by Jana Pollack, New Rep Reviewer
Like so much of the artistic work that arose from World War II, "Mister Roberts" is painted in broad strokes. A product of its time, this play, set on a cargo ship in the Pacific near the end of the war, presents little complexity, but is marked by the clear sense of duty that characterized the time of its conception. As New Repertory Theatre's season opener, this production is well-directed and full of strong performances.
Much of the strength of this production comes from the ensemble, and it's clear that director Kate Warner understood this important element and focused on fostering it. That work pays off, and the guys aboard "the old bucket," as the ship is often referred to, have genuine relationships that are fun to watch. Across the board, "Mister Roberts" is well acted. The most memorable performance comes from the scene-stealing Jonathan Popp as Ensign Pulver, who anchors his work so that it lands solidly throughout the piece. Often, he seems to surprise even himself when he begins to talk, and the moments of these boyish revelations are some of the production's most enjoyable. Mr. Popp is in good company, as well; Thomas Piper as Mister Roberts brings an elegance to his leading role, and Owen Doyle, as Doc, consistently delivers comedic lines with perfect timing.
The problems in this production lie almost entirely in the script. Unfortunately, though the actors do their best with the material provided them, none of the characters is fully drawn, making much of the play feel like a missed opportunity. The hero of "Mister Roberts" is a man whose only flaw is that he wants to help people too much. The captain is a villain when the play begins, and he remains so; the crew members are good boys throughout. In essence, the play is written in black and white. So, while the work that goes into this piece is very fine, the lack of depth in the script means that it fails to deliver a lasting message.
Patrick Lynch's set displays three levels of "the old bucket," and it is very effective in creating clear territories. The presence of the captain's lair, located in the upper right corner, is always felt, but the crew members relax when they are on the lower deck, farthest from him. The structure itself presents a noise problem, however - the metal plates on its steps and floors make quite a racket when stepped on, and the actors sometimes have to fight to make their lines heard over an exiting or entering cast member.
"Mister Roberts" is an entertaining evening of theatre, and Warner has carefully crafted a piece that is easy to enjoy. This is not groundbreaking theatre - performed today, this play is not a groundbreaking play - but it is very good. The quality of the production overcomes the flaws of the text, and although it won't leave you deeply inspired, it will certainly satisfy.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Rock The Boat
by New Rep Reviewer Frank
Kate Warner opens her first season at New Rep with the classic play Mister Roberts. Being of a younger generation, I had not heard of the play nor the movie until New Rep announced this production. The play takes place on a Navy supply vessel and shows a perspective of war that does not always come to mind – the behind the scenes work of bringing supplies, the boredom, the tension. The ship is filled with a crew of good-looking men in uniform (occasionally shirtless) and one good-looking woman who show that war is more than just front-line combat, and, while the piece was written in the 1940s, it still resonates today. The play centers on Mister Roberts, a Lieutenant in the Navy who longs for the day he gets to see combat and really contribute in the war. We see his many attempts, with the help of his crew, to obtain a transfer from the ship’s captain as well as the complex relationships between the crewmembers. The play itself isn’t perfect and could end just fine without the last five minutes of the show, but is an interesting and sometimes funny portrayal.
The entire cast is strong, but especially strong are Thomas Piper as Mister Roberts and Paul D. Farwell as the captain – you can feel the tension in the room between the two of them. Patrick Lynch’s multi-level set, while simple, does a great job at evoking the ship – the only thing missing is having the set gently rock back and forth – something I’m sure the audience is grateful that it is missing. Molly Trainer’s attention to the crew’s costumes is amazing – you see all the sweat and the stains of a hard day’s work in the sun. Kudos should also go out David Wilson for his sound design incorporating many subtle background elements that really adds to the mood of the production. If you enjoy men in uniform, palm trees, Johnnie Walker Red Label, goats, soapsuds, and lots of alcohol – or if you’re curious as to what all these have to do with a Navy supply ship – check out Mister Roberts, a solid beginning to Kate Warner’s career with New Rep!
Is Tropical Still Topical?
by Jack Craib, New Rep Reviewer
Inaugurating the current New Rep season with "Mr. Roberts", last seen on Broadway six decades ago, was a gutsy move. Not only is wartime nostalgia a rare commodity these days, but most folks are no doubt familiar with the film version that boasted more stars than the average general. The team of Fonda, Cagney and Lemmon (and William Powell too) is a memory hard to erase. It is a testimony to the shrewdness of this production's casting that audience members can manage to do so and appreciate the spot-on performance level this cast maintains.
