Exciting Changes

Hi Everyone,

As we are preparing for the New Voices @ New Rep reading of DEPORTED / a dream play, Joyce has been rewriting the script based on our discoveries in the Boston University New Plays Initiative Workshop (please see my earlier entries).There are some major, exciting changes a-brewing! The dream-like quality of the play is growing and characters deepening and changing. I am so looking forward to sharing these changes with you in a public setting!

We have also confirmed the majority of our panel for discussion after the reading about the place theater has in the public discussion and processing on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. We are thrilled to have some wonderful members of the Armenian community on our panel including Ruth Thomasian (Founder and Executive Director of Project Save, the Armenian Photo Archive), Dr. Martin Deranian (the real life son of one of the principle characters in DEPORTED), Mariam Stepanyan (Executive Director, Armenian Library and Museum) and Tina Sajonian (President, BU Armenian Student Association).

We hope you will join us on Monday, May 4th at 7:30 pm for the reading of DEPORTED / a dream play!

Best,
Judy Braha
Director

Discovering Cultural Components

Hi Everyone,

In February, we had a very exciting experience with DEPORTED / a dream play! Boston University New Plays Initiative gave us the opportunity to work on further developing an already strong script via a workshop production of the play with BU School of Theater students. Joyce and I spent 5 weeks working on the play in rehearsal with 9 BU actors and 3 designers. This rehearsal and performance process was invaluable to us! We learned a huge amount about the world of the play, the characters, the style and the use of Armenian dance, music and film images.

We had the extreme pleasure of collaborating with Apo Ashjian, Artistic Director of SAYAT NOVA DANCE COMPANY. Apo taught the actors in the workshop traditional Armenian dance that wove throughout the scenes of the play. We made some wonderful discoveries about how essential these cultural components were in weaving the play together and evoking a whole culture in a very private world. It became clear that these elements gave us a real link to finding the universal in the particular, to linking the vibrancy of the Armenian culture to the difficult memories of the genocide. It has been most important to us that we speak for life in this play and the opportunity to work with Apo and sound designers Liz Wallbridge and GW Roderigez in adding the dance and sound of historic Armenia to the play helped us immensely!

The reading for the New Rep will be the first reading of the newly revised script based on our discoveries from the BU New Plays Initiative workshop!

Best,
Judy Braha

Welcome!

Greetings from John Malinowski, lighting designer for New Rep's production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile. I'll be blogging here.

What a wonderful play Steve Martin has written and I can't wait to help bring it to life on the stage in Watertown at the Arsenal Center for the Arts. Danny Gidron, the director, Cristina Todesco, the set designer, Frances McSherry, the costume designer and I met a few weeks ago to brainstorm about the world of a bar in Paris in 1904, which is where Steve Martin set his play.

We decided that the specific period of Paris in the 1900s is a spark that ignited the playwright's imagination. The world of the play is much bigger than Paris in 1904. Steve Martin has imagined a bar where Picasso and Einstein might meet. What would they talk about? What sort of conversation could a brilliant artist and a brilliant scientist have in Paris together? What do they have in common?

I have not seen a production of this popular play, but after hearing the premise of Picasso and Einstein meeting in Paris, I was intrigued. I read the play fresh and open minded about what encounter Picasso and Einstein might have in the mind of brilliant comic.

I'll leave this entry here, where I began several months ago. A script in hand, the famous names etched in my mind, and a modern day comedian bringing them together.

The possibilities put a smile on my face as I sat down to read the script for the first time.

Please come back soon and share my journey.

- john malinowski

The Last Word

March 13th

Well, it had to happen some time, the last words, the last words on this particular blog about this particular production. Who knows, it might be the last time I get asked to write a blog for New Rep, who knows and God forbid, but it might be the last time I ever work for New Rep. If life has taught me one thing, never expect anything, never assume, never predict and never take anything for granted.

I don't mean that negatively, really I don't, as I was saying to a friend of Will's, sorry Mr. Lyman, last night, I mentioned that the play makes you think about all that has happened in the past. To be honest, it also makes you think of what may and will come. It's a play of emotion, passion, all that matters, and all that doesn't matter.

There were a couple of things that happened last night, which whoever is reading this, may find interesting, and if you don't, well sorry about that. Still, I will try to give one last little insight to our goings on, for you our little stage junkie.

