Stage Banter: The Arena Stage Blog

"Light in the Piazza" named one of the top 6 most significant musicals of the decade

by Janine Sobeck

A lot of my time lately has been split between the final tech days of Stick Fly, following up with the Defining Diversity convening, and doing prep work for our upcoming The Light in the Piazza.  While the balance can be tricky, I must say that in between auditions in New York (wow can these people sing), mapping out the city of Florence (my favorite city in the world...I used to live there you know) and helping people with their Italian in DC (there's some in Stick Fly as well!), the world created by Adam Guettal and Craig Lucas in The Light in the Piazza is starting to pull me in and demand some greater attention.

It seems I'm not the only one that heard the call.  The New York Times published an article yesterday talking about the most significant musicals of the last decade - and The Light in the Piazza was right on top.  Heralded for both its story, its music, and its continuation of the "great tradition," this gem has proven its worth in both big and small theatres, and is finding new life with the chamber version that has been recently released (and which we will be doing here at Arena).  Check out the full article here, and be on the look out for some upcoming Piazza events...

Dashing Through the Snow. . . .With a Group of SPP Plays!

by Amrita Mangus, Institute Fellow

As many of you know by now, I lived on the West Coast for the majority of my life and thoroughly enjoyed the temperate, 70-degree winters. So naturally, when the snow and rain descended upon DC during the last few weeks, I spent a total of ten minutes outside and retreated to the comfort of my warm apartment or the equally warm office. What a perfect time to grab a cup of hot cocoa, curl up in a chair, and peruse through my large stack of SPP plays!

Ever since our community engagement team announced a call for submissions for the Student Playwrights Project (SPP), hundreds upon hundreds of plays have arrived at the office, eagerly awaiting a reader from the Arena team to pick them up. As I sat in my chair reading these plays, I encountered a plethora of fascinating concepts and characters. I journeyed through a world where four leftover hamburgers were desperately trying to escape the fridge and find their mecca in a trash can, away from the ravenous claws of the Burgerama employees who planned to eat them the next day. I met princes, princesses, 17th century colonists, superheroes, dancers, actresses and aliens. I read some beautiful dialogue, filled with metaphors, imagery, rhythm and lyricism. It was time well spent, and made me proud of all the aspiring playwrights who participated.

Stay tuned for an announcement of the winners in January. Till then, as the snowflakes fall, you know where I'll be!

Racing into the New Year

by David Dower

Happy Holidays, everyone!

It's that time again, when we're opening our rehearsal process to people who like to see the plays we do here come together for the very first time.

This time around, the open dress rehearsal is for Stick Fly, a smart, surprising comedy about a weekend on the Vineyard. The LeVay's are part of the upper class African American community of Martha's Vineyard, and their home is the scene of one of those classic "family gatherings gone amok" sort of stories that has fueled so many classic American plays. Kenny Leon directs Lydia Diamond's script with this exceptionally appealing cast.

And you can get a sneak peek for free! This will be a full runthrough of the play, the first time in front of an audience. You'll be sitting with the director, designers, stage managers and Arena staffers for this rehearsal. A great way to start your New Year's Eve celebration.

We're at Crystal City. December 31st. It starts at 7:30pm. 

These open rehearsals get more popular every time, so you will want to call for a reservation for this one. Call the box office: 202.488.3300 and let them know you read about it here!

Then plan to join us next week for a lively discussion with the casts of The Fantasticks and Stick Fly for Race: It's Complicated to talk about the range of African American experiences in these two sparkling productions.

New Stick Fly Video

by Janine Sobeck

As we wind up the final days of tech rehearsals for Stick Fly, the actors joined director Kenny Leon to talk about the process that they've been going through.  Check out the new video below!

As the black voice...My Ventures to Black Theater

[Editor's Note: This post is part of a series, which I am going to group under the category "Young, Gifted, and Black @ Arena" so that you can read the whole thing easily. It is comprised of a series of posts by a cohort of young black participants in this year's Allen Lee Hughes Fellows program. We've asked them to share their experiences all year, and in particular to document their developing understanding of what they are calling "Black art" as lensed through the experience of their Fellowship season.]

