Way back when, in early June....

Let’s flashback a couple of weeks for a sec, shall we? I spent my first rotation in the Lab as Producer. How much fun to help 3 enterprising directors and their amazingly talented actors, designers, ADs and SMs realize their vision. What struck me in particular was the combination of variety and similarity I found in the rehearsal rooms of all 3 processes. Each director shared a common interest in storytelling, but with a musical, a classic verse text and a new play to contend with, the routes taken to accomplish these goals varied widely. Something that was consistently fascinating to watch was Sherri’s work on Really Rosie, the first of our Kiddstuff shows. Really Rosie (for those of you not familiar with the cartoon) is a musical with book and lyrics by Maurice Sendak and music by Carol King. As Sherri had never directed a musical before, it was incredibly inspiring to see the enthusiasm which she dived into it – learning how to work with a Choreographer and discovering how much of what she already does as a director of non-musical work – table work, actor/director devised moments etc. can be applied to this show. As I look forward to Busytown, which will be my first time directing a musical, it’s great have such an inspirational example.

First rotation was a huge lesson for me in leadership. I learned so much about how to support an artist in the midst of his or her process. Sometimes this means a frantic run to the gas station to pick up lighter fluid for the Zippo. Other times it just means listening and letting someone vent their frustrations to a friendly ear. The question I came back to over and over again was – how can I make each person’s job simpler for them to focus on? – clear away the clutter, as it were, so they can deal with the problem in front of them as opposed to this interpersonal conflict or that vagary of unforeseen circumstance.

Producing remains one of my passions, but, as the rotation came to a close, I found myself hungry for the rehearsal room and to get started on the Bacchae. More on that soon…

Understanding the Character Outside of the Text

Today was particularly inspiring. This morning began with production meetings for Rotation 3, while the afternoon was filled with rehearsals for Rotation 2. I'm currently directing Act 1 and 2 of “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” by Jose Rivera. I asked the actors to prepare and bring in specific "moments" pertaining to their characters. The moments I asked for from each character were a moment of Rage, Happiness, Prayer, Isolation/Sadness, Hunger and Ecstasy. They were free to use each other, the elements, and any prop they desired. The only rules were that nothing could be mimed and that you had to begin each moment by stating "I begin" and close each moment with "I end." I asked the actors to perform this exercise because it helps enable a marriage between how I believe the characters behave and what the actors have already begun to internally inhabit.

What came out of this exercise gave richness to the story; it helped further develop behavior, and allowed the actors to explore the emotional and physical layers of who their character really is. I was able to see what the actors were thinking by watching them show me how their character would explore those moments. For instance, for her moment of prayer, an actor took out her guitar, began playing and singing while the actor playing the coyote howled along to the tune. I was able to help the actors understand the life that exists in their characters between the text, between the words spoken. This in turn helped them understand how to better enrich the gorgeous and haunting words they are saying as well as gain a better understanding of where things needed to be shaped. Rather than just telling, this allows me to show them, because they've already begun showing themselves. It was an incredible rehearsal and out of these moments, we were able to stage the beginning of the play in a way that only collaboration could help come to fruition.

A Musical in 7 Days

Rotation 1 opened for me with the Kidstuff show titled "Really Rosie." This was my first time directing theatre for a young audience. It was a wonderful experience. I had 7 days plus tech to direct the entire piece, work with the Musical Director in order to teach Carol King's sophisticated melodies to the actors, and help choreograph the dances with one of the actors that doubled as a choreographer. Needless to say time management steered this ship. The cast was absolutely committed and accepted the challenge head on. I treated the process of directing "Really Rosie" as I would direct any other production. When not working with the music we spent a lot of time on text work and developing character and story so the actors always felt that the need to sing came from a justified place in the storytelling. Directing theatre for a young audience really makes one think about whom their audience is in terms of structuring focus on stage and the ability to keep the children's attention. Although, the success of the production was evident in the rehearsal process and show itself, witnessing the positive and sparkling reactions of the kids during and after the performance was just as rewarding.

opening the first shows of our summer season

The Hangar has officially opened its season with Dirty Blonde, and tomorrow we will open our lab season with our first rotation of shows! It's been a crazy busy couple of weeks. So much great work has happened in such a short amount of time, and with just 7 days of rehearsal and a super super short tech it's actually time to bring in some audiences! I'm happy to say that I think we all feel ready at this point for these productions to be shared with our audiences, and that is undoubtedly a testament to the commitment and energy of our wonderful acting company. In the meantime, meetings are underway for designs for the next rotation of shows, and multitasking is my middle name. Sleep is hard to come by with 7:30 am tech calls and late nights working notes after a full day of rehearsal. A day off exists somewhere in the near future, and will be much appreciated by all when it comes! Congratulations to all on our first rotation!

The Drama League Directors vs. The Matrix

Have you ever attempted to cast 26 actors in 12 plays at one go? I don’t recommend it, unless you want to make your brain leak out of your ears. On Friday, after a round of auditions, the four of us got in a room with Peter & Wendy and spent 6 and a half hours making sure every actor was working with at least 3 different directors, had a significant role, a supporting role, and was in at least one Kiddstuff show. The thing you quickly discover is that with so many variables and requirements, each change you make to fix one actor’s casting creates a problem in the next actors casting. The only way to keep track of it all is with a giant handwritten matrix and endless cross outs and redrafts. It’s incredibly challenging to balance the requirements of the play with the need to insure that everyone has a summer of roles that challenge and inspire them.

That said, what could have been an agonizing process was instead quite cordial, as throughout the evening my fellow directors continued to impress me with their generosity and willingness to look to the needs of the greater company. More than that, I was moved by the passion of people’s belief in individual actors and what they might be able to accomplish when pushed beyond their comfort zone. Here’s to making the wedge a typecasting-free zone this summer!

Moving right along...

Well, after lots of arguing and hair-pulling, the four directors finally decided the season of shows for the Hangar Lab Company 2009. (Sarcasm is so hard to convey in writing. The truth is I think we probably had the smoothest and most amiable selection process ever.) We will each be directing one Kiddstuff play or musical, one play with a playwright-in-residence, and one play of our own choosing. There are four rotations throughout the summer, and the trick is that each rotation we must cast all 26 (wonderful, charismatic, insane) actors in our acting company. We also take turns serving as the Lab Producer (whichever rotation we are not directing), which entails being the point person for any troubles or issues that may arise, making sure shows stay on track both in rehearsal and in production planning/design, etc. And without further ado, I present our incredible summer line-up. (Drum roll please...)

Rotation 1:

Kiddstuff: Really Rosie directed by Sherri Eden Barber

Wedge 1A: Origin Story by Dan LeFranc, directed by Mia Rovegno

Wedge 1B: Doctor Faustus: The Anatomy of a Man by Christopher Marlowe, directed by Brandon Pape

Rotation 2:

Kiddstuff: Snow White, directed by Brandon Pape

Wedge 2A: References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot by Jose Rivera, directed by Sherri Eden Barber

Wedge 2B: The Bacchae by Euripides, directed by Jesse Geiger

Rotation 3:

Kiddstuff: Busytown, directed by Jesse Geiger

Wedge 3A: Armchair Traveler by Libby Leonard, directed by Sherri Eden Barber

Wedge 3B: Love in the Time of Channukah by Joshua Harmon, directed by Mia Rovegno

Rotation 4:

Kiddstuff: The Adventures of a Bear Called Paddington, directed by Mia Rovegno

Wedge 4A: Military 4Play by S.D. Graubert, directed by Jesse Geiger

Wedge 4B: Clementine and the Cyber Ducks by Krista Knight, directed by Brandon Pape