Last night the cast of Murdering Marlowe read the play.
There is something so exciting about a first reading. Watching and listening to the actors work the language and get their heads around the ideas and expressions.
In this case, it's more thrilling than usual since the play is written in a pseudo-Elizabethan style with verse and prose. There is nothing more engaging than the sound of different words working together to form the music that is the play. And in this play the ideas are quite contemporary: envy, power, religion, fame and sex.
It should be a thrilling ride, but more on that later.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
HERE WE GO
After a week to scramble, a cast has been assembled for Murdering Marlowe.
We had auditions then conducted some callbacks (rare for me) and were finally able to put together a group of talented people.
Tonight we'll meet to read the play and go over introductions. This will give us roughly 9 weeks to get this play in shape. That should be enough and with the commitment of everyone involved, this should be another exciting show.
Currently, I've been tossing around the idea of staging this play with a film-noir/neo-noir style. Charles Marowitz, the playwright, says the play is above all a thriller rather than a period drama. I would agree. He actually has a wonderful mock interview with Will Shakespeare that sheds some light on moving classical plays to different time periods.
We had auditions then conducted some callbacks (rare for me) and were finally able to put together a group of talented people.
Tonight we'll meet to read the play and go over introductions. This will give us roughly 9 weeks to get this play in shape. That should be enough and with the commitment of everyone involved, this should be another exciting show.
Currently, I've been tossing around the idea of staging this play with a film-noir/neo-noir style. Charles Marowitz, the playwright, says the play is above all a thriller rather than a period drama. I would agree. He actually has a wonderful mock interview with Will Shakespeare that sheds some light on moving classical plays to different time periods.
CM: Does it bother you to have your plays radically reinterpreted, their time periods changed, the characters costumed in attire ranging from the Stone Age to the 21st century?
WS: Why should it? I did the same in my own time. We played in "modern dress," you know -- or what was modern in the l6th and l7th centuries. It doesn't matter to me what the clothes look like, or the settings. What does bother me is when these wiseacres impose a new story on to mine which disintegrates the original and makes a mush of both. It's like a bad organ transplant; the original organism rejects the new heart or liver and the fusion only draws attention to the incompatibility of both. Now that really does get my goat!
CW: So you don't mind being freely "reinterpreted"?
WS: Being reinterpreted is the only way my work can possibly survive. It almost perished in the Victorian era because a few fussbudgets were determined to protect and defend me against distortion -- but what they called "distortion" was really the Present interacting with the Past, which is the bounden duty of the Present to do. God forfend that I should fall into the hands of the Purists, the Scholars, and the Academics! They're the New Puritans and we have to fight them as staunchly today as I did five centuries ago.
Interesting stuff. And I couldn't agree more. The plays won't survive if we don't constantly play with them in order to discover what lies beneath the text. Or what new worlds are waiting for us to wake up.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
A WEEK TO SCRAMBLE
It has been a week to scramble.
After holding auditions last Sunday night for Murdering Marlowe, we went to work on making choices on how to cast the show. That is why I've been away this week.
You can go back and forth on what to do about casting a show. We had some fine talent show up and I would say all went well, except for the fact that we didn't have enough men to cover the parts for the play. Damn. Damn. Damn.
So the week was spent making emails and phone calls, trying to find people to fill out the show. I think I hit 1 for 8 from the field. Not my best week in office. The problem is that we're pretty shrewd about casting. This isn't the little league baseball team where everyone gets to play regardless of talent. If you don't fit the part or the play, and I can't wedge you in somehow, we don't do it. That's it.
That's not arrogance. It's a responsibility to the audience that sees the work. It's also a responsibility to the playwright who wrote the piece.
I've had to reschedule a few shows due to that situation. This is because I believe it's important to have the best people you can find on stage. Especially for a show that will be getting a Chicago premiere. That might sound tough but you have to have some guiding principles or standards.
Still, I was encouraged by the auditions, which featured some wonderful women and some energizing men.
Now the trick is finding a way to cast the play, or move on to a new production. I have a few days. The clock is ticking.
After holding auditions last Sunday night for Murdering Marlowe, we went to work on making choices on how to cast the show. That is why I've been away this week.
You can go back and forth on what to do about casting a show. We had some fine talent show up and I would say all went well, except for the fact that we didn't have enough men to cover the parts for the play. Damn. Damn. Damn.
So the week was spent making emails and phone calls, trying to find people to fill out the show. I think I hit 1 for 8 from the field. Not my best week in office. The problem is that we're pretty shrewd about casting. This isn't the little league baseball team where everyone gets to play regardless of talent. If you don't fit the part or the play, and I can't wedge you in somehow, we don't do it. That's it.
That's not arrogance. It's a responsibility to the audience that sees the work. It's also a responsibility to the playwright who wrote the piece.
I've had to reschedule a few shows due to that situation. This is because I believe it's important to have the best people you can find on stage. Especially for a show that will be getting a Chicago premiere. That might sound tough but you have to have some guiding principles or standards.
Still, I was encouraged by the auditions, which featured some wonderful women and some energizing men.
Now the trick is finding a way to cast the play, or move on to a new production. I have a few days. The clock is ticking.
Monday, March 05, 2007
ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO
We finished Life X 3 last night.
