Tonya Bludsworth

Theatre taught me to Thrift

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(This post originally written for the Metrolina Restore Blog)

I do love vintage items and that has been my primary focus when thrift shopping. However, my introduction to the Metrolina Restore, specifically the one on Wendover in Charlotte where I most often shop, is the fact that I am an independent theatre producer perennially with very little budget for sets. We have to borrow, reuse and recycle and repurpose everything we can–many times from our own houses and friend’s houses- to keep the costs low. But whenever I need building materials for sets and such that I cannot borrow but must purchase-I head to the Restore, cause that’s where the real deals are, people!

Sets for theatre, like shows, are many differing styles and time periods defending on the production. The Restore has been a consistent resource for me for all of them. In a show I produced in 2010, The Dixie Swim Club, the set designer thought it would be great to have a sliding glass door on the set of our 1980s beach cottage to allow the characters to have scenes on their patio. This a very sexy set design element that typically I would never have been able to afford, but I put on my positive attitude hat and headed off to the Restore. Positive attitude counts when shopping because luck shined on me that day–all doors, including sliding glass ones, were 50% off–yahoooo! I think I paid $12.50 for my authentic beach house sliding glass door and my crackerjack set team installed it perfectly:914518359_wwdsc_0130

Chandler McIntryre, Tonya Bludsworth and Stephanie DiPaolo in Dixie Swim Club. Note the beautiful sliding glass door in the background! Photo taken by Weldon Weaver

Well, I have learned a lot in the last two years– the primary thing being that the Restore is NOT just for building materials: furniture, pictures, accessories–they have it all! The upcoming play I am currently producing, Least Likely Friends calls for a very modern New York City apartment set that we are building. Some choice furniture items from the Restore will be getting there moment on the stage yet again.

We got 3 of these fantastic lamps silver stick lamps with white shades- they were actually marked down from the listed price when we picked them up:

Lamp from Restore

Also this snazzola glass and chrome side table that is a perfect fit for modern NYC apartment life:

LLF side table

And, books. We needed lots o’ books for the built in book shelves on the set. This picture of friendly helpful Restore employee Ashley from Julia’s says it all:

LLF Books Tonya

And we also got a great rug…but more on shopping the Restore’s rugs and carpet remnants (TEASER!) in a not-too-much later post. But, hey, now you’re curious about this theatre show with the cool set and want to know more about THAT, right?! That’s the playwright/ director Tonya Bludsworth in the pic above with Ashley and you can check it all out here: Least Likely Friends Website. We open on June 12, so once it’s all up on stage and set is finalized I’ll do a pictorial update so you can see the Restore items in action!

Update: fantastic set of Least Likely Friends, built by set designer Whitney Yale, with some items from the Habitat ReStore on Wendover:

Pic on the right was before we painted the floor!

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We actually went back to the restore and found these two fab pedestal tables that worked in the apartment as well:

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We had a fantastic opening weekend– and along with the great story and acting. the set is getting lots of kudos. We have one week to go! Check out the show here: www.leastlikelyfriends.com

Project Endings, Project Beginnings

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It’s always bittersweet when a good project ends. Or, as the case may be, transitions.

For over 2 years now I have focused my efforts towards the short film Aphasia, a project that I was asked to be a part in Feb of 2010. I think it is fair to say that none of my producing partners (Jim Gloster, Chuck & Tonya Bludsworth) or I thought the project would be nearly as successful as it has turned out to be, or that it would have taken on a life of its own in the way that it has. Mostly, we wanted to give our friend Charlotte theatre and film actor Carl McIntyre a chance to tell his story and in the process, provide an opportunity to allow him to take back some of what the stroke stole from him at 44: his ability to make a living. The entire Charlotte film community came together to help us film the project in March of 2010; over 40 screenings later with events and film festivals across the US, including  LA and NYC, and in 4 counties internationally, it all feels quite surreal. We all wore many hats during the project; as Executive Producer, mine ranged initially from fundraiser, to on-set documentation, and then to premier event planner for the two events we held for the film in Chapel Hill and Charlotte. I was on set every day and found the process of watching it all come together completely exhilarating. After our premiere in May 2010, my jobs moved on to public relations/marketing to booking/ sales agent for the film and it’s star, Carl McIntyre. After much hard work from Chuck Bludsworth researching various distribution companies and filming educational & informative dvd extras, on April 27, 2012 we held our DVD release party and got to celebrate the artists responsible for the film one more time before we released the DVD to the world. Carl traveled immediately to Seattle to keynote a convention of Neurology nurses the day after our release here in Charlotte and sold every DVD he brought with him: somewhere in the neighborhood of 200. They have been selling quickly and steadily ever since-you can purchase one here. 

Carl continues to tour with Aphasia and will have an Australian premiere in August when he takes the film to Sydney. He continues to have upcoming dates as a public speaker traveling with the film, and his bookings and tour dates are now being managed by JTA talent.  There is much positive talk of other projects in the works for Carl and I know he will take full advantage of these opportunities. 

Sometimes, the project doesn’t really end as much as it transitions. Other very qualified people need to become a part to allow it to move to its next natural growth phase. In my mind, it’s what I imagine sending your kid off to college must be like: you’ve gotten him ready, and he’s ready go- but everyone’s a little nervous and happy and sad all at the same time.

But, closing the door on one great project does leave room for the next great thing to come along…