A Message from CCdd Artistic Director: Katherine Harroff

Howdy Friends! 

It's really hard to believe that Circle's second show is coming to a close this weekend.  We have received such fantastic support this time around- and in a lot of ways we really feel grounded and steady with our place now in San Diego.  We still have a lot to learn....but with this show we found our sea legs. 

We have two showings of "Ragnarok" left, and I hope you can make it.  I am proud of the script, the cast, the designs, and everything about the production.  We are growing San Diego, and we sincerely want you to watch us do so.  Every production we make is going to be different- I mean hell, our next show is about Drag Performance Art (coming to the 10th Ave. Theater late March!!).  We are going from Live-Action Role-Players to Drag, and we are doing it with total excitement. But while each production is going to be different- we hope that we continue to grow in our ability to execute our creative ideas with more and more clarity and professionalism.  It's impossible not to grow as you get these things right.  It's impossible not to grow as a human as you work in the world of Community-Based Theatre.  Each story changes you.  The LARPers will always be a part of me now, and soon the fabulous performers of 'Lips' will be as well.  I am so fortunate to be able to work this way.  I am so fortunate to have so many wonderful participants in this project making it work so beautifully. 

Thank you all for being here as we take our first steps and for supporting us as we do something terrifying.  I hope that you continue to be part of our family.  I hope that you continue to like what we do!  And if you don't, well I hope you'll give us a chance to change your mind- because we aren't going anywhere. 

Let's battle out the weekend together at 'Ragnarok'!

-Katherine Harroff

Guest Blog Feature: Guuol the Orc!

 For the second time in CCdd history, we are extremely fortunate to have the comedic loveliness of Julio Jacobo gracing our production.  In "The Break-Up/Break-Down" Julio played the role of "Cupid"- to much success and adoration of his audiences.  In "Ragnarok" Julio plays another crowd-pleasing favorite: Travis, who yearns to be "Guuol" the Orc. 

 For those of you who are unaware, Julio is also an amazing local Comedian.  Because of these abilities, we asked Julio to write the first ever "from the eyes of the character" blog for your reading pleasure.  So below is Julio's interpretation of a journal entry written by Travis- who fantasizes his world through the eyes of Guuol the Orc....and well...it's pretty magical...and a little bizarre.  Check it out: 

  Today was the nicest day off of work in history, or herstory, whatever those feminist hippies like to say. I started the day off over in mission bay where I swam with the dolphins. Just when I earned their trust, I sunk my mandibles into the pack leader's soft white underbelly, thus supplanting him as the new dominant male.

Now, overthrowing an aquatic government works up a powerful hunger in a man, so it was over to the Hash House for breakfast. I got the Guuol special, an omelet I had specially designed for myself. I'd tell you what was in it, but upon hearing its contents you might just manure in your pants.

Then it was off to practice with the warriors. When I got there Neil and Clayton were already there. They're always the first two there. It's usually pretty creepy being there alone with them. Clayton's always talking to Neil about girls in this weird baby voice, and then Neil responds in his horrible English accent, and I'm just sitting there in a skirt and a green face in the middle of these two jackals making Monty Python and the Holy Grail jokes. Then Gerald gets there, and I'm just sitting there in a skirt and a green face in the middle of these THREE jackals making Monty Python and the Holy Grail jokes. I swear, I gotta get this Gerald laid. I never knew someone with a 24/7 boner until I met this kid.  

 Then Bri and Dot get there and the fun really starts. Watching Bri smile awkwardly through Gerald's come-ons is always hilarious. Taunting Dot for being deaf (even though I know she can hear me) is always a highlight of my weekend. Then Jeremy, Lionel, and Lilly arrive. Oh man. Lilly. Damn it. Her bazongas. Are magnets. For my eyes. I can't look away. It's like I'm scared something's gonna happen and I don't want to miss it. I swear, one day she'll trip, or I'll knock her down or something, and one of those puppies is going to pop out, and Guuol can die a happy Orc. Then Danny gets there, and I make scary faces at him until I see him start to tear up, and then I stop, because if he starts crying because someone is making scary faces at him, then suddenly I'm the dick. After Jeremy helps Lionel replace his tampon, we go some rounds. It's always fun, but none of these fools can match my skills. That's why I'm calling out UFC hall of famer Chuck Liddell! Chuck, me and you, Staples Center, Los Angeles, March 4th, live on pay-per-view! Let's go!

