Performer of the Year

by Robin Abramson and Carlyn Aquiline, City Theatre Literary Manager and Dramaturg

Less than two weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette printed critic Christopher Rawson’s annual designation of Pittsburgh’s “Performer of the Year.” To our great thrill, actress Robin Abramson received that top honor, and for her performances in two plays presented by City Theatre: Mary’s Wedding and Blackbird, both of which were directed by Stuart Carden (who was not mentioned in the article, but should have been). Read Rawson’s article here. I might be wrong about this, but I believe City Theatre gave Robin her first professional job out of college when she was cast as the earthy Laurel-and-Hardy-obsessed Ellen in Outlying Islands, David Greig’s Darwinian coming-of-age story set in the Scottish Hebrides. Robin has also joined us twice as a company member in the Young Playwrights Festival.

Robin in the poster for David Grieg's OUTLYING ISLANDS (2004-05), with Lea Coco (left) and Michael McMillian (right), directed by Tracy Brigden.

When I called Robin to congratulate her, she agreed to write about her reaction to receiving the commendation—what was she thinking and feeling?—after she let the news sink in for a couple of days. Unbeknownst to Robin, I also invited her Mary’s Wedding collaborators—director Stuart and actor Braden Moran—to share their insights on Robin, as an actress, as a person, as a worthy recipient of this meritorious recognition. I was interested to see the symmetry among what they all chose to talk about and how, sometimes even speaking in the same vocabulary.

Robin’s thoughts follow, written in the first-person—Stuart’s and Braden’s comments (along with some of my own) are indented and in italics, and inserted where they seem to be responding to what Robin is talking about.

I officially learned that I had been named “Performer of the Year” from a 5:45 am voice message from my Mother. Mr. Rawson had interviewed me during the run of Blackbird and although we had since then discussed my accomplishments over the past few years, I still was not expecting to be the main feature of his annual article. My gratitude to Mr. Rawson for this recognition is immeasurable.

After having been asked by the wonderful City Theatre to offer some thoughts on being honored “Performer of the Year,” my initial response is “Well, what is there to say? It’s all very simple, it’s extremely validating to be recognized in this way for my work.” But there’s more, this honor has inspired reflection on the year: the challenges, the doubts, and above all, I am humbly reminded of the achievements of many of my fellow artists and collaborators.

That modesty, self-reflection, and eagerness to acknowledge in her own success those who shared the work with her is typical of Robin, a point made by her Mary’s Wedding co-star Braden: “It’s always an honor and a joy to work with an actor who really approaches the work from an ego-free perspective. A true collaborator. That’s Robin.”

Robin and Braden in 2008-09's MARY'S WEDDING by Stephen Massicotte, directed by Stuart Carden.

Although many may regard it as mere coincidence that both Stephen Massicotte’s Mary’s Wedding and David Harrower’s Blackbird were produced by City Theatre, I do not. As many Pittsburgh theatre-goers are well aware, and I have experienced firsthand, City Theatre often produces thought-provoking and adventurous new works by both up-and-coming and acclaimed playwrights. Many of these “push the envelope” plays offer lush, challenging roles for women, which can unfortunately be a rarity in the world of a struggling actress. So, thank you to City Theatre.

Thank you, Robin, for such high praise! The issue of challenging female roles was not lost on Stuart, who also generously mentioned City Theatre in his comments: “I also want to congratulate City Theatre for choosing plays with such complex roles for women.  Robin’s recognition owes much to City’s willingness to program fascinating plays with fascinating female leads.”

Memory is a funny thing because, in retrospect, what I recall most is overcoming apprehension and uncertainty during rehearsals—right up until closing day. Both Mary and Una required a raw sincerity that, initially, I was not convinced I would be able to embody fully. This is where Stuart Carden comes to the rescue.

And here we turn to Stuart. He commenced talking about Mary and Una from the reverse angle, from the perspective of their differences, saying, “On the surface Una and Mary could not be more wildly different. Mary is an innocent who has just tasted loss for the first time and Una has lived with the bitter taste of loss and suffering for more than half her life. Mary is idealistic, spirited, open, and pure while Una is scarred, jaded, closed, and filled with rage.” Then he broached what they have in common: “their need to understand what they have lost and how they deal with that loss in order to find some way to heal and move forward.” And he reveals why he cast Robin: “It is this emotional vulnerability that drew me to the idea of Robin playing both roles.” Which is another way of saying that he cast Robin as both Mary and Una precisely because he was confident that she could embody their “raw sincerity.”

As director of both shows, Stuart bestowed upon me his never-ending knowledge, immense trust, and limitless encouragement. But what I learned most from Stuart is the true art of storytelling: “I am not standing on this stage to merely display my talents, but to tell the audience a true and honest story”—which is easier said than done.

Braden addressed Robin’s dedication to true storytelling, and how that unpretentious approach ends up actually shining a light on her talent: “She’s very interested in looking at the story and the character and finding out how to be a storyteller through the character—not how to draw attention to herself or her abilities. In doing so, her tremendous abilities easily shine through.”

While the end of many rehearsals sent me walking to my car wondering if I could pull this off or if I had been miscast, I always returned the next day determined to overcome whatever challenge Stuart had presented me with, because… I knew he was right, and that if I could just do it, it would work.

Stuart applauded this willingness on Robin’s part to trust in the process with him, and commended her for the honesty and openness she can then offer to audiences: “Robin has the rare ability to be completely emotionally naked on stage. She rends her heart open in every rehearsal and performance in order for us to examine its contents. This is an exceptionally brave act and one that I’m always amazed that actors are willing to do for audiences. And Robin is fearless, once you have gained her trust she is willing to go anywhere with you. Whether that is transforming into Sergeant Flowerdew while wearing a frilly nightgown in Mary’s Wedding or plumbing the raw and agonizing depths of a wounded young woman seeking answers in Blackbird.”

