It really was Hump Day (Wed)....a lot of highs and lows

I had an epiphany in the middle of the night. Frankly, I have been struggling a bit with narrowing the focus of my directorial study, but around 4 am I woke up with a fresh approach.

Anne Bogart's Seven Essays on Art and Theatre is required reading in two of my advanced classes: Directing and Acting. She addresses the elements of violence, stereotype, eroticism, resistance, embarrassment, terror and memory. This book is as close to a theology text that I use in the classroom. I reference it continuously and the students completely "dig it." I am going to use these elements as the springboard to my questions.

I was also concerned that my spectrum of interviewees was too wide. Should I interview only those with Broadway experience? ...new directors?...female directors? Now it will behoove me to interview any and all. I am thrilled and eager to get going.

I attended the MX Satellite Radio Talk Back of The Overwhelming by TR Rogers. I went this show about 3 weeks ago, and since then, I have read and poured over the script. Here is a synopsis from a NY Theatre Website:

It's 1994, and when an American family heads to Rwanda to help an old friend in need, each member encounters a very different experience. But they all find trouble in this country on the verge of genocide, where no one is exactly what they seem. Soon, this family unearths unexpected truths about this tiny, troubled nation… and about themselves.

If you are a Broadway Satellite Radio Fan, you will be able to hear me ask a question about extended metaphor (specifically windows and cabbages)! Yippee!

One thing I found interesting is that the dramaturg and the playwright went on and on about how the director made the actors do status improv where they had to define the scenes with action verbs. Basically, they were talking about beating out the script and identifying character control and power. Also, Rogers said things like, "The playwright's role is to ask questions not give answers." My undergraduates not only understand the importance of this, they know how to apply it. The practitioners today acted like this was some innovative approach to the stage. Curious. I enjoyed Sam Robarts (son of Jason Robarts and Lauren Bacall and the lead in this play). He was playful and thoughtful...I wish more of that came across during the performance.

Tonight, I went to All of the Above by Jenny Lyn Bader. That is 2 hours and 15 minutes I will never get back. The script was about a 5 (students - there are some workable ACTF scenes here), the directing a 4 and the acting was a 2.