Endings are always difficult with theater. You work 6,8 or maybe 9 weeks with a cast, put up the show, ride the emotional roller coaster of audiences, reviews and wondering whether the heat will be on - then it's over. Just like that, it all seems to stop at once.
Usually you have a certain amount of downtime to reload and think of the future. In this case, we had scheduled auditions for Murdering Marlowe roughly two hours after Life ended. Luckily our strike only took 10 minutes (one of the perks with doing a Janus show).
The show stayed strong throughout the run, and the cast kept their focus, even with light audiences, fluctuating temperatures and hot and spicy cheez-its.
I felt fortunate to direct this group. They worked well with each other - onstage and off - which can be rare in theater; where moods change like the wind and people can get very strange very quickly. But this group did us proud for our first effort at the Elgin Art Showcase.
Now the challenge becomes growing our audience. It feels like we're starting from scratch.
Fortunately, we have two more "practice" productions to see how what we'll work best for us.
Yes, we're scheduled beyond the next two shows, but they are part of our "breaking-in" phase to see what works well in the space. So far so good, save for the fact that we need to find the secret to getting the ever illusive larger audience.
As the late (I'll call him great) theater producer Fred Solari (Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago) said to me a few years ago: "When you find out the secret, be sure to let me know."
Endings are always difficult with theater. You work 6,8 or maybe 9 weeks with a cast, put up the show, ride the emotional roller coaster of audiences, reviews and wondering whether the heat will be on - then it's over. Just like that, it all seems to stop at once.
Usually you have a certain amount of downtime to reload and think of the future. In this case, we had scheduled auditions for Murdering Marlowe roughly two hours after Life ended. Luckily our strike only took 10 minutes (one of the perks with doing a Janus show).
The show stayed strong throughout the run, and the cast kept their focus, even with light audiences, fluctuating temperatures and hot and spicy cheez-its.
I felt fortunate to direct this group. They worked well with each other - onstage and off - which can be rare in theater; where moods change like the wind and people can get very strange very quickly. But this group did us proud for our first effort at the Elgin Art Showcase.
Now the challenge becomes growing our audience. It feels like we're starting from scratch.
Fortunately, we have two more "practice" productions to see how what we'll work best for us.
Yes, we're scheduled beyond the next two shows, but they are part of our "breaking-in" phase to see what works well in the space. So far so good, save for the fact that we need to find the secret to getting the ever illusive larger audience.
As the late (I'll call him great) theater producer Fred Solari (Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago) said to me a few years ago: "When you find out the secret, be sure to let me know."
Friday, March 02, 2007
I THINK WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN
Previous posts found me lamenting the lack of male actors in the suburbs. This post still has me pouting, but there is hope, as the numbers have changed.
At last count, we have six men lined up to audition for the pseudo-Elizabethan thriller Murdering Marlowe by Charles Marowitz. We also have 10 women auditioning for only two parts, which is very typical and unfortunate.
Perhaps we should do something with a dominant female cast. That would makes sense. Maybe The Trojan Women as suggested by Terry Domschke (Artistic Director) or a gender-bending take on a classical play with the author long dead (as suggested by Tara Schuman - Stage Manager). Perhaps the low turnout is due to the foreign title. This is, after all, a newer play, which will be the Chicago-area premiere.
This is a discussion me and my fellow Janus folks had last night.
Would a better-known play attract more people to audition as well as an audience to support them? The obvious answer is yes.
So why would we decide to do two new plays to christen our new space? It appears better to play it safe, right? Of course it does.
The problem is that I (Sean, the director of these two plays) have been seduced by their wonderful theatrical qualities.
These are great plays for actors with meaty roles, thrilling language and interesting stories. Oh, yes, the audience will find them exciting as well.
This is little consolation when your current show struggles to find an audience and your next show cannot easily be cast.
Still, I have hope that these next two days will present us with more actors to audition and a strong weekend closing of Life X 3. At least that's my hope. I thing we can, I think we can, I think.
At last count, we have six men lined up to audition for the pseudo-Elizabethan thriller Murdering Marlowe by Charles Marowitz. We also have 10 women auditioning for only two parts, which is very typical and unfortunate.
Perhaps we should do something with a dominant female cast. That would makes sense. Maybe The Trojan Women as suggested by Terry Domschke (Artistic Director) or a gender-bending take on a classical play with the author long dead (as suggested by Tara Schuman - Stage Manager). Perhaps the low turnout is due to the foreign title. This is, after all, a newer play, which will be the Chicago-area premiere.
This is a discussion me and my fellow Janus folks had last night.
Would a better-known play attract more people to audition as well as an audience to support them? The obvious answer is yes.
So why would we decide to do two new plays to christen our new space? It appears better to play it safe, right? Of course it does.
The problem is that I (Sean, the director of these two plays) have been seduced by their wonderful theatrical qualities.
These are great plays for actors with meaty roles, thrilling language and interesting stories. Oh, yes, the audience will find them exciting as well.
This is little consolation when your current show struggles to find an audience and your next show cannot easily be cast.
Still, I have hope that these next two days will present us with more actors to audition and a strong weekend closing of Life X 3. At least that's my hope. I thing we can, I think we can, I think.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
This is the last week to see Life X 3. Only three performances left before we wave goodbye to this strange ride.
The weather has not been kind, which has led to sporadic attendance. But the cast has been a strong bunch - able to stay professional despite the myriad of distractions that comes with a new space. They've all done fine work on this Chicago premiere.
