The Results Are In!

Brewster, Brewster and Brewster created a survey in order to glean some feedback about how effective our poster was and the results have arrived! We asked some people to anonymously fill out the survey and respond to the following questions:

• Was the poster visually effective?
• What do you think about the poster?
• What questions do you have about the show or the poster?
• Do you feel you understand the event better after viewing the poster?
• Does this poster make you want to see the show?

After analyzing the results, we found that a majority of respondents had a positive opinion of our poster. Some particular elements of the poster that were commented on were the use of visually appealing graphics (specifically the "dripping blood" text), the inclusion of the blog website, and the dates and times of the show. Conversely, some readers were looking for more information, specifically how much the show would cost. Included in our survey was a question entailing how visually effective our poster was, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being visually ineffective and 10 being very visually effective. The average visual effectiveness rating was 8.8 out of 10, a fairly high score.

Every person interviewed said that they were persuaded to see the show after viewing the poster, however, only 50% of people interviewed said they would visit the blog. We found this number a bit low, seeing that the link is included in our poster. This result may mean that either the poster gave enough information about the play that readers thought it wasn't necessary to visit the blog for more information, or that some readers just didn't want to put forth the effort to visit the blog.

Some questions/concerns that we found about our poster, after analyzing the surveys, were mostly involving ticket prices. At the time of publication, ROIAL Players had not yet set a ticket price, so it was impossible to include this in our initial poster. Secondly, we had a few respondents that were confused about the nature of the show. One response specifically stated: "It doesn't really seem to illustrate a comedy". In revisiting the poster, some slight changes could have been made to make that point clear to the reader.

Overall, our survey confirmed our initial thought that our poster is an effective advertising tool for the show. We hope that it drums up enough interest in our show to really pull in people to come see it.
By the way, THE SHOW OPENS IN ONE DAY!!!
GET EXCITED PEOPLE!!!
CHECK OUR OUR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE, OR EARLIER POSTS, FOR MORE INFORMATION!!!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155405097049&index=1

An Insider's Opinion

By Grace Pappalardo

I’ve always joked about sharing an unhealthy amount of qualities with octogenarians. I enjoy knitting, watching the news and solving crossword puzzles, all stereotypical pass times of the classic “old person.” I have perfected the art of aging myself decades with my habits. However, I never could have guessed that my strange talents for acting like an elderly woman would ever come in handy. When I heard that my dear friend and fellow thespian Matt Swartz was casting roles for “Arsenic and Old Lace,” an upcoming play he was directing, I decided to follow the countless pieces of advice I had received from current Michigan State students and got involved. I did a little research on YouTube before my audition, investigating the potential roles I might be asked to read for. While watching clips from the old film, I found myself becoming quite suddenly attached to one character in particular. She was a charming elderly woman wearing a high lace collar and a whimsical expression of complacency. I watched her bustle around the movie’s set in a slight cloud of reverie. She seemed to maintain her endearing, spry quirks, despite her old age and I became immediately intrigued. This was my first encounter with the character of Martha Brewster and at that moment, I silently hoped that we would somehow meet again.
As fate would have it, Matt cast me as Martha Brewster, the lovable and quaint aunt character that I had originally been endeared by. Overtly ecstatic, I arrived at the first rehearsal, ready to begin the saga of developing my character and fleshing out Martha Brewster to the fullest. At our first read through, Matt took meticulous steps to help the cast realize that acting in this play was not about memorizing the lines or accomplishing a perfect blocking format, but, most importantly, to become our characters. This idea was completely novel to me as a rookie in theater. In every other school play I had been in, line memorization and choreography trumped character work and I had never experienced becoming close to a character. As rehearsals continued and people began to develop the voices, mannerisms and habits of their characters, I began to see why Matt had been so adamant about his cast getting to know and love the characters they played. The acting was more real than I’ve ever before experienced in a school production. Each character had his own motivations, thoughts, and mannerisms and these seemingly miniscule elements created such an enormously authentic setting. During each practice, I felt like an eighty year old women whose only concerns were cooking and her nephews. I began to let myself feel the emotions that Martha would feel in the circumstances that arose in the play and I could feel my fellow cast members doing the same around me, adding volumes of energy and legitimate feeling to the scene.
“Arsenic and Old Lace” has allowed me to discover what the actual aim of theater is. It not only acts as an outlet for entertainment, but also as a vessel to portray the emotions and persuasions of the different characters and even those of the playwright himself. I think that this production of the show does exactly that and helps the audience identify with a character on stage. I’m hoping that, since the cast is so vehemently dedicated to the quality of the performance, the audience will laugh at our jokes, gasp at our lack of morals and feel like a part of the Brewster family.

