Director Anthony Gabriele ‘03 - gabriele@fas -
3.1713
Producers Emily Halpern ‘02 - haplern@fas - 3.2980
Helen Estabrook ‘03 - hestabr@fas - 3.2643
Production
Advisor Matthew Hudson ‘03 -
mhudson@fas - 3.2674
Stage
Manager Catharina Lavers ‘02 - lavers@fas - 3.7635
Set
Designers Jelena Pejkovic ‘03 - pejkovic@fas - 3.3190
Anthony Gabriele
Light
Designers Mimi Asnes ‘02 - asnes@fas - 3.2653
Dave Corlette ‘97 - corlette@huarp -
776.5930
Sound Designer Anthony Gabriele (there is no sound. there is a telephone. ring.
ring. one day, i will design that
ring.)
Costume
Designer Jelena Pejkovic
Costume
Consultant Harriet Voyt (costumer of
the play’s Boston and NY premieres)
Technical
Director X (Professor X, to you)
Build
Crew/Helpers Ami Vora ‘03 - avora@fas
- 3.6290
Kathy Bencowitz ‘03 - bencowit@fas -
3.2951
Emily Knapp ‘03 - knapp@fas - 3.2670
Nick Louvel ‘02 - louvel@fas - 3.4820
Expenses:
Rights $360 ($60/show x 3 shows/weekend x 2 weekends)
Set $100
Costumes $50
Lights $50
Publicity $100
Copying/misc $100
Total
expenses: $400
(I know, two
weekends gets $500. I’m actually
confident we will come in well under $400, no matter how long we run, but the
extra money would definitely be put to creative use)
One man, one
woman
I’d like to put
this play up for two weekends (6 performances) in a slot in mid- to
late-November or anytime during December (slots 5-8). I’d like the time to work with the actors extensively - I’m
planning on one informal hour a week from Common Casting on - but I’m also
fairly flexible to allow for crafting a good season. And it’s a good show for when it’s cold outside.
Previous
experience:
Performance
Harvard
Disappeared -
2000
Good - 1999
Other recent
Sidewalk -
independent feature film by John Markland, produced by Midnight Magic Films -
2000
Technical
Harvard
Cloud 9
(Institute) - 2001 - sound design
Great God Brown
- 2001 - sound design
Pitchfork Disney
- 2001 - set design/TD
Arcadia - 2000 -
sound design
HRST - 2000 - TD
(all 3 shows)
Other recent
harvard short
film festival - 2001 - producer
fidelity - short
film - 2001 - director
teardrop - video
poem - 2001 - director, dp
‘Oleanna’
*needs* to be shown on college campuses.
Whether or not one agrees with Mamet’s arguably political message about
higher education, it is without doubt a show that makes you as a college
student question the most mundane, basic part of your everyday life - no,
beyond that - it makes you question the very premises upon which your
participation in any sort of higher education are based. The show continues to give me chills with
every read, and really speaks for itself with regard to its merit for this
particular audience – it *is* one of Mamet’s best, and Mamet *is* one of the
best around.
Above and beyond
reading it on the page, however, an intimate personal experience with the play
is required to achieve the full effect.
Mamet’s dialogue is so realistic as to be clumsy to read, and so much of
the play takes place within the physical swell and ultimate explosion which
Mamet uses to contrast the intellectual realm in which the characters dwell
that merely reading the play on paper cannot approach the power of seeing it on
the stage. In person, ‘Oleanna’ is
wholly cathartic.
The production
is technically simple; it would be cake for our crack staff. A two person cast is easy to manage, a
minimal set is a breeze to build, and no scene changes are great to light. It is, in short, a perfect anti-stress show
to complement the rest of the season.
And it’s a
terrific show for me. The staff comes
to Mamet and ‘Oleanna’ in particular for some very personal reasons, as the
producers’ statements explain; Mamet was actually going to contribute
financially to our production, had we applied for preseason this spring as
initially intended. Beyond wanting to
work with a terrific script, I’m looking to ‘Oleanna’ as a chance to completely
revolutionize my methods of directing.