All in all, the run has proved fruitful from an artistic side. The play reveals new insights every time they run it. And, of course, the cast keeps it lively with slight variations every night.
The audience has been interesting. Some are quiet, some are loud, and some are completely amused by what's happening on stage. This play has that overall effect on those who see it. I compare it to Groundhog Day meets Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. A heady mix that is like taking a ride on a roller coaster. Good times. Good times.
At this point, attendance is slim for this weekend, but I'm hopeful it will pick up. Final weekends tend to bring out the late rush of people who've been too busy to see past performances. Hopefully that is the case and maybe the weather will stay quiet.
The weather has not been kind, which has led to sporadic attendance. But the cast has been a strong bunch - able to stay professional despite the myriad of distractions that comes with a new space. They've all done fine work on this Chicago premiere.
All in all, the run has proved fruitful from an artistic side. The play reveals new insights every time they run it. And, of course, the cast keeps it lively with slight variations every night.
The audience has been interesting. Some are quiet, some are loud, and some are completely amused by what's happening on stage. This play has that overall effect on those who see it. I compare it to Groundhog Day meets Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. A heady mix that is like taking a ride on a roller coaster. Good times. Good times.
At this point, attendance is slim for this weekend, but I'm hopeful it will pick up. Final weekends tend to bring out the late rush of people who've been too busy to see past performances. Hopefully that is the case and maybe the weather will stay quiet.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO
It seems like we have two scenarios working to their logical conclusions. The show Life X 3 will be ending, and the auditions for Murdering Marlowe will be starting.
The day we close one will give way to the night we begin the other.
This is the time where I begin to wonder if the last-minute masses will make their way to see our show. I can't see why not: a tight cast, interesting script, tons of press and a new space.
Of course what seems obvious on the one hand, can lead to empty houses on the other. A show like Life X 3 challenges and has that funky title. Not like Vagina Monologues or Santaland Diaries, but something else all together, which doesn't have them running up eight flights of stairs to see it. Just kidding - you can take the elevator.
Yes, this is the fun little struggle you deal with when you present your art. "And there was much rejoicing. Yeah."
As for Murdering Marlowe, the situation stays the same: where are the men? Can we get some guys, please? One of the most pressing issues with suburban theatre is the lack of quality male actors. And with the recent influx of theater activity in the last 7 years, it all becomes that much harder.
What you'll find is many male actors stay close to groups that star them, regardless of the material. Sure, there are exceptions, but usually it is a tall order getting people to travel. Still, the pool is very shallow when it comes to male actors, regardless of where you dip your feet.
Chicago has actors. The young twenty-somethings don't mind building a resume by doing a show in the burbs - once. That's it. Only one time will they make that drive. I can't blame them. When we worked in Chicago for four years, the drive wore me down like a Rachel Yamagata song.
So the plight with Murdering Marlowe is that he might never come to life to begin with. If I can't get the right cast, I will have to rethink the whole situation. The play requires 7 men and 2 women, which means that right now we have an inverted situation, with nine women and two men scheduled to audition. That's how it goes, so many plays with males parts and too many women to fill. Now don't get me wrong, I've worked with some wonderful women in the theatre. The problem is there aren't that many men left in the burbs. And so many plays are dominated by men.
The last few shows I've directed have found me dodging the bullet when comes to casting. The Laramie Project, We Only Have Ives For You, Squirrels and Life X 3 - all these plays almost didn't happen because the male actors I needed didn't show until the last minute. Sometimes the last minute wasn't enough, leading me to make many, many phone calls.
That's why you have a backup plan (new play) if you need to change directions. It's also why I take Aleve on a regular basis.
The day we close one will give way to the night we begin the other.
This is the time where I begin to wonder if the last-minute masses will make their way to see our show. I can't see why not: a tight cast, interesting script, tons of press and a new space.
Of course what seems obvious on the one hand, can lead to empty houses on the other. A show like Life X 3 challenges and has that funky title. Not like Vagina Monologues or Santaland Diaries, but something else all together, which doesn't have them running up eight flights of stairs to see it. Just kidding - you can take the elevator.
Yes, this is the fun little struggle you deal with when you present your art. "And there was much rejoicing. Yeah."
As for Murdering Marlowe, the situation stays the same: where are the men? Can we get some guys, please? One of the most pressing issues with suburban theatre is the lack of quality male actors. And with the recent influx of theater activity in the last 7 years, it all becomes that much harder.
What you'll find is many male actors stay close to groups that star them, regardless of the material. Sure, there are exceptions, but usually it is a tall order getting people to travel. Still, the pool is very shallow when it comes to male actors, regardless of where you dip your feet.
Chicago has actors. The young twenty-somethings don't mind building a resume by doing a show in the burbs - once. That's it. Only one time will they make that drive. I can't blame them. When we worked in Chicago for four years, the drive wore me down like a Rachel Yamagata song.
So the plight with Murdering Marlowe is that he might never come to life to begin with. If I can't get the right cast, I will have to rethink the whole situation. The play requires 7 men and 2 women, which means that right now we have an inverted situation, with nine women and two men scheduled to audition. That's how it goes, so many plays with males parts and too many women to fill. Now don't get me wrong, I've worked with some wonderful women in the theatre. The problem is there aren't that many men left in the burbs. And so many plays are dominated by men.
