From Joanna Horowitz, Communications Department
Tuesday we had the meet-and-greet for the next show we're opening in the Leo K, Blue Door. The staff consensus was that this might have been one of our best meet-and-greets ever. Coming off two weeks of rehearsal in New York, the cast of two (Reg E. Cathey and Hubert Point-Du Jour) and director Leigh Silverman seem really relaxed and comfortable with each other. So much so, that Leigh shared the funny story of how she cast Hubert. Apparently she was really determined to cast an older, experienced actor in Hubert's part, which requires him to play over 20 characters or different ages, races and genders. But the rather young Hubert (I'm still trying to dig up his age) just floored them during the audition. So much that as soon as he left, they called him right away and asked him to come back in (he had gotten as far as the bathroom), where Leigh drilled him with questions like "are you SURE you can handle this?" Hubert was sure. You might have seen the other half of the cast, Reg, on the TV show The Wire where he plays Norman Wilson. Leigh made sure we all knew TV Guide had declared that the E of his middle name must stand for Excellent.
All backpatting aside, I think this show is going to be really cool. I've been entrenched in creating the lobby display (when you come to the show, look for the big posters in the Rotunda and imagine me hard at work at my computer), and have gotten to do a lot of research on the show, playwright Tanya Barfield, and some of the show's themes. Blue Door is about an insomniac mathematics professor who is confronted by his ancestors during a sleepless night. Their stories about slavery, Black Power and academia get him thinking about what it means to be black, especially a black man. The interesting thing about this show? It was written by a black woman and directed by a white woman. I think that's just a testament to this play's ability to speak to everyone. I mean, we all have ancestors. We all have stories. We're all searching for something.
The play deals a lot with the issues of double conciousness: how the main character Lewis views himself as a black man versus how others view him. Everyone has a sense of double conciousness, I think. I do being half Jewish. I'm also a small town girl in a big city, which gives me another sort of duality. I'd be interested to know what other kinds of double conciouness exist. Thoughts?
Through the Blue Door
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Labels:
Blue Door,
Hubert Point-Du Jour,
Leigh Silverman,
Leo K.,
Reg E. Cathey,
Tanya Barfield,
The Wire
Star Struck
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Labels:
Ariel Dorfman,
August Wilson,
Brad Pitt,
David Esbjornson,
Edward Albee,
Gem of the Ocean,
Heather Raffo,
Phylicia Rashad,
The Lady from Dubuque,
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,
Zoo Story
From Joanna Horowitz, Communications Department
Forgive me for the lapse in posts. Lots of blog-worthy things have happened this week, I've just been recovering from a fantastic (read: late and wine-filled) opening night. But here we are, Friday. The Lady From Dubuque has opened and is getting strong reviews already. Read Misha Berson's take on the play in today's Seattle Times. She says, "(David) Esbjornson tracks down every nuance, comic and tragic, in a script that does keep surprising you." But of course I'm paid to market the show and can hardly be trusted, so read it yourself.
Monday night Edward Albee was here for Stage Voices, a free, non-regular series we put on at the Rep that lets audience members engage in a more intimate dialogue with theatre artists. Last season we did one with Ariel Dorfman and another with Heather Raffo (playwright of 9 Parts of Desire). It's pretty amazing to get to peer into the heads of some incredibly talented and smart people. Or, in the case of Mr. Albee, one of the greatest American playwrights, um, ever. He was funny, insighftul, and spoke with the sternly playful authority of a man who has written nearly 30 plays.
On his writing process: He doesn't like to talk about it because he doesn't really have a process. He puts his trust completely in his characters. He knows they're ready to be in his play when he can go to the beach and write a 20-minute improvised, not-int-the-actual-play scene with them that's truthful. He writes long hand because then he can write anywhere and besides he doesn't trust computers.
On the state of theater: "For every 100 plays I read, one is good." He said the state of theater is OK when there are three or four playwrights who really get it, who are really creating works that help us understand what it is to be human.
On becoming a playwright: As a teenager he wrote bad stories and even worse poetry. But one of his stories had a brilliant first line: "Everything in Rome is uphill." He was great at imitating other writers, but didn't really find his voice until he wrote his first play, Zoo Story.
