Open Rehearsal: The Court Theatre Blog
The Piano Lesson
May 14, 2009
The Ever-Evolving Preview Process
What a whirlwind week we have had here at Court Theatre! We are thick into the preview process for The Piano Lesson, and enjoying our ever-evolving process as we look forward to our opening weekend. One of the things that makes Court unique is the way our preview process is structured. At many theatres there are one or two previews before opening. At Court, we have nine previews that take place over two weeks, culminating with our two openings—one for the press, one for our Court Board and staff, in addition to our patrons. This length of preview process allows us to continue our explorations in front of our spectators, to listen and respond to feedback, and to really hone all aspects of our production en route to the official début.
After every one of our previews we host a post show discussion, moderated by the dramaturg and usually with the show’s director and members of the design team. As both Resident Dramaturg at Court, as well as the Production Dramaturg for The Piano Lesson, I really enjoy hosting these conversations, and getting to know our audiences throughout this preview process. For The Piano Lesson previews, Director Ron OJ Parson has been onstage for each preview, and he has invited the cast onstage each night as well. Last night in addition to Ron and myself, Assistant Director Logan Vaughn, Set Designer Keith Pitts, Costume Designer Christine Pascual, and nearly all the cast congregated onstage to field questions, listen to comments, and engage in discussion about the production. Sound designer Nick Keenan even fielded questions from the back of the theatre. It felt like a warm and wonderful family gathering, and we so enjoyed talking with U of C students, long-time subscribers, and first-time theatergoers. We tackled subjects from a deconstruction of The Century Cycle, to magical realism and the role of spirituality in the play, to a comparison of August Wilson and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, to how the carved piano onstage was made.
We look forward to our final two previews, to opening weekend, and to seeing you at the show very soon.
-Kate Bredeson, Resident Dramaturg
May 5, 2009
It’s Time for Tech Rehearsals
Seemingly mere moments after my last blog post, The Piano Lesson team now find ourselves deep into the tech process. We’ve moved from the rehearsal space to our Abelson auditorium and are enjoying setting up shop in the space. It’s wonderful to be in the theatre, on the set, and to actually physically move in. Our props artist, Lara Musard, is filling cupboards and stocking Doaker’s pantry. Set designer Keith Pitts is contemplating tablecloths, sound designer Nick Keenon is choosing our sound palette, while lighting designer Richard Norwood is trying different hues to showcase the performers, props, Christine Pascual’s rich costumes, and to indicate Sutter’s ghost.
It feels like a particularly ripe time to be producing August Wilson, given that he is in the news so much right now with several articles on the choice of Bartlett Sher to direct Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on Broadway. Last week, Director Ron OJ Parson, Marketing Director Adam Thurman, and myself attended a lively debate hosted by the Bronzeville Arts group the Tofu Chitlin’ Circuit with the subject ‘Should White Directors Direct August Wilson Plays?’ Ron and Adam were among the panelists, and after almost three hours the group was still engrossed in a passionate and heated conversation that continues.
Back in Hyde Park, it is wonderful to work with this group of artists, many of whom knew August Wilson. On the first day of rehearsal the cast sat down to discuss their experiences with Wilson and his plays. A selection of this conversation will appear in the program; a full transcript appears here:
http://www.courttheatre.org/season/article/cast_crew_roundtable_august_wilson/
We have our first preview on Thursday, May 7. We will have post performance conversations following every preview performance and look forward to talking with you. See you soon!
-Kate Bredeson, Resident Dramaturg
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
