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Featured in this issue
This is a special issue of Coward on the Coast, focusing on the remarkable June weekend of readings and workshops for The Young Idea Project by The Antaeus Company of North Hollywood.
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Antaeus Presents The Young Idea Project:
The Next Generation Celebrates Noel Coward
June 26-28, 2009 |
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Antaeus Presents:
Supported by a grant from the Noel Coward Foundation, and guided by The Antaeus Company's Artistic Director, Jeanie Hackett, the Antaeus Academy embarked on The Young Idea Project (TYI) with the particular goals of training young actors in the technical skills required to play Coward's characters, fostering love of Coward in young audiences, and providing mentors for young directors interested in The Master.
Artistic Associate Cindy Marie Jenkins was the coordinator for all events and activities leading up to and including their first weekend of presentations and workshops, "The Young Idea: The Next Generation Celebrates Noel Coward!", which took place at the Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood on June 26-28, 2009.
The weekend included readings of Hay Fever, Peace In Our Time, and Easy Virtue, plus six workshops: a presentation on "Coward the Man"; a remarkable "Coward the Crooner" coaching session; an exhibit on "Coward the Spy"; movie screenings of Our Man in Havana, Brief Encounter, and John Knowles's video, I Like America; and a roundtable discussion on "Coward the Playwright".
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TYI: Readings
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Raleigh Holmes [Hilda], Karianne Flaathen
[Marion], Joe Delafield [John], Jocelyn Towne [Larita], and Ned Schmidtke [Colonel Whittaker] in Easy Virtue.
For the readings of Hay Fever, Peace In Our Time, and Easy Virtue, each cast was comprised primarily of Antaeus Academy actors, aged 20-30. Nine Antaeus Company members played "parental" roles, while 31 Academy and Young Guest Actors played the "child" leading roles and supporting cast.
Quoting Cindy Marie Jenkins on the young-adult thread that connects the three plays: "Each play in The Young Idea Project hinges on one specific conflict: how can young people's ideals evolve and prosper when they are caught in the very world which suffocates their parents?"
We see the results of late-adolescent children acting out against the wishes and behaviors of their parents, or in the case of Peace in Our Time, deceiving them to save all their lives. All the readings were extremely well presented.
Artistic Director Jeanie Hackett expressed the hope that Antaeus will be able to expand The Young Idea Project, and take one of the three plays to the next levels: a workshop production, followed by a full production in the next season.
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TYI: Intensives |
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Jonathn Lynn and Douglas Clayton.
In preparation for the readings, Antaeus matched the plays with a Coward Mentor (Jonathan Lynn, Barry Creyton, and Art Manke) and an upcoming, young director (Douglas Clayton, Jessica Bard, and Kari Hayter). Each play had one day of intensive rehearsal/exploration led by the mentor, then two additional rehearsals with the young director and actors before the staged reading. Each intensive covered general technique and skills (such as dialect), then focused on its specific Coward play.
Mentor Jonathan Lynn commented on the process of the intensive for Hay Fever: "We sat around the table and worked meticulously through the play, stopping to consider what Coward might have intended with every moment and looking to find the comic rather than the dramatic choice." When asked, "Do you have any advice for the actors in this reading before they embark on their own?", Lynn replied, "The same advice I have for all actors in a comedy: no characters should ever know they are funny."
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TYI: Hay Fever
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Adeye Sahran [Myra] and Gabe Diani [Simon Bliss].
Hay Fever
Director Douglas Clayton evoked a beautiful and hilarious reading of this Coward favorite. In a post-show conversation, young Californian actors talked about being taught about the play's central metaphor that represents sanity, stability, and civilized behavior: the importance of tea.
Director: Douglas Clayton
Mentor: Jonathan Lynn
Cast: Antaeus Company: Christina Pickles [Judith Bliss], Robert Pine [David Bliss]. Antaeus Academy and Guests: Brooke Bastinelli [Jackie Coryton], Etta Divine [Clara], Gabe Diani [Simon Bliss], Drew Doyle [Richard Greatham], Whitney Hudson [Stage Directions], Annie Melchor [Sorel Bliss], Adam Meyer [Sandy Tyrell] & Adeye Sahran [Myra].
