Hedda Gabler: Armstrong Atlantic State University

EDITORIAL NOTE: The following review was penned at our request by a contributor. In my role as director of AASU's "Hedda", I did not feel it proper to also review said piece. As such, I asked for one and was obliged. I post it here without revision.
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The Armstrong Atlantic State University Masquers open their 2009-2010 season with a bold choice in Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. It is important to also note that the Masquers are the first University to produce this version since it’s premiere on Broadway early this year. This New York production, adapted by Christopher Shinn, was blasted by New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley as one of the “worst revivals he has ever, ever seen.” Not having the opportunity to see that production, this reviewer was anxious to see if the reviews were indicative of the new adaptation or that particular production.

The paint is still drying on Armstrong’s new theatre. And in recent months, the Masquers have proven that they are much more technically adept at handling their new space than in the first months in which it opened. The audience is immediately intrigued by the fascinating set design by Megan Baptiste-Field. The set, crafted to resemble a cage, makes a powerful statement to the audience long before the performance begins. Equally effective is the lighting design by Tiffany Barnhart. The cyclorama, clearly visible through the wall’s of Hedda’s ‘cage’, shifts and changes color in such an uneasy and sporadic fashion that one begins to feel they are riding the wave of neurosis along with the play’s central figure.

This play, much like any of the great Shakespearian tragedies, requires the director and the company to have plausible options for the lead actor before announcing auditions. The Masquers held an open call for every role, a bold move indeed. The result: Danni Conti as Hedda Gabler. Ms. Conti, a charming young woman, is a fresh face to the Jenkins theatre stage. On this fact alone, Director Eric Kildow should be commended for introducing a new face to the Masquers stage, which from recent shows looks more like a repertory ensemble than the thriving theatre department in which they have become.

Ms. Conti captures the audience’s attention from the moment she saunters on stage. However, after the audiences have had time to focus in on this production’s central figure, one begins to wonder if less would be more. Throughout this production, Conti often appears that she realizes the daunting role in which she has been cast. Also, at times, Conti’s movements and gestures appear as unmotivated as her character’s manipulative and neurotic behavior.

The rest of the cast acts as an efficient, well-cast ensemble. Perhaps the strongest two performances are delivered by two of the show’s leading men. Jonas Boyd (Judge Brack) and Logan Padilla (Tessman) deliver in nearly every moment. Mr. Boyd finds and delivers the humor in Judge Brack. Although, Boyd should be careful of boundaries and not reach for humor that the script simply doesn’t provide. Padilla is the epitome of Tessman. From his initial moment onstage, one would find it hard to believe that this young actor is a freshman. Hillary Kay has an effective presence as the elderly Miss Tessman. To that end, Ariel Pellman must be commended for her age make-up and costume design.

Director Eric Kildow has made bold choices for this piece. He is to be commended for his work. He also answers my questions about Brantley’s 2009 review. This new adaptation is cleanly written and is easily accessible to a modern audience. The responsibility lies on the shoulders of the director. The Masquers involved in this production could not have a better pair of shoulders on which to rest for this educational experience. That said, the aforementioned notes, while true, must be taken within the context that this work IS done within the educational realm. To see students producing such a powerful play will only make them stronger, more confident and better prepared the next time they take the stage. Which, knowing the Masquers’ busy season, should be very soon.

Artists as Community Trustees

Increasingly, The Savannah Dramaturgy has become increasingly fascinated with the prospect of a thriving, and self-sustaining theatrical community here in Savannah. While we cannot deny that there is a healthy theatre community in this town, it is the idea of sustainability that is the major hurdle.

Quite simply, we need the community to sustain us. We need Savannah and Chatham County to take an interest and pay to see shows, donate funding, and essentially help professional theatre to walk. However, the chances of this happening are minimal unless the theatrical community begins to show a similar level of interest back.

Which brings us to the idea of artists as community trustees. Artists have a vested interests in the overall health of their communities, and yet often seem to exist (or think of themselves as existing) on the fringes of society. All too often, thespians venture out of their venues only enough to sleep, eat, and work their paying job. However, even a small investment in the community could help to pay dividends for the theatre community overall.