The play itself, surprisingly after such a long hiatus, manages to remain relevant because it doesn't only deal with a navy cargo ship in the steamy South Pacific. Despite its specific period look and sound (sailors with such unsalty language?), it tackles much broader and grander issues. While it may be difficult for some today to empathize with the title character's lament that the war is "dying before he can get to it", there is no such problem with identifying with his compassion for his men and the realization that it is boredom that threatens to destroy their morale.
After a somewhat slow start due to a healthy dose of exposition that will later prove just how tightly written the play is, that concept moves front and center in the person of the officer ironically in charge of morale (and laundry), the morally ambiguous Ensign Pulver. As do the other men on board, he clearly worships the water their Executive Officer, Mr. Roberts, walks on. It is his validation Pulver seeks but doesn't find, at least initially; Mr. Roberts even bluntly states that he'll respect his morale officer if and when a threatened prank on the ship's megalomaniacal captain is actually carried off and when he has the guts to knock on the captain's door and admit to it. It is to the credit of the playwrights (Thomas Heggen, from his novel, and Joshua Logan) that the work's most memorable and heartfelt moment (the ultimate disposition of a botanical "malignant growth") is the bittersweet climax that amazingly unites humor and pathos, and resonates with an undeniable relevance.
As noted, the cast is pitch perfect, above and below deck. Thomas Piper exudes powerful strength and profound tenderness as the heroic Mr. Roberts, and Jonathan Popp provides an egaging Pulver who comes into his own in the second act as his character blossoms. As the Queeg-like Captain from Boston, Paul D. Farwell is the ideal foil for Mr. Roberts' foiled ideals, and Owen Doyle as Doc is his expressive anchor. All of the cast seem just right, including Ed Hoopman as Dolan, whose dashed hopes prove to be pivotal.
Technically, the production is virtually flawless. The sound, lighting and costumes (right down to the realistic sweat stains) are all shipshape, and the set design is ingenious in its versatility. ("Virtually flawless", because the set is easily the noisiest in memory, which enhances authenticity if not audibility). The ship is a bit less populated than on its first sailing in 1948 (fewer sailors, one fewer palm tree), but its impact survives. If this first offering is any indication of the directing abilities of new Artistic Director Kate Warner (and there are quite a few nice touches without being overdone), New Rep audiences have a good deal of great theater to look forward to. And that's without even considering the masterfully underplayed palm-chewing goat.
Inaugurating the current New Rep season with "Mr. Roberts", last seen on Broadway six decades ago, was a gutsy move. Not only is wartime nostalgia a rare commodity these days, but most folks are no doubt familiar with the film version that boasted more stars than the average general. The team of Fonda, Cagney and Lemmon (and William Powell too) is a memory hard to erase. It is a testimony to the shrewdness of this production's casting that audience members can manage to do so and appreciate the spot-on performance level this cast maintains.
The play itself, surprisingly after such a long hiatus, manages to remain relevant because it doesn't only deal with a navy cargo ship in the steamy South Pacific. Despite its specific period look and sound (sailors with such unsalty language?), it tackles much broader and grander issues. While it may be difficult for some today to empathize with the title character's lament that the war is "dying before he can get to it", there is no such problem with identifying with his compassion for his men and the realization that it is boredom that threatens to destroy their morale.
After a somewhat slow start due to a healthy dose of exposition that will later prove just how tightly written the play is, that concept moves front and center in the person of the officer ironically in charge of morale (and laundry), the morally ambiguous Ensign Pulver. As do the other men on board, he clearly worships the water their Executive Officer, Mr. Roberts, walks on. It is his validation Pulver seeks but doesn't find, at least initially; Mr. Roberts even bluntly states that he'll respect his morale officer if and when a threatened prank on the ship's megalomaniacal captain is actually carried off and when he has the guts to knock on the captain's door and admit to it. It is to the credit of the playwrights (Thomas Heggen, from his novel, and Joshua Logan) that the work's most memorable and heartfelt moment (the ultimate disposition of a botanical "malignant growth") is the bittersweet climax that amazingly unites humor and pathos, and resonates with an undeniable relevance.
