Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack

Well, time is here again to start the newest show in the 2009 season, Miss Mary Mack. There is a cast of 20 loveable, talented youngsters. There are songs from the 60s.... I think... Build Me Up Buttercup is from the 60s right? There is a storybook that eats children. Sounds good. Sounds like a Box Production for sure.

Still so much to do tonight, on the eve before the first read through. Scripts need to be printed, so Jeff's final version came just in time. Music needs to be uploaded to the website. The final rehearsal schedule needs to be set. I should really get a move on with all this stuff.

It's always so exciting to start a new show, especially an original script, because most of these words are going to be read aloud for the first time, songs sung for the first time. Kids imaginations being opened up to the new possiblity of what a means to act and become a character they've never played before (except for in Lillie and Lauren's case where they will be reprising roles of Leena and Geena). This is one of my favorite moments of running a children's theatre.

I plan on updating this blog more as the show progresses with anecdotes and pictures. I hope you'll follow as we create this new performance piece.

All the love,
Kristin

Summer Camp Dates Set!

REGISTRATION FORMS TO COME SOON!!! Come have fun with us at The Box this summer!

COMEDY THEATRE CAMP
All Comedy Camps are from 9:00 am- 3:00 pm
June 8th -12th
July 20th - 24th
August 3rd - 7th
Ages 8-15
This camp will include an introduction to "Who's line is it anyway?" style of improvisation, with a focus on quick thinking, give and take, and role playing. Students will work to enhance listening, concentration, teamwork, and creative problem solving through easy to understand, fun improv and theater exercises. They will also learn the fine art of sketch comedy writing. This will be an intense, eductional and fun program requiring the students to write short comic sketches both as group and individual. The sketches will then be workshopped through readings and rehearsals during the week long camp. The final product will be a combination staged reading/performance of the students' sketches performed by the students in the camp.
Tuition: $180.00
Instructors: Doug Montoya and Kristin K. Berg

JUNIOR ACTOR CAMP
June 22nd - 26th
9:00 am- 3:00 pm
Ages 10-14
This fun class is a great introduction to the magic of theatre. The Young actor explores acting through story telling, theatre games and improvisation, scene play as well as voice and movement. This is a wonderful class to build the younger actor's self esteem, by helping them to trust their own unique imagination.
$180.00
Instructor: Kristin K. Berg

Happy Birthday Box!

Just a few days ago, the Box had it's 2 year anniversary. You've come a long way little box. I'm super proud of all of your accomplishments. Keep up the good work, and someday, you'll be a grown up theatre, just like ALT.

Upgrades and Updates

I'm going to take a little bit more of a personal note with this blog. Lately, lots of things in my life and in the world have been looking "up." AND, that makes me feel really good and really happy.

First of all, we've got ourselves a new President!
Total upgrade, and it makes me feel so good to know that I'm living in an era that isn't only going to be remembered for destruction, disasters, and terrorism, but is more importantly going to be remembered as an era of PROGRESS. We have come so far as a country in even the last few months that I have faith that we can only get better. Also, I finally feel like we have a President that is MY president and not just some old guy who has no idea what I'm facing as the "future of the nation."

Next up is that Blackout was here all day Sunday helping up make our booth be new and improved. Everything has been re-purposed and is easy to find! It's so organized now that when I go in there I forget I'm in the Box. Now, if we can get our acts together and get the rest of the theatre organized, we'll be set. Thanks so much to you Blackout Guys. We definitely couldn't have done it without you.

PNM finally got it together and HIRED DOUG. Finally. And he got a raise which is super nice, so he doesn't have to worry about work for a while and that makes Doug happy. Thank goodness. See how happy he is!

At my job, (I work at a conference organization company) I got upgraded to my very own office. I was sharing before, which wasn't bad at all, but now I have my own office with a window. When you work in the theatre, you get used to not seeing daylight, but it totally messes with you. It's nice to see the sun now and again. Hey Sun! I want to give you a great big hug!

Finally, next week opens the upgraded version of "Puss in Boots," which has now become an "80's Musical Extravaganza!" Our most talented kids are in the show AND it features everyone's favorite 80's music. Please come see it! It's a blast from the past!

Hope to see you all soon at The Box!
Kristin

New Year, New Season, New Attitude

Hello Friends!

As 2008 draws to a close I can't help, but think back over the last year of shows. Starting out with Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. and ending with A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail, it has been one wild ride this year. A ride filled with fun, love, new friends, financial worries, small arguments, but most of all, what I consider to be the best and most fun children's theatre in Albuquerque.

Picture Time!







This new year brings what I think is our most exciting season yet, with 3 original children's pieces and 4 popular children standbys. I'm excited to revisit our 80s send up of Puss in Boots and to rework it into a musical extravaganza. Jeff Katzman is back with an all new work, which doesn't have Albuquerque in the title... Miss Mary Mack. The most exciting original piece we've got this year is being written by one of our long time students Gigi, Scooby Doo the Roosical. Those fun shows mixed with Disney's Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast (the kid versions of course) and Seussical the Musical Jr AND Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Jr round out Cardboard Playhouse Productions' season.

Our very exciting big announcement is that we will be bringing in Blackout Theatre Company as our company in residence. They are committing to 2 shows plus more on the horizon this year including David Mamet's Oleanna and Charles Ludlam's Le Bourgeois Avant Garde.

We will continue to offer exciting improv such as The Q: An Improvised Soap Opera, The One Night Stanleys, The Gryffindorks, and The Copyrights as well as having the 3rd Annual Duke City Improv Festival in September.

We've also given a whole new look to our webpage, so take a look at that at.

Love in the time of Melancholy

Please go support new, exciting work! Tricklock's lastest show, Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl, is a funny, quirky show. I really liked it! For me, it brought to light the duality of the things in our life that make us happy and sad. Typically they are the same things. Love, music, flower in the rain, you get the picture. The ensemble is well put together and features 2 of our Stanleys, Nando and Alex. Juli Hendren plays a fantastically stern, but caring lesbian nurse to Dodi Montgomery's head over heels in love hairdresser. Summer Olsson's Tilly is always passionate despite whether she's melancholy or superbly happy. Alex and Nando are fantastic as always playing Tilly's other beaus. The set is a character in itself with lots of bells and whistles which add even more charm to this show. Putting the icing on the cake is beautiful live cello music. Kevin Elder's direction is effortless and fun. I highly reccommend catching this show before it closes. They can't receive formal reviews because it hasn't opened in New York yet, so please spread the word about this fantastic show!

Also! Don't forget that Disney's Sleeping Beauty Kids closes this weekend at The Box. We still have seats available for this Friday and Saturday nights' performances at 7:00 pm. Tickets are only $10.00. We've heard lots of good reviews from our audiences! Plus it has really cute kids in it. Don't make the cute kids sad by not seeing them in the show. :)

Sleeping Beauty Kids!

Ohmygosh! Have I got the cutest show ever for you! We are opening Disney's Sleeping Beauty Kids on Friday October 24th and it is full of adorable children! Just look at them!


It's got all of your favorite Disney classics, like Once Upon a Dream, and I Wonder, but it's got some great new music too! Maleficient, one of the best Disney villans, has some songs written just for her, and the are FANTASTIC! So come check it out! Oh, and opening night is already SOLD OUT, so make reservations soon!

COMING SOON: Winnie the Pooh Christmas and the announcement of our 2009 Season!