Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: Backstage buzz
The fine art of fine actors
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, May 28, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
It should come as no surprise to anyone that actors are multi-talented beings. Not only can they walk and talk at the same time (some can even dance and sing simultaneously!), but many of them also act and engage in other artistic pursuits.
For a case in point, we need look no further than the cast of In the Wake, now in the Roda Theatre. Did you know that Heidi Schreck, who plays Ellen, is also a successful playwright? The Obie-winning actor had a successful off-Broadway debut last year with a play called Creature.
Here's a snippet about Heidi and the play from Time Out New York:
Creature’s subject is the extraordinary Margery Kempe (1373–1438), an Englishwoman whose bourgeois existence as the wife of a beer brewer was marked by a series of intense mystical revelations. Kempe bore 14 children and made several pilgrimages to the Holy Land, eventually dictating her ecstatic visions to two clerks. Her Book of Margery Kempe is considered by some to be the first autobiography in English.
“I totally fell in love with her,” Schreck says about her first contact with Kempe’s book in college. “She’s a very unreliable narrator, so the book is hilarious. You’re watching her talk about how she’s so pious and God’s chosen, but you can tell she’s so far from the mark; she’s really flawed and vain and prideful—just really human.”
Heidi's Wake Obie-winning co-star, Deirdre O'Connell, who plays Judy, is another hyphenate. She's an actor-painter. Deirdre creates small paintings — about 10 inches by 10 inches — inspired by the work of Anton Chekhov. Didi, as she is known, has appeared in many Chekhov plays during her 25-year
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Checking in on NYC awards season: Berkeley Rep shows win!
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, May 24, 2010
in Backstage buzz , News , Our shows
This is the time of year when they're practically hurling awards at shows in New York, and it's all leading up to the Tony Awards on Sunday, June 13.
Just yesterday (Sunday, May 23), the Drama Desk handed the Outstanding Director of a Musical Award to Michael Mayer for his work on Green Day's American Idiot, which also earned the 2010 ITBA Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical from the Independent Theater Bloggers Association. (Michael is seen in the above American Idiot rehearsal photo in the orange T-shirt; photo by Carole Litwin.)
Tony Taccone, Berkeley Rep's artistic director, had this to say about American Idiot's achievements: “All of us at Berkeley Rep send our congratulations to Michael and our collaborators on American Idiot. When we develop new shows at Berkeley Rep, our focus is on creating work that entertains and invigorates Bay Area audiences. Their support and their intelligence make it a pleasure to launch plays here. But it is also gratifying to see our shows go on to enjoy successful runs on Broadway and beyond. We are extremely proud and enormously grateful that our work continues to receive such recognition.”
In other awards news...
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Wake actors celebrated in New York
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, May 19, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
We love actors, especially those who do such phenomenal work here at Berkeley Rep, so it is with great pleasure that we celebrate the accomplishments of two actors currently performing in the world premiere of Lisa Kron's In the Wake (which just happens to open tonight in the Roda Theatre).
The Obie Awards, presented by The Village Voice to honor off-Broadway theatre, were handed out Monday, and Deirdre O'Connell, who plays Judy in In the Wake, and Heidi Schreck, who plays Ellen, were both recognized with an Obie for Best Ensemble in the Playwrights Horizons production Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker.
Deirdre and Heidi were part of an ensemble that also included Reed Birney, Tracee Chimo, and Peter Friedman. Annie Baker received an Obie for Best New American Play, which she shared with herself for The Aliens, currently at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.
Congratulations to Deirdre and Heidi!
Photo: Deirdre O'Connell (left) is Judy and Heidi Schreck is Ellen in the world-premiere production of In the Wake by Lisa Kron. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com
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Lisa Kron talks to the Chron
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, May 17, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
Lisa Kron, the playwright behind the world-premiere drama In the Wake, sat down for a chat with the San Francisco Chronicle's Steven Winn.
In the interview, Lisa talks about her evolution as a theatre artist, from working with the Five Lesbian Brothers to her acclaimed solo work (2.5 Minute Ride, 101 Humiliating Stories) to her emergence as an acclaimed playwright (Well and now In the Wake).
With In the Wake, Lisa is, for the first time, not performing in her own work. She told Steven, "I'm not the right actress for any of the parts. Plus I'm too old." Lisa, we might add, turns 49 this week.
Now in previews and opening Wednesday in the Roda Theatre, In the Wake is set during the George W. Bush years and focuses on a tight group of New York friends.
