Thursday, June 28, 2007

Witless Protection

Greetings Fans!
Carol adds another movie to her body of work, as she is working on an "elegant party scene" for Witless Protection, shooting in Vernon Hills tonight. WP's cast includes Peter Stormare, who you may recall from Carol's time on Prison Break (although they never shared the screen).

In addition, Carol will be extending her acting range by playing a 66 year-old woman in a short film called We All Die Alone Together. Carol wonders if this is how Meryl Streep got her start? I can only assume that there will be lots of hair and make-up work involved for that!

Sunday, June 17, 2007

No Spoilers Here

Carol is just starting her third and last day (knight) of filming for Rory's First Kiss. Her call time each day has been at 4:00pm, and they have been working through to 5:00 or 6:00am. Unfortunately, the extreme schedule is taking its toll, and Carol has been fighting off a cold-- but, the show must go on! Carol was rather pleased with how the hair & make-up folks have been doing her hair-- some sort of glamor up-do, with the front swept off to the side. She plans to try to reproduce the look for an upcoming wedding next weekend.

Unfortunately, Carol was required to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to work on RFK, so in order to avoid any legal wrangling, we will have to tread carefully. As previously reported (prior to the signing of any agreements), this was supposedly a formal party scene.

[details CENSORED to avoid legal troubles]

Stay tuned, bat-fans, for more juicy details, in the next exciting post!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Rory's First Kiss Update

Hello Fans,
Carol's scene in Rory's First Kiss shoots this weekend. Different from most other background work Carol has done, RFK required a wardrobe session to verify the outfit that Carol will be wearing. After the wardrobe folks approved, they issued a claim number and kept the outfit. This saves on preparation, since they don't have to re-check everyone on the days of the shoot-- they have pre-approved all the outfits, and they keep them on-site, so they know you'll be wearing the same thing.

In related news, I will also be working on a different scene for RFK! Since Carol and I worked together on Fred Claus, Joan Philo Casting has my photo and contact info. Apparently, they need lots of extras for RFK, so they asked if I could work a two-day shoot on June 30 - July 1. Why not?! So, I will be working a courtroom scene. They wanted me to come for a wardrobe check as well, but the dates did not work out for me, so I have been relegated to "bystander" instead of "attorney".

Unfortunately, Carol and I won't be working together on this one, as Carol is already scheduled for shooting an episode of Drama Queens Club that weekend. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

This Film Has Not Yet Been Named

Just a quick update... this week Carol is rehearsing and shooting a part in a small independent/student film at Columbia College. The film has not yet been named, but is sure to be a sleeper hit at Cannes and Sundance. Carol has also been busy auditioning for several other opportunities, so keep an eye on this page for future updates.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

The Return of Hilo Hattie

Hello Fans!
As previously reported, this week, Carol was working at a house in Barrington, for a scene in The Return. Unfortunately, the weather was somewhat uncooperative, so although the scene in the movie is supposed to be in the heat of July, the nighttime temperatures were only in the 50-60s, and the second night was plagued by rain. As true fans will know, Carol has no tolerance for the cold, so although she was miserable and frozen, she toughed it out (barely!), and managed to survive the night!

This was a two-day nighttime shoot for an outdoor house party. Carol "Babs" was dressed in the festive Hilo Hattie dress that some might recall from our Hawaii vacation last year.

On the second night of shooting, they needed more couples on the dance floor, and Carol was selected. In several of the shots, Carol and her partner were dancing very close to the principal actors, and navigating the two steadicams that were roaming the floor. So, after two brutal, freezing, tiresome, frustrating nights of work, we may be rewarded by a glimpse of Carol in this scene in The Return. At least the dress should make her easy to spot!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

It Ran In The Family




It Runs In The Family has run its course. Thanks to all of Carol's fans who were able to make the trek out to DeKalb to enjoy the show! And for those of you that weren't able, you'll have another chance for Carol's next show in October, with The Crucible.




What is Carol working on in the meantime? Today, Carol had an audition for a television commercial, as Wife #2. Wednesday and Thursday this week, Carol has been booked for more background work on The Return. This time, Carol will be appearing as her alter-ego "Babs", in a night-shoot house party scene at a house in Barrington. Friday, it is an audition for another commercial! It is only a matter of time before Carol dominates all media!

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Neela!!!

