Decisions

A week ago, we held the first meeting of the cast of Follies. A cast of 47 and counting, it was a large gathering. Younger and older, men and women, alto belters and lyric sopranos, tenors and baritones, dancers and movers, actors all met to review the rehearsal schedule and upcoming plans, listen to concepts, get measured for costumes, have pictures taken for makeup and hair design, and really just get to meet each other. Actors looked at each other curiously, especially those that will play younger or older counterparts. They peered into each others faces, in sideway glances, looking for the person they were or would become. It was fascinating.

There was a focused energy with this cast. As each person introduced them self – and introductions took the better part of an hour – there was a sense of delight in being cast and also a sense of humility. There was an expectation that each of them was part of a team of really talented people who were ready to tackle this story. There was talk of past experience in theater, association The Arlington Players, love of Sondheim, love of Follies, and a bit of reminiscing and remembering how long some have known each other. The cast has some who are doing their first show since high school and others who have acted professionally in DC theater. The story of self was shared with humor and seriousness. The cast has a good, smooth feel to it.

How did these people come together and what of the others who auditioned but were not cast? Well, close to 90 people went through the audition process and a select group of these people was asked to callbacks. Callbacks for Sally, Phyllis, Ben and Buddy took place for three hours on a Friday evening, and there was six hours of callbacks on a Saturday for the other older and younger Weissman girls and the other men’s parts. Dancing, singing, and acting were in full view. The results were delightfully impressive. Looking at the skills of the actors auditioning, I could honestly say that we had the skills to put up this production. I’m pretty happy when I can say that.

I’ve always been of the opinion that auditions are for the artistic staff to meet and assess the actor. My opinion of callbacks is a bit different. While it is for the artistic staff to further assess and decide on casting, callbacks are the time that the actor has a chance to assess the artistic staff. Is the production organized? Is time well spent and managed? Are the direction and artistic choices that are revealed something that I can work with as an actor? The actor’s judgment for callbacks is a key element in the final casting. If I offer a part to an actor, that person is on the spot making a decision to commit several months of their life to being a part of a production. It’s important that as a part of the artistic team that the actor feel confident in their commitment. I propose and s/he accepts – or not – depending on the experience at the auditions and callbacks.

So the artistic staff must be on their mettle for the actors. As a choreographer, I tend to create an audition combination that is not in the production but rather a mix of steps and skills that I need to check to see if the actor can do the dance planned. At callbacks, I unveil – and this is marketing the show, seeking to gain the confidence of the dancers, and plain auditioning – a piece of choreography created for the production. In the case of the Follies, I lifted a piece of rather challenging choreography that I made for the dance break for Phyllis’ folly, The Story of Lucy and Jessie. For me, it was great to see the choreography take shape and see the skill of those auditioning. For those dancing, they got a taste of what is to come and can a make a decision about joining the cast, if chosen.

Years ago, when I was auditioning regularly, I remember being aghast at a director’s behavior when I declined a part for which I auditioned. The audition process was disorganized and rather confusing, and after I auditioned, I had a bad feeling about it. I was invited to callbacks and I went, keeping an open mind and hoping that my initial reaction was wrong (and like most actors choosing to audition, I REALLY wanted to be in this show). The artistic staff left me wary. The callback was a bit disorganized. The music director did seem to understand the show’s music. The choreographer seemed intimidated by any one that may have had more skill or training. The director was sphinx-like and kept reading people in combinations but gave no insight on what was being wanted in a scene. As I left the callback, I remember deciding that this production was not a good fit for me. When I declined the part offered, the director became aggressive and though not quite belligerent, that’s the best word I have to describe the behavior when I declined the offer. It struck me at that moment that being cast was ultimately was my decision as an actor.

So I really think that the actor has the final say about being cast. That said, the casting decisions for Follies were very, very difficult, because of the talent and skill of the actors who auditioned. Directors love having choices that way, but they can despise them too, because decisions on casting are not simple and clear-cut. There can be so much gray in a choice, and the nuance of an actor’s skill with another actor’s skill becomes the basis of the decision against the director’s vision for the story. This, no matter how you approach it, comes to a decision that is a leap of faith in the actor and one of the imagination. Musicals, by the very nature of collaboration among the director, choreographer and music director, demand that these people come to the decision together. It’s not easy.

