Welcome back to the Footlight Club, Shari Caplan! Shari is our lovely lead, Dr. Giving's inquisitive wife, Catherine. See In the Next Room, or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl on Fridays or Saturday evenings starting February 2 for three weeks. http://www.footlight.org/blog-1/2017/4/6/d4yyye27biq8xh263ejaqyahictdle 1. Who do you play, and give me a brief, one-two sentence description of your character. I play the inimitable Catherine Givings, the wife of Dr. Givings, who treats hysteria patients in his operating theater at our home. I’m an energetic, intuitive, forward-thinking young woman who is navigating new motherhood, the boredom of life as a Victorian lady of the house, and my desires for fulfillment and meaning in a world which limits what a woman can do, say, and be – as well as the changes new technology is bringing to my household! 2. What, if anything, have you learned about yourself in preparing to play your character on stage? I realized that I haven’t made a snow angel in years! I also have been thinking about how much I have changed in terms of being comfortable when I’m by myself. Catherine feels incomplete when she is alone - I can feel this way as well, but playing her helps me see how far I have come in being able to be my own companion. 3. Would you want to go out dancing or for a drink with your character on a Friday night? Which character would you most want to hang out with? I would love to go anywhere and do anything with Catherine! Her curiosity about others, spirit of adventure, and interest in art, beauty, and romance would give us a lot to discuss and enjoy together. Other than Catherine, I would most like to hang out with Leo because I’m sure he’d be fun to get into some trouble with! 4. What is one thing you have in common with your character? Catherine and I are similar in many ways, so I’m going to pick two! I identify with her rebellious spirit, especially as it pertains to women’s issues, as well as with her romantic streak. I think she is a poet at heart, wanting to break the rules that don’t make sense to her and to defy logic in favor of splendor. 5. If electricity were being invented today, what would you want invented first? If it were up to Catherine, electricity would not have been invented at all! 6. What would your character say if they found themselves transported to the world today? “Oh how strange! Look at all these women walking about in pants and loose fitting clothing! How comfortable they look – and capable. Why, they could climb a tree without the least difficulty. I must get some for myself! Look, darling, look how quickly people go from one place to the next – where can they all be going? Let us go into this café - or this shop! Perhaps I can buy some women’s pants! What will you think of that?”

Today we meet Scot Colford, who plays Dr. Givings, a man of science who treats women for hysteria. Photo courtesy Matt McKee. 1. Who do you play, and give me a brief, one-two sentence description of your character. I play Dr. Givings, a doctor in 1880's upstate New York. A proponent of electrical technology and an inventor in his own right, Dr. Givings specializes in treating women for the symptoms of hysteria by using the latest electrical innovation: the vibrator. 2. What, if anything, have you learned about yourself in preparing to play your character on stage? I think the biggest lesson I've learned is that sometimes, doing what you think is best for others isn't necessarily the most helpful thing for them. Even when you're sure "the facts" are on your side, other people have needs that don't fit nicely into your view of how the world is supposed to work. It's made me pause to listen to other people and appreciate their perspectives much more, I think. 3. Would you want to go out dancing or for a drink with your character on a Friday night? Which character would you most want to hang out with? Oh, I definitely would enjoy socializing with Dr. Givings. He's full of curiousity about how the world works and tries to follow the most rational path to the conclusions he draws. He's very knowlegable about many things, though his knowledge is handicapped by the social conventions and norms of his time. He's a good man, as well, and really cares for others, so I think he'd be a pleasant acquaintance. But while the doctor might be good comany for an evening, I think he'd be difficult to connect with emotionally. I'd much rather become good friends with his wife Catherine who longs for adventure, feels everything so deeply, and sees wonder and mystery in the world around her. 4. What is one thing you have in common with your character? I share Dr. Giving's desire to follow his passions to their root. He's not content with learning just enough to solve a problem. He likes to know why and how the world works as it does. It gives him comfort to know there is order in the world and cause X will invariably lead to result Y, barring any mitigating factors. I also feel much more confident and at ease when I can understand how everything around me works rather than relying on faith and good luck. 5. If electricity were being invented today, what would you want invented first? If we were just harnessing the power of electricity now, I think I'd be most excited about the possibility of using it to commuincate over long distances. To be able to speak with loved ones, to conduct business, or to obtain help in an emergency would be my first priority. So to that end, I'd say the telephone would be what I'd want to see first. 6. What would your character say if they found themselves transported to the world today? I think Dr. Givings would at first be amazed by the prevalence of electricity in our daily lives. Just seeing the lights of a city at night would make him giddy and full of joy. The advances in medical technology too -- particularly in terms of diagnostic tools -- would excite his curiosity. But if he found any time to take in our popular entertainment or news, he would be frightfully shocked -- shaken to the core, really -- at modern attitudes toward sexuality and gender equality. For all his fair-mindedness, he's a product of his time and I think he's gets a lot of his sense of self-worth tied up in his notions of what is good and proper.