The last few shows I've directed have found me dodging the bullet when comes to casting. The Laramie Project, We Only Have Ives For You, Squirrels and Life X 3 - all these plays almost didn't happen because the male actors I needed didn't show until the last minute. Sometimes the last minute wasn't enough, leading me to make many, many phone calls.
That's why you have a backup plan (new play) if you need to change directions. It's also why I take Aleve on a regular basis.
Monday, February 19, 2007
LENORE ADKINS GIVES PRAISE!
Sunday's edition of the Daily Herald featured some kind words from staff writer Lenore Adkins.
Says she:
...Elgin play’s backdrop gives it a trendy feel.
I don’t know if you’ve been to see the
Janus Theater Company’s latest
production, “Life X 3,” inside the new
Elgin Art Showcase in the Professional
Building, but if you haven’t, you should
totally check it out.
My friend, Elisabeth Carrel, a copy editor
at the Daily Herald, and I took in a sneak preview
of the show a day before its official release. A party
followed afterward in the green room that featured
champagne, cider and dozens of pastries.
Anyway, I must say the new performance
space is phenomenal, with sweeping views of
downtown Elgin. And the play, set in a Paris
apartment, included those views in the backdrop
that, to me, made the production all the more realistic.
As I told Elgin Mayor Ed Schock, who also
was there with his wife Karen, the open view gave
the apartment a trendy loft feel. You should
definitely check it out for yourselves.
Adkins was one of many people that made it to the "sneak preview" night. Her comments were welcome and she's right. The space has a trendy feel, but more importantly, it gives off an urban atmosphere, reminiscent of what you would find in Chicago or even New York. Definitely a new jewel in Elgin's downtown revival.
Says she:
...Elgin play’s backdrop gives it a trendy feel.
I don’t know if you’ve been to see the
Janus Theater Company’s latest
production, “Life X 3,” inside the new
Elgin Art Showcase in the Professional
Building, but if you haven’t, you should
totally check it out.
My friend, Elisabeth Carrel, a copy editor
at the Daily Herald, and I took in a sneak preview
of the show a day before its official release. A party
followed afterward in the green room that featured
champagne, cider and dozens of pastries.
Anyway, I must say the new performance
space is phenomenal, with sweeping views of
downtown Elgin. And the play, set in a Paris
apartment, included those views in the backdrop
that, to me, made the production all the more realistic.
As I told Elgin Mayor Ed Schock, who also
was there with his wife Karen, the open view gave
the apartment a trendy loft feel. You should
definitely check it out for yourselves.
Adkins was one of many people that made it to the "sneak preview" night. Her comments were welcome and she's right. The space has a trendy feel, but more importantly, it gives off an urban atmosphere, reminiscent of what you would find in Chicago or even New York. Definitely a new jewel in Elgin's downtown revival.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
WE'RE BACK!
This is a little late. About one year to be exact. But after producing the successful Laramie Project in Chicago, we had to regroup and refocus, while we prepared to move into our new digs - the Elgin Art Showcase!
That's right. After eight years of wandering, claiming the irreverent titles - nomadic stalwart and gypsy troupe - we are now settled and prepared to enter middle-age in an old/new space.
Some background. The Elgin Art Showcase is an old ballroom with high ceilings and hardwood floors. The space has been fully renovated to provide gallery/performance space for Elgin artists and performing groups. We jumped at the chance and when they asked groups to provide dates, we said we could do five shows accounting for 19 weeks!
That's a little nuts. I liken the experience to and all-you-can-eat fish fry, where you think your able to consume at least a dozen pieces of perch, when, in fact, you only finish two.
In our case, we hope to put our stamp on the space, and survive in the process. And maybe people will come and consume the theater. Always perched precariously close to the edge of what is considered mainstream, our group has survived - somehow, someway - despite producing an eclectic mix of theater in an array of venues.
We're thinking that being in one place, over time, can only help our chances.
Time will tell the tale.
Stayed tuned for updates, anecdotes and information.
And if you want more "professional" information about us and what we're doing, please go to our website at http://www.janustheatre.org/. "It's in there. It's all in there."
Thanks
Sean
That's right. After eight years of wandering, claiming the irreverent titles - nomadic stalwart and gypsy troupe - we are now settled and prepared to enter middle-age in an old/new space.
Some background. The Elgin Art Showcase is an old ballroom with high ceilings and hardwood floors. The space has been fully renovated to provide gallery/performance space for Elgin artists and performing groups. We jumped at the chance and when they asked groups to provide dates, we said we could do five shows accounting for 19 weeks!
That's a little nuts. I liken the experience to and all-you-can-eat fish fry, where you think your able to consume at least a dozen pieces of perch, when, in fact, you only finish two.
In our case, we hope to put our stamp on the space, and survive in the process. And maybe people will come and consume the theater. Always perched precariously close to the edge of what is considered mainstream, our group has survived - somehow, someway - despite producing an eclectic mix of theater in an array of venues.
We're thinking that being in one place, over time, can only help our chances.
Time will tell the tale.
Stayed tuned for updates, anecdotes and information.
And if you want more "professional" information about us and what we're doing, please go to our website at http://www.janustheatre.org/. "It's in there. It's all in there."