As noted, the cast is pitch perfect, above and below deck. Thomas Piper exudes powerful strength and profound tenderness as the heroic Mr. Roberts, and Jonathan Popp provides an egaging Pulver who comes into his own in the second act as his character blossoms. As the Queeg-like Captain from Boston, Paul D. Farwell is the ideal foil for Mr. Roberts' foiled ideals, and Owen Doyle as Doc is his expressive anchor. All of the cast seem just right, including Ed Hoopman as Dolan, whose dashed hopes prove to be pivotal.
Technically, the production is virtually flawless. The sound, lighting and costumes (right down to the realistic sweat stains) are all shipshape, and the set design is ingenious in its versatility. ("Virtually flawless", because the set is easily the noisiest in memory, which enhances authenticity if not audibility). The ship is a bit less populated than on its first sailing in 1948 (fewer sailors, one fewer palm tree), but its impact survives. If this first offering is any indication of the directing abilities of new Artistic Director Kate Warner (and there are quite a few nice touches without being overdone), New Rep audiences have a good deal of great theater to look forward to. And that's without even considering the masterfully underplayed palm-chewing goat.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
One Man's World War II Journal
As we gear up for the opening of Mister Roberts (Monday, September 14th!) we will be sharing "One Man's World War II Journal" by Thomas J. Fahey. The next part of the story will be posted on Friday and the final segment on the opening night of Mister Roberts! Feel free to leave us a comment and we hope to see you during the run of Mister Roberts!
One Man’s World War II Journal
By Thomas J. Fahey
Our graduation ceremony at Milton High School in June, 1943 was held up for two hours, as about 50 of the grads were getting their draft board physicals in Boston.
Two days later, they were in the service. At the induction center, three of the men were recruited into the Navy and were sent to Harvard for the V-12 program. Not a bad deal. They wound up as officers on destroyers and later would come back to Harvard to graduate. But some of the graduates didn’t come back; two of them were guys from our gang.
I would be turning 18 in October, so I had time to choose a service branch. I had a job for the summer at the Cunningham Park Pool in Milton as a lifeguard, while also teaching senior and junior lifesaving courses.
Our family had more Navy than anything else; my father and three of his brothers were chiefs in the Navy in World War I and my uncle was a master sergeant in the Marines. Three of them were lifers.
I wanted to be a flyer in the Navy Air Corps; the recruiting station was at 150 Causeway St. in Boston, next to the Boston Garden, and in I went. I was worried about some of the bad marks I had in high school, but I figured they’d give me a test. The ensign said to come back with a
transcript of my marks.
The next day I brought that in and he was very unimpressed. He said they must have pushed me out the door of Milton High. He told me I should go to the Army Air Corps recruiting station at 33 Kilby St. in Boston; they would taker anybody.
The recruiting sergeant there said to take a seat and when about 10 guys showed up, he would give a test. After we turned in the tests, the sergeant went into a back room to score them. A few minutes later, he came out and said everyone had passed; I think he dumped them into a waste basket.
We had our physicals and were sworn in a few days later. After turning 18 in October, I got word to report to Fort Devens in Ayer on Dec. 13, 1943. It was cold, about zero when we arrived. We were there about six days, getting shots, uniforms, and watching Mickey Mouse films.
A troop train came in and took us on a 5-day train ride to Miami Beach with XYZ priority; that meant whatever track we were on, we had the lowest priority. No wonder it took five days. As we got off the train, hundreds of guys were getting on, yelling “You’ll be sorry.” They were being sent to the infantry, as all the tech schools were filled up.
We lived in the Betsy Ross Hotel on South Beach and went to training at the local golf courses, which were turned into training centers. The same thing was done in Atlantic City, and Biloxi, Miss. The flight was half from Fort Devens, and half from Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
The first three days were precarious as the Civil War nearly erupted again. A quarry worker from Quincy saved the day when he picked up the biggest Rebel with one hand; that ended the war.
The cafeteria was turned into a clinic. We all lined up for shots, hundreds of soldiers. After getting our shots, we soldiers walked out into the parking lot three abreast, Ollie Johnson on one side and me on the other, and in the middle was Walter O’Connell of North Reading, about 6-5.
He would let out a piercing scream and faint, falling backwards. Ollie and I would catch him before he hit the ground.
About 50 soldiers in the long lines were fainting dead away; ambulances started arriving to tend to the faint of heart.
The flight sergeant, a New Yorker, came running down the street, screaming "You guys from Boston are going to get me court-martialed yet."
