Leading up to the April 5th Helen Hayes Awards, we’ve created a virtual pre-show party with over 100 Helen Hayes nominees attending. In one corner, the designers talk about their transformative arts, in another, the writers and performers relive their experiences, the directors remember their casts and the producers let us know what about the plays stirred their passion.
It’s a big party, so click on the boxes below to circulate and learn how these artists turned the wisps of their imagination into some of the most exciting theater in the D.C. area. Enjoy!
The full list of nominees and details about the awards show, visit Helen Hayes Awards.
It all begins with the play, and so we start with the
The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical
(Shown below: Danai Gurira, Victor Lodato, Robert O’Hara, Gustavo Ott, and Mariano Vales)
Danai Gurira
Eclipsed . Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
The inspiration…
I was inspired initially by a story in the New York Times about Liberian women in the war-zone and how some had turned to becoming rebel soldiers. I always have a desire to bring African women’s stories to light and this one – the navigation of African women in a war zone – was both urgent and fascinating to me.
Biggest surprise…
I guess the fact that there were so many voices that started to emerge, I didn’t plan for that, for this to be as much as an ensemble play as it became. I imagined it would be more of a conventional protagonist driven play, but the more I wrote, the more the other women on the page had to say and the more they made their own stories known.
When did you finish the play?
Have I? No, I think I finished it after its most recent production at Yale.
Biggest challenge…
Letting go.
Did you see the DC production?
I did, that was my world premiere production. I loved many aspects of that production, the scenes where the humor and levity of these women emerged were particularly beautiful in this production.
Next?
I have two plays in development this year, one, The Convert, will be having readings in the summer on the east and west coast, the other is still in its infant stages. I go to do research on it next month in Africa, it will only emerge later in the year.
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Victor Lodato
The Bread of Winter . Theater Alliance
The inspiration…
Like most of my plays, the piece started, not with an idea to write about a particular subject, but with an insistent voice in my head. In The Bread of Winter, there were actually two strong voices in my head: Libby’s and Gregory’s. Libby works for young Gregory’s family, as housekeeper, but the two of them are much more than employer and employee. Libby and Gregory have a deep love for each other. At the beginning of the play, Libby is fired… and, though it is the relationship between these two characters that is the heart of the play, it is not until the final scene that we see the two of them together on stage. Their ultimate reunion, and how I might arrive there, was what kept the play alive for me as I was writing it.
Biggest surprise…
The final scene of the play. When I finally arrived there, the scene took some very unexpected turns. It was much more absurd, and much more emotional, than I could have imagined.
Biggest challenge…
Oh, it’s all a challenge; and always worth the fight.
Did you see the DC production?
Yes. It was a lovely production, with an amazingly talented cast, directed with bravery and precision by Dorothy Newman.
Favorite moment…
Well, I’d have to say the final moments of the play. This is a play that is very dear to my heart, and to see Libby and Gregory’s reunion given life on stage by two beautiful actors was a wonderful thing to witness.
Next?
A second production of my play Dear Sara Jane (in DC). And possibly two productions of my play Slay the Dragon (still waiting to hear the final word on these).
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Robert O’Hara
Antebellum . Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
The inspiration…
I was commissioned to write a play about Atlanta, and I started to research the events surrounding the opening of Gone With The Wind in Atlanta and being a lover of history, I started thinking about what was happening around the rest of the world while America was obsessed with who would play Scarlett and that just let me inside the play.
Biggest surprise…
How much the brutal history of the world has been romanticized…
When did you finish the play?
The day it opened at Woolly Mammoth.
What has been your biggest challenge?
That’s a huge question. I will take it to mean what was the biggest challenge in getting this play produced…. And the answer is many theaters expressed their interest in the play but only Woolly so far has bit the bullet, and that to me is very challenging… To be told that your work is liked and then in the same breath to be told for whatever reason it won’t be done.
Did you see the DC production?
Of course, it was the world premiere.
Favorite moment…
I like all the scenes and moments because my fantastic director, Chay Yew, did an amazing job. I was hooked from beginning to end.
Next?
So far, Woolly Mammoth has committed to producing a new play of mine titled Booty Candy next season. It is being completely re-written from an earlier version that was done off Off Broadway about 10 years ago.
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Gustavo Ott
Momia en el closet: The Return of Eva Perón . GALA Hispanic Theatre
The inspiration…
I wanted to write a political play about the Latin American macabre, the relationship that exists for us between transcendence and power, tied always to the ideas of crime and death. What soldiers did in the 50’s to the mummified body of Eva Perón foreshadowed what they would later do to our peoples; rapes, disappearances, executions, kidnappings. All this was done to Eva’s mummy and, at the same time, was a harbinger of what they would do to us. It was this parallel that inspired the play.
Biggest surprise…
The simultaneous success of Mummy in the Closet and another play called Miss and Madame, on the relationship between hatred and admiration as seen in the legendary rivalry between Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden. That play won the Caribbean Playwriting Award (ETC), which includes a three-month writing residency in Paris. That and the Helen Hayes nomination are the best news of my career. And both came practically in the same week!
When did you finish the play?
I finished it in August 2008, but it went through several drafts until February 2009. But the heart of the work was already there in August. I started writing it in the Stratosphere in Las Vegas and finished it in the Redwood forests of California, where I spent a family vacation.
Biggest challenge…
This was my first musical, so writing lyrics to go with music represented a new challenge. But I always realized that writing lyrics meant thinking first in poetry and that’s what I did. It came at a good time because I’d been writing poetry in my plays for several years by then. So I held myself to doing everything I could to maintain the poetic tone the story required, even while the music placed important constraints.
Did you see the DC production?
Yes, several times. I think it was not only a particularly beautiful production, but also that it represented a highlight in GALA’s already long trajectory in the DC theater scene.
Favorite moment…
I liked the opening of the Second Act, when the singer, Laura Conforte, defies the idea that everyone has of Eva. I like that with poetry and a brilliant score, she confronts not just the soldiers, but the conventional ideas that abound about Eva. At that point, soldiers and fascism are the same as prejudices and commonplaces, and I think that turned out beautifully, with the people by her side, carrying candles. Also, at the start of the Second Act, she asks not to be seen as a Saint, because, she believes there is still much to be done in the war Barbarism has declared against us. And Saints, as everyone knows, aren’t all that useful.