Braden, too, commented on Robin’s commitment to the rehearsal exploration and how that translates to her stage performance, on her determination to face all challenges head on, and on the trust that’s so important among collaborators. He even uses the same metaphor of “emotional nakedness” that Stuart did. In Braden’s words, Robin is “diligent, extremely intelligent, insightful and passionate in the rehearsal hall and carries all that playfully and generously onto the stage. Knowing you have a partner you can trust and rely on allows you as an actor to go to places you might not with someone less willing to be vulnerable and naked out there with you. Her imagination and emotional depths are a joy to witness as an actor. And—most impressive—is her desire to continue to grow—as a human and an artist. Any challenge that was before her she was willing to embrace and try to work through—not run from or hide in a realm of comfort.”

Robin as Una with Steve Pickering as Ray in 2009-10's BLACKBIRD by David Harrower, directed by Stuart Carden.

Stuart expressed best the idea that, in a collaborative art like the theatre, no one can go it alone—actors have to support one another onstage: “An actor is only as strong as their stage partner and I would like to give a shout-out to the two phenomenal Chicago actors that shared the stage with Robin, Steve Pickering and Braden Moran.” And, of course, Robin did not neglect to talk about her co-stars, in glowing and personal terms, bringing up those crucial issues of trust and honesty once more:

Braden Moran, who co-starred with me in Mary’s Wedding helped me understand that you can make a best friend in only a few weeks if you trust each other on stage. I want to apologize to all the designers during tech week who endured hours of Braden and me laughing hysterically through our endless cue to cue rehearsals. Never have I had more laughs. Steve Pickering, my Blackbird boxing mate, never gave me one dishonest moment to work with and can really terrify the front row with just one kick!

Stuart and Braden share the last words on Robin, since, combined, they beautifully summed up the sentiments of all of us who know her: Braden said, “It’s wonderful to see true talent recognized—and I could not be happier for Robin to receive this much-deserved attention. She’s not one who seeks it—so it’s nice to know it’s found her regardless!!” to which Stuart added, “I’m thrilled by Robin being named Performer of the Year but not at all surprised. The range she showed in these two productions was rivaled only by the risk that she took in revealing their complex hearts. Brava Robin!”

Knowing that no theatre event is complete without the audience, Robin’s final expression of gratitude includes you.

Thanks to City Theatre production, cast, crew, and audience. I hope to be back soon!

Behind the Scenes with: Patti Kelly, Production Stage Manager

The Air Traffic Controller of the Production

by Rachel Enck, City Theatre Literary Intern

Have you ever wondered what all those titles on City Theatre’s staff list at the back page of the program mean? What’s a Technical Director? How about a Draper? What’s the division between the Managing Director’s job and the Artistic Director’s? Audience members know there are people who work behind the scenes to produce each show; however, they may not know what these individuals actually do, how their involvement creates what the audience sees.  And so on the Backstage Blog, we’ll be occasionally featuring those people and highlighting their jobs to give you a more expansive idea of what goes into making each of our productions. The first person we’re starting with is Patti Kelly, our Production Stage Manager.

Patti at the tech table preparing for a dress rehearsal. For performances, she moves into the control booth with the lighting and sound board operators. Holly, our light board op, can be seen in the booth in the background.

Patti Kelly has been a City Theatre staff member since 1989.  “My early years here were very exciting,” she says, “because we were in the process of moving from Oakland to the Southside and building our current space.  We were a small staff and were all involved in the process in a hands-on way.”  Not surprisingly, the ongoing dedication to City Theatre on the part of Patti Kelly has everything to do with how much she feels she has invested herself in this building and the life and survival of the organization.  Most staff members don’t have the organizational history Patti does, but the few who do, the “core group of people who have done the same thing”—dedicated themselves to City Theatre—have also been influential in keeping Patti Kelly here.

During her years at Pitt, Patti met actor Harry Bouvy and the two became good friends.  Harry plays Friedrich Mann in The Clockmaker, by Stephen Massicotte, City’s next production [see Harry’s blog entry from 1/11/10].  “The fabulous Harry Bouvy and I have been friends for years and years.  I first met Harry when he was a freshman at Pitt and we were doing a production of In the Boom Boom Room.  I was actually in the show and was asked to choreograph Harry’s routine.  What a way to get to know a person.  ‘Hi, lets go into this hall way and we’ll do some dirty dancing.’” The two bonded immediately.  “Harry is such a positive person and so ready to jump right in and try anything, which makes him not only a great actor but a lot of fun to be around.  I’m so thrilled that we are actually getting to work together again after all of these years.  We really did grow up in the theatre together with many a long day at Pitt and at the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival. Now I’m enjoying the fact that I get to see him every day!”

Patti (right) checks a measurement in the rehearsal hall with the help of production assistant Lauren Connolly. The taped floor is how stage management delineates the floor plan of the set so the actors and director can block the show in the rehearsal hall.

Patti’s favorite things about stage-managing are the possibilities each season brings.  “I learn so much each season.  I love working on new pieces of theatre and I also love getting to meet so many interesting people.  I love that I have been able to make and maintain so many wonderful friendships.  It is great working with most of the actors I encounter because they tend to be bright, witty, fun-loving people –and if they aren’t they go away after eight weeks!!”

Clearly, the stage manager is bright and witty, too, humorously needling the actors. But read Harry Bouvy’s blog entry–he’ll let you in on how Patti Kelly really treats actors, kidding aside.

So, then, what is a stage manager?  Patti answers, “The stage manager is essentially the air traffic controller of the production.  I am with the production from before it begins rehearsal until the last performance.  I am responsible for such things as writing down all of the movement that the actors make onstage, communicating to all of the departments in the theatre any notes that arise during the rehearsal day and for scheduling all rehearsals and costume fittings.  I am also the person who is responsible for making sure that the union rules are adhered to and I am the union liaison between the actors and the theatre.”