If you watched ER's season finale, it was quite a shocker! Once again, Carol's (brief) appearance was in the final scene of the episode, at 42:34, for about 4 seconds. Carol was visible just before the explosion when Gates is working his way through the crowd towards Neela. In the screen shot above, she is wearing sunglasses, just to the right of Gates.

In the first second or so, it appears as if Gates is pushing her out of the way (as reported earlier, Carol said that in one of the takes, John Stamos brushed past her), and in the last seconds, she is seen looking up towards the podium, listening intently to the speaker, and no doubt irritated that this guy is muscling his way through the crowd. (I got all that from the intense look on her face, didn't you?)


Since it is a difficult to realize the full emotional impact of Carol's performance in the 4 second clip above, I created the following slow-mo version. Enjoy!


Carol's legs may also be visible during the shots where Neela is getting trampled, but we're waiting for the forensic analysis of the recording before we make that call.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

The Return

On Tuesday, Carol spent the day at a church in south Naperville working on a scene for The Return, with Tim Robbins. It was a long day, but Carol reported that Tim entertained the crew and background actors between takes by borrowing a guitar from the band, and leading them in Christmas Carols and old hymns.

Tonight, Carol will be appearing on stage and appearing on ER at the same time! This is all part of our insidious marketing campaign to get Carol recognized as the new Queen (or maybe Princess) of All Media! Feature films, commercials (coming soon), stage, children's theater, television series, flower delivery, and product booth babe. Carol has it all covered!

Monday, May 14, 2007

It Runs In The Family with The Return of Drama Queens to the ER

Wow! Carol has been booked to work background on another movie shooting in the area, The Return. Not much detail yet, just that it is a church scene, and the cast call is tomorrow at 6:30am.

On top of that, Carol has been cast as Director of Drama in a family-oriented television drama series, called The Drama Queens Club! The show will target girls 10-17 years of age. The characters will belong to the Drama Queens Club (a theatrical group for young actresses) within their school. The characters will be faced with many challenges, and the television audience will be educated on the value of making positive decisions in life. More details to come as we get them. ... and that's one to grow on.

Just a reminder, ER this week is the season finale. Carol may be seen in the crowd scene with Neela and Gates. Something tells me this may be the cliffhanger scene to end the episode.

And finally, It Runs In The Family is in its second (and final) week of production. Time is running out to see this hilarious farce. You don't want to miss it-- Go early, and go often!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Video Recap

Hello devoted fans!
I've been messing around with video, and found a much better way to embed video clips on the site. I've gone back through all the old posts in the archive with video clips and updated them with the new embedded video method.

For the new fans out there, here's a recap of Carol's many appearances on Prison Break, and ER. Enjoy!

It all started here! Carol's first appearance on Prison Break in episode 10. She is Caroline Reynolds' Vice-Presidential Aide. Watch the right-side of the screen, just at the foot of the stairs.
Click here for the original post.


Next was episode 14, Carol appears (very) briefly in this street scene (wide screen version only). Look at the extreme left side when the clip ends.
Click here for the original post.




Episode 16 was the Trifecta! Carol appeared three times in three difference scenes. Above, we have the Restaurant Patron (extreme screen left, just at the very start of the clip); the Prosecuting Attorney (screen right, at the prosecutor's table); and "L" Platform Commuter (screen right at first, just coming up the stairs, and then the shot reverses and she is seen on screen left coming up the stairs and crossing behind the characters.)
Click here for the original post.


Episode 17, Secret Service Agent Betsy Ross.
Click here for the original post.


Episode 18, Carol appeared in the "Previously, on Prison Break" clip at the beginning, as Agent Betsy Ross.
Click here for the original post.


In episode 22, Carol explores her theatrical range as News Reporter Babs. Look for the blonde wig.
Click here for the original post.


And finally, we have the retrospective tribute to all of Carol's Prison Break appearances.
Click here for the original post.


Moving on to ER, in season 13 episode 10, Carol reprises her role as "L" Platform Commuter. She can be seen on screen right, walking down the stairs towards Neela. Look for the red earmuffs.
Click here for the original post.


And lastly, in season 13 episode 23, Carol can be seen just to the right of Gates as he pushes through the crowd towards Neela.
Click here for the original post.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Rory's First Kiss

Holy misdirection, Batman! Carol has been signed-up to work background on the upcoming film, Rory's First Kiss. June 15-17, it is expected to be a night (er, knight?) shoot, requiring formal attire, and 12+ hour days. Perhaps an extravagant charity ball or political dinner party that gets crashed by a pasty-faced maniacal super-villain? Maybe a swanky cocktail reception for a millionaire playboy/vigilante? Who can say? Stay tuned to this same web page, for the next exciting post!

