Tech! Twitter Preview! Opening Weekend! Exclamation Points!

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Before and After Klingon Makeup!

Before and After Klingon Makeup for SQuja’ marDa and Emli Qachit

After two months of rehearsals, we finally had an audience tonight and it was an important reminder of why we do this show in the first place: to share a fun, quirky story of transformation with an audience of people who are excited to see it. Everyone who comes to a show like Klingon Christmas Carol wants to enjoy themselves and they’re rooting for us to have a great time telling the story. As an actor, how much more set up for a good performance can you be? While I don’t subscribe to the notion of “tough crowds” (an excuse for a silent audience one might hear in the dressing rooms of the Sunday matinee performance of an absurdist Swedish comedy, you know, like hypothetically speaking), this show has a particularly warm and generous following.

Obligatory Before/After Klingon Makeup Selfies

Obligatory Before/After Klingon Makeup Selfies

This show was created to honor a beloved fandom and a timeless holiday story, and it’s being told by a company of trained professional storytellers and creative team who are committed to honestly living in the world they’re presenting. As a theatre-watching human, I’m not a huge fan of productions that spend more time winking at the audience than they do investing in the story. If I’m being completely honest, before the show started I was concerned it might go more the in the direction of winking (I’m sure there’s a joke in that sentence, but I’m too sleepy to catch it), and I think I mentioned in my first blog how relieved and excited I was to discover this was not the case. This show truly respects the trust that audiences give us when they purchase their ticket. Or, to quote the text I received at intermission from my friend in the audience tonight: “Okay, so this is weirdly amazing.”

Klingon Bar Fight as captured by an audience member at the Twitter Preview

Klingon Bar Fight as captured by an audience member at the Twitter Preview

For all of you less technologically aware people who might not know what a “Twitter Preview” is (I had no idea what it was), it’s a preview where audiences are encouraged to take pictures, tweet and post about the performance using the show’s hashtag #KlingonXmas. But, this is of course obvious to us social media savvy young people (I literally heard the phrase for the first time last night and just pretended to know what it was until I pieced it together using context clues. Shout out to my fourth grade reading teacher for the skill set, sorry for the sentence I’m about to end with a preposition). It was super fun to see pictures of parts of the show I’ve always been backstage for.

I’m grateful in advance to the audiences with whom we’ll get to share this story. (See, I know how to not end sentences with prepositions when I want to. <- ugh, I didn’t even try to do that). I’m grateful to my KCC cast mates, creative team and crew for their kindness, humor and friendship throughout the process. I’m grateful for the opportunity to use my love of people looking at me while I talk (see also: acting) to help contribute to a few hours of joy for everyone in the room. Qapla’!

Ticket Update: Shows are already selling out, so make sure to get your tickets in advance at: http://www.tinyurl.com/Klingontickets-2014

Meet Our Maker: Interview with KCC Playwright

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Christopher Kidder-MostromChristopher Kidder-Mostrom is the artistic director of Commedia Beauregard, the playwright of A Klingon Christmas Carol and will be playing the narrator in this year’s final Chicago production. Since he’s been with the play since the beginning, I thought it would be interesting to hear about his journey with the show and see how KCC has evolved over the years. PLUS: Under the interview, I’ve listed some exciting opportunities to meet a Klingon in person or hang out with cast members!

CSV: So, you’ve been involved in almost every part of KCC from the beginning. Can you tell me a little about what that journey has looked like for you?
CKM: I started this wild journey back in 2007. CommBeau had just come off our 1st show with our new mission to do nothing but translated works. We knew we were going to need an end of the year fundraiser and one of the other board members suggested doing Dickens in Klingon. He thought he was joking, but we wrote it down and 6 months later we were in rehearsals for the first-ever full-length production of a Klingon play. The first year was a one-night-only gala event, but it was so well received that we decided to do it all again the following year. Each year it’s grown and changed. We rewrote the show a total of 13 times before we finally published it.

CSV: What was your relationship with the Star Trek franchise pre-KCC?
CKM: The Next Generation (TNG) premiered when I was in 6th grade, so I grew up alongside that series. But, I wasn’t ever one to go to conventions, or obsess over the characters. Now my relationship with the show is drastically different. I’m still not one who is going to memorize the names of the episodes, but I’ve seen every single one and have friends who were on each of the different series.

CSV: I want to go back to the decision for Commedia Beauregard to exclusively produce translated shows. What inspired that shift?
CKM: At the time, I was attending the University of New Orleans through their low-residency MFA program in playwriting. The best part of that program was that we spent the summers in Madrid, Spain. I discovered that there are so many works being done in other countries and other cultures that we won’t ever really get to know unless they are translated. So, I figured it was a niche we could fit into and do a good job with.

