Opening Weekend of The Vagina Monologues

§ February 23rd, 2010 § Filed under bubbler, performance § No Comments

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The Vagina Monologues opened last weekend to an amazing audience.  Ladies traveled from Oconto and Wausau to see this inspiring and important play written by Eve Ensler. The mission of the play is to bring awareness to the violence woman face globally, nationally and locally. To further the efforts of local awareness, the Director teamed with Holy Family Memorial’s (SARC) Sexual Assault Resource Center to offer the organization an opportunity to share awareness about their program. Advocates are on hand each performance and a representative opens the show with facts about what is happening here in our county.

This project also partnered with the Domestic Violence Center and asked audience members to bring toiletry and feminine hygiene products. Manitowoc is listening, opening weekend brought in a great audience and generous donations. A portion of the ticket sales benefits SARC while monetary and product items benefits Domestic Violence of Manitowoc County. Tickets are still available for the upcoming performances of February 26, 27, March 5 and 6. Purchase tickets here.

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Happy Holidays from The Bubbler

§ December 24th, 2009 § Filed under bubbler § Tagged , , , § No Comments

The Bubbler wants to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! We hope you’ll be safe this holiday season and enjoy some quality family time. So far, no snow and ice as predicted.

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Creative Commons License photo credit: Angélique ~

It’s been a busy week for me and for the business. A last minute change of plans takes me out of town, on the bright side, I don’t have to clean the house!  I’ve ordered party favors and getting ready to decorate The Bubbler next week for our Ring in the New Year with Laughter.

Yesterday while taking to a friend made me curious. Have you ever kept a resolution?  What was it? A friend of mine made a resolution for 2009, to call me every time she heard Bon Jovi on the radio. It was a great one, not only did we get to sing a few notes, but it kept us connected all year. At The Bubbler, we resolve to keep you connected. Connected to laughter, connected to “avant garde” entertainment, connected to you as an audience member. We’ll make that resolution at our New Years Eve event. Won’t you join us? Tickets are still available.  Call Lisa now at 920-629-1506 or make your reservations online here.

Don’t forget to comment and tell me if you kept a resolution, and what was it?

Lisa 1

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Things are Bubbling at the Bubbler

§ December 3rd, 2009 § Filed under bubbler § No Comments

Well the push of the renovations is behind us, there is always something to do or add, but the space has been really transformed. We’ve got times now to start planning the fun stuff! See below at all the fun!

Bubbler
Creative Commons License photo credit: wka

  • December 4 and 5 we continue our run of the The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (buy a ticket if you haven’t seen it)!
  • December 6 – auditions for our next production is Sunday @ 3pm for Hate Mail.
  • December 10 - The Babbling Bubblers Improv will be preforming at 7:30 p.m.
  • This weekend look for information about our New Years Eve Comedy night!

While all of that is going on, we are working hard to bring you a variety of shows for 2010. Our goal is encourage local producers to share their work. If you need information, contact me right away. We’ll be posting more information soon.

Oh and then add in all the paperwork, forms and things needed to run a business and whew.. I’m tired!

See you at an event real soon!

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Opening Night Success

§ November 24th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

All along our goal was to create a warm, inviting, intimate theatre. We wanted to create a place that provides the ultimate theatre experience, including running shows that are new to the area.

Last Friday night, we did that! All of us. We’d like to thank the cast, the audience, the Lisas, our spouses and many others that jumped in to help.

Opening night of The Bubbler and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues was smooth, and…oh yeah…HILARIOUS!   We got great feedback, one woman said, “this is so cool, I’ll come back” before the show even started!

We can’t wait to see you here in the near future.

Reindeer Montage web

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Finishing Details

§ November 15th, 2009 § Filed under bubbler § No Comments

We are now upon the last week of renovations. Putting all the finishing touches together. It has been really exciting to see the traffic slow down on Eighth street to give us a gander. Some have stopped for a very long time. This is why we don’t have brown paper bags on the window.

Santa's Tourist Trap
Creative Commons License photo credit: quinn.anya

The cast of The Eight are also doing tech week. They have put so much energy into their characters, it’s almost as if the role of  “dysfuntional” reindeer was made for them.

Off for more work at the theatre. While I’m there… purchase your tickets online or give Lisa 1 a call (920-629-1506) and we can take care of your order over the phone.

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Crunch Time

§ November 13th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

My cell phone lost all power today. The battery died in such a short time, I think it was due to the excessive text messages and phone calls. Today, was a crazy day. It started out confusing – we sealed the walls and it was confusing on how to successfully do the task. From there, it got harder.

