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theatre
| 1/13/2010 12:38:00 PM Email this article • Print this article |
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The cast of "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead," the first full-length production by the Actor's Workshop of Ithaca. (Photo by Rachel Philipson) |
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Actor's Workshop of Ithaca inaugurates theater company with a cutting edge work
Jim Catalano
Arts Editor
Ever wonder what might have happened to the characters from "Peanuts" if they grew up to be teenagers?
Playwright Bert V. Royal did, and used that as the launching pad for his play "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead."
The play, which will be presented as the inaugural production of the Actor's Workshop of Ithaca this week at Risley Theatre, bases its eight roles on "Peanuts" characters.
Though their names are different in the play, almost anyone who has read the comic strip or seen the television specials will recognize familiar traits of each character. The twist, though, is seeing who they've become as teenagers - and in many cases, it's quite a shock. Without giving too much away, let's just say the play involves a love triangle, bullying and other adult themes that go far beyond any animated holiday television show.
Eliza VanCort, director of the Actor's Workshop, happened to pick up the play during a visit to New York City.
"I think I bought a batch of 17 of them at random," she said. "I had no idea I'd picked up an award-winning play I would fall in love with."
Indeed, "Dog Sees God" was one of the breakout hits at the 2004 Fringe Festival in New York, winning the Excellence Award for Best Overall Production, as well as Theatermania's Play Award of 2004, the GLAAD Media Award for Best Off-Off-Broadway production, Broadway.com's 2006 Audience Award for Favorite Off-Broadway Production and the 2006 HX Award for Best Play.
None of that mattered to VanCort, though - she was looking for the right play to launch her school's acting company.
"I wanted material that I connected with personally and I wanted to produce thought-provoking art," she said. "This play explores issues that I care deeply about. What happens to the bullied child when he or she grows up? Why do we sometimes single out the 'other'? What makes people choose between running with the pack or breaking away? When I read this play I simply loved it. It shines a light on all the messiness of life but offers hope that things can change for the better."
The play also was ideal for her current and former students to showcase their acting skills. VanCort's school features the Meisner Technique, an approach to acting developed by Sanford Meisner of the Group Theatre in New York City. The core of the training is the repetition exercise, which teaches to respond truthfully in the moment. Over the course of five semesters, students learn skills flexible enough to handle almost any role.
"It is the perfect play for Meisner-trained actors and our studio," she said. "This is not a spectacle show. The stage is practically bare. This show is about human interactions at their best and at their worst. It's about the human condition - an actor's dream."
VanCort heartily laughs when asked if "Dog Sees God" is considered a teaching tool.
"This is definitely not a teaching tool - far from it!" she said, "Just ask the actors! These young people are being treated like professionals. This is product, not process oriented. We're producing a play, not teaching a class. This is an entirely different animal."
About the production
The cast, which ranges in age from 17 to 24, includes Hayden Frank (Matt), Will Krasnoff (CB), Claire Walsh-Michel (Marcy), Eric Carlson (Van), Max MacKenzie (Beethoven), Dayna Jorgenson (CB's sister), Abby Smith (Tricia) and Asia Dillon (Van's sister).
"All the cast are current Workshop students or Workshop alumni," VanCort said. "However, some no longer live here. Indeed, making sure everyone had a place to stay was a bit of a challenge. One cast member is living in my house for a while! I feel very fortunate that these people are taking time out of their lives to work so hard on this production."
None of the cast members was familiar with the play, but they quickly grasped its potential.
"When I first read the play I was struck by the raw emotional power of the piece and the significance of the message it presented," said Krasnoff, 17. "I feel strongly about the role and the play as a whole. As one of the few members of the cast still in high school, the importance of being true to oneself is very striking for me. I believe that this play is a powerful and effective way to send a message to people about what it is to be different."
MacKenzie was similarly affected.
"This is one of the only plays that I've read from start to finish without taking a break, orÊskipping sections to get to parts that were important to my character," he said. "The play is captivatingÊand powerful. Normally I hate to read anything centered around teenagers, but this is anÊexception."
Added Carlson: "I thought it was an excellent representation of the difficulties of being even slightly 'different' in high school," he said. "Even the characters that appear to be put together have flaws.ÊHaving grown up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and being familiar with Peanuts my entire life, I also very much enjoyed the parallels between the comic and the play."