By Travis Ballenger, Senior New Play Producing Fellow

As you may know, I've been traveling around a bit discussing Black Theater. I'm attempting to learn about the ecology of Black Theater from the major players. In January, I am line-producing a symposium on Black American Playwrights and the new play development infrastructure. We are focusing on the issues facing these playwrights. I'm particularly interested in what stories they feel they are allowed to tell.

I've learned a lot over the past couple of months. Some of these ideas are new and I'm trying to find ways for them to fit. Others, I've heard a thousand times. Here are some of the issues, as I've heard them:

Being Black in a LORT World

Speaking with some Black theater professionals, I've heard that Black playwrights have difficulty maintaining their voice in a LORT theater world.  The argument has been made, mostly by Black theater artists, that theaters have a difficult time understanding, artistically, what to do with their shows. I've heard the complaint that LORT theaters take a play by a Black playwright with an all black cast and hire a white director, white dramaturg, and white designers. The artist has to fight to have Black people on the creative team. There is the argument that without a black creative team, you lose the 1st voice, and risk missing a certain level of authenticity.

"Race: It's Complicated!" A Conversation With The Actors

by Travis LeMont Ballenger, New Play Senior Producing Fellow

As you may know, there has been a ton of conversation about diversity recently. Most of this conversation has been behind closed doors and in private convenings. Now we want to take it all out. On January 4th at 7:00pm we'll have a conversation with the cast members from Stick Fly and The Fantasticks. Our topic: Race on stage. What does it mean to have a mixed race cast for a traditionally all white show? What is the effect of having an upper class Black family? Let's talk about all of it.

Join us at the Lincoln Theater and be a part of the conversation.

 

Driving Mr. Albee

by Flordelino Lagundino, Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellow

 

A couple of weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to speak to Edward Albee while driving him around to several Arena Stage events.  He had come down from NYC to speak with author Deborah Tannen about his plays at the Arent Fox law firm, to tour the construction site of the new building, and and attend the Kennedy Center honors.

 

Well, you can imagine that I was both excited and a little bit nervous about hanging with one of the giants of American theater.  I mean, what the heck do we talk about?  Do I ask him about his plays?  Does he hate talking about them and having people gushing all over him?  But, you know, in the end, I just had to ask him questions about theater.  I mean, what else do you do when you are with a living legend?  You listen to what they have to say.

 

On what he thinks is good directing: Doing what the writer tells you in their play.  Directors that he admires: Pam Mackinnon (the director of A Delicate Balance this past season at Arena), David Ebjornson (the director of The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? on Broadway).  A play that is running right now that he believes is directed well and follows the intentions of the playwright: Our Town at the Barrow Street Theater in New York City.

Other ideas that I picked up during the two days (These are not direct quotes):

- There are many relationship between music (he brought up Bach) and playwriting.

- It is the responsibility of writers to tell the truth.
- Fact is better left to fiction.
- We submerge our truths.
- His plays ask more questions than they have answers.
- Theater is a place for your values to be questioned.  It is for engagement.  For an experience. Good theater alters you. Arts are there to make you think differently.

- Listen to the rhythms of how the characters are speaking. Theater is a heard experience.

- Every character speaks differently based on their history.
- In writing, he starts with characters.

I leave these thoughts as they are and without my personal comment because they are meant for each person to ruminate over for themselves.  For me, that was the best part of the experience: questioning why I do theater.  Absolutely, you can disagree with what he says and with how he views the role of a director.  But in the end, he made me reflect on why I do theater and its purpose in my life.  And for that, I would gladly be his driver again.

 

(Updated 12/24/09)

DCTS talks to the Fantasticks' Laurence O’Dwyer and Jesse Terrill

by Janine Sobeck

Joel Markowitz and the DC Theatre Scene just posted a podcast interview with The Fantasticks' "funny men," Laurence O'Dwyer (Henry) and Jesse Terrill (Mortimer).  Hear all about their experience with the show - and what it was like for Laurence to step in as a replacement during tech week - by clicking HERE.

 

 

Arena Sings! And other holiday adventures...

Stefanie Barish, Media Relations Fellow

The holiday season can mean lots of things, but I’ve learned in the past month that when you work in communications, the holiday season means appearances, appearances, appearances! 

