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Winter 2011
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Winter 2011
Empty Chair to Host a Benefit Performance at the Folger Library  Empty Chair is thrilled to announce that this upcoming season will include a performance of Titus Andronicus at the Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill! This performance at a nationally-recognized venue will be an exciting opportunity for Empty Chair to gain recognition in the wider world of DC theatre and to attract support from individuals interested in the arts and education. Empty Chair will be providing support for curriculum of the Folger's High School Fellowship Program, which co-founders Elizabeth Nearing and Julia Sears both participated in. The partnership is a key effort of the Development and Education departments, and an exciting move forward for the company. |
| Moving On Up: More on Development at Empty Chair The event in partnership with the Folger is the biggest thing on the horizon for Empty Chair’s development department, but it is by no means the only thing. Since receiving its official non-profit status this past summer, the company has been kicking into gear its efforts to bolster support for its programs. Lee Havlicek, a company member since the 2009 season, has taken on the post of Director of Development for the company. With the support of board members and others, Havlicek has been brainstorming ideas for fundraising. “I think that we are different than other theatre companies,” says Havlicek, “in that since we are a relatively young company our fundraising efforts need to be prioritized; we are lucky to have a lot of people putting in free labor and free time so we can worry less about some of the more detail-oriented goals until we have the big ones covered.” One of the company’s first endeavors with the funds raised will be to obtain a performance space for this summer’s season. “This season is going to be all about transition,” says Havlicek, “we are really stepping things up in a way that is brand new and exciting and that means we need to back up those efforts and all of that work with some serious fundraising.” A new performance space will provide Empty Chair with the boost in facilities that will allow for wider audiences, different exciting theatrical endeavors, and the more developed technical capacity the company has been looking for. As Empty Chair continues to grow, it will require new kinds of resources from new sources. The company has a strong base of support, of people who are willing to donate their time and energy, but there is only so far those resources can stretch, Havlieck points out. “Because we have accomplished so much over the past three years, in order to go further we need to have the support of funding,” she adds. One of her long-term goals is to be able to provide stipends for the actors who perform in Empty Chair’s shows. “That’s something that’s after my own heart, as an actor; it would be extremely helpful for people to not have to worry about juggling work and the show or about making ends meet,” though she acknowledges this will take some time. This and other goals like it, including sponsorships for staff stipends, an office space for the company, and funding for theatrical supplies like paint, lumber, fabric, and tools, are important steps to continuing the company’s growth. “We’ve come a really long way,” says Havlicek, “and want to continue going in that direction, and the only way to do that is to really utilize our non-profit status and work hard on fundraising.” Her efforts are dedicated to giving the company the financial resources it needs to continue to grow. |
| Miranda Steege on Twelfth Night: Director's First Thoughts We spoke with new Empty Chair director Miranda Steege about her upcoming production of Twelfth Night for some insight into the love-struck madness and ambiguity of this particular play.  I’m really interested in the way the play explores the transgression of boundaries and categories and assumptions that we think keep us stable and keep the world orderly, including the disruption of binaries of gender and sexuality. There’s this great cataclysmic event at the beginning with the storm, the world is turned upside down and it’s possible to break all the rules of identity. But still it’s a comedy, though the world is never quite going to be the same again. Symbolically the play begins with this huge shaking of the world, it signifies to the audience and to everyone else that this is a play in which things get turned on their head and mixed up. And because it is a comedy, I’m drawn to that as well. I think that there’s a lot of power in laughter, a lot of potential in laughter – it is so often a transgressive thing. If we laugh at the things that frighten us or our own orderly ways of doing things we see in that moment the possibility for things to be different, and the things we’re afraid of are diminished. And Twelfth Night is very funny, though there’s a deep melancholy that the characters are dealing with, which is a mix of emotions and tones that will be really interesting to work with. There’s a way that comedy can be really progressive, and not to mention it’s a lot of fun. Do you have a favorite moment or piece of poetry/language from the show? Off the top of my head – the moment [in Act I] when Viola is reporting to Olivia what Orsino told her to say to woo Olivia, and Olivia says, yes, but what would you say, and Viola talks about what she would do: Make me a willow cabin at your gate, / And call upon my soul within the house; / Write loyal cantons of contemned love, / And sing them loud, even in the dead of night; / Holla your name to the reverberate hills, / And make the babbling gossip of the air / Cry out: Olivia! O, you should not rest / Between the elements of air and earth, / But you should pity me. I think that’s a really fascinating moment for Viola where she deviates from the script and imagines what it would be like if she were doing the courting, which is not something she’s ever done before. And because the conversation is between two women, the dynamics there are not easily categorized. This play deals with questions of gender in a way quite unlike any of Shakespeare’s others. How do you intend to approach the question in your production? It’s something that I’m really curious about in the play - how much are these straightforward, honest misunderstandings and how much something else? Like for example, Olivia falls in love with Viola just because she thinks she’s a man, and I want to explore whether there’s something exciting, even if it’s subconsciously, about the fact that Viola is ambiguous. I’m looking to bring out the fascination with ambiguity and the pull that that can exert on people, and not to rely on the comic gag of a simple misunderstanding, but look for the ways in which the play can really destabilize notions of gender and attraction and sexuality. Do these issues tie in with why it is important for us to see this play now? What does Empty Chair have to bring to this play that is unique? I do think I will use the play to discuss questions of gender and sexuality in our time. We’ve got an oddly limiting notion of gender and of sexuality... the question of - is a person gay or is a person straight, and not leaving a whole lot of room for ambiguity. I think it’s important to remember that the idea of homosexuality was invented in the 19th century, and perhaps looking at how going back to an earlier understanding of sexuality could be productive to explore how we think about sexuality and gender now. And as for Empty Chair being a company made up of young people, and us performing this play, I do think a lot of younger people are more sort of open to that idea, the idea of ambiguity and of not necessarily having to label or box in whatever you happen to be feeling or wanting at the moment. And I think that have the characters in Twelfth Night played by young people can create interesting dynamics because the play is about people trying to figure out who they are and what they want and what their place is, and this is an issue that people our age can uniquely relate to. What is the biggest challenge on your mind right now as you begin work on this play? I guess right now I’m struggling most with figuring out what exactly to do with the ending, which I think is something that a lot of directors have struggled with as far as Twelfth Night goes. At the end everyone is partnered up except Malvolio, and I’m trying to figure out a way to make the ending more open ended and a little more ambiguous than it might be strictly interpreted, but I’m still figuring out what that’s going to look like so it can still leave the play with the happy ending that it really does have. Can you explain what the play is about in one sentence, or maybe a grand metaphor about what it feels like to you? It’s about navigating the unfamiliar territory of identity and desire and trying to figure out who you are and what you want in a world where the rules that you’re used to and the assumptions that you’re used to are no longer stable. |
| UPCOMING REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER CAMP ... is now open! Our summer camp for ages 6-13 runs for two weeks and gives campers the opportunity to participate in all aspects of putting on one of Shakespeare's works. It's great fun! Email camp@emptychairtheatre.org for more information and to receive a registration form. DESIGN INTERVIEWS ...are happening now! Please email admin@emptychairtheatre.org if you are interested in working on the technical side of this summer's productions. KICKOFF PARTY ...for the friends and family of Empty Chair is being planned for March 19th. Keep your calendars open, and come help us spread the word about Empty Chair and our work! |
COMPANY MEMBER PROFILE: Quill Nebeker  Role in company: I am what Julia affectionately refers to as "The Space Man". I scout potential performance spaces for the company, among other things. School, year, major: James Madison University class of 2012, Double Major in Theater and Dance and Interdisciplinary Philosophy. How you got involved: When I was about to graduate high school, Elizabeth offered me a part in 2008's Richard III, and I just stuck around. Fortunately no one has asked me to leave yet. Favorite Shakespeare play: A Midsummer Night's Dream because it's in part about never growing up, and 1 Henry IV because it's about having to do so. Favorite thing about Empty Chair: The DIY attitude. I get frustrated when artists equivocate "can't" with "won't", but that never happens here. It's quite refreshing. Future project you're most excited about: Word around the pool hall is that this summer season is going to be a particularly strong one. I can't wait to see what happens next. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: I am a big fan of games of all sorts. I play Magic: The Gathering fairly regularly, and have a TBD game of Dungeons and Dragons with Jeremy Tuohy and Mark Tucker. Also, I have been playing a lot of Animal Crossing lately. Look it up, it's the most bizarre video game I've ever played. Favorite place to eat: Jack Brown's Bar and Grill in Harrisonburg, VA. Best burger in the valley, but don't ask for vegetables - they won't give them to you. |
Fall 2010
| In With The New: 2011 Season and Savoring the Madness Empty Chair is proud to announce both plays of its 2011 summer season. We'll be exploring the full range of human madness in a rich and savory selection of plays. In Twelfth Night, which will be directed by Miranda Steege and perform in June, the madness of love springs to the fore. Shakespeare's plucky heroine Viola, washed up in Illyria after a shipwreck, decides to disguise herself as a boy and enter the service of the lovesick Count Orsino. This entangles a wild cast of characters in a web of unrequited passion and misplaced affection, mixed up with trickery, shrubbery, cross-dressing and revelatory family reunions. Featuring famous moments such as Malvolio's cross-gartered stockings and Orsino's plaintive "If music be the food of love, play on..," Twelfth Night deftly explores the machinations of illusion and the extremities of love. Titus Andronicus is of a very different flavor. A longtime project of executive director Julia Sears, this early play of Shakespeare's is saturated with the insanity of violence. Bloody almost beyond belief, the play follows the political ramifications of Titus Andronicus' triumphant return from war, and the personal consequences of his decision to sacrifice the son of the defeated Gothic queen, Tamora. The violence only escalates from there, affecting everyone in both warring families. Expressed through eloquent poetry and striking visuals, this most brutal of Shakespeare's plays continues to remind audiences of the cold, hard taste of vengeance. Running in mid-July, this second play of Empty Chair's season will delve into the darker side of madness. Portions of the above contributed by Literary Associate Matthew Minnicino. |
| A Final Look: The 2010 Season In Retrospective The most recently past season included a lot of firsts for Empty Chair. The new year began with Katie Logan's production of Much Ado About Nothing, which rehearsed in just one week and received critical acclaim. Our first annual Benefit Series installment, Miscalled Simplicity, raised several hundred dollars for Susan G. Komen For the Cure (c) and breast cancer research with its presentation on women in Shakespeare's canon. Our summer productions, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Richard II, stretched the company's ensemble work to new levels, brought new life to classic and rarely-done works of Shakespeare's, and helped Empty Chair reach out into the community with performances at Goodwin House and Franklin Park Arts Center. The Summer Camp expanded into two sessions, featuring both The Merry Wives of Windsor and Macbeth, as well as lots of camper ingenuity. Thanks for joining us last season! Please share your thoughts using this survey - your input is much appreciated.   |
