in the Duquesne Ballroom Monday at 9:30pm. All should be there! No exceptions! Anyone who isn't in the picture will be assumed a vampire and treated accordingly. 

On the Town Opens!

Spotlight Musical Theatre Company's On The Town opens tonight and runs until next Saturday. Go see it. It's like a cheap night on the town! Oh wit! More information on this event is available here . 

Premieres XXXII Coming Soon

We are still accepting people who want to PRODUCE, stage manage, direct, write, or PRODUCE for this year's Premieres. All scripts are due to John Lane's mailbox in the English Department on the sixth floor of College Hall by this Friday October 17 at 4:30pm. Anyone interested in the other positions, especially PRODUCER, should contact Joe Jasek at jasekj919@duq.edu, especially if you want to PRODUCE!

A Night with the Masquers

Anyone interested in attending the alumni show on October 25th is very welcome. This means you alumni who are still on the list! Come back and tell us the real world is bright and full of candy. Despite popular demand, this event will not be renamed, An Evening with the Father of Us All: A Tribute to Jay Keenan and John E. Lane. More information on this event is available below. 

P.S.

PRODUCER!