An Outsider's Opinion

By Kelsea Solo

“Why yes dear!” “But of course dear!” “Oh Abby!” “Oh Martha!” Laughter fills the room and I find myself laughing as well; just another typical evening in room 219. My roommate Emily Nott and dear friend Grace Pappalardo are going over their lines for the play ‘Arsenic and Old Lace.’ Let me tell you, these girls really get into character! Emily and Grace are quirky to begin with, but when they start speaking like elderly women with a hint of a British accent, their quirkiness is just taken to whole new level. I find myself laughing with them and I honestly don’t know what I’m laughing at. Yes they make for quite the pair of adorable elderly sisters, but other than that I have very little knowledge about the play. Everyone I know and almost everywhere I go ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ is there though! I am beginning to sound crazy, but I mean what the heck?! I am beginning to feel left out! I come to my room and cast members are rehearsing lines, I see my roommate before she goes to rehearsal in the evening and I am asleep when she returns. In my RCAH 111 class we are told about an upcoming group project and who do I get assigned to work with? Two members of the cast of ‘Arsenic’: Grace Pappalardo and Tim Smela. And what do we decide to do our project on? You guessed it, the upcoming play ‘Arsenic and Old Lace.’ While I may not be in the play, ‘Arsenic’ has most definitely, undoubtedly, become a big part of my life at the moment. Sure, I am not in the play, but I am promoting it. I am living with the lead in the play. Majority of my friends are in it or will be on the stage crew. But my role in the grand scheme of this play is of Control Variable. That’s right. I am trying my best to stay ignorant as to the plot of this play and what happens in ‘Arsenic.’ While I love listening to Emily and Grace go over lines in their cute little old lady voices, and I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with on my group project (Tim and Grace are wonderful project team members who know I am unfamiliar with the play and are doing their best to not ruin the show for me), I feel as the Control Variable, I am constantly being tested to remain dumb. Yes dumb to ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ which is very difficult because like I said before, ‘Arsenic’ is everywhere. While Tim did have us watch a little clip of someone else’s production of ‘Arsenic’ in one of our project meetings, I still am left a bit clueless as to what this play will entail (which is good; it means I am still ignorant!), but for now I am perfectly fine being the Control Variable, sitting on the outer edge, listening from outside of the circle, analyzing the madness that is ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ going on before me. I know that my role in this play is to remain constant in my lack of knowledge of this play, to analyze those involved in the play, meaning to understand why my friends laugh when ‘Matt Swartz’ and ‘ass’ are used in the same sentence and to be so very proud of all my new friends committing themselves and their time to this show. Just as I type time commitment, I hear Emily mumble under her breath, “Damn, practice is at 5 today!” And the clock now reads 4:36. Ahh! I am so anxious to finally see what the final product(ion) will be like, to finally see what everyone has been practicing for and staying up late for will be wonderful. Hopefully after the show everything will come together and I’ll no longer be standing on the outside looking in at this play. This weekend can’t come fast enough! I can’t be the Control Variable forever. Hahaha
So I guess I’ll continue promoting the show! Come see Arsenic and Old Lace this weekend Nov. 19 @ 9pm, 21 @ 8pm, and 22 @ 2pm in the RCAH theater (in the basement of Snyder’Phillips). The cost is to attend the show is $5, but finally being able to understand how a play can take over your friends’ social lives is priceless. :)

ROIAL Players Present: 2 NEW VIDEOS!

2 brand new interviews with cast members from Arsenic and Old Lace are now up. Check out the side bar or go to http://www.youtube.com/user/ROIALPlayers
That is a link to our YouTube Channel, where you can also check out all of our other videos.
Less than a week to go until showtime! Tell your friends! Tell your mom! Tell your estranged ex-girlfriend that you secretly still love!

New Video: What Didn't Make It

Look over in the side bar to see the brand new Arsenic and Old Lace Video: What Didn't Make It, including a very special guest appearance from Elton John!

Less than two weeks to go! Posters are now up and will continue to be posted around campus. Tell your friends, relatives, and strange acquaintances! Look out for more new videos (at least 3 this week!)
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Quotes from people around campus:

"It looks fabulous!"

"Your poster caught my eye! The dripping blood looks really good."

"I look forward to seeing the show!"

Arsenic and Old Lace: Time Lapse

An entire 3 hour rehearsal, condensed into one 5 minute video. Impossible, but true. Check out the new video in the side bar! Remember, the show opens on Nov. 19th, so invite your friends!

p.s. If the 2 videos do not appear on the sidebar, try refreshing the page

Thank you for your support!