Next?
In the US, Your Molotov Kisses and Miss and Madame, and especially a piece I’m very fond of called Juanita Claxton that talks about the need to be rescued, drawing a parallel between the Hurricane Katrina disaster and depression. Miss and Madame will also be produced in France and Venezuela. Greece will open Your Molotov Kisses and Chat (also opening in Spain), another play I’m particularly pleased with because it deals with the collective perversity on the Internet.
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Mariano Vales
Momia en el closet: The Return of Eva Perón . GALA Hispanic Theatre
The inspiration…
The idea for this musical has its origin on two of Argentina’s most enigmatic obsessions: death and Peronismo. Those two fixations, always present in my home country’s contemporary history, permeate the two wonderful novels that were my direct inspiration: Santa Evita and La novela de Perón, by late Argentine writer Tomás Eloy Martinez. After reading them I thought that the musical theatre genre would provide an interesting tone to depict the weird carnival that surrounded those obscure and bizarre moments in Argentine history.
Biggest surprise…
I was surprised by the amount and quality of music theatre performers available in Buenos Aires these days, a tradition that is fairly young in the country. We traveled there to audition the main characters for this musical in March of last year, and found it very hard to decide who to choose to come to DC.
When did you finish the play?
I stopped writing music on opening week, June of 2009.
Biggest challenge…
Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, the production wasn’t able to secure a lyricist and it was getting late in the game, so I decided to try the task myself. The producers liked the results so I ended up adapting the play and writing the lyrics myself, strongly based on Ott’s texts, and guided by his great vision and poetic edits. Although it was a monumental task for me, I am thankful to GALA for their trust and support.
Did you see the DC production?
Yes.
Favorite moment…
Apart from very special acting moments by some talented cast members, I loved Caligaris’ staging of Silencio, Evita’s funeral. His vision allowed the great work of all the designers to shine, coming together to underline one of the intense music moments in the play with a combination of graceful ensemble movements and smart visuals including projections of mourning crowds on a background of colorful empty shirts.
Next?
I am working on a new piece commissioned by GALA for the 2011 season. Can’t give enough details yet but the plot involves prostitutes, tango and klezmer music, one terrorist, and no corpses.
Nominated for Outstanding Direction
(Responding: Jeff Calhoun, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Robert Falls, Thomas W. Jones II, Jonathan Munby, Aaron Posner, Mark Rhea and Susan Rhea, Jeremy Skidmore, Tony Tsendeas, Paata Tsikurishvili)
Jeff Calhoun
The Civil War . Ford’s Theatre
Why this show?
The marriage between the venue and the material. I can’t imagine a better or more appropriate venue for The Civil War.
Most challenging scene…
There was not one challenging scene per se; the challenge was finding an appropriate environment that was theatrical in nature, yet also embraced the concert aspect of the show.
Favorite moment…
I don’t know if it was my favorite moment, but a moment I liked very much was when, after an evening of wearing contemporary dress, the turntable revealed the company fully attired in period costumes for the first time personifying the memory of those we honored all night long.
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
The physical production looked almost exactly as I’d envisioned it, however the actors ultimately deepened the experience above and beyond my expectations.
If you could work with anyone…
Who? Fred Astaire. Why? Because he was Fred Astaire.
Next?
I am directing a new musical, Bonnie & Clyde. Music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black and book by Ivan Menchell. The show is coming to Broadway Winter 2011.
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Marcia Milgrom Dodge
Ragtime . The Kennedy Center
Why this show?
I was invited to direct and choreograph Ragtime personally by the authors. Being such a big fan of Mcnally & Ahrens & Flaherty made this offer particularly thrilling–and the timing of having the show performed in Washington, DC in what I hoped would be (and was) the year of our first African American President was too good to be true.
Most challenging scene…
Sarah’s funeral/”till we reach that day.” I wanted to make sure the staging honored the Harlem community’s sense of the grief needed to make the scene feel authentic.
Favorite moment…
That’s not a fair question! I had many favorite moments involving each and every character at different times throughout the production.
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
By the time the show played its final performance in the Eisenhower Theatre, I was pretty sure the show would be moving to Broadway. This was quite unexpected and enormously exciting, so in that context, watching the final performance was quite unique in that I didn’t have to say goodbye to the production. Instead? See ya later.
If you could work with anyone…
Fred Astaire. To dance with him–just once–would be divine. I’d even let him lead!
Next?
I just opened Anything Goes at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Florida. Next is How to Succeed at Reprise in Los Angeles and Oklahoma! at Music Circus in Sacramento and the 141st Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus opening in January, 2011!
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Robert Falls
King Lear . Shakespeare Theatre Company
Why this show?
King Lear is the greatest play in the English language. It was time.
Most challenging scene…
The last scene (Shakespeare’s Act V), because it is extremely complicated – lots of deaths, stage combat, movement, music, extreme emotion and nudity.
Favorite moment…
The “body bag ballet,” as we called it — eight minutes of the Bulgarian Women’s Choir juxtaposed with the systematic removal of dozens of bodies, including Gloucester’s, into an on-stage pit.
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
It was extremely close to what I had in mind, but even better because of across-the-board brilliant performances.
If you could work with anyone…
Obviously, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov and O’Neill.
Next?
More Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov and O’Neill . . . without the playwrights in attendance.
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Thomas W. Jones II
Cool Papa’s Party . MetroStage
Why this show?
I was fascinated by the seismic cultural shifts of the 20th century and wanting to view those shifts through the lens of someone who was an outsider, then an insider, and once again, an outsider.
Most challenging scene…
The congressional blacklisting scene was the most challenging because there were so many moving parts – trying to be in several different locations and having an ensemble to play so many different character types as well as dance and sing in so many different styles in such an abbreviated time.
Favorite moment…
The one that was most striking for me was Birdie Masters’ final musical soliloquy. It happened quite by accident and that we needed a transition. It’s one of those happy accidents that come as a surprise.
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
It became far more compelling and revealing than I had hoped for. The rehearsal process was so compressed with so many things to accomplish in so short a time it was hard to image what the final result would be. The rehearsal was a fast moving train and the view very often was a blur. The final result became even more than what we had imagined.