| Julia Sears on Titus Andronicus: Director's First Thoughts We spoke with co-founder and executive director Julia Sears about her upcoming production of Titus Andronicus for some insight into the madness of this particular play.  The balance it has between the poetry in the language and how beautiful the images in the language are and the visceral violence that takes place in the play. Do you have a favorite moment or piece of poetry/language from the show? There’s two, actually. One is the moment where Marcus Andronicus finds Lavinia in the marsh: “Alas, a crimson river of warm blood,/ Like to a bubbling fountain stirr'd with wind,/ Doth rise and fall between thy rosed lips,/ Coming and going with thy honey breath…” etc, which is a good example of what draws me to the play. The other part is Titus’ line: “But if you hunt these bear-whelps, then beware:/ The dam will wake; and, if she wind you once,/ She's with the lion deeply still in league,/ And lulls him whilst she playeth on her back,/ And when he sleeps will she do what she list.” It’s one of my favorite lines in the show, and it’s a really good example of all the animal imagery that permeates the show, and by the time we’ve got to Act 4 things have gone downhill, and people have reached a primal state where their behavior has become animalistic, they are like tigers, lions, bears, deer. What for you is the most interesting conflict in the play – on a person-to-person level, or on a grander scale? The biggest conflict is between what a person’s nature is and how they behave in the world. The differences between how people fight their instincts or whether or not they fight them are what make the interactions between the characters interesting. I think the story of the play is much deeper than revenge is sweet and violence is bad. It more brings up why we want revenge, why violence is so much a part of this culture, and why violence as revenge feels good to us. Why is it important for us to see this play now? What is timeless about it? Why has Empty Chair chosen it as part of our upcoming season? I think that as we can see throughout all human history, violence is so much a part of our humanity, and a play like this that doesn’t hold back on the consequences of violence is something that’s worth examining at any period of time. I think the play is showing us what violence does, how it can destroy people, incited from anything: a political rivalry, or tradition, or whatever it is. It’s this terrible downward spiral of violence and pain. For me personally, they play is an example of what can happen to real people, and it sends the message that violence is repetitive and pointless and destructive. At Empty Chair, we chose the play for a number of reasons. First because it is at the top of my list of Shakespearean shows I want to direct. It also is really relevant to the state of the world. But also because I think our style of working, with the collaboration and the truly cohesive bond our cast members create, will really feed well into a play like Titus. It creates a comfortable environment for young artists, one people can feel safe in. I also think that it’s a good play for a young company because we are the video-game - the violence generation. Most of us don’t remember a time when our country was not in a war. And that feeds into an understanding of how to approach violence in human life which is different than what people have seen before. One of the major elements in this work is the violence – of the society, and of the individual characters of the play. How are you going to approach this? How does your background as a fight choreographer inform this part of your work? Well, I don’t know if this is just my aesthetic taste or my experience as a fight choreographer, but we’re not going to shy away from showing the violence on stage. I think it’s really important to have the visual representation of what’s happening to these people. We’re told a lot in combat training that what’s interesting is not necessarily the fight, it’s the relationship between the people that puts them in a place where they enter a physical altercation. This play is so great because those sorts of lead-ups happen so often; every four scenes there’s a physical altercation, and to have that amount of tension in the script is delightful. It’s such an interesting play because it starts out where the violence is so heart-wrenching - it’s so painful to watch Tamora get her son torn away from her, and what happens to Lavinia is horrible. But then by the end of the play, Titus comes out in robe and chef hat, serving up people pie, and the violence becomes almost funny. The play investigates all the layers of a really violent spectacle: funny and heart-wrenching and just a little gross – it takes you on a journey. It’s painful to watch but it’s so entertaining at the same time. I think if the play had only one of these elements, if it were only funny or only horrifying, it wouldn’t give as full a picture of how people treat violence. Can you explain what the play is about in one sentence, or maybe a grand metaphor about what it feels like to you? I would say – that the play is actually about a question. The big question is: what causes people to do harm to others? I feel like there’s a lot of answers within the play for each character – I think it’s rooted in the questions of what is human nature, what are our primal instincts, do we fight against them, if we follow them, is that what makes us violent creatures? What does it take to get us to hurt someone else? |
COMPANY MEMBER PROFILE: Amalia Oswald  Role in company: Associate Director of Communications and Marketing, Actor School, year, major: Adelphi University, Freshman Acting Major and English Minor How you got involved: I attended Young Company Theatre Camp with Elizabeth and Julia. I first got involved as an actor in their production of Taming of the Shrew. I came up to the production the night before it opened, stayed for the show’s weekend run and had the most fun I have ever had in a production. Ever since that I have jumped at every opportunity I have had to work with the company again. Favorite Shakespeare play: Coriolanus and/or Troilus and Cressida. For my budding love for Troilus and Cressida I thank fellow company members Caroline Brent and Matthew Minnicino. Favorite thing about Empty Chair: I love working with the people in the company. It is not so often that you find someone you have amazing stage chemistry with. And it is even less likely you find a whole company of people who fall under that category. The actors, directors, and technicians I have met through the company are extremely talented and intelligent. Future project you're most excited about: I am currently cast as Auntie Em in a musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. However, it is based on the music of the Beatles, so I get to sing “She’s Leaving Home” and “Yesterday.” Classic. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: I wouldn’t call it a hobby or a pursuit but I make amazingly life-like pig noises.. Favorite place to eat: Melanie and Michael Sears' house. |
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July 2010
The Summer Season Is Now Running!  directed by Elizabeth Nearing This whimsical play, one of Shakespeare's most-produced works, follows the journey of four reckless Athenian lovers, a group of "rude mechanicals” desperate for theatrical success, and the supernatural world of the warring Fairy King and Queen. Brought to life by our cast of ten and Daniel Dobrosielski's magnificent puppets, Midsummer is bound to please. Come take the plunge into a wild, rich, Shakespearean dream not to be missed! Saturday, July 17 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm Richard IISunday, July 18 at 2:00 pm Thursday, July 22 at 7:30 pm Friday, July 23 at 7:30 pm directed by Natasha Solomon This politically-charged historical drama follows the fall of King Richard of England and the rise of his successor, Henry Bolingbroke, as the two battle for the 13th-century English throne. Wrought with captivatingly beautiful poetry interspersed with episodes of brutal violence, this play was briefly banned in Shakespeare's lifetime for hitting too close to home. Come watch the history books come to life! Saturday, July 24 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm Sunday, July 25 at 2:00 pm (at Franklin Park Arts Center) Thursday, July 29 at 7:30 pm Friday, July 30 at 7:30 pm Saturday, July 31 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm |
| Back in Black: Thoughts from Production- and Stage Manager Allison Miller  This summer’s challenge, at least from my point of view, has been figuring out how to coordinate two shows whose performances overlap (but not entirely), who share most (but not all) of their actors, crew, and staff, and who use the same space (but in completely different configurations). We are in the strange situation of having shows that are inextricably connected- try having a rehearsal for Richard II without the six actors, assistant director, fight choreographer, and music coordinator who are all acting in A Midsummer Night’s Dream - while running on different schedules and with different (and sometimes conflicting) needs. Of course, we’ve made it all work out, thanks in large part to the flexibility and generosity of Richard II director Natasha Solomon, whose show is more space independent than Midsummer and whose rehearsals have been scattered from band room to hallway to lobby. There’s started to be a rhythm to production, an ebb and flow of which show needs the most attention right now and which can chug along merrily for a bit. One of the side effects of this strange rhythm is that almost every person in the company is filling multiple roles, depending on the day. Julia Sears, who plays Theseus and Titania in Midsummer, is also the fight choreographer for both shows (and, of course, the executive producer for the company!) Mark Tucker plays Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is instrumental music coordinator (working with vocal music coordinator Caroline Brent) for both shows, and has been immeasurably helpful with lights and set for Midsummer. And, as if this wasn’t enough, they (like every other actor not actually performing in both shows) are also selling tickets. While this means that everyone is pretty exceptionally busy, I think it has also contributed to a unique sort of ensemble, in which everyone is involved to the utmost of their abilities. I am especially enjoying the ability to form flexible working relationships with cast, production team, and crew, where my relationship with a single person can shift from stage manager- actor to production manager- music coordinator to extra pair of hands- technician (and maybe even butt of the joke- joker…) over the course of a day. This sort of personal- professional interaction with such talented, hard working, and all around exceptional people is probably the thing I value most about working with Empty Chair, and I am convinced that this summer it has produced a pair of truly outstanding shows |
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June 2010
| Miscalled Simplicity Update From Manager of Outreach Caroline Brent Empty Chair’s first ever benefit was quite a success! On May 20 and 21, the Lyon Park Community House in Arlington, VA was covered with pink decorations and delicious sweets from Georgetown Cupcake. Friends of Empty Chair came from near and far to support our cause, and with their help, we were able to raise $500 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a leader in breast cancer research. Our showcase Miscalled Simplicity was put together in a few days’ worth of rehearsals, and we were so pleased to bring in new artists (as well as some Empty Chair veterans) to create a great piece of theatre. While Miscalled Simplicity was our first benefit, it certainly won’t be our last; this Benefit Series is sure to be an innovative and rewarding installment to our regular season. And Now, On Deck: Summer 2010 Rehearsals Are Underway, And Performances Upcoming! On Monday, June 14, the cast of Empty Chair's A Midsummer Night’s Dream could be found in a circle on the floor giddily exploring the text of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved works. Less than an hour later, they were performing the play in its entirety, waltzing frantically through one of Empty Chair’s signature Renaissance Runs, in which the newly off-book actors put on the play for the director and staff with little to no prior preparation, exploring all possible choices before leaping into the rest of rehearsal. Even through the hectic-but-hilarious chaos that ensued, there was clearly magic in the air. Midsummer, under the direction of company co-founder and frequent director Elizabeth Nearing, is pushing the boundaries of the group further than ever before by merging complex technical element with a small ensemble of only ten actors. Each member of the cast will be involved in many aspects of the production, including performing multiple roles, providing technical assistance, and operating the enormous puppets built for the production by designer Daniel Dobrosielski. The cast and crew of Midsummer has already embraced the movement-heavy, unique interpretation. The summer season’s second show, Richard II, began rehearsal on Monday the 21st. Led by Natasha Solomon, Richard’s cast is just beginning to assemble as Midsummer’s enters its second week. The two contrasting plays will both really heavily on physical exploration of Shakespeare’s text, and will be performed in repertory. Midsummer, which opens first, will be mounted for an audience in a mere two weeks. With the frantic joy and constant exploration of rehearsal, as well as the recent certification of Empty Chair as an IRS 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization, the fast-approaching future of the company continues to look up. Don't forget to keep following Empty Chair's blog for updates about the rehearsal process! |
