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Now Playing
G. Scott Riley and Lisa Sherouse Riley, founders of Roswell's
newest community theatre, have planned a busy production schedule.
By Joan Durbin
North Fulton Neighbor Staff Writer
Roswell's newest community theatre has taken up residence in
space that in the '90s was home to another popular thespian group,
the Roswell Village Playhouse. And the young couple who
brought the space back to life has a theatrical history locally.
Scott Riley met his future wife, Lisa, eight years ago when he
was starring in a production of "Little Shop of Horrors" at the
old Startime Theatre in Roswell. "All actors have their
traditions. Rosewater has been used by theatrical people for at
least 100 years, and my tradition was before I went onstage, I
would sprinkle rosewater on the cast's hands, have them rub their
hands, pat in on their faces, close their eyes and make a wish,"
Riley said. Lisa came backstage with a friend who knew
Riley, and the young actor demonstrated the rosewater ritual for
her. "Two and a half years later, we were married," Riley
said with a laugh. Wally Hinds, artistic director, of Roswell's
Kudzu Playhouse, was a groomsman at their wedding.
In 2002, the Rileys formed their own community theatre group,
The Rosewater Company. "We looked at spaces in Roswell,
including the old Roswell Village Playhouse, but at the time we
just didn't have all the equipment needed to open there," Ms.
Riley said. They ended up contracting their new company to
the city-owned Cumming Playhouse, where "it took off like a
rocket," Riley said.
For almost three years, the Rileys have been searching for the
right location for their own theatre. Last fall, they discovered
the old Village Playhouse location in Roswell Town Center was once
again vacant. They jumped at the opportunity and in February,
opened The Rosewater Theatre.
Ms. Riley is now running both the Cumming and Roswell
operations full time, while her husband, a 1993 Milton High School
grad, continues his business career managing dental practices.
After his workday he switches gears and assumes the mantle of
Rosewater's artistic director.
With planning and attention to details, the Rileys are able to
move their successful productions from one theatre to the other
and continue to open new shows to keep the Rosewater schedule
fresh at both of their locations.
Saturday, the Rileys are holding a grand opening event at the
Rosewater Theatre in Roswell with all the profit from ticket sales
donated to North Fulton Community Charities.
Onstage at 8 p.m. will be the hit Broadway musical "Nunsense,"
which will run through May 24. Tickets for "Nunsense" are normally
$16 and $18 but for the Saturday performance, all tickets will
only be $15 each.
The Rosewater Theatre is at 633 Holcomb Bridge Road.
Information: (770) 640-5500.
www.rosewatertheatre.com.
Todd Hull/Staff |
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Copyright © 2008 NeighborNewspapers.com. All rights reserved.
All other trademarks and Registered trademarks are property of their
respective owners.
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Setting the Stage |
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FORSYTH LIVING
MAGAZINE
March 2008
The Rosewater Theatre Brings a Show to
Life
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely
players,” wrote William Shakespeare in his play “As You Like
It.”
The Bard was right in that we each have different roles in
the dramatic events of our everyday lives, but most of us,
unless we happen to be on reality television, don’t have an
audience, and, no offense, probably aren’t all that
entertaining. That’s why we have companies like the
Rosewater Theatre, which offers well-rehearsed and refined
drama, making audiences laugh, cry and think with its full
slate of highly entertaining shows each year.
The Rosewater Theatre started five years ago with husband
and wife team G. Scott and Lisa Sherouse Riley. “It was
always my husband’s dream to have his own playhouse. But if
you want to get rich, don’t get into theater,” laughs Lisa
with her genial British accent, which, fair or not, adds
even more authenticity to their business. “It’s more of a
love event, but you can make it economical enough where you
can keep going and pay the bills.”
Both have long-time backgrounds in theater, and actually met
backstage, where Scott was performing a lead role, and Lisa
was managing wigs and make up. Now, they oversee regular
shows at the Cumming Playhouse and their new home on
Holcomb Bridge in Roswell, Rosewater Theatre offers a main
stage and a theater-in-the-round venue. It is the only
permanent one of its kind in Georgia where the stage is
surrounded by the audience on all four sides.
While Scott balances a full-time job during the day with
serving as the theater’s artistic director, Lisa’s full-time
managing director role includes working the box office,
handling accounting and marketing, and whatever else is
needed. Tonight though, Lisa can be found directing
Rosewater’s first play of the season, Neil Simon’s “Last of
the Red Hot Lovers.”
The house lights are on, but the stage is hardly set.
Folding chairs and a card table decorate a stage rife with
props, power tools, building materials, boxes and two actors
wandering around, rehearsing various lines. It’s far from a
finished product, but at the same time, it’s come a long way
since the show was first placed on the schedule.
In determining what shows to perform, the Rileys endeavor to
cater to all walks of life, incorporating British comedy to
American ones, the popular fare of Neil Simon and Tennessee
Williams, classics and musicals, and more. Open auditions
are held for actors, and the volunteer base, working for
their love of the arts, helps with stage managing,
costuming, technical directing, set building and ushering,
as well as working the box office and concession stand.
Once acting roles are determined, Lisa explains the process
of bringing the show to fruition: “First the actors do a
read-through of the script, which is followed by
blocking—the director explaining where all the actors will
be standing for each scene. When that’s established, we
focus on characterization (what each character is feeling)
and interpretation (how they react), and then we’re ready
for rehearsals, which is where we are this evening, followed
by a complete technical rehearsal.”
The scene begins with Steve Pryor talking on the phone as
Barney Cashman in his mother’s apartment, and Lisa calls out
“ding-dong” for the doorbell effect, signaling Danielle
Bugay as Elaine Navazio, to enter the room.
With the setting still in pieces, the actors realize they
don’t have a bottle available when Cashman is supposed to
hand Navazio her glass, so Pryor reaches for an aerosol
paint container and says “Here’s our bottle,” pretends to
pour a drink into Bugay’s cup, and continues with the scene.
In between reciting lines, the actors ask for reminders of
where they should be on the set or what type of voice
inflection to use, and Lisa requests a quickened pace and
more nervousness with the delivery of a line, having them
run through it again and again. Watching them practice, the
scene comes alive, even without costumes, settings and
props. In fact, as the lines quicken and interruptions
cease, it’s hard to see Pryor and Bugay practicing for a
role—they have become the characters.
The rehearsal will last for two hours, but as the show’s
debut approaches, it will lengthen, until the incredible
amount of work from start to finish over the five-week
period culminates into the curtain’s draw on the first
scene.
“What I enjoy most about theater is seeing the whole
ensemble come together,” Lisa says. “It’s starting with a
bunch of people there with their scripts and getting to mold
them into their characters until ultimately you see your
vision of the show completed and the audience’s positive
reaction.”
The Rosewater Theatre can be reached at 770.640.5500. For a
full list of shows, info on the children’s theater and
purchasing tickets, visit
http://www.rosewatertheatre.com.
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Matt Wilson is a local freelance
writer who can be reached at makwilson@bellsouth.net.
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