So, hard decisions were made. A cast was chosen. Some of those I cast I have never worked with. Others I have cast more recently, while still others I worked with more than a decade or more ago. But isn’t that what happens with nearly every production – familiar, old, and new combine to create something fresh?

Now comes the part of reworking the rehearsal schedule to accommodate conflicts and share that with the cast, and then – back the tech table. Final set decisions need to be pounded out with Jared. Choreography and staging needs to be re-worked and polished based on those decisions. Costume construction continues and grows in Kevin’s euphemistic ‘sweat shop.’ Avery and Bette start crafting the face and hair in detail of the Weissman girls. Kate works up the prop list and set dressing plans for discussion. I need to review with Linda and Sam the staging and their planned scene work. The choreographer will workshop The Right Girl with Buddy, and the Bolero d’Amour with Vincent, Vanessa, Young Vincent and Vanessa over the next couple months. Time is a-moving.

Seasons greetings! Have a great holiday season and New Year.

For additional information about the production itself, go to The Arlington Players website: www.thearlingtonplayers.org.

If you have questions for the director, feel free to respond to the blog or email him at folliesdirector@gmail.com. Responses to the blog may be posted publicly; email correspondence will be private.

People Who Need People

Theater is made up of people – people dreaming, people creating, people talking, people collaborating, cooperating, acting, rehearsing, fighting, imagining, pushing, listening, watching, learning, building, painting, sewing, hammering, yelling, crying, relaxing, smiling, frowning, judging, leading, following…. People do all these actions and more in order to tell a story.

Musical theater adds a couple of other dimensions – teaching music, singing, conducting, choreographing, dancing – to its arsenal of actions. In order to do all these things to create a good story, it takes people. If the musical is a large one, it takes lots of people and a team of creative leaders who work together with the goal of – to put it in the immortal words of Stephen Sondheim from Sunday in the Park with George – “putting it together.” I marvel and reflect every time I direct a musical at the sheer amount of human hours and energy it takes to put up on. Take a walk around backstage, the front of house, in the dressing rooms, and in the theater two days from opening and see what you see: a couple hundred people are giving their time and energy to make the musical come alive.

So I’m going to talk about the people leading this production of Follies – and, at this time of thanksgiving, the holidays, and a new year with the hope of a new beginning – say how grateful I am to them for their participation and creativity as we embark on this journey. They are a creative group of people who collaborate. Artistic, tough in assessing themselves, good listeners, good talkers and just plain good people, these artists will all contribute mightily. I’m only referring to them by their first names.

I’m directing and choreographing. Besides me, there is the music director J. Michael (JM) and the conductor Leah. Several years back, they formed a partnership where JM oversees the teaching of the music with the cast and rehearsals, while Leah manages the orchestra and its performance. I’ve known JM for almost ten years – I directed him in Damn Yankees in 1999 and was fortunate to work with him as director-music director in a production of A Chorus Line in 2000. It’s been eight years since we worked together as director-music director and I’m enjoying working together again. Plus, you’ll never find a kinder person. I have not worked with Leah as a director, but her insight and preparation are tops, as are her orchestras. She really commands the tempo and dynamics of her music.  She balances orchestral sound perfectly and also balances it beautifully with the vocals. I love her musicianship; I cannot wait to hear what she does with this score.

I have two assistant directors for Follies, Linda and Sam, to help with scene work, character development, and managing this cast of size. We have spent time over the past few months developing our team and we are poised to support the actors as they approach this piece. Linda has served as my assistant for many productions from 1995-2000, so it’s been a while since we have worked together – how fun it is to re-connect with an old artistic buddy. Linda and I met in a “crucible” – a production of Peter Pan at TAP in the early 1990s where she served as music director and I co-choreographed. That production was troubled and not very good, but I found that that experience gave me so much insight on how to trouble shoot problems with a show. This is my first time working with Sam as an assistant, but I directed him in Ragtime in 2005. A fine actor and a man with an even temperament and excellent communication skills, he’s a natural for directing. I’m glad we have this chance to work together.

