Rehearsal Preview

Emily Nash-Gray as Dora Maar

Tech Weekend

We spent all weekend in tech, which for non-theatre people, is coordinating all the light, sound and image cues, making sure they look right, work together, go on and off at the right time, are the correct volume level, etc. It's a complex, tedious process that often is fraught with technical difficulties and surprises (which we don't want).

The whole process is coordinated by the Stage Manager Sarah Pappin. Everyone involved this weekend was remarkably pleasant during the 20-plus hours of work, but for my money, Sarah and her assistant, Zach Brink, deserve a medal. In lieu of that, fortunately, we got this response from the tech advisor at the close of business today: "It looks like we're going to have a show."

Countdown to Opening

With a week to go, the word is getting out in the greater Moscow area. The banner above hangs in the University Commons, emails have gone out to the entire student body as well as faculty, and posters for the show hang all over campus, in Moscow and neighboring cities of Pullman and Troy. Media coverage also begins this week with articles to be published in the Arognaut (UI newspaper), Moscow-Pullman Daily News and the Inlander in Spokane. A videographer and still photographer are lined up for dress rehearsal, and respondents are scheduled to judge the show for possible inclusion in the regional American College Theatre Festival.

Sound, light and images are slowly making their way into the rehearsals, the projection surface is nearly done, and stitchers are sewing furiously to complete costumes by Tuesday's first dress rehearsal. Hair and make-up tutorials begin tomorrow, and some of the actors are coloring/cutting their hair today. The propsmaster has solved the problem with the trunk, the knife and some other tricky props, and yesterday, actors had an opportunity to rehearse with cigarettes (herbal). The dramaturg has completed the program note, and the program is being finalized for the printer.

Tech begins Saturday, so that's when all the pieces will come together, and everyone on the team will spend 10 of 12 hours locked in the theatre coordinating their efforts. Lots of details still to work out, but by all accounts, it appears that we're going to pull this off! More news to come soon. In the meantime, spread the word so we pack the house. Audiences are going to love this show, and I wouldn't want anyone to miss it. And thanks to everyone involved. I'm so honored working with you every day.

Anxiety #1

Although my experience is limited, there seem to be times in every production cycle during which I find myself experiencing momentary periods of heightened anxiety. What was I thinking when I wrote such a complex and technically demanding play? We have so many light, sound and image cues, how can we possibly tech the show in only five days? What did I write that prompted the director to include so many quick costume changes? Why are hats so expensive? What are we going to do if our cast continues to succumb to the plague-like illness that has already felled nearly all of them? Then I remember to breathe, and remind myself how much fun I am having creating a production with so many talented, hard-working theatre-makers. I remind myself that I am here to learn, to grow, to explore new ways of expressing myself. I remember what Ann Bogart says about theatre: that it is "a gym for the soul, the intellect, the imagination and the emotions... The artist's job is to get in touch with the dark places of the soul and shed light there." Anxiety is one of those dark places, and so, I welcome it to the table. The end product be damned! I love the process, even on days like this.

A First Look at Costumes

Before rehearsal tonight, media and marketing personnel were invited to interview some of the actors and designers working on the show. The costume shop also offered up a preview of their designs for Marie-Therese and Dora:

Marie-Therese Walter, Picasso's lover before Dora, was 17 when she and Picasso first met. In the play, she is young and innocent, and, as Picasso often portrayed her, a Madonna with child.  Here, actor Kristen Glaeser, tries on her costume -- soft and yellow and round, like a buttercup.

Costume Designer Emily McQuarrie gives Marie-Therese some pink lip color for her photo shoot.

Unlike Marie-Therese, Dora is dark and sultry. She seduces Picasso with her body and her mind. Cady Ann Smola plays Dora, shown here in black, reclining on the chaise in Picasso's art studio.

Details You Wouldn't Think About (unless you've done this before)

Collaboration is key in any theatrical production, and the devil, as they say, is in the details. To give you an idea of how all the parts must work together to create a successful production, listen in on this snippet of conversation between the stage manager, technical director and costume shop manager after the director raised concerns about hearing the actors get to their places behind the projection curtain in preparation for the silhouetted scenes:


Stage Manager: How much noise will walking on the platform in heels make?


Technical Director: It helps that the platform is so low to the ground and hence shouldn't have much reverb, but it will be noticeable. As to whether or not it will be undesirably loud probably depends on the scene. If it is too loud, we have a couple of options. Option one is that costumes may be able to provide some substance on the soles of the shoes to help quiet them. Option two is that we install Homasote, a paper pulp based fiberboard, between the plywood and MDF. Homasote would help deaden the sound of footfalls. We have some on hand, probably enough to do the whole platform. The main drawback with Homasote is that it adds 1.2 lbs/sq ft, so about 210 lbs in our case. This is a minor hassle if we travel it, but not horrible. Also, it adds a little time to the platform build. Also, also, it adds 1/2" to the height (unless we want to remove all the legs, remove 1/2" and then reattach them - which I don't think is worth it for the 1/2").

 

Costume Shop Manager: From the costume end, we are still anticipating the arrival of our shoe orders. When they arrive, we will get them to rehearsal as soon as we can to assess the noise issue. Is the sound issue only happening on the platform, or is it a genereal shoe noise concern? Most modern shoes are soled with a plastic and rubber mixture on the soles. There are some things we can try, but anything we do can not completely dispell the sound of shoes, although it can mitigate "clicking" sounds. If the sound issue is on the platforms or a foot fall sound (as opposed to the material of the shoes) then we might need to look towards padding the platform. 

Art

An early draft of Adoration of Dora had incorporated several paintings by Picasso, as well as Dora's photographs. I later came to learn that it would be impossible to use those works of art in the show because of copyright issues. As a result, the play is now one of original text and original artwork inspired by the works of Picasso and Dora Maar.

Several very talented artists are contributing to the process, and I want to share their beautiful work with you. The first is photographer Alex Trimm, who took many of the photographs included in the play. You can learn more about her at www.alextrimmphotography.com.

Set designer Will Tedrow is responsible for the paintings that appear in the play. The paintings are Will's interpretation of some of Picasso's greatest masterpieces. Both of the paintings below that Will made are projected in the play, and then are brought to life on stage by the actors.

Guernica 

Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon

Costume designer Emily McQuarrie was inspired by the wearable art of Elsa Schiaperelli. Hopefully, I'll post some previews of the costumes soon.