January-June 2009 Season
Research links
by Scott Allen Luke, Managing Director of Rubicon Theatre Project
Here are some interesting links about the topic of obsession that the cast has shared and used to springboard some of our scene work:
BBC-Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Obsessive Behaviour
On obsessive love:
Rehearsal 5-19
by Josh Johnson, Artistic Director
I had the opportunity to attend rehearsal once again and things are really starting to shapen up nicely! Thus far the director and cast have been rehearsing Act 1 only, adding blocking and exploring the characters and relationships. That hard work is really starting to show! The nature of the script requires a lot of smooth transitions from one location to another and for the most part that is happening nicely. There are of course a few rougher moments that need to be ironed out but overall its working quite well. One thing that James (the director) and I discussed was the importance of dialects for the reading/performance on 6/1. The play takes place in Scotland and several of the characters are to have various European dialects. In addition to that challenge, there are several characters that are played by the same actors. What we discussed is clearly stating in the programs or maybe making an announcement to the audience at the top of the show to clarify that the actors are multi-cast and also give descriptions of each character, alleviating the need for the dialects for now. Of course if we proceed to do a full production, this is an aspect that will require some more specific attention and training with a dialect coach. But we both agreed that for this project they dialects may be more distracting that beneficial. Some actors may still work with dialects if they feel comfortable doing so, but it won’t be a requirement for the performance.
The plan is to begin working on Act 2 (which will be a more traditional reading of the script) on Thursday. I can’t wait to see where the cast will take the characters next!
What is this play about?
Written by Jeff Dorchen, playwright
Jack Lemmon as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar in “The Odd Couple”
You don’t need to read Leo Strauss, Saul Bellow, Allan Bloom, Machiavelli, or see The Odd Couple or In the Heat of the Night to enjoy Strauss at Midnight, anymore than you need to read Shakespeare or Marlowe in order to enjoy Shakespeare in Love, or Sade to enjoy Quills, or On the Origin of Species to appreciate the drama of Inherit the Wind, or to have played seventy-six trombones to enjoy The Music Man. It may add to the experience, but it’s not at all necessary.
This play is about the ongoing struggle between two forces: those who condemn us to repeat history, and the rest of us. The rest of us are represented by the world of “The Odd Couple,” and those who condemn us to repeat history are represented ultimately by Leo Strauss and his disciple Allan Bloom.
Saul Bellow is the artist caught between the forces of his social environment and the inevitable gravity of the artist’s moral truth.
Blocking…
by James Whittington, Director of Becoming Ingrid
Click here to see some blocking diagrams from James Whittington, Director of Rubicon Theatre Project’s Incubator Becoming Ingrid.
Rehearsal 5-12-09
by Josh Johnson, Artistic Director
I had the opportunity to sit in on rehearsal on Tuesday and had the pleasure of seeing the beginning stages of the script come to life. As an observer of the process, not directly involved with the production, its exciting to see how well the actors we’ve selected to work with are embodying their characters. (For more info about the actors, including headshots and bios, visit our website at www.rubicontheatreproject.org) And perhaps its the “director” in me but I couldn’t help but begin to imagine other elements of the production, such as lighting, that will remain absent for this particular project at the DCA. Our director, James Whittington, is doing a good job of making use of the space and minimal feel of the script to really cause the viewer to use their imagination. I’m looking forward to returning to rehearsal this week to see the additional progress the actors have made with additional sections of the script. Even thought this is simply a workshop, I’m glad we’ll be able to present portions of the script “on its feet” rather than simply as a reading. Hopefully the audience will feel the same way!
Meg Harkins (Christine) and Tori Ulrich (Mrs. Sputtle) in a rehearsal scene from Act 1 of Becoming Ingrid
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