Mamet advocates a very specific, text-based style of acting and
directing that I’ve never seen done before; having taken his ‘True and False’
and ‘On Directing’ as bibles for the last few months, I’m trying to find a
balance between Mamet’s style and individual actors’ intuitions. To Mamet, the key to a successful production
in his style is its basis upon a well-written play, and I’m excited to bring
this to bear upon one of his own.
Beyond the
methodological perspective, the show appeals to me thematically. It’s got a sort of strange duality between
the mind and the body. Of course, it
deals with institutions of higher learning and classes and education and
interaction and all these incredibly cerebral things, and these *are* the
central points of the play. However,
Mamet goes beyond leaving it solely in the realm of the character’s minds; in
real life, people, particularly academics, struggle with their relationship to
their bodies. The play revolves around
accusations of sexual impropriety, yet we find the allegations leveled by a
girl who seems to consider her body obtrusive; the play ends with what is
arguably a realisation on her part that this man is not bound, either mentally
or physically, by the restrictions she wishes to impose upon him. Exploring this physical tension in an
intimate setting in the Ex will, I hope, as odd as this sounds, leave the
audience feeling... awkward.
Grudgingly, I
will admit that ‘Oleanna’ is hardly experimental in the way, say, ‘Damaged
Ground’ was experimental: it is edgy, yes; it is modern, yes; it touches us
somewhere a little deeper and cuts a whole lot sharper than, say, G&S. However, it is a fairly straightforward
text; there is no multimedia; no one gets naked on stage (yet); it is even
entirely in English. Yet the Ex is
probably the only space on campus which could pull off this play to its full
potential. First off, very simply,
convenience of access which the ART shop offers is very, very nice. In addition, the Ex manages to be
simultaneously intimate and large; any theatre which houses an average of
seventy audience members, makes each one of them feel a part of the action and
still allows room for expansive physical motion and, moreover, expansive
characters, really holds something special.
That’s particularly important in ‘Oleanna’, where the audience needs an
intensely intimate setting to be drawn into the tightly wound intellectual
living-in-my-head world of the characters, yet the end of the play must have
physical space to break those boundaries as John throws Carol out of even the
restraints of the set. The mainstage
couldn’t maintain the intimacy necessary, nor could a smaller theatre allow for
the immediacy of such expansive physical action. The set is designed with the black box feeling in mind; there are
no flats and so no physical boundaries to the stage, but it is a black square
afloat in a sea of emptiness. As much
as this is traditionally taboo for theatre, visual artists love just the right
use of white space, and I hold similar regard for black space. John in this play is grappling with the
feeling of being completely adrift, cut off from everything he knows by
something he considers so baseless and arbitrary, and while my metaphor may
seem more suited to the Adams Pool, the Ex is perfect for this sort of
isolation.
A final word on
my staff: I’m great friends with most of these people. I’m very glad Helen, Emily and I postponed
the app to work together on Great God Brown, where I also formed great
relationships with Dave and Jelena.
I’m even more glad to have met and worked with Cat twice over the course
of this season. This staff is very
close, and we work great together.
Previous
experience:
INTERN
- Boston Marriage (dir David Mamet,
prod ART)
ASST DIR - Great God Brown (dir Marcus Stern, prod Ignacio Prado and Helen
Estabrook)
Although I've
been involved with theatre and film for several years, I've never specifically
held the title of Producer. 'Oleanna'
would provide me with the perfect introduction to producing. The show is technically uncomplicated: two
characters, minimal set, and simple light and sound design. In addition, I think 'Oleanna' is an
excellent play, and I would love to see it performed at Harvard.
While I don't
have experience personally as a producer, I do have experience in both theatre
and film that I'm sure would be invaluable in helping me with this role. My freshman year, I had the opportunity to
work as an intern on the American Repertory Theatre's premiere production of 'A
Boston Marriage,' written and directed by David Mamet. I was present for all rehearsals and
performances, and learned a great deal about the intricacies involved in
putting up a professional show.