Last night, Will, or rather the character he plays André, was half way through his first speech as Oedipus, and there I was sitting in the chair happily listening to him, when all of a sudden it dawned on me, 'I never get tired of listening to this speech’, and yet I hated studying Oedipus at school. Perhaps it is because of a really rather dull teacher I had, but then again I'd seen the RSC do the play, and I was bored stiff with that. However, there I was thinking, 'I never get tired of Andre's Oedipus', and then I thought, 'I better start listening for my cue, otherwise I'll stuff it up and then I'll be mad for the rest of the show'.

The second thing, last night in the scene when I'm telling André about my new play, I was thinking, 'who the heck is talking, whose voice is it? It's coming out of me, but who is it?'

Was I 'in the moment'? I don't think so, after all I've been 'in the moment' before, when emotionally I am fully involved and present in the situation. But last night, it was the first time that the character was all there, and I felt possessed. I wasn't having to be conscious of my accent and inflection. It was all just coming out, a South African voice coming from my mouth, and I couldn't control it. Or as Mr. Lyman, put it, the characters are now in charge.

Finally, it's not because I want my own little 'Oscar' moment, but I just want to say thank you to the individuals I have worked with on Exits and Entrances. For they all deserve a mention.

Thank you for reading my blog. Thanks to Will Lyman (André), Chris Jorie (Director), Amy Weissenstein (Stage Manager), Candice Mongellow (Assist Stage Manager, Danielle Kellerman (Assistant Director), John Malinowski (Lighting Designer), Eric Propp (Costume Designer), Patrick Lynch (Scenic Designer), Basia Goszczynska (Prop Mistress), Dave Wilson (Sound Designer), and Ben Bryant, (The Lighting Dude)! What a team!

Also, my thanks to: Harriet Sheets (Managing Director) , Bridget O'Leary (Artistic Associate), Gia Podobinski (PR & Marketing Manger), Alison Anderson (General Manager), Mark Soucy (Development Manager), Desiree Pedrami (Development & Marketing Asst.), Christopher Webb (Education Associate), Becca Solomont (Cultivation Coordinator), Todd Michael Hall (Audience Services Manager), Rachael Donnelly (Box Office Associate), and of course Joseph O'Dea (Production Manager), (you may like the Yankees, but you are okay with me). The New Rep team! Thank you, and thank you!

Finally, to the House Managers: Dawn, Alison, Anna, Desiree and the new girls. Thank you. Oh and of course, my thanks to all the Ushers, you do a grand job and you are most appreciated.

Well that's it! Good day, God Bless, and hopefully till the next time. If there isn't one, well c'est la vie, and so adieu!

Ross

Keeping it fresh

March 6th

The awful truth dawned on me last night, we haven't got long left! It's bad enough to know that after a year, I actually don't know when I will act again. But compounded to that fact, we have only days left to go, okay a week and a bit, but really it's not long left, and it's sad. Well it, the situation, saddens me, after all shortly I will be like the 'Playwright' reflecting on what has been.

Oh well, lets not get too depressed, after all, the good news, you (whoever you may be) will not have much of my blogging waffle left. I will try and provide enough amusement over the last few articles, although sadly not much scandal.

We had the added joy of a double show yesterday, which during the break I managed to enjoy a nice hard run to and from Cambridge. Word to other like minded actors, it's a great way to enjoy those double show days and a way of not spending your hard earned pennies in the delights of Pannera.

Alright, I know this is all really a lot of harmless waffle, so for anyone that may be wanting to glean some sort of, words of wisdom about 'the craft' of acting during production.

Well firstly you've come to the wrong place, but secondly in all seriousness, I'd say the following. We or rather I, during my drama school training was encouraged to 'the colouring of the word', this is especially useful in Shakespeare and indeed any well written play. You see, day in, day out, you cannot rely on being ' in the moment' it's not always there for you, especially during a long run.

At least it's not for me, and if it is for you, good for you, but if you are putting yourself through an extreme emmotional process day in, day out, and bear in mind I've been off book for 5 weeks, and I've been in productions that have lasted two months, it's not healthy, I mean after all I have to talk about a Father dying in this one. If I thought about my actual Dad, (who thankfully is still here in good health and long may he be), I'd be a wreck by now.