The union Patti is referring to Actors’ Equity Association. Most people know that City Theatre employs actors belonging to the professional actors union.  But what many people might not be aware of is that stage managers are also members of Actors’ Equity—and that we quite literally can’t go into production without Patti Kelly.

During tech for Mother Teresa is Dead, lighting designer Andy Ostrowski looks on as Patti updates her book, which records all the technical cues of the production.

Describing her job, Patti continues, “During technical rehearsals, I am responsible for recording all of the technical cues (lights, sound, set moves, video, etc.) into the production book.  During each performance, I then ‘call’ all of the cues, which entails working out timings with the action of the play and then telling the technicians when to change the lights and sound, etc.”  Since directors leave after a show opens, Patti, as the stage manager, is also responsible for, “giving notes to the actors during the run of the show to maintain the production as it was directed.”

When asked what the necessary qualities are of a good stage manager, Patti says “organized and efficient,” “calm and compassionate,” and “able to interact with various personalities.”  She also says, “You also need to never take anything personally. Actors need to trust that you are there to take care of them.”

Finally, I was curious what one thing Patti would want to communicate to the audience from her perspective as the stage manager.  “I’d love the audience to know that the actors are working very hard up on that stage.”

Patti's view as she calls the show during a performance of Mezzulah, 1946 by Michele Lowe. Onstage can be seen actors Theo Allen (left) and Larry John Meyers (right) in the final scene of the play.

In addition, she wants to highlight the equally hard work of many of the people we’ll be featuring in future Behind the Scenes with entries: our technical staff members backstage and in the shops (Lauren, Holly, Brad, Tony, Paul, Louise, Dustin, C.J., Sean, and Leah) who, as Patti points out, “do incredible work with very little time and resources” to make the audience’s experience a good one.

She did say one thing more, actually. “The actors can see you text messaging and checking the game scores.”

So turn off your cell phones.

And enjoy your flight, secure in the capable hands of Patti Kelly.

Back in the Burgh

by Carlyn Aquiline, City Theatre Literary Manager and Dramaturg, and Harry Bouvy, The Clockmaker cast member.

Actor Harry Bouvy is a native Pittsburgher—his family still lives here—who grew up in the South Hills, went to college at Pitt, and still has friends in the local theatre community. But, though Harry played his hometown while on tour with The Producers, he hasn’t been back to work with one of Pittsburgh’s resident theatre companies since he moved out of town in the early 90s. City Theatre is thrilled to welcome Harry, now a New Yorker, back to play the title role in The Clockmaker, playwright Stephen Massicotte’s romance/murder mystery running January 23-February 15. Harry and I talked at the start of our second week of rehearsals. 

Carlyn Aquiline: Why don’t we refer to this as your “not a blog” entry—since I did a little research (I am a dramaturg, it’s part of what I do) and found out you’re not a fan of the blogosphere. I was surprised when I found out you’ve never been back, in all the years since you moved to New York, to do a play with one of Pittsburgh’s resident companies. Welcome back! What and when was the last show you did with a Pittsburgh company?

Harry Bouvy: This question feels appropriate, since one of the themes of The Clockmaker has to do with memory. I’m going to have to wrack my brain to answer this one! I last appeared in Pittsburgh in 2005 when I was in town with the national tour of The Producers, in which I played Carmen Ghia. But as far as appearing with a Pittsburgh company… um… I believe it was in a production of The Sum of Us at the Public. Anyone who saw that wouldn’t really remember me, though, because I was essentially part of the “ensemble.” I was among four scene-changers in soccer uniforms who changed the set between scenes one and two. That’s it. Are there theatre awards in Pittsburgh? Because I would have won Best Scenic Move of the Year for that one.  

CA: “Best set changers” is one year end list Chris Rawson doesn’t compile. You’re an alum of Pitt’s theatre department, so some of your close friends still work in the Pittsburgh theatre—including Patti Kelly, City Theatre’s long-time stage manager, and CT Steele, who sometimes designs costumes for us. Looking back, what was the best thing you took away from the training you received at Pitt, and why?

HB: Hm. I’ve thought a lot about this over the years, because there are two routes a theatre student can take when he enters college: the B.A. route, where you major in theatre while being exposed to a liberal arts training (like the program at Pitt); or the B.F.A. route, a conservatory style of training where you are immersed in “all things acting”: voice, movement, scene study, etc. (like the program at CMU). For a while, I regretted not following the more conservatory style of training, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really valued my liberal arts training. It exposed me to a broader spectrum of life, and when you get right down to it, acting is about taking your life experiences and loading them into your performances. So when I entered Pitt at the tender age of eighteen—after growing up in a relatively sheltered environment in the South Hills—I was glad to be exposed to new experiences that fueled the acting training I later received in graduate school (at the Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory in Sarasota).

CA: How does it feel to be in rehearsal getting ready to perform again for the hometown crowd?

HB: Really great. You mentioned Patti Kelly and CT Steele in the last question. The three of us shared a house right here on the South Side when I graduated from college—wow, twenty-one years ago—just over on Jane Street. God, we rented a three-story, three-bedroom townhouse for 525 bucks! Total! Those were the days, right? To be back here, rehearsing just blocks from where I used to live is surreal. And my entire family still lives here in the ’burgh, so I’m seeing a lot of them. My nephew Benny, who is six years old, just had me over the other night to watch an episode of The Clone Wars on the Cartoon Network! And I just had dinner at my mom and dad’s house last night. Pot roast. Delicious. So yeah, I’m loving it. …. And being back in a rehearsal hall with Patti Kelly is fantastic. More about that later…

CA: In the play, the main characters are time-travelers of a sort, the choices of a life time (and the afterlife) receive a gentle existential examination, and the tenacity of memory is a dubious gift. I’m wondering how you think being “home”—i.e., where you grew up and went to school—might affect or intensify your reflections on the play’s themes of time and memory, or vice versa.

