It's like the 4th of July -

with so many things lighting up and launching, I hardly have time for an "ooooo!" before I need to "ahhhh!"

Christian Boomgaarden and Kelly Hogan
as the title characters in R+J.

New Players Theater's "Summer of Shakespeare" opens this coming week, with the premiere of Romeo + Juliet on Thursday.  We have another week of rehearsals for Twelfth Night, and then that opens on June 23.  Both shows will run in rep through July 10 (when R+J closes), and then the last weekend is all 12thPM, with the final performance on July 17.  Visit NPT's site, or here for more info!

Barrett Carnahan as Tory, and me as Marnie, his English mum
in Doughboy, premiering August 18.

We also have a premiere date for Doughboy!  The gala celebration will be in Wheeling, WV (the shoot location for the entire film) on August 18.  On August 19, Marquee Cinemas opens the movie in its theatres.  So all you living in CT, KY, FL, NC, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, and, of course, WV, mark your calendars!  I'll keep you posted with any details on a broader release as they arrive.  Very exciting!

My name is Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp.
Who the hell are you?

And, finally for today, prompted by a consistent theme from my sleeping dreams - which seem to be urging the pursuit of my waking dreams - I have launched a Facebook page for my Outlander-related campaign: I Am Claire.  Please, visit, browse, and "like!"  (There's not much more for me to say about this without an additional launch - of a VERY long and impassioned monograph on the subjects of the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon, making movies, who I see for Jamie, why I MUST play Claire, the challenges of finding a just-right curly brown wig, etc., etc.  All of which I am more than happy to deliver, but you might have things you want to get done today.)

Til next time!

What an April I'm having!

Let's start with Sunday, April 10, shall we?  I, along with local actresses Acacia Duncan, Bethany L. Schoeff, Eleni Papaleonardos, and Emily Cipriani - we were all nominees for a "Jebby" award (Local Performer of the Year, Female, Play).  What's a Jebby award, you might ask?  Here in Cbus lives pharmacist-by-day, theatre-performer-and-aficionado-by-night Jeb Bigelow, and for 19 years, he's been voting for his own Oscar/Emmy/Tony/Grammy winners.  Six years ago, he turned the announcement of his choices into An Event - and it's been growing ever since.  For the 2010 Jebbys, dozens of performers and fans gathered at Trafik for video clips, live entertainment, speeches, and presentations.  And guess what?  I won!  That makes three - count 'em, THREE! - awards that I've garnered for my performance as Hedda Gabler in Curtain Players' March 2010 production.  I am so grateful for that experience, and so pleased that others enjoyed it.  Thank you, Jeb!
The slight downside to that Sunday's victory was that I actually couldn't be at Trafik; my thanks go to Matt Hermes, who directed me in Hedda Gabler and accepted the beautiful Jebby on my behalf.  I was occupied with final tech'ing for Available Light's world premiere of Skyscrapers of the Midwest, Matt Slaybaugh's adaptation of Joshua W. Cotter's graphic novel of the same name.  It's all good, though: we had a flawless opening on Thursday the 14th, and the glowing reviews have been pouring in!  We run only through 4/23 - don't miss your chance to see "the most magic I've ever seen Available Light do" (audience member at last Friday night's performance)!

Rehearsing the Confrontation Scene in Doughboy

Speaking of Matt Hermes, he and I will be working together again this summer, along with the other New Players Theatre founding members Tim Browning, Mark Mann, and Dani Karshner Mann.  The inaugural season of the NPT Festival begins June 16, when The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet opens.  I will be assisting director Mark, and also playing Prince Escalus (whom I assume we are re-dubbing Princess Escala, or somesuch!).  The following week, we add Twelfth Night, or What You Will to the repertory, and Tim Browning is directing my performance as Olivia.  The members of both casts convened this past Sunday for food and fellowship...and I can already tell that it's going to be a wonderful summer!  Capping it off will be the premiere of Doughboy in late July or early August.  Our red-carpet event will take place in Wheeling, WV, and current distribution plans include Marquee Theatres on the east coast and in southern states.
What an April I'm having...what a life I lead!
And as always, thank you for your support!

From West Virginia to Missouri

I've been shooting for the last three week(end)s in Wheeling, and now that the film has wrapped, I'm into rehearsals for Available Light Theatre's premiere of artistic director Matt Slaybaugh's adaptation of Skyscrapers of the Midwest, by Joshua Cotter.  The play is set in rural Missouri, where Mr. Cotter grew up, and where all of the episodes of the book and the play come from.  We open April 14, and I look forward to seeing you in the audience.