Sorry I’ve been so out of touch: rehearsals have kept me hopping!
The process of unfolding, discovering and crafting this piece has been equal parts challenge and fun, and I wish I could’ve shared more with you over these weeks, but (with apologies to Las Vegas) what happens in rehearsal, stays in rehearsal. I can share that a few of our biggest challenges has been figuring out which characters know what at what point in the story, what makes each character tick and what the timeline of the story is. But directing a crackerjack cast like this makes it a lot easier. Working with this group of actors has been illuminating and wonderful: Sara Zientek soaks everything up like a sponge, Jonathan Wainwright is unbelievably incisive, Betsy Skowbo always brings in something new every day, and Drew Brhel and C. Michael Wright, being directors in their own right, bring an added perspective to their performances.
But today we head into tech, adding all the design elements. The set is installed in the space, the lights are hung, costumes are at the ready, more new props arrive every day, and sound will be added to the mix. In short, this is when everything begins to come together. All the work we’ve done in the rehearsal room finally mixes with the visual aspects of the piece. And, for myself, this is my favorite time in the process. As a director, the image or idea you have of the show finally begins to resolve itself into three dimensions and you begin to see all the collaboration of the many past months pay off. Concept meets rehearsal meets drawing board and we begin to put it all up today in expectation of an audience on Thursday night. It’s generally a slow process: actors are working hard to adjust to the new environment, designers are working as quickly as they can to get the look and sound of the play just right, and our technical staff (who are amazing!) are working to make sure everything runs smoothly and as designed. Working as fast as we can in four and a half days to move from rehearsal to finished world on stage can be an arduous process. Yet, the world of the play and the audience experience begin to form itself in front of our eyes and it is truly a magnificent experience.
See you at the theatre!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
The day of rest.
OH boy, what a week!HI, my name is Sara Zientek and I will be playing Jackie in MAURITIUS. I am in my last semester at UW-Milwaukee and will be juggling 16 credits while rehearsing 6 days a week for this brilliant show. I thought I would give myself an easy semester with a lot of dance classes, yoga, and one discussion course. Sadly, I was mistaken and realized that I am completely exhausted by the time I get into my car and head on over to rehearsal. LUCKILY, there is PLENTY of coffee to go around and the energy that Andrew and the rest of the actors bring quickly lifts my spirits and I am ready to act the night away!
One thing that I would love to share is the thrill of working on a show that involves fight work. We are lucky to have a brilliant fight choreographer (someone who blocks out the fights and shows the actors how to execute them safely and efficiently), James Fletcher. Fletcher and Andrew have talked over what they both think would be effective during each fight scene and then get to test out their ideas on us and see if it looks believable. This is my first time having to fight in a show so its very exciting and terrifying at the same time! First Fletcher talks about what he wants from us, He makes whoever is doing the fighting walk through it in slow motion to make sure our hand and feet positions are correct. Then, we start to pick up the speed and eventually start doing the fights at show speed. Nothing is set in stone, so if any actor feels uncomfortable and needs to change something that is ALWAYS an option. We want the fights to look as real as possible, but they also need to be completely safe. So we do each fight scene several times with Fletcher there watching from different angles so he can make sure nothing looks wrong and to make sure there isn't a big gap between a persons fist and someones face if they were throwing a punch..that wouldn't look real :)
Once everything looks good and everyone feels comfortable we try and run the whole scene and add the fight into it. Andrew and Fletcher both seemed very pleased yesterday with all the fights and I can't wait to get back to rehearsal tomorrow and work on them a little more.
Cheers,
SZ
p.s. we have finished staging the whole show and now are starting to get into detail work about our characters.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Meeting Theresa Rebeck
I'm Andrew Volkoff, director for Chamber Theatre's upcoming production of Mauritius. I currently live in New York City, but I can't tell you how excited I am to be back in my hometown, directing at MCT. Blogging's a little new to me, but I thought I'd share a New York story with you about meeting Theresa Rebeck, playwright of Mauritius. It really shows that New York is really just a large small town....
So...
I was at Drama Bookshop in New York City last year looking for a few scripts and they're winding up this wine and cheese shindig in the store. I'm poking around on a lower bookshelf and I hear someone say (regarding a woman standing near the wine), "Well, yeah, that's Theresa Rebeck". I chalk it up as insider humor, but I do stand up and poke my nose over the bookshelf to look at who they're referring to. The man at the counter repeats it to the disbelieving woman holding a script: "No, seriously, that IS Theresa Rebeck". I'm bowled over at my luck! I walk over to her and say, "You're REALLY Theresa Rebeck?" She laughs and says, "Yes", and I say "Holy cow! I'm directing a production of MAURITIUS at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre in February!"
The long and the short of it is: she couldn't have been nicer, and when I said I had some questions about the play (Me: "about Mary.." She: "yeah, she's the one everyone has questions about...there are two ways you can play her."), she graciously gave me her email address. I've corresponded with her a few times and it's been great to get some clarification about character and motivation straight from the playwright's mouth, as it were.
