PRIMARY COLORS: An Interview with Tyler Marchant

A Director's Inspirations

In 'ART,' the character Serge purchases a piece of contemporary abstract art: a white painting with white diagonal lines.  His substantial investment in the piece sparks a debate that threatens to shred three men's friendships with one another.

The play raises more questions than it answers.  What kind of piece could cause an argument which devolves rapidly from the quality of a canvas to the worth of a human being?  Does a strong reaction to a work of art, positive or negative, automatically imply quality?  Does a strong reaction to a friend's choice imply care or its opposite?  What lies in the space between?



As MCT rehearses Yasmina Reza's provocative piece, director Tyler Marchant took a few minutes to share his own passion for 'ART.' In initial conversations with the production's design team last December, Marchant confessed that he has loved the play since he first became familiar with it.  MCT Education, irresistibly curious as to why, couldn't resist mining the story behind the work in process in the rehearsal hall:

This is Piet Mondrian's Composition of Red, Blue, Yellow, and White: Nom II, 1939. At The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Found at
http://www.moca.org/pc/viewArtWork.php?id=45

MCT: What first captivated you about this play? MARCHANT: I've always wanted to direct this play.  You could say it was on my "bucket list" of plays which I desperately wanted to direct.  I think the play is stylish, smart, and incredibly funny.  It also uncovers a wonderful metaphor between art and friendship.  I've always connected to the play in terms of the three men having to re-define and re-imagine their friendships-if they are to survive.

MCT: 20^th century artist Piet Mondrian's work is a fundamental influence on the design of this production and on how you have framed (no pun intended) the relationships among the characters therein.  How did you come to connect to this specific body of work as inspiration for exploring the style and design of this work?  For you, in what way(s) does Mondrian's work illuminate the story of 'ART'? MARCHANT: In investigating the play, I started to think of the metaphor of art and hit upon the idea of distilling it down to the primary colors.  3 men… 3 primary colors…  I started to muse on this, and eventually it took me to the work of Piet Mondrian.  I had always admired Mondrian's work without ever fully grasping it entirely.  I loved the search his art brought out in my own work and imagination.  It started to make sense when I thought about the play: a white space separated by black lines started to look like a myriad of canvasses.  I started to see how the three men could become the primary colors that so often permeate the work of Mondrian's canvas.

This is Piet Mondrian's Tableau 2, 1922.
Copyright 2007 Mondrian/Holtzman Trust Found at http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artwork/3013

MCT: Are you a fan of abstract art in general?  Who are your favorites, if so? MARCHANT: Yes.  I have to say my first real visceral connection to it was the Mark Rothko room in the Tate Gallery in London.  I was studying there as an undergrad, and when I stepped into the room, his paintings seemed to dance.  I sat in that room for a long time, and a new sense of awe about the art world started to come into my being.  Rothko's paintings taken in alone are one thing, but when one is completely surrounded by them, it becomes another experience.  That was the beginning.  I love art that challenges me intellectually and emotionally-Rothko did that in every way.  I still search that out, and I still am thrilled when I encounter it.

This is Mark Rothko's No. 14 Held at the San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtImage found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rothko

What Will We See?

Are you a fan of contemporary, abstract, and/or contemporary abstract art?  Enjoy the following inspirations and leads which both the design team and MCT friends have shared on the kind of work we might expect to see onstage in Serge's purchase:

• For initial designs, Tyler Marchant recommended seeking out the work of artist Robert Ryman, who works in white and texture.

• Visit YouTube.  Barbara Brown Lee, former Chief Educator at the Milwaukee Art Museum, hosts a series of fascinating short lectures on works held by the MAM.  Episode 1, "My KID Could Do That!," features work resonant of the style of Serge's painting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QonQkYQkQY.

• Visit the Milwaukee Art Museum.  If on display, the works discussed in Barbara Brown Lee's lecture are held right down the street from MCT, from Agnes Martin's white canvas Untitled #10 to Ellsworth Kelly's Red, Yellow, Blue II, featuring three panels of primary colors.

• Michael Wright turned up an article about abstract expressionist painter Barnett Newman, whose blue canvas garnered over $40 million dollars at auction.

See you soon-when visual art takes center stage-in the Cabot Theatre!

A Closing Note

MCT and Wodehouse fans!

Just a final note to thank you for joining us, if you were able, for Jeeves in Bloom.  We heard on the final weekend that our playwright, Margaret Raether, was able to join us for a second round.  That was delightful news, along with closing-weekend audiences who buoyed us with their “spring” energy—from smilers to unreserved guffawers.  Trust us, friends, those smiles and laughs, that lovely crackling energy which an audience brings to the theatre, is truly the final piece of the puzzle—the final character, or, to quote Matt Daniels, the final missing dialogue in a play.  We couldn’t do it without you.

A special thanks to the teachers and students who joined us for the student matinee performance!  Your energy and thoughtful questions made for a sparkling afternoon!

I write this as those of us on the project are winding down and moving on to other adventures.  In the meantime, what a way to welcome spring (such as it is this year in Wisconsin!)!