After an afternoon of LARPing I went over to Phil's BBQ for two beefy full rib dinners. Hey! An Orc's gotta eat!

Then it's 3 hours of curb stomping middle schoolers in laser tag. Sorry lady, if you don't want your son to have a bloody nose, then you shouldn't let him go in there with a 29 year old man.

Around 7:30 I start my rounds. This consists of driving around in my pick up passing by the houses of all my enemies, old and new, and making sure they're not up to no good. You're welcome.

After a couple large combo number ones it's back home to watch some old wrestling tapes. I need the old stuff. The crap they got now has no flavor to it. Douche bags and pretty boys who'd rather smile than get their hands dirty. Not like the old days. Not like the Ultimate Warrior. He was the best. Seeing him in that war paint shaking that rope in the Sky Dome in Toronto on April 1st, 1990 at Wrestle mania 6 where he beat the immortal Hulk Hogan for the WWF and Intercontinental championships was a childhood memory I will NEVER forget.

After beating off and polishing off my remaining whippets it's finally time for bed. It's about time I go to sleep. The CEO of a fortune 500 company needs his beauty sleep. Twist ending!

-Guuol the Orc 

We at CCdd do not encourage any of the Orc's behavior.  But we do laugh at it. 

There is still time to see Julio and the rest of the cast in "Ragnarok"!  We play until December 10th, and have been delighting critics and audiences alike.  Tonight is Pay-what-you-can, so get down to the 10th Ave Theatre early! 

"Ragnarok" FAQ's!

 

"Ragnarok" is not your average show.  A lot of folks (noobs) out there are asking us what exactly "LARPing" is, and we want to give you some insight and a little reading material to get you in the mood.  We collected the "frequently asked questions" from our fans and are answering them all in this blog!  But- just in case you can't be bothered- all of these questions are clarified for you in the production.  YOU WILL NOT BE LOST!  When we first started developing the script with the LARP community- we were noobs ourselves- so we knew that the production needed to be accessible to all- and it totally is.  But, let's get down to business. 

1.  What is "LARPing"?  Or "LARP" or a "LARPer"???  What the heck does that mean?   

"LARP" is an acronym for "Live-Action Role-Playing."  Have you ever heard of Role-Playing games like "Dungeons and Dragons"?  Or "Warhammer"?  In these games players take on fantasy characters and act out stories to get ahead in the game.  There are many different versions of these "Table-Top Role-Playing" games.  In Live-Action Role-Playing, these characters meet up in person and act out their adventures in parks, or various locations all over the world.  While there are many different styles of "LARPs"- our play focuses mainly on battles, where the characters fight each other with foam weapons.  A couple of great reference movies are "Role-Models" or the documentary "Darkon". 

2. Where did the title "Ragnarok" come from?   

While Katie was researching the play, she learned all about the "Ragnarok" festival that happens every year in Ohio.  It is a weekend-long event where LARP enthusiasts camp out and battle each other until a clear victory is established.  Last year over 7,000 people attended.  It roughly means "End of Days" in Norse mythology.  And this meaning tied into the theme of our story nicely.  You'll have to see the play to figure out why. 

3. Are you guys making fun of "LARPers" for the content of the play?   

Absolutely not.  As community-based artists, this is incredibly against what we stand for.  Also, after interviewing our subjects we found that there really is little to make fun of.  Yes it's abnormal for those outside of the world of Role-playing, but after doing our research we really found very few differences between the "LARPers" and ourselves.  The play is reflective of the stories that were shared with us.  Many of the words in the play are words that came from our interviews.  Nothing is over-exaggerated, or added for our personal humor.  The majority of the piece is based-on-truth, or a conglomeration of many truths.  Sometimes showing the truth is brutal- but the piece has been approved by the subjects we interviewed- and this is very important to us.