If you could work with anyone…
Maurice Hines again and again and again because of his unswerving commitment to excellence.
Next?
More of the same – bigger, better, brighter, broader and more beautiful.
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Jonathan Munby
The Dog in the Manger . Shakespeare Theatre Company
Why this show?
Dog in the Manger is a play I’ve known for some time. It is the fourth play from the Spanish Golden Age repertoire I have directed, most of which have been translated by the brilliant Irish writer David Johnston. He gave me Dog in the Manger to read and I immediately fell in love with it. The play is a wonderful mix of the serious and the comic. It takes us on a journey to the dark heart and chaos of love and pulls us into the light of love’s absurdities. It’s one of Lope de Vega’s most brilliant and sophisticated pieces and in this translation, David Johnston is at his best.
It’s a play that the Washington audience didn’t know. How thrilling, I thought, to bring a ‘new’ play with beautiful poetic verse, with fascinating characters and a plot that no one knows.
Also, on one level, it’s a play about responsibility, to ourselves and to each other. Given that we were opening at the same time as the inauguration of President Obama, I thought it might provoke some interesting debate.
Most challenging scene…
The most challenging scenes were those that contained one of the twelve sonnets in the play. Lope de Vega occasionally stops the action of the play and has a character speak a perfect fourteen line sonnet. To make these sound like the character was speaking spontaneous thought and keeping the narrative moving, whilst holding onto the heightened form of the poetry was difficult. We were helped enormously by Richard Martinez’s beautiful score, sung by Julie Craig.
Favorite moment…
This would have to be the succession of scenes leading up to intermission, towards the end of the second act of the play. Lope brilliantly tightens the screws of his drama, pulling our central characters into an emotional vortex of their own creation. It’s a beautifully crafted piece of drama and I never failed to feel the pain the characters felt. I was blessed with a superb company of actors, most notably my leads Michael Hayden, Michelle Hurd and Miriam Silverman. All of whom were outstanding.
By contrast, my other favourite moment was a scene in the second half of the show, when the servant Tristan gets to disguise himself as a Greek merchant. Played by David Turner, this was one of the funniest and most enjoyable moments of any play I’ve done!
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
The show far exceeded my expectations, both in terms of performance and audience reaction. I had hoped the Washington audience would get and enjoy this obscure four hundred year old Spanish play, but nothing prepared me for the wave of support or enthusiasm for it. I was genuinely moved by the whole experience.
If you could work with anyone…
The actor that really gets me excited at the moment is Mark Rylance. I’ve just been to see his current production of Jerusalem in the West End and it blew me away. He’s unique.
Next?
I am about to start rehearsing Carmen for Opera Holland Park in London, then I’m returning to the Donmar to direct a new translation of Kleist’s The Prince of Homburg, starring Ian McDiarmid and Charlie Cox.
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Aaron Posner
Arcadia . Folger Theatre
Why this show?
Arcadia is one of the great plays of the 20th century. It is that good. I have loved it from the first time I saw it and read it and felt it was a perfect and logical match for the Folger.
Most challenging scene…
Each had its own wonderful challenges. Probably the very first scene was the hardest, mostly because it was the very first scene and so much had to be set up and established. But none of them were really that hard, because it is such a great play and we had such a great cast.
Favorite moment…
An impossible question. I loved the first moment as we entered this bright and brilliant world, and I loved the last as the ghosts of the past danced. I loved the mind that shaped this exceptional story and I loved simply watching our amazing cast bringing it to life. I followed them through this process. We all served the play. The moments were wonderful…
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
It was actually pretty similar. Our plan was never to be clever, never to impose anything on the script, never try to do anything but serve and fulfill the amazing play that Tom Stoppard wrote. Our entire cast and design team were very much on the same page from the start. So we just wanted to do the best Arcadia we could.
If you could work with anyone…
Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Alan Rickman. Emma Thompson. Julianne Moore. Alison Janney. Paul Scofield. Michael Gambon. Glenn Close. Roberto Bennini. And many, many, many more. Why? Because their work has moved and amazed me. Because I have felt from them, at various moments, the courage and generosity to open themselves up and to offer audiences something wonderful and surprising and honest and true. And wonderfully entertaining.
Next?
I am moving to DC! Love this theatre community, and come summer, my wife Erin and I will be in the area. I will be doing shows at Woolly and the Folger next season, as well as nationally, and working on a new adaptation, and planning some big doings on the horizon. But I love working in this community, and am looking forward to calling it home.
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Mark Rhea and Susan Rhea
Rent . Keegan Theatre
Why this show?
It is Susan’s favorite musical (or one of her top three) and I fell in love with it as well after seeing it five years ago.
Most challenging scene…
Everything was a challenge for the artistic staff doing this show at Church Street so they were all quite difficult but me, Susan and Kurt Boehm (the choreographer) all worked together to make each scene feel original.
Favorite moment…
“Cover me” reprise, second to that would be “No Day but Today” followed by “Will I”. Susan wasn’t a huge fan of “Will I” until we did it at Keegan. With the amazing voices of the cast we felt like that number stunned the audience. It blew us away every night.
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
I don’t think much changed really. The show had to be tight to work and you can’t vary much in Rent. I am sure it was tighter but I wouldn’t be able to say what was better
If you could work with anyone…
For me (Mark) I’d say Daniel Day Lewis. I don’t believe there is a better actor out there and he is so interesting and it would be an experience seeing how he works.
Next?
Directing Dancing at Lughnasa and then moving onto another musical A Man of No Importance.
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Jeremy Skidmore
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches . Forum Theatre
Why this show?
The challenge of it was something I knew I had never faced. The need to take such a large and layered story and make it clear and honest and true to what Kushner wanted it to be.
Most challenging scene…
The hallucination scene between Prior and Harper in Act I. It was challenging because it is the first bit of magic in all seven hours of Angels. So it had to set the tone for what the new set of rules would be for the rest of the play. Add to that Karl Miller navigating doing drag for the first time with Casie Platt understanding that how she played with Prior defined the heart of her entire journey – all made for a pretty loaded 10 minutes on stage.
Favorite moment…
Of Millennium, it is the café scene between Louis and Belize in Act III. So beautiful. They were beautiful. In Perestroika it was Prior’s final monologue. Watching Karl do that after completing a seven hour marathon was pretty humbling.