We went on night and day maneuvers up by Opa Laoka. The sergeant sent us out on patrol on all dirt roads at 11 at night, Naturally, we got lost, but somehow we found a roadhouse out in the boondocks, in an area that was all jungle at the time.
We were in the back yard when a bartender came out with the trash. He asked all four of us if we wanted a cold beer.
It was very hot and muggy, so we downed a few beers and finally found the sergeant. The first thing he said was “I smell beer. Where did you guys from Boston find a barroom in the middle of the jungle?”
The road house was in -- believe it or not -- Robert Ripley. It was completely covered with bottle caps on the walls and ceiling.
We enjoyed a swim every day after training as the ocean was across the street. We had many days of tests called the "stay nines"; they determined whether you would be a pilot, navigator or bombardier cadet. If you didn’t score high enough on those, there were tech schools -- engineer, radio or armorer gunner.
The interviewer told me the cadet groups were full but some guys with exceptional scores would be sent to college until there were openings. The tech schools were full up and not available. He thought we would be sent to aerial gunnery school, which is what happened, We were put on a troop train to Kingman, Ariz.
It was a very slow and beautiful trip -- the cars were troop sleepers, very comfortable. The trip took eight days. We stopped in Houston, Texas at 8 a.m. Some cars were detached as the guys were going to gunnery school in Laredo, Texas. We were supposed to be in Houston for six hours.
The sergeant said that under no circumstances were we to leave the train. When he was out of sight, the windows went up and about 600 guys were loose. It took about two weeks to round them up. I’ve never seen as many beautiful women as there were in Houston. All I remember is getting rousted out of a barroom about midnight.
One Man’s World War II Journal
By Thomas J. Fahey
Our graduation ceremony at Milton High School in June, 1943 was held up for two hours, as about 50 of the grads were getting their draft board physicals in Boston.Two days later, they were in the service. At the induction center, three of the men were recruited into the Navy and were sent to Harvard for the V-12 program. Not a bad deal. They wound up as officers on destroyers and later would come back to Harvard to graduate. But some of the graduates didn’t come back; two of them were guys from our gang.
I would be turning 18 in October, so I had time to choose a service branch. I had a job for the summer at the Cunningham Park Pool in Milton as a lifeguard, while also teaching senior and junior lifesaving courses.
Our family had more Navy than anything else; my father and three of his brothers were chiefs in the Navy in World War I and my uncle was a master sergeant in the Marines. Three of them were lifers.
I wanted to be a flyer in the Navy Air Corps; the recruiting station was at 150 Causeway St. in Boston, next to the Boston Garden, and in I went. I was worried about some of the bad marks I had in high school, but I figured they’d give me a test. The ensign said to come back with a
transcript of my marks.
The next day I brought that in and he was very unimpressed. He said they must have pushed me out the door of Milton High. He told me I should go to the Army Air Corps recruiting station at 33 Kilby St. in Boston; they would taker anybody.
The recruiting sergeant there said to take a seat and when about 10 guys showed up, he would give a test. After we turned in the tests, the sergeant went into a back room to score them. A few minutes later, he came out and said everyone had passed; I think he dumped them into a waste basket.
We had our physicals and were sworn in a few days later. After turning 18 in October, I got word to report to Fort Devens in Ayer on Dec. 13, 1943. It was cold, about zero when we arrived. We were there about six days, getting shots, uniforms, and watching Mickey Mouse films.
A troop train came in and took us on a 5-day train ride to Miami Beach with XYZ priority; that meant whatever track we were on, we had the lowest priority. No wonder it took five days. As we got off the train, hundreds of guys were getting on, yelling “You’ll be sorry.” They were being sent to the infantry, as all the tech schools were filled up.
We lived in the Betsy Ross Hotel on South Beach and went to training at the local golf courses, which were turned into training centers. The same thing was done in Atlantic City, and Biloxi, Miss. The flight was half from Fort Devens, and half from Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
The first three days were precarious as the Civil War nearly erupted again. A quarry worker from Quincy saved the day when he picked up the biggest Rebel with one hand; that ended the war.
The cafeteria was turned into a clinic. We all lined up for shots, hundreds of soldiers. After getting our shots, we soldiers walked out into the parking lot three abreast, Ollie Johnson on one side and me on the other, and in the middle was Walter O’Connell of North Reading, about 6-5.
He would let out a piercing scream and faint, falling backwards. Ollie and I would catch him before he hit the ground.
