Murder at the Arcada Casino -- revisited

Hello Fans!

Back in March, Carol worked with MurdersRUs, and appeared in an improvisational murder/mystery called Murder at the Arcada Casino.  In addition to the actual stage performance, the entire concept is being considered for a reality TV show.  A film crew was on hand to capture the entire process, from auditions, casting, rehearsal to performance, plus all the backstage antics.  You can view at the promotional trailer right here:

"Murder at the Arcada Casino"

Written, Directed, and Produced by Paul Warshauer, MurdersRUs.

Although Carol had a more prominent role in the staged performance, she managed to avoid the film crew, aside from a few brief appearances.  In case you blinked and missed her appearance (at 5:49 into the video), here's what you missed:

Eiahhh!  Get that camera out of the dressing room!

A Near Tragedy

Greetings Fans,

While relaxing on a recent vacation (long weekend) in Hot Springs, AR [by the way... while Hot Springs is beautiful... I do not recommend driving from Chicago], the entertainment world nearly lost one of its most promising rising stars when Carol narrowly avoided being crushed by a runaway horse!  Fortunately, I was ready with the camera and was able to capture the terrifying spectacle.  I warn you, the following narrative and pictures may be disturbing to young children, or those easily terrified by renegade farm animals.

As we guided these wild thousand pound monsters through the rough wooded terrain, we came upon a raging torrent of runoff from the recent rain storms.  One by one, we coaxed our beasts through the turbulent waters, fighting to keep them under control.  Finally, following the rest of the group, Carol's horse entered the water.  Suddenly, her horse began thrashing its feet, churning the muddy water until it boiled, much like a Venti Latte you might order from Starbucks.  Carol tried in vain to move her horse safely through the raging water, but it was beyond convincing.  Then, without warning, the horse dropped to its knees in the swirling flood.  Carol screamed!  In horrifying slow motion, the beast started to roll over, as if to crush the rider on its back. 

Thinking quickly, Carol pulled her right foot from the stirrup, just as the horse's weight would have surely crushed it.  Yanking back on the reins to regain her balance, Carol managed to stay atop the capsized equine.  Having realized it would not taste human blood this day, the horse righted itself and, with Carol still in the saddle, it stood up and sloshed the rest of the way through the raging torrent.  

Finally out of danger, Carol let out a triumphant cry!  The animal had nearly won.  Only by her quick thinking and grim determination was Carol able to remain in control, and break the will of this demon steed.  The remainder of the ride was uneventful.  It had been beaten, and it knew it.

Sertafied Professional

Your friendly sertafied mattress professional

In celebration of Labor Day, Carol labored all weekend promoting Serta mattresses at Sam's Club.  

Another sertafied customer

Carol will be presenting a monologue for the Wheaton Drama general meeting on September 23rd.  Additionally, making his first stage appearance will be Carol's cat, Al!  Carol and Al will be appearing in separate sketches.  It won't be long before Al is working on his own, demanding premium food, and entering catnip rehab.  We can only hope that the success doesn't go to his head.

Miss Ohio

Greetings fans,
It has been a busy week for news! Carol's latest endeavor is that she has landed a part in an upcoming independent film titled Miss Ohio. It is written and directed by Gregory Fitzsimmons, and produced by independent film production company Candy Cane Sammy, LLC. No details yet as to the role, but stay tuned for further details.

Dodgeville Revisited

Greetings Fans!
Back in May, I mentioned Carol's work on a sitcom pilot for Dodgeville. Production is now complete on the pilot, and you can check out the trailer:


Dodgeville - TV Sitcom Pilot from Rory Bolen on Vimeo.
Watch for Carol (Emma Sweet) at the 1:05 mark, with the line: "Hey... you guys seen my schnapps?"

You can also check out the official Dodgeville web site: www.dodgeville.tv

Still Photos Photos

(left to right: Brett Lee, Elisé Lammers, Jason Ober, Carol Townsend, Danielle O'Farrell)

Production photos from Still Photos have been posted on the Point of Contention web site. If you missed the show, you can catch a glimpse of the magic here.

