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Calling Back the Other Shore

Written by Jennifer Adams
Sunday, 24 August 2008 09:10
Last weekend I had callbacks for The Other Shore... it was SUCH a fun experience for me... there were 3 groups of 5-8 actors, for roughly an hour and a half... we warmed up with some theatre games to get the actors to know each other a little bit, then we worked with two different scenes from the show. I had really been looking forward to it. By this time in my pregnancy with Tony, Jr., I was directing The Visit already, and I feel like I had a lot more energy and passion. This pregnancy has been great too, but I haven't felt the “fire” that I did before. I think a lot of it was the adrenaline, and having something else just as exciting as the baby to focus on! I work really well when I have 2 simultaneously large projects... more than that and I get a bit crazy! All that adrenaline came rushing back with callbacks. I REALLY love this script, but it is a very specific type of show, and could be disaster if not handled correctly... It was great to hear it out loud, to hear how the poetry of the lines flow, and to see the physicality of the play come to life. Especially after working on it for callbacks, I really feel like this could be a fascinating play that challenges the artists, and challenges the audience as well. One of the interesting dilemmas is that Gao Xingjian has stated very clearly that The Other Shore was not written as a political play, and was not written as a religious play. In fact, it was after this play was banned in China that he left the country; he realized that if even his non-political or religious plays were banned, he would never be able to write what he wanted in China without it being censored. However, the play has such beautiful undercurrents of Xingjian's life in China, with hints to Communism and Buddhism (some hints not so subtle, like the character of the Zen Master!) that maybe even HE didn't realize how strong they were when he wrote it. I want to be able to do justice to those moments without turning the play into something different then what Xingjian intended. Also, Halcyon's mission encourages the incorporation of more cultural elements from the world of the play then just what's written. So I am beginning to listen to Chinese music, learning more about Buddhist chants and meditation, and looking at Chinese artwork and dance to see how that can enhance the story. I'm really excited to bring those elements into rehearsal and production! And if the callbacks are any indication, I will also spend a lot of time being very sore! Add your comment

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward (not to misquote Paula or anything)

Written by Jennifer Adams
Wednesday, 13 August 2008 21:52
So, I’ve decided to step back from being Co-Artistic Director… it just seems like the right thing to do, since I rarely have time to do all the administrative work as it is, and our 2nd child is due in November… (15 weeks left! Where did the time go??? Remember when I wrote that captivating post about Tony, Jr. and his love of curry?) It took a while to make the decision, mostly because of ego… it’s hard to let go, and feel like the company won’t be mine any more. What if this thing that my husband and I started together leaves me behind? What if it turns into a company I don’t recognize? Then I remind myself that I’m not going anywhere… I’m just being realistic about what I’m already doing for the company, and taking a little pressure off so that we can make sure that our marriage and our children have equal time… It’s Win-Win! So, my new title is “Associate Artistic Director.” What does THAT mean? It’s basically what I am already doing… Growing the company, giving FABULOUS advice, having a say in everything, directing, and heading up special projects. So, let me take this opportunity to tell you about my Number One, Top Priority, Special Project… getting Halcyon Theatre our own space… and we are THIIIIS close! (put your thumb and pointy finger about one… Well, maybe two inches… apart and speak in a high-pitched voice when you say THIIIIS and that’s how close we are.) We have a location we love, and it seems to be in the correct Zoning…it has great square footage, ADA bathrooms, no bars next door! The landlords are very enthusiastic for us to sign, and with the right amount of money (not much, in comparison to a LOT of spaces we’ve looked at) we could move in tomorrow! (A bit of an exaggeration; we could move in October 1st) So now what? Well, it’s a very interesting challenge… we have to be able to get the right answers without being able to say we have signed a lease… we need people to give us money so we can tell the potential landlords we have money. We need to sign the lease to get the approval and licenses, and we need money before we sign the lease, with the knowledge that it might take a while to get the approval and the licenses! So I’ve been focusing on using Tony’s knowledge of licenses and city ordinances and my ability to “Open Doors” to meet with the Alderman, the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Real Estate Agents and Landlords, to not mess up our chances of getting a really great space in a perfect neighborhood for us. I’ve surprised myself at how much I enjoy sharing the Mission of this company, doing “Development” and working to make people passionate about what we’re doing. It used to be, with other groups I worked with, that I felt embarrassed to talk about the mission or the work we were doing… That NEVER happens with Halcyon, and it makes me twice as proud to be a member… We REALLY want to be able to do more than just produce plays… We have HUGE dreams of starting an After School Matters program, of using theatre to help immigrants acclimate to a new life, of telling stories and inviting the audience to tell stories from different cultures to show us all how alike we are and to love our differences… NONE of these things are possible until we have a place to call home, a place that we can invite our neighbors to. It is CRUCIAL to our growth… no pressure! If every person who reads this message or hears about our news donates $15 (the price of a ticket to one of our shows) our Security Deposit is paid. That means we could conceivably debut Militant Language in our new home on October 17th. Pretty amazing, huh? Donate Today! Add your comment

Can Facebook Lead to Deep Inner Discoveries About Theatre?

