Chameleon Home About Chameleon Directions Past Productions Chameleon Membership and Newsletter

Our Award-winning production of

A NEW BRAIN
Music & Lyrics by William Finn
Book by William Finn & James Lapine

Directed by G.J. Clayburn

~ Click here to see revival performance information ~

Region V Representative
at the AACT National Festival
Torrington, CT • June 25-28, 2003
First Place Award
at the Region V Festival
Rochester, MN • May 1-4, 2003
Best of Festival Award
at the 16th biennial MACT Festival
Crookston, MN • April 2-6, 2003
 

Assistant Director
Bradley Donaldson

Music Director
Darcy Zimbrick
Outstanding Acheivement in Music Direction Award
- MACT Festival

Stage Manager
Paul Danko

Production Team
Andi Billig, G.J. Clayburn, Lysa Clayburn, Joy Donaldson, Forest Godfrey, Clare Jodzio McDermott, Christian Unser

 
 

Cast
Jim Cole, Brent Erler, Gabrielle S. Kimmel, Kim Kivens, Carrie Kuehl, Tim Kuehl, Daniel K. McDermott, Laurine M. Price, Christian Unser, Charlie Wade

Festival Musicians
Colleen Kelly, Ed Stalling, Darcy Zimbrick

-----------------

 
 
Tim Kuehl, Jim Cole

STATE FESTIVAL
A New Brain was presented at the Minnesota Association of Commuity Theatre's Biennial Festival April 2-6, 2003 at the Kiehl Auditorium on the University of Minnesota - Crookston campus in Crookston, Minnesota.

The show received the highest honor, Best of Festival. Darcy Zimbrick also received recognition for her Music Direction work. This marks Chameleon's 2nd Best of Festival Award at the state competition. Assassins, presented at the 1999 Festival, also received the top honor.

REGIONAL FESTIVAL
We then took our show to Rochester for the AACT Region V Festival (May 1-4, 2003). Theatres from seven states (all won their festival too) competed:

 
 
Carrie Kuehl

In just its fifth season, The Chameleon Theatre Circle has etched its name in the history books of Minnesota theatre. By earning Best of Festival honors with our production of A New Brain at the Region V AACT festival in Rochester MN, The Chameleon Theatre Circle became the fastest theatre in Minnesota to ever achieve two invitations to the national AACT festival. In thirty years of festival competition, only four theaters from Minnesota have advanced to compete at the national festival. This is The Chameleon Theatre Circle's second trip in three attempts.

The Chameleon Theatre Circle received Best of Festival honors over other competing theaters from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The production of A New Brain also garnered awards for Outstanding Achievement in Directing presented to G.J. Clayburn, and Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Performance given to the cast. The company then advanced to Torrington, Connecticut in June to compete against ten theaters from across the country.

 
 
Laurine Price

NATIONAL FESTIVAL
For the second time in our short existence, The Chameleon Theatre Circle has been honored to represent our city, our state and our region at the American Association of Community Theatres National Festival. The festival, conducted every two years, was held this year in the beautiful Warner Theatre in Torrington, Conn. June 25-28, 2003.

We packed our bags, loaded our set and made the 1,300+ mile trek to New England. Due to our regional festival being held later than most, the
hotel situation was grim. We finally found shelter in Waterbury - a town about 20 miles south of Torrington. After a three-hour 'tour' of
the tarmac at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, the majority of our group arrived late Wednesday evening, thus missing the first evening of shows.

With a traveling party of at least 28, plus some great supporters, one could run into a Chameleonite at any turn.

We performed on Friday around 6:00 p.m. or so to a great ovation. You all would have been proud of how we conducted ourselves and how our show represented our company. The support for our show was overwhelming.

Upon the end of the performance, I needed to get from the back right side of the audience, to the back left side of the stage so we could start our strike. The applause and calls continued from the time the show ended to well past my arrival at the 10'x10' box we affectionately called 'home to momma'.

At the awards ceremony, we were honored with an award for Choreography, which I accepted and I share with the cast and crew. For it truly is a group effort to coordinate and execute our movements on and off stage with the ease and grace of professionals. There were eleven shows at the festival and the adjudicators identify their top three shows. Unfortunately we were not among the top three shows in the adjudicators'
eyes, but I think we had a spot in the top three in the minds of a majority of the audience. - which is rewarding unto itself. :)

All in all we had a great time, met some great friends, and made some great memories. I know I, for one, am a stronger director and person of theatre from this experience. And I think each of us took some additional knowledge and insight away from the experience.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of A New Brain! You all will be remembered for your outstanding and high-quality work at every level of this experience!

- G.J. Clayburn, Director

-----------------

 
 
Charlie Wade, Daniel K. McDermott,
Gabrielle S. Kimmel

From the brilliant mind of composer-lyricist William Finn comes this one-of-a-kind musical about losing your mind. Or more accurately, losing your brain as you know it.

Gordon Schwinn writes songs for a children's television show. He is under intense deadline pressure from his tyrannical boss to write a new song. Gordon tries hard to hold it all together, but his brain has other ideas.

 
 
Kim Kivens, Tim Kuehl

Gordon is rewarded with a life-threatening aneurysm. Is arteriovenous malformation really the stuff of great musical theatre? It is when the songs seem to write themselves from the wellspring of Gordon's damaged mind... and when the villain of the story is a frog named Mr. Bungee.

Funny, smart, sometimes sad and oddly uplifting, A New Brain is a hypnotic musical guaranteed to stick to your cerebral cortex.

 

THE STORY:

A week after composer William Finn won a Tony Award for his groundbreaking show, Falsettos, he was mis-diagnosed with a brain tumor. A New Brain explores his ordeal with a funny and thoughtful flare -- as well as some GREAT music.


Come see the award-winning show

Only three places to see the revival performances before we head to Torrington, Conn. to compete at the National Festival:

Wed., June 18
Thurs., June 19
Sat., June 21
Gale Mansion
in Minneapolis
8:00 PM

Kenwood Trail Jr. High
in Lakeville
8:00 PM
Directions

Rochester Repertory
in Rochester
7:00 PM & 8:30 PM

All Tickets are $10.00

 
 
Tim Kuehl, Christian Unser

Tickets for the Minneapolis & Lakeville performances are available at the door, through email (tickets@seetheatre.org) or through pre-sales from a cast or crew member.

Tickets for the Rochester performances are available through the Rochester Repertory Theatre.

Donations to help off-set touring expenses will be accepted at all performances • "Feed the Frog"

~ Suggested for Mature Audiences due to Language and Situations~

Copyright © 1998-2009 • The Chameleon Theatre Circle • Burnsville, Minnesota