The stage management team is headed by Terri. Terri has been one of the go-to stage managers in Northern Virginia for more than 20 years now, and you’ll never find someone as decisive and yet considerate. She first stage managed a show I directed in 1999 when she led my production of 1776. What I enjoy about Terri is that she really develops a feel, for not only the actors (who always love her), but for the rhythm of the piece that I try to build as director. It’s very easy to hand over the reins of the show to her during tech week. She has enlisted two assistants: Dina, who has ASM-ed many of Terri’s and my shows, and Lou, who stage managed TAP’s first production of Follies in 1988. This was a landmark production directed by Jack Marshall and music directed by Tom Fuller, and it has inspired many productions since. We follow in their large footsteps.

The theater producing Follies is The Arlington Players, based in Arlington, VA, which has a mission of presenting its theater in the grand style, and it stages its productions at the Thomas Jefferson Theatre, a 700+ seat theater with a proscenium stage that has a thrust. It’s a challenging space. Fortunately, we have real technical artists involved as we approach this venue – some of the best that DC has to offer for creating a show technically.

The Arlington Players and the Division of Cultural Affairs of Arlington County have a long history of collaboration. For Follies, two members of the Division’s technical staff agreed to design the set and lights respectively, Jared and Hal. This is my first time working with Jared. He has impressed Arlington audiences with his designs at the Thomas Jefferson Theatre with such productions as Kiss Me, Kate, Guys and Dolls, Noises Off, and most recently, …Forum. He’s incredibly creative and an amazing painter. I love the fact that the drops he paints mystify theatergoers – so many think that they are rented. His creativity will be front and center in Follies.

As for Hal, he was one that I hoped would design the lights for this production. As technical director of the Division, he does not design as much as he used to, which is a loss for all of us. I first worked with Hal in 1995 when he designed lights for my production of On the Town. His use of color and light for the jazz ballets was something both lovely and haunting. He’ll be able to put that vision to good use with the ghosts of Follies. I’m honored to work with him on this.

Keith is slated for our sound design. I’ve known Keith for years and I’ve been lucky to work with him on both sound design and amplification on many shows. His element is crucial for TJ, as sound is the one technical element that is one of the most difficult to manage since acoustics continue to be a challenge in Thomas Jefferson Theater. Peter will manage the fly rail – you’ll never find anyone as good and dedicated to making the set move as Peter.

The look of the actors in this production is being created by costume and headdress designer Kevin, makeup designer Avery, and hair designer Bette. I’ve known Bette for years – she’s been a mentor of mine and she designed hair when I directed Ragtime. She’s tops. Avery, a longtime TAP designer in many technical areas, has a keen eye for the right look and special attraction to this piece as she was involved with the 1988 production. You should see her designs for the show girls.

And no one will outstrip Kevin and his love for Follies. Along with Lou, Kevin shares an ‘uncommon’ passion for the piece and has waited for years to design it. He was one of the first designers I approached at becoming a part of this endeavor. His work on this piece and knowledge of it are guiding many of us. I’ve worked with him on such shows as 1776, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, and The Cocoanuts. The man knows how to put up a show and is one of the best and most giving collaborators around.

The latest addition to our team is Kate, who will oversee the set decoration and properties. Kate has an impressive design background and is eager to join the team. I have not worked with her, but I am look forward to do so. She’s going to help link the look of the set to the actors.

Of course, none of this would come to fruition without the leadership and management of producer Nikki. This is Nikki’s first time as a producer and starting with such an undertaking would be foolhardy for most. Well, she’s not like most, and you’ll know that once you meet her. Her energy, her smarts and her heart are sure to keep this production on course.

So we have the staff to support the production. All we need now is the actors.

Auditions are next Tuesday and Wednesday, December 9 and 10. Actors, I invite you as players of parts to come and join us. Now we must wake up from the dreaming of Follies and start living it.

 

For additional information about the production itself, go to The Arlington Players website: www.thearlingtonplayers.org.

If you have questions for the director, feel free to respond to the blog or email him at folliesdirector@gmail.com. Responses to the blog may be posted publicly; email correspondence will be private.