HB: Yeah. That’s a good question. I sort of touched on this earlier, the fact that acting is loading your life experiences into your performances. Heinrich (my character in the play) starts off with what seems like a case of amnesia, and slowly remembers parts of his life as he goes along. I feel a bit of a parallel going on as well… people from my past popping up on Facebook, for example. All of a sudden, a person you hadn’t thought of in many years has materialized and wants to know how you’ve been. And I think, “How have I been? Since 1985?!” How do you answer a question like that? Suddenly, all these images start to pop into my head… and I wonder if these images are the most significant events in my life? And what made them significant? And so I’m forced, in a way, to map out my past, which takes me right into the play. I’m doing what Heinrich is doing, essentially. So it fuels the rehearsals and, hopefully, the performance.

CA: When we were doing table-work, at the end of a read-through I heard you saying just what I kept saying after I first read The Clockmaker: “I love this play, I love this play, I love this play!” What do you love about this play? Why did you want to take on this role?

HB: This past year has been a difficult one, personally. A person I love died this year. I was at his bedside when he passed. And the main question in my mind was, “Where are you going?” I kept asking that question in my mind, over and over… “Where are you going? Where are you going?” The past six months has been about answering that question. And this play presents an answer that might be true. Might. Because no one knows, right? I love this play because, for me, it’s really ABOUT something. It deals with one of the great mysteries of life: where do we go when we die? I think Stephen Massicotte (the playwright) is a genius. The language he uses, his sense of humor, the structure of the play… it feels like a real mystery, a true reflection of what’s going on in our minds when we ask big questions like “Why am I here?” or “What is the Meaning of Life?” Sort of messy, unstructured structure. And beautiful.

CA: By some twist of fate, for the past few years you’ve performed only in either musicals or one-man plays. You’ve mentioned what a joy it is to be doing a straight play again—and with other people to act with! Can you talk about the differences in each of those acting challenges and why it’s great to be in a rehearsal room with some fellow actors again?

HB: Yes, I’ve done four one-man shows and lemme tell ya: it’s a lonely row to hoe. It’s also thrilling, though. The actor is in full control of the show… it takes a skill that is unlike acting with other people on stage. And it was a skill I didn’t have before doing the first one. Or, if I did have the skill, I didn’t know I had it. In essence, the audience is your acting partner. You become very attuned to how the audience is reacting to the show… if they’re not laughing in certain spots, or they’re coughing, or shuffling around in their seats… You have to be aware of everything going on in the house while continuing to say your lines and keep the show moving forward. It’s a big responsibility because if you have a “bad show” that night, you feel like, “Well I really screwed that up tonight!” And there’s no one else to blame! … I’m so glad to be in a show with other actors. It’s just more fun, frankly. There’s a camaraderie among actors that is unlike anything else. To go through a performance with other actors creates a kinship that’s hard to beat. And this cast (Tami Dixon, Joel Ripka, and Daryll Heysham) is fantastic. We’re having a great time.

Director Tracy Brigden gives a set presentation to Harry, along with Joel and Tami (sitting on the floor in front of him), to introduce them to the world they'll be living in for the next couple of months. Playwright Stephen Massicotte watches in the background.

CA: This is a play whose world has been wholly invented by the playwright. In this case, what textual and/or character exploration did you do on your own prior to the start of rehearsals, and then what did you discover last week as a result of the readings and table work with Tracy, Stephen, and the other actors?

HB: I didn’t have to do a whole lot of outside text work for this one because of some of the reasons I mentioned earlier about the year I’ve had. Also, a few years ago, I was a confirmed atheist. Organized religion just wasn’t working for me in my life and I wanted to allow my brain to consider that there was no God and no afterlife… that if you can’t explain something with science or logic, it doesn’t exist. I read books by Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins and pretty much toed the atheist line. When my friend died, that all changed. Not in terms of organized religion, but in terms of accepting that there are certain mysteries in life that cannot be explained. Sitting around the table last week with Stephen and the cast was just more confirmation that so much of life simply cannot be explained. People have their beliefs and opinions about God and the afterlife. I’ve never really understood why people insist that they KNOW the answers to these questions. I just don’t know. I’m comfortable with not knowing. I’m comfortable with a little mystery in my life.

CA: You’re into the second week of rehearsals now, the play is fully blocked and you’re going back to re-work and refine each scene and the blocking. What physical and mental challenges are the most present for you at this point in the process, and what primary challenges is the play presenting to you as we exchange these thoughts?

HB: Rehearsals are really about learning how to tell the story in the clearest way possible, with our thoughts, voices, and bodies. I’m currently focusing on Heinrich’s physicality… how he presents himself to the world. He says in the play that he’s “a nervous person.” What does that mean? How does it manifest itself in his voice and body that is different from mine? Or similar to mine? I think of times in my life when I’ve been nervous and try to apply some of it to the character in the circumstances of the play. As an actor, you’re constantly seeking truth. I don’t want to just go onstage and “be nervous.” You know what I mean?… shake and jitter and stutter… I don’t want to come off as a cardboard cutout. I ask myself lots of questions: Why is Heinrich nervous? How did he get this way? In what situations is he NOT nervous? It’s all trial and error, all in service to telling the story in the clearest way possible.

CA: Upcoming on the blog, we’ll be highlighting Patti Kelly, City Theatre’s Production Stage Manager for 20+ years, and what exactly she does as a show’s stage manager. So as a prelude and a little teaser, tell us: What’s the scoop on Patti Kelly? You’ve known her for 25 years, if I’m correct in my math. Can you share a classic “PK” tale from back in the day—you know, in the pre-iconic stage manager days?