(Carol Townsend and Megan Brown)

Carol Works The Beast!

(get your mind out of the gutter...)

Hi fans!
Tomorrow, Carol (and her Blazer) will be working on The Beast. The Beast is a new A&E drama starring Patrick Swayze which is scheduled to start airing in early 2009. Production started late last year, but was put on hold when Patrick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Production has now resumed and The Beast is being filmed in Chicago, so perhaps this could be Carol's next "Prison Break" break? (For new fans, Carol worked as an extra on season 1 of Prison Break, and appeared in six episodes, three-times in one episode. You can check them out here.)

Extras casting is being handled by ExtraOrdinary Casting, so if you are interested in working The Beast, check them out.

I gotta go pinch out a grumpy

Greetings Fans!
You may recall from last year, Carol worked on a scene in Witless Protection. We never got a chance to see it in the theater (and having seen parts of it now, I guess that might not be a bad thing). However, in one memorable scene, you can catch a glimpse of Carol over Larry the Cable Guy's left shoulder. Perhaps not the most prestigious scene, but a memorable line, nonetheless!

"I tell you what..."

"... that beef jerky and marmalade ain't sittin' too good.
You got a crapper? I gotta go pinch out a grumpy."

Carol looks radiant as she descends the stairs, smiling as she greets some unseen acquaintance... oblivious to the gastrointestinal distress occurring just across the room!

Three Plays, One Day

Greetings Fans!
Tomorrow (July 25), Carol will be setting a new personal record for performances, with THREE separate plays. At 10:00am she will be performing in The Mystery of the Missing Moon (for grades K-2), followed at 1:30 pm by The Legend of Pandora's Box (for grades 3-6), both at the Carol Stream Public Library. Then at 8:00pm, she will be back on stage with Still Photos at Trapdoor Theatre. The kids might be in for a surprise if Carol lapses into Still Photos during one of the shows!

You only have three chances left to see Still Photos. Remember, if you mention the POC Podcast, you get $5 the ticket price. What a bargain! Get your tickets here, or at the door.

Dirty Carol and Officer Hanley

A few more production proofs from Overproof have been posted to Flickr. Check out Carol's gritty portrayal!

Put down the weapon!

While we're on the subject of police, you can check out MY performance in The Dark Knight! Both Carol and I worked as extras on The Dark Knight (a.k.a. Rory's First Kiss) last summer. You can read about that here, here, and here.

Carol worked on the scene where the Joker crashes Harvey Dent's fundraiser, but unfortunately we were unable to spot whether she was visible, with all the action and quick cuts. We'll have to get the DVD and check it out in slow-mo.

Gotham City's Finest... no donuts!

I was more fortunate, and am plainly visible in the scene just after the SWAT truck chase when Harvey Dent is addressing a crowd of reporters [edit: I am told it is at 1 hour 23 minutes]. I am the cop holding back the crowd, and I am just to the left of Harvey on the screen. It seems like I had a good 3-5 seconds of face time. There were a couple other scenes that I worked as well, but I couldn't tell if I was visible. Unlike Carol, I never got to draw my weapon (except for this covert photo).

Hear Carol on the POC Podcast

The third and final episode of the Point of Contention podcast covering Still Photos, has been posted to the POC web site here, or if you are an iTunes user, get it here. This episode includes both Charlies: our own Carol and Danielle O'Farrell, discussing the production.

If you still haven't seen the show, you have only FOUR opportunities left! Get half-off the ticket price for the July 24th show by getting your tickets here, or $5 off on the 25th, 26th or 27th if you mention the podcast. What could you possibly have to do this weekend that would be a better time?! Maybe I'll see you there!

See Still Photos and chat with Vanda after the show

A message from Carol:

Thanks to all who have come to see the show! There are two weekends left to see Still Photos! And this Thursday, July 17th, the playwright will be there for a talk-back after the show!