About 50 soldiers in the long lines were fainting dead away; ambulances started arriving to tend to the faint of heart.
The flight sergeant, a New Yorker, came running down the street, screaming "You guys from Boston are going to get me court-martialed yet."
We went on night and day maneuvers up by Opa Laoka. The sergeant sent us out on patrol on all dirt roads at 11 at night, Naturally, we got lost, but somehow we found a roadhouse out in the boondocks, in an area that was all jungle at the time.
We were in the back yard when a bartender came out with the trash. He asked all four of us if we wanted a cold beer.
It was very hot and muggy, so we downed a few beers and finally found the sergeant. The first thing he said was “I smell beer. Where did you guys from Boston find a barroom in the middle of the jungle?”
The road house was in -- believe it or not -- Robert Ripley. It was completely covered with bottle caps on the walls and ceiling.
We enjoyed a swim every day after training as the ocean was across the street. We had many days of tests called the "stay nines"; they determined whether you would be a pilot, navigator or bombardier cadet. If you didn’t score high enough on those, there were tech schools -- engineer, radio or armorer gunner.
The interviewer told me the cadet groups were full but some guys with exceptional scores would be sent to college until there were openings. The tech schools were full up and not available. He thought we would be sent to aerial gunnery school, which is what happened, We were put on a troop train to Kingman, Ariz.
It was a very slow and beautiful trip -- the cars were troop sleepers, very comfortable. The trip took eight days. We stopped in Houston, Texas at 8 a.m. Some cars were detached as the guys were going to gunnery school in Laredo, Texas. We were supposed to be in Houston for six hours.
The sergeant said that under no circumstances were we to leave the train. When he was out of sight, the windows went up and about 600 guys were loose. It took about two weeks to round them up. I’ve never seen as many beautiful women as there were in Houston. All I remember is getting rousted out of a barroom about midnight.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
First Week of Rehearsals
The cast and crew had a successful first week of rehearsals for Mister Roberts, and they launched into their second week today! Just two more weeks of rehearsals and then the show will open on September 14th at 7:30! Here is a quick look at what happened last week during rehearsals:
The cast, crew, and staff at the first day of rehearsal for Mister Roberts.
Kate Warner (Artistic Director) talks about her vision for Mister Roberts.
Molly Trainer (Costume Designer) shows off her costume renderings to the cast, crew, and staff.
Set furniture for Mister Roberts from the model set!
Mister Roberts cast watching the designer presentations. 
Patrick Lynch (Scenic Designer) showing off the set of Mister Roberts!
Kate Warner (Artistic Director) gets ready to start rehearsing Mister Roberts!
We hope to see you at the theater during the run of Mister Roberts (September 13 - October 3)!
Thursday, August 06, 2009
S.Robert Winer, a WWII Veteran, Tells Us His Story…
New Rep is calling on all active Service Members and Veterans to “Tell Us Your Story.” We want to hear how you, like Mister Roberts, showed bravery, honor, and grace in challenging times. Please e-mail your personal story to marketing@newrep.org. 
Photo Credit: Robert Winer and his squadron are shown in 1944. Winer is standing third from the right.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090606/NEWS01/306069956
In September 1941, before the war began, I went on active duty at Fort Devens, here in Massachusetts, where I was put in command of a heavy weapons platoon in H Company, second battalion, of the 26th Infantry Regiment, part of the First Division, commonly known as the Big Red One. Our regimental commander was Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Our battalion commander told us junior officers we were like toilet paper, i.e. expendable.
The following July, I was transferred to the Army Air Corps to be trained as a glider pilot. Training took place over several months and at many bases, and I got my wings in February 1943.
I should say, at this point, the gliders were not the pretty little sailplanes that one thinks of as gliders nowadays. They were large, with a wing spread of close to ninety feet, and could hold 13 troops, in addition to the pilot and co-pilot, or they could carry equipment, including a jeep (which we carried on our mission in Holland in September 1944).
A number of us shipped to England in March 1945, and I was assigned to a base at Aldermaston. On D-Day, at 1:30 a.m., the first wave of gliders were towed across the
As we flew in, we took ground fire. I remember bullets shooting right through the floor of the glider, but luckily none of us got hit. We landed at 4:00 a.m. The first glider to land in our field hit the trees at the end of the field, killing Brigadier General Don Pratt and the co-pilot, and badly injuring the pilot and the general’s aide.
