Stage Banter: The Arena Stage Blog

On Stage Directions

by Donatella Galella, Dramaturgy Intern

Normally, I shy away from the spotlight. I prefer letting the actors do their thing while I work off-stage as the director or in the literary office as the dramaturgy intern. But when Ronee Ponoi, the line producer of Lydia Diamond’s Harriet Jacobs, asked me to read stage directions for the Downstairs series, I leapt at the opportunity. And by “leapt,” I mean that I walked carefully up the raked stage of our Crystal City theater and joined the cast of Harriet Jacobs.

At our five-hour rehearsal yesterday, I got an inside look into Lydia's play and director Ed Sobel’s vision. “Innately kind” and funny, Lydia helped to clarify moments and their tone. She laughed and encouraged the hilarious line readings by Jewell Robinson’s Grandma and Eleasha Gamble’s Mary. In a few instances, she called for rhythmic work songs, and the actors readily hummed and tapped their feet to underscore the scenes. Like her protagonist, the playwright wants to get the audience to understand Harriet’s story and the institution of slavery; she does not mean to make them feel overly burdened with guilt or sadness.

Exceptionally played by Jessica Francis Dukes, Harriet still gained the audience’s empathy. I enjoyed seeing Jessica get into this character from the top of rehearsal when we were all excited to begin and, appropriately, Harriet is an excited 15 year-old, to the end when she is a mother of two but cannot reach out to her children for fear of getting caught by her master. To cope with her hardships, Harriet dives into her imagination, inventing scenes with the people important to her life.

 

Ed cleverly staged these scenes around the back of Harriet, who was seated, while the other characters stood and encircled her as if they were voices in her head. To ground scenes happening in real-time, Ed had the actors sit or stand right by Harriet downstage center so that they shared the same playing space. All the while, he specifically told me which stage directions to read in order to convey what was absolutely necessary for the audience to know. Ed also gave me the note to project more, which is a problem for me because I’m soft-spoken, so I practiced throughout the rest of the rehearsal. With the actors, he pared down the play to its essence and created a lively theatrical experience. Seeing Ed in action only confirmed what Lydia had said earlier—that he is a brilliant director.

Soon, it was show time, and I was incredibly nervous. I ran over my lines with a highlighter, adjusted my hair (utterly important), and got the cast ready to go onstage. I made sure to project, emphasize characters that I was introducing for the first time, and not fidget too much. When I wasn’t worrying about my next line, I loved watching Harriet Jacobs from my stage right seat and how the actors lit up under the stage lights. After the reading, I got a few compliments, the biggest being that the audience could hear me.

 

Now can I have my Equity card?

The little known Harriet

by Janine Sobeck

Last night we completed the current season of the Downstairs New Play Reading Series with a reading of Lydia Diamond's Harriet Jacobs. 

Now, I'm going to be honest.  I'm a history buff- especially American history.  But the first time I had heard of Harriet Jacobs was when I read Lydia's play a little over a year ago.  However, the story intrigued me enough that when Lydia suggested this work for the series, the first words out of my mouth were, "Oh, the girl that hid in the box.  That's a crazy story."

And a crazy story it is.  Based on her autobiographical tale "Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl," Harriet recounts her life as a house slave, the obsession and sexual advances of her master, and her desperate flight to freedom.  However, Harriet's tale takes an unexpected twist.  Harriet was, at that time, the mother to two children (fathered by a white lawyer).  Unwilling to leave them behind, but unable to make the journey with them, Harriet made the ultimate sacrifice.  With the knowledge that her children would be bought by their father and raised by her grandmother, Harriet "moved into"a tiny crawlspace above the porch of her grandmothers house.  There, in a space that was nine feet long, seven feet wide with sloping ceiling that didn't allow her to turn over, Harriet remained for SEVEN YEARS, watching her children grow through a peephole.  Finally, in 1842, she made the journey north.

In the discussion after the reading, I was curious.  Was I the only one ignorant of this fantastic tale?  So I asked.  And only two other people in the audience raised their hands saying that they had heard of Harriet Jacobs before encountering this play.