So anyway what I try to do, to keep it fresh, is that I try to keep everything new, by the way in which I work the script. I basically think about what I am saying (I can hear my mother saying, 'that's a first'), I let each thought come to me as I am finishing the last thought, just in the way I am writing this lot of old nonsense at the moment. I'm moving from one sentance to another, and if I find a particularly colourful thing to say, well I go ahead and say it. Sometimes, when I talk about the moon, I think about a full moon that I've seen on a clear night in Spain, the Alps, Africa, and even on all those clear nights in Afghanistan and when I talk about that moon, I really try and say it with the feeling of the way I saw one of those moons.

If I talk about dying I give the necessary weight to the word, the inference of the pain and the suffering, and the loss, but I really try to avoid thinking about the loved ones who've gone, or even those odd occasions when I dealt with death out there in Helmand Province in 2007. Occasionally I admit things slip, last night for example my final scene with Andre, I couldn't help but think about my old friend and neighbour, Michael Murray-Grant, and before I dwelt on his loss, I cheered myself on the bitter sweet moments of late night heated debates over numerous bottles of this and that. All this going on, whilst waiting for my cue, and staying in the scene, so you see for all those who go through the psycho-emmotional method, sometimes you'll find yourself so wrapped up in the process, that you'll forget about the person you are dealing with and the scene you're in.

On the other hand there are those who need to work on their gravitas, anyway before I sound like a critic. I'll be off The wife will be home soon, we need to have some time together, and of course give some attention to the cats.

Good day, God Bless and talk to you soon.

Ross

Friendship and Revelations in Rehersal

February 16th

It's funny what comes out of the rehearsal process, and when I say this I am talking about matters that will not be evident when we get onto the stage. If any of these other matters, do happen to appear on our performance nights, I can safely say that they will more likely be found to be sitting in the audience.

I'm sorry I don't mean to be so cryptic, but I am trying to introduce such subjects as friendship, memories from the past, and perhaps I may even touch open all the discoveries I have made in the last week that I genuinely believe have helped me adding a deeper layer to the character of "the Playwright" in Exits and Entrances.

Friendship, to a degree is what you will see in our production it's after all a story that involves a friendship. A friendship of many levels and the way in which that friendship changes in a period over five years. Well needless to say, by working on such topics one soon thinks of one's own personal friendships and relationships. I think of my wife, my parents, my brother, my Grandparents both of blood and adoptive, of friends I've made over the years, the ones I've met whislt working as an actor, my army mates, old school friends and of course my childhood friends. I think of my close friendships, ones that have lasted over the years, and the brief but happy friendships over my rugby years, as well as the close ones made. You end up considering all the valuable lessons and experiences you gained in the company of others and the heartbreak and anger when friendships have ended.

We humans are a funny animal species, most of us thrive in being able to be in the company of others, we can't or at least I can't be happy in my own company for any considerable length of time. It's as though we are only complete by a relationship with others, and sometimes we find it in a spiritual format but we also need the actual physical presence of someone to at least share a chat and a bit of laughter.

So you see there has been quite alot of thinking going on, which is a somewhat differant experience from my last outing at New Rep, where my main concern was blowing my brains out on the right line! No seriously, I loved working on The Lieutenant of Inishmore, which by the way congratulations to Colin, Karl and Lynn for their 2008 IRNE nominations, where was I, ah yes, no I seriously enjoyed that mad comedy but the nature of Exits and Entrances stirs up a multitude of deep feelings.

Sometimes it's not even the script, at times it's just pure accident, for example the girls, Amy and Candice (our lovely stage management team) had to put some wax on a particular tough draw. In doing so the smell of the wax threw me back to to my childhood home and the smell of a polished hall floor and thoughts of a lady crying in our cloakroom, and my dog, and my sliced chin involving 'Superman' slippers, and Ireland rugby jersey and a carpet divider! You see all through some wax.

So you see, it's not just the joy of hard work and creative muscle flexing that I am getting out of these intense rehearsals, but a whole range of emmotions and feelings that could be really be gone into deeper detail if it wasn't for the fact that I have to go and do some rugby coaching.

So I guess new revelations found in week two of rehearsals will have to wait.

Hope you have all had a marvelous 'Presidents Day'.

All the best,
Ross

How everything is so interlinked, even from your early days of training.

February 12th

There have been a lot of books over the years written about the 'art of acting.’ Theories, methods, and lets face it many schools/academies/conservatoires/colleges of drama have been founded on the base of one style or another.