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
All I can think of is dignity. Seeing those eight people on the last day after working on the play for almost five months. Dignity.
If you could work with anyone…
Ralph Fiennes. I think his work is beautiful. I want to be around that.
Next?
My Name is Asher Lev at Round House Theatre opening March 22nd and running until April 11th.
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Tony Tsendeas
Wittenberg . Rep Stage
Why this show?
I loved the idea of placing these characters, Hamlet, Faustus and Luther, characters both historical and fictional, in the same world. The verbal interplay was fast and furious and exciting. I was attracted to the ideas, to the clash of ideas really. As the scenes unfold, so does the conflict of this philosophical dialectic. And it plays out in scenes that are alternately comic and dramatic.
Most challenging scene…
The scene set in the Bunghole, which was the watering hole most favored by Faustus and Luther – Bunghole scenes are always tricky.
Favorite moment…
That’s simply impossible, there are too many to mention, so here goes: Loved all the times Luther and Faustus were together, loved Hamlet playing tennis, and an appearance by the Virgin Mary is always unexpected.
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
Simply put: It was even better onstage than in my mind.
If you could work with anyone…
Peter Brook, Samuel Beckett and whoever hires me next.
Next?
Playing Beethoven in October at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, also performing/touring my one man show – The POE Show. (For more information tonytsendeas.com) I am very excited about a show I will be directing at Rep Stage next season. I can’t say what it is yet, but it will be announced soon. And looking for whatever interesting work I can get my hands on. Teaching at the Baltimore School for the Arts, writing when I can, and living life with my lovely wife Erin and raising our lovely baby girl Penelope.
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Paata Tsikurishvili
A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Synetic Theater
Why this show?
It’s a very ensemble driven piece, for one thing. It’s a very Physical play too. Synetic, with it’s specialty in mass group moment, thrives on that. Midsummer also deals with the supernatural, which is something else we tend to specialize in. Usually we go very dark– gothic horror and such– but this time I wanted to take a lighter approach and go with physical comedy
Most challenging scene…
It’s impossible to pick any one scene; directing Shakespeare without words, figuring out how to express the poetry without language, figuring out how to create visual-dramaturgical structure and emotional flow — it’s all hard!
Favorite moment…
Puck’s intro. Titania’s and Oberon’s fight. Bottom’s transformation and the Pyramus/Thisbe play-within-the-play. Such funny, iconic, even touching moments. Almost impossible to go wrong with them
How did the final run of the show compare to what you had in mind at the start of rehearsals?
I never know quite what we have until I actually sit down and watch it as we draw closer to opening. It isn’t until then that things really start to solidify in my mind. As usual though, my expectations were exceeded.
If you could work with anyone…
Chaplin. I identify a lot with his artistic values– saying everything without saying a word; silence as an even more expressive art form than dialog-driven pieces.
Next?
Shakespeare’s Othello. Silent, of course
Nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction
(Responding: Aaron Broderick, William Knowles, Christopher Youstra)
Aaron Broderick
Rent . The Keegan Theatre
Why this show?
In a previous life, I was in a band so I always enjoy a chance to revisit my rock roots.
Greatest challenge…
Everyone loves the tunes in the show, but sometimes the words and story get lost because there is so much going on. The score is not extremely musically difficult, but trying to find that rock edge and mentality can be challenging and fun.
Your best contribution…
Deciding to work with Mark, Susan and Kurt. Everything else developed out of that.
Is there a particular work of art you would like to see turned into a musical and why?
I think a Simon and Garfunkle musical would be interesting if the story discussed their rise to stardom and separation. I don’t think they would release the rights to their songs so that someone else could recreate their separation though.
Next?
Oklahoma! at American University, 25th Annual Spelling Bee at Red Branch Theatre Company, A Man of No Importance at Keegan Theatre, and Forever Plaid at Olney Theater Center.
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William Knowles
Cool Papa’s Party . MetroStage
Why this show?
I’m always interested in new work. I like being a part of creative team.
Greatest challenge…
There was a lot of information to teach in a short amount of time. This was the first time the show was on it’s feet. There was hardly any revision time.
Your best contribution…
With today’s technology, one is able to mock up examples of the work. In other words, you have a good idea of what it sounds like before you have to pay lots of people.
If you could work with anyone…
There is a strong connection between jazz musicians and theater. I would have loved to look over Eubie Blake’s shoulder for Shuffle Along, or Fats Waller’s for Hot Chocolates.
Is there a particular work of art you would like to see turned into a musical and why?
I’d like to do a piece on Nina Simone.
Next?
Cool Papa’s Party has legs. I intend to see where they carry me.
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Christopher Youstra
Adding Machine: A Musical . The Studio Theatre
Why this show?
Well, I actually took the job before I heard the score — I had heard of the piece but not the actual music, so imagine my surprise when I actually heard the score — I was pretty shocked. However, once I dug into it, I realized how terrific the music was and what a great challenge it would be.
Greatest challenge…
There was really nothing that was not challenging about Adding Machine — it is by far the most difficult score I have ever worked on, so from casting to score prep to teaching and drilling the music to connecting the cast to a band that was in another room, it was all a challenge. Fortunately, the entire cast and team really locked in together, and there were many instances of “foxhole” humor. The score alone ensured that a level of precision would need to exist that would take a lot of hard, detail work to achieve. I was also a bit scared and intimidated about doing the show with Jason Loewith, the conceiver of the piece and co-librettist. However, he turned out to be quite lovely, amazingly flexible, and a pretty great director.
Your best contribution…
I think it was trying to make sure that the cast was as comfortable as possible with the score, considering how intimidating it was. We spent a lot of time in rehearsal to make the music as second-nature as possible, because if you have to think about the music in performance, you’re sunk. I thought they were fantastic — every single one of them.
If you could work with anyone…
Anyone with a bag of money. Seriously. I have two college funds to put together. (I would actually love to write music for a Disney movie or for a Disney theme park ride–maybe our generation’s It’s a Small World)
Is there a particular work of art you would like to see turned into a musical and why?
I think the boys and girls of Jersey Shore deserve a musical telling of their story; I think Snookie’s story in an aria would be particularly interesting. Maybe Jersey Shore Boys…
Next?