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TYI: Peace in Our Time
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Peace in Our Time
In what was most likely a U.S. Premiere, Peace in Our Time was quite moving, and, atypical of Coward's plays, delved sharply into political matters. A number of older audience members were heard commenting on how you would not think this was a "Coward play" if you didn't read his name in the programme.
In this play Coward presents a view of Londoners during an imagined Nazi occupation in the 1940's - if Hitler's planned invasion had been successful. Although grim and gritty, Peace in Our Time presents the triumph of solidarity, courage, humor, and determination over propaganda, brutality, terrorist tactics, and military force.
When asked about her decision to place the central character, Fred Shattock, at the edge of the stage, young director Jessica Bard commented on the importance of him visually grounding the action. Characters come and go (mainly center stage), but Fred's staunch presence in even his most vulnerable moments proclaims: "London Pride!"
Brooke Bastinelli (Jackie Coryton in Hay Fever) and Jessica Bard,
Director of Peace in Our Time
In 1947 when Peace in Our Time was first produced in London, it opened to a dismal reception - English audiences were war weary, and critics and audiences alike had a mindset of Coward as the icon of the 1920-30's, old fashioned, and dated. Alternatively, many just wanted to see his early, funny works.
More than half a century later, it may seem unlikely for a young American cast to have a deep understanding of the play's themes; however, the young actors' informed reading is grounded in the fact that they have grown up during a seemingly unending war, cursed in the last eight years with the banal and stupefying evil of torture condoned by our own government. Based on conversations at post-show events, this play resonated deeply for young audience members, many of whom had never heard of Coward before the weekend and were quite vague about World War II.
Amazing performances by all concerned.
Director: Jessica Bard
Mentor: Barry Creyton
Cast: Antaeus Company: Josh Clark [Fred Shattock], Lily Knight [Nora Shattock], Melinda Peterson [Mrs. Massiter], Phil Proctor [Mr. Grainger], Sally Smythe [Mrs. Grainger]; Antaeus Academy & Guests: Josh Ansley [ensemble], Eric Bloom [Alfie Blake], Kendra Chell [Janet Braid], Brett Colbeth [Stevie], Etta Devine [Alma Broughton], Danielle Doyen [Gladys Mott], Drew Doyle [Doctor Venning], Karianne Flaathen [Lily Blake], Jeff Gardner [George Bourne], Alexandra Goodman [Doris Shattock], Aaron Lyons [Richter], Kellie Matteson [Lyia Vivian], Mark Moore [Chorley Bannister], John O'Brien [Billy Grainger], Maria Pallas [Phyllis Mere]. Whitney Hudson [Stage Directions].
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TYI: Easy Virtue (the Play)
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Easy Virtue
A challenging play to sell to a modern audience - especially one that had potentially seen the movie based on this play and might be anticipating broad comedy with an American Girl as the lead. A melodrama with some comedic turns, Easy Virtue was in several ways the most ambitious of the three readings, as evidenced by its use of more scenery and staging.
From young director, Kari Hayter: "As a director, I had to decide what was the most effective way to tell this story. It was my goal to guide the actors through the text in an academic setting AND a theatrical setting in order to have the most effective understanding of the play in such a short amount of time." Dramaturgy Intern Monet Hurst-Mendoza prepared a 34-page "Dramaturgical Actor Packet" to assist Hayter in the educational process for the young actors.
Congratulations to director, actors, and staff for a commendable job!
Director: Kari Hayter
Mentor: Art Manke
Cast: Rhonda Aldrich [Mrs. Whittaker], Ned Schmidtke [Colonel Whittaker], Brett Colbeth [Furber, H. Petworth], Joe Delafield [John], Wyatt Fenner [Bobby Coleman], Karianne Flaathen [Marion], Amy Hendrickson [Nina Vansittart], Raleigh Holmes [Hilda], Aaron Lyons [Charles Burleigh], John O'Brien [Philip Borden], Jason Thomas [Henrey Furley], Jocelyn Towne [Larita Whittaker], Rebekah Tripp [Sarah Hurst], and Nicol Zanzarella -Giacalone [ensemble/Stage Directions].