Sunday, May 06, 2007

It Runs In The Family

This just in...

Stage Coach Players is proud to announce that "It Runs in the Family" directed by Bernie Schuneman will be our first show. This show runs May 10th-12th and May 17th-19th at 8pm and Sunday May 20th at 2pm. All performances will be at our theater which is located at 126 S 5th Street in DeKalb, Il.

Set in the doctor's lounge of a London hospital three days before Christmas, the staff is preparing the annual holiday show. But that is only the sideshow. The real business is a conference of neurosurgeons. As Dr. David Mortimore is preparing his speech for the prestigious Ponsonby Lecture, that should guarantee him a knighthood and the hospital some badly needed funds, a former nurse, an old flame, bursts in with the news that their fling some 18 years and 9 months ago made Mortimore a father. The boy is downstairs desperate to meet his long lost Dad. In true farce style, lies pile on lies, as the doctor enlists his colleagues to deceive his wife, his boss, a police sergeant and even his newfound son. Sharp syringes, crashing wheelchairs, squirting seltzer bottles, doctors disguised as nurses, and window ledge wrestling matches gear the farce into overdrive.

The box-office will open on Sunday, May 6th, and will be open from 6-8pm through Saturday May 19th. On Sunday May 20th the box office will be open from noon to 2pm.

Tickets can be ordered by phone by calling 815-758-1940.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Another Trip to the ER

Hello again, devoted fans. It has been some time since my last post, as our starlet has been doing little else aside from rehearsing for the upcoming show. Rehearsals for It Runs In The Family are five nights a week, and the show opens May 10.

However, in between the busy rehearsal schedule, Carol has managed to find time for another appearance on ER! After leaving DeKalb at 10:00pm last night, Carol's call time for ER was 6:30am this morning downtown in Grant Park.

Carol is once again working with John Stamos (Gates) and Parminder Nagra (Neela). Calling in from location, Carol reports that John [Stamos] actually touched her during one of the rehearsal shots. The scene they are shooting is a crowd at a peace rally, and will apparently involve green-screen special effects, to make the crowd appear much larger... and reportedly some more flashy effects as well. The ER Episode Guide doesn't have any descriptions yet for upcoming episodes; but just pure speculation based on the description of the scene, the lead-time required for adding the special effects, and given the title of the episode, I am going to guess that this is the season 14 premiere episode, The War Comes Home. Stay tuned...

UPDATE: Rumor on set was that this scene was for the season 13 finale, The Honeymoon's Over.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Cast Lists Posted

Cast lists for It Runs In The Family and The Crucible have been posted on the Stage Coach Players web site. Starting next week, Carol will be spending 5-nights a week driving out to DeKalb for rehearsals. Beer nuggets, anyone?

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Time to Head West

... all the way to DeKalb! This past weekend, Carol and I headed to the home of our alma mater, where the Stage Coach Players were holding auditions for their 2007 season. As I sat and waited patiently, Carol auditioned for three of their six upcoming shows. Carol felt really good about them afterward, and we indulged in our favorite college junk food (Beer Nuggets at Molly's) before we left town.

Yesterday, Carol got the call that she had been cast in two shows!! It Runs In The Family (which the closely-related Dennis Brown Fan Club may recognize) which runs May 10-20, and The Crucible which runs October 4-14 (seven shows each).

IRITF is a traditional British farce, and Carol will be playing Rosemary Mortimore, the slightly-younger and attractive wife of Dr. Mortimore. In stark contrast, The Crucible is a dramatic story of the witch trials of Salem, and Carol will be playing Ann Putnam, mother of eight who has lost seven children during childbirth, and feels that supernatural forces (and people) are to blame.

Rehearsals for IRITF will be starting soon, as this show is just around the corner. Stay tuned to this web site for further information on show dates and times. Congratulations Carol!!

