The Price We Pay for Art

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

'ART' explores the relationship between three longtime friends and how the dynamics of their relationship change when one of them acquires an interesting piece of art. 'ART' won the Tony Award for best play in 1998; the show later went on tour and played Boston in 2000. Twelve years later, it is back in the area in New Rep’s new production and except for the references to French francs, the play still feels new.

‘ART’ opens with Serge (Robert Walsh) alone on stage admiring his new painting by Antrios (the artist must be famous when he’s known by just one name, right?), which he bought for 200,000 francs. The painting is an unframed canvas with a white background and white lines on it. The painting is “plain, at the same time magnetic” and “artificial light doesn’t do it justice.” Serge admires the painting from every angle and is giddy at his recent acquisition. Marc (Robert Pemberton) arrives and is asked his opinion of the painting; Marc does not take kindly to his friend's recent purchase and views it akin to a personal insult. Later, Yvan (Doug Lockwood) visits, Serge gets a much more positive reaction. When the three men get together, we see each man's true emotions come out and learn what they really think of each other. 

The play asks questions about what constitutes art and its value. Art is also used to represent each character, we get to see three very different pieces of artwork, and each has its own significance. How much value do we place on the painter’s fame and name recognition? The artwork is also a vehicle to questions about the three men and their relationships. Through harsh words and humor we learn more about each man's situation. 

'ART' is also a good counterpoint to “God of Carnage” – Reza’s other Tony Award-winning play running in town, and as the basis of the new movie “Carnage.” While there are similarities between them and both are great works, ‘ART’ draws you in more, the characters feel more relate-able, and it does not rely as much on the physical, almost slapstick comedy. 

Director Antonio Ocampo-Guzman assembles a great cast with chemistry – it really appears that they have been friends for fifteen years. The actors also do a good job at drawing in the audience. One could see this on opening night where during one scene audible gasps came from the audience in response to one of the character's actions. It's little things like this that help make live theater fun.

Who can collect your story?

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

Collected Stories by Donald Margulies explores the relationship between two writers – first as a student and a mentor and later as colleagues and the tensions caused by the relationship. Lisa Morrison, a first-semester grad student rushes to visit her advisor and favorite author Ruth Steiner to discuss a writing assignment. Ruth invites Lisa into her home and Lisa is overcome by the fact she is in her idol's apartment. There’s a bit of a misunderstanding, Ruth just sees that as a regular meeting with a student that happens to be at her apartment; Lisa thinks she’s being invited as a guest into Ruth’s apartment. Lisa is nervous and intimidated – speaking in a frenzied manner. She's a young writer with a lot of potential that wants to be shaped by Ruth. Over the course of the evening, through the interactions between the two women we see her progression as a writer and the shift in their relationship. We see Lisa grow to the point where Ruth seeks Lisa's advice on new writings but then challenges her interpretation of the new piece not able to relinquish control. The play explores the relationship between teacher and student – between mentor and protégé as well as what is fair game when writing. When is it appropriate to write about stories others have told you about? It does not try to pose judgment, but rather allow the audience to decide who was in the right in this instance.

In lesser hands, this play may not be very interesting, but under the capable direction of Bridget Kathleen O'Leary and with outstanding performances by Liz Hayes (Lisa) and Bobbie Steinbach (Ruth), this play shines. Lisa evolves from a nervous, intimidated, mousy novice writer into a writer who will do what it takes to get ahead. In the first scene you see her anxiety of embarking on her graduate career – a believable portrayal. Over the next couple hours, Hayes demonstrates Lisa's growth while maintaining vulnerability - a desire to still need approval from the one woman who is unfortunately incapable of providing such support. Bobbie Steinbach inhabits Ruth at her core and is great at as the intimidating, experienced professor who can never be pleased. She commands attention and shows great depth of emotion in the role.

Upon entering the Mosesian Theater, one immediately notices the lovely apartment of Ruth Steiner, masterfully designed by Jenna McFarland Lord with properties design by Joe Stallone. The opening scene and the angles make it feel like it is on the top floor and hidden away - Ruth’s hidden sanctuary. Great detail is put into it with a wall of books, a manual typewriter, and well-worn furniture. You immediately get the impression that this is a place Ruth has lived in for years. I also give credit to the whole team for ensuring that the actors do not get lost in such a large space – while everything around adds to the production, your focus is always on the actors and their compelling story. Credit should also be given to the David Reiffel's sound design – when you enter the space, you can hear the traffic outside the apartment. Deb Sullivan's lighting design also adds texture to the production through good use of light and color.