Thanks
Sean
Sunday, March 12, 2006
A SHORT TAKE - TIMEOUT CHICAGO
TIMEOUT CHICAGO
Kris Vire
March 9, 2006
The Laramie ProjectBy Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. Dir. Sean Hargadon. With ensemble cast. Janus Theatre Company at the Athenaeum.It's tempting to call The Laramie Project a foolproof play. The docudrama, built from interviews conducted in the wake of Matthew Shepard's murder, is so well constructed that you might think it would be impossible to screw up. Truthfully, though, there are plenty of opportunities to go wrong. It wouldn't be difficult to go too maudlin or too self-righteous, or to get caught up in attempts at realism. Even the all-star HBO film of the play, directed by Kaufman, went too far in that direction, losing the sense of theatricality that makes a project like this thrive. Luckily, Hargadon hasn't lost sight of that. He and his cast keep things simple. Recurring characters are identified with simple costume pieces; props and design elements are kept to a minimum, allowing the performances and the words of the interview subjects to be the focus. The result is as thought-provoking and as moving as the subject deserves.
Kris Vire
March 9, 2006
The Laramie ProjectBy Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. Dir. Sean Hargadon. With ensemble cast. Janus Theatre Company at the Athenaeum.It's tempting to call The Laramie Project a foolproof play. The docudrama, built from interviews conducted in the wake of Matthew Shepard's murder, is so well constructed that you might think it would be impossible to screw up. Truthfully, though, there are plenty of opportunities to go wrong. It wouldn't be difficult to go too maudlin or too self-righteous, or to get caught up in attempts at realism. Even the all-star HBO film of the play, directed by Kaufman, went too far in that direction, losing the sense of theatricality that makes a project like this thrive. Luckily, Hargadon hasn't lost sight of that. He and his cast keep things simple. Recurring characters are identified with simple costume pieces; props and design elements are kept to a minimum, allowing the performances and the words of the interview subjects to be the focus. The result is as thought-provoking and as moving as the subject deserves.
Monday, March 06, 2006
LARAMIE PROJECTS PACKS A WALLOP
CHICAGOCRITIC.COM
BY TOM WILLIAMS
Posted Monday, March 5, 2006
Recommended
Janus Theatre’s eight member ensemble landed the powerful, heart-wrenching saga of the horrible hate crime against Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998. The famous and saddening story of homophobia gone to extremes is told through the eyes of the Teconic Theater Project under Moises Kaufman’s leadership. This company traveled six times to Laramie and conducted over 200 interviews with everyone involved in the crime from town residents to law enforcement officials to religious leaders covering the complete story in a slick documentary style. Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, tortured and killed by two men simply because he was gay.
Lynn Wirth, Jeremy Schaefer, Seth Remington, Zachary Clark, Laura Schwartz, Jonathan Shalvi, Karen Pappas and Helen Young deftly played dozens of characters using first person narration that aptly told the story with enough background and local color to give context to how and why this terrible crime happened. This is an amazingly well performed show showcasing the versatile talents of each actor.
This documentary completely covers Matthew Shepard’s story that unfolds as powerful journalism and emotionally strong theatre. This approach contains a look into the lowly depths humans can reach when fear, ignorance and bigotry are allowed to exist. Kudos to the cast and director for mounting a fast paced sincere energetic telling of a story that needs to be heard often so it will not be repeated.
The talent of this ensemble is evident as they let the power of the story lead us into compassion for the victim and rage against bigotry. This is a polished production of an American tragedy. I think Matthew Shepard would appreciate the dedication of the Janus Theatre ensemble.
BY TOM WILLIAMS
Posted Monday, March 5, 2006
Recommended
Janus Theatre’s eight member ensemble landed the powerful, heart-wrenching saga of the horrible hate crime against Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998. The famous and saddening story of homophobia gone to extremes is told through the eyes of the Teconic Theater Project under Moises Kaufman’s leadership. This company traveled six times to Laramie and conducted over 200 interviews with everyone involved in the crime from town residents to law enforcement officials to religious leaders covering the complete story in a slick documentary style. Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, tortured and killed by two men simply because he was gay.
Lynn Wirth, Jeremy Schaefer, Seth Remington, Zachary Clark, Laura Schwartz, Jonathan Shalvi, Karen Pappas and Helen Young deftly played dozens of characters using first person narration that aptly told the story with enough background and local color to give context to how and why this terrible crime happened. This is an amazingly well performed show showcasing the versatile talents of each actor.
This documentary completely covers Matthew Shepard’s story that unfolds as powerful journalism and emotionally strong theatre. This approach contains a look into the lowly depths humans can reach when fear, ignorance and bigotry are allowed to exist. Kudos to the cast and director for mounting a fast paced sincere energetic telling of a story that needs to be heard often so it will not be repeated.
The talent of this ensemble is evident as they let the power of the story lead us into compassion for the victim and rage against bigotry. This is a polished production of an American tragedy. I think Matthew Shepard would appreciate the dedication of the Janus Theatre ensemble.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
CHICAGO TRIBUNE SEES LOVELY MOMENTS
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
ON THE FRINGE: NEW REVIEWS OF CHICAGO'S DIVERSE THEATER SCENE
By Kerry Reid Special to the Tribune
March 3, 2006
The Laramie Project
The movie "Brokeback Mountain" also inevitably came to mind while watching Janus Theatre's revival of "The Laramie Project," given the Wyoming setting and the gay-bashing death of Matthew Shepard that inspired Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project's portrait of the anguished college town. (One character even talks about the macho cowboy brand of homosexuality.)