I find that somewhat overwhelming. Lydia mentioned during the day the somewhat ironic fact that we are a society where everyone (rightly) knows the story of Anne Frank, and her time in hiding to escape the Nazis.  I recently had the chance to travel to Amsterdam and was able to go into the house and the secret annex, and let me tell you, seeing the small space that the family lived in, and knowing the conditions they endured made the story all the more poignant.  And yet, in the theatre yesterday, we were telling a similar story of courage, oppression and sacrifice of a young woman (she was only 22 when she went into the space) whose writing gives us incredible insight into a world that most of us find unimaginable.  And, yet, this story - which comes straight out of our country's own history - is relatively unknown.  

After the experience we had with the work, and feeling the power that Harriet's story has, all I can say is: I hope that changes.

"Doing Bucky"

In honor of our production of R. Buckminster Fuller: the history (and mystery) of the universe, we've been asking people to send in their stories of Bucky - encounters with the man and with his ideas.  This one just came in from Joo Hock, a member of the Bucky Group Singapore.  If you have your own story to share, send it to bucky@arenastage.org

"In 1992, on one of my day-off from work, a Tuesday, while I was at home, my wife came down from the staircase carrying an old slightly rusty dark colored tin soap box. She asked me, do I want it? or she'll throw it away. On the spur of the moment, I said, "Okay, give it to me", It looked a bit of an antique, a bit mysterious.

What happened then was that I did something quite uncharacteristic of me. I took a piece of paper and wrote a short note. "Dear God, need help, please help. Not communicating well with my brother. (whom I work with)"

I folded the note put it in the box, and went to hide it under my bed mattress, and subsequently forgot about it.

As it happened, one of my client, a Mr. Taylor, an American, whom I had good conversations with, and I share my work-woes with, when he comes to see me, and known some of my predicaments at work, suggested that I should go and attend a seminar.

Me? Attend a 3 and a half day seminar from Thursday evening to Sunday? No way. I work on weekends.

However he arranged for me to attend a preview. Okay. After much cajoling, I reluctantly dragged myself to the preview. I ran into one of my customers and ended signing up together for the seminar.

Admittedly it was an interesting, emotional roller-coaster seminar. In it they shared about Buckminster Fuller, his moving story of standing on the shore of Lake Michigan contemplating suicide and finally about his committing ego-cide, instead.

Some Loopy discussions

by Janine Sobeck

Yesterday marked the final post show discussion for our current production of Looped.  We've had some great and lively discussions over the course of the run.  While so many people had great memories of Valerie (lots of Rhoda fans out there!), it was always great to hear the memories that people have of Tallulah - whether in person or from her performances.  While she is such a larger than life Hollywood personality, audience members have continually connected on a personal level with the struggles she's had, and the perceptions she has on live. 

One line in particular, (I won't spoil it, but it has to do with pain and suffering in life) has particularly hit home.  In the conversation yesterday, Valerie was asked to repeat it because of the impact it had had on several audience members.  Valerie continued to talk about the truth and wisdom in the line, based in the knowledge that so many people have to deal with horrific, unimaginable things/events in their lives.  Tallulah with the heartbreaks of her early childhood - losing her mother, her relationship with her father, etc - as well as a myriad of other people.  And yet, there is greatness and beauty in the ability to get beyond the events and continue to live your life in a way that the event does not win.  Tallulah definitely did that.  Playwright Matthew Lombardo has, from the personal stories he shared, has definitely done that.  And the touching stories that audience members shared with me privately after the discussion, many around us have managed to do it as well.

It's closing weekend, so there's not many more opportunities to find out what the line is.  But let me tell you, the impact is reverberating throughout our audiences.

Playwright Lydia Diamond part of Downstairs Series

By Ronee Penoi Senior Producing Fellow

It's a fuzzy place where plays are born. The beauty and challenge is that it can be a process of stops or starts, inspiration or obstacles, typing furiously or staring at a blank screen. I'm excited to be line-producing a project of our Downstairs series, because there, playwrights can work through wherever they are in that fuzzy process to get to the next step – and can pick their actor/director/etc. partners on that journey.