Stressed Out Call Center Robot
Creative Commons License photo credit: Migraine Chick

Contractor and inspector calls made us frantic. We only have eight more days.

However, by 11pm Lisa, Carl and I were sitting comfotrably in a dimly light theatre space, a very cool and funkified theatre space and peace seemed to set in.

There are still a million things to do – a couple of bigger jobs, they will get done! It will be o.k.

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It’s 2:20 AM!

§ November 10th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § Tagged § No Comments

One might think that since I have been working enormous amounts of hours, I should be falling into bed from exhaustion. As a new business owner with so many more details to complete, I’m staring into the dark towards the ceiling.

Worried toilet muppet
Creative Commons License photo credit: PetroleumJelliffe

I worry… I worry the floors won’t be done, the ticket/beverage counter won’t be installed, and the chairs won’t be painted in time. Today was a breakthrough in seeing what has evolved over the last five weeks. Yes, FIVE.

Then I start to think about the amazing amount of support we have been getting from our friends. Friends that stop by to gawk at how beautiful our place is, which is a great pick me up. Friends that have pulled a nail, tossed out some garbage or painted a bit. To our new friends that we have made, simply by asking to enter during the construction phase. It has been truly awesome.

I must thank my husband for his amazing talent, abilities and quickness in shaping this project. While there has been many hands involved in getting this done, the big jobs as well as experience fell to Carl. THANKS for helping us bring this dream into reality.

Ok back to worrying… I worry you all won’t have a seat at our opening show of The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. We are an intimate venue and we only hold 40 people per show, so please make me stop worrying and get your tickets.

Lisa 1

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Audition Notice – The Vagina Monologues

§ November 2nd, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § Tagged § No Comments

Auditions for “VDay 2010 presents The Vagina Monologues” will be held at the Bubbler Theatre, 421 N. 8th St. Manitowoc, on Friday Nov 6th at 6:30pm and Sunday Nov 8th at 3:00pm. Production dates will be in February to correspond with VDay and its mission to end violence against women both locally and around the world. Portions of the proceeds to benefit the VDay Movement and the Manitowoc County Domestic Violence Center. If you have any questions or need more information please contact (920) 629-1506

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The Eight: Reindeer Monologues Auditions

§ October 22nd, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

Auditions this Saturday, October 24 at 10 am at The Bubbler, 421 N. Eighth Street, Manitowoc, WI – casting three females and five males. Show to run mid November to mid December.

A scandal happens at the North Pole and the reindeer spill their guts. A play for those on the naughty list.

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Hired Gig

§ October 18th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

Babbling Bubblers SLC 075We were asked to perform at Silver Lake College last Sunday. It was a really great time! The kids were more than willing to participate and the result was we got to have a show of our own. We are thankful to Silver Lake College for allowing us to entertain and also to the kids, who made the show very successful!

If you want to hire us, just contact The Babbling Bubblers

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Second Day in a Row: HTR article on The Bubbler!

§ October 8th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

Yes…the Manitowoc HTR is being very very good to the Bubbler! Thank you Ben Wideman! We had a a teaser picture in Wednesday’s edition, the Weekend Cover Story in Thursday’s edition, then on Friday a nice little article in the October HTR YOU Magazine, a publication they put out about women in business. This article is the reason that the Lisas took their cavorting fountain pictures.  We were surprised to see this article, though!  We thought that they had decided to put us in the Weekend Magazine instead.  Turns out we were in both!

From the Manitowoc HTR YOU Magazine published Oct 2, 2009  by Benjamin Wideman, photo by Lisa Heili:
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Manitowoc’s Lisa Callsen and Lisa Heili, owners of The Bubbler Theatre, have founded The Babbling Bubblers Improv Troupe.

The comedy troupe will be based at The Bubbler Theatre, 421 N. Eighth Street, Manitowoc, in the near future. It will perform four shows this month at Manitowoc Coffee, 836 S. Eighth Street, Manitowoc – at 7:30 p.m. on October 3, 10, 17, and 24.

Recently Callsen and Heili attended a three-day session for improv at the famous Second City Training Center. Among Second City’s Alumni are Tina Fey, Mike Meyers, Chris Farley, and Stephen Colbert.

“We believe in training and providing tools for our troupe to grow,” Callsen said. For more information visit www.thebubblertheatre.com.

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Cover Story in Manitowoc HTR Weekend Magazine

§ October 7th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

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October 1, 2009 By: Benjamin Wideman Published in the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
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Who needs Cliffs Notes when you’ve got Bradley Tavares?

At the debut performance of The Babbling Bubblers improv comedy troupe in August, the Manitowoc man acted out the seven-book, 4,000-page “Harry Potter” saga in — drum roll, please — one minute.

