Audience Influence

Those brandy filled glasses no longer clink in the Head Theater here at CENTERSTAGE, as the curtain closed on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? November 30. However, one important part of this provoking show remains, and that is the audience.

The audience that hesitated walking into the theater knowing there would be over three hours of uproar, sarcasm, rage, and pain transitioned to the audience that walked out of the theater deeply engaged, moved and touched in watching the two couples loose themselves in games, gossip and agonizing secrets.

And they will soon return. CENTERSTAGE's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? received many positive reviews, as The Baltimore Sun claims "The talented director Ethan McSweeny elicits first-rate performances from his top-notch cast." I recently found out it is our audience here at CENTERSTAGE that has made that cast rise a few more notches than usual, as I had the opportunity to speak with Leah Curney (Honey) about her experience.

As we sat in the downstairs lobby, Leah and I talked about Baltimore, and I asked her how the Charm City differs from other cities she has performed in. While she was not able to explore as much as she would have liked, she could sense this is an area that is being revitalized, an area full of history and on the verge of creating more. Leah particularly enjoyed the Farmers Market on Guilford Avenue, and the variety of restaurants up on Charles Street, since she tends to crave Indian and Nepalese food. However, one thing that stood out in Leah's mind about this area is the Baltimore audience here at CENTERSTAGE.

“CENTERSTAGE really reaches out to a diverse crowd, bringing in young and old people, from all sides of the spectrum" she explained. “There are no bells and whistles in this show. It is a talkative play, and most people are not used to that. To go on that journey we actors go through on stage is demanding of the audience, and here, they have chosen to journey with us.”

Leah admitted there are days she came into work tired after performing this exhausting three hour and ten minute play night after night, with the occasional matinee. Yet, once she steps onto stage, and after not only listening, but feeling the response of the audience, she is recharged and forgets how tired she once was.

“We play off of the audience's energy. We feel the response; although it is an intangible thing, it is so important, and at CENTERSTAGE it has been different than other places I have performed in. These audiences night after night have been so attentive and responsive, and I am really going to miss that."

~Emily

(Photos: Leah Curney onstage (above) and onstage with Andrew Weems (top) in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Photo by Richard Anderson)

Rise and Shine!

Honey and Nick leave George and Martha’s house in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as the sun is just coming up and birds start chirping. This part of the play was in my mind as I sat on the steps of CENTERSTAGE at 5:15 this morning, drinking coffee and watching those admirable-but-crazy early morning joggers.

I wasn’t sitting out there because I had a night of drinking and games like George and Martha, however. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was featured this morning on WBFF/Fox 45’s “Hometown Hotspot,” part of their morning news show! For me, that meant waking up at 4:45 am to get to the theater, make a pot of coffee, help Darren from FOX run cable (out the fourth-floor theater window!), and assist Public Relations Manager Heather Jackson prep for her first spot at 6:10 am.

For perspective: Many theater people go to bed at 6:10 am.

We had three short segments – one with Heather, another with Resident Dramaturg Gavin Witt, and a third with Props Master Jennifer Stearns and Props Artisan Nathan Scheifele.

Hopefully Baltimore’s early risers caught our segments, and will feel inspired to come on down to 700 North Calvert Street—even if it means going to bed later than usual.

~Sarah Anne

No Fear for the Woolf: Director Ethan McSweeny

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? director Ethan McSweeny talks about the challenges of taking on this classic text, and the advantages of working from a fresh slate

What was your familiarity with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? before this show?
I had read it, of course, but I had actually never seen a production of it. I had also never seen the film, so I made a conscious decision not to, once I knew I was directing it, as to not be unduly influenced by choices they had made—so I had the rare opportunity to come to it as if it was a new play.

Photo: Ethan McSweeny welcoming guests to the final dress rehearsal of Virginia Woolf. Photo by Richard Anderson.

It is a great classic of the 20th-century, maybe the quintessential post-World War II American play. And those usually come with a lot of baggage. When you get the opportunity to interact with a script without the baggage, as an artist, you’re very lucky.

Why were you interested in directing Virginia Woolf?
There were several factors, but, first, on the practical side, I’m a freelance director, so when I get a job, a chance to direct a major classic play at a major theater, I say yes. And I was supposed to direct a production of this play five or six years ago, but the rights were pulled because of the impending Broadway production. I almost felt I had a date with this play I had not kept.

This is also my first opportunity to work at CENTERSTAGE, a theater I have always admired and respected....CENTERSTAGE puts a pretty high emphasis on technicality, on design. That is an important aspect in Virginia Woolf, particularly, and great to get to do it in a fully supported regional theater.

I'm also a Washington, DC, native, and have a lot of family, friends, and other theaters I've worked with around here, so it is always great to come back to the Mid-Atlantic area.

What was one of the most challenging parts about bringing Virginia Woolf to life?
The most important thing was getting a good cast. Getting a George, Martha, Nick, Honey that are right, was very important. But they also have to be able to make it as a company, a group that works together to make a fantastic show.