The second glider landed safely; however, our glider slammed into it due to the darkness. No one was hurt in the collision, but the second glider’s tail was damaged.
Army intelligence had informed us that the field we were to land in was surrounded by hedges, like ones that you would find in your yard. The hedges turned out to be 30-foot-tall poplars. Good old army intelligence. The hedgerows helped hide us from the Germans and their tanks on the road on the other side of the trees. The tanks’ engines were running, which helped mask the noise the gliders made on landing and the crash of the gliders.
For two days, I stayed at the nearby Château de Colombieres, an old château that was converted into the first American field hospital in Europe during the war. There we were given two missions: 1) burial patrol and 2) guarding German prisoners and the hospital. On the 8th of June, the other glider pilots and I were transported back to England to be issued further orders.
I only flew one other mission - the invasion of Holland the following September. I was unable to fly in the last mission my squadron flew due to illness. The pilot who replaced me was killed during this operation.
Since WWII, I have been back to Normandy twice. Once in 1984, around the 40th anniversary of D-day and the second time was five years ago to mark the 60th anniversary. Each time I visited the family who owned the farm we landed on and the owners of the Château, and, of course, they were very hospitable. I was, indeed, very fortunate to come through those missions unscathed.
Photo Credit: Robert Winer and his squadron are shown in 1944. Winer is standing third from the right.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090606/NEWS01/306069956
Monday, August 03, 2009
Steppin Up and Moving On
On Thursday, July 30th, the Studio students gave a fabulous performance to an enthusiastic audience of friends, family, New Rep staff, and even some Summer Studio alumni! As I watched the performance from the back row with Wendy, what struck me most was the growth and commitment I saw in each student's performance. One student confessed earlier in the week that she had never had a solo in a performance before -- ever! What a leap, in four short weeks, to command a stage in a solo piece and to do so convincingly. Ben, Chris, Wendy and I were very proud of all the students! Thanks to Rachael Donnelly, who instructed the group on make-up application, the students had wide-awake eyes and looked really good under the lights. I hear there are some great production photos taken by our own Todd Michael Hall, so stay tuned to the New Rep website....
It's been a while since my last post, so I also wanted to mention highlights of the Theatre Tastes programming that occurred in the last two weeks. Chris Webb gave an introduction to Viewpoints (the actor training program made popular by Tina Landau and Anne Bogart), in which the group explored the viewpoint of Tempo in depth. The group remarked on the wildly different experience of thinking of one's own body as elements of space and shape and tempo. It was inspiring to see the sense of release and depth of articulation this type of training brings to actors! Sign me up!
Speaking of inspiring, last week New Rep Artistic Director Kate Warner led an illuminating discussion about the work of a director. To have a director's work demystified was, in my opinion, important for young people who sometimes don't see themselves in any other role but that of performer. Kate also had some great answers for their most dreaded audition questions! Though there was a lot of laughter, and the group was drawn to Kate's welcoming presence, they all took away some good information about a life working in the theatre.
We're having a good last day together, giving audition tips, learning music and choreography "just for fun," and playing Theatre Sports-style acting games. I'll miss this bunch of enthusiastic students, but know they'll see future success!
Happy August!
Liz Fenstermaker, on behalf of the Summer Studio Team
It's been a while since my last post, so I also wanted to mention highlights of the Theatre Tastes programming that occurred in the last two weeks. Chris Webb gave an introduction to Viewpoints (the actor training program made popular by Tina Landau and Anne Bogart), in which the group explored the viewpoint of Tempo in depth. The group remarked on the wildly different experience of thinking of one's own body as elements of space and shape and tempo. It was inspiring to see the sense of release and depth of articulation this type of training brings to actors! Sign me up!
Speaking of inspiring, last week New Rep Artistic Director Kate Warner led an illuminating discussion about the work of a director. To have a director's work demystified was, in my opinion, important for young people who sometimes don't see themselves in any other role but that of performer. Kate also had some great answers for their most dreaded audition questions! Though there was a lot of laughter, and the group was drawn to Kate's welcoming presence, they all took away some good information about a life working in the theatre.
We're having a good last day together, giving audition tips, learning music and choreography "just for fun," and playing Theatre Sports-style acting games. I'll miss this bunch of enthusiastic students, but know they'll see future success!
Happy August!
Liz Fenstermaker, on behalf of the Summer Studio Team
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