Press Release

STAND TO ACHTUNG!

LOGAN, UT (31 August 2011)—Look out Cache Valley. There’s a new kid on the block and he’s grabbing center stage. Achtung! Theatre Company (ATC) is a grassroots company committed to bringing a full range of theatre to the community through workshops and productions. Their aim is to explore the full range of theatre genres, techniques, and styles, encouraging those involved to hone their talents, push their creative limits, and grow in new disciplines in a professional atmosphere.

ATC made its official debut on 11 August at a community Theatre Night held at the Logan Arthouse and Cinema on Main Street. The company will be holding such events on a bi-monthly basis, featuring scenes, monologues, music, one-acts, guest lecturers, and inevitable audience participation.

In September they will premiere their first full-length production with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Old School), described by company members as “classical with a twist”, referring to the seldom-seen all-male cast. The company hopes to give the community a taste of what they are all about and, according to director/producer Susan Ballif, this production should do just that. “We’re taking a modern approach,” says Ballif. Not via sets or costumes, or the popular methods of altered time and story, but by the very lack thereof. “In the end,” Ballif continues, “you don’t need elaborate sets and you don’t need props. People can imagine. But you have to have the actors. So, we have what is essential and we build around the essentials. That’s what our company does.”

In that case, the show should be a good representation of a company committed to a focus on acting. While they strive to provide a venue for the community to participate and explore the world of theatre, they avoid getting bogged down in the pomp and circumstance that so often accompanies traditional ‘community theatre’ productions. ATC is a grassroots theatre company, first and foremost. “We are a company that focuses on quality acting,” insists ATC producer Rufus ZaejoDaeus. “We are trying something new that will stretch people, not just stretch the community, but stretch our actors.” Grassroots theatre is an ideal vehicle for such an endeavor. It has an aesthetic of its own—a unique kind of beauty that cannot be easily compared to any other theatre type. As any theatre lover can attest, on stage, magic can happen between audience and actor that transcends ostentation. “That’s what we’re going for,” acknowledges ZaejoDaeus, “the magic.”

Nevertheless, community participation is encouraged and appreciated and there are plenty of ways to get involved. All auditions are open, so performers and production volunteers are always welcome. ATC is also on the lookout for interested sponsors, underwriters, or donors. “But most importantly,” says ZaejoDaeus, “just show up. If you’re curious, show up. If you want to help out, show up.” ATC hopes to give their audience a comprehensive awareness of the theatre world and that includes exposure behind the curtain on a production level. “No one should let a fear of the stage keep them from getting involved if they are passionate about theatre,” Ballif maintains. “And if we can help someone find a niche that makes them happy we will be satisfied.”

ATC is about engaging with their community. Among themselves they discovered people passionate about theatre and determined to make it a part of their lives, and now they are doggedly spreading that enthusiasm. They want to excite young theatre students by showing them where they can go and what they can do with their art beyond middle school and high school. They want to excite community members to open themselves to things they have never experienced and find the honesty of creative expression that could change their lives. In holding true to this endeavor, ATC will make high school students their special target, holding workshops for young actors and designers and doing outreach in the local schools. The opening performance of Romeo and Juliet (10 September) will feature special discount pricing for students with ID as well as a talk-back Q&A session after the show.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

The newly-formed Achtung! Theatre Company is led by an energetic group of emerging Logan-based theatre and performance artists who work collectively to create quality classic and original productions. ATC is helmed by producers Susan Ballif, Autumn ZaejoDaeus and Rufus ZaejoDaeus along with a rotating lineup of collaborators and creators. Other current ATC performers include Maren Comendant, Michael David, Adam Earl, and Shawn Hansen.

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For more information about Achtung! Theatre Company auditions, productions, or Theatre Nights, please visit achtungtheatre.blogspot.com.

To purchase tickets online visit www.loganarthouse.com.

