2012 Season
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Live Staged Reading of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Directed by Brian Matuszak To kickoff our brand new Live Read Series, a live staged reading of the 1982 classic movie script, just in time for its 30th Anniversary! One of the perks of the show? Star Trek Drinks on a special sci-fi menu from Midi Restaurant! Here is what will be available. All choices are quite logical. And yummy.
Starring the Vocal Talents of Greg J. Anderson, Lawrance Bernabo, Kendra Carlson, Tate Haglund-Pagel, Jill Hoffman, Anders Hultstrom, Minden Hultstrom, George Kessler, Brian Matuszak, John Munson, and Don Ness.
Sound by Anthony Davis. Check out our second show in the Live Read Series, Young Frankenstein! |
Photos from First Read-through Rehearsal:
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Rubber Chicken Theater Takes on Khan, Star Trek Style, in a Live Reading at Fitger’s Saturday Night
By: Dennis Kempton, for the Oeuvre Arts Magazine
This Saturday only, June 2, at Fitger’s Spirit of the North Theater, Rubber Chicken Theater will, for the first time, bring to an audience a live reading of one of the most iconic Star Trek movies in the series, The Wrath of Khan. As far as director Brian Matuszak knows, such a theatrical reading of a motion picture script has never been attempted before in the area. With its naturally theatrical bent (what movie with William Shatner can’t be dramatic?) and with the villainous deliciousness of Ricardo Montalban, there seems to be no better choice for this first venture. Rubber Chicken’s Brian Matuszak answered some of our questions ahead of Saturday night’s main event.
Dennis Kempton: How did this idea get into your head?
Brian Matuszak: I read about it being done by Jason Reitman out in Los Angeles and I just thought it sounded like a great idea. Take a classic movie script and re-imagine it with new actors and new interpretations. Plus, there’s no set, no costumes, no props, no memorization….perfect!
DK: What made you choose The Wrath of Khan despite so many other equally compelling Star Trek movies?!
Brian: It’s the 30th anniversary this summer, and it’s one of my all-time favorite movies, period, not just Star Trek. Every artist involved, from Shatner to Nimoy to Nicholas Meyer to Ricardo Montalban, they all brought their A game to this project and made a fantastic movie. It’s funny, it’s heroic, it’s heartbreaking, it’s got everything.
DK: Have there been similar live readings of motion picture scripts in the area before this?
Brian: None that I am aware of.
DK: Tell us about the process of how something like this project comes into solid formation.
Brian: I was drawn to the process that Reitman uses, which is he sends the script to the actors, then they show up and do it. But we decided, since this was our first foray into a project like this, we should try and firm it up a little more than that. So we had a read through, and I’m glad we did because it did enable me to see some changes that had to be made. For example, there is WAY too much stage direction and narrating of actions on the screen. I wanted the focus to be more on the actors and dialogue, so I went through last week and tightened up a lot of that. (Our narrator, John Munson, was glad of that because he will be doing a lot of reading as it is.) I gave a few notes, but not many. These performers are already amped and ready to roll!
As far as the experience at the theater, Midi Restaurant has stepped up and will be offering Star Trek-themed drinks, which will be a lot of fun and will certainly make all of us onstage much more entertaining.
DK: Tell us about the actors associated with the reading and why you chose them for those roles.
Brian: I tried to find actors who I know are good on their feet and can bring a strong characterization. These roles and line deliveries are already pretty rooted in the audience’s minds. For example, everyone knows about Shatner’s KHAAANNNN! line, so the challenge becomes, do you want to do it exactly like that because the audience is expecting it, or do you want to bring something new to it that the audience can still enjoy?
