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Friday, October 24, 2008
Celebrating Jean Claude van Itallie
Friday, October 3, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
the blog that won't write itself
It's been a bit of a ride since I closed in August: OsageCounty. Not happy to say good-bye to the best company of actors on the planet! I'm crossing my fingers I'll be back with the play again soon. I think it could very well happen. Seen in the audience the week I was there: Al Pacino, Michael Kahn, Kati Tong, my former college roommate Jeff Polsky. Goodbye August! See you on the campus, as they say.
On Monday, August 25, I attended a screening of a new film produced by my friend Dennis Ostermaier. The film is called House of Satisfaction, written and
produced by Jesse Hartman. Hartman is convincing as a down and out junkie with a real genius for the smart rock lyric. But the story of "making right" with his family by stealing junk from a Cleveland mafia didn't hold up nearly as well. The films' best moments shine when they remind us all of the east village that once was. The Village of Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction, of indie films just taking off, of brave performances like those of Santo Fazio. It's a very worthwhile movie, and I hope it finds its place on the circuit soon.Also on Monday night, I ran cross town from Tribeca to catch an
evening of new solo work by performance artist David Cale at Joe's Pub.
I have loved David for over a decade, ever since I saw him perform in The Redthroats at Second Stage, as well as in Smooch Music. David is developing a new show of mesmerizing monologues based mostly around the themes of, well, love. David weaves a story about a hansome cab driver who becomes a male prostitute for wealthy ladies on the upper east side. He circles in the world of art and finance, giving his "customers" an opportunity to be excited by a young man that is virile and romantic, charming and self-effacing, eloquent without condescension. And there is plenty of sex. I'll not betray any of the comedic effects, but what I will say is that here is a performer at the top of his game. He's open, lovely, raw ---he takes us through the journey on an emotional level. And that level is often funny. Very, very funny. Thank you David for a wonderful night in the theater. We can't wait to catch you again soon!The next day....Tuesday....I began my MFA Program in Directing at Brooklyn College. That calls for a separate, or many separate blogs. So I leave you only with this simple thought from the great political director Erwin Piscator:
From a Radio Broadcast aired by West Berlin Radio on December 16, 1987:
"The concept of political theatre clings to me like a shirt. Not even today can I comprehend that there could be art without politics. I simply cannot comprehend it...Not because I do not want to comprehend it or because I have a theory about it, but quite simply because I do not see...theat we are allowed to remove politics from art...And politics in art is as permanent and natural as saying 'a-b-c'. There is nothing else. But there never has been anything else."
Tanks for comin'.
Wayne
Thursday, July 31, 2008
My Broadway Debut!
PINCH ME! This can't be happening!!
Tomorrow night the short film I shot last summer, Wake, will be receiving its premiere at the Tribeca Cinema. They're showing the film in both theaters, and apparently it's completely booked. As if that weren't cool enough, today I got a call from my agent that I landed a role in August: Osage County on Broadway! How is this possible??
I've spent twenty-four years in New York, working some, mostly regional theater, the occasional TV gig. And just when I made plans to return to grad school this fall (I'll be attending the MFA Directing Program at Brooklyn College)...bam! I start to get work! What does it all mean?
Well, first of all, a little explanation. I'm only going into the show for one week. Yes, one week only on Broadway. I'll be playing the role of Steve Heidebrecht, which means that actor Brian Kerwin must be going on vacation for a week. Which is awesome! I'll be joining a cast that includes the legendary Estelle Parsons! What a way to make a debut!
There must be something to the act of resignation. Not that I ever planned on leaving acting. However, just knowing that come September I will be taking my career into my own hands, no longer at the whims of fickle fortune and the casting powers-that-be, released me somehow. I wasn't desperate. I no longer needed the role. It would simply be fun! That's all. Consequently I went into the audition relaxed, confident, present. My only objective was to have fun and I didn't care at all whether I got the job. This is an important lesson, but one which cannot be replicated mechanically. I couldn't have achieved it simply by pretending not to care, or tricking myself into having something better to do. It had to be actualized. And so it was.
I'll be opening in the show on August 19 and closing on August 24. Get your tickets now!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
A Catered Affair
Today is the final show of A Catered Affair, the new musical by John Bucchino (with a book by Harvey Fierstein). I caught a matinee yesterday, getting in right under the wire, thanks to a cheap ticket on TDF. (If you don't know TDF, check it out. It's the only affordable way to see what's happening in New York without breaking your bank account.) It was important for me to see this show because my friend Richie Jackson was one of the producers. What would I say if I ran into him? "Oh, sorry, I missed your Broadway show!?"
But maybe it would've been better if I hadn't seen it. I still won't know what to say to Richie, although, the end-product is hardly the fault of a hard-working producer. I could understand what he saw in it, especially given the strength of the source material: a teleplay by Paddy Chayefsky and a Warner Brothers motion picture written by Gore Vidal. Add to that combination the presence of Harvey Fierstein as both writer and star, and it seems like a sure-thing. So where did this production go awry?
Creating a work of theater is like cooking. Straight plays are easier, like cooking supper for a group of friends. The better the recipe the better the meal. You may miss some ingredients, over or under-cook, substitute rice for potatoes, but in the end it will still taste pretty good if you stick to the main idea. Throw in some nice Chablis and all is forgiven.
Musicals are quite a different animal. They are like serving a ten-course dinner to a group of strangers. Like preparing, well...a catered affair. So many things can go wrong: bad choice of entree, too few hors-d'oeuvre, wrong choice of linen, not enough glass-ware. It takes extraordinary planning and command to pull off an event of that magnitude. And so it is in the theater. There more ingredients are in the mix, the more margin there is for disaster.
Nothing about A Catered Affair was a disaster. Zachary Borovay's projection design won the day, proving that filmic elements can be successfully used in the theater in a way that isn't so obvious. Brilliantly incorporated into David Gallo's set design, the projections embraced the production, giving us time, place, mood, and character. Ann Hould-Ward's costume design was functional, if not phenomenal, and Brian Macdevitt's lighting design worked seamlessly within the intricacies of the projections. If the sound design failed at any level it was owing to the decision to mic everything to the point of excess. The Walter Kerr isn't a large theater, but it is an old, acoustically-challenged one. A great performer like Faith Prince, however, doesn't need a mic in a space this size. It made her sound tinny and removed. At the design level, though, the show was a success.
Where it missed its mark, I think, is in both the score and the direction. The music, like the production was simply flat. There never seemed to be any emotional justification for the characters breaking into song. So many of the songs were exposition, and the style of the writing was non-lyrical. There wasn't a "hummable" tune in the entire show. (Even the spoken/sung quality of Caroline or Change had a least a couple of melodic lines to follow.) If there's never any "event" that raises the stakes up so a character has to sing rather than speak, then either the entire show should be spoken (a play) or sung (an opera). Otherwise, the audience doesn't know what world we're in.
I think the biggest mistake of all, however, was the choice of John Doyle as director. Sure, he's done some great work with musicals in the past, but working with new composers isn't in his repertoire. He likes a lean production, and gives a modern look to all his shows by paring them down to the essential. There's never a single extra prop, chair, set piece, or even a single movement by an actor that would be deemed in any way unnecessary to telling the story. It's a concert-style of acting, and the simplicity and honesty it conveys works beautifully for the shows of Stephen Sondheim. But Paddy Chayefsky is a different animal. His work grew out of the Group Theatre in the 1950's and his writing is all about character. Mr. Doyle certainly understands this, but he didn't give his performers enough of a sense of place and time, enough dramatic conflict. There seemed to be nothing at stake for these characters, their struggles seemed small and unimportant. There wasn't enough love imbued in the playing.
Maybe it was the end of the run and the actors were simply deflated. The closing of a show is a very sad time for a company, and the energy can just seep right out of the playing. But I must confess, I found myself checking my watch, looking at the lights, thinking about the projections, wondering when something, anything would actually happen. It never did.
A Catered Affair played 116 performances since its opening on Broadway in April of this year. It had a remarkable cast, a brilliant design team, and the strength of a very good story. But somehow it just didn't work. It was like sitting at a wedding reception poking your fork into a bland piece of chicken, and wishing you'd eaten before you arrived.
Friday, July 18, 2008
My Tribeca Film Premiere!