Overall, this is a strong production with a great team all around and standout performances by both Bobbie Steinbach and Liz Hayes. The story is an interesting one and will leave you evaluating the relationship between the two women after the show.

New Rep's RENT

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

I love RENT. There, I said it. I’ve loved from the first time I saw the Original Broadway Cast in 1996 through the many incarnations I have seen since. Now that we have established my bias, we can talk about New Rep’s production. The performance opening night was uneven and while there were many strong points, there were others that still need to be addressed. Director Benjamin Evett and Choreographer Kelli Edwards make a real effort not to duplicate the Broadway production (let's not mention the movie) – some of the choices work, while others didn’t seem necessary.

Nick Sulfaro’s Angel was wonderful, from the time he enters early in act one, you’re drawn to his character and the warmth, love, and later vulnerability and pain emanating from Angel. His two big numbers, “Today 4 U” and “Contact”, (both of which are often done with pre-recorded tracks, but were instead played live with a reduced orchestration), are two of the best numbers in the show. My other favorite moment (and performer) in this production was Aimee Doherty’s Maureen and her rendition of “Over The Moon.” One rarely gets to see Aimee in this type of a role, but she excels and brings down the house. The chemistry between Maureen and her lover, Joanne (Robin Long) was also great as evidenced in their number “Take Me.” There were other nice touches to this production that I appreciated, including the interplay during “Another Day” between the life support group and Mimi/Roger which really added to the number. Also, don’t miss the cute Monty Python reference in “La Vie Boehme.” I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Kathyrn Kawecki’s set – it was great and incorporated many elements including a cool street lamp.

While there was a lot that I enjoyed, the production was not without its flaws. Many of the issues I feel could be remedied; for example sound issues with microphones as well as issues of balance where I couldn’t hear the ensemble well. For me, this really detracted from some of the powerful moments in the show. The band in the opening number seemed muted and restrained. The opening number, “RENT” lacked the energy and tempo I was hoping for – it wasn’t the big rock number I had hoped to hear. This seemed to be the case for the majority of the first act with some exceptions. There are additional directorial decisions - the changing of the orchestration in “I’ll Cover You” and Mimi’s actions during “I’ll Cover You” which I thought detracted, but unless you are a diehard RENT fan, you will likely not notice them.
I’m glad that New Rep chose to tackle RENT and forge a new direction by not mimicking other productions. I may see this production again later in the run in the hope that what I observed in one performance were anomalies. I still love RENT and I hope if you see this production, you will share my love for the show.

A Summertime Musical Treat

By Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

I entered the theatre for New Rep’s production of The World Goes ‘Round not in the best of moods. After two hours, I left smiling and humming a few good songs. This is the sign of a good summertime musical revue.

The World Goes ‘Round was conceived in 1991 as a revue of the work of John Kander and Fred Ebb who wrote wonderful musicals such as Cabaret and Chicago as well as recently premiered works, Curtains and The Scottsboro Boys. Thankfully, this work, conceived by Susan Stroman, Scott Ellis, and David Thompson did not seek to insert a narrator or add scenes of dialogue to try string together songs. They simply let the songs speak for themselves and tell their own story. What they weave together is an enjoyable night of many tunes you know as well as some that you may not.

New Rep favorites Leigh Barrett and Aimee Doherty are a joy to watch and hear sing this great music – their performance of Class is stellar – it’s a joy to see them perform. In addition Shannon Lee Jones, David Costa, and De’Lon Grant – all of whom have appeared in New Rep productions – deliver solid performances. Ilyse Robbin’s direction is uneven with some truly outstanding and greatly conceived moments, as well as a few times when the actors seem to lack direction. The funnier moments, especially the numbers Coffee, Sara Lee, and Class are the standout numbers of the show and make the evening a memorable one. I wonder if the show itself would be tighter if a few numbers were eliminated and it be made into a slightly shorter intermission-less piece. These are simply minor qualms to an overall enjoyable piece.

The set is, simple art deco inspired, and provides the actors lots of room to shine. The orchestra is comprised of four players – keyboard, wind, string bass, and percussion. They are located on stage in what reminded me of a big band look and provide good sounding accompaniment.