Monday, March 05, 2007

The Memory of Water -- Revisited

The Memory of Water has come and gone, but if you simply MUST see more, you can view more photos from the show on the Grove Players site here. Photos courtesy of Danna Durkin.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

The Mystery of the Missing Moon

What's next for our intrepid performer, now that The Memory of Water has wrapped? As mentioned briefly back in December, Carol has signed on with The Mystery Shop as one of their Children's Mystery performers. Carol plays an astronaut on a mission to the moon. Judging by the name of the show, you might be able to figure out that something goes a bit wrong, and they must make a slight detour from their mission in order to solve The Mystery of the Missing Moon (with the help of the young astronauts in the audience).

So, if you have any grade school children, and are looking for a fun and educational show for a party or other special event, why not give The Mystery Shop a call? You can even get $20 off using this coupon!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Production Photos from The Memory of Water

Only two chances left to see The Memory of Water-- tonight at 8:00pm, or tomorrow at 2:00pm. Don't let this opportunity slip away! You can view some production photos here.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

The Memory of Water Opening Night

Wow.

Yes, that's what I said; just Wow. After the many weeks of memorizing lines, rehearsal, nervous tension, and sleepless nights, the payoff came yesterday at The Memory of Water opening show. I am usually more wordy and descriptive, but I just have to say-- Wow. I knew that Carol was ready. I mean, she had her lines memorized and all (I had heard most of them many times over); but finally seeing her on stage in a major role was really amazing. Like I said... Wow. She nailed it!

Of course, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the other excellent performances... but then again, this is the CAROL TOWNSEND FAN SITE. Let those others hire their own Biggest Fan if they want the spotlight! On this site, it is all about Carol!

Seeing Carol on stage in her first major role was kind of surreal. I kept thinking, that's not her-- she's so different. She was a sarcastic English doctor, having an affair with a married man, trying to cope with her mother's death, dealing with demons from her past and the dysfunctional relationships with her two sisters. I was lost in the performance, and I sometimes forgot I was there watching Carol. She was equally as convincing breaking down in tears, or laughing hysterically in a whiskey and pot-induced stupor. I'm so proud of Carol, and I look forward to seeing the show again on the 18th. If anyone else would like to join, here's your invitation. As added incentive, there is a discount of $3 off the ticket price if we can get a group of 15. Please email Carol at babestownsend@yahoo.com if you are interested.

There was a write-up about the show in the Downers Grove Reporter. As I've said in a previous post, this show will have something for everyone to enjoy. There's drama, comedy, tragedy... there's booze, sex, drugs, tears, booze, startling revelations, ghosts, (did I mention the booze?), ninjas, pirates, and a one-armed man! And if you don't believe me, then you'll have to go see it for yourself to see if I'm lying. I give it my highest praise!

Congratulations Carol, and to all of the cast and crew, on the opening of a wonderful show!
I love you, babe.
YBF

Monday, February 05, 2007

The Anamnesis of Dihydrogen Monoxide

More details on the Memory of Water (opening this Friday!). I take no credit for the following, as it was taken directly from a posting to a local theater newsgroup (so some of you may have seen it before). I would credit the author, but I don't know who it is.

The Memory of Water humorously examines what normal people do in abnormal times. This touching and hugely entertaining comedy provides an insight into the lives of three sisters who are reunited for their mother’s funeral. A neurotic maternal sister (Lanie Brown of Joliet), a paranoid doctor (Carol Townsend of Carol Stream) and a brattish youngest sibling (Kathryn Meiners of Chicago) recall their childhood, but find that personal grievances have clouded their memories, memories which differ greatly and cause immense friction. One dead mother, three living daughters, and two hapless male companions wrangle with their expectations and disappointments when they are brought together for a few bitterly cold days on the English coast.

The cast also includes Marilyn Weiher of Downers Grove, Robert Plowman of Westmont and Tony Shannon of Joliet. The Memory of Water is written by Shelagh Stephenson and directed by Jorge Bermudez of Rolling Meadows and assistant directed by Dave Docekal of Downers Grove and Katie Libby of Lemont. The show is produced by Downers Grove resident Marilyn Ludwig.

The Memory of Water runs for 2 weekends, February 9, 10, 11 and February 16, 17, 18. Friday and Saturday night performances begin at 8pm; Sunday matinees begin at 2pm. All performances will be held at Lincoln Center, 935 Maple in Downers Grove.

Ticket prices are $14 for Adults; $11 for Senior Citizens and $8 for Students. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Consider It Done, 5133 Main Street in Downers Grove, or reserved by calling the Grove Players Box Office at 630-415-3682. For further information, call the Box Office or visit www.groveplayers.org.