Open Rehearsal: The Court Theatre Blog
April 19, 2009
The First Week of Rehearsal
The first week of The Piano Lesson has been exhilarating. We started on our first day with a read through of the play, followed by a conversation with the cast and director Ron OJ Parson about their previous experiences with August Wilson. Our cast is composed of people who grew up performing in Wilson plays, and of some for whom this is their first Wilson production. This is my first Wilson as well, and I am excited to learn from the Wilson experts in this cast—many of whom knew and worked with the playwright himself. Our inaugural day conversation was quite inspiring and our rehearsals have been high-energy, passionate, and raw as we explore the complex family history and relationships in the play.
From a dramaturgical standpoint, my assistant Christopher Shea and I have enjoyed a veritable feast of historical research. The Piano Lesson is the third play chronologically in the Century Cycle, and it takes place in 1936. Before rehearsals began we did a great deal of inquiry into the Hill District in Pittsburgh (where Wilson lived and set nine of the ten Century Cycle plays), the playwright, stories of African American migration north following the Civil War, and the exchange rates of the money values quoted in the play (the piano of the title was clearly worth quite a lot of cash!) Since rehearsals started, we’ve been presented with other exciting projects— identifying the Yellow Dog railroad line and learning its significance, delving into the horrors of the notorious Parchman Farm prison in Mississippi, and exploring the call-and-response songs common at Parchman and in railroad work in the era of the play.
We look forward to our continuing explorations over the next few weeks. Ron has assembled an extraordinary cast and we are all excited about this journey.
-Kate Bredeson, Resident Dramaturg
April 15, 2009
Court Theatre Receives a 2009 Spirit Award
On March 30, Artistic Director Charles Newell proudly accepted the Actor’s Equity Association’s (AEA) Spirit Recognition Award. The Spirit Award is given to institutions that “have made non-traditional casting a way of life.”
Actress E. Faye Butler, Court Artistic Director Charles Newell, and Mixed Blood Theatre Artistic Associate Warren Bowles.
Court’s commitment to diversity is reflected not only in its casting choices but also by presenting numerous works from the African-American canon of classic theatre. These works range from Fences to Flyin’ West to the upcoming productions of The Piano Lesson and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Actresses E. Faye Butler and Cheryl Lynn Bruce, both of whom have appeared on Court Theatre’s stage.
Under the leadership of Charles Newell and Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson, Court Theatre has shown that when theatre companies reflect the diverse communities they serve everyone benefits.
Court Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson, Artistic Director Charles Newell, and Casting Director Cree Rankin.
Court is also honored to be in the company of the other 2009 Spirit Award Winners, The Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens and Mixed Blood Theatre.
-Adam Thurman, Director of Marketing and Communications