The show was a great way to end New Rep’s year. It is was a very enjoyable evening and is highly recommended for Fans of Kander and Ebb.

Passing Strange Review

By Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

Passing Strange takes us on the journey of a young African-American youth in the 70s as he tries to discover his path in life. The narrator, an older, wiser version of the Youth introduces scenes and adds commentary as well as servers as part of the band. We meet the Youth in South Central LA in 1976 where is mother tries to get him to go to church. He ends up joining the church choir led by the reverend’s flamboyant son. While in the choir he gets to experiment with drugs and gets the idea to go to Europe. The Youth makes the decision to leave home and head first to Amsterdam then to Berlin where he indulges in sex, drugs, and his music. While in Europe his mother longs for his return, but he keeps putting it off, in part because he doesn't want to go back to his home town. At one point near the end of the play, the Youth asks "Why be with people who don't understand you?" the response he gets from one of his fellow artists is "Because they love me." In the end he learns that even when you find your art, you still need your family.

The performance opening night got off to a rocky start with some sound issues and the narrator (Cliff Odie) wasn’t able to grab me in. Odie's acting was solid, but his singing was not up to task. Fortunately, after a little bit of time with the amazingly talented ensemble’s entrance it all changed and I was hooked. Each of the ensemble members had a great voice and were adept at portraying a range of characters. Cheo Bourne masterfully portray's the Youth's journey to find himself and his art. Cheryl D. Singleton portrays Mother with both lovingness and humor – from her occasional lapses into her 'African-American dialect' to her touching phone calls to her son far away. De'Lon Grant, Eve Kagan, Maurice E. Parent, and Kami Rushell Smith all shine in the performances, it is a joy to watch them.

I had tried to watch Passing Strange on PBS when the aired a taping of the Broadway production starring the show's creator Stew. I didn't really care for it and sadly didn't make it through to the end. I'm glad that I got to see New Rep's production of this show as it convinced me that this is a good show once it gets going and a really enjoyable night of theatre.

Cherry Docs - Walking in someone else's boots

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

As you enter the theatre for Cherry Docs, New Rep’s latest production, you see a small, sparse, angular room, with industrial florescent lighting, various grates and vents, as well as a very bright light off to the side emitting a cool light you might expect to find in a parking lot. This sets the stark tone of the play directed by David R. Gammons, who directed New Rep’s amazing production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore a few years back, and proves again that he can handle such material.

Mike (Tim Eliot), a young skinhead from Toronto commits a hate crime, violently attacking a man he doesn’t know with his cherry docs – Doc Martin steel-toe boots (the program contains a note saying that the play is in no way associated with the shoemaker who has taken issue with its contents) - the man is critically injured and later dies from the injuries. Mike is defended by court appointed attorney Danny (Benjamin Evett), and is presented with a dilemma as Danny is Jewish. Danny also must decide whether to defend someone who says that in his ideal world, he would see Danny eliminated. The audience is taken on an intense journey exploring the relationship of the two, motivations for the crime, and how each copes with the situation on hand. The play rings true today with thoughts of hatred post 9/11 and most recently with news about GLBT youth and offers up some interesting ideas of how to address people who spread the hatred as well as is society’s role.

David Gow crafts a smart play with much Jewish imagery, some a little more subtle, others, such as the epilogue where both characters talk about the Biblical meaning of their names, are interesting thoughts, but seem over the top to have the characters spell it out for you.

Both actors shine in this production. Tim Eliot portrays many sides of Mike - at times he is terrifying, others afraid of what might happen to him, and still at other times that he might have just fallen in the with wrong crowd and got brainwashed. Benjamin Evett’s Danny is also complex, matching Mike’s intensity and emotions, as well as showing his own struggle of whether to take on such a case. David Gammons does a great job at keeping the pace and the intensity of this play going, it makes the 90-something minutes of the show go by quickly. This is definitely a production to see this season and is one that reminds us why we still go to see live theatre.

A New Opus

By Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

Opus opens as a string quartet concert does, with the sound of the ensemble tuning followed by (hopefully) beautiful music. Opus, a play receiving its New England Premier at New Rep, revolves around the Lazara Quartet and delves into the dynamics of the group. The quartet is in search of a new violist to replace Dorian, the virtuoso performer who was asked to leave the ensemble because he “crossed a line.” Grace, a younger performer auditions for the group and is, to her shock, offered the job on the spot. Grace has to decide whether to take the artistically rewarding job with Lazara, or wait in hopes for a stable job with the symphony. This is a choice many musicians must make - to choose from the ability to be one among equals or to go the safe route – join an orchestra, get dental insurance, a retirement plan and as Elliot, the 1st violinist puts it, “spend the rest of your professional life enthralled to a baton.”