On the title Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?: He saw it written on a mirror in a bar in Greenwich Village.
Mr. Albee stuck around for opening night and was approached or at least eyed by many-a admirer. For us theatre people, it's kind of like having Brad Pitt around, except shorter and smarter (sorry, Brad). I didn't meet him personally, but I did get to interview Phylicia Rashad today who was here casting Gem of the Ocean, which she is directing here in March. This is her directorial debut, though she's very familiar with the play having starring in it on Broadway. She had a lot of passionate things to say about August Wilson's work, but I found the most endearing part of our conversation when my tape recorder kept stopping and she suggested we name it Priscilla and stroke it gently to get it to keep working. For the most part, it was a very relaxed, comfortable interview, although I did have a moment or two of, "Um, this is Mrs. Huxtable!" I think the play will be amazing. She has this graceful presence about her that I can tell is just going to flow out her fingers and cover the entire production (why does that sentence make me think of Spiderman?).
This blog is getting awfully long. Is anyone reading these? Leave a comment or something and let me know. If I don't hear from you, I will assume I have free reign to say anything, and my next blog will probably be about how I spent my weekend.
Forgive me for the lapse in posts. Lots of blog-worthy things have happened this week, I've just been recovering from a fantastic (read: late and wine-filled) opening night. But here we are, Friday. The Lady From Dubuque has opened and is getting strong reviews already. Read Misha Berson's take on the play in today's Seattle Times. She says, "(David) Esbjornson tracks down every nuance, comic and tragic, in a script that does keep surprising you." But of course I'm paid to market the show and can hardly be trusted, so read it yourself.
Monday night Edward Albee was here for Stage Voices, a free, non-regular series we put on at the Rep that lets audience members engage in a more intimate dialogue with theatre artists. Last season we did one with Ariel Dorfman and another with Heather Raffo (playwright of 9 Parts of Desire). It's pretty amazing to get to peer into the heads of some incredibly talented and smart people. Or, in the case of Mr. Albee, one of the greatest American playwrights, um, ever. He was funny, insighftul, and spoke with the sternly playful authority of a man who has written nearly 30 plays.
On his writing process: He doesn't like to talk about it because he doesn't really have a process. He puts his trust completely in his characters. He knows they're ready to be in his play when he can go to the beach and write a 20-minute improvised, not-int-the-actual-play scene with them that's truthful. He writes long hand because then he can write anywhere and besides he doesn't trust computers.
On the state of theater: "For every 100 plays I read, one is good." He said the state of theater is OK when there are three or four playwrights who really get it, who are really creating works that help us understand what it is to be human.
On becoming a playwright: As a teenager he wrote bad stories and even worse poetry. But one of his stories had a brilliant first line: "Everything in Rome is uphill." He was great at imitating other writers, but didn't really find his voice until he wrote his first play, Zoo Story.
On the title Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?: He saw it written on a mirror in a bar in Greenwich Village.
Mr. Albee stuck around for opening night and was approached or at least eyed by many-a admirer. For us theatre people, it's kind of like having Brad Pitt around, except shorter and smarter (sorry, Brad). I didn't meet him personally, but I did get to interview Phylicia Rashad today who was here casting Gem of the Ocean, which she is directing here in March. This is her directorial debut, though she's very familiar with the play having starring in it on Broadway. She had a lot of passionate things to say about August Wilson's work, but I found the most endearing part of our conversation when my tape recorder kept stopping and she suggested we name it Priscilla and stroke it gently to get it to keep working. For the most part, it was a very relaxed, comfortable interview, although I did have a moment or two of, "Um, this is Mrs. Huxtable!" I think the play will be amazing. She has this graceful presence about her that I can tell is just going to flow out her fingers and cover the entire production (why does that sentence make me think of Spiderman?).
This blog is getting awfully long. Is anyone reading these? Leave a comment or something and let me know. If I don't hear from you, I will assume I have free reign to say anything, and my next blog will probably be about how I spent my weekend.
College, Cocktails, etc.
