Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: Our shows
Critics love our Three Sisters
posted by Karen McKevitt on Mon, Apr 18, 2011
in News , Our shows
Sarah Ruhl's new version of Chekhov's Three Sisters, exquisitely staged by Les Waters, earns rave reviews and the Chronicle's highest Little Man rating! Read some excerpts and then reserve your seats!
“Luminous! Working with a crisp, breezy new English version by Sarah Ruhl (based on a literal translation), Waters' sterling cast brings Chekhov's masterpiece to life as if it were taking place today. And 110 years ago. The action is as firmly grounded in 1901 by the actors' behavior as by Ilona Somogyi's provincial Russian gowns and Annie Smart's exquisitely detailed doll's house of a set… This is Chekhov orchestrated with the immediacy of Waters' stagings of Ruhl's Eurydice or In the Next Room. Its fierce beauty suffuses every moment and reaches for immortality.” -- San Francisco Chronicle
Exhilarating! Ruhl doesn't call attention to herself here. Instead she lets the play breathe with a simple, unmannered approach to the drama that makes it seem shockingly contemporary. She's faithful to the master dramatist, but she also opens the play up so that these "Three Sisters" speak to us as directly as if they lived next door. Waters' production is remarkable for its lack of artifice. The ensemble brings a freshness to each moment, a sense of discovery that lets us hear the play anew. There's a naturalness to the way the drama unfolds, the ebb and flow of the emotional outbursts, that leaves you breathless.” -- San Jose Mercury News / Contra Costa Times
“Magnificent… Held the audience suspended in the liminal space between hope and despair; love and utter ambivalence as well as a bit of humor. Directed with consummate skill by Les Waters and performed by a splendid ensemble cast, Berkeley Rep's Three Sisters is a powerful adaptation of Chekhov's classic that captures the lyricism and ennui of his work in an accessible and compelling production that is sure to be talked about for years to come.” -- Broadway World
“Beautifully staged, deeply compassionate... When you walk into the Thrust and drink in Annie Smart’s gorgeous set, it’s the first indication that we’re in good hands… Waters’ production pulls you in from the beginning and doesn’t let you go.” -- Chad Jones’ Theater Dogs
“In Berkeley Rep fashion, it is a sensational dramatic presentation… classic drama at its very best.” -- KGO AM
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More nominations for Ruined
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Apr 14, 2011
in News , Our shows
After 125 performances in three cities, Ruined closed last weekend here at Berkeley Rep. Its run at La Jolla Playhouse earned numerous San Diego Critics Circle nominations and awards, and we just learned that the run at Huntington Theatre in Boston earned the following Elliot Norton Award nominations: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Ensemble, and Outstanding Actress (Tonye Patano).Congratulations all!
Photo of Tonye Patano with Joseph Kamal courtesy of kevinberne.com.
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Meet the Three Sisters
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Apr 12, 2011
in Our shows
Sarah Ruhl's new version of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters opens Wednesday evening, helmed by none other than Les Waters -- and we just posted our production photos! Take a look (all photos courtesy of mellopix.com):
James Carpenter, Sam Breslin Wright, and Barbara Oliver.
Thomas Jay Ryan and Heather Wood.
Emily Kitchens, Wendy Rich Stetson, and Heather Wood.
Natalia Payne, Heather Wood, and Wendy Rich Stetson.
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Les Waters on Three Sisters
posted by Karen McKevitt on Fri, Apr 8, 2011
in Our shows
Tonight marks the first preview of Three Sisters, Sarah Ruhl's new version of the Chekhov masterpiece. Director Les Waters talks about the production in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. Here's a tiny tidbit:
"I sort of knew that before, but how desperate it is, how much people's huge emotional needs are not fulfilled by the others. It's a constant revelation. I'm astonished, on a daily level, with how brilliantly it's constructed and how quickly it changes gears - and how skillfully the construction is hidden."
