My Corner of the Sky: How to Build an Ensemble

My process of finding my character in Pippin has been very exciting for me. As one of the three ensemble women, I’ve had a lot of freedom thanks to our wonderful director, to play and explore who my Player will become. I initially thought about where my character encounters Pippin in the scenes and what I was trying to do. Once I figured out what my relationship to Pippin was, I moved onto to what I was doing physically. This was a great way for me to “key in” to my character. As a dancer, physicality always helps me find who a character is and helps me inform the way they think, react, and speak.

I played around in rehearsals with how my character stands, walks, and sits and ended finding this dim, whimsical, yet charming character within that physicality. I toyed around with how she would stand and react around the leading characters, which certainly helped me find a base of who she was and how she could shift when she was around certain people. Through finding my character’s physicality, I was able to discover how my character spoke and interacted with the other players. She has a ditzy, quirky, yet alluring quality about her, which is so fun to play. I discovered that she’s not just a dumb character, but she has qualities about her that are a little scatterbrained, yet she is smart in her own way as well. She’s definitely a type of woman I thought Pippin would encounter on his journey to find himself.

The style of the character also ended up being just right for the style of show, constantly enticing, magical, and fun!

--Kelsey Andres loves Fosse, and also loves reading her horoscope way too much. She enjoys spending time with her devious puppy, Elroy.

You Are Cordially Invited...

to an Opening Night Event with the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

Where: Cooper's, located just across the street from Theater Wit
1232 W Belmont Avenue

When: Saturday, October 15th

 Join us, as we celebrate the opening of Pippin! Show your ticket stub and enjoy at 10% discount on food while enjoying the convenience of a cash bar. Come play with us and learn more about everything Boho has planned for this season!

Tickets for Pippin are on sale now ... we hope you will join us at Theater Wit on the 15th!

My Corner of the Sky: Finding Myself in the Leading Player

This has always been my dream role, not just because of how it showcases the performer playing the role, but the work he gets to do, the journey he gets to take to get to "Leading Player".  It's been amazing.  Leading Player, is the alter ego I always wish I was brave enough to let come to light.  How he moves, how he speaks, the ease with which he exists in time. It's so not me.  

I thank Peter Marston Sullivan for introducing me to what "control" means in the context of this show and to the spirit of Leading Player.  This journey to finding moments of control is very exciting for me because I've found I'm applying what I learn in rehearsal into my everyday life.  We are all are trying to find what and how we control the events in our lives.  Physical control is very powerful; moving in space on purpose, with purpose is a tactic you will see with Leading Player and I am interested to see each night how he wins or looses control.  

Everybody in this cast is so talented, and so much fun to be around.  It's a sexy cast.  It's a sexy show.  Thinking about them makes me want to put down this slice of pie and go run on the treadmill for an hour.  Enough said.  

I can't say enough about how humbled I am by this experience. It's athletic, it's sensual, sexy, scary, thought provoking and most of all - FUN! 

Come see it. 

Trust me, you want to!

Travis Michael Porchia is a native of Detroit, active list maker, current cat owner, and lover of Marvel Comics. He currently lives in Hyde Park.