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THE LAST BAR by Rachel Kadushin
Entire Feature -WGAe#115015-00 blank space Library of Congress #: PAu 2-273-880
If a former undercover FBI agent doesn't learn how to be a team player soon, it could cost him more than just his life.
Click here to go back to the teaser for The Last Bar
This page updated December 15, 2002.
Staged readings performed at The Producers' Club in New York City:
Monday February 12, 2001 and Tuesday February 13th, 2001 at 8pm
Dramatic, rehearsed reading of the script was semi-staged from seated position in chairs with some seat-switching between key scenes. A short version of the script was presented followed by a reception in the Producer's Lounge each evening. There was a scheduled 5 minute 'leg stretch' about an hour in to the reading which naturally took about 15 minutes.
Seating began approximately 15 minutes before the show. An indoor waiting area in the Producer's Club Lounge which was available for guests starting at 7:30 pm. The restrooms were near the lounge and were checked to be fully stocked. I brought extra supplies just in case. Some of which were used. The receptions took place after the show each evening. There was free food and some sodas at the reception. Cash bar... and if you've never been to the Producer's Club before... it's a 'real' bar with a liquor license. However, there is no smoking allowed in the lounge space.People who were not sure if their response card was received in time, or decided to come last minute, were invited to bring a business card or sign in with the door-host.
Just as I like all of my guests and audience to be treated as VIPs, I stated on these pages before the show that I would like to be able to get in touch with people who attended the show, and overall the guest book with ushers I recruited from a pool of acting students worked out.
We did get a few producers and production and development company people to attend. Others included stage, television and film actors who have an interest in getting more involved in production, or a curiosity about my writing and producing skills. They were not disappointed.
Frankly, I didn't know who everyone who should be invited, but I sent out over 900 invitations. If you haven't used the stamped and addressed response postcard for the event and still want to make a comment, by all means use that postage! You can e-mail me at: Kadushin@aol.com. I'm still working on following up on guests who attended. Some good possibilities arose! More than one production company/producer took me to my word on the web page, and graciously responded to my mailing after the show had closed.
This is how the stage was set:
The Crowne Theatre holds 70 people. There is one flight of stairs at the Producer's Club, and no smoking is allowed on the premises.
Each staged readings and reception was treated as a private event and party with food. The Producer's Club Lounge has a lovely cash bar. Tickets will not be sold, although tickets will be made to allow for ease in discount parking available on the same block as the Producer's Club. Attendance will be by invitation only, although requests for an invitation may be made.
The Producer's Club is nearest to the A-C-E subway station at 44th and 8th avenue (the 42nd Street stop), and also very convenient to any 42nd or 50th Street subway station. The theatre is closest to the uptown #10 bus and the downtown #11 bus. To get discount parking pick up a voucher in the Producer's Club office or bar.
Click here to go back to the teaser for The Last Bar
E-mail me for more information or keep checking in here.
You know... I really meant to go back to your writing summary page.
Curious about the Process that lead up to the formal staged reading...
First audience reading of The Last Bar was held Saturday December 16th at 1:30 pm.
The reading was followed by a holiday party for friends, family, and friendly audience members. Audience capacity was 40 and about 30 guests enjoyed the performance.
The picture below represents how I staged in informal reading.
The actors who interacted with each other the most, sat nearest to each other. The stage was raised, thus I was able to present the reading with a 'front row' of actors at the audience level.
The reading ran 86 minutes. Audience feedback, which I had requested for the informal reading, included adding a 5 minute leg-stretch, about an hour into the performance.
Some of the New York stage actors were confused by audience members who were pretending they were listening to a radio show instead of watching their expressions, but even audience members who chose to close their eyes at first were quick to sit up straight and watch the actors when their characters had heated discussions and as the espionage/thriller levels heightened.
Humorous moments in the story got more laughs than I expected, as I tend to think in terms of a dry sense of humor. It was definitely fun for the audience. Turns out some of the humor I think is dry, is actually broadly funny to a wide range of people!
Some cast members remarked that this was one of the best run readings they had either participated in or attended.
The party and the food was enjoyable and lively. Audience members got to complement the actors on their portrayals of the characters, finding them very convincing. This made me feel good about my writing, mini-rehearsals I held with parts of the cast earlier in December and November, and of course the casting.
The rehearsed staged readings present about of 85% of the script (yes including the ending!) will take place at the producer's club on February 12th and 13th 2001.
I'm planning on making a web page where you can one of the fight scenes that I wrote in detail. During the reading a lot of visual sequences are summarized, a few scenes are shortened and two scenes are being omitted.
One of lovely things for me about having the informal reading with an audience instead of just a whole cast rehearsal, was to see if I needed to put back anything that I summarized or cut out. I like use a lot of words in descriptions, to involve the senses. However, by using live actors a lot of the description was effectively cut or summarized -- and the audience followed along and enjoyed the reading!
The mother of the hero was changed from Italian Catholic to Irish Catholic in ethnicity at for the audience informal reading; and her name was changed from Ghita to Mary Maeve. Although part of this was due to the Irish accent being a specialty of the actress I cast, Madalyn McKay did a wonderful job with the New York-Italian accent at the initial table reading. Madalyn helped suggest ethnic phrases, and I rewrote and rehearsed the dialog between the October table reading and the December informal staged reading.
The initial table reading of The Last Bar took place October 10th, 2000 at Cap 21 in New York City.
Click here to go to the staged reading cast list and cast profile pages.
Click here to see who was in the table reading, but will not be at the staged reading.
Here's the how the actors sat for the table reading, as indexed by character
Our Special Guests at the Table Reading
Jason Block, game show winning contestant from a certain ABC evening program, host on "Rosie" segment of "Who's More Addicted to Millionaire." Jason also hosted a parody of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" for a local radio station, and has appeared as a supporting lead in two community theatre plays. People just seem to like to interview the man about his "Millionaire" experience - which has significantly changed his life! Good at talking and thinking, Jason is the phone-a-friend in the online version of ABC's "Millionaire" game.
Jason was the master of ceremonies for the staged readings in February and also read some of the "bit" characters.
Joanna Gunderson, a play-writer and actress.
Click here to go back to the teaser for The Last Bar
E-mail me for more information or keep checking in here.
You know... I really meant to go back to your writing summary page.