| To Boldly Go: Daniel Dobrosielski on Puppets and Theatre  First off, what kind of background do you have in puppetry design? Where does one learn this kind of thing? My first experience with puppetry was my junior year in high school, where we were doing Little Shop of Horrors and the school wanted to build the Audrey II puppet rather than buying it, and I headed that project. A lot of my knowledge about puppets and how they're constructed is self-taught, from books, the internet, YouTube especially. There, you have a person showing exactly what they're doing step by step - I learn a lot better from someone showing me than from books. I also took a shadow puppetry class with Steve Kaplin - he did the shadow puppets for The Lion King on Broadway - which was awesome, and we helped him work on a show that he was putting up in New York in April, a Chinese Opera performance. But a lot of times I just try and learn from what I see, guess at how they worked it all together, and just play with it until I can make something that works. How do the puppets for Midsummer help create the world of the play? One of the major things is how large they are - really wanted to go for things that are larger, not small little things that would get lost in that cavernous of a space. The puppets are the forest, they are so intertwined with nature that the trees themselves are fairies - which means the puppets and the set are really tied together. I wanted also to make the set fun and fantastical - in our conversations Elizabeth has emphasized that the forest is a place that's really cool but somewhere you wouldn't really want to spend the night in. So I figured using the giant puppets that will loom over the people is a great way to do that. These are definitely strange, but also pretty. But not like Midsummer classic pretty, with the green and the glitter, I wanted it to be grungy pretty, fantasy but not classic notions of fantasy, which ties in strongly with how Elizabeth feels about the play. I love the fact that she really didn't want to do the classical notions that are often forced upon this play. She wanted me to go outside the human form - for fairies the human form wasn't enough - so these have a different quality than just what a human body can do. What were your inspirations for these puppets? I was doodling with my pen one night and I found this face that I really liked, like a wrinkly old prune. Nature itself is out of whack in the play - so I went from there and started drawing the other ones - they were prunes with really strange eyes. It was really important to me that Oberon and Titania be puppets as well unless there was a big reason for it. So I talked to Elizabeth again, and we decided they're these really simple puppets, that their root self, their fairy form comes out when they're upset. It's something they're kind of disgusted about, but they're unwell, and their magic isn't supporting each other. They're so in tune with nature that they're becoming nature, not just representing and governing over it. With each generation they have less of the magic to keep themselves in the fairy-human form. That's why the king and the queen, the first and the old ones, are closer to human form than the other fairies. Can you explain more about your conception of Oberon and Titania's puppet-characters? Well all the regular fairies are based off of plants and insects, and I wanted Oberon and Titania to be something that would dominate plants or insects. But I wanted to stay away from mammals because they all have similar structures to humans. So that left reptiles and birds. I found myself drawing wings for Titania's eyes, and was looking for a bird that would have such dominion and be rooted into so much magic - and settled on the phoenix. For Oberon then I was thinking reptile, but I needed something that could compete with the phoenix, that had the power to stand up to it, and I decided, dragon. And that fit in with my research afterwards about the four compass points in China, which are governed by animals - and the phoenix and the dragon are thought of as being married to each other but often feuding because they represent opposites.  Sketch of the Titania puppet What do you feel puppets add to a performance that is different from what live actors bring? Well with puppets you have greater control over what they look like - you can't ask a person to grow a third arm, for example. You're not limited to a human body, which is one great thing. But also, I find it really interesting that we can take something completely inanimate and move it in certain ways that will suggest that it is living. The dynamic between the puppeteer and the puppet I also find quite fascinating. One of the most interesting things is seeing the effort of the person behind a puppet to make the puppet look effortless. The relationship between these two can be visually quite entertaining. What is new and exciting about this project for you? This whole process is new for me - I've never really done this for someone else, I've always done puppets for myself, or a project that I'm really close on. I get to meet new people and that's always great, people who are just as crazy passionate about theatre as you are, I love that. And I'm really taking this time with these puppets to do forms that I wouldn't normally have tried because they'd be more expensive for me to do by myself, but they were forms I'd really wanted to try. This project gives me time to play with puppets, which is really exciting even with the time pressure, I get to play around with the ideas of puppets in a more professional context, which is fun. |
COMPANY MEMBER PROFILE: Kaleb Bruza  Role in company: Actor School, year, major: Musical Theatre major at the University of Central Oklahoma class of 2013 How you got involved: Once upon a time, in Staunton, Virginia, a Miss Mariah Webb met a Miss Natasha Solomon. Months after the camp at which they met, Miss Solomon invited Miss Webb to audition for the upcoming shows of Empty Chair Theatre Company. It was during one such phone call, that Mariah Webb mentioned Kaleb Bruza's interest in the company. Information was exchanged, the conversation came to a close, and then Mariah said to Kaleb "By the way, I gave one of the directors your information and told them you were interested." And for this, he is very, very glad. Favorite Shakespeare play: The Tempest Favorite thing about Empty Chair: The youth inspired view of and devotion to classical theatre. Future project you’re most excited about: Empty Chair's Summer Season! Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: Kaleb enjoys shooting black and white photography on film and getting his hands dirty in the dark room. Favorite place to eat: A self-proclaimed "foodie", Kaleb seeks out clean, privately owned eating establishments at which he can explore his epicurian side. One such restaurant is Picasso Cafe in The Paseo Arts' District of Oklahoma City. |
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May 2010
| The Next Step: Empty Chair Gives Back With the Miscalled Simplicity Showcase Empty Chair's next upcoming project is a highly collaborative effort headed by Caroline Brent and directed by Elizabeth Nearing. Featuring old Empty Chair hands Matt Minnicino, Mark Tucker, Samantha Sheahan and Lee Havlicek, as well as Rebecca Etzine and Patrick Barrett in their Empty Chair debut, this month's Miscalled Simplicity Showcase inaugurates the company's annual benefit series. A theatre piece involving selections from across Shakespeare's canon, the showcase will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the nation's leading breast cancer advocacy group. Miscalled Simplicity will take place as part of MINDS WIDE OPEN: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts, and focuses on female characters whose strength, resistance, and perseverance have inspired audiences for generations. The scenes and poetry that make up Miscalled Simplicity will also explore some of the relationships between men and women in Shakespeare and how those relationships still provide insight into our culture today. Empty Chair also intends to use this opportunity to celebrate the contributions women have made and continue to make in the field of performing arts. The young women (and men) of the company look to salute the women in the arts who inspire them. The MINDS WIDE OPEN festival runs from March to June, and features creative events across the state that honor women's role in all the arts, and Empty Chair is proud to be a part of such an effort. Ms. Brent emphasizes the collaborative nature of the piece - she and Nearing together selected the scenes from King John, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, and other plays that will make up the showcase's material, and the actors will contribute a week's worth of rehearsal time before the performances. The company intends the piece to be an exploration of the complexities of relationships using beautiful and relevant material. Miscalled Simplicity will be performed twice, on May 20th and 21st at 7:30 pm in the Lyon Park Community Center in Arlington. Opportunities to donate to the Susan G. Komen cause will be available at the event, as well as online through the Passionately Pink for the Cure website. There is no need to purchase tickets beforehand; a donation grants admittance to the event. Please come help Empty Chair celebrate a great cause!   |
| An Actor's Perspective: Samantha Sheahan Speaks About Miscalled Simplicity  Sheahan as Escalus in Measure for Measure What most excites you about participating in this event? I love working with Elizabeth, and generally the Empty Chair team, and I think the opportunity to work with people that I really respect as artists in the interests of something that can help other people is really exciting. It really means a lot to me because I'm interested in how theatre and giving back intersect and this is the perfect opportunity for me to explore that. What about the theme of this show is inspiring for you? Well, recently I've been learning a lot about the hidden sexism of American society and other societies.... I think performing material about the empowerment of women is a good way to start a discussion that people wouldn't otherwise have without that sort of artistic insight to spark their thinking. What is different about working on this show than a more traditional presentation? I think there's more of a different kind of variety, it's more quantity over depth. You'll see as many perspectives as you can in a short space of time, and people will be able to enjoy the most essential snippets from plays that are relevant to our theme. They'll get the greatest number of perspectives possible, and the greatest number of dirty jokes as well. It will certainly be a challenge, but I have to say after working on two full-length shows at once last summer this will not be nearly as terrifying. Which of the roles you’ll be playing do you find most interesting or challenging and why? I’m really excited about working on Kate from Taming of the Shrew – I think figuring out how to play her in a way that validates her defiance but doesn’t idealize her either is a really interesting balance to try and strike; it will be fun to try that. She's a woman who’s infinitely more aggressive than I am, so the question is, how do I make her assertive and have that be a good thing but also not overlook the fact that she really isn’t nice. So that challenge should be interesting. How are you looking to grow as a performer from this experience? That’s a good question... I think working on a lot of scenes at once will force me to focus more on being in the moment than on the back story of my character. That’s something that I struggle with in general, and I think working on more things with less time will make me face more what’s happening right in front of me with a scene partner. Not that I won’t still do the other work as well, but that this will be a good exercise in spontaneity for me. Where would you like to see the benefit series going in the future? I’d like to see it extend to other things that are prevalent in Shakespeare - like for example, the idea of the other, or anybody who’s ostracized because of the social group they belong to. Those scenes can apply to other campaigns to raise awareness. I guess I think the benefit series could benefit from exploring the other - meaning the other culturally - and that could have relevance to a lot of different valuable causes. Come to think of it, maybe something to do with the AIDS virus and exploring sexuality? we could play with what is sexually appropriate behavior in the context of one’s culture, like how do people associate sex with disease and how do they treat people who have a disease... And that would tie into support for HIV clinics and such – we’re right next to DC, after all, which is engaged in a big fight against the virus. |
COMPANY MEMBER PROFILE: Mark Tucker  Role in company: I've acted for Empty Chair in three shows so far. I will also be acting in the Miscalled Simplicity benefit show in May, as well as Midsummer Night's Dream in July. One of the things that I love about working with Empty Chair, however, is that everyone in the company will help out in any way that is needed. It seems like everyone wants to be as involved as possible, and I love that sort of atmosphere. School, year, major: I'm a sophomore at Blue Ridge Community College, working towards my Associates degree, then hopefully getting a BFA at Skidmore College in New York. How you got involved: I was fortunate enough to meet both Elizabeth and Julia through the American Shakespeare Center's Young Company Theatre Camp, which is where they met each other as well. They emailed me asking me if I'd like to be in Richard III (2008), because they had had some actors who couldn't do it. I then had the incredible good fortune of getting cast in all the parts that hadn't been filled. Favorite Shakespeare play: That's always such a hard question to answer. Every play I've been in will always bring back wonderful memories. Every time I work with a Shakespeare play I find I love it, even if I didn't think I would. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to narrow it down to one play. But if I had to put it all in one title it might be: The Most Lamentable Comedy of the Measuring of King Titus III (the Montague of Denmark). Favorite thing about Empty Chair: Gold stars. I suppose that should have some explanation. During Richard III gold stars were introduced to reward the actors, much like small children, for doing things like sweeping, picking up, remembering lines, etc. You get such an euphoric feeling of accomplishment when Allison Miller sticks a gold star on the back of your hand or your cheek. And despite what certain people may say, I have the most gold stars. Always have. Always will. Future project you're most excited about: Well, of course I am very excited about all the fun work that will be put into both Miscalled Simplicity and Midsummer. I'm also looking forward to auditioning for Arsenic and Old Lace at my college in the fall. I've loved that show ever since I say the Cary Grant movie when I was a child, even if I may not have understood a lot of it back then. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: Heck, people look at me like I'm the craziest person in the world when I tell them I'm an actor. I also play the guitar and I'll sing if forced to. I don't think of myself as a very interesting person, actually. Is modesty a hobby? Favorite place to eat: I actually prefer a good home cooked meal than any restaurant I've eaten at. Although, to me it isn't so much how good the food is, but how good your company is. I've had some pretty deep conversations at McDonald's. |