I just opened Little Shop of Horrors at Ford’s Theater and then I move on to Triumph of Love at Olney Theater and a show I wrote with Ally Currin for Imagination Stage called The Dancing Princesses. I am particularly excited for this show as I think the script is terrific, the cast and artistic team is great and Kate Bryer is directing so I think it is going to be wonderful. Then, I am doing Rent and then Passing Strange at Studio. I end the year with Bunnicula at Imagination Stage and Annie at Olney. This summer, I am hoping to have a full reading on a show I have written with David Toney called Elysian Fields that sets King Lear in the South after the Civil War.
Nominated for Outstanding Choreography
(Responding: Ben Cunis, Carina Losano, Irina Tsikurishvili)
Ben Cunis
Dracula . Synetic Theater
Why this project?
Put simply — what fight choreographer wouldn’t want to choreograph vampires?
Greatest challenge…
The hardest thing about creating movement for Dracula was realizing the difference between the mortal and immortal characters and making it look effective. It’s one thing to say to a Synetic actor “move all creepy and kick some people around”, it’s another thing to bring this to life onstage effectively. The key I kept finding was the reactions of the mortal bodies to the supernatural actions — focusing on heightened reactions to blows, escapes, and throws.
Favorite moment…
I loved the moment in which Dan Istrate would say “We Transylvanians have a saying that is very close to my heart!” then paw around his chest for a heartbeat, and, finding none, shrug it off with a c’est la vie on his face. As far as the fights went, I loved what the boys were able to pull off in the opening fight scene where Vlad the Impaler faces the horde– seven on one is a tough number to choreograph, not to mention we needed it to look like a thousand on one, so it took careful coordination of the patterns on stage — all while doing some pretty high flying moves!
When was the last time you performed as a dancer?
Ahem. I hesitate to call myself a dancer, though the last time I danced and fought onstage in DC was in Antony and Cleopatra this February at the Lansburgh Theatre (we also just did a one-off production of Host and Guest at Columbia University last week, awesome to be performing in NYC).
If you could choreograph for anyone…
I’m going to cheat and say I’d like to put together a face-off between Jackie Chan and Andre the Giant. Preferably filmed at the U Street farmer’s market.
Dream dance assignment…
“You have six months to train, choreograph, and execute a fight with Synetic’s best on a set that includes flight rigging, tons of hidden mats, stuff to climb on, and an unlimited supply of top quality weaponry. Oh, and your shoulder gets to be in top condition this time.”
Next?
I’m choreographing the fights for Synetic’s Othello, which opens at the Kennedy Center June 5th. I think that’s going to be an awesome show and I’m excited to start working with the cast. Also, my production company, Granite Kiss Productions, will be releasing our noir-revenge-comedy web series Hamilton Carver: Zombie, PI in late April, check out www.hamiltoncarver.com for the trailer and info. It’s got some fun stunt and fight work, noir sensibilities, and ninjas…how could you go wrong?
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Carina Losano
Momia en el closet: The Return of Eva Perón . GALA Hispanic Theatre
Why this show?
I was attracted by the controversial character of Eva Perón, as she always has been, and the ridiculousness of a period that it was so dark in Argentina. The smart idea of Eva Perón even after she died causing manipulation of Power Clash and Fear between “El Pueblo” (The People), that she always loved, and the Power of the Military and The Church. Then the fact that the music that was originally composed by Mariano Vales and the script adaptation with Gustavo Ott, and to have Mariano Caligaris directing it coming from Argentina as well as some of the cast. Hugo and Rebecca Medrano gave me this chance and I have worked and choreographed for GALA before and it was a great experience; so the summary of all of these components made it very attractive to me.
Greatest challenge…
It was my first time choreographing in a more “structured” way for people that had to sing, act and dance at the same time. The cast had different backgrounds and experience and to have good singing quality was a first priority for the cast. Also to choreograph with music that was being originally created at the moment. But I learned a lot at the end and when the cast was finally feeling free to add their own character to it, it worked much better. Finally, I loved it because it became a collaborative project.
Favorite moment…
The Moori-Milonga/Waltz, when Eva’s corpse is violently raped by General Moori, was a dark moment; delirious that it was a true fact. Laura and Diego did a great job also when they both could melt the violent moments that the scene required together with the dance. They matured the scene and rounded it.
Also the Fashion C’est Moi, when the militaries dream of fashion/vendette like abstract moment contrasts the Macho Military Persona with their Feminine Inner-Desires. It was a Vogue-like remembrance in conjunction with the Teatro de Revista (Show Girls in Buenos Aires) that I wanted to re-create.
For all of these I always had Mariano Caligaris’ vision and Mariano Vales’ inspiration for the music that allowed me to convert their ideas into my vision of movement.
When was the last time you performed as a dancer?
In March with QuinTango and in April I am performing for a private event.
If you could choreograph for anyone…
Gene Kelly – Donald O’Connor – Michail Baryshnikov- Danny Kaye- Robert Downy Jr, for these firsts, honestly because I was in love with their characters and their talents and artistic abilities in general but, too, great admiration for their dance! I wish I could have made a dance with them.
Rudolf Valentino- Nijinsky-because of their passion for life, dance and bohemia made them perfect candidates for Tango Dancers.
Michael Jackson- in a way I indirectly choreographed for him; Vincent Paterson, who was Michael’s choreographer many times and with whom I worked as his assistant in a couple of projects, taught Michael some Tango Steps that he learned when we choreographed together for Madonna for the movie “Evita”. Vincent had Michael include some Tango-like moves for the video clip for “Blood on the dance floor”.
Cyd Charisse – probably because she danced with my favorite dancers of all times, which means how exceptional she was but also how exquisite and very complete over all. As a woman she also had an incomparable beauty and fire.
Finally I would also have liked to choreograph for Rita Hayworth.
The Hollywood Tango versions some of these dancers did, it was because they did not have a Real Argentine Tango coach for them, but I believe that all of them would have been great Tangueros because of their abilities as dancers, their control and knowledge of the body but especially their character and passionate personality!
Dream dance assignment…
Argentine Tango is my area of expertise but I also dance salsa and swing as a hobby so I have a couple of dreams that include some or all of these dances:
– Get together the Golden Age Tango Dancers from Argentina and the Danzon Dancers from Cuba first of all. Nobody younger than 70 years old should be in this project. I would also like to integrate Mambo Dancers (like Cuban Pete if alive) and Lindy Dancers (Frankie Manning if alive).