Here's how Lisa described the genesis of the play:
"We've been in profound flux," said Kron, who started In the Wake when Bush was still in office. "These have been scary times - and gold for playwrights. Like everyone else, I was ranting my way through the Bush administration, and also getting fixated on certain ideas about the left. I guess the central question, which is also present in Well, is why we believe that things are always going to right themselves. Why do we believe we can only fall so far?"
In the Wake previews May 18, opens May 19, and continues through June 27. For information visit our online box office or call 510 647-2949. Hours are noon to 7pm Tuesday through Sunday.
Above: Lisa Kron photo by Joan Marcus.
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Susan Medak recalls a few favorite shows
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, May 14, 2010
in Backstage buzz
As we celebrate Managing Director Susan Medak's 20th anniversary at Berkeley Rep, we thought it might be fun to look at a few of her favorite shows from the last two decades.
We sat down with Susan to talk about her years at Berkeley Rep, and when we asked about some of the shows that stood out in memory, here's what she had to say.
The Triumph of Love (1993) – "For the sheer craft; so beautifully crafted."
Endgame/Act Without Words (1993) – "Agonizing…and a perfect production."
Fires in the Mirror (1994) – "Anna Deavere Smith is one of our great social critics."
Peter and Wendy (1999) – "Such childlike wonder and exquisite performances."
Metamorphoses (1999) – "For its unbelievable beauty."
The Laramie Project (2001) – "I loved the way it spoke to our audiences and to our community."
Fêtes de la Nuit (2004) – "It made me laugh. I watched it over and over for the absolute pleasure of laughing so hard."
The Glass Menagerie (2006) – "Rita Moreno gave Amanda such humanity."
The Pillowman (2007) – "So smart, so sharp, and it created a world so completely. The combination of Martin McDonagh and Les Waters created such a grotesque and fantastic world view."
American Idiot (2009) – "So much fun, and I learned so much doing it."
You can read the full interview with Susan Medak here.
Photo of Susan Medak by Lisa Keating.
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John Leguizamo supports Bike to @#$%ing Work Day
posted by Terence Keane on Thu, May 13, 2010
in Backstage buzz
We're gearing up to have John Leguizamo on our Thrust Stage with his new show, Klass Klown -- and, since it's Bike to Work Day (and this, after all, is Berkeley), we're thrilled to see that he cycles to work every day.
Check out this CNN report about John's "green limo."
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See Ryder Bach's Body Parts live at Berkeley Rep!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, May 6, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz , Events
The Body Parts are an LA-based band helmed by Ryder Bach, a San Jose native, who plays Will in Berkeley Rep’s hit musical Girlfriend. Ryder sat down with Literary/Dramaturgy Fellow Rachel Viola to talk about his band, which will be playing live following the 7pm performance of Girlfriend this Sunday, May 9. It’s Mother’s Day, so bring your mom!
Rachel Viola: Hello, Ryder! Will you tell us about The Body Parts, please?
Ryder Bach: There are five of us right now. Chris Votek plays bass, Marie Ishikawa plays drums, and then we have two singers, Matt Sobel and Alina Cutrono. I play guitar and sing most of the lead parts. Matt and I were in a band before called, Get In More Fights.
RV: Called what?
RB: Get In More Fights, like something you would find on a Post-it note. That band was very folk-y. It had some violin and acoustic guitar, but because of some personal difficulties, that band broke up. So I started The Body Parts to sort of keep the things I liked about the old band but set them more in an upbeat rock band setting.
RV: So, you’re in Girlfriend and you play in this band, and what I’m curious about is, have music and theater always been intertwined for you?
RB: I started out singing in my dad’s bands, because my dad was a bass player, and he played with like, Johnny Mathis and crazy funk players in the ’80s . . . so I would sing in his band as a kid, and then when high school started, I started doing theatre, and I did pretty well, and then moved down to LA to do the acting-career thing, which can be very frustrating. So I started the band to sort of have a place where I can put my, I don’t know, artistic convictions?
RV: Do you find that one feeds the other?
RB: If things are going well, then yes. Acting can get frustrating for me sometimes, and music is where I can put all my frustration, so the songs end up being about things like, you know, people not understanding you, or the difficulties of meeting people for the first time, and first impressions. I think about that: the way you perceive other people, and the way people perceive you, you know? As opposed to the way you actually are.
RV: Which is a super-interesting thing to think about, especially if you’re auditioning all the time.
RB: Exactly. It’s really all about how someone perceives you versus how you are, you know? Especially with Facebook and stuff and how the way you set up yourself is almost inseparable from who you actually are now.
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SF Chronicle editorial praises Berkeley Rep
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, May 6, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
In the wake of this week's Tony Award nominations, the San Francisco Chronicle published an editorial in this morning's paper that made people around here feel proud and happy to be part of the extraordinary Bay Area theatre community.