Friday, August 1st, 8PM Tribeca Cinema 54 Varick Street @ Canal Dress to Impress!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Requiem, MASS
OKAY, this is admittedly a shameless promotion for a dear friend of mine who has written his...wait for it....sixth novel. The name of the book is Requiem, MASS. and for those you who have not yet heard of it, remember, you heard it here first! John Dufresne is an extraordinary writer, having written such classic novels at Louisiana Power & Light, Love Warps The Mind A Little. and Johnny Too Bad. John has also published a book of short stories (The Way That Water Enters Stone) as well as an inspriring textbook on the art of writing: The Lie That Tells The Truth. Such prolificness! And he's also a wonderful human being to boot. We collaborated for several years on a play called Trailerville which received its New York premier in the spring of 2000. John is my friend, mentor, and sometime drinking buddy. Buy mostly he's my favorite contemporary novelist, bar none. So do yourself a huge favor a go find this new novel immediately. This is a writer at the top of his game, and the book is sure to be unlike the kind of story you might expect.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Signs of the Times
I've been remiss on my blogging. Apologies. I launched right into directing a show as part of the Algonquin Theater's One-Act Festival. The play is 5 O'Clock by Richard Brockman, and it will be seen this Friday (7/11), and possibly again on Sunday (7/13) if chosen as a finalist. I've also been working daytimes and burning the proverbial candle at all three ends. But I'm also exhilarated. FYI - I haven't finished blogging about the Lincoln Center Director's Lab. I have several pages of notes on our final guest - Anna Shapiro. But I haven't yet had the time to post them. So do return to see them. Meanwhile...here are some sightings from the streets.
(From my friend Paul Bartlett)... a sign posted in front of an East Village Restaurant:
"I really want the fish but the waiter keeps pushing his sausage."
And today on First Avenue, a dirty young white boy begging for change held up a sign that read:
"My parents were captured by swamp donkeys. Please help."
Only in New York, folks. Only in New York.
See you at the theater.
Wayne
(From my friend Paul Bartlett)... a sign posted in front of an East Village Restaurant:
"I really want the fish but the waiter keeps pushing his sausage."
And today on First Avenue, a dirty young white boy begging for change held up a sign that read:
"My parents were captured by swamp donkeys. Please help."
Only in New York, folks. Only in New York.
See you at the theater.
Wayne
Friday, June 20, 2008
Lincoln Center Directors Lab #17
Friday 6/6 Bartlett Sher was our guest-du-jour. What a treat! He's spent alot of time at Lincoln Center this year, directing the impossible-to-get-a-ticket-for revival of South Pacific. He won a Tony Award for best director this year for the show. But he didn't know that yet when he sat down to talk to us at the lab. Sher is himself an alumni of the LCT Directors Lab, having passed through it the very first year. So it was somewhat of a homecoming for him. He was jet-lagged but not fatigued, his mind racing with thoughts on directing. He said many, many things. I tried to keep up with notes, but sometimes it was just more interesting to watch him formulate his ideas rather than keeping my face in a notebook. Here are some things he said.
"I always tell directors when I speak to them these four keys to success: do alot of work, see alot of work, stay out of debt, and get out of New York."
The room gasped when he said this. For one thing, most of us in the room are up to our eyeballs in debt, so that was a little disappointing. But "get out of New York"!? This prompted a big discussion about the virtues and pitfalls of plodding along with a career in the most expensive city in the country. Sher said "I guarantee you that if you are in some small city somewhere making the most fantastic, phenomenal theater, New York is going to find you." Hmm. He may be right. His own path certainly proves that point. He took up a job as an assistant director with Garland Wright at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. From there, Bart directed shows all over the country, and even worked as an assistant to Sir Peter Hall for two shows so he could learn more about directing Shakespeare. Sher has an insatiable appetite for knowledge and has studied the masters, both living and dead. He talked at great length about the influence of Giorgio Strehler. He extensively studied the work of Tadeus Kantor, and was obsessed with V.E. Meyerhold, going so far as to stage one of his shows exactly by using his notes. For Sher, he wanted to know the entire history of theater up to his time, so he could really understand the tradition that he was carrying forth.
The next provocative statement Sher made was "First we throw out all the British!" There were a handful of Brits in the room, and their objections were vocal but genial. But he makes a good point, and that is that we must find our own voices as artists - as American artists. We have to believe more in ourselves and invest more in our identity as a country.
About directing Sher said, "Directing is an interpreting art form, not a creative art form." We are there to serve the play. The writer is really the creator. (This stands in exact opposition to a statement made by Anna Shapiro the following evening at the lab.) The real task is to "create as many possibilities as possible to contact the work."
"Directing involves design, analysis, space and movement, communication, leadership, rhythm."
"[a play] is an arc of action over time."
"Read John Barton for Shakespeare."
"PRACTICE!"
Sher talked about the usefulness of floorplans. "I'm doing an expressionist painting even when I'm directing an Edward Albee play." He appealed to us to learn about the masters: Craig, Appia, Meyerhold.
"Work on more than one thing at a time. You must be layered in your approach."
"I look at my theater as a front for a subversive organization."
"Everything is site specific!" (Semiotics)
That's pretty much all I wrote down. Like I said, this is a charismatic, captivating man. One of the big lessons I will take away from the lab is the passion that all great directors bring, not only in the rehearsal room, but in their life - all the time. Thank you Bart!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Lincoln Center Directors Lab #16
Wednesday 6/4
The wonderful thing about posthumous blogging is that I can say things like "today I attended the
Tony Award winning play Passing Strange" ...a week before the Tonys. Passing Strange did win a Tony for Best Book of a Musical, which is actually a little sad given the frivolity of the plot: boy gets high, boy goes to Europe, boy gets high, boy meets girl, boy gets high, boy meets another girl, boy stays in Europe while his Mom dies, getting high and meeting girls. Boy feels guilty and writes Tony Award winning musical. I did enjoy the show, however. The music was engaging, and the staging, while still in a glorified "rehearsal mode" (with chairs acting as the main vehicle for scene changes and the band playing live onstage) was none-the-less delivered confidently by a very talented cast. Why is this show on Broadway, instead of running downtown at, say, a Darryl Roth theater? I have no idea. It feels out-scaled in the Belasco theater. But it should continue to draw good crowds, especially since winning a Tony.
The real highlight of my day at the Lincoln Center Director's Lab, however, was the presence of
legendary director Jack O'Brien at our morning session. O'Brien -- who won the Tony Award for Best Director last season for The Coast of Utopia -- is absolutely captivating. He is energetic, enthusiastic, inspiring. Something that all of the guest directors at the Lab have shared in common. It is their presence, their enthusiasm, their ability to bring you immediately into their confidence that is the hallmark of their leadership. O'Brien has been working in the theater for a long time, so I was particularly eager to hear everything he had to say about directing. Here is a summation of my notes from our question and answer session with O'Brien.
"Let me begin with a pre-amble," O'Brien said, before fielding questions from Anne Cattaneo. "I started out with a company called the APA Rep, coming out of the University of Michigan. I was very lucky to work with such talents as Helen Hays, John Houseman, and Ellis Rabb. There seems to be some mystique these days about directors. [you must support each other in your efforts]...Reach out for each other! Root for, admire each other! Don't hold on to the past. Move on!"
Almost as soon as the "lecture" began, O'Brien was on his feet. He realized that some of the directors sitting in the back of the room might not be able to see him if he remained seated. He didn't sit down again for the remainder of the hour and a half. His movement was youthful, energetic, invigorating. He was on fire. It was as if he wanted to ignite everyone in the room with his enthusiasm and energy, and he seemed to have plenty of energy to spare.
O'Brien went on to talk about the role of the director: "To inspire and unify the company. You don't steer the ship. You embrace it - generously. I speak generously of what I do, I try to excite people about what we do. I embrace my own excitement. Then tease, provoke the actors to discover it for themselve. Then they own it!"
Some more O'Brien quotes:
"Speak in musical terms - phrases of music, sounds of instruments...staccatto, legato."
"Technique is for the nights you don't feel it."
"You get far on enthusiasm and support...bringing the actors into the same world."
"Find yourself as naked as possible in the experience."
"Emotions don't change. Clothes change."
At this point, O'Brien went into a lecture on the physiology of the human eye, the anatomy of the optic nerve. He spoke about the language of film, and about how we all share information. His objective is to engage the audience in such a way that "your ocular nerve is so charged you want to watch not to listen."
"....[theater] is not a passive environment. I invite the audience to play with me!"
He then began to talk about that moment in rehearsal when the actor just needs to get moving. It's terrifying. But it's better to get on your feet and just do something. "Let's try it! Let's try something," I tell them. "Get it moving. Don't be God. Don't make them God. The process of discovery is the best possible path."
Jack then told us a story about the way Tyrone Guthrie rehearsed the play Mary Stuart starring Eva La Gallienne. Irene Worth was playing Queen Elizabeth, and in the play each monarch had their own contingency of actors. So he rehearsed both groups separately for several weeks. They'd never even met each other. Then, when he brought the two groups together near the end of rehearsals, there was a genuine sense of competition, of unfamiliarity. The responses were completely natural. Guthrie apparently was about 6'4", and one day he just walked out of rehearsal. He said "nothing is going on here" and left. When he came back things were greatly improved. He put the honus on the actors, and not on himself.
Hint to actors: Come to rehearsal off-book. Memorize!
Hinto to directors: Let the poison out! (Listen to everyone's complaints equally.)
If an actor is giving you difficulty there are only two possible reasons:
When asked 'what inspires you personally?', O'Brien's answer was "Dance. I'm inspired by watching dance."