Written by Jennifer Adams
Wednesday, 04 June 2008 13:45
You wouldn’t think so. But the other day, I became Facebook Friends with a girl I did community theatre with growing up. She is living in Maine, where she and I are from, and doing theatre at a professional theatre in the area. I checked out the website. They are a professiona, non-profit theatre company that does standards like A Funny Thing…Forum, On Golden Pond and Noises Off and current Broadway hits like Stones in his Pocket. I was trying to explain, in my first email to her EVER (yes, I’m that old… I don’t think it existed when I was in high school…), what kind of theatre I do in Chicago. It definitely got me thinking. What I said was something like this: Chicago Theatre is a very strange mixture of professional quality standards, expectations and talent, with community theatre budget and pay-scale. It's very interesting to hear someChicago artists bash community theatre, considering the quality of work that her and I were involved in at our community theatre in Maine, when outside of major cities, "community theatre" just means that you don't get paid... Not many people in Chicago get paid, that's for sure; but then you combine the TYPE of work that is being done, which is much more gritty, in-your-face work that appeals to 20-somethings and... well, artists! I guess that is part of what people think separates the two. After I sent it, it got me thinking a lot about what I’d written… I realized that it isn’t really precise, although some pieces are more accurate than others… How DO you define the Chicago storefront “style?” A lot of it is “much more gritty, in-your-face work that appeals to 20-somethings and... well, theatre artists,” but a lot of it isn’t. I don’t think Halcyon’s work falls into that category… A lot of the theatre in Chicago is new work, but not all. Much of it is based in Improv, but not all…Musical Theatre is becoming more and more popular all the time… Budgets vary drastically too: Some sets consist of chairs and costumes from the director’s kitchen and grandma’s attic, some have elaborate sets, costumes, lights… the musicals that are being done tend to have a more simple tone, focusing on the acting and singing then on a giant helicopter falling from the sky…Some Storefront theatres don’t pay anyone. Some pay their Stage Manager and Designers, but not actors or directors. Some are lower tier Equity and pay one or two actors, and some theatre companies pay $25 per production. The community theatre that I worked at in Maine had very high standards. We always strove for highest quality sets, costumes, lights; the directors, stage managers and designers got paid, the actors didn’t. We did a production of "Dracula" where the audience moved outside for the last scene, which is set in Dracula’s tomb. Everyone had a day job; I worked with chiropractors, teachers, and pastors. People ages 5 to 80. People who loved the theatre, but didn’t want to make a career of it, or who had families to support and missed what they used to do. Some of the artists I worked with also did theatre where they got paid; some went on to get their Equity card, some left the business for good. However, sometimes a whole family was in a cast together, and you would lose them for a week due to Baseball Championships. My mother talked to me yesterday about moving back to Maine, and starting up the theatre company there. She said we could do the type of theatre we want to do, have an audience of more than 10 people, and get paid $1,000 to $2,000 per show as a director. VERY tempting... and then I looked up some demographics on Maine ... something like 1,200,000 people. 97% Caucasian… SO different then what we are trying to accomplish with the theatre company here... if you look at the shows we’ve done, and our Artistic Associates and Company Members (just don't look at my hair!), I hope the first thing that you see is our effort to be inclusive, to show the possibilities of diversity in theatre, from our script choice to the artists we work with, to the cultural elements we bring to each show. That would not be possible in Maine… if we did Haroun and the Sea of Stories in Maine, the cast would be entirely white. I would never have found a choreographer to teach the traditional Indian dances or give us as much music as we had... however, more people would probably have seen the show, meaning more people would learn the story, learn about Salmon Rushdie, hear the music... the lighting system may have been more advanced, and Tony and I could have gotten paid instead of paying to produce it... In Chicago there is a LOT of talk back and forth about “Equity” vs. “Non-Equity.” No one says “Professional” vs. “Community” because we all see ourselves as doing PROFESSIONAL theatre, although some people think that "Non-Equity" and "Non-Professional" are synonymous... I guess my question is: What is it that defines "professional" and "community" theatre? Pay? Budget? Standards? Commitment level? Diversity? Script Choice? Talent? Is it only one thing, or is it too complex to comprehend? Are we all Potter Stewart? “I know it when I see it.” Comments (1)

