Tejas Verdes - This Friday, June 1st

THALATTA! Theatre International

presents a workshop of

TEJAS VERDES

by

Fermin Cabal

Friday, June 1st, 2007 at 7:30pm

TACT Studio

900 Broadway at 20th St

Suite 905

Reservations Required

theatre.international@gmail.com

Theatre Returns to Iraq

With all the hub-bub and self-congratulations surrounding the awards season, I'd like to shift focus to one play in particular that is doing something no one in New York (or the U.S. for that matter) would dare to do. The play is called The Intensive Care Unit and it is the first production to be staged at Baghdad's National Theater since the war began.

"The cast includes Sunnis, Shiites and a Christian. The actors are unpaid and most are unemployed. Performances are held only during the day, because the city turns into a ghost town after dark. There is no entrance fee. Audience members, most of whom are fellow actors or friends of cast members, are frisked for weapons and explosives as they enter."

Visit the link to the full article, 'Baghdad's Theater of War' by Washington Post columnist, Ernesto Londono.

Ode to Michael Emerson

I'm already experiencing withdrawal. I don't know if I can wait until February of 2008 until my next fix, but there is little I can do. I just have to accept the fact that last night was the season finale of Lost and I'll have to find something else to do on Wednesday nights for the summer... and fall... and holiday season. (When do 'Celebrate Brooklyn' bandshell shows start?)

Of the many aspects of Lost that I'm addicted to, one performance stood out this season. For any drama to succeed, it needs a good villain, and thanks to brilliant writing, Michael Emerson outshines them all. Emerson's portrayal of Benjamin Linus is pitch perfect, which I think is a credit to his theatre background and training. Even though he was born in Cedar Rapids, his traits match all of the classic British villain qualities (because we all know no one plays a villain like a Brit.).

Most New York theatre goers first saw him as Oscar Wilde in Moises Kaufman's production of Gross Indecency, and later as George Tesman, opposite Kate Burton's Hedda Gabler. Others may remember him from a production of The Misanthrope* opposite Uma Thurman or as Willy Oban in The Iceman Cometh with Kevin Spacey. To horror movie fans, he's best known for playing Zep Hindle in Saw. In 2001, he won an Emmy for "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series", playing the confessed serial killer William Hinks on The Practice.

Who better to play the main baddie on the most creative program since Twin Peaks? If there is any justice in television, he'll get nominated for best supporting actor. Since I don't watch much else on television (I'm currently a Netflix junkie), I can't say what his competition would be, but he's certainly worthy of the recognition. And if none of this means anything to you, then you've got eight months to catch up on the first three seasons.

*Is Elizabeth Marvel confirmed for Ivo van Hove's production of The Misanthrope at NYTW next season? Either way, I'm psyched.

The Past is a Fiction

Since we've been rehearsing Tejas Verdes mostly in Brooklyn, I missed out on my daily ritual of reading The New Yorker on my jaunts into Manhattan. And even though the actresses in the show grumble about coming out to Park Slope, I consider myself lucky when I have my subway reading time.

Before rehearsal today, I read a piece about Gordon Bell, the Microsoft engineer who has been described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of computers". A certain section struck me as having to do a lot with theatre in general and the production I'm working on now in particular.

Memory revises itself endlessly. We remember a vivid person, a remark, a sight that was unexpected, an occasion on which we felt something profoundly. The rest falls away. We become more exalted in our memories than we actually were, or less so. The interior stories we tell about ourselves rarely agree with the truth...In the novel So Long, See You Tomorrow, William Maxwell writes, 'Too many conflicting emotional interests are involved for life ever to be wholly acceptable, and possibly it is the work of the storyteller to rearrange things so that they conform to this end. In any case, in talking about the past we lie with every breath we draw.'

European Stategy for Culture

"On May 10th, the European Commission adopted a policy statement on the role of culture in a globalizing world. It proposes the first ever European strategy for culture."

"The three major objectives are:
1. the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.
2. the promotion of culture as a catalyst for creativity.
3. the promotion of culture as a vital element in the EU's international relations."

Well, at least the Europeans have a plan.

See the full article here.

Molding Sculptures

Deluded

There's been a lot of chatter, raised by the controversy surrounding the Mike Daisey fiasco and, to a lesser extent, Young Jean Lee's Church, regarding Christianity and fundamentalist beliefs. A lot has been made of David Cote's post that has garnered thoughtful responses by Joshua James and Mark Armstrong.

The point I want to pick up on to further clarify is that of 'delusion'. I think it's an important aspect of the debate, because it brings us back to the purpose of theatre, since its origins are so closely linked to pseudo-religious ritualistic storytelling. Where I think David is taking a stab at crazy right-wing Christians, Joshua argues, in the philosophical sense, that we are all deluded. In the Buddhist sense, I totally agree, but in its literal definition, I think a new word needs to be chosen. This is from the American Heritage Dictionary.