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been busy preparing for an upcoming Arena event – we’re singing at the National Christmas Tree! This Saturday, December 19, members of the Arena staff and two cast members from our upcoming production of Stick Fly will be singing as part of the National Christmas Tree Evening Music Program at President’s Park. Our performance time is 7:00 p.m. and you don’t want to miss it. We had rehearsal last night and let me say, our staff members are very talented.  

To give you a little sneak peek, our own Director of Publications will be representing The Fantasticks and singing a beautiful rendition of Try to Remember, two of my fellow fellows will be serenading each other with Baby, It’s Cold Outside, Amber Iman, who is starring in Stick Fly, will be belting out the holiday classic, The Christmas Song, and the entire group of fifteen will be singing my personal favorite, the long version of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, figgy pudding and all.  

Another upcoming event the communications team has been preparing for is our upcoming Family Fun Days at The Fantasticks. What makes it fun? Well, we’re having a juggler, a stilt walker, and a magician who will be there to entertain before the show. Plus, there’s free popcorn for all and balloons for all the kids. Our first Family Fun Day is for our Monday show, December 21^st at 7:30 p.m. and our second Family Fun day is for our noon matinee on Tuesday, December 22^nd. If you come on Tuesday, you’ll even have a chance to meet the cast after the show!  

Finally, we did have an appearance in early December at the Alexandria Scottish Parade on December 5^th. You may have missed us since it was snowing/raining/sleeting all morning and what I remember as being sub-zero temperatures. There were five of us, marching through the slush, giving out sapphire beads, showing off our homemade red scarves and clever banner (thanks to April, our marketing fellow, and Ronee, a senior new play producing fellow, for their handy work with felt). Despite the fact that most of us lost feeling in various extremities, it was a lot of fun seeing children's eyes light up when we handed them the beads, there was probably also a lot of smiling going on, but it was hard to see underneath the layers of clothing everyone had on. It was especially nice when people shouted out to us when they recognized our name, so thanks to those of you who cheered us on or even offered hugs while we trekked through the streets. 

So it’s been a busy few weeks here in the communications department as we’ve been preparing for all of our holiday fun and I look forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming events. Feel free to bring us some figgy pudding, especially since I have no idea what that is…

Welcome back to the Casting Office...well...kinda...

by Jamil Jude

It has been quite some time since I have updated you all on the happenings here in the Casting Office but there really ins't much going on...INSIDE the office.  For the last few weeks, the office has been empty.  Real empty.  

Unlike the last time Dan went away, and left me all alone (I still have nightmares), when he left, so did I.  Shortly before Thanksgiving, Dan went back to New York, to finish up casting for Sophisticated Ladies.  On November 25, there was an open choral call.  The following week, November 30-December 3, our NY Casting Director set up a full week of dance calls, priority auditions, and call backs.  Although I wasn't there, Dan has informed me that the turnout was good, and we have a solid group of performers moving forward.  Once again, Dan will be on the road again; this time headed back to NY to complete the cast for Light in the Piazza.  After completing this trip we would have completed casting all of our shows for the season!

I am out of the office for the entire month of December.  My last day in the office, November 20th, was very bitter sweet.  On the one hand, I was very excited about going into the rehearsal room with Kenny Leon and the amazingly talented cast of Stick Fly but on the other hand, I was very sad that I wouldn't see the rest of the Arena Stage Administrative staff.  That meant no more jokes with Travis, Amrita, Ronee and the rest of the fellows, no more secret high-fives from Molly in the hallway, no more lunch time conversations and trips to Cosi.

Despite the mixed feelings, I have truly had an amazing experience working as a PA (Production Assistant) for the show.  To see gifted actors work to find the truth in a new, exciting, and beautiful play like the one Lydia has written has been rewarding on so many levels.  Kenny has really pushed the cast to bring out their best and they have risen to that challenge.  

My long awaited return to the offices in Crystal City will not take place until the new year.  Until then, I will try and keep you all as updated as possible about the latest happenings in the Casting Office, as well as the Rehearsal Hall.  Thanks again to David Dower, Daniel Pruksarnukul, Angelita Thomas and Carey Lawless for granting me this unique and life-changing experience.  That's all for now from the Casting Office...