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April 2010
Projects in Progress: A Midsummer Night's Dream Elizabeth Nearing, co-founder and artistic director of Empty Chair, will be directing her third production with the company this summer. Her previous work includes Richard III in 2008 and Measure for Measure in 2009. We sat down to talk with her about her ideas on Midsummer as a play, an endeavor, and a piece of art. What draws you to this play? It’s magical and exciting - this play has so much possibility in it, which is why I think people are drawn to it. There’s so much you can do with it, it’s pretty boundless, which makes it a really exciting project to work on and really exciting in performance as well. Do you have a favorite piece of poetry from the show? More strange than true: I never may believe These antique fables, nor these fairy toys. Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover and the poet Are of imagination all compact: One sees more devils than vast hell can hold, That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic, Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt: The poet's eye, in fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. THESEUS, V.1 Because the play stops for a second and suddenly there's this language that’s different than anything else. It describes so much about what there is to love about the theatre, and about imagination - imagination is something everyone has and it’s so prevalent in the play, and Theseus lays it out there for you in really plain and beautiful terms. What for you is the most interesting conflict in the play? I think the conflict between magic and reality is fascinating, because the magic is so undefined. There are fairies and they do magic, but what does that world mean? It creates two conflicting worlds in the play, which is an interesting dynamic for me to explore. What is the biggest challenge you face in making this play happen? The set of clichés surrounding it are the most difficult thing to deal with. There’s so much cultural pressure to not do the same old Midsummer... So I think keeping it simple and reminding myself to keep going back to the play, to take a step back and do it is probably the most challenging part. Is there a theme in this play that stands out to you more than others? Why/why not? The idea of escape, and running away. How circular it is, running around and coming back where you started from. The play deals a lot with why it is people need to run away and break molds - It's clearly a play that’s stood the test of time, and I think part of that is because the part of the purpose of theatre is fantasy, and this play provides a lot of that, with many characters running away and breaking the pattern they’re stuck in. What kinds of images interest you in relation to the play? Right now I've been doing a lot of thinking about the moment where you first see the forest, which is the moment where you first get an idea of where the play’s going, as far as the structure and visual world of the play. I've been getting my head wrapped around what I want that to look like. As far as inspiration goes, I've been looking at Magritte's work, and I'm interested in his juxtaposition of images and colors. I've also been looking at the Cheap Art system, and the Bread and Puppet Theatre's aesthetic interests me as well. This is one of Shakespeare's works that is performed most often. What are you doing to make it fresh? Frankly, not paying attention to how it’s performed most often. I just keep reading the play. There’s a big challenge in the cliché, what’s different about mine is that it’s my perspective. I'm interested in playing with what people have been trained to expect... What it comes down to is reading the play and discovering what it means to me. That’s all I can do, if I try too hard to make it interesting it’s going to be lost already. Can you explain what the play is about in one sentence? Not really... As briefly as I can: it’s about fantasy and running away, about going as far away as possible to figure out what’s close to home. Many of the issues that are dealt with in the play are things that may seem trivial - people go to lengths to figure out what’s important to them… what we call the beginning is often the end. T.S. Eliot expresses it for me in his poem Little Gidding: “We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." The play is about returning back to the same thing, but now that you see it in a different light it will tell you something different - it's about truly gaining perspective. | On the Brainy Side: The Education Department and Empty Chair's New Fall Lecture Series Empty Chair's new Education Director Katie Logan and her cohort Caroline Brent of Outreach and Development have begun to put together a fall lecture series to supplement Empty Chair's other offerings to its community. They were able to provide insight into this new and exciting project: What is the target audience for the lecture series? KL: At this point, anyone and everyone! We aim to make this kind of program very accessible and very open. That's why we're planning to host the series in public locations like libraries. We'd like to make our way into schools eventually, but that may be an option once we've established the series a little more firmly. CB: Right. We want to reach out to all members of the community, whether they are newcomers to Shakespeare or longtime fans. I hope that for those that are already well-versed in classical theatre, our lecture series will allow them to look at texts in a brand new light. For those that are new to the subject, I think that our lectures will be great introduction to a brilliant field. What will the lectures be about? KL: We've given applicants the flexibility to suggest their own topics because we want to play to our lecturers' strengths. At the same time, we hope the lectures will highlight Empty Chair's values. A lecture on original practices, for example, would explain why those techniques remain part of the theatre we do. CB: All of the lectures will relate to classical theatre in some way, but we are hoping explore some interesting topics within that field, like performance practices, Shakespeare’s use of language, politics – the possibilities are endless. Why do you think it's valuable for a theatre company to offer a lecture series to its patrons? KL: I think these lectures are an essential way of giving past and future audience members a glimpse into the intellectual life of our company. The lectures draw on historical and literary sources that inform our plays. CB: A good performance is always educational, but I think that with classical theatre (and every art form), there is always more to learn. A lecture series allows us to delve into subjects that might be less clear in a performance, like minor characters or spectacular pieces of text. What are you hoping to achieve by making the lecture series a continuing part of Empty Chair's offerings? KL: Ultimately, I hope our lecture series can be hosted in conjunction with our seasons. A major goal of the education department is to create a comprehensive package of performances, lectures and workshops. CB: Just as our performances strive to do, this lecture series will help us explore Shakespeare’s relevance to the here and now. It will help us play a larger role in our community, and we hope that it will bring in new faces and inspire others to explore classical theatre. What has been the biggest challenge for you in getting this program off the ground? KL: Honestly, topics we've touched on already. Issues like target audience and lecture topics still present challenges. Because this project is so new, we're waiting to see what it has the potential to become, what works and what doesn't. CB: Also, lectures are often associated with stuffy and long-winded professors, and I think one of the big challenges is trying to get people to leave those associations behind. For me, a great lecture is inspirational and exhilarating, and I hope those that attend our lectures will feel the same way. Why are you personally passionate about this project? What parts of your background/previous knowledge are you bringing to bear on it? KL: I graduated from college in May, and my life as a non-student has been a strange one. Events like the lecture series are avenues for learning more and discovering more even after graduation. I believe so strongly in continuing to ask questions (research is just a formal way of answering them) and sharing what we find with other lifelong students. CB: At University of Maryland, I am a regular contributor to an ongoing lecture series called Classical Music Awareness, geared towards making classical music more accessible to the public (I’m giving a lecture on Bernstein’s Mass later this month). Their lecture program has done a great job of getting students excited about classical music, and I cannot wait for Empty Chair’s Lecture Series to do the same. As Katie said, this is going to be a great way to welcome new faces into the Empty Chair community and to share our love for Shakespeare with others. The lecture series is one of the first programs the education department has begun. What other projects are you hoping to implement in the future? CB: I'm gonna let Katie take the reins on this one... KL: As I mentioned earlier, the department plans to create a slew of supplementary material for the plays Empty Chair continues to produce. We'll provide lectures and more interactive, workshop-style events. Company Member Profile: Joan Cummins  Name: Joan Cummins Role in company: Head Literary Associate, occasional assistant director, and editor of your friendly newsletter! School, year, major: UCLA, 2nd year Theatre and History How you got involved: I saw a Facebook ad for auditions for Taming of the Shrew, showed up, and was cast! Favorite Shakespeare play: Julius Caesar is a lingering favorite for me, though I have recently been drawn to the histories because the War of the Roses is just fascinating... Favorite thing about Empty Chair: I am so inspired and impassioned by Empty Chair's mission. Shakespeare is great, and I want to help everyone experience that! And I'm really excited about how willing Empty Chair is to give people opportunities to learn. Future project you’re most excited about: I can't wait to work on Midsummer, and I'm also really interested in the upcoming lecture series - I secretly love to explain things I care about to other people. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: I travel a lot with my world-wandering mother, and also am spontaneously really good at thread crafts. Favorite place to eat: Faccia Luna! |
March 2010
| Projects in Progress: Summer 2010's Richard II Natasha Solomon, who played King Lear in last summer's repertory production, will be directing Richard II, one of Shakespeare's more complicated history plays, this coming summer. The play covers Henry Bollingbroke's accession to power as Henry IV, and as such serves as the first part of what is often called Shakespeare's first historical tetralogy, which includes Richard II, Henry IV 1 and 2, and Henry V. We spoke with Solomon about the play and how her thoughts on it are progressing. What draws you to this play? I suppose the same thing that draws me to all of Shakespeare's plays: the language. I also love Shakespeare's History plays. I'm quite familiar with the Henry 4's and Henry 5 but I have only ever seen one production of Richard II. I am really excited to spend some time getting to know Richard. Do you have a favorite piece of poetry from the show? RICHARD II: We are amazed; and thus long have we stood To watch the fearful bending of thy knee, Because we thought ourself thy lawful king: And if we be, how dare thy joints forget To pay their awful duty to our presence? I am not sure I can even put into words why I love this bit of text so much. A bow as an expression of respect is not at all alien to me as a martial artist. It's a gesture you make all the time: entering a room, meeting someone, as an expression of gratitude, any number of things. But to demand of someone that they show that deference to you seems to me a terrible and crushing way of exercising power. I find that highly interesting especially considering Richard's position at the time. What for you is the most interesting conflict in the play? Definitely the Act 4 confrontation between Northumberland and Richard. Act 4 Scene 1 is Richard's official deposition scene wherein he hands the crown over to Bollingbroke. Northumberland, essentially Bollingbroke's herald and advocate, repeatedly demands that Richard read over a list of all his crimes. Knowing Shakespeare's Northumberland from the Henry plays to be a subversive plotter and many times a coward, I love how forward and direct he is with Richard. What is the biggest challenge you face in making this play happen? No doubt there are a huge number of challenges I should be thinking about but, my biggest concern right now is cutting the play to its working length. I hate cutting Shakespeare's plays anyway, but there is a daunting amount of information in the Histories. In researching the play I have stumbled upon some remarkable cuts. In one production the Duchess of York was removed completely! I'm not interested in that particular avenue but in some ways it's nice to be reminded of the artistic freedom Shakespeare provides. Is there a theme in this play that stands out to you more than others? Why/why not? Upon first reading this play I was most struck by the pride and love these characters have for their country. I think Gaunt's speeches in 2.1 are great examples. In my favorite, Gaunt calls England the "other Eden" and waxes eloquently about the virtues of his homeland. It's from that love that he takes the courage and strength to confront Richard with his wrongs. I think that's tremendous. This is one of Shakespeare's lesser-known and lesser-performed works. What does this play have to offer us in the modern age? One of the things that excites me most about this play is that it has so much to say about politics, rivalries and loyalties. Richard II is a play that deals with the usurpation and deposition of a king (whether incompetent or overzealous is to be determined). I think one of the biggest questions this play asks is whether it right to remove a ruler from power and Shakespeare provides parties in favor or both sides. Some trumpet the duties of loyalty and fealty others champion change and revolution. What a better place to do such a play than the Arlington DC area - itself so fraught with political struggle? Company Member Profile: Caroline Brent  Name: Caroline Brent Role in company: Director of Outreach and Development and occasional actor School, year, major: University of Maryland (College Park), sophomore, voice performance (classical) How you got involved: In the spring of 2008, Elizabeth Nearing offered me a role in the summer production of Richard III. I’d worked with Elizabeth a few times before, so I jumped at the opportunity. Since then, I’ve been hooked! Favorite Shakespeare play: Right now, probably Troilus and Cressida. It’s just filled with so many beautiful moments of vulnerability and a great mix of light and dark. Favorite thing about Empty Chair: I love that Empty Chair is a company that knows its roots but is still a constantly growing and evolving community. Everyone at Empty Chair is always so excited to bring in new artists and new perspectives, which keeps us moving forward. Future project you’re most excited about: Of course the Benefit Series is going to be a great addition to our season, but I also cannot wait for A Midsummer Night’s Dream this July. It is going to be so interesting to see Empty Chair take such a classic and turn it into something brand new. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: When I’m not listening to or singing classical music, you can usually find me poring over contemporary American poetry (Taije Silverman is a new favorite), going to see as many concerts as possible, or volunteering in College Park and the DC area. Favorite place to eat: Either Buzz Bakery in Alexandria, VA or Wasabi Sushi in College Park, MD. | Something for Everyone: Allison Miller and Empty Chair's Drama Camp  One of Empty Chair's major efforts is the theatre camp it runs for children in elementary and middle school. Running in August and sometimes alongside our summer productions, the camp provides opportunities for children to get involved with theatre and learn about Shakespeare. Allison Miller, founder and camp director, provides insight on the camp experience: How did the summer camp get started? My senior year (spring 2008), at HB Woodlawn. I actually have a very distinct memory of tidying the costume room backstage there and being suddenly struck by the idea of starting a drama camp. If I recall correctly, I dropped a hammer while I was distracted and then went to talk to Anne Welles, the drama teacher at HB. Anne thought it might work, and was incredibly helpful throughout the whole process. The next person I talked to was Elizabeth, who came up with the idea of having it be a Shakespeare camp. We had our first camp that summer, with only 13 campers and Elizabeth, Olivia Myers, and myself as counselors. In summer 2009 we officially became part of Empty Chair and grew to 25 campers; now we're very excited about expanding to two camp sessions in summer 2010! What is the mission of the camp program? We try to provide elementary and middle schoolers with the opportunity to work with theatre in general and one of Shakespeare's works in particular. One of our biggest focuses is combining fun with serious theatrical work (and, in fact, convincing our campers that serious theatrical work can be a lot of fun!) Can you describe a typical day for a camper? Regular camp starts at 9:00 am (we have Extended Day 8-9 am and 3-5 pm); we usually play drama game- The Name Game and Bippity Bippity Bop are favorites- for the first half hour or forty-five minutes. We then split up into smaller groups for workshops, which range in focus from Shakespeare's World to Mime to Text Analysis. We break for lunch and recess around 11:45 and reconvene at 12:30 for more warm up games. The afternoon is set aside for preparing for the show: some campers will be in rehearsal with the director, others will be learning their lines or doing character work, and others will be preparing set and costumes. The campers' age range is rather large. How do you deal with this challenge? One of the wonderful things about the workshop format is that we can adjust each one to the needs of the campers in that group. We also do a lot of exercises that can be engaged on multiple levels; one of the most popular exercises we do involves each group putting on a quick skit based on a prop and a few rules, so some groups will focus almost exclusively on getting a coherent story onstage while others will play around more with movement and stage pictures. Can you tell us about your favorite experience from camp/with a camper? I love it when something clicks for a camper. I get to see this most frequently during workshops: last summer Elizabeth ran a workshop on iambic pentameter, and it was really lovely to see the campers go from skeptical to excited in only a half hour. How is the camp integrated with the other projects Empty Chair works on? Last summer we had the cast of King Lear and Measure for Measure come in to camp one morning, warm up with the campers, and perform the beginning scenes from each show. The campers thought it was so cool (who knew that anyone could be so fast at drama games?) and we were very glad that the whole camp got to see Shakespeare performed. What do you like best about working at and organizing camp? Spending time with the campers and counselors! I run the extended day part of camp and spending time with the campers one on one there is a lot of fun; I also love the controlled madness that our drama games sometimes become! What is different about Empty Chair's camp from other theatre camps for children? Our campers perform Shakespeare in the original language with only two weeks of rehearsal, work with counselors with some of the best theatrical training imaginable, and learn how to play an excellent game of Bippity Bippity Bop. Camp Opportunities Available! Know a potential camper? Email Allison at camp@emptychairtheatre.org and request a registration form. Registration will be open soon! |
February 2010
Concord of Sweet Sounds: Empty Chair and Music Music has been used to tell stories since the first tribal drum circles and heroic epics. In Shakespeare’s day, it was one of myriad entertainments available in taverns, at court, and also in the theatre. Elizabethan plays generally had musical interludes sprinkled among their acts as another way to keep the audience engaged and coming back for more. At Empty Chair, part of our tradition of incorporating original Elizabethan practices into our modern work includes using music in and around our performances to help tell the stories of the piece.Beginning with The Taming of the Shrew, Empty Chair’s shows have included music by artists from Cake and Coldplay to Gnarls Barkley and the Beatles. In the beginning company members used music much the same way Shakespeare’s contemporaries would have, to comment on the performance at appropriate stopping points. However, as the company continues to grow, the music has become more and more integrated with the other aspects of the performance. It has grown into part of the characters' lives as well as an aspect of the actors' performance. Last summer, the directors of King Lear and Measure for Measure asked in Caroline Brent and Maria Raffaele, both of whom currently study music at university, to help the cast craft the music into the performance. While this was a new experience for them, both speak of it as a fulfilling one. “Every musical experience I have with Empty Chair is a learning experience,” says Brent. Both are more used to working with very trained musicians and with classical music, but they delighted in how, as Raffaele puts it, “whatever skills they had, people brought them to the table with full passion.” Music at Empty Chair is collaborative effort on all sides, with cast members arriving at rehearsal with playlists drawn up of music for the show they’re working on. Brent remembers being amazed as playlists for Measure and Lear began to overlap without any discussion having occurred. Both Brent and Raffaele are also excited about the selection of music Empty Chair draws from and the way it is used within the show. “I like the way Empty Chair doesn’t say no to genres of music, that Gnarls Barkley is a valid choice for King Lear – that it doesn’t matter where it comes from as long as it fits,” says Brent. Raffaele references the opening song of King Lear, Snow Patrol’s “Open Your Eyes,” as an example of music’s storytelling power: “Cordelia and Lear are singing this song, which they could never have done in the context of the play, but in this context it allowed the characters to say things they would not ordinarily have been able to explain to the audience,” to illustrate how they felt about each other before the catastrophic events of the play began. The director’s vision, expressed in music as well as words, became clearer to participants and audience members alike. This was also true of Measure for Measure, which used Eastern European music extensively to help create the culture of the play's underworld. Raffaele helped craft a piece of music for the play's opening, where the denizens of the underworld got to show the audience what Vienna felt like to them. "It became almost like another character in the show," says Brent - another way to bring life to the piece. One of Empty Chair’s core goals is to create Shakespeare that is relevant and powerful in a modern context, and Brent and Raffaele reaffirm that the company’s use of music helps to do that. Using the music of today to help tell the stories of Shakespeare’s four-hundred-year-old characters makes the great works accessible and appeals to new parts of the audience’s consciousness. Empty Chair hopes to continue using music in new ways to add new facets to its performance and its art. Company Member Profile: Matt Minnicino  Name: Matt Minnicino Role in company: Actor, Literary Associate School, year, major: University of Virginia, Second-Year Drama/English Literature Major How you got involved: Probably my favorite story: after having attended the Young Company Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA with Julia and Elizabeth, I reconnected with them when I came to see Empty Chair's first show, the Shakespeare Showcase. They offered me a part. Favorite Shakespeare play: I tend to fluctuate: King Lear, Henry IV (1), Measure for Measure are consistently in Top 5. Favorite thing about Empty Chair: All the love. And there's lots of it. Future project you're most excited about: I'm very excited to be working with Elizabeth, Caroline, and the company on the upcoming Annual Benefit, Miscalled Simplicity. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: Trying to write in verse. Favorite place to eat: The Flat, a fantastic crepe hole-in-the-wall in Charlottesville, VA. | Get Involved with Empty Chair Summer 2010! Interested in working on A Midsummer Night's Dream or Richard II with us this summer? We are still looking to fill these positions: - set designer - costume designer - run crews - house manager - assistant stage manager(s) - props master Visit our "Opportunities" page HERE to apply. Behind the Title: Insight into Producing with Co-Founder and Executive Director Julia Sears  Producers do many, many different jobs. The job itself varies between theatre, television, and film. For Empty Chair I consider my highest responsibility to be bringing to life a director's vision as a coherent piece of theatre. Which means on a practical level making design and production teams, facilitating casting, managing budgets, organizing publicity and outreach as well as taking care of anything else that may come up. How do you put together a team for a show? What goes into the decision-making process? Production teams are the power behind a performance so it is important to find the right people for the job. Teams generally include costume, set, sound, and lighting designers, a stage manager, lighting and sound operators, a house manager, and a backstage crew. Not to mention the entire residential staff of the company who all work towards creating a show. In the past our teams have been built mainly from designers we've worked with before and think would fit with a certain project. As the company has grown we try to bring in outside aspiring and accomplished designers and others who are interested in learning in a very hands-on way how to be on a production team. The directors have a lot of input in creating the team for their show and the process continues to be a collaborative one throughout the run. How much do your responsibilities as a co-founder of the company overlap with your producing ones? Quite a bit - as the company has moved forward to take on more projects than just producing shows (for example the drama camp, the benefit series, etc.), my responsibilities are in more areas than just production. Is producing Shakespeare different than producing more modern theatrical works? Its different in a few ways. The first is that because Shakespearean works are so well known they come with a certain amount of credit. This is really a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, there is a quality of instant recognition that is not attached to most modern writers. On the other we have to approach these well known texts with a view that is unique and speaks to something true in us as young artists. This quest for originality in the face of terrible odds is what makes creating modern Shakespearean works so unique and exciting. How have other experiences (in the theatre world or otherwise) helped you grow as a producer? In high school I worked as an intern with several different production companies. Having this early exposure to the way shows are created really helped me define how I wanted Empty Chair to run. Since then, every show I work on helps me develop a clearer idea of what needs to be done for the entire team to have the best experience possible. What do you enjoy the most about producing a show? Getting to see the final product. The work is worth it because the shows this company creates are so full of love, energy, and dedication.  |
January 2010