Belated, warm thanks to volunteers Ali Pong and co., and to John Douglass and crew for clearing our snow in the freezing cold. ⭐️

The first in a series of interviews with the cast of In the Next Room, or the vibrator play. Meet Rebecca Glucklich, who plays Annie, Dr. Givings assistant and midwife. Photo courtesy Matt McKee. 1 - Who do you play, and give me a brief, one-two sentence description of your character. I play Annie, Dr. Givings’ incredibly bright and caring midwife assistant. While Annie is often found taking care of things in the background, she always knows what’s going on in the Givings home and may even have a few things she could teach the Doctor - if he’d ever listen. 2 - What, if anything, have you learned about yourself in preparing to play your character on stage? I’ve learned to step out of my comfort zone and try new things! 3 - Would you want to go out dancing or for a drink with your character on a Friday night? Which character would you most want to hang out with? Absolutely - I would love to sit with Annie at the Galway house and knock back a few - I have a feeling we’d have a lot to talk about. And I’d hope Sabrina would come with us! 4 - What is one thing you have in common with your character? We’re both successful, strong women who haven’t had to rely on a husband to support us. 5 - If electricity were being invented today, what would you want invented first? Definitely a device to listen to music on...I don’t even really want to think about life without my almost constant tunage. 6 - What would your character say if they found themselves transported to the world today? I think Annie would be incredibly happy to see that women are able to be independent without any expectations to settle down and are more open to explore their sexuality in whatever way they need. #vibratorFLC

Today we celebrate the 141st birthday of The Footlight Club and the thousands of volunteers who have managed our operations and sustained our beautiful theater for all these years! From the program notes celebrating the 100th performance in 1906: "In December, 1876, a few young people of Jamaica Plain met to consider the desirability of forming a local Amateur Dramatic Club, and on January 4, 1877, a formal organization was effected. Five weeks later the first performance of The Footlight Club was given in the little German Theatre at Boylston Station, that being the only place which was available at that time. The play presented was A Scrap of Paper or The Adventures of a Love Letter, a comic drama in three acts by J. Palsgrave Simpson."

If you are waiting for your cue to support The Footlight Club, this is it. As the tax year comes to a close on December 31st, we hope you will consider including us in your year-end charitable giving at www.footlight.org/donate. We need your help to raise $900,000 to make our building accessible. (This beautiful artwork is from the program cover for the 1890 production of London Assurance, our 53rd production.)

Volunteers: In the Next Room, or the vibrator play Stage Manager and Front of House

Coming Soon... photo by Matt McKee

As we roll out of 2017, you know you need some good laughs! Stay local and come on down to the Footlight Club for a raucous and funny comedy event, Laughing Liberally Presents, 2017: Good F*#cking Riddance! Click here for more details!

Join us! Get the new year started right - with some laughs!

The Footlight Club's 142nd (2018-2019) Season Announcement

Reminder: Volunteer Set Build Opportunity for In the Next Room, or the vibrator play!