Regarding the air conditioning, it works.....sometimes. So wear a tank top in case it's NOT working and bring a sweater in case it IS.

AND, I have discovered I can offer a great incentive to my suburbanite friends: if we can meet somewhere fairly convenient, I'll give you a ride! Heck, I'm going there anyway! I have to be there an hour before the show, but we can go even a bit earlier and enjoy dinner at Jane's, the restaurant next to the theatre. I'll eat and run, and you can relax over your dinner and a beverage -- or two -- before the show.

Hope you can come!

Carol

Still Photos

Happy Independence Day!!
We broke tradition this year and did not get to see the fireworks in Lombard, as we normally do. Instead, we spent the day at the theater, seeing Kooza at the United Center, followed by Carol in Still Photos at the Trapdoor Theatre.

Charlie (Danielle O’Farrell) and Aubra (Elisé Lammers) share a moment

We see the relationship between Aubra and Charlie blossom through the memories of Grandma (Charlie, in 2004), played by our own Carol Townsend. Grandma painfully reflects on the decisions of her past, while she and her estranged granddaughter Emily (played by Megan Brown) watch the 1944-drama unfold before them. Grandma tries to convince her 1944 counterpart to make different decisions, changing her own past... but what would this mean for Emily? Carol shows us the painful struggle between regret of decisions past, and grateful acceptance of a life lived.

Danielle O'Farrell convincingly conveyed Charlie's exuberance and innocence; and her high-energy portrayal was a stark contrast to Elisé Lammer's dark and passionate expression of Aubra, the refined but bitter polio-stricken opera singer, who helps Charlie discover her true self. I can't get away without mentioning the convincing portrayals of the men: Phillip (played by Brett Lee), Aubra's fiancé and care-taker; and Joe (played by Jason Ober), Charlie's enthusiastic and naive boyhood sweetheart.

There's something for everyone: love, war, drinking, girls kissing, parades, 1940s music, dancing, and even a temporal paradox!

Still Photos is undeniably the best lesbian love story I have ever seen! There, I said it. You need to go see this show!

This ain't your British farce

A message from Carol:

Still Photos, which opens next Friday, June 27, at Trap Door Theatre, is very different from plays I've done previously.

It's a love story (which usually appeals to the ladies) about two women (which might appeal to the men. Yes, guys, there will be two young women making out on stage.) It's got romance, history, brave men fighting WWII, and a grandma. That would be me: the grandma.

Hope you can come out and see the show, and see me sitting in my rocker speaking with an irritating New York accent!

The show runs June 27 - July 27.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Trap Door Theatre in Chicago
1655 W. Cortland (near Ashland and Armitage)

Tickets are $15, but mention the podcast (http://www.pointofcontention.org/) and you'll get a discount!

Cheers!

Carol

Carol Stops Traffic in Romeoville

Greetings Fans!
If you were in the southern suburbs today, you may have encountered unusually heavy traffic around Weber Rd. and I-55. Carol was appearing at the 7-Eleven at Weber and Normantown Roads, and motorists lined-up for miles to see her. Well, they may have also been interested in the FREE GAS that Hershey was giving away from 7am - 9am-- but I am sure that was probably secondary. You can read about the Hershey promotion here.

The event was covered by the Daily Herald here, and on the WBBM Newsradio site here. (I especially like some of the comments at the bottom of the articles. I guess not everyone was excited about seeing Carol... or the free gas.) There were also brief mentions on NBC 5 (you can view a slide show here) and CBS 2 evening news in Chicago... although oddly enough, they seemed to focus on the free gas rather than on Carol's appearance.

Overproof

Jeff Garretson threatens to commit suicide in Overproof.

While Carol's performance in Overproof is finished, the production has just begun. Most of the shooting was done on green screen, as the movie takes place in the middle of a busy street. Since it was not possible to film in an actual street, the background will be digitally added. Above is a production photo, and below is an early composite with the background.

Carol tries to talk Jeff out of killing himself in the middle of the street.

