There are all kinds of exciting audience/artist conversations happening here at McCarter these days… This past Wednesday we held a student matinee of Stick Fly, and three or four of the schools were able to stay afterwards for a conversation with the actors. It was a fascinating conversation–so lively, in fact, that actors and students alike had to practically be dragged out of the theater so stage management could get things cleaned up and take a break before the evening show.

Last night, Tartuffe got its first chance to be publicly discussed, when about 50 members of the community gathered at the Princeton Public Library to hear director Daniel Fish and costume designer Kaye Voyce talk about the upcoming production of the play. Once again, it was a fascinating conversation. Daniel and Kaye talked about the ways they and their approach to the play have changed since they last worked on it ten years ago (Daniel remarked that anytime he tries something in this rehearsal process the way he did it in the last production, it turns out to be the wrong choice). They also discussed the ways that live video will be incorporated into this production, which sparked a lot of enthusiastic logistical questions from the audience.

Daniel talked about his various entry points into the play this time around, which include the issues of power and submission, seduction, and surveillance. I finally got the chance to ask a question I had long been pondering–how Daniel is approaching the intersection of these different perspectives, and how they will come together in the final production. “Oh, I hope they won’t come together,” Daniel replied. “I’m very suspicious of that. Hopefully they’ll pull at each other in interesting ways.”

See also:

• Daniel Fish Speaks
• Stick Fly Live at the Library
• Discussing Stick Fly

Posted by Elizabeth Edwards, Literary Intern at McCarter Theatre

Tuesday and Wednesday found Christmas Carol director Michael Unger, Production Stage Manager Cheryl Mintz, myself and directing intern Alexis Williams auditioning roughly 160 children (ages 5-13) for the various young ensemble roles in McCarter’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. It was breathtaking to see how much talent there is in our local community! Each auditioner came in to sing an excerpt from a song, and then were asked to perform a spoken piece (like a story, poem, or joke). We met many talented young performers for the first time, and saw great growth in the ones that have auditioned in years past. It was a wonderful, wonderful experience for us, and although it must have been scary for some of the children, we hope that they all had a good time and grew from it

One of the fun things about seeing 160 children audition (besides the general cuteness of seeing 160 kids audition!) is that some of the material they choose begins to repeat. You can learn a lot about the kind of books they are reading and the CDs they are listening to based on what song/reading choices seem particular popular, year to year. So here is a list of some of this year’s most popular choices, followed by the number of times we heard them!

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Oh, the ivy…
Oh, the bricks and the ivy…

I muse so often as a stroll down Nassau St. as to the life I could have lead: a life under the tutelage of ivy league professors, my fruitful, highly-educated life sprawled out in front of me. I can feel myself hurling the old pigskin across the quad to some of my buddies. I’d rehearse for Glee Club, before organizing my frat’s “Keg-er”. When I imagine myself, here in some fall, running late for my class on the philosophers of The Enlightenment, I can’t stop a slight tear from welling up at all I might have learned (like writing a blog with fewer cliches, perhaps).

That being said, I couldn’t be happier with my own education, and its subsequent vocation. I loved drama school, laying around in black tights, never cracking a book that wasn’t my script. I love New York, and my crazy vagabond life.

But, there is something about those old buildings and their vines that draws me. It is utterly alluring, and indescribable. I can suddenly understand why people would pay such tuitions, or contribute such endowments…just being here for a few weeks, I already want to drop everything and donate a few million to “Old Nassau”.

I can not even imagine what I will be like when we move the show to New Haven.

Maybe there’s a nice faculty opening in the drama department…

See my other posts:

• Original Cast Recording
• There’s No Place Like…
• Enter the Vocal Coach
• Well, Hello McCarter Theatre

Posted by Nick Westrate, who plays “Damis” in McCarter Theatre’s production of Tartuffe.

Well, this is a late starting day for our rehearsals, which means two things: I have time to blog, and I have time to watch “The View” (both favorite activities of mine).

Yesterday was a truly great return to the work week as we arrived in the rehearsal room to a FULL COMPANY. Yes, as we have been rehearsing various scenes in the play for the past few weeks, we hadn’t had a Full Company call yet. So we welcomed back Tom Story and Andy Patterson, and welcomed on her first day the wonderful Beth Dixon. Beth, who plays my grandmother in Tartuffe, is one of my favorite actresses. It is always great to meet someone you’re working with for the first time and say, “I am a huge fan of yours.” This being said, I am a huge fan of every one of my cast-mates, but Beth hasn’t been in the room every day, so she gets most of my attention in this blog.

With the complete cast assembled, we got a lot of work done. But it truly hit me: I have a LOT of opening night gifts to buy. It is really going to be daunting, but I am sure I will figure it out somehow.