| Players at Work: Four Things That Make Rehearsing With Empty Chair Special by Joan Cummins I.The Renaissance Run A staple of Empty Chair rehearsals is the Ren(aissance) Run, a full run-through of the show that takes place on the very first day of rehearsals without any instructions from the director. Actors are free to do as they like with their characters, their entrances and exits, and their relationships onstage. We try and come the first day with lines memorized, so it’s very much possible to do a run. It feels great to, no matter what else happens, have run the show once already, and it’s a really great way for the whole ensemble to get a sense of where the show is and throw out ideas about what it could be. II. Exercises and Techniques Empty Chair has really been a forum for me to learn new techniques developed by the experts of the acting craft. From Kristin Linklater’s vocal exercise sequence to the intricate movement system developed by Rudolf Laban, the knowledge that people bring to the rehearsal process is incredible, and I am always glad of the chance to increase my own. I’m glad we spend time on honing and expanding our expressive instruments in such a supportive environments. Not to mention warm-ups like bippity bippity bop which allow you to pretend to be a Viking are just plain fun in addition to being sound acting exercises. III. Creating an Environment One of the major things we work on in rehearsals with Empty Chair is creating the world of the play, making it a cohesive universe. For example, for King Lear we explored how Bedlam beggars interacted with the people and objects around them for some time, using the whole ensemble, before we began to fit them into specific places in the performance. It meant we could insert the beggars into any situation, that everyone had a beggar persona and knew how to be a beggar, and that their presence throughout the piece had a cohesive feel that meshed with the speaking characters without awkwardness. We worked on similar things for Measure for Measure as well, and I know that both directors for next season are already thinking about what the world of their play looks and feels like. IV. Sense of Community My favorite, favorite thing about being at Empty Chair rehearsals is that I always feel I am among people who will support me in anything I do. The atmosphere remains open and creative throughout the process, and though I am occasionally exhausted I never feel I have wasted my time. Other performers are ready and willing to discuss characters backstage, to help out with your text work, or to run that fight one more time with you. And that’s not even including the support we get from directors, assistant directors, stage management, music assistants, fight choreographers, and all the other people who make our shows happen. Working with this company has truly raised my standards of what kind of people and what kind of environment I want to spend the rest of my life working with. Company Member Profile: Natasha Solomon  Name: Natasha Solomon Role in company: Head of Publicity Department and Summer 2010 Director of Richard II School, year, major: BA English and Theatre James Madison University 2009 How you got involved: I was recruited last year for the Summer 2009 Season as Lear. I had known Julia and Elizabeth for a number of years previous from their camp days at the American Shakespeare Center's Young Company Theatre Camp. I was their counselor. It was really exciting to move beyond that relationship, in effect reversing our roles. Favorite Shakespeare play: What a hard question. Julius Caesar is probably my gut reaction, though I have a growing fondness for play's I've worked on. This is particularly true of King Lear. I was parented by my grandparents and am faced with their aging much like the Lear's daughters. It was really cool and terrifying to step into those aged shoes. Favorite thing about ECTC: Absolutely the community. It is refreshing and wonderful to work with a group of people that share a strong passion for theatre and ensemble based creation. We all have differing outlooks but come together to make wonderful theatre. Future project you're most excited about: Richard II of course! Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: I really love computer gaming. Favorite place to eat: Since I'm currently back in High Point, NC - The Grateful Bread Company. | Kemp and Armin: Evolution of Elizabethan Clowning Along with his famous tragic heroes like Hamlet and Othello, Shakespeare created a multitude of comic characters, buffoons, servants, idiots, and fools. Not only do these characters illustrate the talents of the company’s resident clown actors Will Kemp and Robert Armin, but they also capture a unique moment among the rapid development of both the clown tradition and theatre as an art form in the early modern period. As a founding member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the theatre company Shakespeare belonged to, Will Kemp had considerable financial and artistic weight. He was a practiced freelance performer with his own fully developed comic style, meaning the company’s playwrights wrote characters to fit his popular comic persona rather than have him change his act with each new show. Building on the work of Richard Tarlton, often cited as Elizabeth I’s court jester, Kemp established himself as a large, funny-looking commoner clown with a special talent for leaping Morris dance and improvisation. He played roles like Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which not only allowed him ample room to exercise his comic talents and interact with the audience, but gave him control of the other clowns in the scenes he appeared in and let him shape the comic subplot he was given. In fact, the clown characters were so identified with Kemp himself that several of the First Folio speaker headings in Much Ado read ‘Kemp’ instead of ‘Dogberry.’ Although it may seem extreme to cater so carefully to one actor, it is important to remember that not only did the Lord Chamberlain’s Men perform a different play every day, but that audiences were used to Kemp’s persona outside of a structured theatrical setting, and came expecting to see him do what he did best.  Kemp dancing his signature Morris jig. Kemp left the company in 1599, and Robert Armin became the resident clown actor of the Lord Chamberlain’s (and later the King’s) Men. His style was distinctly different from Kemp’s, drawing more on the traditions of a fool’s appearance and moral license developed in medieval Misrule festivals and morality plays. Armin, who was probably a very small man, used his talent for mimicry to impersonate ‘natural’ fools, who were mentally handicapped, and other characters onstage. He also favored his vocal talent, and the clown characters of his period frequently have songs written for them and use intricate language in their fooling. The first several roles he played were indeed clowns, like the Gravedigger in Hamlet and the Porter in Macbeth, and these represent a clear departure from the roles written for Kemp. They no longer engage the audience as directly, and are no longer isolated in subplots but rather serve as foils for the main characters of their respective tragedies. As the clown became more and more integrated into stage performance, their exchanges became inseparable from the main plot and developed into what is better termed a fool. Armin’s influence on the repertory of the King’s Men would culminate in the eponymous Fool of King Lear, who perfectly expresses Armin’s range.  Armin's portrait published with a play he starred in. Armin’s fools, with their witty dialogue and singing talent, began to replace the rustic improvisational buffoons of Kemp, the true clowns of the Elizabethan period, as theatre, patronized by the rich and powerful, became less of a popular entertainment and more of an elitist art form towards the end of the early modern period. The disapproval of bawdy and exuberant ‘common’ comedy demanded more seamless integration into stories of plays and more intellectual discourse in comic situations. The clown tradition that had developed from medieval folk entertainments was completely disrupted by the Cromwell regime’s ban on theatre in 1650, but Shakespeare’s words and his work leave us windows into how clown performance worked for Kemp, Armin, and their contemporaries. And although we no longer perform exactly as they did, the recognizably clownish elements in Shakespeare’s vibrant and eminently funny clown characters survive to this day and continue to entertain audiences all over.  |
December 2009
| And So The New Year Begins: Empty Chair Presents Much Ado About Nothing It is spring in Messina, and the soldiers are returning from war to Leonato's estate and the comforts of home. Don Pedro, the prince, returns to visit his old friend, bringing his new favorite, the young Claudio, and the ever-witty Benedick along. Claudio sees Leonato's daughter Hero and is immediately struck with the pangs of love, much to the amusement of Benedick, a committed bachelor. However, the tension between Benedick and the equally sharp-witted Beatrice is clear to all, and as Claudio and Hero swear their love and prepare for marriage, their friends trick Beatrice and Benedick into secretly falling for each other. But then the prince's perfidious and machinating brother Don John derails the seemingly perfect couple's marriage with a piece of trickery! Add in the antics of the overweening constable Dogberry and his bumbling squad and the plot only thickens... Empty Chair is proud to present William Shakespeare's razor-sharp comedy Much Ado About Nothing this January, bringing a taste of springtime romantic comedy into the dead of winter. What begins as a venomous battle of wits between verbal rivals Beatrice and Benedick becomes, in Shakespeare’s hands, a poignant contemplation of gender, humor, deception, and faith. The actors' fast-paced rehearsal period of a mere week will only add dynamic energy to the sensational verbal sparring, crackling sexual tension, abuse of the English language, love, laughter, and tears that make up this most excellent of stories. In the capable hands of director Katie Logan and featuring company members old and new, this production will bring to life all the myriad characters and beautiful language of the play in true Empty Chair style. Performances will be January 7-9 - mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information! Tickets will cost seven dollars for students and ten for others. As always, questions can be directed to admin@emptychairtheatre.org Company Member Profile: Katie Logan  Name: Katie Logan Role in company: Director of Education and the occasional director of other things. School, year, major: I was an English major at Columbia, until I graduated last spring. Around these college kids, I feel ancient. How you got involved: Julia and Elizabeth were my campers at the Young Company Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA--now they're in charge of me! They invited me to direct King Lear more than a year before we started the production, and I've been hooked on the company ever since. Favorite Shakespeare play: On any given day and in any given mood, I answer this question differently. To cover my bases, I'll say that I generally love the romances (and The Winter's Tale probably tops my list), but every now and then I need a good history. I'm a fan of Henry V and I'm dying to do a production of Henry VI Part III. Favorite thing about ECTC: This company has eliminated "no"; they don't accept it for an answer, and as a director, I've rarely heard it from Julia or Elizabeth. They believe that our capacity to do exciting, strong work is limitless. Putting up a full-length production in a week isn't an impossibility. Instead, it's a challenge and an experiment and defines the way we think about telling stories and creating art. Future project you're most excited about: Selfishly, I have to say Much Ado. We have a great cast with a lot of new faces, and even the thought of the week we have lined up is exhilarating. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: Right now, I'm obsessed with Criminal Minds. So. . . pondering a career as an FBI agent, the perfect alternative to theatre. Favorite place to eat: Grimaldi's, a pizzeria at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. | Beatrice Revealed: An Interview With Lee Havlicek Lee Havlicek, who appeared previously with Empty Chair as Goneril in King Lear and Mariana in Measure for Measure, is a recent graduate of Columbia University and will be playing Beatrice in this winter's production of Much Ado About Nothing. We spoke to her about what this character and this experience mean to her. What is your favorite thing about getting to play Beatrice and be involved in Much Ado? I fell in love with Much Ado the first time I saw it and wanted to be Beatrice at the age of 9, so getting to play this role is so wonderful. Beatrice has such strength and an amazingly quick, and at times acerbic, wit. But she is also fiercely loyal and has such a big heart. She's sort of the whole package. Getting to be in that character for a while and have those lines be mine on stage is such a gift. And to top it all off, I get to do it with some of the most amazing people I know. It's a pretty good deal all around. Beatrice is often seen as a symbol of feminine strength. How much do you agree? Beatrice is definitely one of the strongest (sometimes to a fault), most admirable of female characters. She speaks her mind without filtering it through social conformity. She unfailingly stands up for her ideals and for those she loves. She isn't afraid to show her strength, or her intelligence, which can be intimidating, and she would rather never marry than alter her personality in order to attract a husband. But Beatrice's strength also serves as her armor and it takes a great deal of trust for her to let her guard down.  