When in Texas, we always had one particular consideration when shopping for Summer musicals: How many children can we cast? A single child cast in a show will mean a ticket bought by mom and dad (at least twice each) plus grandma, autie, Uncle Lester, etc etc. When you cast small kids, there is an interest built, an attraction between town and show. It is similar if the artist makes themselves something of a community figure. Imagine if one's coworkers, yoga class, and other contacts from volunteerism can be made interested in the show.

Further, one cannot help but think that enlisting organizational assistance with a show, a sort of co-sponsorship, could also pay dividends. If I recall the Savannah Actor's Theatre's production of Rocky Horror some time ago, there was an idea floated to cooperate with Planned Parenthood on providing prophylactics and information at the lobby/preshow. Though it did not pan out, to do this is to give another entity a vested interest in the health of the performing arts community.

We, as artists, must bridge to our communities. We are entrusted to tell the stories of a people in a way that nobody else can. And yet, people need to be listening. And, sometimes, in order to get people to listen, one has to shut up and do something.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch- The Bay Street Theatre

EDITORIAL NOTE: The following review was penned at our request by a contributor. As much as I had hoped to cover Hedwig myself, my own production responsibilities precluded me from being able to do so. Though I did not see the production, it should be noted that the Editor does heartily endorse the content of the review's final paragraph.

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Hedwig and the Angry Inch could easily be called a one man tour-de-force, but it actually takes quite a few people to pull it off. The stage musical, which most people initially encountered as the 2001 John Cameron Mitchell film, follows the rise and fall of Hedwig from “a slip of a girlyboy living in communist East Berlin” to a glamorous transsexual "a internationally ignored" rock sensation.

Chris Blair is truly phenomenal [as Hedwig]. From his lengthy monologues in which he cracks jokes that have been appropriately updated to fit the time and place to his soaring rock vocals, to his climactic meltdown, it is clear that he is one of the finest musical theatre performers Savannah has to offer. The skill at engaging and responding to his audience that made last year's Rocky Horror Show a success is at its finest here.

But as much as Hedwig really is (as one person put it) "The Chris Blair show, staring Chris Blair" he is backed by an incredibly talented team, most notably Valerie Lavelle as Hedwig's husband,Yitzhak. Ms. Lavelle has always been particularly exceptional at staying present in a scene no matter how often she speaks. She is the rare actor who is always interesting to watch while never actually stealing focus. Her vocals are impressive and the moment she shares with Mr. Blair during "The Long Grift" is truly touching (until she spits in his face).

The Angry Inch band is a delight to listen to and watch react. Ryan McCurdy in particular helps keep up the illusion of spontaneity with his genuine reactions to Mr. Blair's performance (including taking a moment after one joke to put his head down on the keyboard while Chris Stanley patted him uncertainly on the shoulder). His solo during "The Long Grift" lacked the clarity that one usually expects from Mr. McCurdy's wonderful voice but that may have been a fault of the song itself. The pre-show provided by The Angry Inch was great fun, allowing all of the band members a chance to sing and Mr. McCurdy and Mr. Stanley in particular a chance to shine. (A sight not unusual to Club One where Mr. Stanley DJs Karaoke on Tuesday and Wednesday nights).

Travis Coles fits the role of Tommy Gnosis well, though much of what he was actually saying during his reprise of "Wicked Town" was lost. And that is unfortunately the greatest weakness of the show as a whole. The songs sound great and have a great energy but even Mr. Blair occasionally falls victim to the lyrics being more sound than words. Fortunately the story (for the most part) holds up without them, but one has to wonder if we as the audience aren't missing out on something. Whether the fault for this lies in the writing of the music or the production of the sound can be hard to tell. The performers, however, all seem to be giving it their all.

The costumes are pitch perfect and the slides for the most part are used very well. The space is well used, particularly for the "off stage" characters. The one moment of staging that felt contrived involved Ms. Lavelle's Yitzhak playing with a wig and a hand mirror on a table stage left. The symbolism of the wig did become apparent but I kept expecting the wig itself to be used since there really didn't seem to be any reason for it to be there. The director's work should rarely call attention to itself and here Bridget Tunstall has captured the illusion that she simply cast the right people and then stayed out of their way.