See my other posts:

• There’s No Place Like…
• Enter the Vocal Coach
• Well, Hello McCarter Theatre

Posted by Nick Westrate, who plays “Damis” in McCarter Theatre’s production of Tartuffe.

Here is the fifth (and final) installment of Kaye Voyce’s costume sketches for McCarter’s production of Tartuffe. These are for the character Loyal.

See also:

• Costume Blogging - Orgon
• Costume Blogging - Valere
• Costume Blogging - Laurent
• Costume Blogging - Elmire

Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.

1. Being away from my husband and home for 10 weeks.

2. The raw, deeply personal, sometimes painful process of our table work. We delved heart-first into our truths about race and class and family. A lot of tears and discomfort and learning and growing pains went into creating the foundation on which we now stand each night.

3. The stress of frequent rewrites on the company. I actually had a dream one-night right before previews that I showed up to rehearsal and no longer had any lines in the second act! Not so funny.

4. No car.

5. Lack of sleep caused by “New Play Insomnia.” I woke up many nights trying to figure out a moment in the play for my character that wasn’t working as well as it could. Most of the time I would eventually come up with an idea to try the next day at rehearsal—but usually it was 6am before that idea came.

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We held the second of two post-show discussions after yesterday’s matinee performance of Stick Fly. Over 100 people stuck around for a chance to ask questions of the actors and hear them respond! The discussion was moderated by Alexis, the directing assistant assigned to the show, who has been working with Shirley Jo throughout the process, and has a great deal of insight into the play at this point. I even got up on stage and fielded a question in my capacity as literary assistant.

Our only regret was that the discussion couldn’t have gone on for longer. There were so many people with great questions and a lot of enthusiasm about the show, and I know I would have loved to hear more of the actors’ always fascinating and insightful discussions of their experience working on Lydia’s play. Unfortunately, this was the fourth in a five-show weekend, and the actors do need some time to rest and recover, plus stage management needs time to reset the stage for the evening performance. So all too soon we had to send everybody home. I did have some great one-on-one conversations with a few members of the audience after the talk-back. And of course, what is this blog for if not to continue that discussion beyond the doors of the theater? So, if you were at the discussion (or even if you weren’t) and have a burning question or comment you didn’t get to share and would like to, feel free to post it here. I’ll personally do what I can to get answers to any questions you might have posted up here in response.

Thanks to everyone who attended!

See also:

• Enter the Audience
• Fly on the Wall

Posted by Elizabeth Edwards, Literary Intern at McCarter Theatre.

Here is the fourth installment of Kaye Voyce’s costume designs. This one is Orgon’s costume in Tartuffe. Enjoy!

See also:

• • • Costume Blogging - Valere
    • Costume Blogging - Laurent
    • Costume Blogging - Elmire

Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.

You may have noticed that The Metropolitan Opera has a really fantastic season this year. In addition to a plethora of opera greats performing on their stages (Domingo, Graham, Voigt, Dessay, to name only a few!), the Met has started to hire some of the theater’s finest directors to helm their new productions. McCarter favorite Stephen Wadsworth will be directing a knock-your-socks off production of Gluck’s nearly forgotten Iphigenie en Tauride, and this season’s Argonautika director Mary Zimmerman opens what promises to be a glorious production of Lucia Di Lammermoor on Monday, September 24, conducted by the legendary James Levine and starring the enchanting Natalie Dessay.

There’s a lovely video interview of Mary on the Met’s website, which you can see here. Monday’s opening night will coincide with a huge gala, including live (and free) telecasts of the production in Times Square and at the Lincoln Center.

I’ve got my subscription already. Break a leg, Mary!!

See also:

• Mary Zimmerman Speaks

Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.

Yesterday was the “sign-ups” for A Christmas Carol Young Ensemble auditions. The Young Ensemble are the handful of local youngsters (ages 5-13) who perform all of the childrens’ roles in McCarter’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. Yesterday, 149 children converged on the theater (along with parents, grandparents, and siblings) to get measured and sign up for audition appointments for the 13 or 14 roles available in the Young Ensemble. A phalanx of interns shepherded the crowds from station to station, filling out paperwork, getting measured, discussing rehearsal conflicts, and signing up for audition appointments. During auditions (which are held next week), each child delivers a short spoken piece and may be asked to sing an excerpt of a song. It is a shame that we don’t have a part for everyone, but you can be sure that next week will be thrilling and fun for all the youngsters who come to audition!

Before we opened the doors to sign-ups, I snuck outside to take some pictures of the crowd that had lined up outside of the lobby doors. Here are a few young thespians who are eager for their chance in the limelight!

See also:

• Non-Traditional Casting

Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.