Grace joins Lazara and is thrown into the ensemble and all its drama. Interspersed are flashbacks that show us the quartet with Dorian who is always on a course for artistic perfection, even though he realizes that while it will never be perfect, it can be better. Dorian is also Elliot’s lover, an open secret that has now affected the ensemble. When Alan, the 2nd violinists attempts to start some sort of relationship with Grace, he is reminded that such relationships are not good for the ensemble. Carl, the cellist rounds out the ensemble. At first Carl is quiet and just wants to be there to play the music, but we learn that there are other things going on with Carl and the music is a way to deal with other situations.

Jim Petosa assembled and directed a strong cast. Benjamin Evett is a strong Dorian, showing us into both Dorian’s genius as well as his mental instability. Michael Kaye is great as Elliot – giving some diva moments, but also showing Elliot’s depth. Bates Wilder adds nuance to Carl’s character, almost blending into the background in the beginning, but by the end, all eyes are on him. It’s always interesting when actors mime playing instruments on stage – sometimes it can be quite painful to watch, but in this production each actor has great intensity and conveys a passion about playing the music that at the very beginning of the show, had I not noticed they weren’t changing the fingering, I might have thought they were actually playing.

Cristina Todesco’s set was minimal but had some interesting elements to it such as the sheet music theme with sheet music on the floor as well as around the proscenium. The cables on the stage were an interesting touch like strings on an instrument as well as bar lines on a sheet of music.

At the beginning we hoped for beautiful music and we got some of that, but we also got a compelling behind the music look at the people making the music that is true to life, all packaged in 95 minutes of theatre.

Two men walk into a bar...

By Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

A man is in a bar having a drink and a salesman working for God looks him over and notes “you have sinned.” The salesman offers to sell him an indulgence. Yes, the Catholic way to hedge your bets for getting into heaven and yes, it's legitimate. This begins the play Indulgences, a fractured and funny fairy tale, by Chris Caddock.

We are introduced to two men, simply known as Man 1 and Man 2 who realize that they are very alike in many ways. The two men decide that they are so much alike that they could switch lives and no one would be the wiser, as one of the men puts it "Anyone can be anyone." Next we meet Malcolm, the prince and presumptive heir along with his lover, Fleance (who both happen to speak a sort of fake-Shakespearean English). The couple are plotting to kill the King so that they can be together. Finally, there are the two royal advisors who know about the prince's gay lover, the regicide plot and are trying to scheme so they can gain more power for themselves. It seems confusing as I write it, and is hard to give it justice, but it didn't matter at the time. Indulgences is a very funny mix of familiar tales, great lines, and quick wit. It is a sort of fairy tale meets Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead with a bit of Eugene Ionesco thrown in for good measure (if that makes sense). There is a message that Craddock is trying to convey through the laughter about free will and gay marriage. At a few points, it does seem that the author is trying to emphasize his point a little too much, but since it’s done in such an amusing way he seems to get away with it.

Kate Warner directs a tight production with a stellar cast. While I could say good things about the entire I cast, I will limit myself to a few comments. Benjamin Evett is great as the salesman, trying to broker deals and in conversations with God about free will and God’s ineffable plan. The always-wonderful Leigh Barrett is very funny in this production as the scheming advisor with a facial mole that seems to change location every scene. Neil A. Casey is a comic genius as always in his role as the second man, his subtle moves and facial expressions add depth and more laughs to his performance. If you are looking for an off-beat but funny night of theatre, Indulgences will not disappoint.

An Update

March 9th

Well as the weather wracks outside my window with wind, rain, snow and then whatever else has been picked up and blown across to rattle along our street. As this is all going on and the cats lie at my feet, I thought I better keep my word and jot a few more notes down for your enjoyment.