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Labels:
arts,
cocktails,
College theatre,
internship,
The Lady from Dubuque
From Joanna Horowitz, Communications Department
Other things happening at the Rep:
Tonight is College Connections, a subscriber series for college students interested in theatre. They get to meet each other at a pre-show reception and then see the show. I only wish we had had something that cool where I went to school (but that's what you get for going to college in rural Washington). In conjunction, tonight is also our first-ever Arts Career Fair. You need to RSVP to attend, but if you're reading this and thinking, "Wow, I'm looking for an internship or entry-level job in the arts," get on the phone and call Winnie at 206-443-2210.
Some of our staff are not braving the snow, so it's a quiet day. But at least our offices aren't flooded like the INTIMAN's.
Tonight is the first preview of The Lady From Dubuque. Misha Berson previewed the show in today's arts section of the Times. You can read it here. Personally, I'm most excited about the ENORMOUS glass wall that is part of the set.
I have started brainstorming ideas for the Lady specialty cocktail. Stop by the bar during the run of the show (Jan. 11-Feb. 10) and try The Afterlife, which will probably be some delicious concoction of Grey Goose, Kahlua and other stuff. I'm going down to the bar later to "experiment."
Other things happening at the Rep:
Tonight is College Connections, a subscriber series for college students interested in theatre. They get to meet each other at a pre-show reception and then see the show. I only wish we had had something that cool where I went to school (but that's what you get for going to college in rural Washington). In conjunction, tonight is also our first-ever Arts Career Fair. You need to RSVP to attend, but if you're reading this and thinking, "Wow, I'm looking for an internship or entry-level job in the arts," get on the phone and call Winnie at 206-443-2210.
Some of our staff are not braving the snow, so it's a quiet day. But at least our offices aren't flooded like the INTIMAN's.
Tonight is the first preview of The Lady From Dubuque. Misha Berson previewed the show in today's arts section of the Times. You can read it here. Personally, I'm most excited about the ENORMOUS glass wall that is part of the set.
I have started brainstorming ideas for the Lady specialty cocktail. Stop by the bar during the run of the show (Jan. 11-Feb. 10) and try The Afterlife, which will probably be some delicious concoction of Grey Goose, Kahlua and other stuff. I'm going down to the bar later to "experiment."
Can you mid-size that?
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Labels:
Book-It,
Cynthia Fuhrman,
Jerry Manning,
Lori Larsen,
mid-size theater,
Seattle Shakespeare Company,
Seattle theater,
The Empty Space,
Theater Schmeater,
Washington Ensemble Theatre
From Joanna Horowitz, Communications Department
So, I've been letting Paul do most of the talking (typing?) about The Lady from Dubuque process, and maybe you've been thinking, "Where's Joanna? I can barely live without her!" (well, a girl can dream). Here I am.
First off, John Logenbaugh had an article in last week's Seattle Weekly about whether or not Seattle is really a theatre town. You can read it here. I've been thinking a lot about what John says, essentially that Seattle is seeing a severe deficit in mid-sized theaters and that's hurting us. Now that the Empty Space is closed, there's a sizable gap between fringe theaters (and there are lots and many of really high quality) and the "big houses" like us at the Rep. This clearly affects those of us working in theatre--it means less places to work that can afford to pay actors, directors, etc.
The question I have is, how does the lack of mid-sized theaters impact us as audience members. Will the gap change what we see on stage? I don't feel completely confident in answering these questions, being relatively new to the Seattle theater scene and to the Rep. But my very knowledgeable boss Cynthia Fuhrman may have some answers.
According to Cynthia, who also just had this same conversation with Rep Casting Director Jerry Manning, widening the gap between fringe and large theaters will mean Seattle will be less likely to retain the young actors who move here or stay here after school. They will act in fringe theaters like WET and Theater Schmeater, but most won't be able to make the leap to ACT, INTIMAN or the Rep without the stepping stone of a theater like Empty Space. That means eventually you'll see fewer local actors on the big stages.
It also means you won't have the opportunity to see an actor like Lori Larsen in a fantastic production like Frozen in an intimate 120-seat venue. Someone like Lori can't really perform with a fringe theater because of Equity contracts and the fact that most fringe companies can't afford to pay. So, with mid-sized theaters dwindling, your opportunity to experience professional quality theater with really great veterens in an intimate setting also dwindles.
