Rain or no rain, the show will go on...

It seems ludicrous given the current downpour in Sydney, but if you cast your mind back just five years to 2007, the situation in country NSW was quite different: Australia was in drought. Australia had been in drought, in fact, for at least six years, and quite aside from the economic implications for those affected, the emotional pressures of drought were debilitating.

What could EUCMS do about this?  Why, pick up our production of Pirates of Penzance and take it all the way to Yeoval, to hold a free performance for the community there!  In June 2007, after much planning by a dedicated team, the cast and crew set off.  Wendy, a cast member, described the weekend in the EUCMS Bulletin:

It was raining as we loaded luggage onto the coach and set off for Yeoval, but spirits were high. One cast member provided activities for the journey, so over the next few hours we endeavoured to find 100 “Pirates of Penzance” related words (such as “maidens”, “paradox” and “heliogabalus”) in a mega find-aword puzzle. Cries of “I can’t see mermaids!” and “I found Frederic!” made this quite entertaining.

Throughout the journey, one cast member conscientiously put the girls’ hair in curlers. My turn for this came at morning tea time, when we huddled into a roadside shelter to escape the wet. The wind was constant and cold, so the fact that she successfully completed the task despite my shivering is a great testament to her patience and persistence!

When we arrived at Yeoval, we could immediately see that our performance was being eagerly anticipated by the community: the walls of the hall were already decorated with children’s entries from a special Pirates colouring-in competition! There were also several posters with photos of us (!), advertising the performance and encouraging people to “Come along dressed as your favourite pirate and have your photo taken with these pirates!”

In the afternoon, many set off to explore the township and buy postcards and souvenirs. I must confess I left a shop rather hastily when I noticed children gesturing to each other about the curlers in my hair… On the outskirts of the town there were lovely views across wide paddocks, which, due to the rain in the preceding weeks, were looking green once more.

Neil (our Major General) chatted with some locals and reported back some interesting information about our performance venue: the hall had originally been built elsewhere, and then dismantled and brought to Yeoval, where it sat in a paddock until enough funds were raised (through a rabbit drive) to erect it. The current hall (large though it is) is actually not its original size – a section of it was removed before it was built on its current site.

Our evening meal had been prepared by the people of Yeoval, and there was lots of it! Knowing how enthusiastic our audience was, made the evening performance particularly exciting. Everyone adapted easily to the different performance space, and it was fun to have everyone – cast and crew – together backstage, which hadn’t been possible at Marsden High. The audience was responsive, and called out for more!

After the performance, we all mingled with the audience (and yes, we had our photos taken!)

Soon we had to leave for Wellington, where some stayed in a motel and others in the Uniting Church Hall. And yes, some of those Act 2 nighties were put to good use – although the word is out that the mob caps don’t manage to stay on your head all night…

The people of Wellington were delighted to have us join in the Church service the following morning, and there were many comments about how wonderful it was to have so many voices singing together. Again, they excelled themselves in providing a lavish and scrumptious morning tea, before we had to wave goodbye and head back home.

All in all I think it was a wonderful weekend which brought a lot of pleasure both to the people of the Yeoval area and to all those who took part.

What do you remember of the 2007 Yeoval trip?  Leave a comment here or on our Facebook page.

Or, email us to share any of your own stories.

EUCMS at the Opera House

Newcomers may not be aware of this significant event in EUCMS' history.  Two of our foundation members tell the story below.


Don: One away show was MOMENTUS!  We had just performed The Gondoliers by G. and S. and were approached by the chief headmaster of the inner city disadvantaged high schools.  He asked if we would consider performing for all his high school students at the SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE CONCERT HALL.  Would we ever!

Ros: This was a huge request for our cast and team: it would mean arranging leave from jobs, baby-sitters for children, attending extra rehearsals to “refresh”, and (importantly) to adjust stage-moves to the much larger space of the Concert Hall stage. But that wonderful group of people who were our cast and crew was unanimous in supporting the request.

Don:  I don't know how many "sickies" were taken from work that day.

Ros: There were myriad other details to be resolved, such as entry permits, transport, and one pre-show rehearsal on the Concert Hall stage on the morning of the performance. Our scenery would be of no use on that stage and there would be no curtains.  [One] family offered their large caravan for transport of costumes and essential props: it would be just like a “country show” — but at Bennelong Point… We rehearsed our excited cast on the floor of the Eastwood Hall (which is virtually the same area as the Concert Hall stage!), the location of steps and stage scenery marked out with white tape.

Anxious moments occurred on the Big Day itself when the caravan and the bus carrying the cast were delayed behind a “go-slow” protest by 500 cyclists who jammed the Harbour Bridge for two hours. The planned morning rehearsal thus became a short walk-around the stage area; then we all proceeded to dress and put on make-up in rooms usually used by professionals and stars!

Don: We were only two to a dressing room and each room had closed circuit T.V. to show what was happening on stage.  One or two nearly missed their cues because the stage was a long way from the dressing rooms, but a lot of fun was had by all.

Ros: The reception when Tony and I walked out onto that huge stage and looked up at that sea of eager faces was something we’ll never forget.  The cheers and clapping were deafening, but finally sank to total silence as the lights dimmed and the show began.  The cast rose magnificently to the occasion and that wonderful young audience was entranced.  This was truly a two-way gift!


Thanks to Don and Ros for their separate accounts, which they have allowed us to reproduce here.


Do you remember this event?  Comment here!  Or, if you would like to submit a post, please contact us.

