Undergrads debut in "Big Love"
The Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center at Indiana University Bloomington is proud to present Big Love, a beautiful romance created from the mind of one of the America's most treasured avant-garde artists, Charles Mee. Big Love remakes Aeschylus' The Suppliant Women, setting the piece on the villa along an Italian coast. Fifty brides flee 50 grooms who rapidly pursue the women via helicopter. When the women can run no more, 49 of the brides marry 49 of the grooms, while one bride falls in love. As Mee drolly notes, it's "about the same odds as today." This epic tale of romance opens in the Wells-Metz Theatre Friday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. and continues March 24 and 26-31.
Second year M.F.A. student John Maness directs the production. The talented players in Big Love consist of many majors in the Department of Theatre and Drama. These undergraduate actors and actresses have performed in theaters across the world and bring a wealth of knowledge and talent to the stage.
As director John Maness notes, "The show, to me is about ideas more so than plot. The characters are drawn in broad, almost archetypal strokes that generally don't lend themselves to a great deal of subtext and realism. As a result, I wanted to find an alternative way of creating rich characterizations that made use of tools other than the usual acting class fare. So, we as a cast explored Ann Bogart's Viewpoints, some (Tadashi) Suzuki, and drew heavily from some of (Bertolt) Brecht's theories on staging and gestures." In doing so, the cast has developed rehearsal techniques that are very different from the process typically used in staging mainstage productions.
Considering the work John Maness lays out above, Live at IU would like to bring you, our audience, into the rehearsal process. We asked the cast to talk about their rehearsal experiences:
Q: How have the movement exercizes and other prep work for this production aided you in your rehearsal process?
A: Ryan Nunez, who plays a member of the ensemble, noted that the entire rehearsal process has been unique. "We didn't dive right in and start blocking scenes from the start. We spent a lot of time on connecting with one another. Since I have never been in any productions at IU, I was nervous about working with mostly strangers. Now that we have all established a good rapport, it has been easier to let go and do the work."
While some cast members have focused on the overall rehearsal period, others note the way that this process has affected their individual characters. Hannah Moss states that "rather than delving into the back story of Bella and who she might be, I used the people around her and the things she says to physically express who she is. In a sense, we worked backwards carving the character out of the piece rather than creating a character and placing her into the piece."
Melanie Derleth agreed that many of John's techniques differ from those she learned in the classroom. "Most of the acting we've been taught here at IU involves taking an inner emotion and projecting it outward. John is helping us to explore the inverse of that, in which we use physicality to create very strong emotions and to help us obtain our objectives in the scenes. It's definitely interesting to work backwards like this."
Q: This cast is comprised entirely of undergraduate actors. How has that affected the rehearsal experience?
A: Many students believe that working with an undergraduate cast has allowed the cast to create an ensemble that is completely welcoming and inviting. Hannah Moss, who plays Bella in this production, noted that "Since the cast is completely undergraduate, we all have relatively similar experiences in theater. This lends itself to the feeling of an ensemble equality, which I think may not exist in certain situations when there is a mixed group of graduates and undergraduates. The level of dedication to the production is also evident because we all have non-theatre classes that we are taking and most of us have jobs, and yet we are all eager to participate in as many rehearsals and the long hours that are needed to make the show wonderful." This level of commitment has been integral to the creation of Big Love.
Q: For those actors who have not appeared in a Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center production, how has the experience been for you so far?
A: The cast noted that the production process has been very unique. Some noted the extreme professionalism of the faculty. Others noted the amazing resources that the Lee Norvelle Center offers, but the most interesting response came from Claire Smith, a transfer student from England. She writes, "As a student from England on my study abroad year here at IU, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be in a (Lee Norvelle Center) show. It has been a very different experience from my main stage shows back at my home university. Here, it is more like acting in the professional theatre."
Other actors, like Thomas Choinacky, simply describe the process as a dream come true. "I have worked and studied for four years imagining the time I would get to perform (in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center) and I am extremely enthused to finally have my chance, especially on this play, because Big Love is so unique and unlike anything I have done before. It has been wonderful working with the cast, crew, and John and the support all around makes me excited for everyone to see what we are creating.
As director John Maness ultimately notes, "there is something uniquely electrifying about actors tackling a challenging piece at the dawn of their careers." For audiences and actors alike, the performance will be a testament to the virtues of theatrical experimentation.
Play details:
- This play features adult situations and full frontal nudity.
- Ticket prices are $16 for adults and $13 for students, seniors and anyone 30 and younger (discounts Monday-Thursday only). Student rush tickets are available the day of each performance; students with a valid IU I.D. may purchase any available tickets for $10 cash. Group prices are available.
- For detailed ticket information, call 812-855-1103 and ask for information about Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center tickets. To purchase tickets by phone, call Ticketmaster at 812-333-9955 (for the Bloomington, Indiana area) or visit www.ticketmaster.com. For more information visit www.theatre.indiana.edu.