I initially went to Rubber Chicken performers who I knew could pull it off and with whom I love working and spending time. Minden Hultstrom, Anders Hultstrom, Tate Haglund-Pagel, Lawrance Bernabo, Jill Hoffman, and Greg J. Anderson all signed on right away. But this is actually a pretty big cast, so I knew we needed to fill it out a little more. I went back to one of the attractions of Jason Reitman’s live reads, and that’s the “celebrity” performer. He’s had Steve Carell, Natalie Portman, Pierce Brosnan, etc., so I thought about some of my friends in the local media or politics that might want to have fun with a project like this, and who audiences might want to come and WATCH having fun, too. That’s how George Kessler and Don Ness got involved. (We’ve also been lucky enough to have George and Don lend us their talents over the years in our sketch comedy revues or radio shows, so I knew they had the ability to pull this off). George suggested his friend Kendra Carlson as Saavik and that was good timing as Kendra had just appeared in our Chicken Hat Plays last March. Finally, I knew we needed a vocally talented Narrator to read the pages and pages and PAGES of stage directions and bring them to life and I was very fortunate that John Munson was available for that. He is a wonderful vocal performer who has appeared in Rubber Chicken radio shows and hosts many regional talk shows on Wisconsin Public Radio.
DK: How far do you go in a live reading? How much “acting” will there be as opposed to what people might expect from the usual theatrical “reading” of something. And, are there costumes?
Brian: We did have a discussion about costumes, but I don’t own a Starfleet uniform, and tuxedos and dress clothes all around seemed too formal. This is going to be fun, first and foremost. We are also going to stay true to the material, no camping it up for laughs. It’s a very tight script, loaded with wonderful lines that have honest emotion and genuine moments of humor. We don’t need to add anything to that. So we will treat it as such. Except for that KHAAANNN moment I mentioned earlier. That’s super camp already, but it’s the only moment in the entire film like that.
We are adding screams and movement of bodies in the battle scenes, but for the most part, it will be actors behind a microphone reading a script, but bringing it to life vocally. Not just reading it.
DK: What are the unexpected gems of working with the other actors on this project?
Brian: I had a quick thrill when we first began the read through and John read those first words: “Fade in to black. Absolute quiet. Sound bleeds in.” I just knew right then that this was going to be a blast! Also, George Kessler is not known as an actor but at the read through, he was doing some really neat things to make the iconic character of Spock his own.
DK: Is there any point in the script where someone, during rehearsals, has just lost it and was unable to gain his or her composure?
Brian: Just that KHAAANNNN moment.
DK: Is this a one-time venture or will there be a series of motion picture live readings?
Brian: We are definitely going to do more of these. We are brainstorming titles now for the next one–Sixteen Candles, Ghostbusters, Casablanca, Pulp Fiction, and Jurassic Park have all come up in discussions. One thing I’ve already learned is that it has to be a script with wonderful lines that the audience recognizes, but it shouldn’t have too many visual special effects. Then you have John reading five pages with me saying “Fire” every once in awhile.
DK: What is your calculus for choosing material for Rubber Chicken Theater to put on stage?
Brian: I am always looking for fun, unique projects that make me want to invest the time and money needed to get them on the stage. I don’t even necessarily have to be directly involved. For example, if talented artists like Greg J. Anderson or Nate St. Germain come to me and want to produce something under the Rubber Chicken Theater banner, I am happy to provide them with that opportunity. It just needs to have a comedic aspect of it somewhere. Anything from silly slapstick to black comedy with an edge, it’s all wonderful and appealing to me.
© 2012 Oeuvre Magazine. All rights reserved.
This Saturday only, June 2, at Fitger’s Spirit of the North Theater, Rubber Chicken Theater will, for the first time, bring to an audience a live reading of one of the most iconic Star Trek movies in the series, The Wrath of Khan. As far as director Brian Matuszak knows, such a theatrical reading of a motion picture script has never been attempted before in the area. With its naturally theatrical bent (what movie with William Shatner can’t be dramatic?) and with the villainous deliciousness of Ricardo Montalban, there seems to be no better choice for this first venture. Rubber Chicken’s Brian Matuszak answered some of our questions ahead of Saturday night’s main event.
Dennis Kempton: How did this idea get into your head?