And he only had a few seconds to prepare.

“It went about as well as anybody could have guessed,” said a chuckling Tavares, who dabbled in improv while attending Dartmouth College. “It went pretty quick. I got in the main parts, some Quidditch, Snape, Dumbledore. It was fun.

“That kind of set an expectation for what an audience can expect at our shows. Expect the unexpected. Expect a lot of fun. Other players and I have been able to match that energy level and creativity in every show since. … I just think it’s fantastic that a start-up company like this, especially in the arts, is doing so well, so early.”

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The side-splitting laughter continues Saturday when the Manitowoc-based Babbling Bubblers perform at 7:30 p.m. at Manitowoc Coffee, 836 S. Eighth St., Manitowoc. The Babbling Bubblers also have shows scheduled at Manitowoc Coffee for Oct. 10, 17 and 24.

Newspaper 1 001 group webIn addition to Tavares, troupe performers include The Bubbler Theatre co-owners Lisa Callsen and Lisa Heili, both of Manitowoc, as well as fellow Lakeshore residents Evan Thornton, Tommy Lee Kirby, Courtney Neumeyer, Benjamin Leist, Dawn Steckmesser, Jim Steckmesser, Heli Tattari, Steve Thiele, Juliet Kosarzycki, Abraham Heili and “mascot” Libby Steckmesser. Performers range in age from 18 through late 40s. Their shows are similar to those seen on the TV program “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

In a few weeks, The Babbling Bubblers will have a place to call home — Callsen and Heili recently signed a lease to open the 40-seat Bubbler Theatre at 421 N. Eighth St., Manitowoc.

The idea for the troupe and theater blossomed last spring, when Callsen and Heili met while working on The Masquers’ show, “Lost In Yonkers.”

“When I was on the set of ‘Yonkers,’ ” Callsen said, “it really hit me that I couldn’t produce the one-woman show I wanted to and put it on at the Capitol Civic Centre. I’m not looking to fill 1,100 seats. I know what black-box theater is, and that’s what I wanted: a more intimate setting.  I always wanted to be able to provide a business to entertain.”

Heili, who was in charge of makeup for “Lost In Yonkers,” was intrigued by the concept.

“I thought it was very interesting, and I wanted to help her bring this to fruition,” Heili said. “And we’ve pulled it all together.

“The shows have been going well. They’ve gotten a better response than we hoped for, since we’re new. They’re very responsive audiences. We’re getting an established group of patrons, and there are new people every time.”

The troupe rehearses twice a week — two hours each on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings. Members range from those with virtually no stage experience to those who are seasoned performers.

Regardless, they all start from scratch once the lights turn on.

“There are no scripts,” Callsen said. “Everything is off the cuff.”

Callsen added that she doesn’t get nervous: “I love the attention. I think it’s great. It’s wonderful.”

However, mental blocks come with the territory.

“Getting stumped happens to all of us when we’re up there,” Tavares said. “The main thing is to keep the story going as best you can and have fun.”

Added Callsen: “There’s always something that might stump you. That’s what makes improv great. It’s funny. It’s not about perfecting lines.”

To help arm their troupe with additional improv knowledge, Callsen and Heili recently participated in a three-day seminar at the Second City Chicago Training Center, whose alumni includes Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.

“It was overwhelming, but in a good way,” Heili said. “We were given amazing instruction that made us both far better improvers and better teachers of improv.

“Improv isn’t about trying to be funny; it’s about going into a situation with another person on stage, and the comedy happens with how the audience reacts to the situation you’re in. I learned more about what improv is supposed to be.”

Said Callsen: “The tools and techniques we learned were amazing, and we were able to bring them back to our troupe.”

The Babbling Bubblers aren’t the only people expected to occupy the stage at The Bubbler Theatre once it’s up and running. (“Bubbler” is the word people in this part of the Midwest use to describe a drinking fountain. Callsen found it humorous. Hence, the name).Newspaper 1 001 side web

Callsen and Heili intend to rent the theater to other performers — musicians, poets, etc. — “who want a cozy venue,” Callsen said.

“Manitowoc is a creative, artistic community,” Heili said. “With the Capitol being a fairly large venue, it’s expensive to put on a show there. So only people who tend to be in groups and have some pockets to dig into are able to put on big shows there.

“We’re looking for people who want to express creativity and haven’t had a chance to do it around here.”

Just don’t expect to see Tavares’ one-minute “Harry Potter” show at the new theater.

“That was a one-time deal,” he said. “If you didn’t see it, you missed it.”

