Monthly archive for October 2019

By Josiah Robinson

Hello folks! My name is Josiah Robinson, and I am playing Dennis Sanders in Sanders Family Christmas! I’m an actor and musician most recently from Chicago – but originally from the small town of Canyon, Texas. I graduated from West Texas A&M University with a degree in Musical Theatre. Lanesboro actually reminds me a lot of my hometown! It’s welcoming, friendly, and focused on local business and local art, which I very much appreciate. 

I’ve spent the last few years in Chicago, exploring the improv and theatre scene there. More recently, I’ve shifted my focus to just musicals, and more specifically musicals where I get to showcase my fiddle and guitar playing. Luckily for me, musicals and plays that feature actors who are also musicians are very popular right now. I’ve been able to go from working in one instrument focused show to another, which is how I ended up here in Lanesboro! 

I was able to connect with the director of Sanders Family Christmas, Alan Bailey, over Facebook, then sent in a video audition while I was on my last contract (all the way in Alaska of all places, but that’s another story), and now I’m here lending my musical talents to the great team at the Commonweal. 

Anyone who has gone home for the holidays and experienced the joys and occasional trickiness of being around family will appreciate Sanders Family Christmas. There are really touching and tender family moments that I think are going to hit home for a lot of people. But, there is also a lot of fun, rip roaring country Christmas music that we have been working on. The music is so much fun, especially since I get to play some of my favorite instruments like violin and upright bass, which has made the rehearsal process both productive and a blast! 

I have been so delighted and impressed with the quality of work and the work ethic here at the Commonweal. Everyone bands together as a team to produce some incredible theatre, especially for a small town! I would have been so excited growing up in my small hometown to have had such quality theatre so close by. I’m proud to be a part of this theatre and this cast, and I’m excited for us to show all the Commonweal patrons a heartwarming holiday hootenanny with Sanders Family Christmas! Previews begin November 15th. I’ll see you at the Commonweal!

Trust us when we say you don’t want to miss Josiah’s work in Sanders Family Christmas! It will be a holiday treat for the entire family. For Tickets —> Performance Calendar

By Kelsey Heathcote and Caroline Hawthorne

Kelsey Heathcote (Sound Designer)
When we first read On the Verge as a company last year, I knew immediately that I wanted to do the sound design. This show is so fun and whimsical, and I knew that it would be very challenging. When we started the tech process Michael Dixon, the director, read the production team a list of qualities that he wanted to represent the show. A few of the words on that list were: imaginative, mythical, curious, whimsical, and surprising. Caroline and I went to work and began breaking down the show with this list in mind.

As with many other shows, sound is used in a multitude of ways in On the Verge. One of the most important jobs of a sound design is to tell the setting of a scene. On the Verge passes through several very different locations such as beaches, jungles, and mountains, so establishing place was a major goal. We also worked hard to find sounds that would tug on the audience’s emotions, as well as their attention, during the monologues from the ladies to help focus on the important details that are discovered. One of the hurdles we jump constantly in sound design is adding emotion to the moment without distracting the audience or actor. Sometimes that rule is meant to be broken! Several scenes are built around popular songs, and are meant to be a comedic break to focus on the whimsical nature of the show.

This process was a huge learning experience for Caroline and I. I am very glad we were able to work together and face the challenges head on. On the Verge is a delight, and it was an honor to work with this very talented team!

Caroline Hawthorne (Assistant Sound Designer)
I was interested in helping Kelsey sound design for On the Verge, mainly because I have always been fascinated by how sound affects theatre. I will also be sound designing the apprentice capstone project, The Fox, so I wanted to gain some hands-on experience before we began working on it. Although I did gain new skills during this process (such as working with Q-Lab, the program which runs all of our sound), the main thing I gained through the process was an appreciation for those who work behind the scenes. As an actor, I work with people in technical disciplines, but I very rarely get to step into their shoes. With this experience, I have a greater idea of how theatre works as a whole, which I will always take me with, no matter what I am doing. 

Join the adventure! Hear both Kelsey and Caroline’s work in On the Verge! For Tickets —> Performance Calendar