Finally, it's a pretty common belief, said Cynthia, that the more theater that is available, the more people to see it. It's more accessible (if there's theater in your neighborhood, you're more likely to go see it), and you have broader options to match up with your taste. And once you see enough that you connect with, the more you get in the habit of going (like heroin, Cynthia said, but I think she was joking).
So what can we do to try to slow and reverse this trend? Well, for one, don't stop going to theater. All kinds of theater. We say now in hindsight, "Wow, I wish I would have gone to the Empty Space more." So, go to the mid-sized theatres in Seattle: Book-It, Seattle Shakespeare Company, etc. And go to the smaller fringe theatres, especially the ones that you think have a potential to grow: maybe WET, Theater Schmeater, Seattle Public, Balagan. With our support, they may be the next generation of mid-size theatres.
Ok, off the soapbox for the day.
So, I've been letting Paul do most of the talking (typing?) about The Lady from Dubuque process, and maybe you've been thinking, "Where's Joanna? I can barely live without her!" (well, a girl can dream). Here I am.
First off, John Logenbaugh had an article in last week's Seattle Weekly about whether or not Seattle is really a theatre town. You can read it here. I've been thinking a lot about what John says, essentially that Seattle is seeing a severe deficit in mid-sized theaters and that's hurting us. Now that the Empty Space is closed, there's a sizable gap between fringe theaters (and there are lots and many of really high quality) and the "big houses" like us at the Rep. This clearly affects those of us working in theatre--it means less places to work that can afford to pay actors, directors, etc.
The question I have is, how does the lack of mid-sized theaters impact us as audience members. Will the gap change what we see on stage? I don't feel completely confident in answering these questions, being relatively new to the Seattle theater scene and to the Rep. But my very knowledgeable boss Cynthia Fuhrman may have some answers.
According to Cynthia, who also just had this same conversation with Rep Casting Director Jerry Manning, widening the gap between fringe and large theaters will mean Seattle will be less likely to retain the young actors who move here or stay here after school. They will act in fringe theaters like WET and Theater Schmeater, but most won't be able to make the leap to ACT, INTIMAN or the Rep without the stepping stone of a theater like Empty Space. That means eventually you'll see fewer local actors on the big stages.
It also means you won't have the opportunity to see an actor like Lori Larsen in a fantastic production like Frozen in an intimate 120-seat venue. Someone like Lori can't really perform with a fringe theater because of Equity contracts and the fact that most fringe companies can't afford to pay. So, with mid-sized theaters dwindling, your opportunity to experience professional quality theater with really great veterens in an intimate setting also dwindles.
Finally, it's a pretty common belief, said Cynthia, that the more theater that is available, the more people to see it. It's more accessible (if there's theater in your neighborhood, you're more likely to go see it), and you have broader options to match up with your taste. And once you see enough that you connect with, the more you get in the habit of going (like heroin, Cynthia said, but I think she was joking).
So what can we do to try to slow and reverse this trend? Well, for one, don't stop going to theater. All kinds of theater. We say now in hindsight, "Wow, I wish I would have gone to the Empty Space more." So, go to the mid-sized theatres in Seattle: Book-It, Seattle Shakespeare Company, etc. And go to the smaller fringe theatres, especially the ones that you think have a potential to grow: maybe WET, Theater Schmeater, Seattle Public, Balagan. With our support, they may be the next generation of mid-size theatres.
Ok, off the soapbox for the day.
Rehearsal: An Actor's Blog, Day 10
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Labels:
Edward Albee,
Paul Stetler,
The Lady from Dubuque
A daily rehearsal blog from actor Paul Stetler, playing Edgar in The Lady from Dubuque.
Our last 10 out of 12. We finished teching Act 2 and then ran the whole show. The first act seems to be in fairly good shape. Act 2 still needs some work. A day off tomorrow and then back at it on Tuesday.
Mr. Albee is scheduled to fly in from New York at the end of next week and he will stay through our week of previews and attend opening night. I’m very excited to meet him and look forward to his input and any suggestions he may offer up.