Brian Matuszak: I read about it being done by Jason Reitman out in Los Angeles and I just thought it sounded like a great idea. Take a classic movie script and re-imagine it with new actors and new interpretations. Plus, there’s no set, no costumes, no props, no memorization….perfect!
DK: What made you choose The Wrath of Khan despite so many other equally compelling Star Trek movies?!
Brian: It’s the 30th anniversary this summer, and it’s one of my all-time favorite movies, period, not just Star Trek. Every artist involved, from Shatner to Nimoy to Nicholas Meyer to Ricardo Montalban, they all brought their A game to this project and made a fantastic movie. It’s funny, it’s heroic, it’s heartbreaking, it’s got everything.
DK: Have there been similar live readings of motion picture scripts in the area before this?
Brian: None that I am aware of.
DK: Tell us about the process of how something like this project comes into solid formation.
Brian: I was drawn to the process that Reitman uses, which is he sends the script to the actors, then they show up and do it. But we decided, since this was our first foray into a project like this, we should try and firm it up a little more than that. So we had a read through, and I’m glad we did because it did enable me to see some changes that had to be made. For example, there is WAY too much stage direction and narrating of actions on the screen. I wanted the focus to be more on the actors and dialogue, so I went through last week and tightened up a lot of that. (Our narrator, John Munson, was glad of that because he will be doing a lot of reading as it is.) I gave a few notes, but not many. These performers are already amped and ready to roll!
As far as the experience at the theater, Midi Restaurant has stepped up and will be offering Star Trek-themed drinks, which will be a lot of fun and will certainly make all of us onstage much more entertaining.
DK: Tell us about the actors associated with the reading and why you chose them for those roles.
Brian: I tried to find actors who I know are good on their feet and can bring a strong characterization. These roles and line deliveries are already pretty rooted in the audience’s minds. For example, everyone knows about Shatner’s KHAAANNNN! line, so the challenge becomes, do you want to do it exactly like that because the audience is expecting it, or do you want to bring something new to it that the audience can still enjoy?
I initially went to Rubber Chicken performers who I knew could pull it off and with whom I love working and spending time. Minden Hultstrom, Anders Hultstrom, Tate Haglund-Pagel, Lawrance Bernabo, Jill Hoffman, and Greg J. Anderson all signed on right away. But this is actually a pretty big cast, so I knew we needed to fill it out a little more. I went back to one of the attractions of Jason Reitman’s live reads, and that’s the “celebrity” performer. He’s had Steve Carell, Natalie Portman, Pierce Brosnan, etc., so I thought about some of my friends in the local media or politics that might want to have fun with a project like this, and who audiences might want to come and WATCH having fun, too. That’s how George Kessler and Don Ness got involved. (We’ve also been lucky enough to have George and Don lend us their talents over the years in our sketch comedy revues or radio shows, so I knew they had the ability to pull this off). George suggested his friend Kendra Carlson as Saavik and that was good timing as Kendra had just appeared in our Chicken Hat Plays last March. Finally, I knew we needed a vocally talented Narrator to read the pages and pages and PAGES of stage directions and bring them to life and I was very fortunate that John Munson was available for that. He is a wonderful vocal performer who has appeared in Rubber Chicken radio shows and hosts many regional talk shows on Wisconsin Public Radio.
DK: How far do you go in a live reading? How much “acting” will there be as opposed to what people might expect from the usual theatrical “reading” of something. And, are there costumes?
Brian: We did have a discussion about costumes, but I don’t own a Starfleet uniform, and tuxedos and dress clothes all around seemed too formal. This is going to be fun, first and foremost. We are also going to stay true to the material, no camping it up for laughs. It’s a very tight script, loaded with wonderful lines that have honest emotion and genuine moments of humor. We don’t need to add anything to that. So we will treat it as such. Except for that KHAAANNN moment I mentioned earlier. That’s super camp already, but it’s the only moment in the entire film like that.