Directing a show in the round is useful. It teaches you all about axis.
Patterns are fascinating.
Director/Choreographer relationships can be tricky. Musicals become adversarial very quickly. Bond with the choreographer. Live with them. Hold them in your arms at rehearsal.
Any advice on Shakespeare? "Yes. Cut it!"
"Put the sex onstage!"
"Scene transitions are most important. We're lagging behind filmmakers. This is part of your elegant care."
"Verse plays speak to the sub-conscious. Sub-conscious is the poetry of sleep."
Problems with American actors? "We value sincerity in acting. We must focus much more on voice training. Make a ribbon of your speech. A scarlett ribbon in a blue sky!"
"Try to allow the actor to have a relationship with the playwright. The director is just there to make sure that nobody gets hurt."
Thank you Jack!
The wonderful thing about posthumous blogging is that I can say things like "today I attended the
Tony Award winning play Passing Strange" ...a week before the Tonys. Passing Strange did win a Tony for Best Book of a Musical, which is actually a little sad given the frivolity of the plot: boy gets high, boy goes to Europe, boy gets high, boy meets girl, boy gets high, boy meets another girl, boy stays in Europe while his Mom dies, getting high and meeting girls. Boy feels guilty and writes Tony Award winning musical. I did enjoy the show, however. The music was engaging, and the staging, while still in a glorified "rehearsal mode" (with chairs acting as the main vehicle for scene changes and the band playing live onstage) was none-the-less delivered confidently by a very talented cast. Why is this show on Broadway, instead of running downtown at, say, a Darryl Roth theater? I have no idea. It feels out-scaled in the Belasco theater. But it should continue to draw good crowds, especially since winning a Tony.The real highlight of my day at the Lincoln Center Director's Lab, however, was the presence of
legendary director Jack O'Brien at our morning session. O'Brien -- who won the Tony Award for Best Director last season for The Coast of Utopia -- is absolutely captivating. He is energetic, enthusiastic, inspiring. Something that all of the guest directors at the Lab have shared in common. It is their presence, their enthusiasm, their ability to bring you immediately into their confidence that is the hallmark of their leadership. O'Brien has been working in the theater for a long time, so I was particularly eager to hear everything he had to say about directing. Here is a summation of my notes from our question and answer session with O'Brien."Let me begin with a pre-amble," O'Brien said, before fielding questions from Anne Cattaneo. "I started out with a company called the APA Rep, coming out of the University of Michigan. I was very lucky to work with such talents as Helen Hays, John Houseman, and Ellis Rabb. There seems to be some mystique these days about directors. [you must support each other in your efforts]...Reach out for each other! Root for, admire each other! Don't hold on to the past. Move on!"
Almost as soon as the "lecture" began, O'Brien was on his feet. He realized that some of the directors sitting in the back of the room might not be able to see him if he remained seated. He didn't sit down again for the remainder of the hour and a half. His movement was youthful, energetic, invigorating. He was on fire. It was as if he wanted to ignite everyone in the room with his enthusiasm and energy, and he seemed to have plenty of energy to spare.
O'Brien went on to talk about the role of the director: "To inspire and unify the company. You don't steer the ship. You embrace it - generously. I speak generously of what I do, I try to excite people about what we do. I embrace my own excitement. Then tease, provoke the actors to discover it for themselve. Then they own it!"
Some more O'Brien quotes:
"Speak in musical terms - phrases of music, sounds of instruments...staccatto, legato."
"Technique is for the nights you don't feel it."
"You get far on enthusiasm and support...bringing the actors into the same world."
"Find yourself as naked as possible in the experience."
"Emotions don't change. Clothes change."
At this point, O'Brien went into a lecture on the physiology of the human eye, the anatomy of the optic nerve. He spoke about the language of film, and about how we all share information. His objective is to engage the audience in such a way that "your ocular nerve is so charged you want to watch not to listen."
"....[theater] is not a passive environment. I invite the audience to play with me!"
He then began to talk about that moment in rehearsal when the actor just needs to get moving. It's terrifying. But it's better to get on your feet and just do something. "Let's try it! Let's try something," I tell them. "Get it moving. Don't be God. Don't make them God. The process of discovery is the best possible path."
Jack then told us a story about the way Tyrone Guthrie rehearsed the play Mary Stuart starring Eva La Gallienne. Irene Worth was playing Queen Elizabeth, and in the play each monarch had their own contingency of actors. So he rehearsed both groups separately for several weeks. They'd never even met each other. Then, when he brought the two groups together near the end of rehearsals, there was a genuine sense of competition, of unfamiliarity. The responses were completely natural. Guthrie apparently was about 6'4", and one day he just walked out of rehearsal. He said "nothing is going on here" and left. When he came back things were greatly improved. He put the honus on the actors, and not on himself.
Hint to actors: Come to rehearsal off-book. Memorize!
Hinto to directors: Let the poison out! (Listen to everyone's complaints equally.)
If an actor is giving you difficulty there are only two possible reasons:
- He is terrified.
- You're not listening to him.
When asked 'what inspires you personally?', O'Brien's answer was "Dance. I'm inspired by watching dance."
Directing a show in the round is useful. It teaches you all about axis.
Patterns are fascinating.
Director/Choreographer relationships can be tricky. Musicals become adversarial very quickly. Bond with the choreographer. Live with them. Hold them in your arms at rehearsal.
Any advice on Shakespeare? "Yes. Cut it!"
"Put the sex onstage!"
"Scene transitions are most important. We're lagging behind filmmakers. This is part of your elegant care."
"Verse plays speak to the sub-conscious. Sub-conscious is the poetry of sleep."
Problems with American actors? "We value sincerity in acting. We must focus much more on voice training. Make a ribbon of your speech. A scarlett ribbon in a blue sky!"
"Try to allow the actor to have a relationship with the playwright. The director is just there to make sure that nobody gets hurt."
Thank you Jack!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Lincoln Center Director's Lab: The Final Week, Day 15
It's been five days since the Lincoln Center Directors Lab came to a close. I stopped blogging somewhere near the end of the second week. Week three was just too intense, and I didn't want to miss anything. Each day I think back on the Lab and remember something new - a face, a joke, a hint, a pearl of wisdom, a bit of craft. On the first day of the Lab Anne Cattanneo said "This is like director's boot camp." She was right. I'm now going to look back over my notes from the last week and try to condense them here. Maybe they will be helpful to you. They definitely will be helpful to me as I look back in years to come. To be sure there are things I missed. There may be some notes I jotted that now seem out of context. If I mis-quote or mis-represent any of the speakers at the Lab, my apologies in advance. And gratitude to all!
Tuesday 6/3
In the morning there were rehearsals happening of two new plays: Brokenbrow by Ernst Toller (adapted by Lab Member Alex Harvey) and The Sleeping World by Crystal Skillman. (The Sleeping World was of particular interest to me as it is a play based upon my late friend, playwright John Belluso.)
The guest speaker Tuesday afternoon was playwright Sarah Ruhl. Sarah is one of the most
sought-after young American playwrights. Her work includes The Clean House which won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2004 and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. Her play Eurydice ran at New York's Second Stage, as well as across the country, and Passion Play opened at Washington's Arena Stage in 2005. She is a 2006 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. Sarah is completely unpretentious in person: calm, open, thoughtful. She spoke many times of the importance of her teachers, in particular playwright Paula Vogel, whom she studied with at Brown.
Sarah's "assignment" was to speak to the Lab about Expressionism in playwrighting, but she said she preferred the term "Magical Realism". This was also the phrase that John Belluso used for his work. John and Sarah had also known one another, so there certainly is a shared connection in their work. Sarah traced expressionism in writing through the work of Georg Buchner. Buchner's work reflected the inner working of a character's mind, as opposed to the omniscience of the playwright in earlier work. She said that Dadaism was too self-conscious as a style, and that her own work emerges more out of a need to tell a particular story, rather than create any specific "style". "As a writer," says Ruhl, "don't know what your style is, and don't fall in love with it." One assignment she was given by Paula Vogel was to "write a play that is impossible to stage." This simple exercise opened her up to the possibilities of theater. The imagination is vast, and too often playwrights are inhibited by their colleagues and critics. "The word 'clarity' should be banished when discussing new work."
When asked about what she might look for in a director, Ruhl was concise: "Balance. A strong leader bringing something muscular into the room. Don't let the playwright dominate."
How does she start a play? "I have an image, a voice, a scrap - no idea where it will go."
On play development: "I like to hear my plays in a living room. I hate readings."
Who are the writers she admires? "Caryl Churchill, Maria Irene Fornes, Elizabeth Egroff. And of course, Paula Vogel."
When writing a play about a difficult topic, Sarah again quoted the advice of her mentor Vogel: "If I said I was going to write a play about my brother dying of AIDS, I would never get off the couch. It's too depressing. But I can write a play about my brother taking a trip, meeting a kindergarten teacher along the way, having a great adventure..."
