Stage Banter: The Arena Stage Blog

Behind the Scenes Moms Part 2: Christmas Carol 1941

posted by Anne Harrison

When I told my son, C.J., that he had received an offer to join the cast of Christmas Carol 1941 (CC41), he stared at me in disbelief to be sure that he’d heard correctly and then became really excited. While I began clearing our schedule for the upcoming three months, C.J. was more interested in things from a twelve-year old’s perspective: “I hope I have a fun part in the show!”  “Can we ride Metro to rehearsals?”  “Awesome - now I can’t get my braces until January!” “When can I see the script?” C.J. has been performing in regional theater since first grade, but being offered a job at the venerable Arena Stage put his love of acting in a whole new perspective. C.J. portrays three characters; he’s a delivery boy, Young Strube, and a boy in the town.

Arena gave me permission to accompany C.J. throughout the theater, and it’s been a wonderful experience. Our first day began with a meet-and-greet, where some patrons of Arena Stage and the people involved with the show enjoyed snacks and had an opportunity to talk with one another in the lobby. We met one very gracious couple and learned of the work they are doing to improve conditions for people in South Africa. That’s when I began to realize that CC41 was going to provide C.J., who is homeschooled, with much more than just some additional acting experience; it’s a terrific opportunity to expand his view of the world. 

After the meet-and-greet, we were all ushered into the theater where Molly Smith, the director, introduced various people involved with the show. She explained the historical concepts behind CC41 and gave us her vision for the play. James Magruder, the playwright, told of some of the personal connections that he’s written into the show. In these days where so many people are interested in genealogy and capturing oral histories, it was touching to hear of how he had chosen to honor the good relationships he’s had with his relatives. The meet-and-greet ended with displays of a model stage set and costume sketches. C.J. was particularly captivated by the miniature model of the set, which includes moving elevators and a bi-level floor.

Behind the Scenes Moms Part 1: Christmas Carol 1941

posted by Laura Clement (her daughter Mollie plays Carolyn Schroen in Christmas Carol 1941)

When Mollie has a performance opportunity, I ask myself two questions: 1) Does Mollie want to do this? (More than we do?); and 2) Will it be a good learning experience? The answers were clear when the chance to participate in the development of Christmas Carol 1941 came up. Yes! Mollie wanted to work at Arena Stage! And Yes! To participate in a reading of a new script with a group of talented artists sounded like a sure bet for learning. But when we committed to a one-day reading last spring, we didn’t know that the play would be brought to life at Arena just months later, nor did we know that Mollie would be included in the actual production. We couldn’t have imagined just how much Mollie would love working at Arena, and what an incredible learning experience the process would be. 

The acting training that Mollie has received at Firebelly Productions under Kathi Gollwitzer gave her the tools she needed even before rehearsals began. What an incredible opportunity this is to take these tools out into the world and put them to use! She read the script several times to try to really understand what the playwright wants and invented the nooks and crannies of Carolyn’s character. She looked for the moment of discovery in each scene—when Carolyn discovers something that she didn’t know before. She studied the dialog in each scene and considered how her scene partners made her feel. Then she spent some time thinking about what she wanted the other characters to feel. She also considered Carolyn’s action—what keeps her moving forward. Some actions are physical movements, some are internal. Both involve scene partners. She’s figured out for each scene what Carolyn wants and what she is going to do to get it. (Oh and don’t forget memorizing the lines). All this before the first rehearsal!

Backstage Crew POV: The Women of Brewster Place

posted by Rachel Swan

Normally, I serve as Arena's Production Associate—I coordinate our visiting artists' travel and housing needs, facilitate their contracts, etc. Due to various factors, I'm helping out on the run crew of The Women of Brewster Place and I have to say it's amazing and I'm lucky to be able to help out! Largely, I'm stationed stage-right (when you're sitting in the house, looking at the stage, I'd be on the left) and work with the table that rolls on and off to the alcove far downstage (closest to the audience). The cast brings the table on and off stage, but I'm always there to hand off or catch it so they can make to their next entrance or costume change (there's a lot of costumes and tons of shoes!). It's while waiting for the table to be brought off stage that I get to view snippets of the show from a perspective that no one else has. For instance, during "Sing Billy," I get to watch Marva Hicks straight on as she and Tina Fabrique sing one of my favorite songs. The relationship between those two women is almost tangible, and it's just powerful; it reminds me of my dearest friends and how we've helped each other through rough times. Also, at the end of "Dumbass," I'm standing directly in front of the speaker that Cora Lee's children's voices comes through. I've finally stopped jumping when the first voice comes out!