We are adding screams and movement of bodies in the battle scenes, but for the most part, it will be actors behind a microphone reading a script, but bringing it to life vocally. Not just reading it.
DK: What are the unexpected gems of working with the other actors on this project?
Brian: I had a quick thrill when we first began the read through and John read those first words: “Fade in to black. Absolute quiet. Sound bleeds in.” I just knew right then that this was going to be a blast! Also, George Kessler is not known as an actor but at the read through, he was doing some really neat things to make the iconic character of Spock his own.
DK: Is there any point in the script where someone, during rehearsals, has just lost it and was unable to gain his or her composure?
Brian: Just that KHAAANNNN moment.
DK: Is this a one-time venture or will there be a series of motion picture live readings?
Brian: We are definitely going to do more of these. We are brainstorming titles now for the next one–Sixteen Candles, Ghostbusters, Casablanca, Pulp Fiction, and Jurassic Park have all come up in discussions. One thing I’ve already learned is that it has to be a script with wonderful lines that the audience recognizes, but it shouldn’t have too many visual special effects. Then you have John reading five pages with me saying “Fire” every once in awhile.
DK: What is your calculus for choosing material for Rubber Chicken Theater to put on stage?
Brian: I am always looking for fun, unique projects that make me want to invest the time and money needed to get them on the stage. I don’t even necessarily have to be directly involved. For example, if talented artists like Greg J. Anderson or Nate St. Germain come to me and want to produce something under the Rubber Chicken Theater banner, I am happy to provide them with that opportunity. It just needs to have a comedic aspect of it somewhere. Anything from silly slapstick to black comedy with an edge, it’s all wonderful and appealing to me.
© 2012 Oeuvre Magazine. All rights reserved.
‘The Wrath of Khan’ gets a local live read
By: Christa Lawler, for the Duluth News Tribune
A local theater company is literally taking a page — or rather pages — out of Hollywood with its latest project.
With Rubber Chicken Theater’s Live Read Series, local actors and celebrities will present a live reading of the script for the movie “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” It’s a back-to-basics read-through, minus a set, costumes and props. The roles are divided between the cast of 11, including Mayor Don Ness (as Joachin, Enterprise voice, Peter Preston and Madison) and former TV meteorologist George Kessler (Spock). The show will be narrated, including stage direction, by John Munson of Wisconsin Public Radio.
“The Wrath of Khan” live read is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Spirit of the North Theater at Fitger’s, 600 E. Superior St. Tickets are $10.
“The focus is on the script, an iconic script a lot of people saw and would relate to and react to,” said Brian Matuszak, director of Rubber Chicken Theater.
The actors have had one read-through rehearsal, but are trying to keep the main event as fresh and spontaneous as possible, according to Matuszak. In keeping with the theme, there will be “Star Trek”-themed drinks for sale, including Rubber Chicken Theater’s take on Romulan Ale.
The science fiction film “The Wrath of Khan” received favorable reviews when it was released in 1982 — especially in comparison to its 1979 predecessor, “Star Trek.”
The sequel marks the return of Captain Kirk and Spock, as well as a bunch of newbies to Starfleet Academy. Dr. Carol Marcus, an old lady friend of Kirk’s, has just finished work on the Genesis project, which will enable life on the space laboratory Regula I, but could potentially be used as a weapon.
While looking for a space to test the Genesis project, the crew of the U.S.S. Reliant finds an old foe: the genetically engineered Khan Noonien Singh, played by a nearly bare-chested, decently accessorized Ricardo Montalban in the film. Khan was exiled long ago by Kirk, and the villain, who first appeared in an episode of the television series, is holding a grudge.
It’s Montalban’s Khan that earned the most kudos and a spot among moviegoers’ favorite villains of cinema. Chicago Sun-Times reviewer Roger Ebert anticipated the response in his review.
“(Montalban’s) performance is so strong that he helps illustrate a general principle involving not only ‘Star Trek’ but ‘Star Wars’ and all the epic serials, especially the James Bond movies: Each film is only as good as its villain.”
