Mieko, Lamp

Lots of laughs in the rehearsal hall.  An especially good sign for a play that is for the most part a tragedy.  We’re connecting on many levels.  Did some great work with Iris on the script and a few more tweaks and we’re there.  Tomorrow we’re on the stage for the first time.  In the days to come some lights, some sound.

Iris and David

Ran the “show” for Iris today.  She felt we had become a bit lost in trying to rush through transitions.  She reminded me that the transitions are not really so much transitions as the tissue of the play, the flesh.  David’s character Etta, goes from being the narrator to being the hero and this story is told around the play rather than through it.   This is the importance of the transitions, the tissue. Text-wise however we’re in very good shape.  Tomorrow is a work day for Iris and I on our own and then back with the actors on Monday.

Poster (photo by Guntar)

Made it through to the end of the play today.  It is blocked.  Tomorrow we will stumble through before showing it to Iris.  Hoping that we’re going to be able to get a bit of a lighting design.  We’ve only got a couple of hours of tech on Friday before the first showing but fingers crossed.

One Side of the Table: Marcie and Shawn

The Other Side of the Table: The Set

Above is Marcie Januska, our heaven-sent Stage Manager, and my right hand man AD Shawn Sorensen.   Marcie recently SM’d “Communion” at Alberta Theatre Projects and Shawn worked with me as ASM on “A Beautiful View” in Vancouver.  The workshop is going well.  Moving through at a pace of about 20 pages a day.  The goal is to get it blocked for Friday morning when Iris gets here.  With our limited resources I’m discovering how simply and fluidly the play can be staged.  The room we’re working it strikes both Mieko and I as a room very much like the kind of room one might rehearse in in Tokyo.  Fitting.  The crew at Banff has been amazing, really stepping us to help us take the “reading” as far as we possibly can.  We move into the theatre next week.  All good all good.

From My Room

Back in Banff.  The nights are cold.  It’s refreshing.  The energy is great.  Started the work today on “Arigato, Tokyo” with Mieko Ouchi as Nushi, Shomee Chakrabartty as Yori, David  Yee as Etta and me playing Carl.  There will be two public “staged readings” in two weeks.  We got through 18 pages today.  Very good.  Iris arrives on Friday to throw her two cents (or twenty dollars) into the mix.  Miss the odd dog.

A room with no walls or ceiling or floor. It seems to be surrounded by sky. But it may be something else. It is blue. Tracy Wright is sitting, waiting. Maury Chaykin enters. He says, “Oh hi, how are you?”. Tracy shrugs and smiles. Maury says, “Oh yes, I guess that’s a strange question, considering.” Tracy says, “I’m good, I’m fine.“ Maury asks, “What are you doing?” Tracy says, “Waiting”. Maury asks, “How long have you been waiting?” Tracy says, “A month or so.” Maury wrinkles his face. Tracy says, “But it’s actually fine. It’s good.” Maury asks, “Do you know what you’re waiting for exactly?” Tracy says, “Reassignment.” Maury asks, “Who chooses?” Tracy says, “We do.  We all do.” Maury asks, “What are you going to choose?” Tracy says, “I was thinking maybe a housefly. Or a moth. Something that doesn’t have a huge time commitment. “ She looks at Maury, he is considering something. Tracy asks him, “What will you choose?” Maury says, “Perhaps a tulip. Can I choose that?” Tracy says, “Oh yeah, or the scent of a tulip, on a particular day, to a particular person.” Maury is intrigued, “Really?” he says. He thinks a moment. “Or maybe …” he continues “… two lips.  A kiss.  Or something said. A word. A good word.” Tracy likes this, “Nice one”, she says. They sit quietly a moment, thinking. Maury looks away at the blue that might be sky, he looks back at Tracy. “I always liked you” he says. Tracy looks at Maury, “I always liked you too.” Maury says, “I saw you a lot in that crazy movie they played all the time on TV.” Tracy smiles “Oh yeah, on Showcase.” Maury says “Yeah, that movie was crazy. But in a good way.” Tracy smiles. After a moment she looks at Maury and  says “I always had a soft spot for My Cousin Vinny.” Maury nods “Me too.” They smile and look off at what might be sky. Maury says “This is was. Right?” Tracy says “I guess so.” Maury looks off at the blue.  He asks Tracy “Is that sky?” She says “I think it might be ocean.” Maury looks carefully at the blue, “Or maybe it’s just blue.” he says. Tracy says “Was blue”.  Maury laughs. Tracy smiles.

Chester Playhouse, Artistic Director’s Head

Spent some time with technical director Bob Elliot and AD Mary Lou M. today at Chester.  All is in order.  Linda G. arrives tonight. Full tech day tomorrow.  What a lovely theatre.  I’d love to have a month in there to make something.  A perfect tiny space.

Upper Grand Mira South Mountain Drive Road

Meeting at the Savoy theatre in Glace Bay yesterday to talk about “Bingo” there next summer.  All seems forward moving.  Spent the afternoon with Bryden discussing a possible future project.  Trying to get through the re-write of  ”Arigato” today.  Head for Chester on Monday to direct Linda G in “Last Dog of War”.   One more week in Nova Scotia.

If You Look Closely

Good auditions yesterday.  An abundance of choice.  That’s the best and worst thing about auditions, the choice.  It’s why I’ve always preferred simply casting from people I know.  But with “Bingo” we’re trying to create a cohesive group, believable in that they’re all former schoolmates, contemporaries, it’s best to see people back to back in a room for that.  Emmy A and our Assistant Director Richie Wilcox were there.  All the actors were good natured and we had a lot of laughter.  That’s the thing with this play, there needs to be lots of laughter in the rehearsal hall.  On a completely different note, finally getting around to “Arigato” - it’s been a job to find the correct Noh play to adapt and use in the script but with the help of Iris we have stumbled upon something magically appropriate.  Now the laborious work of fixing and fitting.  Like plumbing.  Soldering. It’s an art of its own.   Off to Sydney tomorrow for family affairs.

Outdoor Theatre (Ariel View)

Saw “The Crucible” at Ross Creek in Canning.   A great production by Ken Schwartz and great performances fromt the cast.  It’s a play I haven’t looked at in years but surely a masterpiece.  That having been said it does lack a dialectic (as a more learned theatre person than I remarked).  The argument is so clear as to lack drama.  They are wrong.  The others are right.  And that’s as far as that drama goes.  I find it a frustrating kind of storytelling.  I have a personal aversion to stories about the wrongly accused.  As if allergic to them.  But the writing is gorgeous in places and there is great stuff about being right versus being good and the morality of choice.  It’s impossible to walk away from the play and have nothing to say.  And wonderful to see excellent actors doing excellent work.  I’ve not been a fan of outdoor theatre but this really works.  Totally off the grid.  For more on this company go to artscentre.ca

Kat and Graham as Elizabeth and John Proctor  (Photo by Ken Schwartz)