4. Is this show family-friendly?  Because your last production, "The Break-Up/Break-Down" was not. 

Yes!  For the most part.  We worked very hard to make this piece more appropriate for younger audiences and parents.  Every show we do is going to be different.  During "The Break-Up/Break-Down" cursing and adult situations were vital to the story- in "Ragnarok" there was less of this content involved.  There are a few (very few) adult words, and a few adult situations- but there are a couple.  So we say teens and up, but if you have a mature child- it's up to you!  We think this production will be very entertaining to families- so bring 'em all! 

5. Are there any special discounted or themed nights?   

YES!  Here is a list of the discounts/ Special event nights we have planned for the run of "Ragnarok" *NOTE: All discounted performances are cash-only at the door.  So hit up the atm, and get there early!*:

Wednesday, November 23rd- Opening Night/ Post-show reception.  With your ticket price, you obtain free admission to our post-show reception that will include food, and drink, and the opportunity to mingle with the cast/crew. 

Friday November 25th- YELP night.  Are you a registered Yelp member?  Check out our Yelp event info HERE!  This is specifically for active Yelp members. 

Monday November 28th- Industry night!  Pay-what-you-can night!

Sunday November 27th/ Sunday December 4th- GARB night!  Come to "Ragnarok" dressed in any form of "LARP" costume- and get $5 off your ticket price! 

Wednesday November 30th/ December 7th- Roll the Dice Night!  Come early, and mention to our House Manager that you'd like to roll our 20-sided-die.  Whatever the number lands on your roll is the number you pay to see the production! 

Welp, that just about covers the majority of the questions we've been asked leading up to "Ragnarok".  We will happily answer anymore that you might have here or feel free to e-mail us at circle@circle2dot2.com! Now get your tickets, or meet us down at the 10th Ave Theater!  We are very excited about the hard work that has been put into this one, and we believe this production is accessible and will be enjoyed by all. 

Now bring on the show! 

Guest Blog: CCdd Company Member Sam Ginn!

It's a-coming!  Ragnarok will be here Wednesday the 23rd at the 10th Ave. Theater, and there simply is no stopping it!  We are working our butts off- sometimes until the wee hours of the night making sure that this production is wonderful.  Last night we had our first real run-through with lights and sound, and everything is shaping up fabulously.  We have a couple more dress rehearsals before we open and then BAM!  Get your tickets!  The buzz is brewing around this one. 

This week we asked the beautiful and amazing Sam Ginn, who is of course a CCdd company member and featured performer in "Ragnarok", to write us a blog about her experiences so far in the world of LARPing and working on the production.  Here is what she had to say: 

 

I was born into a family who LOVES sports.  Every Sunday I know that when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing a game on T.V., I must not talk.  Only during commercials.  Even then, it was questionable.  I often wondered how a blonde theatre nerd like myself was birthed into a family of brunette jocks.  I often pondered if my mother was close with the blonde milkman who liked to tap dance to our door.  But no.  She was not close with him.  Probably because we had no freakin milkman.  Seriously, who has a milkman?  ........I was definitely apart of this family.  We have always loved each other for our differences, yet, through this journey I am taking with "Ragnarok," I've discovered we're not so different after all.  

It is a Sunday.  Sunday is a not only a big day in the Ginn Household, but a big day in the LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) community.  It is the day where dozens of people around San Diego come to Morley Field.  They depict characters from table top games and battle one another. There are foam swords, hammers, shields, people in uniforms, spectators, and lots of enthusiasm.  Since "Ragnarok" is based off the true life stories of these people, I decided I needed to experience this first hand.  It was time to step onto the field.  

What's my game plan?  Do I have a strategy?  I was trying to remember everything that sweet man from "The Blind Side" taught me.  But all that kept running through my mind was Sandra Bullock winning an Oscar for that crap. I approached the LARPers nervously.  To my amusement, they were nothing but welcoming.  They talked to me about their Sunday rituals, their reasons for loving the activity......the whole nine yards.  I was ecstatic they were so willing to share with me.  But I knew they had a game to be play, so I handed them some flyers for our show, and watched from the sidelines.