HB: Okay, Patti Kelly is one of the best in the business. The thing I’ve always loved about Patti is that she loves actors. Loves them. And enjoys the process of watching an actor develop a performance. She’s “on our side,” if that makes sense. Yet she also has this amazing ability to sit on the other side of the table and give the director and designers what they need to make the show work. People don’t understand the role of stage managers very much. Let me tell you, I have worked with a few really bad stage managers and oftentimes, the show can just fall apart. You need that person who is going to somehow be all things to all people. I think it’s the hardest job in the theatre. And Patti Kelly is one of the best.

Harry with Patti in rehearsal last week.

My classic Patti Kelly story is the one where she choreographed a striptease for me when I played a go-go boy in David Rabe’s In the Boom Boom Room, the first show I did at Pitt. I wore a tank top, a leather cap, Daisy Duke cutoff shorts, motorcycle boots, aviator glasses, and chains that hung off my belt. Five minutes after meeting Patti, she was showing me how to bump and grind and exude sexual energy. I was eighteen and she was twenty. What the heck did either of us know about being a go-go boy?! But lemme tell you: it was hot!

CA: Patti Kelly in a whole new light! I should tell those reading that it is not usually in the stage manager’s job description to teach actors to bump and grind. BUT if you’re curious to know what IS the stage manager’s job, check back in a few days when Patti will tell you herself. (And I wouldn’t be surprised if we learn something new about Harry from her.)

Getting back to Harry, we’ll be catching up with him periodically to see how The Clockmaker is going, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out his website at www.harrybouvy.com, especially for the terrific “show gallery” of productions he’s done in the past few years. As for me, I’m puzzled as to why Carrot Top ended up in the midst of a Spamalot cast photo. But I think I won’t ask—you know what they say: what happens in Vegas…

Thanks for talking to me for the “not a blog,” Harry!

“Time Belongs to the People”

by Carlyn Aquiline
City Theatre Literary Manager and Dramaturg

Happy New Year! After some brief holiday time, we headed back into the rehearsal hall just before the new year for the start of rehearsals for The Clockmaker by Stephen Massicotte (the author of last season’s Mary’s Wedding). It hadn’t struck me until then how appropriate it was that we had scheduled this rehearsal process—by no conscious design—at a time of year when people are remembering and re-evaluating their pasts and making choices for the future. The Clockmaker is all about time, and memory, and consciously pursuing the well-lived life—literally, creating the time of your life while you still can. In the play, Heinrich Mann, the clockmaker, meets Frieda Mannheim when she brings him her husband’s mangled cuckoo clock to repair. And this action in due course sets them off on a race against time to solve a puzzle that ignites universal and existential questions of identity, the mystery and meaning of life, personal responsibility, choice, the ethical life—never let it be said that Stephen Massicotte flinched from the big questions!

Artistic Director Tracy Brigden is directing The Clockmaker, so she said a few words at the first rehearsal to the assembled staff and cast, which includes Harry Bouvy as Heinrich Mann (look for Harry’s blog—I’m sorry, “not a blog”—entry following this one on his triumphant return to his hometown just for this role), Tami Dixon (A Marriage Minuet, The Missionary Position, The Muckle Man) as Frieda Mannheim, Joel Ripka (Mezzulah, 1946) as Adolphus Mannheim, and making his first appearance at City Theatre, Daryll Heysham as Monsieur Pierre. Here are some highlights of her remarks:

 “Time belongs to the people.” It’s sort of the slightly Communist catchphrase of the play. Jeff Cowie [set designer] and I almost made a red neon sign that was part of the set that said that. [She was kidding.] But what does it mean? Other time slogans in the play: “We can’t make time, that’s up to you” and “…making the best with the time they have.” …Time bounces all over the place in the story—and makes us piece together a complicated puzzle out of order. Time moves differently in different scenes…What strikes me most in the time theme is the idea of how you spend time….the idea of enjoying it while you can.

Those who saw Mary’s Wedding last season may read Tracy’s remarks (and mine) and be reminded of it since Stephen’s storytelling in that play is told with a fluid sense of time, place, and memory. Mary’s Wedding is the story of Mary and Charlie, who connect in her dreamscape even after he has gone off to fight in World War I and she has remained behind in Canada. In The Clockmaker, however, Stephen may have invented a new genre: absurdist romantic comedy metaphysical murder mystery, in reverse. He calls the tone “Kafka lite” and refers to it as his “atheist play”—but the world of the play actually has a clear theology, just one invented by the playwright. Another characteristic it does share with Mary’s Wedding is a charm and sweetness in the love story. And despite having its genesis in the death of Stephen’s stepfather, which got him to thinking about things like existence and the root of morality, the play has a distinctive and winning sense of humor. (Stephen told us on the first day of rehearsal that all of his plays end up being about how to live well and how to die well. He said, when he’s in the process of writing, he’ll be thinking he’s writing a new play and then realizes he’s writing the same play again. I think that’s not unusual—all playwrights have one or two recurring themes that crop up again and again.)

Perhaps an anecdote from the Clockmaker Meet and Greet will provide a glimpse into the mind that can achieve equilibrium among such a number of elements that seem incongruent. As an ice breaker, we introduced ourselves and then answered a question related to the show’s themes: something along the lines of “what would you want to make sure was present in Heaven (or your version of the “good” afterlife) when you get there?” (which was already making a number of big assumptions!). Lots of people said things like “ice cream,” “chocolate,” “books,” and “my family.” Stephen Massicotte said, “Charles Darwin—because it would be ironic.” See? It opens a window, doesn’t it?

TALKING WITH: Earlene Hoople

Photo by Suellen Fitzsimmons.