Delude(d) – to deceive the mind or judgment of; mislead (from the Latin dēlūdere, to play false, deceive)

Delusion – the act or process of deluding; deception

Usage: Illusion and Delusion are seldom interchangeable, though closely related. Delusion refers to a false belief held without reservation as a result of self-deception, the imposition of another or mental disorder. Illusion is applicable to a false impression, frequently based on fancy or on wishful thinking, or to a false perception (such as an optical illusion) that one eventually recognizes as false.

I like the distinction made between illusion and delusion, which brings me back to ponder, what exactly are we, as theatre artists, trafficking in? Isn't a church service just another piece of theatre? I grew up in a congregation that was conservative, stuffy and boring, but from the mega-churches I see on TV, there are a number of outfits putting on a rockin' good show.

Besides the obvious reasons of obligation and guilt, people go to church to raise their spirits and commune with like-minded individuals. All of Judeo-Christian belief is based on the group. "If you believe what we believe, then you're set. Just follow the rules in this book and you'll be saved from eternal damnation." Basically, it's a non-profit social network with mandatory donations (tithing). Is there anything we can learned about audience cultivation from these folks? If only us heathen artists could figure out their secret.

Color Blind Casting

Question: Say you’re casting a national tour of the famous Lerner and Loewe musical, Camelot. You need someone to play the role of King Arthur who can compare wiith the likes of Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Robert Goulet. Who is your first choice?

Answer: Lou Diamond Phillips, of course. I’m glad color blind casting has gotten to the point where you can cast a guy who is of Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese, Spanish, Scottish Irish and Cherokee Indian decent to play the King of England. It’s the same with the Debbie Allen revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Just as long as they don’t cast LL Cool J as Brick, I think it has a chance.

The Profitable Off-Broadway

What is currently the longest running Off-Broadway production? (No, The Fantasticks doesn't count. That's in a league of its own.)

Here are a couple hints. It's had 8168 performances. It's not a musical or 'gimmick' show. It's starred the same actress, Catherine Russell, for its entire twenty year run. Tickets are between $41-$51. The New York Times called it "Wonderfully puzzling! A crackling thriller! Sends electric thrills up the spine!". And it's so popular, not only does it not advertise in Time Out, it's not even in the listings. (to be fair, only one of the top five advertise and are listed)

Guessed yet? It's everyone's favorite show: Perfect Crime.

Coming in close second is Blue Man Group: Tubes, costing between $69-79 (and is listed in 'Burlesque & Variety' in TONY). Third is Stomp costing $37 or $65 . Fourth is Tony & Tina's Wedding, costing $87 or $125 (and it comes with dinner). Fifth is I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change costing $75 (and until June 3, in Mandarin). And let's not forget Nunsense and De La Guarda.

Has anyone seen any of these? I've seen Blue Man Group twice in New York and once in Chicago, but that's because my best friend's wife works for them. My inner theatre snob wants to make fun of the shows above, but, since I haven't seen them, I can't be too quick to judge. They must be doing something right. The producers clearly have found a brilliant way to keep packing them in. I guess the biggest thing of all is that none of them are non-profit. Will all of Off-Broadway soon be as commercial as the Great White Way? We can be certain Altar Boyz isn’t going away anytime soon.

The Future of Private Sector Giving

So we're in the midst of a fundraising push, and I came across the final report on the proceedings of Americans for the Arts' 2006 National Arts Policy Roundtable. Here are a few choice 'findings' that may dampen your mood.

"Nonprofit arts organizations derive 43% of their revenue from private contributions (individuals, foundations and corporations)… Research suggests that we are in the midst of a major shift in how these organizations are supported—one that if not addressed will radically alter America’s cultural landscape."

"Since 1992, the arts portion of philanthropic giving has dropped from 8.4% to 5.2%—a value of $8 billion annually."

"Corporations are more strategic in their grantmaking and seek measurable results. Many are reducing their focus to a single funding category, such as health or education—rarely the arts."

"In 2005, private sector giving to the nonprofit arts was $13.51 billion—a 3.4% decrease from 2004. Private contributions to all charities in 2005 was $260.28 billion—a 6.1% increase from 2004."

"While 67% of the nation’s households make charitable contributions—just 8% contribute to the arts. The average gift is $215."

"Arts donor households are older, have higher incomes, completed college, no children living at home, are likely to donate to other charities and volunteer."

Check out http://www.artsusa.org for more info.

One (might even be) Too Many

In the NY Times article of May 3 entitled ‘Theater Companies Learn the Value of Flying Solo’, its author, Cara Joy David quotes Roundabout Artistic Director, Todd Haimes, as saying, “A new playwright now, no matter how talented, would never write a play for 15 people because it wouldn’t get produced. By virtue of the constrained budgets theaters have we’ve changed the style of playwriting. Arthur Miller wouldn’t write The Crucible today.”

How sad is that? I know this comes as no surprise to anyone, but to have it said so straight-forwardly makes it even sadder. We’re all well aware that money is constantly the monkey on our backs, but to assert that one of the greatest plays of the 20th century wouldn’t be written today (or certainly never produced) due exclusively to finances is depressing. I honestly believe if an adventurous playwright needed 25 people to tell the story, he’d use them. Guess we just live in a world now where all those characters would have to be double or triple cast.