-Paul
Our last 10 out of 12. We finished teching Act 2 and then ran the whole show. The first act seems to be in fairly good shape. Act 2 still needs some work. A day off tomorrow and then back at it on Tuesday.
Mr. Albee is scheduled to fly in from New York at the end of next week and he will stay through our week of previews and attend opening night. I’m very excited to meet him and look forward to his input and any suggestions he may offer up.
-Paul
Rehearsal: An Actor's Blog, Day 9
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Labels:
Beth Clancy,
costumes,
David Esbjornson,
Paul Stetler,
tech rehearsal,
The Lady from Dubuque
A daily rehearsal blog from actor Paul Stetler, playing Edgar in The Lady from Dubuque.
Long day. 12 noon to 12 midnight, with a two-hour dinner break. Got through Act 1 and spent the next 8 hours on Act 2. Will finish tomorrow and try to do a run of the show. The set is beautiful but much bigger than I had imagined. We’re all trying to adjust to the difference between it and the relative intimacy we had in the rehearsal room. David made a number of staging adjustments as we worked through the Act that I found very helpful.
The cast looks fantastic in Beth’s costumes. She has me wearing an off-white cashmere turtleneck in the first act. I hate turtlenecks. But I gotta admit it really works for the character I’m playing. Edgar is most definitely a “turtleneck” guy.
-Paul
Long day. 12 noon to 12 midnight, with a two-hour dinner break. Got through Act 1 and spent the next 8 hours on Act 2. Will finish tomorrow and try to do a run of the show. The set is beautiful but much bigger than I had imagined. We’re all trying to adjust to the difference between it and the relative intimacy we had in the rehearsal room. David made a number of staging adjustments as we worked through the Act that I found very helpful.
The cast looks fantastic in Beth’s costumes. She has me wearing an off-white cashmere turtleneck in the first act. I hate turtlenecks. But I gotta admit it really works for the character I’m playing. Edgar is most definitely a “turtleneck” guy.
-Paul
Rehearsal: An Actor's Blog, Day 8
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Labels:
In the Rehearsal Room
A daily rehearsal blog from actor Paul Stetler, playing Edgar in The Lady from Dubuque.
I seem to have fallen behind in my blogging again. Sorry. These last two weeks we’ve been working very hard on staging the show and trying to find the right balance of tone and style. This is a difficult show in that it’s a true ensemble piece. Most plays consist of two or three person scenes and, as actors, we get used to taking our cues off our scene partners. But the first act of “Dubuque” is an extended scene between six characters and everyone is equally involved. We all need to learn exactly what the other five actors are doing and saying throughout the entire act. Everyone is a part of the action and, for it to work well, we have to be in complete sync with each other. There’s a sort of musicality to the dialogue. I can only imagine this is how musicians must feel when their individual instruments come together to make something fuller and richer than their particular component. When it works, it’s pretty amazing. (But, boy-oh-boy, when we get off rhythm, it can be pretty stinky.)
Tomorrow, we begin technical rehearsals. Which means we get to move out of the rehearsal room and onto the Bagley Wright Stage. The next few days, as we accustom ourselves to the stage, our designers will be focusing lights and adding texture and detail to the set, costumes and props.
-Paul
I seem to have fallen behind in my blogging again. Sorry. These last two weeks we’ve been working very hard on staging the show and trying to find the right balance of tone and style. This is a difficult show in that it’s a true ensemble piece. Most plays consist of two or three person scenes and, as actors, we get used to taking our cues off our scene partners. But the first act of “Dubuque” is an extended scene between six characters and everyone is equally involved. We all need to learn exactly what the other five actors are doing and saying throughout the entire act. Everyone is a part of the action and, for it to work well, we have to be in complete sync with each other. There’s a sort of musicality to the dialogue. I can only imagine this is how musicians must feel when their individual instruments come together to make something fuller and richer than their particular component. When it works, it’s pretty amazing. (But, boy-oh-boy, when we get off rhythm, it can be pretty stinky.)
Tomorrow, we begin technical rehearsals. Which means we get to move out of the rehearsal room and onto the Bagley Wright Stage. The next few days, as we accustom ourselves to the stage, our designers will be focusing lights and adding texture and detail to the set, costumes and props.
-Paul
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