Havlicek as Goneril in King Lear. What is your favorite piece of text from the show? You're going to make me pick one? I can't do it. It's impossible. This show is full of some of the most beautiful and hilarious lines in existence. There are the big heart-melting lines (I'm such a sucker) and the hilarious ones, but there are also so many really striking short phrases- just a few words strung perfectly together. To name a random few, a seriously edited list: "I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest"; "I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and moreover I will go with you to your uncle's"; "Oh, God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace"; "Serve God, love me, and mend"; "Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul"; "...for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me? For them all together"; "Here's our own hands against our hearts"; "Let's have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts and our wives' heels"; "No, sure, my lord, my mother cried; but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born." So, basically the whole play. What new things have you learned as a result of being a part of this process? How to really take charge of the individual work that needs to be done during a show and the importance of discussing with other members of the cast even before getting in a room with everyone. Not being all together for a long rehearsal process means that we're doing a lot of this work from a distance and on our own. It takes more effort. But having to do that has made it clear how helpful it is for everyone to start the process together, even if you're not physically near each other. What do you think is the most important relationship in the show? Much Ado is a show based almost entirely around different relationships. They repeatedly bend, change, break, forge together, and are challenged. There really isn't just one. Even though Beatrice and Benedick's relationship and Hero and Claudio's relationship are the catalysts for a lot of the action and dialogue, all of the relationships affect each other as they change, driving the show forward. What would you say is the most important aspect of Beatrice you would like to portray, and why? The balance between how tough and guarded Beatrice can often be and her more vulnerable side, which makes Benedick want to take care of her, is really important. Beatrice is clearly someone who has gone through a lot, who has developed these protective devices as her way of staying okay. But everything she does, she does with her whole heart. That's important to keep in mind. Otherwise, she can turn into a flat character who endlessly gabs witticisms and jabs. The audience will run out of patience. They'll also lose sight of why she acts that way and how she gets to the emotional scene with Benedict following Hero's almost-wedding.  I hope we keep them on their toes with all of the banter, incredible language, and complex emotions of the show. I want them to feel like they had to work through it all with us. I know I've used the word "heart" a lot throughout these answers, but it's because there's so much of it in this play. What I really want is for the audience to leave with their hearts full up of these incredible characters and this story. |
November 2009
The Glass of Fashion: An Interview With Designer MaryLynne SmithMaryLynne Smith, after appearing as Queen Elizabeth in Richard III, stepped into a different role and designed the costumes for last summer's productions of Measure for Measure and King Lear. We spoke to her about her experience as a designer of Shakespearean theatre. How did you first become involved in/interested in costume design? Since it's seasonally appropriate, I'll be entirely honest: it was the natural evolution of an obsession with Halloween as a kid! Costume design also pairs well with my interests and my majors at James Madison University: History and Theatre. How do you approach a play differently as a designer than you would as an actor? As either an actor or a designer, you are entirely dedicated to the text. I spend hours with the play either way, but ultimately, as a designer I'm obsessed with each character's journey instead of just "my own." Can you talk us through the process of design as you undertake it? What comes first? You can always tell when I'm working on a show! All of my lecture notes and grocery lists are filled with doodles in the margins and little overenthusiastic thoughts like "Fur. Need fur. Lots of fur." After I've created a considerable collection of silhouettes and ideas (the visual equivalent of free-form writing) I cull the best ideas and put them on paper. Following meetings with the directors and work with the actors, I create costume plates for each costume ensemble of the show in watercolor or chalk.  Designer MaryLynne Smith Is there an interchange between your work and the characterizations that actors put together over the course of the rehearsal process? Who influences who? It's such a phenomenal process - especially working with such talented individuals like those at Empty Chair. I come to the process with a very distinct idea of each character as a result of the text, but love to work closely with the team to develop things. For example, Nico [Zevallos'] Pompey costume [from Measure for Measure] became increasingly flamboyant with every rehearsal I attended! It's the actors who make the ensemble truly theirs though, like how Julia Sears wore her Edmund vest. I like to think that sometimes the costume helps the actor develop a character, like the dress Lee [Havlicek] wore as Goneril [in King Lear] with that slit all the way up the side! I can't help but smile thinking of our sweet girl as such a bombshell. In regards to classical theatre, what kinds of different challenges does that pose to you as a designer than a contemporary play? Shakespeare with Empty Chair is always about "anything goes!" Having so much leeway from the playwright means I can focus on the characters themselves and the needs of the director. I love that sort of freedom and the dialogue it encourages between designers, actors and directors to create the best world for the play. How do you make the decision whether or not to use Elizabethan period costumes for a production? It ultimately comes down to the space and the realities of the skill level of technicians in the costume shop. Elizabethan costume can be so distracting, especially in the sort of spaces a young company is working in. Do the methods used to costume productions in Shakespeare's time have an influence on you when you work on modern productions? I've done extensive work with original practices regarding Shakespearean costume, and it always tickles me pink when a habit of ye olde costumiers translates directly into our work at Empty Chair. For example in the 17th century it was likely also useful to pull costumes directly from an actor's closet, or they likely utilized the same doubling chart as because of the demands of [costume] change-time! What was the most interesting/fun part of costuming Measure for Measure and King Lear? Watching each actor make the costumes his or her own! Sometimes I would see Amalia Camperlengo swirl in that large orange skirt on stage [as Mistress Overdone in Measure for Measure], and I would know that it was just the perfect marriage of character, costume, actor and design and it's so, so very rewarding. Honestly, though, more often than not, when the actors come on stage I'm watching the director's face and hoping to heaven they're thinking the same thing I am. | Giving to the Future: The Miscalled Simplicity Showcase Inaugurates an Annual Benefit Series This season Empty Chair is exploring new frontiers with its first foray into producing a benefit series, an annual event that will allow the company to give to causes in its community while also spreading a passion for the arts. In May 2010 Empty Chair will present the first event in this series, the Miscalled Simplicity Showcase directed by Elizabeth Nearing. A selection of scenes, monologues, and sonnets, the showcase homes to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the nation's leading breast cancer research organization. Depending on availability, the showcase may also be a part of the Festival 2010 Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts. In exploring the theme of the festival, Nearing and her partner in this effort, marketing director and benefit coordinator Caroline Brent, came upon the idea of celebrating the strength found within oneself. They seized on this as a theme not only prevalent in Shakespeare but also important to the growth of women in arts and society. In choosing materials for the showcase Nearing and Brent look to explore the relationship between men and women as a key element of any society, and wish to play with gender itself in casting and portrayals. The production will be an effort of a small group of actors led by Nearing, and will include selections from both plays and sonnets. Both male and female actors will be involved, and will play roles of any and all genders. Both Brent and Nearing say they are glad the project is a joint effort and is able to involve so many varying elements of the company. Nearing and Brent are excited for the benefit series to become an annual feature of the Empty Chair season. Nearing says "I don't believe you can truly succeed in theatre if you're only doing it for yourself - theatre is giving." The pair hope with this presentation to give not only a performance but also donations to breast cancer research. Brent emphasized her hopes that the benefit series would be an important method of communication and of raising social awareness of causes that are important to the company. "Hopefully we can say something new about causes everyone knows about, bring a smile, but at same time bring up all the questions that need to be asked and the ideas of social change," she says. Miscalled Simplicity and the benefit series as a whole represent an exciting opportunity for Empty Chair to expand its level of involvement in the community. As a young and growing organization, Empty Chair hopes to reach out through the benefit series to those interested in the arts while also contributing in a real way to valuable causes. The series will serve as a venue to share not only company members' passion for the arts but also their passion for charitable causes with a larger community and hopefully use Shakespeare to effect change in today's world. Company Member Profile: Allison Miller  Name: Allison Miller Role in company: Production/ Stage Manager School, year, major: Pomona College, sophomore, Mathematics How you got involved: I worked with Elizabeth in high school and stage managed her Macbeth in the spring of our senior year. That was when I met Julia, as well, since she was helping out with fight choreography and blood work. I asked whether there was anything I could do to help out with their production of Richard III that summer; it turned out that they hadn't found a stage manager yet, and I was beyond delighted when they asked me to do that. Favorite Shakespeare play: The ones I've stage-managed! I never really fall in love with a play until I am working on it, and then I love it a lot. So I find it very hard to choose between them. Favorite thing about ECTC: The people. I am always incredibly impressed by the level of talent and professionalism from the directors, actors, crew- basically, everyone involved. Future project you're most excited about: Much Ado About Nothing, to be directed by Katie this winter, because we are getting so close! Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: Well, I'm not sure how much this falls under 'most interesting', but at school I tutor a lot for a really wonderful program called Upward Bound, and also really love mentoring for a Linear Algebra class. Favorite place to eat: Home.  |
October 2009
| In Shakespeare's Day: Original Practices in a Modern Era Perhaps the question that has dogged researchers and artists the most about Shakespeare's work is: what does it mean to be Shakespearean? How would Shakespeare himself have wanted Old Hamlet's Ghost to appear, or Puck to perform magic? It is nearly impossible to answer questions such as these because of the incredible distance between his time and ours, but what little we do know about Elizabethan theatre can still be used to pay homage to Shakespearean tradition. Empty Chair's productions use a combination of original Elizabethan practices and modern theatrical conventions to tell the stories of Shakespeare's canon. For example: Doubling Doubling is the practice of having one actor play more than one part. Shakespeare’s company had about fifteen actors, but his plays often had forty or more speaking parts, making doubling a necessity. Empty Chair actors will often double roles as well, playing, for example, a messenger and a soldier in addition to a more sizable part. Sometimes even actors playing lead characters will double as ensemble members if the show requires it. Gender-blind Casting In Shakespeare’s day, women were not allowed onstage. This meant that, originally, all of his greatest heroines – Juliet, Cleopatra, Portia – were played by young boys. Empty Chair expands upon this practice to allow women and men to play roles of either gender. Below, Rebecca Speas as Buckingham in Richard III. Photo by Leslie Haase.  Thrust Staging Thrust staging means that the audience is seated on two or more sides of the stage. Both the Globe and the Blackfriars Playhouse, the two venues in which Shakespeare’s work was performed in his day, placed the audience on three sides of the stage. While Empty Chair also works with more modern proscenium staging (i.e., having the audience on one side), the majority of its productions have used thrust staging to bring the audience closer to the action onstage. Universal Lighting Performances at the Globe took place in the afternoon to take advantage of the sun’s natural light, and at other venues candlelight was used to illuminate the performance. Since the advent of electricity, modern theatres have developed extremely complex stage lighting that can accomplish almost any effect. At Empty Chair, it is the director’s choice that determines what the lighting for a particular show looks like. While Empty Chair's Taming of the Shrew used universal lighting, the lighting in Richard III was fully realized modern stage lighting. Below, an effect created by Michael Gibbs’ lighting from the performance. Photo by Leslie Haase.  