 

She’s a living legend at Channel 17, local television’s hostess with the mostest, and the Mother Hen of all the early birds who tune in each week to her cable access morning show, the Early Bird Morning Show, originating from the Raymond Hoople Studios in Butler, PA. She’s none other than Earlene Hoople, of course. After being on the air for 35 years, Earlene is a local celebrity—in demand especially at this time of year as a judge for neighborhood holiday light display contests and as the Grand Marshall for various town Christmas parades—so the Backstage Blog was lucky to get on her holiday calendar. Knowing, however, that all celebrities eventually get asked to fill out the Proust Questionnaire, we wanted to be the first to present the questions to Earlene and share her responses on the Blog. “Who’s Who in Cable Access Television” dubbed Earlene the “Contessa of cable television.” We give you her Proust Questionnaire:

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Making homemade cranberry sauce with the full berries then pouring it into a soup can until it gels, so you still get the rings. The best of both worlds.

What is your greatest fear?

Being alone. I have hosted a morning show for over 35 years so that I would always have company to share my ideas with.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Florence Nightingale and Lady Bird Johnson.

Which living person do you most admire?

Oprah. Come on, she has her picture on the cover of her magazine every month. Even she admires Oprah.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I must confess I really enjoy real butter, the kind you usually save for the company. I know that it is not heart smart, but shuckie do, it sure is comforting.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Honesty is overrated. Seriously, I am all for telling the truth but nothing succeeds without a foundation of white lies. Look at Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and All Star Wrestling.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Sweet corn off the cob!”

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

There are days that I am as organized as a handful of worms in a bucket of boiled okra.  The hardest thing for me to do is to find my glasses. I can’t decide if it is my memory or my eyesight that I would like to change.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?

Their mailing addresses. They are all scattered about the country and it makes it very hard to stay connected.

What is your most treasured possession?

A small mistletoe box given to me by my husband, Ray. The sound of the chime brings back the memory of kisses from Christmas past.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

When I was crowned Miss Communication by the media department of CCAC.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My Aunt Ilene and My mother, Nadine

What is it that you most dislike?

Selfishness and the sound of an auto accident

What is your motto?

My Grandmother always said “Never go to bed angry.”  I have found that to be very helpful.  She was a wise woman but she never slept a wink.

And, ACTION

by Carlyn Aquiline,
Literary Manager and Dramaturg

City Theatre has gotten into the TV production business. No, we’re not giving up the live theatre and moving to Hollywood; we’re taping a show right from our own Mainstage. A Kodachrome Christmas has transformed the theatre into the Raymond Hoople Studios and lets the audience in on the fun as you become the studio audience for the taping of the final episode–the holiday special–of the Early Bird Morning Show, starring Butler’s own Earlene Hoople. Like any good morning show host, Earlene has planned a variety of segments for the studio audience’s entertainment and enlightenment, including a cooking segment, a musical segment or two, and a crafts segment, to name a few, ending with the annual Kodachrome slide show.

Peggy Roeder as Earlene Hoople. Photo by Suellen Fitzsimmons.

The vision of A Kodachrome Christmas may have been dancing, like some giant sugar plum, in Pat Hazell’s head prior to last year. After all, he does know a little a something about TV writing and production—albeit on a slightly higher scale. As a comic, Pat appeared many times over on The Tonight Show (first With Johnny Carson, then With Jay Leno), was called one of the Five Funniest People in America by Showtime, and opened for Jerry Seinfeld, who hired him as one of the first writers on the Seinfeld show. Pat’s first foray into playwriting, Bunk Bed Brothers, was picked up by NBC and filmed as the sit-com American Pie (no relation to the films), which Pat wrote and starred in. When he had coffee here with artistic director Tracy Brigden during City Theatre’s summer 2008 presentation of his show The Wonder Bread Years, the vision became an actual commission. City Theatre wanted a new comic, popular Christmas show; and writing a holiday show, to Pat, meant that he’d get to spend much of the holiday season at home with his wife and kids each year. City Theatre undertook a collaboration with Sweetwater Productions, Pat’s production company, to bring A Kodachrome Christmas to the stage this holiday season. And Pat suggested Peggy Roeder—the actress who had played his mother on American Pie—to play Earlene.

Anyone who saw The Wonder Bread Years understands Pat’s approach to comedy and to connecting with the audience. (Click here to see a clip of John Mueller in The Wonder Bread Years.) His signature is an ability to draw out of the audience a simultaneous laughter at and celebration of aspects of American culture. The Wonder Bread Years was a trip down memory lane, a stand-up comedy look at slices of Americana: the customs, toys, TV shows, &tc., of the 60s and 70s. A Kodachrome Christmas has more of a narrative and focuses more specifically on holiday customs, of course, from carols to decorations to baking. Along the way it throws in some hilarious commercial parodies. But the aim in the end is the same: Pat’s is a feel-good humor. He wants the audience to have fun and to walk away laughing. It’s part of his signature. But so is nostalgia—and I guess what better time for that than this time of year when our thoughts often turn to family and we long to be home for the holidays.

Look at Christopher Rawson’s Post-Gazette review of A Kodachrome Christmas here.

And Alice Carter’s Trib review here.

The Visual Made Verbal: The Art of Audio Description at City Theatre

by Kristen Link
Director of Education

Anyone that has ever attended the theatre knows that much of the storytelling happens in between the dialogue—the tentative embrace of weary lovers, the slamming of a door in fury, or the signs of resignation as a protagonist falls to his knees. All are crucial to the trajectory of the story, and all happen in between the words.

Most patrons have the advantage of experiencing such moments to their fullest extent, but audience members who are blind, have low vision, or are otherwise visually impaired miss out on these important visual cues. Similarly, the set, costumes, and lights are all designed to complement the themes and tone of the play. Without the benefit of experiencing these, much of the richness and intricacies of the play are lost.

For many years, blind or low vision patrons were relegated to experiencing theatre imagery through the occasional whispered asides of sighted companions. As avid attendees to performing arts events, many members of this community sought an alternative and more comprehensive way for them to experience performances. A solution to this dilemma finally arrived in the form of a communication tool known as Audio Description.

