Author: noellesleblanc

Review: The Long Weekend

Theatre

I had the pleasure of attending the opening night performance of The Long Weekend at Westminster Community Playhouse.

Let me start by saying that, as an actor, I know how much time and hard work goes into the “hell week” leading up to opening weekend. In addition to having rehearsed every night during that week, you’ve usually just added hair styling, costumes, lights, and sound during that same week. Then BOOM, you’ve got an audience.

To say that the whole feel and flow of a performance changes when you have an audience is an understatement. Leading up to that point, you can only guess what people will react to based on your own reactions or possibly the reactions of your director and stage manager through the rehearsal process. Once you start getting laughs, applause, and other reactions from the audience, you learn a lot more about the show and your own performance in it. I usually like to give the actors the benefit of the doubt on an opening weekend if there are pacing issues, especially when there are people like myself and my mother in the audience (i.e. loud laughers).

The Long Weekend, written by Norm Foster, is the story of two couples who have been friends for a long time. The two women are friends from high school and their husbands do not get along, masking it through passive aggressive snips at each other. The couples end up getting divorced and remarrying the other’s partner. All in all, the script is witty and funny, though possibly a little redundant at times, however, this stellar cast did amazing work with it.

Bill Paxton (Roger) is the star performer, showing a great character development over the story’s two-year progression. He displays how his character changes over time and in reaction to his new wife and their compatibility (or in-compatibility depending on how you want to look at it). In the first act, he shows more of a vulnerable side, wanting to be a successful screen writer, but having spent three months struggling over just the right word before continuing. However, in the second act, you see a more confident, successful writer, but with exaggerated paranoia influenced by his psychiatrist wife.

Susan Levinstein’s fickle fashionista, Abby, is terrible in the best way. She’s extremely judgmental and mildly narcissistic and the combination makes for some great comedy. What also makes her character so great is that she doesn’t change for anyone and is always unapologetically herself. Levinstein really played up her over-the-top character and added to the comedy by having a visual reaction to everything, always in character. You can’t help but keep your eyes on her and her reactions during the scenes, even when she isn’t the primary focus.

Greg Stokes (Max) and Harlene Miller (Wynn) balance out the cast as the remaining partners. They work seamlessly as opposing parts of the same coin. Greg plays up his character’s neurosis, while Harlene is the constant reminder of them to all. Additionally, Greg plays up the surprise ending that leaves you laughing and wanting more. The foursome come together to bring the script to life and really play up the funny moments.

This script in the hands of another set of actors could come off redundant and boring, but this cast really brings it all together and plays up the funny. It was a wonderful treat after a long, stressful week and definitely started my weekend off right!

Have you seen the show? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

The show runs through January 27th, Fridays and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday afternoons at 2pm at Westminster Community Playhouse. If you have time, definitely check it out and you will not be disappointed!

Click to learn more!

Acting Up

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Growing up with two actor parents meant that I spent a lot of time around the theater. I remember spending more time at the theater than I did at home. I would fall asleep on couches in green rooms or front lobbies, across rows of seats, or even on the floor in the aisles.

I can’t remember the first time I performed on stage. I remember the first show I did, but I don’t remember my first time actually performing. I honestly don’t even remember what I enjoyed about it. I’m not sure if it was the thrill, the praise, or just being able to be involved in something that my parents enjoyed so much, but once I started I never stopped. I’ve taken a couple of breaks, but always knowing I’d be back.

I went to a performing arts high school, the Academy for the Performing Arts in Huntington Beach (APA), and I loved the classes, but I couldn’t stay away from community theatre. I ended up doing only one APA show in the two years that I spent there, but I continued doing community theatre shows.

The big hiatus that I took was during my college years, though I still sprinkled a few shows in there when I had the time. As much as I was working, going to school, and having zero time to myself, I just longed to be back on the stage.

So here’s the thing: there are many reasons why people enjoy doing theatre. Some people enjoy the thrill of being in front of an audience, the attention, the applause. Some love the experience of building a character and finding the backstory and getting all of the creative juices flowing. Others just enjoy the ability to create a scenario for audiences to escape to and to be there to make them laugh or cry. While all of those are great and powerful reasons, that’s not why I act.