Here's some of what the editorial, with the headline "The amazing Rep," had to say:
Theatergoers in the Bay Area are well aware of the treasure they have in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which has been an incubator for innovation and talent since 1968. Still, was gratifying to see the rest of the cultural world take notice in the form of Tony award nominations for two plays that premiered at the Rep.
One of the plays, American Idiot, was a rock opera based on the album by Green Day, a band with East Bay origins. It was nominated for best musical. The other nominee that came out of the Berkeley Rep was In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play). It was nominated for best play.
Kudos are also in order for Best of Broadway producer Carole Shorenstein Hays, whose revival of Fences claimed 10 nominations - including best revival.
In yet another local Tony connection, the musical Memphis, which workshopped at TheatreWorks festival in 2002, received a best musical nomination.
The nominations were well deserved and a reminder of the cultural excellence in our own backyard.
Here's some more coverage of our Tony nominations.
- NPR/KQED-FM interview with Artistic Director Tony Taccone
- The cover story of the Datebook section in the San Francisco Chronicle
- The front-page story from the Oakland Tribune and Contra Costa Times
- And one from from SFist
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Girlfriend resonates with teens at the student matinee
posted by Lizz Guzman on Wed, May 5, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz , School of Theatre
"Authentic, intimate, and romantic” is how the San Francisco Chronicle described Girlfriend at Berkeley Rep. And this was the show to which we were expecting a large group of high school students for the student matinee on April 29.
Berkeley Rep’s student matinees are a rare opportunity for high-school and middle-school teachers to expose their students to theatre and to the transformative power of art. Our hope at the School of Theatre is that the matinee serves as a memorable, educational, and fun theatre experience for all involved.
As the rest of the School of Theatre staff and I donned our nametags and took our positions a little before noon, I wondered what the audience response would be. I scanned the faces of the students as they arrived, but I could not read the energy of this crowd. How would these teens handle the sensitive subject matter and tenderness of the story?
As the house lights went down and the band picked up, I held my breath.
The reactions of the audience quickly put my mind at ease. It became clear as the show went on that the group really related to the awkwardness of first love and the challenges of being different. Every uncomfortable silence and rambling conversation was greeted with a knowing laugh. It seemed like this audience had a more profound connection and empathetic understanding of the situations and emotions in the play.
Were there uneasy giggles? Sure. Soon, however, the laughter and the chatter faded away. I could feel the nervous energy in the theatre turn to focused concentration. The teens seemed to be as moved by the tenderness and sweetness of the scene as I was. At the end of Act 1 when Mike leans in to kiss Will, the entire audience held its collective breath in anticipation. When the two actors finally kissed, the theatre erupted into cheers and screams, students and teachers alike on their feet. My skin prickled with goosebumps as the ovation continued. And continued. The actors and band had to finish the song above the applause that continued until the house lights came up for intermission.
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Berkeley Rep shows nab six Tony noms!
posted by Chad Jones on Tue, May 4, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
Today, two shows born at Berkeley Repertory Theatre nabbed six nominations for theatre’s most prestigious and coveted prize: the Tony Award. Green Day’s American Idiot, the thrilling rock opera that made its world premiere in Berkeley before bursting onto Broadway, netted nominations for three Tony Awards including Best Musical. In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), the comedy Berkeley Rep commissioned from Sarah Ruhl that became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and marked the Broadway debut of Associate Artistic Director Les Waters, also received three nominations including Best Play. The winners of this year’s Tony Awards will be announced June 13 on CBS.
Combined with Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking – another show developed at Berkeley Rep which found its way to Broadway – these popular productions have also received five nominations for Drama Desk Awards, five nominations for Drama League Awards, four nominations for Outer Critics Circle Awards, and one nomination for the Astaire Award.
"Local folks have long known that Berkeley Rep is devoted to developing adventurous new work," remarks Tony Taccone, the Theatre’s artistic director. "We are pleased that a much wider audience has had an opportunity to see and appreciate our work in the last several years, and naturally we’re honored to see these shows nominated for so many prestigious awards. We are grateful for the trust placed in us by the many partners who helped bring American Idiot, In the Next Room, and Wishful Drinking to Broadway."
American Idiot (seen in the photo above courtesy of mellopix.com) earned the following nods from the Tony nominating committee:
- Best Musical: American Idiot
- Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Christine Jones
- Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Kevin Adams
In the Next Room has garnered its share of attention during awards season as well. Today, the play pulled in three nominations for the Tony Award:
- Best Play: In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
- Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Maria Dizzia (seen above at left with Hannah Cabell, photo courtesy of kevinberne.com)
- Best Costume Design of a Play:David Zinn.