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Apple and Intel stop using conflict minerals
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Apr 5, 2011
in News , Our shows
Yesterday, Fast Company reported that Apple and Intel, two of several companies involved in the Conflict-Free Smelter program, have stopped using conflict minerals, and in its article references Bloomberg, which reports, among other things, that the SEC will issue regulations this month to stem the purchase of these minerals: "U.S. companies will be required to audit mineral supplies next year to identify purchases that may be tainted by the Congo fighting, according to draft SEC regulations."
We've blogged about conflict minerals a few times, and it's pretty cool to see these reports come out during the last week of performances of Ruined in our Roda Theatre.
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From Russia with love: the secrets of a shoe shopper
posted by Amy Bobeda on Mon, Apr 4, 2011
in Costume shop , Our shows
I have a borderline OCD recollection of every pair of shoes I have ever purchased, and where they came from. Be it the moccasins I got in Taos NM, or the cowboy boots from the streets of New York, I have a serious memory and knack for shoe buying, which is exactly why the bulk of my work on Three Sisters revolves around shoes.
The beauty and horror of costuming period shows is the specificity of shoes required. Some period shoes are made just like they were a hundred years ago -- take the men’s Stacy Adams boot featured on most of the men in the show -- and others don’t exist at all anymore, like the fancy pumps Natasha would have worn, so we have to get creative.
For instance, Natasha wears two pairs of ballroom dance shoes, and Olga’s Amish boots came from Amish boot makers that don’t have a website or accept credit cards. The men’s military boots are in fact authentic Russian military boots from a brusque Russian gentleman in Los Angeles. Andre has a hip pair of suede boots from Urban Outfitters -- the mix and match of old and new shoes is the most exciting part.
Perhaps the greatest shoe featured in our smorgasbord of footwear is the traditional Russian slipper, the valenki, sent with love and high shipping prices all the way from Russia. Valenkis have been a Russian staple for hundreds of years.
They are crafted from a thick, seamless lambswool felt in what looks like a cross between a crude Ugg boot and a loaf of bread. At first, they are roomy and awkward, like you have stuffed your feet into empty Kleenex boxes (which I did in fourth grade), but as they get moist from your sweat and the elements, they mold to your feet, creating a soft, warm, weatherproof shoe. They come complete with pop-on rubber galoshes so you can wear your valenki outdoors as well.
Now, being the shoe-obsessed costume fellow that I am, I’ve been eyeing a pair of valenkis for myself, so if you find yourself outside of Moscow in the near future, maybe, just maybe you’ll pick up a pair for the girl back home.
Three Sisters begins performances on April 8. Find out more, and reserve your seats!
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Tricks of the jungle
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Mar 17, 2011
in Backstage buzz , Costume shop , Our shows
By Megan McClintock
Production Assistant
It’s supposed to rain all week in Berkeley, but I don’t mind. I’ll be spending most of my week backstage running Ruined (we have nine shows in six days), and the Roda Theatre feels like the Congo these days. Did we pump up the heat? Not literally. The Ruined design team created this jungle atmosphere, and they have covered all the bases.
The jungle vibe starts the minute you walk into the lobby, where the sound designer has provided some great Congo tunes that are underscored by a collage of jungle sounds. The rustling of leaves, coos of birds, and calls of other exotic animals continue throughout the show.
Inside the theatre you can feast your eyes on the jungle itself. Though most of the play takes place inside Mama Nadi’s bar, the walls are indicated mostly by vertical posts and posters, behind which the jungle is lush and green. Tree trunks spring up amongst thick greenery, and the actors must rustle through the leaves in order to enter and exit the stage.
Mama Nadi's bar, with the jungle in the background. Pictured: Wendell B. Franklin, Carla Duren, Zainab Jah, and Tonye Patano. Photo by kevinberne.com.