"HEY YOU!"  I heard a player from the field say to me.  I did the double take.  "Who.....me??"  He nodded, and then preceded to offer me his shield and sword.  It was game time. Suddenly the soundtrack to "Jock Jams" start echoing throughout my mind.  I did a couple hammy stretches and walked my out of shape ass to the huddle.  Our mission:  To be the last ones standing.  Suddenly, there were lots of guttural cries and I was in the midst of a battle zone.  I even ended up making two kills!  Granted, they were boys about 4 foot tall and probably in junior high, but damn, it felt good.  After 3 games, I decided to say my farewells and head home.  

I've been thinking about how much fun I had with my LARPing adventure.  There was padding, passion, players competing for a common goal.  I am already looking forward to another Sunday where I can go back and play again.  Maybe my family and I have much more in common than we thought.  We enjoy the thrill of putting on a uniform and escaping to that place of raw emotion. All the world's a stage :)

Thank you for your words and dedication to the show Ginn!  You do not want to miss her in this one folks- so get on it!  Stay tuned for some information on special events we have planned for our first weekend in an extra blog coming atcha this Sunday, as well as some fun commercials we are putting together to give you a little sneak peak on what's to come!   

Excitement central in the land of Circle Circle dot dot! 

"The Ragnarok Files" Lobby Installation!

Hey there Circle fans!  Did you know it is only 13 days until opening?!  We are well aware with how busy we have been while preparing for our show "Ragnarok".  Opening night is November 23rd, and we run until December 10th- so there will be plenty of opportunities for you to check it out!  The first weekend will feature some very fun (to be announced) special/themed audience nights, so stay tuned!  Until then we will be providing you with some fun teaser-info about what is coming your way. 

Photo by Rich SoubletFirst, we proudly announce that our Lobby Display will be featuring the amazing art work of Michael Mahaffey, an incredibly talented local stencil/sketch/spray-paint artist who has agreed to create an installation themed around the characters of "Ragnarok"!  Here is a bit about Michael from his bio on his Etsy site (where you can also preview some of his fantastic work):

I am an artist obsessed with contradiction. I love mixing together opposing elements and celebrating the results. I feel like I have a kind of artistic ADD...I love working with all different kinds of mediums. I grew up using pens and pencils and then switched to pastels when I saw how smoothly they could be blended and how saturated and solid the colors could be represented. I'm currently working primarily with spray paint and stencils and I very much enjoy the variety of outcomes these seemingly simple tools allow. I love working with icons - easily recognized visuals that I can apply my own agenda to and then offer up a new vision. The goal is sometimes for social commentary, sometimes humor, but hopefully always intriguing. 

 Photo by Rich Soublet

Michael, a friend of one of our talented cast members- James P. Darvas, came to the very first reading of "Ragnarok" and found himself inspired by the themes presented through the characters as well as the way Circle works to collaborate with different kinds of art in order to fulfill the telling of a story.  His idea for our Lobby display is another element of story-telling that we are thrilled to incorporate in our audience's performance experience of "Ragnarok".  Here is a blurb about his installation piece titled "The Ragnarok Files":

My idea for this installation was not to create images taken directly from the script, but rather, try to create images I felt the characters in the play would gravitate toward. In this way I can attempt to extend the set and themes from the show out into the real world and help acclimate audience members immediately upon entering the theater.

I love the concept of this play, and am excited to see this story of these 'live action role players' (Larpers) brought to life. There's a very 'Comicon' and playful vibe to the production that I was attracted to right from the start. I've known many types of gamers and am no stranger to the Comicon crowd, so I'm excited to provide what I can to help set the scene.

The images I'm creating all deal with fantasy and sci fi. I'm throwing together a mix of familiar and lesser-known subjects, all meant to be fun and interesting while helping set the tone for an evening of adventure and dork-friendly drama.

He is fantastic!  And his work is already starting to shape up beautifully!  We are completely honored that our piece inspired him and that we are providing him a venue to show is fabulous work.  Check out a sneak-peek he put together for us:  

  

 

Unicorn Exploration

Thank you so much Michael! This work will all be on display and for sale in the 10th Ave. Theater lobby throughout the entire run of 'Ragnarok'- and you'll be incredibly surprised by how affordable his work is. 

So get those "Ragnarok" tickets folks!  There is so much meticulous planning going into this production- Lobby display and all- and we want you there!