Since this was the inaugural event of a new venue and a new company, we here at the Savannah Dramaturgy would be remiss if we did not examine for a moment what this production means for the ever shifting Savannah Theatre scene. The Bay Street Theatre is a wonderful idea, but as good as this production was, as a choice of show it strays no further from the image of the Club One Cabaret than their second theatrical offering, The Rocky Horror Show, which opens at the end of next month. This is not necessarily a problem, but it will be interesting to see what happens when and if the Bay Street Theatre attempts to diversify their productions beyond shows that feature the fabulous Mr. Blair in heels. And it is important to note that these two shows are being produced by separate companies. But the venue itself will eventually have to define what audience it seeks and what it hopes to become.

And for the Pocketbook Naysayers

For all those would-be arts advocates out there:

As opposed to trying to slog through the entirety of Americans for the Arts latest arts impact study, the good folks at the blog createquity.com have not only provided an excellent analysis, but also an effective summary of that analysis.

The analysis can be had here.
The summary can be found here.

Open the Gates!

Recently, while perusing the latest issue of Arts Update from Americans for the Arts, I found this interesting link from an Australian publication known as The Age.

It simply reinforces a great deal of what we have been getting at here at The Savannah Dramaturgy, and thought that it was worth a read. It can be had here.

Banned from the Polis: The Poetic Citizen

If you consider, I said, that when in misfortune we feel a natural hunger and desire to relieve our sorrow by weeping and lamentation, and that this feeling which is kept under control in our own calamities is satisfied and delighted by the poets;--the better nature in each of us, not having been sufficiently trained by reason or habit, allows the sympathetic element to break loose because the sorrow is another's; and the spectator fancies that there can be no disgrace to himself in praising and pitying any one who comes telling him what a good man he is, and making a fuss about his troubles; he thinks that the pleasure is a gain, and why should he be supercilious and lose this and the poem too? Few persons ever reflect, as I should imagine, that from the evil of other men something of evil is communicated to themselves. And so the feeling of sorrow which has gathered strength at the sight of the misfortunes of others is with difficulty repressed in our own.
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And does not the same hold also of the ridiculous? There are jests which you would be ashamed to make yourself, and yet on the comic stage, or indeed in private, when you hear them, you are greatly amused by them, and are not at all disgusted at their unseemliness;--the case of pity is repeated;--there is a principle in human nature which is disposed to raise a laugh, and this which you once restrained by reason, because you were afraid of being thought a buffoon, is now let out again; and having stimulated the risible faculty at the theatre, you are betrayed unconsciously to yourself into playing the comic poet at home.
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And the same may be said of lust and anger and all the other affections, of desire and pain and pleasure, which are held to be inseparable from every action--in all of them poetry feeds and waters the passions instead of drying them up; she lets them rule, although they ought to be controlled, if mankind are ever to increase in happiness and virtue.

--From Plato's Republic Book X (Benjamin Jowett Trans.)

In regards to politics, and the best way of life, there is an ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry, which thereby leads Plato to banish all such poets from his famous "city in speech." Along with his Symposium, Plato's Republic acknowledges the power that poets (particularly those such as the thespians Aristophanes and Agathon) have over the wills and opinions of their fellow men. Given this power, it should come as no surprise that Socrates sends them packing.

This poses an interesting question in regards to an open and democratic society. If one accepts the argument regarding the powers of the Poet, can one accept a particular segment of society having this level of unaccounted sway over the habits and opinions of others? Indeed, the reasoning of Plato seems to present one of the most dangerous forces in an open society, unless it is properly channeled.

To paraphrase a far more populist American philosopher, Spiderman, there is the idea that with great power comes great responsibility. As such, perhaps it would behoove the artistic community to follow this parabasis put forth by the great comedian Aristophanes:

Never since our poet presented Comedies, has he praised himself upon the stage; but, having been slandered by his enemies amongst the volatile Athenians, accused of scoffing at his country and of insulting the people, to-day he wishes to reply and regain for himself the inconstant Athenians. He maintains that he has done much that is good for you; if you no longer allow yourselves to be too much hoodwinked by strangers or seduced by flattery, if in politics you are no longer the ninnies you once were, it is thanks to him. Formerly, when delegates from other cities wanted to deceive you, they had but to style you, "the people crowned with violets," and, at the word "violets" you at once sat erect on the tips of your bums. Or, if to tickle your vanity, someone spoke of "rich and sleek Athens," in return for that 'sleekness' he would get all, because he spoke of you as he would have of anchovies in oil. In cautioning you against such wiles, the poet has done you great service as well as in forcing you to understand what is really the democratic principle. Thus, the strangers, who came to pay their tributes, wanted to see this great poet, who had dared to speak the truth to Athens. And so far has the fame of his boldness reached that one day the Great King, when questioning the Lacedaemonian delegates, first asked them which of the two rival cities was the superior at sea, and then immediately demanded at which it was that the comic poet directed his biting satire. "Happy that city," he added, "if it listens to his counsel; it will grow in power, and its victory is assured." This is why the Lacedaemonians offer you peace, if you will cede them Aegina; not that they care for the isle, but they wish to rob you of your poet. As for you, never lose him, who will always fight for the cause of justice in his Comedies; he promises you that his precepts will lead you to happiness, though he uses neither flattery, nor bribery, nor intrigue, nor deceit; instead of loading you with praise, he will point you to the better way. I scoff at Cleon's tricks and plotting; honesty and justice shall fight my cause; never will you find me a political poltroon, a prostitute to the highest bidder.

--From Aristophanes The Acharnians

Thus, artists must ask themselves the important question of how should they go about using their influence and gifts. Aristophanes would have one employ them in the pursuit of social justice and the overall good.

Yet this assumes that there is such an entity as the Poetic Citizen, and that there is such a level of authority to be exercised. It elevates the poet or artist somewhat out of the citizenry, enshrining them as something special.

This does not quite seem to mesh with the realities of artistic life. While such might be the case of the cosseted faculty of the Tisch School and their performance art, the more average thespian must actually live within the society they are, at times, charged to protect. Given this, I posit the idea of the citizen poet, who plies his (or her) trade but is heavily affected by the surrounding society. The theatre's reliance on the good graces of the audience to remain not only in business, but also in existence adds new dimension to the Audience/Poet power relationship. As de Tocqueville pointed out, the theatre is highly democratized due to its need for social support.

Thus, to relate this (however tenuously) back to the "Beautiful Process" of Community-based dramaturgy, the citizen poet must be malleable to bring in the audience, only to then turn and give them a dose of what is good in the Aristophanes tradition given the powers that Plato posited. Indeed, coming to a complete understanding of this flexible power differential, may be the most demanding dramaturgical task facing thespians in the 21st century.

The Beautiful Process: Towards a Dramaturgy of Community

In his Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Mankind, Friedrich Schiller once wrote that humans, as higher animals, are capable "of a disinterested and unconditional appreciation of pure semblance." Essentially, one of the things that Schiller points to as the difference between humans and animals is a certain level of aesthetic appreciation.

To paraphrase Denis Dutton's 1990 address to the Russian Institute of Aesthetics, humanity reaches a higher form of being once it becomes more interested in the carved handle to a knife becomes more important than the knife itself and the cutting properties thereof. Indeed, we have only become truly human when were prefer a semblance of the material as opposed tot he gross material world itself.

And yet, particularly when one begins to think about the ramifications of this, one cannot help but begin to shy away from what this is saying. Theatre cannot simply be disinterested in the community around it! Unlike many arts, we not only exist within our surrounding communities but are fully reliant upon them! We must reject Schiller's (and Kant's) notion of disinterested watching and take an active interest in the effects our work have in our cities and towns.

This leads me to posit the idea of a beautiful process, by where our theatrical dramaturgy, our producing organizations, theatres, and thespians begin to actively and aggressively engage with the community in order to accomplish things that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also good in and of themselves.

A recent article in The Review talks about the relationship between the modern theatre and the dramaturg. It can be found here(page 8). I would submit that our theatres should enjoy a similar relationship to what Ms. Kaplan wants dramaturgs to have with their theatres. "I’m here because I have something you need and you have something I want. It’s an honest exchange."

Whether our communities know it or not, we have something they need. We have the transformative power of performance and the incandescent characters of the Western Dramatic tradition. We have stories that can never really die because they are far too ingrained in the collective psyche. On top of that, we tell our stories in a way that cannot be denied.

Let us throw open the doors, let us embrace those outside of them. It goes beyond simple marketing and selling tickets, it is the Beautiful Process of Community-based Dramaturgy.