We even have a parrot onstage, which is written into the script. Our grey parrot is remote controlled -- parrot operator Janny Cote jokes that Rerun (as she has named him) is just one career step away from the Tiki Room. Rerun blinks, flaps his wings, moves his neck, snaps his beak, and even bites an actor on cue in the first scene. Rerun’s voice is provided by the sound department; he has a small speaker hidden right behind his cage so the sound is directionally correct. He is a little star -- he even has the last line of the play!
Janny and Rerun.
Even the smell backstage is jungle appropriate. I don’t know if it wafts into the audience much, but the scent of coconut fills the air. Why? Because coconut oil makes the cast look hot and sweaty. The glistening sweat is applied backstage, where warm coconut oil in spray bottles is applied liberally to exposed skin. To get an even sweatier look some cast members start with coconut oil then spritz water on top of it, creating a dripping-in-sweat look. Highly effective and simple, and this is the best-smelling cast I have ever worked with!
Since they have to tromp through the muddy jungle to get onstage, some cast members apply “mud” to their feet and hands. The mud and the coconut oil are both costume department tricks. The mud is simply a thick body lotion colored with powder foundation makeup. While most of the mud gets wiped off with baby wipes backstage, any that gets left behind just keeps the cast well moisturized.
So if you need an escape from the rain, it’s warm in the Congo and the tunes are groovin’. You can buy a Fanta from the café counter to round out your sense experience, and if you catch a whiff of coconut in the air, now you know why.
Ruined runs through April 10. Read the buzz and reserve your seats now!
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Beads, beautiful beads
posted by Karen McKevitt on Fri, Mar 11, 2011
in At the theatre , Our shows
Our Hoag Theatre Store boasts some new items exclusively for the run of Ruined, and they’ve proven so popular we can barely keep them on the shelves! What are they? Handmade necklaces and bracelets featuring beads hand-rolled from recycled paper. This stunning jewelry is made by members of the Acholi tribe in Northern Uganda.
When the staff first saw photos of the necklaces and bracelets a month or so before Ruined opened, we went crazy for them. I’ve been nearly fanatical about handcrafted items, so I especially couldn’t wait until the first shipment came in. And being nearly fanatical, I wanted to learn about how the beads are made, and about the women and men who make them.
First the beaders select their paper from recycled magazines, posters, and the like. They consider the color of the paper as well as the pattern. Color and pattern may not seem important, but consider how many beads it takes to make a triple-strand necklace with one dominant color and a few contrasting colors. The beaders then cut the paper and place thin wire across one end. Then they start rolling, very very tightly. They finish off each bead with a coat of varnish. A piece of jewelry can take up to two weeks to make.*
Berkeley Rep hooked up with Alliance for Africa to sell this jewelry to our patrons. While many different groups make beads and jewelry to sell, the ones in our Theatre Store are made by the Alliance’s five-member beading group named Lacan Pekum (a poor person never gives up in the struggle). Each member has survived kidnap and torture; through their work with the beading group, they can support their families.
The people who make this jewelry are indeed artists, and we can feel good about supporting a worthy cause -- and showing off such a striking necklace or bracelet. I’ve already purchased an earth-toned double-strand necklace, and I can’t wait until the next shipment comes in!
The Hoag Theatre Store is open before and after each performance of Ruined, and during intermission. Come see this beautiful jewelry!
* Beadforlife.org has a page describing the process of bead-rolling, which was my source for describing it here.
Photos: The people in these photos aren’t necessarily members of Lacan Pekum. The photographer of the second and third photos is Charles Steinberg (©csteinberg2007).
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The troublous columbite-tantalite
posted by Kate Vangeloff on Thu, Mar 10, 2011
in Our shows
Mama Nadi: “Six months ago it was just more black dirt. I don’t get why everyone’s crawling over each other for it.”
Mr. Harari: “Well, my darling, in this damnable age of the mobile phone it’s become quite the precious ore, no? And for whatever reason God has seen fit to bless your backward country with an abundance of it.”