But firstly, I would like to thank the audiences. Yes, I would like to thank the public that have graced us with their company. For after all without our nightly paying guests, our performance, our 'art' would be nothing. So many thanks to you all, a very key ingredient to our production. I'd also if I may, take the opportunity to thank the House Managers and ushers, who keep the peace, tidy the theatre, become the welcoming faces at the start of the night and especially to the House Managers and Todd and Rachael in the box office who look after the theatre as we thrash about on stage. Oh and a big thanks to anyone who has kept up with my waffle, poor spelling and lapses in grammar. Oh and before I forget a big thank you to Jon and his willingness to talk about his experiences at The Market Theatre in Soweto in the 70's and 80's.

So if you had read my last blog, I described how I tried to avoid direct emotional experience to enhance the performance. Unfortunately, I didn't say it was unavoidable, did I? Also while working so closely with Will for so long, there are now those moments on stage where I don't know if it's 'in the moment' or the fact that as I've shared the company so long with this incarnation of Andre, that I really do get very choked with emotion at the end, and as a by product I can't help reflecting on my friends and loved ones that I have lost in my life.

As for talking about losing my Dad, I thought about that for a snap second on Saturday, and I nearly lost the plot, so I will stick to thinking of my character's father in future, and after all isn't that what having the God given gift of imagination is all about. That after all is what part of the challenge of acting is - the use of imagination.

One thing that I should report, last night as Andre was saying 'To be or not to be', I lapsed into dwelling on one friend I lost recently. Guardsman Darryl Hickey KIA in Helmand, Afghanistan 2007. So I suppose Daz, that one was for you. I also want to add that once again this has been one of my most treasured Theatrical experiences and I will always be in debt to Mr. Lyman. After all 'Everybody loves Will'. (If you have been to the talkbacks you'd really know what I'm talking about, although yes there is a little bit of inspiration to Raymond.)

Well must go.

Yours Aye,
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.

1-7-2009 A Cool Dialect Detail

I was talking about the dialect work in this show with Aimee Doherty (our Sally Bowles) and she mentioned that she actually has to learn two different British accents. One is the upper class accent that Sally maintains as a pretense, and the other is the lower class accent that comes out in times of emotional stress and which is the one she comes by honestly.

I should also point out that many of us are in danger of being stuck in German accents for quite some time. Ja.

1-4-2009-- Kicklines

We had our first stumble through today. There was far less stumbling than anyone might have expected.

I was thinking today about the kickline numbers since we saw quite a bit of work on them recently. Kicklines were one of two elements that were part of the “Americanization” of popular entertainment of the time (the other being Jazz). The appeal of the kickline in that cultural context was the military precision. Not to kid myself or anyone else, there was of course an erotic aspect to it, but what attracted so much commentary was its resemblance to military drill.

A bit of history trivia: though the kickline was perceived as being very American and modern, the first dance company of note that performed in this style was British.

1-3-2009 Staging the Beat Down

Today I staged the big fight in the Kit Kat Club. It begins with a conflict between Ernst and Cliff, and ends with Cliff being attacked by the Nazi guards I described in an earlier entry.

It’s important in fight scenes that the integration of my work with the director’s be seamless. Ideally it should be difficult to determine exactly where one begins and the other ends. To that end, I concentrate a lot on how personal conflicts escalate into physical confrontations. In this case there is an argument between Cliff and Ernst which eventually makes Cliff snap and punch Ernst. Much of this was already set by Rick of course, but I made some modifications with the actors both in the interest of sight lines and to make the escalation into a physical blow make dramatic sense. The technique I used for the punch itself is a variant of what is commonly referred to as “ The John Wayne Punch.” It’s a pretty big move that’s visible and effective from nearly any angle, and also works well in isolation from other techniques as the sort of thing that might come of an emotional outburst.

A bit of detailing: after the punch lands David plays that he hurt his fist punching Ernst. This is a pretty realistic moment as most people would not be able to punch a solid surface without sustaining some pain. There is also the character moment of disbelief over his own actions. Cliff goes to comfort Ernst and is rebuked, and at that moment is ambushed from behind by the two guards.

An ambush from behind is a delicate thing on stage. The cues need to be very specific in order to keep everything both safe and believable. It is also usually the case that the actor who is playing the victim is the one who is in fact actually in control of the action.

We used a variety of techniques in the beat down (another technical term), Here we replicate both impact techniques (punches and kicks), and pain compliance moves (exactly what they sound like). Because this fight happens in a very specific dramatic context, Ernst is a participant. He does not strike Cliff, but the guards offer him the opportunity. He lifts a handkerchief to his mouth which comes back bloody (a prop placed there by Rick) and motions the guards to finish Cliff off. I won’t go into a play by play just now as you should come see the show, but it is important to remember that at their best, stage fights are designed with the rest of the production in mind as a way to help move the story forward.