After briefly speaking with her, I quickly ran to the Theresa Rebeck section of the store, bought an additional copy of Mauritius and had her sign it, donating it to last year's MCT gala. What she wrote was very cute: she signed it "To You. Theresa Rebeck. May 2010." She even let me take a picture with her... :)
I'm not generally superstitious, but I certainly consider that an auspicious beginning!
Looking forward to beginning rehearsal today,
Andrew Volkoff
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Dinner Break....
Just got back from the dinner break for Tech.
For those of you who care - I had a BBQ Chicken Wrap and it was very tasty.
The afternoon was spent working with lights and cues - working with actual beer bottles with liquid, working with actually making toast onstage and burning waffles. It doesn't sound like much - but all those little things add up to a big ole helping of awkwardness onstage.
When I was in college and working a summer theater job a girl I was working with that summer stopped mid-scene and simply said, "acting's hard." It was something we quoted for the rest of the summer, and years to follow until we graduated college. I find myself saying it every once in a while jokingly, but now out of context and away from those who heard it first and are in on the origin of the joke - it has taken on a different meaning. Mainly, a much more serious one.
Acting IS hard. It is a series of choices. And a lot of them. And to make something that is theatrical seem like it is an everyday scene from the lives of three people is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
Tami Workentin has the hardest job, I believe. As the Mother in this 1946 setting, she has to deal with serving Mr. Tasse and I breakfast - not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES. And none of them the same way. It is a delicate dance of bringing 2 cups, then 2 spoons, then juice, fill coffee, drop bread in toaster, and so on and so forth. Jim Tasse and I only need to eat, drink and talk. I commend Tami for being able to do all of those things and make it seem effortless and just another part of the daily life of these people.
I think a lot of time people don't realize just how much work goes into the 'small things' onstage, or the 'business' that the actor is doing. Often times in talkbacks we will get the question, "how did you memorize all of those lines?" But in a play like this - or any American Realism play - the business is just as much of the magic and craft.
To give you an idea how much thought goes into this stuff. A waffle iron is used for one breakfast. This waffle iron is placed in a cabinet - and it could have been placed in the closest one for convenience, but what story does that tell? Instead, taking into account that waffles are the son's 'favorite' and he has been away at war for two and a half years, the waffle iron was placed in a cabinet high above in the kitchen. So high that Tami has to get a step stool to reach it. The story that we tell with that simple shift in location is huge.
It shows first off that waffles are not an everyday thing. It is an event. One that does not happen often. It also tells the story that since the son has not been there for two and a half years, it has moved to a place for items of disuse. The mother put it away until her son's return, and this is a morning that she has been thinking about for quite a while. So by placing the iron in that location - that simple choice speaks volumes. Does it read onstage? Yes. Will you notice it? Probably not. But for the keen observer and the good storyteller, all of it lies in the details like that.
For those of you who care - I had a BBQ Chicken Wrap and it was very tasty.
The afternoon was spent working with lights and cues - working with actual beer bottles with liquid, working with actually making toast onstage and burning waffles. It doesn't sound like much - but all those little things add up to a big ole helping of awkwardness onstage.
When I was in college and working a summer theater job a girl I was working with that summer stopped mid-scene and simply said, "acting's hard." It was something we quoted for the rest of the summer, and years to follow until we graduated college. I find myself saying it every once in a while jokingly, but now out of context and away from those who heard it first and are in on the origin of the joke - it has taken on a different meaning. Mainly, a much more serious one.
Acting IS hard. It is a series of choices. And a lot of them. And to make something that is theatrical seem like it is an everyday scene from the lives of three people is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
Tami Workentin has the hardest job, I believe. As the Mother in this 1946 setting, she has to deal with serving Mr. Tasse and I breakfast - not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES. And none of them the same way. It is a delicate dance of bringing 2 cups, then 2 spoons, then juice, fill coffee, drop bread in toaster, and so on and so forth. Jim Tasse and I only need to eat, drink and talk. I commend Tami for being able to do all of those things and make it seem effortless and just another part of the daily life of these people.
I think a lot of time people don't realize just how much work goes into the 'small things' onstage, or the 'business' that the actor is doing. Often times in talkbacks we will get the question, "how did you memorize all of those lines?" But in a play like this - or any American Realism play - the business is just as much of the magic and craft.
To give you an idea how much thought goes into this stuff. A waffle iron is used for one breakfast. This waffle iron is placed in a cabinet - and it could have been placed in the closest one for convenience, but what story does that tell? Instead, taking into account that waffles are the son's 'favorite' and he has been away at war for two and a half years, the waffle iron was placed in a cabinet high above in the kitchen. So high that Tami has to get a step stool to reach it. The story that we tell with that simple shift in location is huge.
It shows first off that waffles are not an everyday thing. It is an event. One that does not happen often. It also tells the story that since the son has not been there for two and a half years, it has moved to a place for items of disuse. The mother put it away until her son's return, and this is a morning that she has been thinking about for quite a while. So by placing the iron in that location - that simple choice speaks volumes. Does it read onstage? Yes. Will you notice it? Probably not. But for the keen observer and the good storyteller, all of it lies in the details like that.
