Roadhouse Theatre Coffee House - December 2000
For the two years following our first production, I continued to hear requests to remount The Eight from people who saw the show, those who missed it, and the actors involved. I knew that I wanted to produce it again, but wanted to direct something more challenging in terms of staging first.
In the summer of 2000, Kelly and I co-directed my second directorial effort, Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch, at the Roadhouse. That established a relationship with the theater that continued until the theatre closed, years later.
Kelly was about 7 months pregnant with our daughter, Orion Kristen, and during production week, we lost the baby. This experience created a strong bond among the cast of the show, but it also left Kelly and I broken and somewhat alone. It was at the cast party on closing night of The Eight: Reindeer Monologues that we decided to work on us. Within a few months, I proposed.
During the run of Psycho Beach Party, I asked Kim Mc if I could possibly produce Reindeer Monologues at the Roadhouse. She told me they had already scheduled local singing legend, Amanda Daggett (now Amanda Post), for a Christmas show. The late night performance coupled with the BYOB atmosphere of the coffeehouse really complemented the show well.
Although the main stage was booked, it was suggested that we could produce the show in the coffeehouse behind the theater after Amanda's concert.
I jumped at the opportunity, and quickly got to work on the show. I needed something to focus my energy on, and a play seemed a likely candidate.
Many of the cast returned, but a few new actors donned antlers this time around. Christine Volk asked to move into Blitzen from Dancer this round, leaving Dancer open for Kelly to take. A few of my co-stars from Rocky Horror joined the cast this time around, as Bobby B. (Janet) took the reigns as Cupid, and Aaron Pacy (Eddie) began his first run as Dasher.
Another addition to the cast was Barrie Rynish as a demented elf that carried candy cane flags with the names of each of The Eight between monologues. I had met her during my first run as Brad. She attended the original production of The Eight, and was very excited to be a part of this show. A few years later, Barrie was rehearsing for one of the Rocky Horror in Concert shows that I was involved with. At was during this time that Barrie was taken from this world. I miss her.
---Jeff Rodland, "Goode Christmas Memory #2", November 17, 2012
July 8, 13, 15, 2000 at 8:00 pm