But there are also echoes of "Capote" in the story of these New York-based writers who spent months interviewing Laramie residents about the effects on their lives of the crime and the punishment of its perpetrator.This show has been seen in numerous community and campus productions (and in an HBO movie) since its 2000 premiere.
The documentary narrative and emphasis on ensemble acting help this production. The greenness of some of the performers here doesn't interfere with the material -- in fact, the hesitancy feels honest and in the moment, of a piece with the difficulty of the stories being told. Director Sean Hargadon stitches together some lovely moments, and it's hard to keep a lump in the throat at bay when several of the townspeople don angel wings to block out the hateful invective of Fred Phelps. "Do your best to say it correct," a Catholic priest in Laramie urged Kaufman and his co-creators. Hargadon and his company, despite their lack of polish, manage to do just that.
ON THE FRINGE: NEW REVIEWS OF CHICAGO'S DIVERSE THEATER SCENE
By Kerry Reid Special to the Tribune
March 3, 2006
The Laramie Project
The movie "Brokeback Mountain" also inevitably came to mind while watching Janus Theatre's revival of "The Laramie Project," given the Wyoming setting and the gay-bashing death of Matthew Shepard that inspired Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project's portrait of the anguished college town. (One character even talks about the macho cowboy brand of homosexuality.)
But there are also echoes of "Capote" in the story of these New York-based writers who spent months interviewing Laramie residents about the effects on their lives of the crime and the punishment of its perpetrator.This show has been seen in numerous community and campus productions (and in an HBO movie) since its 2000 premiere.
The documentary narrative and emphasis on ensemble acting help this production. The greenness of some of the performers here doesn't interfere with the material -- in fact, the hesitancy feels honest and in the moment, of a piece with the difficulty of the stories being told. Director Sean Hargadon stitches together some lovely moments, and it's hard to keep a lump in the throat at bay when several of the townspeople don angel wings to block out the hateful invective of Fred Phelps. "Do your best to say it correct," a Catholic priest in Laramie urged Kaufman and his co-creators. Hargadon and his company, despite their lack of polish, manage to do just that.
"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" BY READER
CHICAGO READER
Lawrence Bommer
March 2, 2006
THE LARAMIE PROJECT - Wyoming, the "Equality State," seems to be the place for gay tragedy. Though Ang Lee's Oscar contender speaks for closeted cowboys everywhere, Moises Kaufman's 2000 play reminds us that a real-life tragedy happened there in 1998. Where Brokeback Mountain ends with a murder, The Laramie Project begins with one: the homophobic killing of 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard. But the townsfolk's reactions--as captured by Kaufman's original Tectonic Theater Project actors, who interviewed and portrayed them--count as much as re-creating the murder. So the challenge of producing this work is keeping what is essentially thirdhand storytelling immediate. Sean Hargadon's taut, true revival for the Janus Theatre surmounts every obstacle to deliver a valuable, compassionate night at the theater.
Lawrence Bommer
March 2, 2006
THE LARAMIE PROJECT - Wyoming, the "Equality State," seems to be the place for gay tragedy. Though Ang Lee's Oscar contender speaks for closeted cowboys everywhere, Moises Kaufman's 2000 play reminds us that a real-life tragedy happened there in 1998. Where Brokeback Mountain ends with a murder, The Laramie Project begins with one: the homophobic killing of 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard. But the townsfolk's reactions--as captured by Kaufman's original Tectonic Theater Project actors, who interviewed and portrayed them--count as much as re-creating the murder. So the challenge of producing this work is keeping what is essentially thirdhand storytelling immediate. Sean Hargadon's taut, true revival for the Janus Theatre surmounts every obstacle to deliver a valuable, compassionate night at the theater.
FREE PRESS SAYS KEEP IT ALIVE
CHICAGO FREE PRESS
The Laramie Project
By Louis Weisberg, Staff writer
March 1, 2006
The brutal 1998 murder of 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard riveted the world’s attention on anti-gay hate crimes like no such incident has before or since. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie and conducted more than 200 interviews with local people about the crime. They distilled their work into a piece of theater as stirring as it is authentic.
“The Laramie Project” is ultimately a searing portrait of America’s hypocritical view of homosexuality. Like most Americans, the good people of Laramie say they hate the sin but love the sinner. They can’t understand how this attitude could have led to a heinous crime that brought the eyes of the world peering in shock and disapproval over their backyard fences.
“Laramie’s live and let live,” says a character early in the play. “We don’t grow children like that,” says another, referring to the killers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. This denial is repeated over and over.
As the townspeople cast about searching for God’s meaning in an effort to put closure to the horrible experience, they look everywhere but in the mirror. Finally, toward the end of the play, Muslim college student Zubaida Ula, who knows a thing or two about Laramie hospitality, dares to utter the obvious: “People were going, ‘That’s not how it is here.’ Well, how is it here?” That line, even more than the convictions of McKinney and Henderson and the raw courtroom speech of Dennis Shepard, marks the climax of this work. If only the townspeople knew it.
Like Lanford Wilson’s “The Rimers of Eldridge,” another play that shined a scorching light on small-town bigotry, “The Laramie Project” is presented with minimal props and staging. The actors play multiple characters and switch in and out of them without a pause. This makes for a complex and difficult undertaking, and Janus Theatre Company’s young cast, under the direction of Sean Hargadon, does an admirable job of keeping it believable and absorbing.