Thank you Sarah Ruhl for an inspiring afternoon and conversation.
Tuesday Evening - International Directors Conversation
One of the really great things about the LCT Directors Lab is the diversity of the participants from all corners of the globe. It's easy to become myopic in our views of theater as practiced only in America. So for this evening, Anne hosted a conversation with the lab's international directors. Here are some highlights:
Germany - Lutz Kessler and Andreas Robertz
Israel - Yoni Oppenheim
Lab member Yoni Oppenheim was born in the U.S., trained at NYU, but has spent a great deal of time in Israel. Any conversation about theater in Israel of course begins with the Habima, the national theater of Israel, and one of the first Hebrew-language theaters. Israel as a nation has the highest per-capita audience attendance in the world. Theater plays a central role in the culture, helping to create the national story. So much so, that there is even a theater division within the Israeli army. Some of the artists that Yoni cited were Hanoch Levin, a prominent Israeli writer and director who passed away in 1999; Nissim Aloni; and the Gesher Theater. Yoni also spoke of the emergence of Ethiopian theater, Arab-Israeli theater, and the Dybbuk Festival which is held each year at the Habima.
Italy - Erika Tasini and Nicola Zucchi
Italy is a country with a population of about 60 million people. Theater is not as strong as it might be because, as is the case in U.S., there is virtually no funding for the arts. The funding that was put into place as part of Italy's budget many years ago - overseen by the FUS - was never adjusted for inflation. As a result, each year the resources devoted to theater are shrinking at a rate equal to cost-of-living increases.
There are really three traditions of theater that have sprung forth from Italy:
Some of the great directors that define theater in Italy include: George Strehler and Luchino Visconti - fathers of the modernist movement; Paulol Rossi (not the famous soccer player with the same name); and Dario Fo. Like Germany, Italy is steeped in the idea of "director as dictator". Nicola described the state of theater in Italy as an "emergency". There seems to be a need for new ideas and processes, especially at the larger theater venues.
Erika Tasini teaches theater at Cal Arts and Nicola Zucchi has established a theater in Italy as well as a summer festival MASSERIA LO JAZZO.
The Phillipines - Sean Renfro
Sean Renfro spent much of his youth living in the Phillipines, especially in Manila. The Phillipines is a "country" comprised of about 7,000 islands with disparate languages and cultures. His experience there as an actor was that "basically there is no theater". It is a third-world country, and like most impoverished nations, people don't have the luxury of making theater. There are a few small theaters in Manila. Mostly they perform musical theater. He recalls that plays about Catholicism were around, and plays about colonialism (such as "Our Country's Good") were also popular.
Finland - Jaakko Nousiainen
Finland is a nation of only 5 million people, yet there are 60 state theaters in the country! Since gaining their independence from Russia in 1917, Finland has developed a great cultural heritage. One thinks of the great composer Jean Sibelius. The Fins are quite proud of Alexis Kivi, a playwright, poet, and novelist whose major work was Seven Brothers. Theater in Finland became quite radical during the 1960's and 70's. One company that came up in the 1980's, called Thurkka, single-handedly changed the Finnish Theater. They were a company that employed a lot of techniques of physical theater, striving to shock their audience. In 1987 a group of student performers who called themselves Theater of God, actually defecated onstage, and threw feces at members of the audience. This was the end of so-called "experimental" theater in Finland. In the 1990's Finland has turned its attention toward the craft of playwriting, play development, and a more disciplined approach to making theater. Some of the most interesting groups working today are Kom Theater, Group Theater, and Q Theater. Many women now are working as playwrights and directors in Finland. Each summer Finland draws crowds from around the world for its famous Tampere Theater Festival.
Zimbabwe - Styx Mhalanga
Zimbabwe gained independence from the UK in 1980, and has been fraught with conflict as a nation ever since. There is no commercial theater in Zimbabwe whatsoever. Whatever theater existed during the British occupation was for whites only. But there is a strong tradition of gathering together for singing in dancing in the various townships. After independence, other countries began investing in Zimbabwe's cultural expression - especially the Scandinavian countries. Styx has been working to establish a the Amakhosi Cultural Center dedicated to music, theater, and film. Many new writers are coming forward in spite of the oppressive statewide censorship. There is some investment in theater for young people. Much of the work for writers comes by the way of AIDS initiatives, writing soap operas to educate the masses, and of course it's all quite safe and censored. There is alot of work to be done in Zimbabwe. YOU CAN HELP! According to Styx, one of the things they most need are books. Any and all books on performing, filmaking, playwrighting, acting, plays, novels - anything - would be greatly appreciated. You can send your extra copies to this address: Amakhosi Theatre, Box 7030, P.O. Mzilikazi, Zimbabwe.
China - Mo Zhou
Mo Zhou grew up on both mainland China as well as Hong Kong. She speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. She received her training in traditional Peking Opera, but was adamant to articulate that "Peking Opera" is not one style or genre. It is specific to each of its many regions. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. Western theatrical traditions arrived in China in the early 1900's. Much of the "western" theater performed in China is led by young people for young audiences, and often has more political content. Western plays tend to appear mostly in the mainstream in Hong Kong. The state-funded theaters in Beijing and Shang-Hai are more traditional, offer more physical theater with less emphasis on language. Audiences are considered small if attendance is less than 1,000 people. With a lack of good playwrights and directors, funding for these theaters may be in jeopardy. Mo mentioned some theaters in Taiwan that are incorporating traditional Chinese theater (old plays) with a new context. Among the theaters mentioned: Cloudgate Theater, and Contemporary Legend Theater (Wu Hsing-Kuo, director).
Mexico - Maria Morett
I came to learn on the last day of the lab that Maria and I have traveled similar paths. Maria began as a singer in Mexico. I began as a singer at the New England Conservatory of Music. Maria has also worked at LaMaMa ETC, and counts Ellen Stewart among her great theatrical parents. These days, Maria travels all over the world directing theater and opera. She writes and collaborates on new projects as well. She recently opened an opera in Tijuana. I look forward to following her work.
Tuesday 6/3
In the morning there were rehearsals happening of two new plays: Brokenbrow by Ernst Toller (adapted by Lab Member Alex Harvey) and The Sleeping World by Crystal Skillman. (The Sleeping World was of particular interest to me as it is a play based upon my late friend, playwright John Belluso.)
The guest speaker Tuesday afternoon was playwright Sarah Ruhl. Sarah is one of the most
sought-after young American playwrights. Her work includes The Clean House which won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2004 and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. Her play Eurydice ran at New York's Second Stage, as well as across the country, and Passion Play opened at Washington's Arena Stage in 2005. She is a 2006 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. Sarah is completely unpretentious in person: calm, open, thoughtful. She spoke many times of the importance of her teachers, in particular playwright Paula Vogel, whom she studied with at Brown.Sarah's "assignment" was to speak to the Lab about Expressionism in playwrighting, but she said she preferred the term "Magical Realism". This was also the phrase that John Belluso used for his work. John and Sarah had also known one another, so there certainly is a shared connection in their work. Sarah traced expressionism in writing through the work of Georg Buchner. Buchner's work reflected the inner working of a character's mind, as opposed to the omniscience of the playwright in earlier work. She said that Dadaism was too self-conscious as a style, and that her own work emerges more out of a need to tell a particular story, rather than create any specific "style". "As a writer," says Ruhl, "don't know what your style is, and don't fall in love with it." One assignment she was given by Paula Vogel was to "write a play that is impossible to stage." This simple exercise opened her up to the possibilities of theater. The imagination is vast, and too often playwrights are inhibited by their colleagues and critics. "The word 'clarity' should be banished when discussing new work."
When asked about what she might look for in a director, Ruhl was concise: "Balance. A strong leader bringing something muscular into the room. Don't let the playwright dominate."
How does she start a play? "I have an image, a voice, a scrap - no idea where it will go."
On play development: "I like to hear my plays in a living room. I hate readings."
Who are the writers she admires? "Caryl Churchill, Maria Irene Fornes, Elizabeth Egroff. And of course, Paula Vogel."
When writing a play about a difficult topic, Sarah again quoted the advice of her mentor Vogel: "If I said I was going to write a play about my brother dying of AIDS, I would never get off the couch. It's too depressing. But I can write a play about my brother taking a trip, meeting a kindergarten teacher along the way, having a great adventure..."
Thank you Sarah Ruhl for an inspiring afternoon and conversation.
Tuesday Evening - International Directors Conversation
One of the really great things about the LCT Directors Lab is the diversity of the participants from all corners of the globe. It's easy to become myopic in our views of theater as practiced only in America. So for this evening, Anne hosted a conversation with the lab's international directors. Here are some highlights:
Germany - Lutz Kessler and Andreas Robertz
- Germany is home to over 150 publicly supported theaters, 250 private theaters, and 100 touring companies which all together bring more than 100,000 performances per year to the country.
- The German National Theater in Weimar (where Goethe began the German tradition of writing for the theater) has a rep company that performs 25 plays in a season.
