Chase Padgett is an Orlando-based actor who debuted a show called "Six Guitars" at the 2010 Orlando Fringe Festival in May. Since then, he has done three runs at Orlando Shakes, is currently in Rochester New York performing a run at the Downstairs Cabaret, and will move next to Edinborough Fringe. We asked him to check in every now and then to let us know how his adventure and success is going. Here is his first post.
By Chase Padgett
Contributing Writer
Thought I’d write an update to how Rochester went. Overall it was pretty good. First the bad stuff out of the way. The flu or food poisoning hammered me hard the first three days I was there. Boy nothing really gets a tour off to the right start like shaking with aches and vomit. Also, Sunday morning after walking out of the house I noticed I had broken out in small hives. Yay. But I got over both.
Now the good stuff: The Downstairs Cabaret Theater is a great place. It’s a 99 seat venue with a great staff of professionals that did everything they could to make me feel at home. They put me up at a house owned by the theater. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi or cable but I didn’t have to pay for it so it’s all in stride. The space itself is a perfect host for 6 Guitars. It has a professional theatrical air combined with an up close intimate nature. They actually have a lot of nice technically elements for the theater which surprised me considering the size of the space. Everyone that works there really takes it seriously and works hard to produce the best stuff Rochester can see.
All the shows went great. Crowds skewed much older than I’ve been accustomed to so far but they still enjoyed the show as much as I’d hope. I was a bit nervous, illogically so, but that left me after my first performance on Thursday. About that time all the contents of my stomach left me too. The theater staff really loved the show and complimented it quite a bit. People stuck around after each performance to congratulate, compliment and question me about the show and all it’s little details.
They theater staff also hooked me up with a company car so I got to drive around a bit on Saturday once I was feeling up to par. Rochester is really lovely and I can’t wait to go back in September to explore some more. I’m really looking forward to seeing Niagara Falls.
All in all, it was a pretty great first weekend out of Orlando and I’m stoked about keeping this ball rolling along.
By Chase PadgettContributing Writer
Thought I’d write an update to how Rochester went. Overall it was pretty good. First the bad stuff out of the way. The flu or food poisoning hammered me hard the first three days I was there. Boy nothing really gets a tour off to the right start like shaking with aches and vomit. Also, Sunday morning after walking out of the house I noticed I had broken out in small hives. Yay. But I got over both.
Now the good stuff: The Downstairs Cabaret Theater is a great place. It’s a 99 seat venue with a great staff of professionals that did everything they could to make me feel at home. They put me up at a house owned by the theater. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi or cable but I didn’t have to pay for it so it’s all in stride. The space itself is a perfect host for 6 Guitars. It has a professional theatrical air combined with an up close intimate nature. They actually have a lot of nice technically elements for the theater which surprised me considering the size of the space. Everyone that works there really takes it seriously and works hard to produce the best stuff Rochester can see.
All the shows went great. Crowds skewed much older than I’ve been accustomed to so far but they still enjoyed the show as much as I’d hope. I was a bit nervous, illogically so, but that left me after my first performance on Thursday. About that time all the contents of my stomach left me too. The theater staff really loved the show and complimented it quite a bit. People stuck around after each performance to congratulate, compliment and question me about the show and all it’s little details.
They theater staff also hooked me up with a company car so I got to drive around a bit on Saturday once I was feeling up to par. Rochester is really lovely and I can’t wait to go back in September to explore some more. I’m really looking forward to seeing Niagara Falls.
All in all, it was a pretty great first weekend out of Orlando and I’m stoked about keeping this ball rolling along.