For any other questions or concerns, please contact achtungtheatre@gmail.com.

~~~~  Maren Comendant

Membership Auditions

 Open Call

Achtung! Theatre Company Membership Auditions

 September 17th, 5-6 PM 

 Logan Arthouse & Cinema, 795 N. Main St.   

Open to the public.  Bring one monologue 60 seconds or less and a resume of your experience with theatre, film, television, design, etc.

No prior experience is necessary. We believe everyone has something valuable to contribute.  This company is for the most passionate and dedicated people who seek to improve themselves as part of a hard-working team.

ATC believes in teaching through various roles in theatre, this helps an artist grow by giving different opportunities to view the same craft from a different perspective.  Each member collaborates in different, assigned capacities to grow towards a common goal.  This means you may perform on stage for a Theatre Night, then serve as stage manager for one of our upcoming productions, then help teach a workshop, and so forth.  This places high expectations on all company members.  We work very hard to achieve a professional standard in every role we are assigned. 
Those who have participated in a stage production understand that theatre by nature is an organic, rigorous, soul-stretching craft.  Sacrifice is a given prerequisite.  This process will chew you up and spit you back out, but if you commit to your team, the end result becomes one of the most rewarding experiences this life has to offer: connecting to a live audience, fellow actors, and the moment.  

Radio Interview: Crosstalk with Jennie Christensen interviewing the producers of ATC

We had our first radio interview ever this morning with a wonderful host, Jennie Christensen, introducing Achtung! Theatre Community to the local community.  For those who may have missed it or were out of range here's the link to the podcast http://podcast.cachevalleydaily.com/CT-08-25-2011.mp3

Who's Who

Here are the rest of the Romeo and Juliet [Old School] band of merry men.  The rehearsals have been a blast!  These actors are bringing their all.

Juliet/Gregory                   ---  Conner Blankman
Nurse/ C. Watch                ---  Casey  Allen
Friar Laurence/Tybalt          ---   Ryan Pence
Prince/Chorus                    ---   Max Allen
Apothecary/ Chorus             ---  E. Cooper Jr.

Conner Blankman is, first of all, a man.  Second, that was funny. Third, and most lengthy, he loves acting and theater and everything about it.  He would do pretty much anything to be up on stage giving the performance of a lifetime.  This is his first lead, also his first female, and he is absolutely thrilled to be part of this show.  Thanks to all who've come out to the show and have a great night!

Casey T. Allen is a native of Cache Valley and graduated from Utah State University in 2007 with a Bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis in Professional & Technical Writing. He currently works as the Registrar/Webmaster for the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art on USU campus in Logan, Utah. In past productions, Casey has performed locally with the Cache Regional Theater Company, Pickleville Playhouse, Utah State Theater, the Old Lyric Repertory Company, and the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida.

Ryan Pence is a freelance videographer, editor, producer, and director, as well as a writer and actor. He graduated from Utah State University with a BA in Theatre Arts, and a Minor in Broadcast Journalism. When he's not freelancing he's a contract employee for several local production companies. Ryan is also a budding game designer. He has so far designed two card games and is working on getting them published. He has enjoyed a long-time involvement in theatre, acting in productions of ‘Macbeth’ and 'Cabaret', and directing a number of productions including ‘Bug’, ‘Metamorphoses’, and ‘All My Sons’. He has also filmed and directed several national television commercials. He is looking forward to participating in this unique production.

Max Allen is a graduate of Sky View High School and is currently studying philosophy at Utah State University. When not studying, Max works at Weststate Theaters and plays
lacrosse for Utah State. He is very excited to make his stage debut in Achtung! Theatre Company’s Romeo and Juliet. 



Cooper is a Utah State Alumnus who finds joy through perfoming. Whether it be on the stage performing a play or performing with his band Red Scare, there is no greater joy to him. Okay, maybe Cheesecake. Cooper is so excited to be joining the cast of Romeo and Juliet and looks forward to a chance to spread his wings on the stage in many different productions.

Who's Who

Less than one month until R&J opens!  Everyone is working hard and bring their A game.  It's time to acknowledge the players, well the first 5.  More to come, more to come, stay tuned. Thanks gentleman for all the hard work.

Jared Rounds          --   Romeo/Abraham
Ryan Pfister            --   Mercutio/Paris/Samson
Shawn Hansen         --   Lady Capulet
Rufus ZaejoDaeus     --   Benvolio/ Balthasar
Michael David           --   Montague/Peter/Friar John