- Some of the most important German directors today are Peter Stein of the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Claus Peymann of the Tower Theater in Frankfurt, and Peter Zadek, the impresario of theater in Hamburg.
Israel - Yoni Oppenheim
Lab member Yoni Oppenheim was born in the U.S., trained at NYU, but has spent a great deal of time in Israel. Any conversation about theater in Israel of course begins with the Habima, the national theater of Israel, and one of the first Hebrew-language theaters. Israel as a nation has the highest per-capita audience attendance in the world. Theater plays a central role in the culture, helping to create the national story. So much so, that there is even a theater division within the Israeli army. Some of the artists that Yoni cited were Hanoch Levin, a prominent Israeli writer and director who passed away in 1999; Nissim Aloni; and the Gesher Theater. Yoni also spoke of the emergence of Ethiopian theater, Arab-Israeli theater, and the Dybbuk Festival which is held each year at the Habima.
Italy - Erika Tasini and Nicola Zucchi
Italy is a country with a population of about 60 million people. Theater is not as strong as it might be because, as is the case in U.S., there is virtually no funding for the arts. The funding that was put into place as part of Italy's budget many years ago - overseen by the FUS - was never adjusted for inflation. As a result, each year the resources devoted to theater are shrinking at a rate equal to cost-of-living increases.
There are really three traditions of theater that have sprung forth from Italy:
- Opera
- Commedia del'arte
- Matadore (a theater company based around a star)
Some of the great directors that define theater in Italy include: George Strehler and Luchino Visconti - fathers of the modernist movement; Paulol Rossi (not the famous soccer player with the same name); and Dario Fo. Like Germany, Italy is steeped in the idea of "director as dictator". Nicola described the state of theater in Italy as an "emergency". There seems to be a need for new ideas and processes, especially at the larger theater venues.
Erika Tasini teaches theater at Cal Arts and Nicola Zucchi has established a theater in Italy as well as a summer festival MASSERIA LO JAZZO.
The Phillipines - Sean Renfro
Sean Renfro spent much of his youth living in the Phillipines, especially in Manila. The Phillipines is a "country" comprised of about 7,000 islands with disparate languages and cultures. His experience there as an actor was that "basically there is no theater". It is a third-world country, and like most impoverished nations, people don't have the luxury of making theater. There are a few small theaters in Manila. Mostly they perform musical theater. He recalls that plays about Catholicism were around, and plays about colonialism (such as "Our Country's Good") were also popular.
Finland - Jaakko Nousiainen
Finland is a nation of only 5 million people, yet there are 60 state theaters in the country! Since gaining their independence from Russia in 1917, Finland has developed a great cultural heritage. One thinks of the great composer Jean Sibelius. The Fins are quite proud of Alexis Kivi, a playwright, poet, and novelist whose major work was Seven Brothers. Theater in Finland became quite radical during the 1960's and 70's. One company that came up in the 1980's, called Thurkka, single-handedly changed the Finnish Theater. They were a company that employed a lot of techniques of physical theater, striving to shock their audience. In 1987 a group of student performers who called themselves Theater of God, actually defecated onstage, and threw feces at members of the audience. This was the end of so-called "experimental" theater in Finland. In the 1990's Finland has turned its attention toward the craft of playwriting, play development, and a more disciplined approach to making theater. Some of the most interesting groups working today are Kom Theater, Group Theater, and Q Theater. Many women now are working as playwrights and directors in Finland. Each summer Finland draws crowds from around the world for its famous Tampere Theater Festival.
Zimbabwe - Styx Mhalanga
Zimbabwe gained independence from the UK in 1980, and has been fraught with conflict as a nation ever since. There is no commercial theater in Zimbabwe whatsoever. Whatever theater existed during the British occupation was for whites only. But there is a strong tradition of gathering together for singing in dancing in the various townships. After independence, other countries began investing in Zimbabwe's cultural expression - especially the Scandinavian countries. Styx has been working to establish a the Amakhosi Cultural Center dedicated to music, theater, and film. Many new writers are coming forward in spite of the oppressive statewide censorship. There is some investment in theater for young people. Much of the work for writers comes by the way of AIDS initiatives, writing soap operas to educate the masses, and of course it's all quite safe and censored. There is alot of work to be done in Zimbabwe. YOU CAN HELP! According to Styx, one of the things they most need are books. Any and all books on performing, filmaking, playwrighting, acting, plays, novels - anything - would be greatly appreciated. You can send your extra copies to this address: Amakhosi Theatre, Box 7030, P.O. Mzilikazi, Zimbabwe.
China - Mo Zhou
Mo Zhou grew up on both mainland China as well as Hong Kong. She speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. She received her training in traditional Peking Opera, but was adamant to articulate that "Peking Opera" is not one style or genre. It is specific to each of its many regions. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. Western theatrical traditions arrived in China in the early 1900's. Much of the "western" theater performed in China is led by young people for young audiences, and often has more political content. Western plays tend to appear mostly in the mainstream in Hong Kong. The state-funded theaters in Beijing and Shang-Hai are more traditional, offer more physical theater with less emphasis on language. Audiences are considered small if attendance is less than 1,000 people. With a lack of good playwrights and directors, funding for these theaters may be in jeopardy. Mo mentioned some theaters in Taiwan that are incorporating traditional Chinese theater (old plays) with a new context. Among the theaters mentioned: Cloudgate Theater, and Contemporary Legend Theater (Wu Hsing-Kuo, director).
Mexico - Maria Morett
I came to learn on the last day of the lab that Maria and I have traveled similar paths. Maria began as a singer in Mexico. I began as a singer at the New England Conservatory of Music. Maria has also worked at LaMaMa ETC, and counts Ellen Stewart among her great theatrical parents. These days, Maria travels all over the world directing theater and opera. She writes and collaborates on new projects as well. She recently opened an opera in Tijuana. I look forward to following her work.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Directors Lab #10 - #11
Friday 5/30 - "How To Talk To A Lighting Designer"
This evening we had a panel discussion led by the lighting design team of Lincoln Center Theatre's production of The Coast of Utopia: Natasha Katz, Brian MacDevitt, and Kenneth Posner. It was a terrific discussions, and maybe one of the most useful panels of the whole lab. It's not always clear how and when to integrate the lighting designer's work in the process. Many good points were made. Here are some from my notes:
Friday 5/30 - Andre Bishop
Friday morning we were treated to a special visit and talk with the Artistic Director of Lincoln Center Theatre - Andre Bishop. Andre is one of the most intelligent and articulate personas in the American theater, and has succeeded in making Lincoln Center a great national theater where many before him have failed. He was candid and honest in his talk, and fielded questions on a variety of topics. He said that "producing is the intelligent exercise of your own taste." It isn't something you learn how to do over night. He talked about the toll the pressure of his job sometimes has on his life. But I was left with a feeling of inspiration, that somebody cared about theater so much, and was striving to achieve the very highest of artistic standards. Andre's choice in plays is never based upon clever structure. He reads a play for its performability. He likes writers who are idiosyncratic, who have a unique voice and strong convictions. He said LCT cannot take a risk with beginning or unproven directors. But beginning next year they are launching a new initiative called LCT III, which will bring to the stage newer, more experimental work.
Friday evening I attended a presentation on director Robert LePage. The talk was given by fellow lab member Joanie Schultz. I went in knowing almost nothing of LePage's work. I left feeling inspired, wanting to see more, hoping for an opportunity to check out his work when he directs the Ring Cycle at the Met in 2009.
"Dreams become reality and then you have to live with them." Robert LePage
Saturday 5/31 - Macbeth Presentations
This morning we saw the presentations from the directors who had been rehearsing Act III of Macbeth all week. They were instructed to move their rehearsals to different locations, including a loading ramp, a hallway, a bathroom, and a the smoke ring of the theater. The idea was to allow the location to inform the text, and see how it manifests itself in the playing. It's a good idea. I see how it could be a benefit to work with a play in this way. Unfortunately, for me, most of the work was self-involved, and unintelligible to the audience. American directors still don't get that Shakespeare's work is about the words. If we can't understand what the actors are saying, then we're never going to hear the play. Perhaps I judge my fellow directors too harshly. But I was completely underwhelmed at the level of the work.
Now on to the final week!
ciao - w.
This evening we had a panel discussion led by the lighting design team of Lincoln Center Theatre's production of The Coast of Utopia: Natasha Katz, Brian MacDevitt, and Kenneth Posner. It was a terrific discussions, and maybe one of the most useful panels of the whole lab. It's not always clear how and when to integrate the lighting designer's work in the process. Many good points were made. Here are some from my notes:
- Talk to a lighting designer like you would talk to an actor. In other words, speak to them in emotional terms. Say things like "I think this seen should be intimate" not "I think this scene should be darker." Don't rob them of their creative contribution. Trust them to do their work.
- Research is useful for a first meeting. The director should bring whatever he has to the table- images, thoughts, ideas. Also, always ask the designer to bring their research. And take the time to consider it.