We’ve already had two recent readings as part of this series, Seamus Sullivan’s adventurous Harlan at the Rockpile, and Psalmayene 24’s epic Journey to the Door of No Return: A Hip-Hop Odyssey. This upcoming Monday night, we hoped to present our DC audiences a reading of Tazewell Thompson’s new play Mary T. & Lizzy K., a play that touches on the little-understood relationship between Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress and confidante, the freed slave Elizabeth Keckley. But, as the writing process is unpredictable, and exciting changes are happening in the writing of the play, it appears that now isn’t the right time to take that next step.

However, its fortunate timing that playwright Lydia Diamond is interested in an opportunity to look more closely at her new play Harriet Jacobs. Lydia's play Stick Fly will be part of the second half of Arena's Restaged Festival in Crystal City, and we're very excited to have her here on Monday to work on Harriet Jacobs. 

Lydia's play Harriet Jacobs is based on a true story. In her book "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," Harriet Jacobs describes with brutal honesty the hardships she endures under slavery, including the extraordinary choices she makes to be near her children. To survive, she escapes into her imagination and through writing, discovers hope for a better life. Accompanied by the rich musical traditions of slave spirituals, Lydia Diamond's Harriet Jacobs is an inspiring look at a young woman’s fascinating journey from slavery to freedom.

Those that love poetic theatrical language and imagery will fall in love with Lydia’s voice in this piece, and American history buffs will no doubt be engrossed by this tale based on a true story.

A little plug: The Downstairs series reading of Harriet Jacobs is this Monday, June 29^th at 7PM at our Crystal City theater and is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. You can RSVP with the sales office by phone at 202.488.3300, or in-person at the box office in Crystal City.

I hope you’ll join me on Monday to watch how Harriet Jacobs evolves, and experience part of the exciting, unpredictable process of developing a new play.

Journey to Rehearsal

by Travis Ballenger, Senior Producing Fellow

In case you missed the presentation of Psalmeyene24's Journey to the Door of No Return: A Hip Hop Odyssey or wanted to relive the "journey", here are some photos from the rehearsal room:

(Our playwright, Psalm 24 along with dramaturg Amrita Mangus)

(Cast members Nancy Robinette, Tuyet Thi Pham, Bus Howard, and Tim Getman learning a piece of choreography from Paige Hernandez)

(DJ Munch!)

(And the dancing just continues...featured in the photo are cast members Nancy Robinette, Tuyet Thi Pham, Bus Howard, Tim Getman, and Paige Hernandez)

An Intern's Journey to the Downstairs

by Meghan McCormick, HR/Finance Intern

Last night I had the privilege of attending my first downstairs play reading, Psalmeyene24's Journey to the Door of No Return: A Hip Hop Odyssey, with a group of my fellow interns. It was unlike any play reading I have ever seen before. In this modern urban odyssey, music is a character and the movement that flows out of it informed the entire style of the piece. In a few moments scattered through the show, the audience was given a true glimpse into what the piece will become. It was strongest at the points where it allowed sound and movement to communicate desire. The choreographed dance between the seductress, Love Lee and the protagonist, Baraka, gave the audience more insight than any of the explicit verbal passes she makes at Baraka. Towards the end of the play, Baraka goes through a transformative dance that was not performed in this production. Instead the stage directions were read and from the description of the movement, I was left with an intense longing to see them performed. I look forward to a full production of this piece so that I can experience Baraka’s transformation in the way that is truest to his character, music and dance.

After the reading ended, there was a post-show discussion with the playwright and dramaturg on the project. Psalmeyene24 took in the audience reaction, not saying much, but scribbling down many notes on the responses to his pointed questions. The first question was about themes and more than ten different ones were supplied, making it clear to the audience and the playwright that this play is very a personal experience. Each person who has the privilege of seeing it will take from it their own message.

Part of being an intern at Arena Stage is exposure to new works and the opportunities to engage with the next generation of American artists. This reading excites the possibilities of a new type of theater that incorporates all forms of human expression. I look forward to witnessing its artistic growth and to seeing what next week’s downstairs reading of a new play will bring. 

A "Journey" like No Other

by Amrita Mangus, Allen Lee Hughes Dramaturgy Fellow

It's hard to believe that today is the final day of rehearsal for Psalmeyene24's Journey to the Door of No Return: A Hip Hop Odyssey. Mirroring the play's central storyline of a young man embarking on an odyssey-inspired journey in search of knowledge and discovery, we've encountered a pretty monumental "journey" in the rehearsal room as we workshopped the first Hip Hop piece in the Downstairs series.

