Two weeks ago I began communicating with Michele Booher-Purosky from Riverwalk Theatre, whose creative ventures from the 2016-2017 season led me to exciting locations like airports and unused hospital floors. This time she'd sought out permission to use October Moon in Old Town to recreated the perfumery her up and coming production of She Loves Me was set in.
She Love Me is the original play for the better known movie She's Got Mail. In this play the setting is 1930's which means costumes are a big part of the play.
Watching cars pull up and actors and actresses in non modern clothing unload and walk towards me is one of my favorite things. I love the costumes! Costume design was done by the very creative Laura Croff who also performs multiple parts in this play.
Within seconds we were inside October Moon setting scenes and posing at different locations around the store. Characters gathered together, stopped to pose, get the shot and then moved on to the next. The director Meghan Eldred-Woolsey, Michele and I would suggest poses move to better lighting and add and remove actors as we felt was best for the right shot. Sometimes the actors would already be in position and I would get called to get this shot or that one. The sessions don't usually take long and I hope the actors enjoy them as much as I do.
After the publicity shots are taken we usually use them for marketing. Most of the actors have liked my Ariniko Artistry Facebook page and can tag each other, share and make comments. The images are also used on Instagram either through my account or Riverwalk's account.
If enough orders for the photographic set are made I then get to come back and shoot the dress rehearsal. The dress rehearsal is a practice run in costume that happens the week before opening night. Many times I am the only one in the audience besides crew. This night there were about 50 in the audience. It was nice to watch with a group.
This is a fast paced play. The musical performances are elaborate, well choreographed and exciting. I found it hard to focus my camera on all of the motion. The diner dance performance alone is worth seeing this play.
It is such a joy to be back with this group. Many of these actors were also in Catch Me if You Can and Grease, two of my favorites from last season. Riverwalk Theatre has a wonderfully talented pool of creatives that work diligently to make each and every play successful. It is a true gem in Lansing.