The essence and soul of social dancing a remembrance of the dancehalls of the Golden Age.
– Choreograph a film with people of all ethnicities in an Embrace of the World of Tango and throughout the world and put them dancing together as One, just like Tango is supposed to be. An Embrace of the World for Peace. Example: The people living on both sides of the Gaza Strip dancing without frontiers in true unity. I would love to do this together with Vincent Paterson as the Dance Director. He is the first person that saw the inner me and gave me a change to work and learn from him and with renowned artists and opened the choreographic world to me.
– Teach or create dances together with children of indigenous communities/villages and with orphans from around the world.
– Choreograph for a Professional Afro-Troup working with how the African Rhythms influenced the roots of Tango, from the Tribal Dance to Reggae and Hip-Hop.
– Work with handicapped dancers (either born or after accident), blind or deaf dancers as well.
Next?
I was proposed to choreograph another musical about the life of Cesar Tiempo who made a commotion in the literary world of Buenos Aires in 1927 when writing: Versos de una… (Verses of a … (prostitute)) as Clara Better, and while the intellectuals and politicians of the time were in love of her, later realized that it was a Jewish boy who was only 17 years old.
I also want to write a musical that includes the Enrique Santos Discepolo lyrics. Discepolo who wrote the Tango Cambalache, ’describes the dark and crude reality of humans and expose them in facts that nobody can deny. He composed Yira-Yira that Carlos Gardel sang and they are together in a film too. In Discepolo’s later years people thought that he had an association with Juan Perón and turned their backs to him. After that he died of sadness. He was friends with Agustin Lara. He was dramatic, satiric and romantic to the maximum.
Another character that I might include or write about is Tita Merello, an icon of the artistic world of the Tango, Theatre and Film in Argentina. She was illiterate until she was almost 20 years old. She was born in 1904. Tita Merello’s modern version of her composition Se dice de mi was used for Betty la Fea which succeeded in TV here in the US as Ugly Betty. She looked like Sofia Lauren and was very “raw” in her acting, singing and controversial, she also composed this way. Tita Merello became a defender of the woman’s awareness in feminine health care, ahead of many at that time and did public speaking in Radio and Television in Argentina.
I will like to do these projects but there is another side of me on the spiritual level that would love to follow and choose to retire eventually from the dance world. Many people have great talents that are just a testimony of how God has created us. Some might choose to follow dance and choreography, others might choose to follow God, while they can both go together, there is not enough time for the two of them.
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Irina Tsikurishvili
Dante, Dracula and A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Synetic Theater
Why these shows?
Midsummer, Dante, and Dracula are all very different from each other, but what unifies them are their supernatural qualities and themes– an instinctive attraction for me.
Great challenges…
To find three very different, unique movement styles for Midsummer, Dante, and Dracula.
Favorite moments…
I loved birth of the Indian boy/Puck in Midsummer, the suicide scene in Dante, and Dracula’s seduction of Lucy in Dracula.
When was the last time you performed as a dancer?
As a dancer, it was decades ago, but as both actress and dancer I performed in our recent production of Antony and Cleopatra at The Shakespeare Theater.
If you could choreograph for anyone…
Odry Haber. Love the guy.
Your dream dance assignment…
I’ve always wanted to do a version of Queen Margot.
Next?
I’m finishing up Metamorphosis and we just started working on our silent Othello.
Nominated for Outstanding Set Design
(Responding: Misha Kachman, James Kronzer, Klyph Stanford)
Misha Kachman
Fever/Dream . Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Greatest challenge…
The main difficulty was in trying to incorporate the ‘magic’, ‘supernatural’ aspects of the play into the design; another problem was how to create an illusion of the enormous vertical physical distance between the locations (executive suite vs the basement) on an essentially flat stage – hence the elevator.
Your most important contribution…
I think we managed to serve the practical needs of the play reasonable well… As for the poetry of the piece, it’s for others to judge… I tried to make the space both monumental and whimsical, bearing a bit of what I call the charm of idiocy. The blimp really helped with that.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
Digital printing on large scale – it allows to reproduce painters’ elevations life-size. This does not apply to Fever/Dream though – despite it’s scale and production values it was a pleasantly low-tech undertaking (including tracking the blimp and the helicopter on- and off-stage).
Dream project…
Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman.
Next?
Gruesome Playground Injuries at Woolly and Around the World in 80 Days at Round House, among some other things.
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James Kronzer
The Picture of Dorian Gray . Round House Theatre
Greatest challenge…
Going fluidly between a multitude of scenes without impeding the action and rhythm of the play.
Your most important contribution…
Achieving the above.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
Computerized automation. Computerized drafting.
Dream project…
A very large and expensive production of any opera by Puccini.
Next?
Sunday in the Park with George at the Arden Theater in Philadelphia; Hamlet at the Folger, Trumpery co-designed with Jeremy W. Foil at Olney Theater; Opus at Portland Center Stage, Design Coordinator for the National Tour of Spamalot; World premiere of a new Ken Ludwig play at Signature Theatre; World premiere of a new Joe Calarco play at Signature Theatre. Several shows for Norwegian Cruise Lines.
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Klyph Stanford
Hysteria . Rep Stage
Greatest challenge…
Probably the steepness of the learning curve preparing the projections. My original idea about how to accomplish many of the effects at the end of Act II were not workable for budget reasons, so that part of the show became much more projection intensive. This was only my second real foray into that design discipline, so I had to learn some imaging software very quickly as well as familiarize myself with the media server we used. Fortunately, for the latter part I had Andrew Haag at Rep Stage to give me an excellent tutorial on the server.
Most important contribution…
I thought the projections, in conjunction with Dan Covey’s lighting and Chas Marsh’s sound, worked well in conveying the collapse of Freud’s mind at the end of the play.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
I have to admit to being something of a Luddite. Although I do final drawings on the computer, I still start with paper and pencil to work out the actual design. The one area that has intrigued me recently is the use of projections as a design element. I have been trying to learn all that I can, even so far as applying to graduate school to get an MFA in Projection Design. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Dream project…
Designing Scenery, Lighting and Projections for a play like Good by CP Taylor. Hopefully with one of my favorite collaborators.