Heading to Tech
I am writing this about an hour before we head into Technical Rehearsals for 'The Subject Was Roses.'
I admit I have been neglecting my duties as of the last few weeks of rehearsals, so over the course of Tech, I will try to fill you in on the many happenings of the last few weeks, a bit about the process, the props, and other enjoyable tidbits that you might not otherwise have the chance to hear about or see in the final production.
To begin I should introduce myself to you. My name is Nicholas Harazin and I am an actor. In ROSES, I play the role of Timmy, the son who comes back from WWII to his parents house in the Bronx. I last blogged for Sweetest Swing in Baseball - so you may have read some of my ramblings there as well - for the sake of all involved, I will try to be as eloquent and terse as possible.
I will be bringing my computer with me to Tech and reporting from there when I have the chance. For those of you who do not know what Tech is, it means that it is a Technical Rehearsal, in which all the elements of design come together in the space. The Set is done, and tweaks will be made here and there as we work on it. The lighting is going to be set, we will work on setting levels, as well as working with some 'practical' cues onstage - where one of us actors has to turn on a light switch or a lamp onstage, and the lighting designer has to light the room as though that were the only source of light in it. The costumes will be worn today for the first time and we will see how everything fits and works in the space. And the sound designer will be adding his elements throughout the play.
The actors have had weeks to rehearse this play, and now, essentially, it is the designers chance to rehearse their play with us and see how we all come together to make what is sure to be an incredible production.
Report back soon.
I admit I have been neglecting my duties as of the last few weeks of rehearsals, so over the course of Tech, I will try to fill you in on the many happenings of the last few weeks, a bit about the process, the props, and other enjoyable tidbits that you might not otherwise have the chance to hear about or see in the final production.
To begin I should introduce myself to you. My name is Nicholas Harazin and I am an actor. In ROSES, I play the role of Timmy, the son who comes back from WWII to his parents house in the Bronx. I last blogged for Sweetest Swing in Baseball - so you may have read some of my ramblings there as well - for the sake of all involved, I will try to be as eloquent and terse as possible.
I will be bringing my computer with me to Tech and reporting from there when I have the chance. For those of you who do not know what Tech is, it means that it is a Technical Rehearsal, in which all the elements of design come together in the space. The Set is done, and tweaks will be made here and there as we work on it. The lighting is going to be set, we will work on setting levels, as well as working with some 'practical' cues onstage - where one of us actors has to turn on a light switch or a lamp onstage, and the lighting designer has to light the room as though that were the only source of light in it. The costumes will be worn today for the first time and we will see how everything fits and works in the space. And the sound designer will be adding his elements throughout the play.
The actors have had weeks to rehearse this play, and now, essentially, it is the designers chance to rehearse their play with us and see how we all come together to make what is sure to be an incredible production.
Report back soon.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
If the shoe fits!
You might remember me as MCT's Audience Development Coordinator, but this time I am wearing another hat - designing costumes for THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES! It is a big job to design and produce period costumes (this play is set in 1946). The smallest details are so important - especially in the Studio Theatre!
Today my biggest dilemma is that I can't decide which shoes to buy for my leading lady, so I have to buy three pairs. Thank goodness for places like Zappos that have super speedy shipping and free returns! Now I can bring three pairs to my fitting and determine the perfect shoes with the help of the most important person - the one wearing them! After she decides, I will return the other pairs. Tami Workentin (Nettie) will be wearing these shoes for a few hours every performance for the duration of the run. As a designer, when I am thinking about which shoes to provide, not only is it important that the look is correct, but that they last the duration of the run and provide comfort for the actor. Many actors have been on their feet all day and the last thing they want to do is come to their performance after a long day and put on a pair of uncomfortable shoes! So, even though it would be nice to save some money and go to a cheap shoe store, I have to splurge a little for the actor's sake! Instead of buying multiple cheap pairs of shoes, I will buy one good pair. This also benefits the actress when she has quick changes and doesn't have to worry about changing her shoes!
So there you have it - a little insight on shoes from the costume designer for today. Now, I am off to my favorite vintage boutique - Vintageous in Bay View, to continue my search for Tami's (Nettie's) wardrobe!
www.zappos.com
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Check out all of this great press for MAIN-TRAVELLED ROADS!
Main-Travelled Roads behind the scenes YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awN-YweCyy4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – review
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/105101384.html
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – advance story
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/104914214.html
OnMilwaukee.com – advance story
http://onmilwaukee.com/ent/articles/maintravelled.html?24038
Third Coast Digest – advance story
http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2010/10/those-rhode-girls-and-mcts-main-travelled-roads/
WUWM Lake Effect interview
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/le_sgmt.php?segmentid=6478
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awN-YweCyy4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – review
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/105101384.html
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – advance story
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/104914214.html
OnMilwaukee.com – advance story
http://onmilwaukee.com/ent/articles/maintravelled.html?24038
Third Coast Digest – advance story
http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2010/10/those-rhode-girls-and-mcts-main-travelled-roads/
WUWM Lake Effect interview
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/le_sgmt.php?segmentid=6478
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