Live Music As part of the popular entertainment of the day, Shakespeare’s plays were often bookended by live musical performances by local musicians. Empty Chair’s performances often also include live music performed by the actors, to enhance the story and help create the world of the play. From the Decembrists to Gnarls Barkley to Cake, elements of Shakespeare’s stories can be found in music everywhere. Though Elizabethan theatre traditions are four hundred years old, they retain a special value when applied to the stories of their age and can help enhance any performance. Empty Chair strives to present interpretations of Shakespeare’s work that effectively blend these practices with modern theatrical traditions to create a unique experience that fits our time while paying homage to his. Company Member Profile: Julia Sears Name: Julia Sears Role in Company: Co-Founder, Executive Director, Resident Actor School, year, major: University of Washington, sophomore, Drama/English How you got involved: After being inspired by my peers, teachers, and friends I founded the company with the lovely Elizabeth Nearing my junior year of high school. Favorite Shakespeare play: Antony and Cleopatra for its sublime poetry and Titus Andronicus for its hidden eloquence. Favorite thing about ECTC: Every production I am again convinced that an ambitious passionate group of people can achieve any theatrical feat. I love watching young people get excited about Shakespeare and theatre through this company. Future project you’re most excited about: For me that’s like picking a favorite child. I’m very excited about the challenge of putting up Much Ado About Nothing with just a week of rehearsal this winter. The pressure will no doubt bring to life some astounding creativity both from the cast and the production team. I am also thrilled to be working on our first annual benefit series that will give us the chance to raise money and awareness for worthy causes throughout our years as a company. Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: I love studying stage combat and reading Russian literature. Favorite place to eat: Popeyes | Something to Say: An Actor's Perspective on Empty Chair Matt Minnicino has appeared in nearly every Empty Chair production to date. He played Baptista in Taming of the Shrew, Richard III in Richard III, and most recently Claudio and Gloucester in Measure for Measure and King Lear. He will also be appearing soon as Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing and is one of the company’s literary associates. His expertise on the intricacies of Shakespeare’s works and his fascination with their language make him a valued source for any curious actor, director or friend. Editor Joan Cummins interviewed him recently about his experiences with Empty Chair: How did you first hear about Empty Chair? I got invited to the Showcase [June 2007], and I thought ‘Oh, that will be interesting, I’ll get to see some old friends and what they do,” though honestly I wasn’t sure really what it was. And then it happened and it was great; it was probably the first thing that made me realize that Empty Chair was going to be a good thing. I could tell right away that [the performers] were very into the verse and the language, and they were making exciting choices all over the place. And though it was really small, I actually enjoyed it a lot more than most of the very large spectacular things I had seen. So I sort of exploded with all these compliments afterwards, you know, I hope it keeps going, I hope you have other ideas, etc. That was where you were first asked to play Richard, yes? Yes. Elizabeth and Julia pitched it to me then, but I thought they were joking at first. Then, I got a call later, which proved they were serious! Of course I was nervous, but I thought about how good the Showcase had been, and decided I would love to be a part of a smaller, more intimate thing [in theatre]. It was a great opportunity, and I pretty much just said yes. So there was a very long gestation period for that particular idea, which I think speaks to how cohesive the company was from the start. Empty Chair has been very much about improving people in the theatre, about testing and furthering people’s abilities. Like, for example, Michael Van Ness, [Richmond in Richard III] had never really acted before, but he proved to be a beautiful find, and I think it’s great that Elizabeth was able to see that potential in him. And personally, I had never been offered that serious of a role before, and, though it still seems like a dream that it happened, it was very cathartic. I feel like I would probably not still be acting [had I not been involved]. It made me realize that there’s so much room to expand in every direction when you’re onstage. Minnicino as Gloucester in King Lear.  What about Taming of the Shrew? How did that happen? This is where it gets very strange. Frances Koogler and I showed up at auditions to help guide people through Empty Chair's not-straightforward style of auditioning, but we ended up saying we’d fill out the roles that couldn't be cast, which is pretty much what we did. Also I was given the job of editing the play and ended up slicing Taming to bits in a week, cutting the entire prologue and conflating several characters. It was incredibly fun for me. I ended up doing probably more things than I should have, but none of them were forced on me, I was very excited about all of them. I wanted to be involved in a small and interesting and important process, which fortunately I’ve been able to do through today. And this past summer season? This was another situation where I was shocked by how willing Elizabeth and Katie were to put people in roles they don’t usually play. I thought I would get a nice comic role in Measure, I’m secure in my ability to do Shakespearean comedy, and then Elizabeth threw the curveball that was Claudio, and I didn’t know if I hated or loved her for it. I talked to my friend Jack when the cast list came out and he was so excited to have seen it, he was babbling incessantly… Jack loves to cry, and he was like ‘This is great, you’re going to play roles that are going to make me cry,” and his reaction was so symptomatic of how I feel about the casting. Have you taken on new roles as the company has expanded? I was recently officially offered the position of Literary Associate, which means I get to do most of the writing for Empty Chair’s communications, things that go on the website, taglines and blurbs from shows, you know. That’s really nice because I am getting a chance to work in management - a desk job - and it’s new to think about what aspect of a show is enticing to people, to look at things from a business perspective, and it’s very interesting to me personally. What has changed the most over your time with Empty Chair? It really feels like a company now, there’s people who call people, a sudden sort of corporate feel. I think any theatre company starting out has the choice to remain dedicated to its art or remain obsessed with the business angle, but Elizabeth and Julia have streamlined it so far. It works more like a machine now, but it’s a machine of love and art. What are you looking forward to seeing the company do in the future? Do you want me to talk about the immediate future, or my wildest dreams? My wildest dreams are very wild… Well, on a personal level I’m looking forward to Much Ado because I think in the hands of a director as capable as Katie it will be a real joy. And then whether I’m involved in it or not, Richard II [playing summer 2010]. I’m excited that Empty Chair is willing to take a Shakespeare monster like that, nothing but plot and complicated characterization, lots of politics and poetry. That type of play is out of fashion, really, but I think Empty Chair will wrestle it to the ground and make it something beautiful, and I can’t wait to see that. |
September 2009
| Then and Now: A Short History of Empty Chair Shakespeare has inspired generations of artists, whether they be poets, novelists, or directors, with his unparalleled poetry, his vibrant storytelling, and his sense of what it means to be human. It is fitting, then, that the inspiration behind Empty Chair took its first breaths at a performance of King Lear at the Folger Shakespeare Library in 2006. It was in conversation there that Julia Sears and Elizabeth Nearing began to plan the founding of the company. Nearing and Sears both wanted to do work outside the bounds of their high schools and other traditional means – Sears’ school did not offer a theatre program at all. Nearing and Sears had both had great experiences with the American Shakespeare Center’s Young Company Theatre Camp, which provides opportunities for teens, but only lasts for three weeks each summer, not enough to satisfy the most curious hearts and minds. Sears and Nearing, inspired by the passion of the people at camp and eager to work with them again, considered: “What if we were all just doing theatre at the same time whenever we wanted?” And there was the crux of the matter. Over the course of the same conversation, Nearing and Sears decided to take the initiative and to make the opportunities they wished for. The possibility of waiting until college to found the company was considered and then discarded; the sparks had been kindled into a full flame. They began with the June 2007 Shakespeare Showcase, a presentation of scenes from several plays. This kind of performance allowed each member of the relatively small group to play all of the parts they wanted, engaging everyone to the fullest. It also presented the company’s work and diversity of talent while accommodating its limited resources. In January 2008, Empty Chair took on its first full length production, Taming of the Shrew. This controversial comedy was put on by a company of only nine actors and no director, meaning no one played only one role and everyone had creative input into the show. Despite the unusual approach, it was nevertheless a successful production. The company continued to grow through the rest of 2008 with its summer production of Richard III, a complicated history featuring one of literature’s most famous villains. This endeavor reflected the expansion of the company’s resources, as it featured fully-fledged theatrical design and a much larger cast under Nearing’s direction. 2009 featured the dual productions Measure for Measure and King Lear, bringing the company back to its inspirational roots and continuing its growth. Still a young company full of young people, Empty Chair strives to provide unique opportunities to perform and study Shakespeare with one’s peers. It supports a highly collaborative creative environment and works for a balance of original Elizabethan practices and modern theatrical traditions. Company members strongly believe that Shakespeare’s stories are not solely material for academic study, but also living tales that have bearing on the modern world. The core mission is to spread this way of thinking among young artists and create a tradition of classical theatre that lives for our times. Company Member Profile: Elizabeth Nearing  Role in Company: Co-Founder, Artistic Director, Resident Director School, year, major: Carnegie Mellon University, sophomore, drama (directing) How you got involved: I founded the company with Julia Sears in 2007. Favorite Shakespeare play: Measure for Measure or Macbeth Favorite thing about ECTC: That it has become a family. Future project you’re most excited about: That is a toss up between the showcase we’re doing this summer as part of our benefit series and A Midsummer Night’s Dream next summer. They should both be really fun! Most interesting other hobby/pursuit: Listening to Frank Zappa. Favorite place to eat: At the moment, probably Sette Bello. | Projects in Progress: An Interview With Director Katie Logan The next project on Empty Chair’s calendar is a production of Much Ado About Nothing directed by Katie Logan, which will be performed in January of 2010. Preparation has begun for the entire company, but in her position as director it is Katie’s perspective that will come to shape the show as a whole. We sat down to talk with her about the play. Joan Cummins: What draws you to this show in particular? Katie Logan: Much Ado always amazes me with its depth of characterization. Everyone loves Beatrice and Benedick, and their banter is some of my favorite text in the canon. Then I remember that they're sharing this play with Dogberry, who is comedically perfect. We've joked about cutting the play so that it is simply "The Tragedy of Hero," but it is true that Shakespeare could have chosen to write a play about any one of these rich, beautiful characters. Instead, they all populate the same world. JC: Do you have a favorite piece of poetry from Much Ado? KL: There are few things in this world, let alone in Shakespeare's canon, that I find as powerful as Leonato's heartbreaking speech after [his daughter] Hero is shamed [where he speaks of his love for her]: But mine and mine I loved and mine I praised/And mine that I was proud on, mine so much/That I myself was to myself not mine/Valuing of her.  Katie Logan. Photo Kelley Van Dilla.
JC: Conflict is what makes a story watchable. What for you is the most interesting conflict in the play? KL: I'm fascinated by the dynamic between the men and the women of Much Ado. The war that concludes at the beginning of the play has kept them apart for some time, and each group has forgotten, in some ways, how to live with the other. Shakespeare returns to this theme in most of his comedies, but with Beatrice and Benedick heading their respective sides of this particular conflict, this is gender war at its absolute best. JC: What is one thing you're struggling with right now in regards to the play and this production? KL: A difficult element for me right now is the seasonality of the play. Much Ado is a spring story; it's about budding relationships and growing up. We're performing it in the dead of winter, but we can't be affected by the weather outside. My biggest challenge in the week we have is to help my actors create a world full of warmth and energy that makes the audience forget they're walking in from the snow. JC: Not to mention rehearsals are only one week long - are you excited? Terrified? KL: I'm pumped for a week's worth of rehearsals. With its zany energy and fast pace, Much Ado lends itself well to this type of process. I think, too, that embracing our time constraints will encourage a healthy bit of chaos on stage. Most especially, we've put together a cast that is ready to make fast, big choices and to play with one another. With these two qualities, anything else we do over that week is just icing on an already delicious cake. JC: Can you explain what the play is about in one sentence? KL: Much Ado is a play about transitioning from one phase oflife to the next, whether from war to peacetime, from daughter to wife, from brothers-in-arms to fellow husbands, or from antagonists to lovers.  |
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