CSV: As someone who wasn’t fully immersed in the Star Trek fandom until you began the project, what was the response from fans you encountered and how did that shape the process for you?
CKM: Fandom has been exceptionally supportive of us. I think that is at least partly because of how we approached writing it. We aren’t doing a show that mocks fandom. It honors the people who have been following Star Trek all along. We also always co-produce the show with a local fan group. Here in Chicago we work with the IKV Spirit of Honor. And in MN we partnered with the IKV Rakehell. Anything that is important to fans is important to me.

CSV: Finally, this is KCC’s final production in Chicago. What do you want the final Chicago audiences to be left with after seeing the show?
CKM: I’m hoping they will leave with the same enthusiasm for the show as they have in the past. It is a show that changes lives. For those of us who are in it, it alters us forever. And for those who see it, it brings a new perspective to the original work. This show affects people in unexpected ways, and I hope that will remain true until all of its incarnations are complete.

Thanks to Chris for chatting with me and for all of his incredible work bringing this show to life over the years; I feel very privileged to help share this story. Below are some upcoming events where you can hang with the cast and even get a picture with a Klingon!

CLUE: The Drinking Game! November 22nd (Next Saturday) 9pm @ The Glenwood.
Join Commedia Beauregard for a staged reading of the 1985 classic mystery comedy “Clue”! Suggest $10 donation helps fund the production and enters you into a raffle for tons of prizes. Come along with us as we find the most ridiculous way to turn this film into a drunken good time.

Adopt-a-Klingon! Adopt a cast member for an official adoption certificate, a picture onstage with your adopted Klingon and a personal letter. Click below to adopt the Klingon of your choice.
http://www.cbtheatre.org/the-plays/a-klingon-christmas-carol/adopt-a-klingon/

More next week!

Caity-Shea

This is Klingon Christmas Carol’s 5th and FINAL year in Chicago, so tickets will be going quickly! Guarantee your spot by getting tickets in advance at: http://www.tinyurl.com/Klingontickets-2014

Philip Zimmermann: The Story behind the SQuja’

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We’re almost halfway through the rehearsal process! Now that we’ve started the blocking and language work of scenes that I’m in, it’s been exciting to see my fellow actors breathe life into their characters and dive into telling this story. Ali (our producer) mentioned at the beginning of rehearsal that combining the language, physicality and trying to remember to act at the same time is an incredibly difficult balancing act, especially for those new to the language. Despite this, I still had my secret hopes that it would be easier than she made it sound. Remember that “desperately, profoundly, emphatically wrong” thing from the first blog? It remains continuously applicable.

pz-head-smallHowever, this has given me all the more respect and appreciation for the awesome cast of actors I’m fortunate enough to work with. I wanted to talk to some of the KCC veterans to hear more about their experience and how they approached their characters. I was able to chat with Phil Zimmermann (SQuja’) and discuss his process for playing this iconic role.

CSV: So, you’re playing SQuja’ (Scrooge) in this year’s production of KCC. That’s a pretty massive role that puts you onstage (and speaking Klingon) for almost the entire show and involved in nearly every rehearsal throughout the two-month process. I could imagine that being a little overwhelming. After hearing you were cast, how did you prepare?
PZ:
I got in touch with Ali and Chris and requested a copy of the script shortly after accepting the role. I had a lot of time before rehearsals started which was lucky and so I read the original Dickens story a couple of times as well as watch A Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged with Bill Murray and and the 1951 “Scrooge” with Alistair Sims that Catie recommended. My summer got very Christmassy before it got Klingon. After immersing myself in the story and learning as much as I could about the character of Scrooge I started to back translate my lines from Klingon to English.

CSV: With so many different versions of A Christmas Carol and portrayals of Scrooge, did you have any particular versions that you used most for inspiration?
PZ:
The Muppet Christmas Carol has always been one of my favorites, and I think it has some interesting parallels to the Klingon Christmas Carol. In that movie they had the challenge of telling this story in a new way, from the perspective of non-human (muppet) characters, and while they still speak English the movie communicates a lot through movement and the shapes of the puppets. So when I started thinking about SQuja’s physicality and voice a part of me thought “What would be a good muppet here?”.

CSV: Totally. And you bring up one of the biggest questions I’ve heard from people who will be seeing KCC for the first time this year. Assuming you’re not a Klingon speaker, what is the experience of seeing the show like? Do you need to be a Star Trek fan to get it?
PZ:
Out of the five years Klingon Christmas Carol has been in Chicago, I’ve only actually gotten to see it once, last year. There’s not another show like this in Chicago. The Klingon is fascinating to listen to, and it’s easy to follow along with the super titles if you want to know what’s being said in English. You don’t have to be a Trekkie to enjoy the show, but if you are you’re going to get a lot of additional enjoyment out of it. There’s references from every era of Star Trek, from the original series to the current JJ Abrams movies. But the story of Scrooge’s transformation is so universal that anyone can see this play and connect to it.