From Ruined by Lynn Nottage, now playing through April 10.
So just what is coltan? What sort of substance could possibly instigate so much violence and conflict? Could something as simple and seemingly innocuous as a mineral really be at the heart of a civil war?
The answer, unfortunately, is yes.
Coltan is a black, metallic mineral found mainly in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is mined by digging craters into river basins and sifting through the mud to find settled ore. This work is all done by hand. Coltan’s unique ability to store an electrical charge and withstand high
levels of heat makes it an indispensible ingredient in the production of electronic capacitors, which, in turn, are vital to the production of first-world, consumer products such as cell phones, DVD players, video game systems, and computers. In other words, no coltan means no electronics. The exportation of coltan has been cited as a main source of financing for the civil war in the Congo, which has claimed the lives of over 5.4 million people.
It appears that the plight of the Chinese workers at Shenzhen depicted in Mike Daisey’s The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs doesn’t represent the only “blood between the keys” found in our beloved electronic devices.
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What actors really drink onstage
posted by Karen McKevitt on Wed, Mar 9, 2011
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz , Our shows
After reading Megan Wygant’s post on the microwave haiku, Production Assistant Megan McClintock was inspired to delve a little further on what it takes backstage to accommodate a “food show” like Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, or the show currently cooking in our Roda kitchen, Ruined. Here’s what she says:
Though there is solid food in Ruined (peanut, anyone?), most of the preparation time for this show is beverage related -- the cast consumes more than 40 glasses of beverages and opens 28 bottles of beer and 8 bottles of Fanta onstage during each show. The drinks referred to in the script include whiskey, beer, Fanta, and Palm wine. Mama Nadi (the lead character in the play and operator of the bar in which Ruined is set) also serves an African homebrew, rum and gin. At least, that’s what the audience thinks the cast is drinking, if we have done our jobs right. In reality, nothing is as it seems.
My favorite of the drinks served onstage is the homebrew, which Mama Nadi serves from a five-gallon bucket with a ladle. It’s based on an African drink made from fermented corn, and director Liesl Tommy reports from personal experience that the homebrew served in the Congo looks white and foamy. To replicate that look for the stage we opted for a mixture of vanilla ice cream and Diet 7-Up, something of an ice cream soda. The preparation process includes a lot of foam!
There are four whiskey bottles onstage, all of which are a mixture of a strong brewed tea and water. Each bottle gets refilled daily using a funnel; we pour the tea through a coffee filter to make sure there are no stray leaves.
Though a simple recipe, the beer process is one of the longest. Since we are using brown bottles, the “beer” is just water, and the bottles are re-used nightly. The Berkeley Rep prop shop has provided us with over 60 bottles with Primus labels; we fill and cap almost 30 bottles per show, starting with rinsing and sanitizing each bottle. The dishwasher rack provides drying space till we get around to re-filling.
The process for the Fanta is similar, and Fanta is the only drink onstage that is at least mostly what it seems. The Fanta is one-half Fanta and one-half water, since drinking very sweet beverages onstage can be hard on an actor’s voice. Like the beer, we bottle it ourselves. We buy Fanta in two-liter plastic bottles, cut it with water, then pour it into our special glass Fanta bottles, which can’t be purchased at your average grocery. Fanta and beer caps get labeled with the date, so we can keep the stock rotated in the crates onstage, keeping everything nice and fresh for the actors.
There are a few other liquor bottles at the bar. The crew gets a break with the gin and rum bottles -- clear liquors that “are on tap in the kitchen sink,” as we refer to it. The script calls for Palm wine, which is also mostly water with some soy milk added to give it the appropriate opacity onstage. That about rounds out the liquid libations of Mama Nadi’s, where the worst buzz you will get is an ice cream headache. Tune in next time for info on other concoctions in Ruined, from the Fufu Mama serves for dinner to the “mud” on the miner’s feet and hands, and come see our creations in action onstage nightly!