- Lighting designers like it when the director says "this is what the play is about, this is how I see it."
- Think of light as another character. Speak about it with image and emotion. Lights will help to tell your story in very unexpected ways.
- Never use the words "warm" and "cool". Ever. Banish them from your vocabulary.
- Lighting designers can function as storyteller. Imagine them as telling the story of the play without words. This is the job they can do.
- After the very first run-thru of the play, the director will naturally want to know what his designers think of the work. But remember, the designer is just trying to take it all in. She is seeing the show for the first time. Give them a chance to just absorb it.
- Sometimes lighting design can make or break a show. Think of "Grand Hotel". Not much plot to go on there. But the design made it all very interesting.
- Without a strong director the lighting designer can become defensive, rather than offensive. Give them the respect they deserve and let them do their work as an equal!
- Lighting designer Jules Fisher used to say two things: Never put a drink on my tech table, and never ask me "is that it yet?"
- Don't "hunker down" during tech. Remain fluid. Stay active between he stage and the house. Use down time to work with the actors.
- Nobody knows what its going to look like until you walk into the theater.
- No idea is too small that a director shouldn't tell the designers.
Friday 5/30 - Andre Bishop
Friday morning we were treated to a special visit and talk with the Artistic Director of Lincoln Center Theatre - Andre Bishop. Andre is one of the most intelligent and articulate personas in the American theater, and has succeeded in making Lincoln Center a great national theater where many before him have failed. He was candid and honest in his talk, and fielded questions on a variety of topics. He said that "producing is the intelligent exercise of your own taste." It isn't something you learn how to do over night. He talked about the toll the pressure of his job sometimes has on his life. But I was left with a feeling of inspiration, that somebody cared about theater so much, and was striving to achieve the very highest of artistic standards. Andre's choice in plays is never based upon clever structure. He reads a play for its performability. He likes writers who are idiosyncratic, who have a unique voice and strong convictions. He said LCT cannot take a risk with beginning or unproven directors. But beginning next year they are launching a new initiative called LCT III, which will bring to the stage newer, more experimental work.
Friday evening I attended a presentation on director Robert LePage. The talk was given by fellow lab member Joanie Schultz. I went in knowing almost nothing of LePage's work. I left feeling inspired, wanting to see more, hoping for an opportunity to check out his work when he directs the Ring Cycle at the Met in 2009.
"Dreams become reality and then you have to live with them." Robert LePage
Saturday 5/31 - Macbeth Presentations
This morning we saw the presentations from the directors who had been rehearsing Act III of Macbeth all week. They were instructed to move their rehearsals to different locations, including a loading ramp, a hallway, a bathroom, and a the smoke ring of the theater. The idea was to allow the location to inform the text, and see how it manifests itself in the playing. It's a good idea. I see how it could be a benefit to work with a play in this way. Unfortunately, for me, most of the work was self-involved, and unintelligible to the audience. American directors still don't get that Shakespeare's work is about the words. If we can't understand what the actors are saying, then we're never going to hear the play. Perhaps I judge my fellow directors too harshly. But I was completely underwhelmed at the level of the work.
Now on to the final week!
ciao - w.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Directors Lab #6 - #8
I've fallen behind in my LTC Director's lab blogging effort. Part of me thinks that I owe it to myself to keep writing about this experience. Another part of me, however, feels like I'm betraying the lab process. Not that there's any big secret, or we're sworn to silence, or anything like that. It's just hard to view something when you're in the midst of it, and so much is happening that I will be doing a dis-service to my time here by trying to encapsulate it. I will, however, for the sake of obstinacy, persevere. Here are some highlights:
Saturday 5/24
We saw a presentation of excerpts from Oedipus directed by Styx Mhlanga. Styx, as I mentioned in a previous blog, came here all the way from Zimbabwe, where he has been harangued by the police and local government for his work. He was delayed getting into the country and his process was even shorter as a result. But it was astonishing to see what he created in such a short amount of time. He began to weave the story together using elements of African Dance in the chorus. I didn't see enough of his rehearsals with the principal actors to learn about that process. It is a powerful thing, however, to see thirty-odd people on stage moving together to tell a story. We rarely have such an opportunity here in the states. I would love to watch how a work like this would develop.
Saturday night, we were given an assignment called "Who Are We". Basically, we were each given thirty seconds to tell the rest of the group about ourselves and our work. Something about the time limit made everyone really cut to the chase. It was a good way to find out about my colleagues. We then played two really fun, easy games: cross the line (group divides in half, then "cross the line if____(you're from New York, for example): then a variation on musical chairs called "I love my neighbor who_____".
We then broke for Memorial Day.
Tuesday, 5/27
I didn't attend the sessions during the day, opting instead to catch some time at my day job and get a little scratch. Tuesday evening, however, I gave a presentation on Joseph Chaikin to about ten members of the lab. I was surprised to learn how many young directors didn't really know anything about Joe. They'd heard of The Living Theatre (and oddly, not the Open Theatre), and had some vague idea of the sixties, but not much else. I spent alot of time talking about Joe's biography and place in American theater history, but I was grateful for a chance to keep his memory alive.
After my talk, I attended another presentation by Lab member Andrew Simon on director Arthur Nauzyciel. I'd never hear of Arthur Nauzyciel. Andrew worked with him at Emory University. He directed the students in a site-specific production of Roberto Zucco by Bernard-Marie Koltès. It's difficult to get a true sense of any director's process without experiencing it first-hand. But Andrew did a great job of giving us some insight into the techniques of the French director. For one thing, he addressed the way in which American actors are completely overtaken by Stanislavski method. He believes that characters emerge when you remove any psychology, so the focus is strictly on the language - sentence by sentence - finding the rhythm and reading the text as a score.
Wednesday 5/28
I watch a bit of a rehearsal for Macbeth. There are four directors working on Act III at various locations throughout the building. The idea is to let the place, for example a bathroom, inform the work. I was sitting on a concrete ramp in a hallway that was very uncomfortable and it was hard to hear the actors. I only lasted an hour and then I went out for coffee. But the work seemed to be progressing well.
From 11am - 1pm there was a discussion with the resident stage managers here at Lincoln Center about the role of the stage manager in the rehearsal and production process.
In the afternoon, we attended a performance of The New Century, playing at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. A new play by Paul Rudnick, directed by Nicholas Martin, it's really four monologues loosely connected by the themes of homosexuality and death. Not terribly deep stuff, but there were some very funny moments, a little - very brief - full-frontal male nudity, and great character turns by Linda Lavin, Peter Barlett, and Jayne Houdyshell.
Before we left for the day, the stage manager handed each of us a piece of paper, on which was written this:
Question For Friday Discussions:
Take a globe of the world, and a long pin. Pierce the globe in any direction you choose and see where it emerges. Try to avoid the ocean. This is the country where you will be traveling to work.
Choose a play to bring with you that reflects the core beliefs of your country. This play should inform the country you are travelling to about what we believe in. Your adaptation or interpretation of this play might show a contemporary attitude towards these core beliefs.
What is the play you would bring? What is your "take" on it?
So, there you have it. For anyone wondering what's goin on at the Lincoln Center Directors Lab this year.
w.
Saturday 5/24
We saw a presentation of excerpts from Oedipus directed by Styx Mhlanga. Styx, as I mentioned in a previous blog, came here all the way from Zimbabwe, where he has been harangued by the police and local government for his work. He was delayed getting into the country and his process was even shorter as a result. But it was astonishing to see what he created in such a short amount of time. He began to weave the story together using elements of African Dance in the chorus. I didn't see enough of his rehearsals with the principal actors to learn about that process. It is a powerful thing, however, to see thirty-odd people on stage moving together to tell a story. We rarely have such an opportunity here in the states. I would love to watch how a work like this would develop.
Saturday night, we were given an assignment called "Who Are We". Basically, we were each given thirty seconds to tell the rest of the group about ourselves and our work. Something about the time limit made everyone really cut to the chase. It was a good way to find out about my colleagues. We then played two really fun, easy games: cross the line (group divides in half, then "cross the line if____(you're from New York, for example): then a variation on musical chairs called "I love my neighbor who_____".
We then broke for Memorial Day.
Tuesday, 5/27
I didn't attend the sessions during the day, opting instead to catch some time at my day job and get a little scratch. Tuesday evening, however, I gave a presentation on Joseph Chaikin to about ten members of the lab. I was surprised to learn how many young directors didn't really know anything about Joe. They'd heard of The Living Theatre (and oddly, not the Open Theatre), and had some vague idea of the sixties, but not much else. I spent alot of time talking about Joe's biography and place in American theater history, but I was grateful for a chance to keep his memory alive.