“The Laramie Project” is a play that every GLBT person must see, and this capable production provides an excellent opportunity. Kudos to Janus for keeping this story and its message alive.
The Laramie Project
By Louis Weisberg, Staff writer
March 1, 2006
The brutal 1998 murder of 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard riveted the world’s attention on anti-gay hate crimes like no such incident has before or since. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie and conducted more than 200 interviews with local people about the crime. They distilled their work into a piece of theater as stirring as it is authentic.
“The Laramie Project” is ultimately a searing portrait of America’s hypocritical view of homosexuality. Like most Americans, the good people of Laramie say they hate the sin but love the sinner. They can’t understand how this attitude could have led to a heinous crime that brought the eyes of the world peering in shock and disapproval over their backyard fences.
“Laramie’s live and let live,” says a character early in the play. “We don’t grow children like that,” says another, referring to the killers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. This denial is repeated over and over.
As the townspeople cast about searching for God’s meaning in an effort to put closure to the horrible experience, they look everywhere but in the mirror. Finally, toward the end of the play, Muslim college student Zubaida Ula, who knows a thing or two about Laramie hospitality, dares to utter the obvious: “People were going, ‘That’s not how it is here.’ Well, how is it here?” That line, even more than the convictions of McKinney and Henderson and the raw courtroom speech of Dennis Shepard, marks the climax of this work. If only the townspeople knew it.
Like Lanford Wilson’s “The Rimers of Eldridge,” another play that shined a scorching light on small-town bigotry, “The Laramie Project” is presented with minimal props and staging. The actors play multiple characters and switch in and out of them without a pause. This makes for a complex and difficult undertaking, and Janus Theatre Company’s young cast, under the direction of Sean Hargadon, does an admirable job of keeping it believable and absorbing.
“The Laramie Project” is a play that every GLBT person must see, and this capable production provides an excellent opportunity. Kudos to Janus for keeping this story and its message alive.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
The Daily Herald Weighs In On Laramie
Holding up the mirror
BY BARBARA VITELLO
Daily Herald Staff
Writer Posted Thursday, February 23, 2006
" the purpose of the playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 't were, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." -"Hamlet," Act III, scene II
In October 1998, two young men from Laramie, Wyo., beat and robbed Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, tied him to a fence and left him to die.
The nation wondered how such a thing could happen.
Laramie wondered how it could happen there.
Director and playwright Moisés Kaufman wondered why.
During the next 18 months, he and members of New York City's Tectonic Theater Project interviewed residents of Laramie. From those conversations, they created "The Laramie Project," a well-balanced, revealing examination of the murder's impact on the community. The play does what theater should. It holds a mirror up to society. In this case, the reflection reveals bigotry as well as compassion.
Four years after its Chicago-area premiere, Janus Theatre, in a moving, well-crafted production of the still timely "Laramie Project," holds up that mirror again. Coming just weeks after 18-year-old Jacob Robida reportedly shot and attacked with a hatchet three patrons in a gay bar in New Bedford, Mass., this revival reminds us that hate can infect any city.
The play consists mostly of monologues from police officers, clergy members, Shepard's friends, college students and administrators, acquaintances of the accused and other locals. Their recollections drive the story of Shepard's death, the nationwide debate on homophobia and the intolerance it sparked, and the trial and conviction of his killers, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney.
Kaufman and company juxtapose the straightforward narrative with scenes that expose the local psyche and trace the progression from shock and anger to grief and vengeance and ultimately to a sort of reconciliation.
Janus' production, adeptly directed by Sean Hargadon, reflects the lean, understated style that characterizes the Elgin-based ensemble. Hargadon has a good sense of pacing, particularly in the second act where the initial frenetic tempo that accompanies the media onslaught on the town, gives way to the stillness that underscores Shepard's death, which concludes the act.
Joseph Schuman's simple set and lighting suit the play's minimalist style where props are in plain view and (with one angelic exception) costumes consist of a sweater, baseball cap, vest or ID badge.
That spare quality of the production extends to the actors whose mostly understated performances suit the play's reportorial tone.
Karen Pappas demonstrates range and depth, delivering noteworthy performances as engaging old-timer Marge Murray, mother to policewoman Reggie Fluty; a fire-and-brimstone preacher; and a naive young Tectonic Theater member.
Lynn Wirth is quietly effective in her quavering, shell-shocked portrayal of Aaron Kreifels, the university student who discovered Shepard. As a patrolman's wife, Wirth makes the woman's resentment almost innocuous, which adds a chilling subtext to her restrained performance.
While a little young (a problem shared by several male cast members) for the role of Matthew Shepard's father, Dennis, Zachary Clark's sincerity, especially the quiet heartache that infuses Shepard's statement to the court at McKinney's sentencing, makes up for it.
Helen Young and Laura Schwartz share a brief but memorable scene as friends of the accused, a couple of aimless young locals with little ambition and few prospects.
Seth Remington (unsettling as a minister and death penalty advocate), Jonathan Shalvi and Jeremy Schaefer round out the rest of this capable cast.