This beating is a slow and somewhat methodical one. This is as much a political display of power as anything else. A regular patron of an establishment is being beaten at the establishment in full view of the other patrons, and no one dares interfere. They drag him out by his hair in full view of those same patrons and still, no one lifts a finger. People are discomforted, people cannot watch, the band stops playing for a moment, but no one interferes. This lack of interference is a powerful indication of where the culture has gotten to at that point. We said at the first rehearsal that we were looking at the thin veneer of civilization. At that point in the play it is barely there anymore.

12-31-2008--Captains and Dancing

We decided that Maurice Parent will be my fight captain. That means his job will be to run fight calls and maintain both the safety and integrity of composition of the fight choreography. I’m really happy about this choice as he is an actor with a great sense of movement who will be great about making sure that everyone is being specific in all their work. He is not in any of the fights himself, which is often an advantage for this position as it lets him concentrate on what the actors in the fights are doing without worrying about his own choreography.

Fight calls, for those who don’t know, are special mini rehearsals held before each run or performance in which the fights are done twice; once just marked out and once at performance speed. Fight calls are essential for safety and also maintain the specificity of the choreography. I often describe stage combat as a combination of sleight of hand and ballroom dance rather than being any sort of martial art. Many of the moves are counter intuitive and it’s important that the performers practice them in order to maintain an effective illusion.

Earlier in the process Annie Kerins was appointed the dance captain. She is responsible for maintaining the dance choreography throughout the show. It’s a fairly large job in a production like this, and there will be rehearsals where she’ll be running dance numbers in Kelli Edward's, the choreographer, absence. I had a look at her book of dance notation and it was interesting to see how different numbers were notated according to the way in which they were choreographed, meaning that if a sequence was counted out according to the music then the moves would be similarly spelled out whereas if Kelli set moves according to word sequences they would be spelled out that way.

A great thing about the choreography in this production is that Kelli is finding unconventional ways to use conventional dance vocabulary. Since much of this musical is a show within a show, what she is doing works especially well in this context. There are a lot of complex structures she is creating using almost the entire company where each dancer is moving in time with the rest, and then they break into another structure where each dancer or group of dancers have very individual moves before rejoining the group.

Speaking of dance, today we were short two cast members because they were performing in First Night so Adrienne and I got to stand in for them for part of a dance composition rehearsal. That was all kinds of fun. We did a part of “The Telephone Dance” in which Kelli had progressions of structural changes in the choreography going from synchronized to individual movements. It was important that there were stand ins for the choreography as the timing of the changes has to be precise. It was a lot of fun. And I got to work out a funktastic upsidedown lift and spin sequence with Michele DeLuca that her partner will learn when he comes back (funktastic is of course a technical choreography term that is still missing from the majority of textbooks).

Happy New Year everyone!

12-30-08 – Staging Nazi Scenes

One of the things we worked on today was the song “I Don’t Care Much,” in which the Emcee will appear bruised and with his arm in a sling and there will be Nazi guards in the club. This is also the scene that will include the biggest fight in the show, which I’ll choreograph later in the process.

One thing we’re working on in this scene is the placement of the guards. We tried a few variants. The first was Nazi guard would stand at attention on either side of the Emcee scanning the club. The sense of threat this created was interesting, but the option we decided on (which you’ll see in the production itself) is that the guards are off duty, sitting at tables in the club, drinking with everyone else, and being rowdy. And that their rowdiness would be an obvious problem that no one else in the club would do anything about. This was a very different sort of threat and made more sense for what we were doing with the rest of the scene.

Something that really struck me about the character work in this play is the way Paul Giragos is approaching the character of Ernst. Cabaret is popular enough musical that I don’t think I’m spoiling it for anybody reading this if I reveal that Ernst turns out to be a rather highly placed Nazi. And yet, this is one of the funniest and most charming characters throughout most of the play. I think that that is one of the things that makes the threat most real, and most powerful. The people who became Nazis did not start their lives as monsters, things happened that led them to go down that road. That said, Paul is playing him as an affable playboy who really believes in his cause. We really want to like Ernst, so the moment that we find out he’s a Nazi it really feels like a betrayal. I always felt that this sort of thing is one of the strongest humanist aspects of stage work. Putting a live face and a realistic and likable character on someone involved in what I can only describe as criminal politics has the potential to create a powerful impact on the audience. It’s a common strategy to dehumanize one’s opponents in war and politics. How much more would we learn as a society if we made it a more common practice to humanize those holding opposing viewpoints instead?