It will be up to Lawrance Bernabo to capture the essence of Khan. But the actors have been directed to own the parts and not imitate the movie, so expect differences.
“I’m trying to do it with as much drama, but without an accent,” said Bernabo, who reviews theater for the News Tribune. “I do not have a voice like fine Corinthian leather, I just have the skin of fine Corinthian leather.
“We’re trying to avoid impersonating people — then it becomes a parody thing — which is hard for all of us because we all do comedy.”
Actor Jill Hoffman won’t have to worry about the movie’s influence on the way she portrays Dr. Carol Marcus, inventor of Genesis. Hoffman’s never seen the movie.
“In fact, I asked (Matuszak), ‘Do you want me to take a look at the movie?’ ” she said. “I have to approach it the way I think that character should be. I have to approach it the way a scientist would covet her baby. Khan is trying to take it away from her. This is my baby, how dare someone come in and take it.”
Hoffman has done tons of local theater, but has been trying to shake things up a bit. Last year she performed in her first opera, Puccini’s one-act comic drama “Gianni Schicchi,” produced by Lyric Opera of the North.
“It’s outside of my box,” Hoffman said. “I’m looking for new and crazy and fun things. It just sounded like so much fun.”
The idea for the Live Read Series came from Entertainment Weekly, where there was a story about director Jason Reitman (“Juno,” “Up in the Air”) who has been hosting a live read program in Los Angeles — and selling out the shows. He’s assembled casts that have included Natalie Portman, Paul Rudd and Jennifer Garner for readings of “The Breakfast Club,” “The Princess Bride” and “The Apartment.”
“I got the idea from my own films,” Reitman told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. “It’s how we begin the process of making all our films. This really emulates a table read, when a group of actors sit down for the first time with a screenplay and get to read it out loud.”
The Live Read Series promises to become a regular feature for Rubber Chicken Theater, which also performs radio comedies in addition to plays and sketch comedy. Matuszak already is thinking ahead to the possibility of other scripts, specifically things that are line-heavy and action light. Definitely not musicals, he said.
By: Christa Lawler, for the Duluth News Tribune
A local theater company is literally taking a page — or rather pages — out of Hollywood with its latest project.
With Rubber Chicken Theater’s Live Read Series, local actors and celebrities will present a live reading of the script for the movie “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” It’s a back-to-basics read-through, minus a set, costumes and props. The roles are divided between the cast of 11, including Mayor Don Ness (as Joachin, Enterprise voice, Peter Preston and Madison) and former TV meteorologist George Kessler (Spock). The show will be narrated, including stage direction, by John Munson of Wisconsin Public Radio.
“The Wrath of Khan” live read is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Spirit of the North Theater at Fitger’s, 600 E. Superior St. Tickets are $10.
“The focus is on the script, an iconic script a lot of people saw and would relate to and react to,” said Brian Matuszak, director of Rubber Chicken Theater.
The actors have had one read-through rehearsal, but are trying to keep the main event as fresh and spontaneous as possible, according to Matuszak. In keeping with the theme, there will be “Star Trek”-themed drinks for sale, including Rubber Chicken Theater’s take on Romulan Ale.
The science fiction film “The Wrath of Khan” received favorable reviews when it was released in 1982 — especially in comparison to its 1979 predecessor, “Star Trek.”
The sequel marks the return of Captain Kirk and Spock, as well as a bunch of newbies to Starfleet Academy. Dr. Carol Marcus, an old lady friend of Kirk’s, has just finished work on the Genesis project, which will enable life on the space laboratory Regula I, but could potentially be used as a weapon.
While looking for a space to test the Genesis project, the crew of the U.S.S. Reliant finds an old foe: the genetically engineered Khan Noonien Singh, played by a nearly bare-chested, decently accessorized Ricardo Montalban in the film. Khan was exiled long ago by Kirk, and the villain, who first appeared in an episode of the television series, is holding a grudge.