Point of Contention Podcast

Hey fans!
Point of Contention produces a monthly podcast, and the next three episodes will be focusing on their upcoming production: Still Photos. This month's podcast features an explanation of what Still Photos is about, how it came to POC, and a brief intro to the production crew and cast. (The hosts get a kick out of our little Fan Site-- thanks for the mention!) Check out the podcast on the POC blog site, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

Murder, Dodgeville, and Overproof

Welcome back fans!
Forgive me for the long drought of new information. Contrary to my lack of updates, Carol has remained busy during the past month (although, sadly, she is not part of the rumored MacGyver movie). Amongst the many product promotions (Oil of Olay, Serta Mattresses, and Axe Body Spray), Carol has also continued to expand her acting resume.

Back on April 28, Carol once again joined Murders R Us for an afternoon of improv and murder. Murder at the Chop House was a private improvised murder mystery, at the Chop House in Schaumburg. Carol was excited to play Wilma Flipflappah, mayor of Hoffman Estates.

Carol also spent several days shooting a television pilot for a sitcom called Dodgeville. The show was originally shot in 2007, and submitted to the Chicago Comedy TV Pilot Competition. You can read about it here. Dodgeville, written and directed by Rory Bolen, is about four guys who inherit a warehouse in Dodgeville, WI, and decide to turn it into their weekend man-cave/clubhouse/getaway. Carol plays Emma Sweet, a brash middle-aged (ahem) "Cheesehead" mother of four, who hangs out with the guys to escape the madness of her life for a few hours.

And finally, Carol was cast and is in the midst of shooting a short film, called Overproof. Carol plays a detective who tries to convince a suicidal man with a bomb (Jeff Garretson) not to kill himself. No, that's not grass in the photo-- this was Carol's first work with chroma key (green screen).

You can view other Overproof production photos here.



Don't forget, Still Photos opens on June 27 at the Trapdoor Theatre!

Extra! Extra!

Greetings Fans!
You may have guessed, the previous post was a bit of fun-- although Carol would welcome the opportunity to work with RDA on anything, should the opportunity present itself! Happy April Fools Day!

All kidding aside, Carol will be working as an extra-- er, background actor-- tomorrow on Unborn, which is shooting in the Chicago area. Unborn is a horror movie, written and directed by David Goyer. This will be Carol's first venture into the horror genre. She will once again be working with Gary Oldman, whom we both worked with on The Dark Knight last summer. Carol may also be working with newcomer, and brother-in-law, Charles Miceli, who has recently taken up acting after having entered semi-early-retirement.

Huge News!

Hello Fans,
It is Tuesday, April 1, and OMG! Carol has landed a leading part in a re-make of the 1980s classic television series, MacGyver! Richard Dean Anderson will be reprising his role as the uncommon action hero, and reportedly, Amanda Tapping (from Stargate: SG-1 and now Stargate: Atlantis) will be joining the cast as a recurring love interest for MacGyver.

Carol has been cast as a former employee of the Phoenix Foundation who has turned rogue, and is now working with a foreign agency to sell military secrets to terrorist organizations. In the opening episode, Carol reportedly kidnaps Amanda Tapping's character to blackmail MacGyver into stealing classified documents on a new bionic enhancement program from Area 51. MacGyver must devise a way to break into the top-secret facility, rescue Amanda's character, and avoid handing the secret materials over to the terrorists.

The show will be shooting in Vancouver starting in June, so Carol has started looking for an apartment. The series will reportedly be showing on ABC starting in January 2009.

I can't wait! Congratulations, babe!
... and to everyone else... Happy April 1st!!

UPDATE 4/2: Wow! I never expected I would get such a turnout from the story above. Just to be clear, this was pure fabrication! To my knowledge, there is no such re-make of MacGyver in the works (although, I would love to see one!), nor is Carol moving to Vancouver, nor are RDA or Amanda Tapping in any way involved in any such project (to the best of my knowledge, anyway). Sorry for the false hope, but thanks for stopping by!
-- mkh