CSV: You’ve been in KCC in previous years, right?
PZ:
I played Kahless Present from 2010-2012 in the Chicago productions.

CSV: What was it like to stay with the same show at the same theatre through multiple years and casts? Is it weird to be currently playing SQuja’ in a cast with fellow actors who have played the role in previous productions?
PZ:
Working as closely as I did with Kevin Alves for those first three years, it’s hard not to think about his portrayal, but his biggest influence on me is that I remember a lot of the queue lines he had for me and it’s helped in memorizing the script. Working with Clark Bender who played the role last year is always a treat, he’s a really fantastic guy and a real natural performer. It’s nice to have someone who’s been where you’re going on something like this. And there’s Christina who’s been in the show for all five years. It’s great having that connection to back when I first moved to Chicago and the show was just getting started here, too. That said it’s also really nice having so many people around who either I haven’t worked with before or are entirely new to KCC. There’s a lot of enthusiasm and new choices being made that keep the whole thing fresh.

CSV: Alright, last question. This year is KCC’s final production in Chicago. During the last five years that it’s been performing, the show has become a beloved part of the holiday season, especially in the Star Trek and theatre communities. Is there anything in particular you’d like to leave Chicago audiences with as they celebrate this tradition in its final year?
PZ:
I moved to Chicago to perform in this show in it’s first year here, and it’s been a huge part of my life since then. I’ve made good friends, found a great job, met a ton of amazing people and performed at an honest to goodness Star Trek convention all directly because of my involvement with this show. This show means a lot of different things to me and my hope would be that it means something to everyone who comes to see it and that they remember it as long as I will, which will be forever.

Huge thanks to our Phil for sharing his thoughts and wisdom. Visit his twitter page where he will be tweeting in character as SQuja’ throughout the show. Check back here this weekend for more behind-the-scenes Klingon mischief as told by our other KCC blogger, Timothy!

Caity-Shea

This is Klingon Christmas Carol’s 5th and FINAL year in Chicago, so tickets will be going quickly! Guarantee your spot by getting tickets in advance at: http://www.tinyurl.com/Klingontickets-2014

Baby’s first qepHom!

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Week two is almost complete! While I was only there for one rehearsal this week, it was a decidedly fabulous one.

unnamed-2Last night I participated in my first “qepHom” (Klingon game night) where we played Klingon versions of Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity and Bananagrams.

Klingon Monopoly

Because I apparently decided I hadn’t lost regular Monopoly enough times in my life, I gave it a try in Klingon. Naturally, SQuja’ was our banker…

unnamed-1

While I may have lost miserably in Klingon Monopoly, I had a wonderful evening hanging out with fellow KCC folks and getting some more practice pronouncing Klingon.

Also, when I was visiting my friend in Madison this past weekend, we went over to her friend’s house to visit his 10-week old pug puppy named “Picard”. He was so cute that it caused me legitimate physical pain to look at him. A pain which I will now inflict upon you all.

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Tomorrow we begin fight choreography!! Check back next week to see if I make it through the first few hours of fighting with all original limbs intact.

Caity-Shea

Meet the KCC Bloggers!

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Each year, Commedia Beauregard’s production of Klingon Christmas Carol has two cast members blog about their experience and give sneak peeks into the making of this epic fan favorite. Here’s a little bit of information about this year’s bloggers, returning cast member Timothy Sullivan and new cast member Caity-Shea Violette.

Hi, there! My name is Caity-Shea Violette, and in addition to playing the roles of marDa, Warrior 2 and Boy in Klingon Christmas Carol, I’ll be one of your KCC bloggers this year! I’ll be posting behind-the-scenes pictures, as well as individual Caity-Shea Violetteexperiences and whimsical stories from the KCC cast/creative team (who, in only two rehearsals, have thoroughly impressed and intimidated me with their encyclopedic knowledge of all things fandom). I’ll be blogging weekly, so be sure to check back for undoubtedly awkward (but hopefully charming) anecdotes as I fearlessly proceed into the final frontier. For more info on my background, feel free to visit www.caitysheaviolette.com

Hey there! My name is Timothy Sullivan. This is my second year as part of the cast of Klingon Christmas Carol. This year I will be playing the roles of Kahless Past and Seller. I will be your other KCC blogger
this year with a post every Saturday if all goes well. Like Caity-Shea, ITimothy Sullivan
will be doing my best to entertain you with tales of our cast’s adventures, photos, and maybe a few interviews with KCC members. I will also include a photo of my beard growing progress with every post
as prepare to haunt the stage for a good cause in December. For more
information about my background, please visit www.timothysullivanactor.wordpress.com

Check here for weekly updates from these two, and click here to buy your tickets in advance. This is Klingon Christmas Carol’s FINAL YEAR in Chicago, so make sure to get your tickets before they’re gone!