Audio Description (AD) was invented by Dr. Margaret Pfanstiel, legally blind since her early 30s, and her husband Cody in 1981. AD makes the visual images of theatre, media, and even museums accessible for members of the blind and visually impaired population. In theatre, the description is a form of “audio-translation.” During the live performance, audio describers use the natural pauses in dialogue to provide narrative that translates the visual images on stage. Patrons have a small audio receiver and an ear piece that allows them to hear the action described in real time throughout the performance.

Those who are familiar with Audio Description understand that it truly is an art form. In fact, audio describers often go through auditions and rigorous training to learn the craft. So what are some of the qualities that AD organizations look for in a describer? They are many of the same characteristics that one looks for in an actor—enunciation, a strong command of the English language and the ability to sense what is important in any given scene. An audio describer’s main goal is to never distract from the performance, but, rather, say what they see.

City Theatre patrons listen in to Audio Description.

In 2005, in an effort to expand its Accessibility Program, City Theatre became the first arts organization in Pittsburgh to bring Audio Description to the region. With the support of the VSA Arts of Pennsylvania and funding from the Birmingham and FISA Foundations, City Theatre was able to train volunteer audio describers and acquire AD equipment. Since that time, City Theatre has continued to offer this service to blind and low vision patrons. Individuals attending AD performances also have the option of participating in a Pre-Show Introductory Workshop, where they can learn more about the show and explore the stage and props in a tactile manner.

After seeing the positive impact this service has made on the visually impaired community, many other arts venues around Pittsburgh have chosen to implement this program (and often borrow City Theatre’s AD equipment to do so).

City Theatre will continue to seek out opportunities, such as Audio Description, that allow for a more enriched and inclusive arts experience for patrons with and without disabilities, alike.

If you are interested in attending AD performances, or interested in learning more about City Theatre’s Audio Description Program and to become a volunteer audio describer, please contact Kristen Link, Director of Education, at 412-431-4400 x 225 or email klink@citytheatrecompany.org.

Speaking Up

by Carlyn Aquiline,
Literary Manager and Dramaturg

For the past couple of weeks, Blackbird audiences have been talking—not during the show, but after, when City Theatre has hosted a number of post-show discussions. During the run of a Mainstage production, our usual norm is to have audience talk-backs after the second and third Sunday performances. These are a chance for the audience to meet the artists, most often the actors, in a forum where they can not only tell us their responses to the play and production but they can ask questions, both production-specific and more general, about the theatrical production and design process, acting, play development, a career in the theatre—whatever they’re interested in. We get the chance, too, to ask the audience about their interpretation of significant moments in the play and to discuss the issues and themes contained in the play. With Blackbird, however, artistic director Tracy Brigden and I anticipated that it would spark strong opinions and questions, a real desire and even a need among many audience members to talk after the show. So we planned a series of discussions for Blackbird with a few goals in mind: to give the audience a forum to explore the issues and themes in a highly complicated play in which the search for truth continues after the curtain has come down; to make the topic of sexual abuse less taboo by providing a more open discussion and honest examination of the issues and affects of abuse, hopefully leading to a greater understanding—rather than a further victimization—of abuse survivors (both female and male); to enhance and deepen the discussions by inviting the knowledge and insights of two local organizations who work with survivors and offenders—Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (the former) and the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime (both). (We knew we would also be grateful for the presence of the staff from these organizations in case there were audience members at the discussions who needed emotional support that we, professionally, are not qualified to provide, though we have not encountered that situation.)

Steve Pickering and Robin Abramson. Photo by Suellen Fitzsimmons.

So the post-show discussions after Blackbird have not been the usual talk-backs with the artists. Instead, Tracy or I have moderated with one or several guests from PAAR or CVVC and the conversation, rather than being a simple Q and A, has gone all ways—questions are directed from and to us and the PAAR and CVVC staff, and everyone is welcome to respond to anyone else. As we had anticipated, audience members want to talk afterwards—we’ve heard how the play has sparked shock, fear, anger, confusion. We’ve talked about abandonment, hiding and exposure, memory, the search for truth, moving forward (or not), having to live in your own mess. Audiences have told us what they think Una wanted from Ray—why she came back to confront him after 15 years; how they interpreted the fragmentation of the dialogue; what the play’s setting, especially the trash strewn about the stage, communicated to them; and how they interpreted the last few minutes of the play. They have struggled with the fact that they have believed and sympathized with Ray at times, while at other times they have thought Una to be complicit in her own suffering. They have asked about the reality of the U.S. court system, whether the PAAR counselors think it’s a good idea for a victim to confront an offender, and whether offenders can be cured or have enough services to support them in their rehabilitation. I’m the moderator for our usual Sunday talk-backs and I really enjoy speaking to our audiences about what they have seen, heard, and interpreted in what we’ve put onstage, what they are emotionally affected by. But these Blackbird discussions have been meaningful and important in a different way—by encouraging audience members to respond to the play, they have guided them to a discussion of some difficult issues that most people don’t want to talk about. For most people, the complexities of sexual abuse and its aftermath remain obscured in the shadows and misunderstood—we hope to have brought the discussion into the light. PAAR and CVVC have been generous partners in this outreach, and special thanks go to the staff who coordinated their participation and who participated in the actual discussions: at PAAR Julie Evans, Jayne Anderson, Jennifer Hill, Christie Hudson, Anita Mallinger, Larry Miller, David Perini, Jennifer Sims, Leah Vallone; and at CVVC LaVerne Baker-Hotep, Dawn Lehman, and Mary Volkar.