Next?
I am lighting El Retablillo de Don Cristobal for GALA Hispanic Theatre, and The Graduate for Keegan Theatre.
Nominated for Outstanding Sound Design
(Responding: Konstantine Lortkipandze, Tom Teasley)
Konstantine Lortkipandze
A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Synetic Theater
Greatest challenge…
I had to compose sound and original music for a 95-minute show that would tell the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Paata told me that, without words, the music and sound would need to become the script.
Most important contribution…
I managed to find the color of the sound and music and tell the story with my music.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
Mac, FL, Logic Pro, and Korg.
Dream project…
Phantom of the Opera, in Synetic style of course.
Next?
Othello at the Kennedy Center with Synetic.
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Tom Teasley
Crazyface . Constellation Theatre Company
Greatest challenge…
The biggest challenge to the design of this show involved the aspect of live performance with percussion. I wanted to create a lot of energy for the chase scenes and high energy fight scenes. The challenge was to provide the high energy and still keep the volume low enough so as not to distract from the actors lines.
Most important contribution…
I’m not really sure if I am the best one to answer this question. However I hope that I was able to provide compelling text painting to underscore the narrative. The orchestration of the dance scenes was especially fun to perform. Lastly, I provided pre-concert music that I hope set an appropriate mood for the action and and text that was to follow.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
I employed a variety of music technology in this production. Most of it is not specific to sound design but to solo music performance in general. I used digital looping. This is a procedure where I play something and in real time record it. This allows me to create virtual ensembles. I also employed a hand drum synthesizer that is touch sensitive to digitally reproduce a variety of ethnic drums as well as sound effects.
Dream project…
Well I could envision a multi-media project including dance, theater and special lighting that interacts directly with the music. Also a project that includes a variety of world music from the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. This would be a project that transforms time to include ancient music as well as futuristic. How is that for an ambitious project?
Next?
Funny you should ask! I will be performing live with Constellation the wonderful Indian epic, The Ramayana May 6 – June 6. The show will have a plethora of exotic percussion with a newly composed score. I’ll also, as in the past, provide pre-show music. Be sure come early to catch the sounds! Next I’ll be touring to Belfast, Ireland for some more theater work as well as to present a lecture/demonstration on the healing properties of sound at the Belfast International Psychology Convention.
Lastly I would like to thank the committee for recognizing my contributions to Constellation. I would also like to thank Allison Arkell Stockman for being such a wonderful collaborator.
Nominated for Outstanding Lighting Design
(Responding: Colin K. Bills, Andrew F. Griffin, Thom Weaver)
Colin K. Bills
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches . Forum Theatre
and Fever/Dream . Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
For Angels in America: Millennium Approaches:
Greatest challenge…
Forum produced this at the Round House Silver Spring Black Box, which uses a repertory plot created by the Round House staff for use with all of the various productions that are produced in that space. While that created some limitations in the design, it also set some really strict parameters on the design which informed many of my choices. It led to a very tight design. For a play as large and sprawling as Angels, this actually helped the overall production, in that it imposed a simplicity on the action and design that I might not have created otherwise. This was definitely a case where what appeared to be a limitation actually ended up being an asset.
Most important contribution…
Embracing those limitations was definitely my smartest choice
For Fever/Dream:
Greatest challenge…
The play had a lengthy set of detailed effects in the stage directions, which the entire production team spent endless time examining. Collectively, I think the favorite was “All the seltzers glow blue and fizz”. Our biggest challenge as a group was to find artful ways to accomplish the playwright’s intentions in the stage directions without spending a million dollars, and also to ensure that these elements in the design were supporting the action onstage.
Most important contribution…
The play took place in two locations – the fetid basement and the luxurious penthouse office of the building of a gigantic corporation. For the basement, I used a lot of different light-emitting objects (computer monitors, fluorescent lights, blinking phones) to light those scenes, and then as the two worlds merged, I used more of those basic sources to light the whole play. I really enjoy using non-theatrical sources to light scenes, and here it lent an odd air of reality to an otherwise totally fantastical setting.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
I wouldn’t say that technology has really changed my art so much as a kind of overall shift in my thinking about what “theatrical” means to me. That word tends to include a full embrace of seeing light fixtures, seeing all of the theater gak, creating seamless transitions with all sorts of great technology like automated scenery, etc. I’m feeling more and more like the word paradoxically tends to indicate eschewing theater magic and working towards a more authentic experience for the audience and actors – one that hopes to ignore the theatrical technology in favor of an altered (albeit “designed”) reality. For my work, that often means using fewer techno tricks, and getting back to more basic ideas about what light is – like plain old light bulbs or fluorescent tubes.
Dream project…
I’ve never done an Ionesco play (except in college), and I think this is a good time to put some old school absurdism back on our stages, with full use of contemporary theatre practices, maybe utilizing video, which I find to be one of the most wonderfully absurd design elements in a form which purports to be different because it’s “live”. I’d love to work on that: Ionesco, on video, with a whole bunch of flashing light bulbs. The Killing Game maybe would work well that way.
Next?
I’m looking forward the most to Gruesome Playground Injuries at Woolly. Our conversations about the play thus far have been really intriguing, and I can’t wait to get it on its feet.
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Andrew F. Griffin
A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Synetic Theater
Greatest challenge…
Of all the challenges for Midsummer, the biggest was time. We loaded in the scenery and focused the show on Tuesday. Did scenic notes and wrote as many cues as we could Wednesday, had a preview Wednesday night, and finished writing the show on Thursday for our opening night performance. It meant that in the weekend running up to tech I spent a lot of time with the show in rehearsals and had to know the show backwards and forwards to get it done as fast as possible.