Schaefer fares best when he doesn't try so hard. His portrayal of Jedadiah Schultz, a 19-year-old struggling to reconcile the lessons of Laramie with his upbringing is less self-conscious than his other roles and thus more convincing. The throaty voice he uses is repetitive and distracting and his performance sometimes feels overwrought.
Ultimately, the strength of Janus' production lies in its simplicity and restraint. That's as it should be. Laramie's story needs no embellishment.
"The Laramie Project" Three Stars out of Four
BY BARBARA VITELLO
Daily Herald Staff
Writer Posted Thursday, February 23, 2006
" the purpose of the playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 't were, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." -"Hamlet," Act III, scene II
In October 1998, two young men from Laramie, Wyo., beat and robbed Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, tied him to a fence and left him to die.
The nation wondered how such a thing could happen.
Laramie wondered how it could happen there.
Director and playwright Moisés Kaufman wondered why.
During the next 18 months, he and members of New York City's Tectonic Theater Project interviewed residents of Laramie. From those conversations, they created "The Laramie Project," a well-balanced, revealing examination of the murder's impact on the community. The play does what theater should. It holds a mirror up to society. In this case, the reflection reveals bigotry as well as compassion.
Four years after its Chicago-area premiere, Janus Theatre, in a moving, well-crafted production of the still timely "Laramie Project," holds up that mirror again. Coming just weeks after 18-year-old Jacob Robida reportedly shot and attacked with a hatchet three patrons in a gay bar in New Bedford, Mass., this revival reminds us that hate can infect any city.
The play consists mostly of monologues from police officers, clergy members, Shepard's friends, college students and administrators, acquaintances of the accused and other locals. Their recollections drive the story of Shepard's death, the nationwide debate on homophobia and the intolerance it sparked, and the trial and conviction of his killers, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney.
Kaufman and company juxtapose the straightforward narrative with scenes that expose the local psyche and trace the progression from shock and anger to grief and vengeance and ultimately to a sort of reconciliation.
Janus' production, adeptly directed by Sean Hargadon, reflects the lean, understated style that characterizes the Elgin-based ensemble. Hargadon has a good sense of pacing, particularly in the second act where the initial frenetic tempo that accompanies the media onslaught on the town, gives way to the stillness that underscores Shepard's death, which concludes the act.
Joseph Schuman's simple set and lighting suit the play's minimalist style where props are in plain view and (with one angelic exception) costumes consist of a sweater, baseball cap, vest or ID badge.
That spare quality of the production extends to the actors whose mostly understated performances suit the play's reportorial tone.
Karen Pappas demonstrates range and depth, delivering noteworthy performances as engaging old-timer Marge Murray, mother to policewoman Reggie Fluty; a fire-and-brimstone preacher; and a naive young Tectonic Theater member.
Lynn Wirth is quietly effective in her quavering, shell-shocked portrayal of Aaron Kreifels, the university student who discovered Shepard. As a patrolman's wife, Wirth makes the woman's resentment almost innocuous, which adds a chilling subtext to her restrained performance.
While a little young (a problem shared by several male cast members) for the role of Matthew Shepard's father, Dennis, Zachary Clark's sincerity, especially the quiet heartache that infuses Shepard's statement to the court at McKinney's sentencing, makes up for it.
Helen Young and Laura Schwartz share a brief but memorable scene as friends of the accused, a couple of aimless young locals with little ambition and few prospects.
Seth Remington (unsettling as a minister and death penalty advocate), Jonathan Shalvi and Jeremy Schaefer round out the rest of this capable cast.
Schaefer fares best when he doesn't try so hard. His portrayal of Jedadiah Schultz, a 19-year-old struggling to reconcile the lessons of Laramie with his upbringing is less self-conscious than his other roles and thus more convincing. The throaty voice he uses is repetitive and distracting and his performance sometimes feels overwrought.
Ultimately, the strength of Janus' production lies in its simplicity and restraint. That's as it should be. Laramie's story needs no embellishment.
"The Laramie Project" Three Stars out of Four
Monday, February 20, 2006
The Laramie Project Still Relevant Today
Greetings!
We just opened The Laramie Project this last weekend. After six weeks of difficult work, the show previewed on Thursday and Friday and opened on Saturday night to a full house.
With the latest hate crimes in Massachusetts and locally in Chicago, along with the Rev. Fred Phelps protesting the funerals of returning dead soldiers from Iraq - The Laramie Project still has a relevance today and speaks to people. It is the type of work that provides many questions and stimulates conversation.
Working on the play has been a wonderful experience. Our cast hails from across the country and brings a commitment and energy I haven't seen in some time. They've continued to grow in their roles and the play seems to take on new life and energy every time it is performed.
We just opened The Laramie Project this last weekend. After six weeks of difficult work, the show previewed on Thursday and Friday and opened on Saturday night to a full house.
With the latest hate crimes in Massachusetts and locally in Chicago, along with the Rev. Fred Phelps protesting the funerals of returning dead soldiers from Iraq - The Laramie Project still has a relevance today and speaks to people. It is the type of work that provides many questions and stimulates conversation.
Working on the play has been a wonderful experience. Our cast hails from across the country and brings a commitment and energy I haven't seen in some time. They've continued to grow in their roles and the play seems to take on new life and energy every time it is performed.
***
You will find links and articles connected with the The Laramie Project. Take the time to get familiar with the work and post any comments you have about our production. Thanks again.
Sean Hargadon - Producing Director - Janus Theatre Company
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