It’s Montalban’s Khan that earned the most kudos and a spot among moviegoers’ favorite villains of cinema. Chicago Sun-Times reviewer Roger Ebert anticipated the response in his review.
“(Montalban’s) performance is so strong that he helps illustrate a general principle involving not only ‘Star Trek’ but ‘Star Wars’ and all the epic serials, especially the James Bond movies: Each film is only as good as its villain.”
It will be up to Lawrance Bernabo to capture the essence of Khan. But the actors have been directed to own the parts and not imitate the movie, so expect differences.
“I’m trying to do it with as much drama, but without an accent,” said Bernabo, who reviews theater for the News Tribune. “I do not have a voice like fine Corinthian leather, I just have the skin of fine Corinthian leather.
“We’re trying to avoid impersonating people — then it becomes a parody thing — which is hard for all of us because we all do comedy.”
Actor Jill Hoffman won’t have to worry about the movie’s influence on the way she portrays Dr. Carol Marcus, inventor of Genesis. Hoffman’s never seen the movie.
“In fact, I asked (Matuszak), ‘Do you want me to take a look at the movie?’ ” she said. “I have to approach it the way I think that character should be. I have to approach it the way a scientist would covet her baby. Khan is trying to take it away from her. This is my baby, how dare someone come in and take it.”
Hoffman has done tons of local theater, but has been trying to shake things up a bit. Last year she performed in her first opera, Puccini’s one-act comic drama “Gianni Schicchi,” produced by Lyric Opera of the North.
“It’s outside of my box,” Hoffman said. “I’m looking for new and crazy and fun things. It just sounded like so much fun.”
The idea for the Live Read Series came from Entertainment Weekly, where there was a story about director Jason Reitman (“Juno,” “Up in the Air”) who has been hosting a live read program in Los Angeles — and selling out the shows. He’s assembled casts that have included Natalie Portman, Paul Rudd and Jennifer Garner for readings of “The Breakfast Club,” “The Princess Bride” and “The Apartment.”
“I got the idea from my own films,” Reitman told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. “It’s how we begin the process of making all our films. This really emulates a table read, when a group of actors sit down for the first time with a screenplay and get to read it out loud.”
The Live Read Series promises to become a regular feature for Rubber Chicken Theater, which also performs radio comedies in addition to plays and sketch comedy. Matuszak already is thinking ahead to the possibility of other scripts, specifically things that are line-heavy and action light. Definitely not musicals, he said.
Duluth Mayor Ness Featured in Rubber Chicken Theater Performance
By: Jennifer Walch, for the Northland's NewCenter
Watch the video of the broadcast!
The Rubber Chicken Theater kicked off it's new live read series with a science fiction classic at the Spirit of the North Theater in Fitgers Complex.
Saturday's Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan performance featured the vocal talents of Duluth Mayor Don Ness and former meteorologist George Kessler.
About 50 audience members were able to purchase Star Trek themed drinks made by the Midi Restaurant, including their own version of Romulaln Ales.
Duluth Mayor Don Ness says the live performances are fun for all.
"Three of my human characters all die in this film so I'm not sure how they selected those, or if there is a message there, but it's fun to die on film," Mayor Ness said.
This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the Star Trek classic.
By: Jennifer Walch, for the Northland's NewCenter
Watch the video of the broadcast!
The Rubber Chicken Theater kicked off it's new live read series with a science fiction classic at the Spirit of the North Theater in Fitgers Complex.
Saturday's Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan performance featured the vocal talents of Duluth Mayor Don Ness and former meteorologist George Kessler.
About 50 audience members were able to purchase Star Trek themed drinks made by the Midi Restaurant, including their own version of Romulaln Ales.
Duluth Mayor Don Ness says the live performances are fun for all.
"Three of my human characters all die in this film so I'm not sure how they selected those, or if there is a message there, but it's fun to die on film," Mayor Ness said.
This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the Star Trek classic.