Jared Rounds is thrilled to be playing such an iconic role.  There is nothing that he enjoys more in this world than the theatre...super geek, right?!?  Past roles include "Geoffrey" in The Lion in Winter, "Tom Wingfield" in The Glass Menagerie, "The Baker" in Into the Woods, "Cardinal Richelieu" in The Three Musketeers and a few others, as well as working this past summer with the Old Lyric Repertory Company and Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre.  Thank you to Susan, Autumn and Rufus for making a dream become a reality! 

Ryan Pfister is a Software developer by day and an Actor Extraordinaire by night.  Ryan graduated from USU with a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems.  After graduating he lived in Chicago for two and a half years, where he enjoyed all the culture the city had to offer.  He is humbled by working with such great talent in this Romeo and Juliet production.

Shawn Hansen is placed on this earth for one purpose and that is to make people laugh and theater is one of the vehicles that he employs in order to fulfill said purpose.  He is always ready with a wise crack, practical joke, or a hilarious observation, which, as you can imagine drives everyone around him crazy.  Shawn loves to find himself in comically awkward situations, to push limits and buttons, and discover new worlds in theater.

Rufus ZaeJoDaeus considers himself blessed to be part of Achtung! Theatre Company and member of this cast of amazing, talented, dedicated actors.  He thanks his acting coach and best friend, Autumn.  His interests include spelunking, mythology, and granny smith apples.  Don't ever offer him mayonnaise if you can help it.  

Michael David is a research geophysicist at Utah State University by day, and a pianist, dancer, and theater actor by night; also active in comedy improv with the USU Improv Club. Naturally, this fractionated life requires him to be just a little bit crazy. A relative newcomer to the world of theater, he makes up for his lack of experience with enthusiasm, fierce drive, shark-like ambition, and occasionally a bit of luck as well.

"Romeo & Juliet (Old School)" Concept

"Romeo & Juliet (Old School)" is Shakespeare's classic done in Shakespeare's way: 

with an all male cast.

For most of theatre's long history, females were forbidden to perform on stage.  When females started to appear on the stage, they were typically regarded as loose degenerates or prostitutes.  This was also during the day when actors were not buried on church grounds due to the idea that acting was considered a form of deception.  During Shakespeare's day younger men played women's roles, including Juliet.  This convention was widely accepted during that time, so no one thought twice about it.  Somehow these boys pulled off the act well enough for the audience to cherish the play itself, otherwise we probably never would have heard about dear ol' Shakespeare in the first place.

Today, the conventions have changed, but the objective remains the same, actors of every gender, ethnicity, and background come together on stage to immerse the audience in a story.  Such is our objective, yet nowadays the ancient convention of an all-male cast strikes us as comical.  We are playing up the humor already present in Shakespeare's text, but it certainly won't be a parody.  Immersion is our goal, not controversy, not political stance, just art for art's sake. 

This concept also provides a unique opportunity for our actors to experience this ancient convention and make it work for our contemporary audience.  Learning how to pull off a convincing woman is no small task, and for some it may be more apparent than in others (hence the comedy), but the research is the same, the rehearsal discipline is the same, and the magic of a live performance will still capture the hearts of those who pay attention.

Theatre Nights

As we come up on our first Theatre Night at the Logan Arthouse & Cinema, we company members get feeling giddy, anxious, and eager to get our show on the road.  We at Achtung! Theatre Company have worked hard to get this debut to its feet.  So first off, let me explain what is about to be unleashed upon the community:
Theatre Nights are a bi-monthy forum of monologues, short scenes, one acts, and exercises performed before a live audience.  These nights are not only meant to entertain but also to enlighten our audiences in the vast world of theatre, including what goes on behind the scenes.  This means we'll also have guest presentations that shed more light on the magic behind the curtain, such as playwriting, design, directing, and the like.
These Theatre Nights run about an hour and a half long with a ten minute intermission in between.  This little break allows our patrons to take care of business and restock on their concessions, it also offers a discrete exit for those who prefer not to stay for any "edgier" material reserved for the second half.  Now we at ATC don't seek to merely shock or offend, rather we select material that stretches one's perspective through honest performance.  While we respect the opinions of our audience, we invite all to experience what is offered after intermission.
Admission is $5 a person.  This helps us to pay for the royalties of future shows and fulfill our company's mission statement.
Besides the benefit the community can receive through a live performance, our company members reap the rewards of a consistent chance to perfect their skills and grow in their craft.  We encourage you to show them your support by attending our performances.
Well, there you have it, come and see what Achtung! Theatre is all about!