Happy Holidays!

December 24

Today was largely spent blocking the book scenes. Directing is a fascinating process because there is this fine line between completely prescriptive direction and setting up a framework for the actor’s own creativity to fill in beyond the directorial composition. We’re always in search of moment to moment specificity in the theatre, but where in the collaboration those specifics get decided on is really hard to place.

That said today’s scenes had a lot of gags and comic moments in them. They’re all fairly early in the play, so much of the heavier themes aren’t apparent on the surface yet. I have a theory that people won’t cry at a show unless they’ve already laughed, so the humor is well placed here.

What’s also so important that never gets discussed enough are the moments between the lines. Reactions to lines can be as powerful as the lines themselves. That’s one of the strengths of good writing, that it can be mined by actors and directors for actions and reactions. One aspect of Rick’s direction that I particularly admire is his control of rhythm. It’s often the spaces in between the lines where the rhythm of a scene can be found.

I was thinking about some of the a historical moments in the show. Fraulien Kost is always bringing home sailors as part of her patriotic duty. I read it as a sign of the remilitarization of Germany. That would not have been happening just yet in terms of history, but the way that the show compresses time it makes dramatic sense. There is also a really interesting moment in terms of Cliff’s language lessons. Most Continental Europeans learned (and probably still learn) British English and British pronunciation, so an American teaching English in that period would be working against a specific establishment.

We’re still fairly early in the rehearsal process. Later on I hope to get into detail about certain moments and maybe talk a little about how some of the stage combat works once we get up to the fights.

Have a good holiday!

Meron

First Rehersal

December 19, 2008

Hello everyone! My name is Meron Langsner. I’m the fight director and one of the assistant directors for Cabaret, and I’ll be one of your guest bloggers for this rehearsal period. Last season I was New Rep’s Playwright in Residence through the National New Play Network, and I’ve done all sorts of things with the company including writing, fighting, curating, and teaching.

I signed on to this project back in May, not knowing it was going to be Rick’s last show here. That said, I really feel privileged to be a part of it.

The rehearsal hall was filled with a mix of new and familiar faces, even including a former student of mine from Tufts! It’s a pretty large project, so the diversity of talents we have at work here adds to the excitement. I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on the cabaret movement in Berlin and other related areas and I’d been waiting to be able to apply that scholarship in the context of the production.

This rehearsal was about design and dramaturgy presentations, discussing the concepts of the production, and doing the first read through/sing through so we could start to get the voices and characters together.

What we’re exploring in this production is the fragility of civilization. The show is set at the end of Germany’s Weimar Period and ends with the rise of the Nazi party. This is heavy stuff we’re dealing with. Part of what makes this show so effective is how much fun it is. We’re in mid party when one of the ugliest parts of the modern era begins. “In here, life is beautiful.” But we can’t be in there forever, and the longer we wait, the uglier it gets.
Along with the design presentations (which I won’t get into as you deserve to be surprised), my fellow AD Adrienne and I did dramaturgical presentations. She covered the general period in terms of WWI history and the Weimar government and I concentrated on the cabaret movement.

I go into this in more detail in my program note of course, but it’s worth saying here that the cabaret movement of the time was something really special with no real modern equivalent. It sort of occupied a place between popular entertainment and the avant-garde. The movement began in Paris and spread from there, adapting to the specific culture of each new location. The basic structure was a small stage for a small audience, numerous entertainments linked by a host, and much smoke and drink. The character of the entertainment was often satiric, sexual, and topical. Berlin as a city was known for having an especially biting wit, and its entertainments followed suit.

History plays an interesting role in this show. In many ways, the more knowledgeable you are about history, the more problems you might have with the book. But what’s important to remember is that in this context aesthetics trump accuracy. The more I look at the a historical moments of the play, the more I see the human truth they are getting at more than the chronological moment they are meant to represent. I may be talking about these moments more as the process goes on as it’s a really interesting problem in period pieces.Rehearsal was called off early as the blizzard was just beginning, but even with the semi snow day we’re off to a really great start.