Also, dealing with the length and breadth of the play, and dealing with it in our time in rehearsal. We had to be very aware of timing, scheduling. We don’t, aside from Shakespeare and Shaw, find ourselves doing many three hour plays. That creates challenges in relearning the rehearsal muscle.

How much time do you spend with a script before hand?
I spend a substantial amount of time reading the play, and reading it again in the design process. A big part of Virginia Woolf is that the action is carried by people talking, so we had to come up with interesting visuals and stage business to help the audience engage with the actors on stage. I spent a lot of time in the design process talking with Lee [Savage, scenic designer]. Once we had a design, I would re-read the play with that design in mind, thinking about how it would work.

I also make a scene breakdown, dividing the script into French scenes [every time a character enters or leaves]. Each act was divided into eight or ten smaller chunks, then I give a title to each of these scenes. It isn’t until I do a scene breakdown that I feel I’ve made an internal decision about what I feel the scene is about.

Finally, you have to be open as you work through the play together with the actors. Voices help reveal the structure in the text…. The punctuation is important, especially in Albee. Its almost a song, its a piece of music for four human voices.

What are you working on next?
I will be back at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, doing a classic with a twist with Ion by Euripides. It is a relatively modern translation by David Lam, and it is a fascinating play that I’ve really warmed up to—a Greek play with a happy ending; not a comedy, not a tragedy, but a story.

After that, I go out to the Old Globe in San Diego for a new play, Cornelia, about the second wife of Alabama Senator George Wallace.

I have been very fortunate in my career to do classics, contemporary masterpieces like Virginia Woolf, and world premiers of new works. The ability to work in these different genres increases your skills as a director.

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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? runs in the Head Theater through November 30th. Visit www.centerstage.org or call 410.332.0033 for information.

Making the stage- Dressing the set in Virginia Woolf

Jennifer Stearns, Props Master at CENTERSTAGE, and intern Ellen Nielson took us on a tour of the very detailed set of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

How we defined the props here is “everything in the house.” Whatever is not bolted to the walls, not part of the actual physical structure, is props—from the shrubs and ivy on the porch outside to the rugs, art, curtains, even the ceiling fixtures and wall-mounted sconces are part of the props department.

In a show as detailed as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, that’s a heck of a lot.

Occasionally we have overhire if someone is going to be away for part of the build time, or it is a really complicated show. We will also occasionally contract specialists to build specifics props.

(Ellen shows off the break-away bottle)

The two things that had to be exactly as they were listed in the play—had to be exact down to what is written. The breakable bottle had to be a whiskey bottle, not a glass, true to the script. And the stunt gun had to be exactly what the script called for.

Everything is a blend of bought, built, and stock, with a few specialty rentals sometimes. All the newspapers on the floor were printed in house to have dates in 1961 and 1962. The covers of the products, such as cigarettes and candy bars, were researched and then recreated here in house. The piles of magazines are a mix of a few old ones and many recreated—down a made up mailing address in New Carthage. More often than not there will be many pieces that are bought and altered, or are recreated from a mix of new and vintage pieces.

I had not worked with Lee Savage (the scenic designer) and director Ethan McSweeny before, and they gave a lot more attention to the props and set dressing than many directors do. Our usual process is that I go in, pull everything, and put it on a cart, which Lee than goes through and picks and chooses from. Once it is all on the set, Ethan goes through and makes notes, special requests. He really wanted there to be a Parcheesi set, and a chess set, things like that.


(Above: George's desk)

Some directors aren’t so worried about the set details, especially if I’ve worked with them before. There is a trust, a relationship that’s built when you work with someone a few times.

(Right: Jen and the custom Life magazines)

There are a lot of details that a lot of audience members won’t ever see. I’ve worked here for a number of years and there are things I’ve had and collected, things that I’ve wanted a chance to use. On George’s desk there is a double recliner that holds pipes that I was excited to use.

For the records, we went shopping and bought lots of old albums, there are some great, cheesy covers the audience never sees, such as a 1950s one with a woman in a great outfit lounging on the cover, called “Music to Read by”—really kind of camp and funny. The cover for the album that Martha plays was recreated by us [“Out of the Cool,” The Gil Evans Orchestra].

One of my favorite pieces is the glass table-top lighter, which were really popular through the late 1950s, but are really hard to find. We found this one, had it fixed up by Fader’s to actually work—and it is used by the actors now in the show.

Fantastic card table downstage was a find at a going out of business sale last year and knew we’d be able to use it one day—too much of a steal to pass up and a great period piece.

We also went to the Book Thing and got about 100 books, all copyright 1945-1962, all period, all things that George and or Martha would read. My favorite is one that was just a hilarious, really perfect for the time find, What We Must Know about Communism.

(Above: Tabletop lighter; Right: George's books)


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Photos by Raphael Davison, Graphics Intern

All of this is achieved by a props department of four for most shows. Jennifer, Assistant Props Master Nathan Scheifele (the department carpenter), Jeanne Marie Burdette is the soft-goods artisan, and Properties Intern Ellen Nielsen.


The design team on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? includes:
Scenic Design: Lee Savage; Costume Design: Murell Horton; Sound Design: Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen; Lighting Design: Robert Wierzel