After my talk, I attended another presentation by Lab member Andrew Simon on director Arthur Nauzyciel. I'd never hear of Arthur Nauzyciel. Andrew worked with him at Emory University. He directed the students in a site-specific production of Roberto Zucco by Bernard-Marie Koltès. It's difficult to get a true sense of any director's process without experiencing it first-hand. But Andrew did a great job of giving us some insight into the techniques of the French director. For one thing, he addressed the way in which American actors are completely overtaken by Stanislavski method. He believes that characters emerge when you remove any psychology, so the focus is strictly on the language - sentence by sentence - finding the rhythm and reading the text as a score.
Wednesday 5/28
I watch a bit of a rehearsal for Macbeth. There are four directors working on Act III at various locations throughout the building. The idea is to let the place, for example a bathroom, inform the work. I was sitting on a concrete ramp in a hallway that was very uncomfortable and it was hard to hear the actors. I only lasted an hour and then I went out for coffee. But the work seemed to be progressing well.
From 11am - 1pm there was a discussion with the resident stage managers here at Lincoln Center about the role of the stage manager in the rehearsal and production process.
In the afternoon, we attended a performance of The New Century, playing at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. A new play by Paul Rudnick, directed by Nicholas Martin, it's really four monologues loosely connected by the themes of homosexuality and death. Not terribly deep stuff, but there were some very funny moments, a little - very brief - full-frontal male nudity, and great character turns by Linda Lavin, Peter Barlett, and Jayne Houdyshell.
Before we left for the day, the stage manager handed each of us a piece of paper, on which was written this:
Question For Friday Discussions:
Take a globe of the world, and a long pin. Pierce the globe in any direction you choose and see where it emerges. Try to avoid the ocean. This is the country where you will be traveling to work.
Choose a play to bring with you that reflects the core beliefs of your country. This play should inform the country you are travelling to about what we believe in. Your adaptation or interpretation of this play might show a contemporary attitude towards these core beliefs.
What is the play you would bring? What is your "take" on it?
So, there you have it. For anyone wondering what's goin on at the Lincoln Center Directors Lab this year.
w.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Directors Lab #4 & #5
Thursday 5/22
OK, I confess. I played hooky in the morning. I decided I needed to make some money, so I skipped the a.m. sessions which were a rehearsal of Oedipus directed by Syyx Mhlanga from Zimbabwe, followed by a discussion with LCT Executive Director Bernard Gersten. I'm sure both were very interesting, but I wasn't there.
I did, however, arrive in time for the afternoon rehearsal of Goldstar, OH. It was fascinating to watch director Andy Paris continue his process, working with the elements to bring his actors into the text. The process he employs is the same used to develop The Laramie Project. His subject matter - the Iraq war - couldn't be more immediate. There were moments of great enlightenment. Any time limitations are created, the art begins to emerge. I look foward to seeing where this leads.
In the evening I participated in the chorus rehearsal for Oedipus. It involved African dancing, and some re-enactments of old Living Theatre shtick. It was a nice stretch but theatrically unenlightening.
Friday 5/23
This afternoon there was a presentation of Goldstar, OH. Of course, it's unfair to even call it a presentation after only 4 days of work. But the material is gripping. There were some incredibly moving moments. They used the device of the interview, so we watch an actor playing the role of interviewer asking questions of the family who has lost a son or brother or husband. In between there were some non-verbal pieces that explored relationships in space and worked with light. It was a great effort, and I applaud the entire team.
I decided to skip the evening rehearsal of Oedipus. I don't really need to do anymore African dancing. I'll wait to see my colleagues in their presentation tomorrow.
That's all for now folks.
w.
OK, I confess. I played hooky in the morning. I decided I needed to make some money, so I skipped the a.m. sessions which were a rehearsal of Oedipus directed by Syyx Mhlanga from Zimbabwe, followed by a discussion with LCT Executive Director Bernard Gersten. I'm sure both were very interesting, but I wasn't there.
I did, however, arrive in time for the afternoon rehearsal of Goldstar, OH. It was fascinating to watch director Andy Paris continue his process, working with the elements to bring his actors into the text. The process he employs is the same used to develop The Laramie Project. His subject matter - the Iraq war - couldn't be more immediate. There were moments of great enlightenment. Any time limitations are created, the art begins to emerge. I look foward to seeing where this leads.
In the evening I participated in the chorus rehearsal for Oedipus. It involved African dancing, and some re-enactments of old Living Theatre shtick. It was a nice stretch but theatrically unenlightening.
Friday 5/23
This afternoon there was a presentation of Goldstar, OH. Of course, it's unfair to even call it a presentation after only 4 days of work. But the material is gripping. There were some incredibly moving moments. They used the device of the interview, so we watch an actor playing the role of interviewer asking questions of the family who has lost a son or brother or husband. In between there were some non-verbal pieces that explored relationships in space and worked with light. It was a great effort, and I applaud the entire team.
I decided to skip the evening rehearsal of Oedipus. I don't really need to do anymore African dancing. I'll wait to see my colleagues in their presentation tomorrow.
That's all for now folks.
w.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Directors Lab #2 & #3
It's been a whirlwind. I can't write as much as I'd like. Here are some of the notes I jotted down.
Tuesday 6/20
Religious Play Discussions We broke up into small groups to discuss the idea of religion and theater. Here are some bullet points condensed from my group:
Some of the plays under discussion were:
I started the day by attending Ming Cho Lee's Clambake - a gathering of the finest new designers from across the country at Fordham University. I met designers from Yale, NYU, Northwestern, USC, Cal Arts, and Carnegie Mellon. It was great to see the work that is coming out of these schools. More on Ming Cho Lee later in this blog.
In the afternoon I attended a rehearsal for Goldstar, OH directed by Andy Paris. (Andy and I attended NYU at the same time, and he is a member of Moises Kaufmann's Tectonic Theatre Project, starring in the original productions of The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project.) Goldstar is a new work that he is creating based upon interviews with families that have lost a son in the war in Iraq. On the wall at rehearsal was a big sheet of paper with "The Elements" - a technique that was being created at NYU by Wendell Beavers. Here are "The Elements" of Theater, as listed in the rehearsal room:
I then watched an hour of rehearsal of a new play called Hookyjook directed by Chrystal A. Dickinson. Chrystal was doing table work with the actors, and had created a very cheerful and productive environment. It was fun to watch.
The best part of the day was a discussion with legendary designer Ming Cho Lee. Ming was the principal designer for Joseph Papp, creating the sets for nearly every production in Central Park during the 1970's and 80's. He teaches scenic design at Yale University. He had many wonderful things to say. Here are a few:
On technology:
"Nobody goes to the library anymore! You can go online and "google" and get just what you want. But what if you don't know what you want?"
"Image doesn't make the set, or the play. A picture isn't enough. You're dealing with actual space. As opposed to the movies, or TV that is two dimensional, theater is actual space. You creat infinite space within these finite limitations."
"People are manipulating finished images, but they don't go through the process of discovery. They are too lazy to go to the library, where you can open up many sources at once!"
"Everyone wants everything. It's gotten so complex. Instead of actors driving the show, technology is driving the actors."
On directing:
"I will not allow piece-meal decision-making. Don't delay decision-making as a director."
"Don't ask for diagonals in a classic play. Shakespeare calls for symmetry. Don't pin the play down with specificity."
"At the first showing (of a design to the director) the designer is scared out of their wits!"
Tuesday 6/20
Religious Play Discussions We broke up into small groups to discuss the idea of religion and theater. Here are some bullet points condensed from my group:
- What constitutes a "religious" play?
- Community
- Ritual
- City/Country divide
- Asking questions vs. Giving Answers
- Class distinctions
- The Power of the Theatrical vs. the Power of the Spiritual
- Context
- Hope & Light
- Private vs. Public
Some of the plays under discussion were:
- "The Happy Journey" by Thornton Wilder
- "House of Blue Leaves" by John Guare
- "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" by Paul Rudnick
- "White Chalky Substance" by Tennessee Williams
- "St. Joan" by G. Bernard Shaw
- "Androcles and The Lion" by G. Bernard Shaw
- "Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht.
- "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice
- "Gilgamesh"
I started the day by attending Ming Cho Lee's Clambake - a gathering of the finest new designers from across the country at Fordham University. I met designers from Yale, NYU, Northwestern, USC, Cal Arts, and Carnegie Mellon. It was great to see the work that is coming out of these schools. More on Ming Cho Lee later in this blog.
In the afternoon I attended a rehearsal for Goldstar, OH directed by Andy Paris. (Andy and I attended NYU at the same time, and he is a member of Moises Kaufmann's Tectonic Theatre Project, starring in the original productions of The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project.) Goldstar is a new work that he is creating based upon interviews with families that have lost a son in the war in Iraq. On the wall at rehearsal was a big sheet of paper with "The Elements" - a technique that was being created at NYU by Wendell Beavers. Here are "The Elements" of Theater, as listed in the rehearsal room:
- Prop
- Choices
- Lights
- Sound
- Color
- Costume
- Gesture
- Space
- Scenery
- Music
- (Text)
- Audience Relationship
- Emotion
- Intent
- Time
- Breath
- Rhythm
- Duration
- Movement
- Unison
- Character
- Subversion
- Tension
I then watched an hour of rehearsal of a new play called Hookyjook directed by Chrystal A. Dickinson. Chrystal was doing table work with the actors, and had created a very cheerful and productive environment. It was fun to watch.