In the beginning

Ever wondered what EUCMS was like 50 years ago?  Here, the first President of EUCMS recounts how things were in the early days, and some of the changes that were made.

In 1962 various people at Eastwood Methodist Church got together to discuss the possible commencement of a musical society. Previously the Youth Club had performed one or two shows and engendered enthusiasm. A meeting was held in the church hall and an executive committee was elected. I was elected president, not, I'm sure, because of any special musical ability, but because I had some experience at running meetings. […]

The first executive meeting was held in my home[...] and was the first of many late nights as later executive members can testify to. I think the latest was 1am. […]

Our early shows were usually over eight performances (four weekends) at home and at times nine if we were doing an away show. Ever since day one we have had a reputation for good chorus work and excellent costumes. […]

These away shows were by invitation, usually from other churches or charities. We used to travel to places such as Roseville, Chatswood, Asquith, Springwood, and Kiama. While they were mostly popular with casts, they eventually became a drag for stage crews. A typical arrangement was for the stage crew and male cast members (often principals thought themselves above having to help) to arrive at the church hall on Thursday night, load the truck with the stage, drive to the other venue, unload the truck, put up the stage and arrive home about midnight. Then after the performance on Saturday night, take down the stage, load the truck, drive back to our hall and unload the gear, sometimes onto our stage ready for the next performance, all very late nights!

The most popular of these "away" shows was to Kiama where all the above stage work happened except it occurred on the Saturday afternoon. The cast travelled by bus, playing many games of 500 on the way down, (not on the way back!) and were provided with a usually sumptuous tea by the locals. Arrival home about 3am was not uncommon. […]

Staging
Very early on in the piece we found we needed a supporting framework for backdrops and side flats.  My father [...] was able to have some steel fabrication made to our specifications which formed the basis of our stage designs for many years.  It was strong enough to hold two backdrops at a time, allowing us to have a different scene for Act 2 if necessary.  Many many hours were spent painting beautiful backdrops and flats. [...]

When we first presented our shows on the Eastwood stage, it was higher than it is now.  In fact the distance between the stage floor and the ground soil underneath was only about a metre and a half.  It was decided we needed a lot more space for our props and wardrobe so we sought permission from the church trustees to excavate under the stage.  Given the O.K. a lot of hard digging was done [...]  A concrete floor was laid, electric lighting was laid on, a doorway was cut in below stage right (another one centre stage, later) and we had our space.

Another innovation later came in the form of the lighting box. We sought permission to use the ceiling space over the then entrance lobby, cutting a window into the rear wall, and a ladder and trapdoor up from the lobby. Electricity was run by cords from a box on stage along the full length of the hall and eventually another phase was added to the meter and we were able to dispense with the long wires. Prior to this, we had a blackout once during a performance, caused by overloading the system with our lighting and the heating. Somehow, I don't know how, it was fixed and the show proceeded. […]

Bookings
Early on bookings were made in the hall, no preferential bookings, and one could buy as many tickets for one performance as they wished in one go. It was quickly found that as few as five or ten people booked out a complete hall, particularly for the last night and others, principals included, missed out. This led to some people arriving at the hall at 5.30am to book tickets at 7pm. Ridiculous! If you wished to make sure of last night tickets you had to arrange with one of these early birds to get them for you. Someone in the queue could change three or four times during the day as others took their turn to keep the place. It's all changed now.

Don

Tune in next time to read about the most exciting venue in which EUCMS ever performed!

How does all this compare to your experiences at EUCMS?   Leave a comment to tell us about it!  If you would like to submit a post, please contact us.

Theatrical tales

Little compares with the thrill of working on a theatrical production.

The heat of the stage lights.  The expectant buzz of the audience.  The rush of adrenaline as you wait for just the right moment to call the curtain, change the scenery, or set the mood with a lighting cue.  The first intake of breath before you play your instrument.  That little dance you always do in the wings, just before you enter for the next scene.  Applause.  Laughter.  Slipping into the back of the audience to catch a glimpse of the costumes you helped bring into being from sketches and bits of fabric.

And little compares with the bonds formed between people who share these experiences together.

In November 1962, a group of young people at the Eastwood Methodist Church decided to devote their spare time to staging theatrical productions.  Their aims were simple: to present musical and dramatic works, to promote the church’s values, and to donate profits to charities.

Fifty years and nearly 100 productions later, the group – now Eastwood Uniting Church Musical Society, or EUCMS – is still staging often sold-out musical theatre productions twice a year.  What keeps us going?

am•a•teur     [am-uh-choo r, -cher, -ter, am-uh-tur]

noun

1. a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons.  From a French word meaning: "lover of".

For most of us, putting on great theatre isn’t our day job – it’s just what we love to do.  As a bonus, we know we’re doing good work!  We're providing entertainment and raising money for charity.

But why EUCMS, specifically?

Most of the people I have talked to give me the same answer: the community.  At EUCMS, the community is vital.  And our shared history, our experiences, are one of the things holding us together.

We asked people to tell us their stories.  From those who helped to found EUCMS, to those who grew up watching their parents (and grandparents!) perform and are now taking up the tradition, to those who experienced the community of EUCMS for the first time just recently, we wanted to hear all about it.  From the longest history to the funniest anecdote, we wanted to share what makes theatre – and EUCMS specifically – so great.

This blog is the precursor to a historical document scheduled for publication in November 2012.  If you would like to submit a post, please contact us.

Caroline