I enjoy acting because it’s an escape from myself. I’m of the generation of the over-educated and under-paid. I work three jobs and I’m still going to be paying off my student loans forever. I come from a family with a history of mental illness, and I struggle with some really difficult bouts of depression. BUT, when I’m on stage, performing as a character, I’m free from all of the debt and depression and any other worries. As soon as I open the script, Noelle’s problems drop to the floor and my character is alive.

For me, stepping into a character is natural. The things that come out are sometimes out of my control and can even be a surprise to me. The voice, the walk, the reactions are all the character’s and not my own. It’s very freeing. Every time I get to play a new character it’s like meeting a new person. I read the script and go through rehearsals learning what that person would or wouldn’t do, how they would respond, what they would think when presented with different opportunities.

These experiences are really fun for me because I’m able to step in and out of character (generally) easily. It’s also what I enjoy about switching between characters. My most fun recent experiences were while doing Titanic: The Musical and The Jury Room. In Titanic, I played two characters (with 11 changes between being pregnant and not pregnant) and I had so much fun making the two characters different from one another. As far as The Jury Room, one of the greatest things was how completely different my character was from who I am as a person. I heard so many fun stories from friends in the audience who took no time in relaying to other audience members how much I am NOT a stereotypical “dumb blonde” in my daily life.

Honestly, I’m not sure if any of this makes me a good actress, or just proves that I’m super bipolar and can channel it into my acting, but I’ll take it! It may be different, but I really enjoy it, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.

So, tell me: why do you do theatre? Or if you don’t, why do you enjoy going to see it? Tell me your stories and share your favorite characters in the comments!

Did someone say “dramatic”?

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I’ve been told a few times that I should start a blog. My response was always “about what?? I don’t know what I’d be able to continuously write about.” But here we are. Let’s call this…an introduction.

My name is Noelle LeBlanc and I was destined to be dramatic. I was born to two actor parents, Marc LeBlanc and Laurie (now Robbins). If you’ve been around the Orange County community theatre scene for a while, these names may sound familiar. They’ve both worked all over Orange County, starting around the 80s (I think?). My mom is a fabulous character actress–seriously SO funny–and my dad is one of those does everything types. He acts, sings, directs, produces, builds sets, etc. He even started his own theatre in 1995. Anaheim Community Theatre has been defunct for about 7 years now, but it had a good run. But I digress…

The running joke when I was little was that I was born in a trunk backstage at Westminster Community Theatre on opening night of Broadway Bound, which my father stage managed (technically, I was born the following morning, and in a hospital). I certainly spent a lot of time there when I was growing up. If you’ve worked there before, that upstairs room where board meetings are held with tons of cast pictures all over the walls was basically my second bedroom. My parents would bring me to rehearsal with them, put me up there in my portable playpen, and leave the door to the catwalk open so I could hear rehearsal happening on the stage. I was a theatre baby.

The first time I showed up on stage was when I was five years old. (Well, that is if you don’t count my two guest “appearances” as a fetus while my mom performed in Oliver and Bye Bye Birdie while pregnant.) I stole the show in one short scene of Arsenic and Old Lace as Mr. Hoskins, the dead body. But it was all up and up from there as I next appeared in On Borrowed Time as Betsy, the dog. And it goes and goes…

So, you may be asking yourself “what qualifies this girl to write about community theatre?” The answer? Absolutely nothing. However, with 28 years around it, 23 years on and behind the stage, and every minute enjoying it, it’s really the only thing that I want to write about!

I guess that’s enough about me (for now). So what are you gonna get if you keep coming back? I’m honestly not sure, but here’s the plan: I’m going to write about my experiences in community theatre, review the fabulous shows that I go to see, and hopefully throw in some info about the current goings on in the theatre community (productions, auditions, etc). I’m also more than willing to take suggestions so leave me a comment, contact me through the form, or just shoot me a text if you have my number! I’m here for you and to share what I’ve learned through my experiences, thus far.

Thanks for stopping by!