During the first day of rehearsal, we read the play out loud without incorporating any of the music or movement and quickly realized that both elements are essential characters in the piece that help the narrative move forward. We then broke up our rehearsals for the next few days so that we could spend more time with the music and the movement, taking the rap songs and analyzing the meaning, meter, and beats and determining whether the movement represents a certain dance style or helps define a location. Having very little experience with hip hop music and dance, I was fascinated by the impact of these elements on the entire piece once we started to put everything together. One moment that particularly struck me was during a recitation of Public Enemy's "Don't Believe the Hype" by the main character, Baraka, after he's accused of stealing by his manager at the Gap. The actor first rapped the song with the same meter and music as the original song, but then realized that it didn't quite fit what he wanted to say. Our director, Kamilah Forbes, then proposed rapping the song with the focus on his intention and motivation, allowing him to spend more time with certain words and  re-imagine it in the context of the play. The results blew my mind, completely. It deepened the meaning of that moment and made the entire theatrical experience far more exciting.

That's just one of the fantastic moments that you can catch tonight at the staged reading, starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Crystal City Theater. Admission is free, so check it out! Watch the story, the music, and the movement come together, then stay for the talkback with the playwright and tell us what you think. The journey doesn't end until the final ingredient, the audience, is incorporated into the mix.

Giddiness in the Costume Shop

by Donatella Galella, Dramaturgy Intern

I don't normally get excited about clothes, but when Arena's Costume Shop Director Joe Salasovich showed off Guenevere's luxurious costume from Camelot in all of its leather and lace glory, I got giddy.

On Wednesday, Joe gave the interns from Arena Stage and Studio Theatre a special tour of the costume shop and answered questions about his profession. He introduced us to the process from designers to drapers, and invited us to peruse the extensive collection of costumes, shoes, hats—of course Arena, with its multiple stagings of Crowns, would have tons of hats—and so on. The experience was overwhelming as we carefully ran our hands over custom-made pieces with eyes of amazement and appreciation. 

Joe eagerly pulled costumes and pointed to their specific features. From August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, he presented Aunt Ester’s paisley dress. Joe explained that this sort of pattern was popular in the 1860s and, though the play takes place at the turn of the twentieth century, Aunt Ester likely inherited the dress from her mistress and mended it with similar fabrics. While the audience may not notice such fine details, they inform the actor, helping him or her get into character. This became literal in Legacy of Light when Lindsey Kyler had to quick change from a pregnant, modern-day Millie to corseted, eighteenth-century Pauline; her costumes physically changed how the actress held herself for these different characters. Asked to describe costume design in one word, Joe replied, “Sincerity,” which comes through with these particular costumes. Shortly afterward, he smiled and added, “Caprice,” and showed us the fun, frilly pieces for Lola of Damn Yankees!, sequined baseballs and all.

All sides of Tallulah

by Janine Sobeck

Anyone who stays for one of our post-show discussions will probably hear me say at some point that they are one of my favorite parts of my job.  And while just the chance to sit on stage with the cast would be a treat, I am continuously delighted by the conversations that transpire between us and the audience.

Yesterday we had the first post-show discussion for Looped, made extra special by the fact that playwright Matthew Lombardo joined us on stage.  Along with the genuine love and enthusiasm for the performances of Valerie, Jay, and Michael, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of stories that people had about Talullah - personal encounters at a father's horse farm, visits to her grave site (which is located in Maryland), and the memories of her many television and film performances (a favorite tended to the be the Lucy and Dezi show).  While Matthew and Valerie are correct in their saying that they have created their "own versions" of Tallulah - striving to make her a real person and not an impersentation - the work is continuing to resonate with some of Tallulah's biggest fans.  Not only with her crazy antics, famous voice and larger than life personality, but with her geniune heart and generous nature.  The stories from the audience, combined with the tidbits and insights the cast and Matthew had from the developmental process, continued to expand the experience that everyone was having with this complex and vivacious woman.  An experience that continued to grow with the second post show after today's matinee. 

And the best part is...there are still more to come.