Stage Banter: The Arena Stage Blog

From the Road: Leg Room

by David Dower

I had to laugh when I saw that the two Citizen Reviews of Ella both had referenced the ample leg room of our new Crystal City venue. I’d met each of the writers at the open rehearsal, and they were both over six feet tall. I’m a tall person, myself. At 6’4” I had the exact same reaction sitting in the theater for the first time. There’s so much room, it feels like sitting in the exit row on a cross country flight.  "Priceless..."

What’s remarkable about the roominess is how rare it is in American theaters. I was painfully reminded of the scarcity this weekend while scouting on the East Coast. I started at PS 122 in NYC, where I caught the work of a young ensemble called The TEAM. I couldn’t put my legs on the floor without driving my knees into the wooden back of the sofa in front of me. I wound up watching the show with my left leg folded under my right and my right leg draped over the arm of the sofa. The patrons occupying the sofa were sympathetic, which helped, but it was still distractingly uncomfortable. Then, upstairs at The Public, I saw the Bay Area spoken word ensemble The Suicide Kings and later the wonderful Dael Orlandersmith (of Yellowman) and had to keep my feet en pointe for both shows because I couldn’t wedge myself in without invading the leg room of the people on either side of me.

From the Road: "I've gone to look for America"

by David Dower

With the classic chorus of Simon and Garfunkel's "America" running through my head, I got my scouting gear on earlier this month and went to take a peek at some singularly American voices in action.  It didn't exactly take me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw, but it did involve trains, planes, and automobiles. And a lot of plays.  It's a pretty good gig, as I've said.  Here are the highlights:

Peter and Jerry:  Edward Albee is being very well served by his director, Pam McKinnon, and his cast (on the left are Bill Pullman and Johanna Day—you may remember her from Rainmaker here) in this Second Stage production.  This evening is comprised of two interrelated one-act plays.  The first half is Homelife, and was written as a prequel to Zoo Story six years ago (and 45 years after Zoo Story's premiere).  It's a fascinating snapshot of a moment in a marriage, sparkling with Albee's wit and wisdom and leading us through some brutal terrain, just skirting the abyss, without histrionics, without big warning signs of the road ahead. Your skimming along the surface of a quiet evening at home when all of a sudden the conversation takes a sharp turn into intimate revelations that surprise them both. The husband is Peter, the man on the bench at the top of Zoo Story, and these are the moments before he heads out to the park to read.  Beautifully staged and acted, with poise and charisma and totally present performances from both actors.  The second act is Zoo Story.  I found Dallas Roberts mesmerizing as Jerry.  But the big surprise of the night, for me, was how successfully the first act had balanced this second act, turning what's always read like a monologue into a true duet.  Pullman's listening, informed by the events we'd witnessed in Homelife, brought the bench-sitter fully into partnership with the dangerously unhinged motormouth who's disrupted the peace and quiet of a read in the park.  This production is closing this week, alas.  If you saw it, let me know what you thought about it.

From the Road: "August: Osage County" and "The Receptionist"

posted by Vijay Mathew

Last week I had the chance to see August: Osage County by Tracy Letts and The Receptionist by Adam Bock in New York (that's the Receptionist, herself, on the left—Jayne Houdyshell). The two are very different plays, each exhibiting what theater is best at doing. Without exaggerating, I think the production of August: Osage County originally from the Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a masterpiece of American theater, and it was heartening for me to see something of such great artistry, humor and depth in the theater. In many ways, this production situates itself in the tradition of the great dramatic American plays about family—except that it is hilarious. Which made me doubt my assumptions for a brief moment about the great American mid-century dramas from which August springs: have they lost their humor in their subsequent revivals? Maybe Long Day's Journey into Night was a laugh-riot when audiences first saw it in the 1950's. But then I thought about it again, and no, Long Day's Journey was probably never funny, no matter how great it was. (If someone saw that production on Broadway in '56, please comment here!) The next doubt to enter my mind was: will August be around in fifty years and if so, who are these mysterious people and institutions that make those decisions about the future and have influence on a play's legacy? I want to meet them.

From the Road: Fire on the Mountain

posted by David Dower

Scouting again. This time Molly Smith, Arena’s Artistic Director, had me on the hunt in Louisville. I went down and back on Sunday to catch a matinee of Fire on the Mountain at Actors’ Theater. You may be familiar with the theater from its annual Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Fire on the Mountain is a musical created by Dan Wheetman and Randal Myler. If you’ve been coming around Arena for a few years you’ll remember this team from the Tony-nominated Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues, which was here in the 1996/97 season.

This time they’ve focused their attention on Appalachia, its miners and its music. And what music! It’s the music of the soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou and Gillian Welch. It’s blues and bluegrass and hillbilly and hoe down. It’s about unions and sweethearts and coal dust and paradise. 

Way to Go Alliance Theater

posted by David Dower

I’m in Atlanta. Again. For the opening night of Tim Acito's The Women of Brewster Place. (Opening night for Brewster was also the second night of tech for Well in the Fichandler and a performance of 33 Variations in Kreeger!)

There's a lot of excitement around the place. Alliance Theater has planned a star-studded, red carpeted affair. Mayor Franklin, Star Jones, and celebrities from Oprah's miniseries based on the book are all on guest list.

When I arrived, Molly Smith let me know there was a field trip planned for 2:00pm to see a mural. I was talking to her on my cell while riding the MARTA in from the airport. (I’m sorry to say, I’ve become one of those people who talks on their cell phone on public transportation. Infrequently. But still…) She was telling me about the mural as the train went underground, so I didn’t quite get the connection between it and the show. I didn’t get any connection, for that matter—the call dropped. But I was up for the adventure.

Turns out to be this inspired and inspiring story. And I’m so glad I was here to see it!

I Laughed Til I Cried

posted by David Dower

Sometimes I feel I have the best job in the world. I’m on a plane on my way back to DC, having just flown to Atlanta yesterday. (Okay, so that’s not the fun part…) I was here for a quick check-in on the progress of Tim Acito’s The Women of Brewster Place, currently in rehearsal for the first stop on its co-world premiere. When I left the building yesterday, Moisés Kaufman and company had just begun the tech process for the world premiere of his new play, 33 Variations in our own Kreeger Theater. And it was day three of rehearsal for Lisa Kron’s Well. 07/08 is in full swing!

The Brewster rehearsal hall is crackling with energy and the mega-watt personality of its company of divas. I happened to be there for a run-through of the first draft of Molly Smith’s blocking for the scene where the women stage a community-theater musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I noticed Terry Burrell, with a look of pure mischief in her eye, taking Molly aside. In the scene, she plays Bottom to Cheryl Alexander’s Titania. She’s got an idea she wants to fold into Kenny Robeson’s choreography and she wants to surprise everyone. I don’t hear what it is, but Molly nods her ascent.

August: Osage County

posted by David Dower

If you are going to be in Chicago this summer and there is any way you can get a ticket, you want to move whatever mountains you have to to catch Steppenwolf’s world premiere production of Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County (playwright pictured on the left). I completely agreed with Charles Isherwood in The New York Times review of the show.