Here’s to you. 

Yours—Marcy Kearns

 

Jeeves in Bloom Poetry Contest!

Jeeves to the rescue,
Just in time-
I sure wish he was
A butler of mine.
- Vera L.


When Aunt Dahlia comes a calling,
When the "Bertie!" hits the air,
Jeeves has to go a looking,
For a Wooster behind his chair.
- Maureen V.


Summertime is a time for fun-
It keeps Jeeves and the players on the run.
- James R.


Wooster, Shire, Sauce?
Almost...
But not quite a toss.
- B. B.


Matt Daniels has such style
In everthing he does-
Gown, tux, or gloves-
He's adaptable and versatile,
But when it comes to Jeeves,
His current starring rage,
He's such ablaze on the MCT stage,
The audience BELIEVES!
- Diane B.


Jeeves is the master
Wonderful and Competent
Saves the day again.
- G. C. (a haiku)


The gardens are blooming at Brinkley Court,
Jeeves is in line for
Miss Froggie's sortie.
- Anon.


Warm the sun,
Buzz the bees,
Let's all hide
Behind the trees.
Help Jeeves!
-Anon.


In the gardens of Brinkley Court
Gussie Fink-Nottle is quite a sport.
Jeeves intervenes
And it is quite a scene.
-Anon.


Bertie bumbles all;
Too busy and bemuse.
Jeeves juggles all,
Juxtaposed to always amuse.
- Linda S.


Dahlia's deep in debt,
Travers' stomach's upset,
Gussie's love life's bereft,
and Maddie quotes Juliet.
While Bertie's a drip
Only Jeeves is equipped
with the saving script
by the last curtain's set.
- Fred K.


You may be fun,
You may be jolly,
But Jeeves and Wooster
Are the cat's pajamas, by golly!
- Joe M.


There once was a pip named Myrtle,
Who dreamed of owning a turtle.
She pleaded with mum
To purchase her chum
But couldn't 'cause her demeanor doth curdle.
- Jen M.


Laughter grows in Brinkley Garden
And my verse - I beg his pardon
For I love his Jeeving
Thus I spend these acts of grieving,
At this time I take my leaving .
- Tom F.


Stardust's the thing
That offers eternal spring.
- Anon.


Bertie insists on having his way.
Then Jeeves reliably saves the day!
- Wade K.


Jeeves!
Your erudition blooms
Through decades of rooms.
Smoking jackets and brooms
But, alas, you cannot hide
Your intellect large
In any backyard!
- K. H.


The springy showers are ever so sprinkley
As ere they hover so lovingly o'er Brinkley.
- Anon.


Matinee patrons one and all
Tiny women, none are tall
With umbrellas spring and fall
Better here than a shopping mall.
- N. C.


Does Jeeves make you giggle?
Is Bertie too silly?
A brand new wig 'll
Be charming and frilly
And make your toes wiggle.
- J. W.


Let the night's garden
Possess its secrets
Until all is resollved.
Sanity returns
And all realize
That Jeeves is in bloom.
- R. F.


Kudos and cheers for C. Michael Wright
For drama and stories, heavy and light
Exactly the thing for a Saturday night
With Michael the Broadway Theatre Center spright.
- Patricia S.

Opening Weekend Stats!

Some stats for opening!

113: Stage manager Judy Martel has with JEEVES opened her 113th production at MCT.
1,500: The weight in pounds of the grand drape deck chief Kat Danielson hoists and lowers three times a performance.
16 1/2: The number of flowers Madeline has on her person in the evening scenes.
10: The number of coats of paint on the fountain.
23: The number of times chef Anatole (Norman Moses) says his own name.
68+: The number of props Jeeves (Matt Daniels) handles throughout the performance.
103: The number of cues Judy calls during the performance.

HAPPY OPENING!
More to come!

Fight Captain and Deputy

Friends, Revealed: AEA Deputy Mr. Moses and Fight Captain Matty, surrounded by their loyal crew.

Any production which employs members of Actors' Equity Association, the union for American actors and stage managers, elects a deputy at the beginning of a rehearsal process in order to assure that union regulations are followed by the theatre and production process.  Jeeves' deputy is Norman.

Any production which has choreographed stage violence (stage combat) is well-served by having a fight captain, who is in charge of running all of the incidents of violence (fights) to make certain they are safe and tell the story the director and fight choreographer wish to tell.  Jeeves' fight captain is Matt Daniels.

The day after our fight choreographer, Jim Fletcher, staged the violence, Matt took a look as we ran each event.  It'll be his duty to make certain the fights are consistent when we reach the stage and to run those we need to run during a fight call prior to each performance.

It's above and beyond, the work both these gentlemen are doing.  In honor, Tami made Matt a badge (pictured on his hat) which said "Fight Captain."  Kat made Norman a Deputy star.

Then Tami challenged Matt to show up for his task in tights and a cape.  "Uniform," she declared.  "Just saying."

Challenge accepted, Matt appeared in the get-up you see above.