People/actors/artists have lived and died (in more ways than one) by what's the best approach to working as an actor. In fact, I remember working on a play on the London fringe with a chap who'd quit his day job and embarked on the life as an actor. He had no training whatsoever, and instead believed that he could do it all by reading books by Ugen, Stanislavsky, and all the forms that were in fashion in 1998. I don't think he ever for once thought about the joy of acting, and entertaining the audience.

Anyway I digress, which is what I do, by nature anyway. The point, or rather the original point was to introduce my subject for this particular blog's discourse. Which was, how everything is so interlinked right from your early days of training, to your first professional production on now to what must be the thirtieth! Thank goodness all that money I spent on drama school wasn't for nothing.

We are now right amidst the 'snot en trane' of our preparation, and although every day is still a joy, it is also hard work. It's what acting is all about, finding the 'right notes', the 'light and shade,' etc. You work at finding all the levels, running with the emotions, which for both Will and I, there are quite a lot to deal with, as well as the detailing, the fine tuning, and on top of all that, remembering the lines.

The funny thing everyday we find new ways too deal with a speech, a line, a reaction, sometimes I find it easy to make the change, sometimes it's a matter of finding the right intonation, sometimes a thought of 'what would it feel like if that happened to me', sometimes it's picturing what I say as I say it, sometimes it's the 'super objective', sometimes it's 'I wonder how he would pour the drink at this moment'.

Whatever way we go, I find the joy and disappointment of trying numerous other ways to try the speech, before we (Chris, and I) think that it's now going in the right direction. Or indeed it's even more fulfilling that we are going through a scene and we try it angry, jesting, pitying, hating, with love or just getting on and saying the lines, and then we ( Chris, Will and I) make a few changes and then it's like, 'oh yes, that's the way, wasn't that so simple'.

Of course it's probably me that's making it too bloody complicated, and I can't help but apologize to Chris and Will for my awful Hugh Grant apologizing antics, 'sorry, so sorry, that was, well awful, do you think we could try that again?'

Then on top of all that it's the ability to say the line, help put a toga on Will, while, bless him, there he is standing in his underwear as I witter on about dreams and Oedipus. Now before I go too far and reveal the story, I hope you get the idea that this play is a lot of bloody good fun! In fact, sometimes I am proudest that I can pour a drink, fold a pair of trousers, hold a prop script and say a line, all at the same time, now that's acting!

My thanks as always to Will, Chris, Danielle, Amy and Candice for their constant help and support everyday.

Also I am going to take advantage and say, Alison MacDonald, Happy Valentine's wifey, I Love You.

Cleo and Devon, (the cats) stop messing about!

Yours Aye,
Ross

A Bit of Publicity

February 7th

So last night we ended the day with a bit of publicity, which like everything else was alot of fun. I must be a bad influence on my colleagues as an air of naughty schoolboy glee filled the room. Except when Chris (Jorie) had to impose some self-control and played the teacher and had me leave the room whilst he was being interviewed for the viral video promotion, to be fair he had Will leave the room as well, as a sign of equality and to spare me any offense, or so he claimed, I think Will would have taken up the mantle if I had been solely banished from our improvised studio.

Today we rehearsed in the Black Box, which was a change, thankfully it didn't cause that much of a differance to our work, although it did add to a sense of performance by being in the Studio. It's a lovely space and just a reminder of how spoilt one is working at New Rep, especially when some theatre companies struggle to have one decent rehearsal space and here we are with two.

Our work was in the same vein as the last few days, building on the layers, shaping our characters, processing our characters thoughts into the direction of our steps towards performance, going through the play, covering scenes that need elements of more formal 'blocking', discussing the direction we are taking, reviewing the work, then going back working through both tender and heated moments, finding the 'reality' and the 'art', getting to grips with the 'political' without becoming heavy handed and becoming flat tuned.

Right time to go, as you should know by now, wife and cats are waiting.

Cheers,
Ross

1-15-2009 OPENING NIGHT!

We are open! Many final things were ironed out in tech and previews (during which I was too busy working on the show to blog much) and now the final product is up and running.

Rick got a standing ovation for his curtain speech, which was another touching Boston theatre moment.

I had a great time with this cast and production team and look forward to working with everyone again in future productions. My next two New Rep projects are a staged reading of my play, The Devil’s Own Game next month as part of New Voices @ New Rep, and composing the violence for Fool for Love, directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary which will go up at Downstage @ New Rep in March.