I have also
worked on several film sets, and have gained production experience simply
through constant communication with cast, directors and assistant directors,
production departments, and producers. I am currently working as assistant to David Mamet, and the work that
I've done (and continue to do) for him will undoubtedly help me to produce
'Oleanna,' as my work gives me experience with scripts, rights, expenses, etc.
(And, of course, I'm a Mamet fan, and
would love to see one of his shows put up on campus.)
In terms of
Harvard experience specifically, this spring I worked as Assistant Director on
the Visiting Director's Production of _Great God Brown_ with ART Director
Marcus Stern. This experience helped me to learn much about both productions on
the mainstage, and about Harvard theatre specifically. The experience from that
show would certainly be helpful for producing _Oleanna_ this fall. (In
addition, our co-producer, Helen Estabrook, was both Producer and Stage Manager
for _Great God Brown_ [Anthony’s note: *and* she rocks our collective world]).
With Helen
Estabrook as co-producer, we would have a very strong team. She has experience with Harvard Theatre,
both as stage manager and as producer.
Helen's familiarity with Harvard Theatre will be extremely helpful as we
collectively determine what needs to be done, and make decisions about the
production. Helen and I agree that we
will be able to work well together, especially seeing as how we worked well
together this past spring on the mainstage.
And not only do we get along, but, coming to 'Oleanna' from different
theatrical backgrounds, we will bring
to the show individual perspectives and ideas.
In addition, we both like and look forward to working with Anthony
Gabriele, the show's director. (Anthony was Sound Designer for _Great God
Brown_ as well.) The three of us feel very comfortable with each other, and
have no doubt that we will work in an efficient and altogether enjoyable
manner. And, most importantly, we share
a love for and a dedication to this play in particular, and will work
unceasingly to see that our production does justice to a fabulous text.
Previous
experience:
PRODUCER
- Citystep
‘01
Great God Brown (dir Marcus Stern)
Citystep
‘00
STAGE MANAGER - Great God Brown
Cymbeline (dir Eric Fleisig-Greene, prod
Julia Griffin)
Disappeared (dir Alison Haskovec, prod
Katy Allen)
After working on Great
God Brown with both Emily and Anthony, I realized that I was able to both
be friends and work with both of them—two things that are sometimes difficult
to bring together but important to make production meetings enjoyable without
losing efficiency. I have faith that
this will only get better working more closely on Oleanna. This project is
one that we are all very excited about and interested in. We are quite lucky to have Emily who has
worked so closely with Mamet himself [Anthony: and is *so* cool] and Anthony
who has been talking about, thinking about, and working on this show for such a
long time. Since the original plan was
to submit the application for this past semester, there has been even more work
put in on many levels (conceptually but also logistically). An added semester also helped to get us all
more experienced with Harvard theatre.
Besides the great team behind this project (not just
on the directing and producing but all the other positions as well), the Ex
would be the ideal space for such a show.
It is one that I think many people would like to see, so it is essential
to have as much audience room as possible while keeping the intimacy of the
two-person show. This show does what,
in my opinion, theatre should do—(yeah, wait for it, I’m getting a little
cheesey) it makes you think.
Personally, it’s one I’ve worked with for a while as I used one of the
monologues for several auditions in past years, and I still find it new and
exciting.
After overextending myself a bit this semester, I
decided that I did not want to do much in theatre for the fall, but I strongly
believe in this project, so it is the one to which I am devoting the most
time. I think Oleanna will be an amazing production to see and to be a part of,
and I hope that we get the opportunity to use the Ex space for this
project.
