Paul Szmal: Welcome back to FLX Morning, it is 7.54 and I have a full studio of folks here from the Geneva Theatre Guild here to talk about Completely Hollywood, Abridged, which is the next production coming up on February 21st through the 23rd. So why don't we go from one side to the other here and everybody can introduce themselves.
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: Hi, I'm Loren Schmittgall, I'm the director.
Justin Tyler Hostead: Hi, I'm Jesse Tyler Halstead, I'm in the show.
Devon Osborne: I am Devin Osborne and I am also in the show.
Steve Mitchell: I'm Steve Mitchell and I'm also in the show.
Paul Szmal: Alright, so we have three cast members and the director here, so tell me what this whole thing is about, Loren.
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: Well, the Reduced Shakespeare Company made a whole bunch of short coverings of a bunch of different information. There's the Shakespeare one, there is the Hollywood one, there's a few other ones. Just packing as many jokes in as possible in a two-hour period, so it's just a laugh riot.
Paul Szmal: So this reminds me a little bit of movies like It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World and things of that nature from that kind of era. Or Mel Brooks' History of the World Part One, would that be a reasonable parallel?
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: Similar to, yes. In fact, some of those are mentioned in the play. There's 186 movies.
Justin Tyler Hostead: Yeah, to me it feels kind of like Looney Tunes. It's a chaotic show, there's a lot of costume changes, there's a lot of very quick jokes, there's slapstick. It's quite extraordinary. Now what role are you playing in this?
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: So all three of us, it's a three-man show, so it's kind of a triangle. I'm just playing me. We're using our own names. I am more of the director, I suppose.
Paul Szmal: Okay. Like the director, air quotes. This guy's the real director.
**Okay, so let me get my other two cast members in here so they can talk about how their parts reflect in this show. Well, for the show, at least for my part, I play more of the vain type of actor, somewhat in more of the same direction as Tom Cruise. So basically I play, well, we all play exaggerated versions of ourselves.
Paul Szmal: Right, right. Okay, okay. And how about you, sir? Step right up there to the mic so everybody can hear you.
Steve Mitchell: See, Mitchell, I think I'm the idiot savant. I'm not really sure. I mean, I wear the wig and the skirts most of the time.
Paul Szmal: Okay, so this production takes place February 21st through the 23rd, and where can people see it?
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: The Pat Collins Black Box Theater at the Boys and Girls Club in Geneva.
Paul Szmal: Oh, fantastic. And tickets are available?
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: Online and at the door.
Paul Szmal: Alright, so it sounds to me like this is just like a nonstop madcap two hours of entertainment.
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: Yeah, yeah. There's lots of drama happening around for our other theater groups, and we wanted to do something that's lighthearted and funny.
Paul Szmal: Well, lighthearted and funny, and it sounds like, like you said, it's just rapid fire. Bang, bang, bang. So how hard was it for you guys to prepare for this role and do this sort of thing?
Justin Tyler Hostead: Well, at first it was kind of like, it was one of those things where we thought to ourselves, how is this type of production going to go? What are the costume changes going to be like? What are the props going to be like? How is all of this going to happen at such a fast pace, and how are we going to be able to put all of this together? And I feel like the more and more we ran through this show, I feel like the more we were able to put it together and just piece little things bit by bit. And I feel like, in my opinion at least, the show is slowly coming together because of that.
Devon Osborne: Yeah, it's the most lines I think I've ever had to learn for a show. It's a lot of dialogue.
Steve Mitchell: I would think, yeah. I completely agree, yes.
Paul Szmal: And how do you work? I mean, are there multiple costume changes, multiple prop changes in this show?
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: Yeah, we all play many characters.
Justin Tyler Hostead: Wow. Almost every other minute we're staging props and costumes.
Steve Mitchell: Holy cow. Steve in particular's second act is just... I'm the oldest, slowest voting member of the cast.
Paul Szmal: So a three-man show means that there's a maximum of three people on the stage at one time? No extras, none of that?
Devon Osborne: Well, there's some audience participation too, but beyond that, yeah.
Paul Szmal: So in other words, no pressure on the three of you?
Justin Tyler Hostead: No pressure, not at all, no.
Paul Szmal: Okay, that's what I thought. So one more time, the show is called Completely Hollywood Abridged. And it runs what, about a two hour?
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: About two hours, yeah.
Paul Szmal: Right, right. And it's just crammed with references to previous movies from the golden era up to the present day. You'll recognize a lot of the jokes and there'll probably be, I'm sure, some inside jokes in there that you'll recognize as well in reference to things. But it takes place February 21st through the 23rd. It's at the Black Box Theater and the Geneva Boys and Girls Club. And where can people get tickets?
Lauren Schmidt-Gall: Online at genevatheaterguild.org and then at the door.
Paul Szmal: Alright, well fantastic. I appreciate you all stopping in this morning and break a leg.
Lauren Schmidt-Gall, Justin Tyler Hostead, Devon Osborne: Thank you.
Steve Mitchell: Thank you. Much appreciated.
Paul Szmal: The Gang from Geneva Theater Guild. If you want to check that show out again, it's February 21st through the 23rd at the Black Box Theater at the Geneva Boys and Girls Club. It is 7.59 on FLX morning on Finger Lakes Newsradio. We've got more newsmaker interviews coming up along with the CBS World News Roundup.