A Moment of Gratitude

Written by Jennifer Adams
Tuesday, 27 May 2008 19:18
I told my husband I’d write once a week. And I was trying to figure out what I’d write about, when I read Juan’s blog… and it got me thinking about our company members, and how the work we do now now relates to work I’ve done in Chicago in the past. I know I’m bias, but I have to say I am constantly impressed with Halcyon’s company members and artistic associates. Because of their talent, yes; but more than that, with the level of commitment to the company, and the excitement they have about our mission. I’ve been in Chicago for a long time now, and even though I tend to do theatre the way I live (I stick to my neighborhood, i.e. I spend most of my time working for the company I am a member of) I’ve talked to a lot of other artists in the community. And I have to say, with other companies I've worked with, there has always been an underlying current of “the mission is just to help us get grants.” When I read Juan’s post, it reminded me again how committed the artists of Halcyon are to our mission, and how that guides our work by entertaining audiences by performing great stories from across our many cultures; bringing people together. Committed to an extent that it shines through in the little things: working concessions on a night off; monitoring auditions; watching our son so we can attend a strike. It’s empowering; when I get exhausted with all the work there is to do, I think about how much help Tony and I have to make this company work and this dream a reality. Their dedication comes out in so many ways that I haven’t experienced before: Offering to call colleges and groups to let them know about upcoming shows, without us bringing it up; an offer to help with our financial data entry or to teach the other members about grant writing; the willingness to help with fundraising. These things may seem like a no-brainer, but those of you who have been part of a company know that it is not always easy to get EVERYONE on board at the same time, especially when they are not necessarily getting the lead in the next show. Usually, in my experience, one person burns out, and another one steps up to pick up the slack, and then that person burns out, etc… Anyway, I’ve been feeling very grateful to our artists, and Juan’s blog really brought it home for me. You are only as strong as your weakest link; I feel the strength of the company growing leaps and bounds every day. Comments (1)

It's the Day of the SHOW, Ya'll!

Written by Jennifer Adams

Sunday, 07 October 2007 20:52

He's Sleeping! Well, not really... but it IS the day of the first read-through for Haroun and the Sea of Stories... and sometimes a read-through is just as scary...

Usually, I get so excited and emotional that I cry when I talk about the show at the read-through... I get all va-klempt...but today, there was so much going on there wasn't enough time or brain-room to get anything but THROUGH it... We started at a coffee shop then went to the park for sake of space and time... it was actually pretty cool to be able to read out loud together under the trees... Tony Sr. was being all producer-like, handing out contracts and talking business, and then being an awesome dad and taking Tony Jr. on endless walks around the park when he would get noisy... there were a couple of times when he would hang all over me (Jr., not Sr.!), and to be honest it was SO nice to have Tony just wheel him away if he would cry... then I would think, "does this make me a bad mom?" But if I paid more attention to him at rehearsals, it would make me a bad director.

It's going to be important to find that balance... I want Tony Sr. to be there... and he really needs to be, as the designer of the set, lights and sound. But I also need to be able to have the peace and quiet to think. It's going to be a hard line to walk... and since we can't afford to have a sitter, and I don't want to not see my kid ever, this is the way we need to do it...

Another by-product of being a parent, a.k.a. having a whole OTHER full-time job in addition to the theatre company and the day job, is that things do NOT stay in my brain the way they used too... That is one of the reasons we are using a dramaturg for Haroun. I'm really excited about this actually, because there are so many sub-levels to what Salman Rushdie is writing, and I don't want to miss anything. In addition to the undercurrents of his political situation (the bounty placed on his head, for one), there are so many cultural elements that are new to me. All of the names, for example, mean something in relation to the character. These are from a language and 1st Read-through culture that I am newly discovering, and the last thing I want to do is look like an idiot or make the cast look that way. As another example, I have an idea for a tableau during the 1st scene that physically references a painting of a Hindu god... the names are all more Muslim, as the choreographer let me know. This is ok, and she agreed, as long as we know that going into it... which I didn't before she told me. So, it's scary that this sort of thing could happen a lot, and yet I don't want it to prevent me from making strong choices. That's why not only is our dramaturg going to be important, but also the knowledge of some of the cast members who are from that culture, and my husband (who is a historical nerd beyond belief!)

I'm REALLY excited. This is a perfect show for me, and I love the type of rehearsal process and specifically the body work that this type of show calls for. I just hope I can bring to it what it deserves, and what Halcyon Theatre is capable of...

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