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TYI: Workshops & Roundtables
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Coward the Man and I Like America
"Coward the Man" was the first event on Friday evening. About 30 people attended this half-hour talk by Kathy Williams, which combined biographical notes on Coward from Ken Starrett, along with quotes and visuals - images of the "Ten Chimneys/Star Quality" panels, provided by Sean Malone, plus some additional pictures of Coward, his family, and friends.
Immediately following the talk was the first west-coast screening of I Like America, a 22-minute compilation of Coward's "home movies" of the Americas. This video, created by John Knowles, was first seen in the U.S. last December when Ken Starrett presented it at the Paley Museum of Television in New York. I Like America was so well received that a second screening was added on Sunday for members of the Antaeus Company and audience who couldn't attend Friday's screening.
All attendees received handouts: their own copies of the special I Like America edition of Home Chat and the brochure from the Museum of Performance & Design with gorgeous photos and descriptions of the exhibit, Star Quality: The World of Noël Coward.
Acting a Noel Coward Song
This gem of a workshop, taught by Harry Groener and Nike Doukas (with additional coaching by Jeanie Hackett), educated not only the participants but also the very fortunate audience. One particularly bright moment: Harry teaching two Academy actors a bit for "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" - head bent back, face to the sky, to add a very dog-like bark at just the right moment. Urged on by the insistent crowd, Harry brought the audience to its knees with his performance of "Mrs. Worthington" as a curtain call at the end of the workshop. A post-script was a sing-along - introduced as "how the Coward Society ends all its gatherings" - of "I'll See You Again."
Coward the Spy: Screening of Our Man in Havana and an exhibit on Coward's work in World War II. The preamble to Peace in Our Time, this informal workshop presented both serious and humorous background information on Coward's work in films and during WWII.
Coward on Film: Screening: Brief Encounter and I Like America.
Coward the Playwright: Roundtable discussion led by Jeanie Hackett.
Anne Gee Byrd, Kitty Swink, and Jeanie Hackett
Antaeus actors came together with directors and audience members for an exchange of ideas on Coward's themes, world-view, and acting style. Among the topics covered: participants described best (and worst) productions they had seen of Coward's plays, and what made them good or bad. Several young audience members mentioned that they had never heard of Coward before the weekend, came to the theatre because of a friend (or a friend of a friend in the cast), and were amazed and captivated by the experience.
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TYI: On the World Wide Web
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Reporting on the happenings at the Deaf West Theatre, Antaeus published news of The Young Idea Project on the web: from Facebook to Twitter to YouTube. For many more details, including interviews with the mentors, blogs, photos, and videos, see:
Antaeus web site
Antaeus Facebook page
One particularly hilarious, unplanned improvisational work resulted when Academy actor Abby Wilde was not cast for any of the three readings. She developed her own idea, which you may view on Antaeus's Facebook page or directly on YouTube as a multi-part series, including Abby's Wilde Idea: Part 1. Noel Coward The Man, plus Antaeus Strikes Back.
To contact TYI Coordinator, Cindy Marie Jenkins, you may send her email:
cindy@antaeus.org
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Private Lives at Cal Shakes (July 8 - August 2 ) |
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Private Lives
Direc ted by Mark Rucker
Diana LaMar (AMANDA PRYNNE), Jud Williford (VICTOR PRYNNE), Stephen
Barker Turner (ELYOT CHASE) and Sarah Nealis (SIBYL CHASE); photo by
Kevin Berne.
California Shakespeare Festival
Bruns Ampitheater
100 Gateway Blvd
Orinda, CA 94563
For more information (including directions), see:
calshakes.org
Box Office Contact Info:
Phone: 510.548.9666
Fax: 510.843.9921
Email: boxoffice@calshakes.org
(July 8 - August 2)
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Easy Virtue at a Theatre Near You
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Easy Virtue (the film)
Directed by Stephan Elliott.
A jazzy update of Coward's play, with Jessica Biel, Kristin Scott
Thomas, Colin Firth, and Ben Barnes.
For tickets and information, see:
Easy Virtue web site
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Star Quality at the MPD
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Star Quality: The World of Noel Coward
Museum of Performance & Design 401 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 402 San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 255-4800 Wednesday - Saturdays / Noon to 5 PM Through August 29 at the MPD. For more information and details on special events, click here: star qualityback to top |
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