Off we go to tech rehearsal.  See y'all soon in the theatre!  (By the way, it looks beautiful.  Just on time for spring.)

An Interview with Matt Koester

A graduate of UW-Milwaukee, Matt Koester makes his MCT debut as Gussie Fink-Nottle in JEEVES IN BLOOM.
 
Tell us a bit about your character, Gussie Fink-Nottle:
Gussie Fink-Nottle is a schoolmate of Bertie and lives in a small town of Linconshire because he just can't handle the city life of London. He also has a pond in his yard where he can study newts. That's right. Newts. Gussie's character is described in great detail even before he sets foot on stage. He is described by Bertie as a freak of nature with horned rimmed specs and face like a fish. He is a noted newt lover who has devoted his entire life to studying the amphibians. On top of that, he can't utter a single word to the girl he loves because of his extreme shyness. When it comes right down to it though, Gussie is such a sweetheart and a character you just want to root for.

What are some of the benefits and challenges of performing in such a comedic play?

Nothing beats the joy of making people laugh. The ultimate goal of this play is to have people come to the theater and for two hours forget all about their problems and issues, get sucked into the reality of the play and just laugh. It's the best feeling ever. It's been a difficult process for me, but comedies usually are. I have to learn to just be honest and truthful and let the comedy come organically from the true and honest moments that happen on stage. I also have to learn just to have fun, cause if I'm having fun, than the audience will too.

Anything fun you’d like to share with readers about JEEVES IN BLOOM, rehearsals, etc?
4 words. Best Snack Table Ever.

What are some of your favorite moments in theatre that made you who you are today?
Attending UW-Milwaukee was such an amazing experience because I was able to work my way in to the professional theater world with the close ties that UWM has with the community. One of those ties was Milwaukee Shakespeare. In my second semester, I was able to get an audition for the company and landed a small role in AS YOU LIKE IT. I had such an awesome time working with all these wonderful actors and learned more about the ins and outs of acting in that rehearsal process than I did in my first two semesters at UWM. I wouldn't have given that experience up for the world.

What do you like about being a theatre artist in Milwaukee?
I read an article in Backstage.com on the top ten theater towns in the US. Milwaukee was on the list. I think it was number 7. Being back after a 5 year hiatus from the Milwaukee community makes me understand exactly why this great city made the list. During the entire time away from the Milwaukee theater scene, I realized just how special and unique it really is. I missed it. The talent that Milwaukee has is unprecedented and support that it gets from its patrons is amazing. It's so great to be back in an environment that is so very helpful and appreciative of good theater.

Marcella Kearns as Aunt Dahlia

Marcella Kearns returns to MCT as Dahlia Travers, after appearing in MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS and last season's Old Time Radio Drama broadcast in collaboration with WPR.

 

Tell us a bit about your character, Dahlia Travers

Dahlia is Bertie Wooster's favorite aunt-- one with whom he actually enjoys spending time.  I think the feeling is mutual.  She occupies her time not only in overseeing the household at Brinkley Court, her husband Tom's country home, but also in running a "women's weekly" called Milady's Boudoir.  

What are some of the benefits and challenges of performing in such a comedic play?

The benefits are many.  Professionally, in light of one of the biggest challenges-- trying to find the precision and lightness that comedic work requires-- I'm feeling really lucky to have some of the sharpest comedians I know in the room, both behind the table and on the stage.  I learn every day from them.  Personally, it's bliss to laugh so much every day.  

Anything fun you’d like to share with readers about JEEVES IN BLOOM, rehearsals, etc?

Check out the blog posts!  More to come... 

What are some of your favorite moments in theatre that made you who you are today? 

My favorite moments in theatre are those that are accidently metatheatrical-- those moments in which the audience and artist experience intersect inadvertently, almost magically.  It's an incredible feeling, that moment in which we might not actually say it, but everyone in the room acknowledges that we're all in a theatre experiencing that intersection.  For example, I was at a performance of Twelfth Night at the Globe in London, and just as Feste began to sing his song about how the rain "it raineth every day," the skies broke open and rained on the audience.  His delivery and shrug became an apology for London, and thousands of us fell out laughing.  At another performance in Vienna during the Mad Cow Disease scare in the 1990s, a time in which the continent wasn't importing British beef, a character who has the line "But I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit" got a standing ovation.  It's the moment in which someone in the audience sneezes, and a character says, "Bless you."  It acknowledges the audience in a particular place and time as co-creators of that theatrical experience. 

Marcella Kearns and Tom Klubertanz in Moonlight and Magnolias

What do you like about being a theatre artist in Milwaukee?

I'm a mid-size city kind of girl, and I like to travel-- I would get restless basing myself in a megalopolis.  Milwaukee has a very hardworking arts community which contributes probably more than we know to local economic prosperity, so it's possible to wear a few hats here and pursue a living in the industry.  That's great and one of the reasons why I chose to live here (I'm not a native).  Even better for me as a nomad in spirit, it's a good home base.  It's an attractive, livable place with access to other markets.