Between the Unsettling and the Unexpected: BLACKBIRD’s Provocative Design

by Corinna Archer

          Before David Harrower’s internationally acclaimed play Blackbird begins, the audience already knows they are about to see something different.  A new seating configuration in City Theatre’s Lester Hamburg Studio Theatre is just one of the many ways in which the design for Blackbird enhances the play’s unsettling journey and challenges the audience’s expectations. Harrower’s Blackbird is not your typical love story, but a disturbing encounter between Ray and Una, who are as surprised by what unfolds when they confront their past relationship as the audience is.  Not only do the set and costume designs make intriguing first impressions on the audience, but they also intensify the relationship between the characters and the discoveries that are made by the audience during the course of the play.  Although the design may appear realistic in a way that immediately draws the audience into the world of the play, it is also full of unexpected metaphors that address the characters’ psychological and emotional experiences, asking the audience to reconsider the way in which “appearances can be deceiving.”

            The alley seating configuration that was initially suggested by the director Stuart Carden is perhaps the most immediate surprise that the design for Blackbird has in store for its audience.  The first time this theatre has been reconfigured in almost ten years, the new seating arrangement places the audience on either side of the stage so that each audience member is not only confronting the action on stage in a new way, but also sees the members seated opposite while they watch the show.  Just as Blackbird’s characters are never certain if they can trust what they see in front of them, the audience is insecure in this unfamiliar relationship to the performance and must constantly reassess what is happening on stage.

          The seating configuration also distances the audience from the realistic design, underscoring the play’s thematic issue of appearance versus reality.   At first glance, the set, designed by Tony Ferrieri, looks like a “slice” of an authentic office break-room, complete with un-matching furniture, vending machines, lockers, and overhead fluorescents.  Realistic details like cup-rings on the table, electrical wiring running up the walls, and various food wrappers littering the set give it a “thrown-together” and non-descript look.  Like the set design, the costume design gives the characters authenticity from the very beginning of the play.  In his khakis and blue collared shirt, Ray looks like a “regular guy” who fits into the play’s break-room setting, while Una appears to be a stylish, “sexy young adult,” as costume designer Crystal Gomes described these characters.  However, while the characters and their physical environment at first seem reassuringly familiar to the audience, this sense of security is quickly shattered by the play’s unusual story.

Tony Ferrieri's set design. Photo by Suellen Fitzsimmons.

          The design never lets the characters, or the audience, get comfortable, underscoring the tension between Una and Ray that is present from the very first lines of Blackbird. The alley seating configuration forces the set into a long, narrow corridor that becomes even more box-like and closed by the low-hanging fluorescent lights and beams that place a “lid” on the stage.  This pressurized space makes the intensity of the action on stage even more threatening and suspenseful: the audience never knows when the lid might blow.  The break-room itself sets the tone of the play with its cold blues and grays, which Ferrieri chose to support the apprehension and distance felt by Una and Ray during their initial interaction.  The harsh, bare fluorescents also help to make the space uncomfortable, both for the characters and the audience.  Like the play itself, this set is hard to look at in a powerful and provocative way.  Just as Una and Ray must face an unpleasant reality in this small, stark break-room, so must each person sitting in the house of the theatre, forced to confront the difficult questions that Blackbird poses.  The costumes add to the tension by clearly contrasting the way Ray and Una present themselves and relate to the set.  Ray, who tries to remain anonymous, wears his work clothes as a kind of office “camouflage.”  Una, on the other hand, sticks out in her trendier, darker city look, and has no way of hiding on stage.  Like the checkerboard pattern on the floor, Ray and Una are even visually in conflict with one another, engaged in a complex game throughout the play.

 

Steve Pickering and Robin Abramson in costumes designed by Crystal Gomes. Photo by Suellen Fitzsimmons.

          As the play progresses, the design moves further away from reality to metaphorically address the play’s various themes and questions that relate to the emotional and psychological state of the characters.  The trash left on stage, for example, which at first only appears to be another element of realism, making the space feel “lived-in” by Ray’s coworkers, becomes an effective visual metaphor for the issue of abandonment that arises during the course of the play. Other prominent issues, such as who to blame when ordinary rules and values cannot explain what happens, whether or not you can trust who someone says they are, or what it means to be in the wrong place at the wrong time are all underscored by Blackbird’s surprising design.  Just as the play’s compelling yet disturbing story asks the audience to reconsider even the most instinctive values such as right and wrong or real and false, Blackbird’s design challenges the audience to experience the play in a new way that enhances the power of Harrower’s unique but troubling love story.

The Trick of the Game: Adapting a Classic

By Jeffrey Hatcher

When a writer takes on an adaptation assignment like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, there are always advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include a built-in interest, a plot that doesn’t have to be ginned-up out of nowhere and audience expectation. The disadvantages all have to do with audience expectation as well. If the audience knows the story and its characters so well that their preconceptions are etched in stone, it’s very easy for the adaptation not to live up to them. Reduced to its basics, it’s the “James Bond/Harry Potter/The Joker Doesn’t Look Like That” problem.

The interesting thing about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is that while most audiences think they remember the book, what they really remember are the ideas and the images: the handsome, respected doctor and the misshapen, villainous brute; the notions of duality, good versus evil, repression, addiction and psychosis. We remember various film and TV adaptations, cartoons and comic books and parodies like Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

So, for me, the trick of the game seemed to be this: give the audience what they recall – the top hats, the canes, the fog-shrouded streets of London, the laboratory, the bubbling beakers, the doctor and his doppelganger; but feel free enough to develop ideas and complicate characters in ways the audience won’t expect. The problem with a classic like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as with a classic like Wuthering Heights or Pride and Prejudice, is that if you give the audience exactly what they expect — the theatrical equivalent of reading the Reader’s Digest version of the book — they’ll be greatly disappointed. A stage adaptation must be theatrical, and the decision to produce a new version of an old classic suggests there must be a reason for doing so, that something new has been discovered or something old has been brought into higher relief.

So, in this adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I hope audiences will be satisfied with the sensational thrills that go with the territory. But I hope they’ll also have their expectations tweaked in such a way that on occasion they think, “Oh, I never would have dreamed of that” or “I haven’t seen that in Jekyll and Hyde before,” and that when they leave, a very old and great piece of literature has been given a vivid retelling.