STAGE MANAGER - Crazy for You (dir Rachel McGregor, prod
Fantastik Theater Co)
Romeo and Juliet (dir Katy Walsh, prod
Hyperion)
Pitchfork Disney (dir Christian Roulleau, prod Emily Knapp)
Crimson Dance Team spring concert
ASM - Great God Brown (dir Marcus Stern, prod Ignacio Prado and Helen Estabrook)
MISC/RUN CREW - The Dining Room (dir Debby Rin, prod Liz
Kessler)
Odeon (dir James Carmichael, prod Cary McClelland)
After working
with Anthony and Helen in several different capacities this semester, I am
looking forward to continuing the tradition in the fall. While I have not worked directly with Emily,
I know that she is a very respected and dedicated member of the Harvard theater
community, and am excited to work alongside her. Although my primary role on Oleanna will be as Stage Manager, I
plan to support Anthony, Helen and Emily in any way I can, both inside and
outside the theater. I see stage
managing as a center-of-a-spinning-wheel position, coordinating directors,
producers, and actors and making sure that lines of communication are
open. When the staff is as close as
Oleanna's is from the very beginning, this becomes much easier.
I think part of
the strength of this staff is the diversity of our theater experience. Anthony, Helen, Emily and I have all worked
in various areas of technical theater.
Acting, directing, designing, managing, producing - between the four of
us, we've done it all. As we understand
what goes into each role, it makes placing and understanding reasonable demands
much easier and helps the production team function as a tighter, more focused
unit.
Last year was my
introduction to Harvard theater, but since then my induction has been fast and
intense. Since then, I have worked in
the Hasty Pudding Theater on Crazy for You, on the Memorial Church Steps on Romeo
and Juliet, in the Ex on Pitchfork Disney, on the Mainstage on Great God Brown,
in Hillel on The Dining Room, and in Lowell Lecture Hall on the Crimson Dance
Team concert. This diversity of spaces
has rendered me necessarily resourceful, as I have had to adapt to the
intricacies of each venue. Working in
the Ex, with its easy access to equipment and supplies, is truly a blessing
after some of the more unorthodox spaces I have worked in.
At these point I
am confident in my ability to organize a cast (and director) and keep them 'in
line.' I am inspired by Anthony's
passion about Oleanna and his interpretation, and am excited to be part of this
team.
COSTUME DESIGN - Antigone
(Red Cross Nordis UWC 1999)
The Beggar’s Opera (Lowell House Opera
2000)
Great God Brown (2001)
SET DESIGN - Antigone
The Memory of Water (2000)
I think of
theatre productions as of snapshots of worlds which are compressed and hidden
from us until they unravel on stage.
Designing sets and costumes for theatre fascinates me because it fills
these snapshots with the peculiarity and genuineness of the worlds they
represent. I am confident “Oleanna”
will be an intense world, since everyone I know on the staff is so energetic
and so wonderfully creative.
LIGHT DESIGN - Jesus Christ Superstar (Mainstage)
Galileo
(Ex)
Memory
of Water (Ex)
Pitchfork Disney (Ex)
I’m pumped to
work with a really solid and fun staff.
The design from the show is going to be simple; I see it as my job to
make sure Dave doesn’t sneak in any moving lights.
LIGHT DESIGN - Great God Brown
A
Couple of Blaguards (Park Plaza Hotel)
Perpetual
Motion
8 mainstages and over 10 Ex shows
The nature of
this show demands a spectacle; lots of moving lights, flashing strobes, laser
pulses... ow, quit hitting me, Mimi!
Okay, fine. In my admittedly
brief discussions about the script with Anthony, it seems that our fundamental
approach will be realistic. A major
goal will be to reveal the world of the characters without “getting in the
way”, e.g. without creating distracting shadows, glare, sudden light shifts,
etc. This is more difficult than it
might seem, especially in the Ex. If we
have the opportunity to use subtle color, angle, or intensity shifts to reflect
changes in emotional content, power, or the action, we will pursue those with a
careful eye to the overall harmony of the design. In the end, the audience should never notice the lighting other
than to have a general feeling that it was appropriate. They should not be aware of the subtle ways
in which we have guided their perception of the show.