The best part of the day was a discussion with legendary designer Ming Cho Lee. Ming was the principal designer for Joseph Papp, creating the sets for nearly every production in Central Park during the 1970's and 80's. He teaches scenic design at Yale University. He had many wonderful things to say. Here are a few:
On technology:
"Nobody goes to the library anymore! You can go online and "google" and get just what you want. But what if you don't know what you want?"
"Image doesn't make the set, or the play. A picture isn't enough. You're dealing with actual space. As opposed to the movies, or TV that is two dimensional, theater is actual space. You creat infinite space within these finite limitations."
"People are manipulating finished images, but they don't go through the process of discovery. They are too lazy to go to the library, where you can open up many sources at once!"
"Everyone wants everything. It's gotten so complex. Instead of actors driving the show, technology is driving the actors."
On directing:
"I will not allow piece-meal decision-making. Don't delay decision-making as a director."
"Don't ask for diagonals in a classic play. Shakespeare calls for symmetry. Don't pin the play down with specificity."
"At the first showing (of a design to the director) the designer is scared out of their wits!"
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
20 May 2008
note to an ex-husband
by Janet Ward
on the walk across town
the morning sun blasts at corners
where buildings abruptly cease
and gargoyles look out for me
crossing lexington between bumpers.
and then, when the light fades
at six o'clock on the walk back
Mister Softee waits
at sixth avenue
with a tall sweet cone
that tastes like cream
and lasts all the way
to eighth avenue,
where a girl can use her napkin,
wipe her mouth, and
toss it perfectly away
into the purple-line bin.
that's the moment i'd like to see,
when it all comes clear,
that little turn i made
and where we went:
what was lost,
and what wasn't.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Lincoln Center Directors Lab Day 1
It was a day.
Registration for the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab 2008 began at 2:00 PM. We got packets and badges. Then they took a group photo on the steps in the lobby of the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. I wish I had the photo to post here. I actually brought my camera, but didn't take a single photo all day. Sorry folks. Anyway, it's not an attractive crowd. It's just directors.
After the photo we were led down into the depths of LCT to the large rehearsal room. I had flashbacks. This is where, as a student - way back in 1988 - I had acting classes with William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, and Stephen Schachter. The room was pretty much the same, but cleaner.
There were opening remarks by LCT Executive Director Bernard Gersten. Bernie was also my teacher. I remember our class on producing meeting twice a week in the lobby to discuss how to bring in an audience for Speed The Plow. Gregory Mosher was the Artistic Director back then, and Maddona - yes, that Madonna - was spotted in the halls on her way to rehearsal. Bernie looks great now. Much thinner than I remember. And he's produced another hit - the revival of South Pacific directed by Bartlett Sher. (Mr. Sher will be coming to talk to us all next week.)
Next, we had our orientation from the creator of the Director's Lab: Anne Cattaneo. Anne is a petite woman with a dazzling smile and very hip eye-glass frames. She talked for about forty-five minutes. I took meticulous notes as she spoke. Her articulation of what the lab is and is not could serve as a primer on the process of creating theater. It was the singular highlight of the day, and at the risk of plagiarism (and of not doing justice to her speech) here are the Ten Points she articulated:
Finally, at 5:00 pm, we received an official welcome from Lincoln Center's Artistic Director - Andre Bishop. Andre has a deep and authoritative voice. He could make tons of money doing voiceovers. He told us all to "take advantage" of Lincoln Center and the opportunity we have before us. "Remain open" was his message.
After a break from dinner, we had a talk from Steve Cosson, Jim Lewis, and Michael Friedman from the ground-breaking theater company The Civilians. Their new play This Beautiful City is based upon interviews with residents of Colorado Springs, CO, and focuses on the Evangelical Christian movement there. They were all whisked away at 8:00 PM sharp to receive their OBIE Award which coincidentally was also happening tonight.
Lastly today we had a visit from director Ruben Polendo of Theater Mitu. It was a fascinating talk. Mr. Polendo studied with Peter Brook and has created a philosophy of "complete theater". He is an engaging and charismatic presence, but I was conflicted about his philosophy. It was basically a re-hash of Peter Brooks' writings, but I will reserve judgment until I actually see his work. Theater Mitu is in residence at New York Theatre Workshop and will be presenting their new work The Apostle Project June 4 - 15.
Mr. Polendo said one very important thing that deeply resonated with me: No fear, no deception. This is the measure for your work. I thought that was wonderful, so thank you Ruben for that.
I can't promise this detailed a blog every day for the next few weeks but I'll do my best. Stick with me. I think it will get better.
Wayne
Registration for the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab 2008 began at 2:00 PM. We got packets and badges. Then they took a group photo on the steps in the lobby of the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. I wish I had the photo to post here. I actually brought my camera, but didn't take a single photo all day. Sorry folks. Anyway, it's not an attractive crowd. It's just directors.
After the photo we were led down into the depths of LCT to the large rehearsal room. I had flashbacks. This is where, as a student - way back in 1988 - I had acting classes with William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, and Stephen Schachter. The room was pretty much the same, but cleaner.
There were opening remarks by LCT Executive Director Bernard Gersten. Bernie was also my teacher. I remember our class on producing meeting twice a week in the lobby to discuss how to bring in an audience for Speed The Plow. Gregory Mosher was the Artistic Director back then, and Maddona - yes, that Madonna - was spotted in the halls on her way to rehearsal. Bernie looks great now. Much thinner than I remember. And he's produced another hit - the revival of South Pacific directed by Bartlett Sher. (Mr. Sher will be coming to talk to us all next week.)
Next, we had our orientation from the creator of the Director's Lab: Anne Cattaneo. Anne is a petite woman with a dazzling smile and very hip eye-glass frames. She talked for about forty-five minutes. I took meticulous notes as she spoke. Her articulation of what the lab is and is not could serve as a primer on the process of creating theater. It was the singular highlight of the day, and at the risk of plagiarism (and of not doing justice to her speech) here are the Ten Points she articulated:
- The Lincoln Center Directors Lab is not a teaching situation. It's not about mentoring. Nobody is considered more "important" than anybody else. We all have experiences that are valid and worthy of consideration.
- You will experience some of what you encounter as utter non-sense, and other things as incredibly enlightened. Look for the things that you least expected.
- The Directors Lab takes place in a theater - a real, live, working, operating, theater. Some things are practical - not theoretical. (At this point Anne describe "kicking Alan Alda out" of th e room we were in to begin the start of the day.)
- The Directors Lab is intentionally large - 45 or 50 people. Its main asset is as a place to meet other people. Will directors even like one another?? It remains to be seen.
- The most important stuff will happen in a bar.
- Guests come into the Lab by serendipity (i.e. - whatever is going on and whomever happens to be in town at that time.)
- Distrust the notion of choice. "It's not true that a given director's career is created by institutions." Nobody at a big institution will pick you out. You will make your own career.
- Social aspect. Actress Lois Smith said "What I do in a reading bears no relationship to what I do in a rehearsal." The process is completely different as an encounter on a deeper and more personal level is what creates the work. Hence....Director Richard Ayre: "Invite the leading actor and designer to your house, read the play, and stop and ask 'what does this mean to us' at every scene, turn, punctuation, question." Group together around the play.
- Question: Who is in charge when you're really making art? Ride the horse in the direction you are going!
- We have a bias toward the actor.
Finally, at 5:00 pm, we received an official welcome from Lincoln Center's Artistic Director - Andre Bishop. Andre has a deep and authoritative voice. He could make tons of money doing voiceovers. He told us all to "take advantage" of Lincoln Center and the opportunity we have before us. "Remain open" was his message.
After a break from dinner, we had a talk from Steve Cosson, Jim Lewis, and Michael Friedman from the ground-breaking theater company The Civilians. Their new play This Beautiful City is based upon interviews with residents of Colorado Springs, CO, and focuses on the Evangelical Christian movement there. They were all whisked away at 8:00 PM sharp to receive their OBIE Award which coincidentally was also happening tonight.
Lastly today we had a visit from director Ruben Polendo of Theater Mitu. It was a fascinating talk. Mr. Polendo studied with Peter Brook and has created a philosophy of "complete theater". He is an engaging and charismatic presence, but I was conflicted about his philosophy. It was basically a re-hash of Peter Brooks' writings, but I will reserve judgment until I actually see his work. Theater Mitu is in residence at New York Theatre Workshop and will be presenting their new work The Apostle Project June 4 - 15.
Mr. Polendo said one very important thing that deeply resonated with me: No fear, no deception. This is the measure for your work. I thought that was wonderful, so thank you Ruben for that.
I can't promise this detailed a blog every day for the next few weeks but I'll do my best. Stick with me. I think it will get better.
Wayne
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