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The Future Home of The Bubbler Theatre – 421 N Eighth Street

§ September 28th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

We signed the lease on our venue last Thursday and have been busy deconstructing it ever since, oh yeah, along with providing you with quality Improv Entertainment. Lisa 1’s husband Carl is in charge of our renovation and he works like twenty men…seriously. Here is a peak at the building before we started, and the deconstruction that has ensued to this point. Stay tuned for more!

rounded orange and white space

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Exciting Photoshoot at the HTR!

§ September 23rd, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

Yesterday the two Lisas gave a command improv performance inside the photo studio at the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.  They are running a cover story about us, our improv group, and our future theater in the Weekend Section for Thursday, October First.  How do you take interesting, improv worthy photos in a small, if well lit, porridge colored room?  Well, you improv of course!  We treated HTR photographer, Sue Pischke, to a short crazy improv performance involving Ben and Jerry, a mental breakdown, a vacation in Hawaii, the tight buns of a cabana boy, and a new Ben and Jerry’s flavor: Corona with Lime.

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Improv in a jiffy!

§ September 20th, 2009 § Filed under improv § No Comments

When you are in a pinch for entertainment, there is nothing like improv to fill  the void.

Last Thursday was The Masquers, Inc general meeting, it was the first one after the long summer break. It’s that meeting where all the minutes get read.

masquers

This meeting rarely has entertainment planned. The new President, Luan Leonardelli, had a last minute brain bubble. She asked us, The Babbling Bubblers, to pop in to be the entertainment. She’s doing a great job already, way to go Prez!

Improv is the perfect fill for “on-the-go” entertainment. If you are in a pinch and you need some improv be sure to call us, we’ll be there in a jiffy (ok, but really, we’d love as much notice as possible).

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Exciting Audition Experience

§ September 7th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § Tagged , , , , , , § No Comments

Want to have fun with the Babbling Bubblers? Want to learn about improv? Come and play a bit of improv!

Our exclusive audition tryout allows you to witness all the fun for free. It’s not only an audition, it’s a performance!

This Thursday, September 10th, join the Babbling Bubblers as we conduct a fun and participatory event. It’s open to anyone interested in being considered for the troupe or those that just want to watch the hilarity ensue.

See us at Stumpjacks 1606 Washington St., Two Rivers, we start at 7pm!

Stumpjack

On another note, Stumpjacks has a Thirsty Thursday special. Check it out!

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Lisa and Lisa’s Second City – Chicago Road Trip

§ September 1st, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

Lisa and Lisa are so happy to have trained at The Second City – Chicago last week.  The feeling upon arriving at orientation was overwhelming. Seeing pictures of comedic greats like Gilda Radner, John Candy, Chris Farley and so many more made us feel the aura of genius as we walked the halls.  We were there for a 3 day intensive improv course covering material that normally takes 15 weeks…gulp!  Jessica, our teacher, was amazing and we made many new friends and contacts there.  While in Chicago we made the most of the opportunity and saw Sketch Comedy and Improv shows at Second City, iO, and The Annoyance.

second city montage web

The Lisas Take Chicago

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The Babbling Bubblers’ Premier Event Was a Huge Success!

§ August 24th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § Tagged , , , , , § No Comments

Babbling Bubblers Premier 8x10 format webThank you all for coming to our first performance at Manitowoc Coffee!  We had an amazing audience and an amazing show.  If you missed Bradley’s one minute rendition of the Harry Potter Saga, we feel sorry for you, because it was one of the most entertaining things we’ve ever seen on stage.  This performance will never happen again, but you can come and check us out next weekend, August 29th at 7:30 at Manitowoc Coffee for our second show.  Come and witness some more groundbreaking comedic history being made in Manitowoc Wisconsin!!!  You’re only complaint will be that your belly is a little sore from so much laughter.

Premier Cast party massage web
After the show: The Babbling Bubblers bring massage to new heights, per the expression on Tommy Lee’s face.

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Second City Improv Intensive – Next Week!

§ August 21st, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

Lisa and Lisa are attending a 3-day improv intensive workshop at:The Second City – Chicago

Second City Chicago


We are very excited and can’t wait to share our experience with you. The adventure is sure to be a memory maker!

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Renegade Troublemakers?

§ August 18th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § Tagged , , , , , , § No Comments

Who is that strange group of people gathering around Manitowoc’s Water Fountai (SLAP) I mean Bubblers?  Yes!!!!  It’s the Babbling Bubblers Improv Troupe!!!

web Milwaukee Zoo and Bubblers 165

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animoto – The Babbling Bubblers Audition

§ July 29th, 2009 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

Woo Hoo

more about "animoto – The Babbling Bubblers Audition", posted with vodpod

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