Most important contribution…
There is a quote from film composer Hans Zimmer: “The challenge… [is] how do you present the story and at the same time make it emotional and visceral.” This is something I hope to bring to the table for every production that I do, and I think I was particularly successful here. Getting to that place requires a lot of collaboration and working with the other artists associated on the show. I had to collaborate with Anastasia on color, and how to light all the people in body paint, and also with such a simple set, figure out how we could change the world from location to location. For example, Anastasia really wanted a chandelier in the court world, and we just didn’t have the flyspace to make it happen, so I worked with her on how we could still create that feel. And finally, especially, there is working with Paata to make sure that we are all working to create his vision on stage. Paata is very visual and cinematic, so it allows you some leeway in the looks you can create and the environments we are in. When we put all of our heads together, and put all the elements on stage, I think we all told a great story in a beautiful way in which we could all take pride.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
To be perfectly honest, for me personally, it’s actually been stepping back a bit from computers. I used to do all my work on the computer, and not too long ago I was working on a show where I just felt stuck. I decided to try putting a pencil to paper and the design and answers flowed so much easier. In fact, Midsummer was done this way (the second show I designed this way). Since then all my designs start on paper and the final step is taking it to the computer.
When you talk about the craft of lighting designers, however, the new innovation that is contributing to the art is LED technology. Every year we have a big expo called LDI, this year it was jokingly referred to as LEDI just because of the vast amount of LED technology and the rapidity with which it is evolving. There are so many other things contributing, the technology seems only limited by the imagination (think of how rapidly computers once evolved – that’s what it’s like in the lighting field right now) but LEDs are definitely the major player and it’s allowing our creativity to go wild and truly be limitless on the stage. Keeping up with all the changes is hard, but incredibly exciting.
Dream project…
Opera. I love music, especially orchestral, and there is nothing like being in a room with a 70-piece orchestra, 80-person ensemble, the principle singers and a design team all coming together to create something on this massive a scale. As intimidating as it can be, it’s a blast.
Next?
I head to Michigan Opera Theatre where I am their Resident Assistant Lighting Designer, followed by a hectic summer designing for Synetic, Adventure Theatre, the Delaware Shakespeare Festival, and American Century Theater. The most exciting project though: getting married this August.
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Thom Weaver
Arcadia . Folger Theatre
Greatest challenge…
Finding a balance between the past and present, in every design element, was probably the most challenging part of the work.
Most important contribution…
I was very pleased with the ending of the show, with the moonlight streaming through a window illuminating a beautiful waltz.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
ETC has come out with a new line of light boards that has dramatically improved the way we all work.
Dream project…
Any time I can have the opportunity to work with great material and great collaborators, such as on Arcadia, it is a dream project.
Next?
In DC, I’ll be designing New Jerusalem for Theater J in June.
Nominated for Outstanding Costume Design
(Responding: Linda Cho, Robert Perdziola, Anastasia Simes, Alejo Vietti, Norah Worthington)
Linda Cho
A Dog in the Manger . Shakespeare Theatre Company
Greatest challenge…
Striking the right balance between period authenticity and contemporary flair in silhouette and colors.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
The Internet for accessibility to research and facilitating communication.
Dream project…
I’d like to design a Ring Cycle
Next?
Twelfth Night at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and M Butterfly at the Guthrie.
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Robert Perdziola
Design for Living . Shakespeare Theatre Company
Greatest challenge…
I think the most challenging thing was trying to come up with fabrics that looked of the period. There were sources where one could buy art deco reproduction fabrics but I could not afford it. I opted for more solids pieced together with a 20’s sensibility or painting into existing patterned fabrics.
Most important contribution…
I love all of the things for the three principals; Leo, Gilda, Otto. Especially Gilda because she gets dresses. But all of the stuff was fun to do and I got to work in a period of the twentieth century.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
Obviously the answer has to be the Internet and how accessible things are. For this show, one could go to ebay and find the real thing and either use it as reference, buy it, or buy it and remake it with new materials. Everything is on the Internet.
Dream project…
Not sure about this. I think I would really like to do a big ballet. Sets and Costumes. Dance can be the most challenging. Sometimes the most abstract. Dancers notice everything. I love Sondheim, Strauss, Mozart, Chekhov.
Next?
I am currently about to open an opera in Boston, La Grande Duchesse, simultaneosly I will be in production for Mrs. Warren’s Profession at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and remounting Le Nozze Di Figaro for the Garsington Opera Festival in the UK.
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Anastasia Simes
A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Synetic Theater and
Dante . Synetic Theater
Greatest challenge…
For Dante – to find time for actors to change into 100+ costumes.
For Midsummer – to keep the blue body paint on Alex Mills and off the rest of the crew. And, as in every Synetic show, to keep costumes on actors and make sure they survive the show.
Dream project…
Boris Godunov by A.Pushkin.
Next?
Whatever Paata and Irina come up with for next season
—————
Alejo Vietti
A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas . Ford’s Theatre
Greatest challenge…
Most definitely it was the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, because of the complexity and creativity needed. The costume is a combination of puppetry, sculpted carbon fiber, mechanics, glow in the dark paint – and then the actor had to fly while maneuvering the costume!
Most important contribution…
Staying within budget (it’s a big show)!
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
Internet, cellphones, email, and iphones! Being able to research, communicate, purchase and source globally opens doors to many more possibilities.
Dream project…
I never had one specific “dream project” but I guess that any show directed by someone I respect and admire, with talented actors and colleagues and an open ended budget is a dream project!
Next?
I am excited about a few upcoming productions: Annie Get Your Gun at Goodspeed, Il Turco in Italia at Wolftrap, and Seance on a Wet Afternoon for NYC Opera.
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Norah Worthington
Wittenberg . Rep Stage
Greatest challenge…
The most challenging thing was creating a light up vision of the Virgin Mary on a $1.98 budget. It was also hard to walk the line between historical period and conscious anachronism. We really wanted to select very specific moments to make contemporary references. I loved making a renaissance version of Björn Borg and a St. Pauli girl along with a portrait version of Martin Luther.
Most important contribution…
I loved the moment when Mary touched her heart and it lit up. It’s fun when low tech things have a punch.
What new technology in the last few years has contributed the most to your art?
I can’t imagine production without email and Internet shopping. How did we do it in the old days before people were so wired? Nothing, however will replace the hand of a good fabric, the feel of a needle through the threads, or the pencil on the napkin when you have a great idea.
Dream project…
I love the surprises that productions present. There are times in history, or worlds of being, that we would never think to care about until we need them for some production. I’m not sure what my dream project might be until maybe after I’ve done it.
Next?
I am finishing up Our Town at Everyman Theatre, and a Stravinski ballet of Pulcinella for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. I am hoping to return to Williamsburg in the summer to continue research into costumed historical interpretation.
Continue to Part II:
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