VanCort chose Amina Omari, who completed all five semesters of the Meisner program and is an instructor at the Workshop, to direct the company's first show.
"I would have love to do this play, but I did simply did not have time," VanCort. "I knew Amina would do an equally good job."
Omari was excited to tackle the play.
"When I first read it, this play stood out for its beautiful writing," she said. "It's funny and heartbreaking because it's so honest about what it feels like to be an outsider. That's an experience that I think all of us can relate to - I certainly can."
Omari's Meisner training has influenced her directorial approach.
"The first semester of Meisner about responding honestly in the moment, and that has been the bedrock of our approach to this play," she explained. "That honesty is what makes the tenderness so tender and the funniness so funny. As you go through all five semesters of the training, you build a toolbox of many different techniques to apply to an acting challenge. I've been working with the actors to layer these techniques to create honest characters and relationships."
For several years, the Actor's Workshop has produced showcases in the winter and spring, with students displaying their Meisner training in a variety of short pieces. Putting on "Dog Sees God," in comparison, is a major undertaking.
"A full-length play is so much more work, but it's very rewarding," Omari said. "It's not just about the arc of individual scenes - it's about how those scenes fit into the big picture of the play. It takes more focus from both me and the actors, but it really pays off at the end of the show when it all comes together."
The actors enjoy stretching out, as well.
"The showcases were great tools to practiceÊacting, but really can't compare to the depth of a full-length play," said MacKenzie. "You don't get to play asÊmany characters as you might in a showcase, but the character has to stay consistent inÊphysical and vocal mannerisms. While at the same time, you have to display a wider variety ofÊemotions through several scenes. I feel like a full-length play is really the best way to judgeÊyour abilities as an actor. Plus, it's a lot of fun."
Added Carlson: "As opposed to the showcases, the character I'm playing in 'Dog Sees God' has an arc that stretches over many scenes," he said. "Although the scenes in the showcase are very well put together and worked over, this play allows for different kind of character development. The audience is aware of the events unfolding around the character and can follow the change he goes through over a longer period. I believe this allows for a much more sincere bond between the character and the audience and the development he goes through has more impact as a result."
The cast members also relish having a change to employ employing their hard-earned Meisner Technique training to their roles.
"As with any play, 'Dog Sees God' is all about the characters connecting on stage," MacKenzie said. "If you drop aÊconnection you cheapen the performance and you appear false. While training in the MeisnerÊTechnique, you learn how to be present in the moment and how to hold the connection no matterÊhow uncomfortable that particular situation may be.
"This play asks a lot of unsettlingÊquestions, and so discipline is required to hold things in the moment and keep things real," he added.Ê"Without the Meisner Technique, I wouldn't be able to play my role."
As with most theater companies, the Actor's Workshop is producing "Dog Sees God" under a compressed timeline, with only three weeks for rehearsals. Omari, assistant director Carolina Osorio Gil and VanCort have all been working with the cast to get ready for opening night.
"They came in off book and have been working their tails off," VanCort said. "I'm not gonna lie-they're tired! But they're also pros and taking it in stride, even if there is the occasional moan that they have to get up early. In reality, I believe 11:30 a.m. was our earliest call! But this young cast is full of night owls-11:30 is the middle of the night to them.
Future plans
After "Dog Sees God" concludes its run, VanCort will begin preparing for the Workshop's spring semester.
"Teaching students, nurturing new teachers, looking for that perfect play - all of those things are on the docket," she said. "But as I said before, the community has always driven the direction the Workshop has headed, so the question of 'what's next' is a wonderful mystery.
"I will say that some of my students are becoming quite successful, so perhaps a nice big theater on the Commons equipped with several classrooms and bought and paid for by an insanely rich and famous alumni is next," she continued with a big laugh. "It could happen!"
VanCort notes that the growth of the Actor's Workshop has always been an organic process.
"When the need arose to build the studio, I built it," she said. "When people started to ask if we worked with young teens, we added the teen class. There was never a road map.
"Our wonderful community really drove the directions we took, and I must say I'm pleased where they've pushed us thus far," VanCort added. "However, my primary goal always was, and continues to be, teaching acting to people of all walks of life. Everything else, as exciting as it is, is gravy."
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