Kelly Dumar talks about rehearsing The Cell (series B)

On Kelly DuMar's blog:

The Cell

Written & Directed By Kelly DuMar                                    

Pleasant Lawn Cemetery, A Throne Like Bench—Seating for Two

TICK         Teagan Rose

CORT      Joe Orrigo

Our Journey to the Underworld

For the fourth time during a Playwrights’ Platform Festival I get to work with great actors to present a scene from my Away Message Series.  Last year, Bird’s Egg, Blue drummed up TICK’'s birth at the annual festival, and Clay gave us TICK'’s first kiss at the Our Voices Festival.  The year before, New Digs brought us to the cemetery so TICK and KIP could “do their goodbye thing” at Clay’'s grave.  The Cell is set in the same cemetery, but another dimension.

When I first met Joe Orrigo to “audition” him for The Cell it was at a sunny outdoor patio table at Panera, and he told me exactly what a playwright wants to hear: “Love the script.”  Even more encouraging, he connected with the mythological dimensions of the story and sparked my vision as director.  By the time we were done reading the script aloud, I was - along with the rest of the diners - scared shitless.  I drove home wondering if Joe Orrigo was really an actor or an ethereal visitor from another realm, and for a lot of reasons I hoped he would turn out to be a real actor, not the least of which was so that he'’d show up for rehearsal when I cast him.

He did.  It'’s been great working with Joe and Teagan who’s so fresh and eager and talented.  Joe'’s not afraid to try anything, and Teagan'’s not afraid to ask anything, so the three of us became collaborators in the truest sense of the word, inspiring and trusting each other'’s creative instincts.  

During rehearsal I told them I wasn'’t convinced I had found the right ending.  We agreed to trust the process to find it, and I almost blew it.  Out of habit, I kept ending the play in the same old place.  At the last rehearsal when I said “"done",” I realized Joe wasn'’t.  We agreed to run it one more time and Joe was free to end it wherever he ended it.  So, we got to the end, and CORT makes this seductive gesture—, "Come".  And TICK must.  That’'s what I'’m getting at: that as adolescents, certainly, —but also as creative people, we'’re compelled to follow our curiosity to the Underworld, the shadow elements of our own psyches, and we have to figure out, as TICK will, how to dance new life out of dead hopes, dreams, and illusions-- without sacrificing our souls.  

~ Kelly DuMar

Opening Night! Playwrights Platform Festival, Series A

June Lewin as Marion and Jackie Davis as Evelyn in G.L. Horton's Best Practice

Hooray!  My play is up and running, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way it turned out!

Here's the bios insert from the Platform Program: 

BEST PRACTICE      by G. L. Horton

CAST 

JUNE LEWIN (Marion)  has worked in Boston area theatre as an actor and director since 1986. One of her  particular interests is helping to develop new  scripts, and shortly after her move she directed G.L. Horton's full length set in a Boston abortion clinic, "Choices" and Rosanna Alfaro's "Martha Mitchell", which was recently revived and performed at NYC's West End Theatre in April.  June has continued to work closely with local playwrights and makes frequent appearances in new plays and in the Boston Theatre Marathon. Last season she was seen in Alfaro's "Sailing Down the Amazon" and Kate Snodrass's "Haiku" at the Boston Playwrights' Theater and the West End Theater in Gloucester.   Also at the West End, she performed in "Kindertransport"  and "Women and the Sea".   A few favorite roles: Mary in "On the Verge", Miss MacKay in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie",  E. M. Ashford in "Wit", and Valentina in "The Bay at Nice".  June has appeared onstage in New York City, Long Island,  Berkeley, California, and throughout New England, after receiving her early training at the Cleveland Playhouse, Barnard College and Boston University. She is member of, Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild, and on the Board of StageSource.

JACKIE DAVIS (Evelyn) is a member of Theatre Espresso and an Affiliate Artist of the Providence Black Repertory Theatre Company.  Directorial credits include staged readings of “Hurry Tomorrow” by Platform writer Frank Shefton, and "The Trial of One Short-Sighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae" for Roxbury Crossroads Theatre at the Calderwood Pavilion.  Productions include: A Black Arts Drama Showcase in Boston and New Jersey, "BIRTH" for Bold On Labor Day at the Cambridge Y, and "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues" at the Factory Theatre.  Jackie served as assistant director/ choreographer during the 6th African American Theater Festival and as choreographer for the Lyric Stage’s production of "Crowns"; and won IRNE nominations for her choreography of Speakeasy’s production of "Caroline or Change" and AATF's "The Wiz".   At the PBRT she played Mrs. Breedlove in "The Bluest Eye" and Rashida in the World Premiere of "The Etymology of Bird". Choreographer for Company One’s "Assassins", she will be conducting summer workshops at COne. Theatre credits include: Tituba, New Rep’s "The Crucible; understudy, Huntington Theatre’s " Well"; "Wind In The Willows"; "Body & Sold"; "Spell #7".  Her  Ms. Olson in "Promises Promises" and Lady in Blue in “For Colored Girls…” won IRNE nominations.  Television credits include National Geographic’s documentary of Hurricane Katrina, and commercials national and local.  Jackie is a proud member of the Screen Actor’s Guild and can be seen in the upcoming Pink Panther Deux and Bachelor Number Two.

GERALYN HORTON  served as director for her play-- which means that she was fortunate enough to get this stellar cast to take on the roles and has tried to stay out of their way. Geralyn started directing when she was a kid, and has directed on and off for half a century.  Most of her work has been with new plays written by colleagues or with the late lamented Arlington Street Light Opera Company in the church's basement, where for 25 years she applied the music theatre techniques she picked up working as Sarah Caldwell's Production Assistant during the Opera Company of Boston's 1971-73 seasons. 

Thanks to Kate and Marc at BPT and to the NPG and the Platform for feedback during re-writes

photos from The Entertainer -- tech rehearsal

Here are some pics from last night's Playwright's Platform tech rehearsal of Phyllis Rittner's "The Entertainer" at Boston Playwright's Theatre

Liz Robbins as Edith and Geralyn Horton as Gertrude

Rene Pfister, The Entertainer

Anabel Graetz as Maxine, Geralyn Horton as Gertrude

Geralyn Horton, Liz Robbins, and Zele Avrodopoulos as Ruth

Anabel Graetz and Rene Pfister