Is it true? Are there no good contemporary American plays with more than 10 people in the cast?

Broadway Babble

SHAKE YO MONEY MAKER
Top Five Shows on Broadway (in order): Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Mamma Mia. Two Disney movies, Two Greatest Hits albums and the freakin’ Wizard of Oz. And somehow Jersey Boys had 100.6% attendance, which doesn’t make sense to me (and they were down from last week at 100.7%).

DIGGING INTO THE TRENCHES
Next Good Show to Close: Journey’s End (probably holding out till the Tony nominations are announced)

WHERE’D THE AUDIENCE GO?
Les Miz lost 14% of their audience this week compared to last. It’s still up at 86% which is on par with Spamalot and The Color Purple, but that $100K they lost sure stings.

Playwrights Horizons Gets Saved

Yet another cult-classic gets a movie-musical-makeover. PH will give the 2004 teen satire the song-and-dance routine. Too be honest, the team they have assembled to do it is pretty impressive (Gary Griffin, Michael Friedman, John Dempsey and Rinne Groff). This might actually be worth seeing. I really enjoyed the movie, but that's usually the problem. You go wanting the movie. That's how I felt after Spamalot.

Thinking about this, I decided to grab my latest Time Out and do some counting. There are 35 shows currently on Broadway. 26 of those are musicals. 10 0f those are based on movies (I give Chicago and Rent both half points because the people who are coming to see them now have been influenced by the film.) 3 of those are based on Disney cartoons.

So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I've got a particular movie in mind that I think would be the best musical ever. All I need is a playwright and a composer/lyricist. Any takers?

Ghost in the Rehearsal

I've recently become avid photographer. I enjoy taking pictures and always considered it my hobby. It's important for artists to have hobbies, since most of the population considers what we do as a profession a hobby. As a New Year's resolution, I decided to 'kick it up a notch' and take more pictures; at least one a day. Subsequent to that, I've been taking my camera with me everywhere, including rehearsals. Since I tend to focus on the directing, I don't usually have much time to take snapshots. Last night was a rare occasion.

The ensemble and I have been working on this new Spanish play for a couple of months now. The script is divided into seven monologues, so I have been mostly meeting one-on-one with the actresses. As we head towards our first workshop performance on June 1st, we're starting to get together as a group again and really explore the physical world of the characters. Monodramas (or as we Americans call them 'one-person shows') are incredibly challenging, because if the audience doesn't find the character or the actor engaging, you're screwed. It's hard to keep people's attention for any length of time these days, but to keep them focused on one person is next to impossible. Eventually, they are going to get bored. In essence, the play we are working on now has similar traps. Even though the script is telling one larger story and there is a loose through-line, I’m basically directing seven separate monodramas, each between 5 and 15 minutes. If nothing else, I can hope that if the audience doesn't like one, at least they can take comfort in the fact that there will be another one in a few minutes.

Never-the-less, I had the chance to take pictures. The exercise I was leading, based on The Seven Deadly Sins, took over an hour, which allowed me a great deal of ‘down-time’ while the actors explored. As not to distract anyone, I didn't use a flash, which in the end, created some very cool effects. Since the point of the exercise was to truly physicalize vice and virtue, it was nice to see movement in the images. Some even have a ghost-like effect that, eerily enough, fits perfectly within the framework of the play. Many of my non-theatre friends ask me what rehearsals are like. Hopefully a picture speaks a thousand words.

7 Deadly Sins

Old Vic / New Voices

Being the Anglophile that I am, I went to the US/UK Exchange yesterday presented by the Old Vic New Voices program that 'supports young and emerging talent'. My good buddy, Ari Edelson, has been running it for four years now, and of the ones I've seen, I think this was the best. In the past, they flew over only playwrights from London. This year, they decided to bring one individual from the four disciplines of the New Voices Club. This included an actor (Michael Cox), a writer (Joel Horwood), a director (Lucy Kerbel) and a producer (David Luff). When I attended The Exchange's Jump last week, I had the chance to hang out with all of them at the post-show booze-a-thon.

The two readings they presented were fantastic. The first was Megan Mostyn-Brown's Going After Alice. I had the chance to work with Megan last summer and I also saw a reading of hers at the Public that Meredith McDonough directed. FYI - This girl can write and she's hilarious. The second piece was Joel Horwood's Stoopid F*cken Animals. It's 'the first Western to be set in rural Suffolk'. It was that perfect British blend of darkness and humor. Very fun characters in a very f*cked situation.

As is no surprise, I'm all in favor of international exchanges, especially of young talent. I just hope we can broaden the playing field even more to include countries that don't speak English. It's not a shocker that the Yanks love the Brits. Time Out even declared that 'the Brits really are better'. If that's the case, there's an obvious reason why, which is tied into the culture, the government, the education and the tradition. It’s the kind of system that enables a theatre company like the Old Vic to sponsor this type of event. Can anyone name me an American company that flies four twenty-somethings over to London for a week just for the hell of it? I'm certainly glad someone is doing it, and it was a blast to be there.