Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

The Carpenters who Set the Scene

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 12:02:00 -0800

If you want to learn more about creating scenery and making incredible things out of wood, check out these set construction and woodworking resources:

The Art of Theatre blog offers information and resources for high school theatre people on theatre and set design.
Kate recommends checking these books out of the library: The Backstage Handbook (nicknamed the “Backstage Bible”), Technical Theater for Nontechnical People, Structural Design for the Stage (by former Center Theatre Group Production Manager Alys Holden), Stock Scenery Construction Handbook, and The Stagecraft Handbook.

Volunteer for the stage crew at your school or reach out to local theatres and ask about apprentice programs.

Browse cool woodworking projects, new techniques, innovative tools, and the amazing work other carpenters are doing on Pinterest and Instagram.

YouTube is an amazing resource for learning about carpentry—and even if you aren’t doing a project yourself, watching other carpenters work and seeing their techniques is a great way to learn. Kate recommends the Woodworking Masterclass, Make Something, and Woodworking for Mere Mortals channels.

The magazine Fine Woodworking has a comprehensive website with many interesting articles and photos (some of which are behind a paywall but a number of feature are free).

FixThisBuildthat.com and MrFixItDIY.com have a wide range of projects, plans, tips, and more.

Popular Woodworking Magazine has videos, articles, blog posts, and more.

View beautiful photos of projects created by Los Angeles-based furniture maker Laura Zahn at Off the Saw.

Creating Connection Through Community Conversations

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 12:02:00 -0800

Johnson is in a unique position of being able to—and even tasked with—creating spaces for people to connect and communicate, and with our new Community Conversations program, she is doing just that. In the process, she is broadening the points of view presented by Center Theatre Group and the ways in which we invite audiences to experience the art on our stages.

The Conversations launched last summer as a collaboration among Center Theatre Group’s marketing, artistic, and education and community partnerships departments. The idea was to allow audiences to explore the divisive and complex themes of our production of The Music Center Annex before the show to hear leaders in the Muslim community, including renowned writer Reza Aslan and Grammy winner-turned-activist Ani Zonneveld, discuss topics like cultural appropriation, Islam in the media, and unconscious bias. The talks were so successful that Johnson extended them to
(L-R) Judith Ivey, Patch Darragh, and Keira Keeley in the Long Whart Theatre production of "The Glass Menagerie." Photo by Joan Marcus.
Amanda is more sympathetic than most of the mothers on this list. After all, as a single woman raising two children far from her native south, there is plenty to admire about the Wingfield matriarch. But she still makes the list because it’s hard to ignore the domineering tactics she employs in her attempt to marry off her fragile-as-glass daughter, Laura. And the consequences of those tactics are even harder to ignore. As played by Judith Ivey, Amanda gave us “truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion” at the Taper in 2010.

The Witch—'Into the Woods'

Vanessa Williams as the Witch in the 2002 production of "Into the Woods" at the Ahmanson Theatre.
Witches are fairy tales’ oldest boogeymen. Whether they are trying to eat little German children, riding around Russian forests in demon houses, or attempting to murder Kansas girls and their little dogs, they tend to be a pretty terrifying bunch. But Stephen Sondheim’s creation from
Chita Rivera (Front) and the cast of "The House of Bernarda Alba" at the Mark Taper Forum. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
Bernarda Alba makes most of the ladies on this list look like paragons of motherly devotion. While Federico García Lorca’s creation may not physically harm her children, she comes pretty close to actively hating them. Also, unlike most of the mothers on this list—who keep their influence confined to their progeny—Bernarda manages to put the fear of God (and herself) into an entire household of women. The House of Bernarda Alba played the Mark Taper Forum in 2002, and featured direction by Lisa Peterson, as well as the legendary Chita Rivera in the show’s title role.

Violet Weston—'August: Osage County'

(L-R) Estelle Parsons and Shannon Cochran in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of "August: Osage County." Photo by Robert J. Saferstein.
The pill-popping matriarch of the Weston clan is probably one of the more infamous theatrical mothers of the 21^st century. Whether she is emotionally eviscerating each and every one of her family members by “speaking truths” at the dinner table or crushing her daughters’ hopes and dreams, Violet is a force that is not to be crossed. To add to her infamy, by the end of the play it’s clear that Violet cares about one thing and one thing only—her addiction. And God help you if you get in the way of that. August: Osage County played the Ahmanson Theatre in 2009 with Estelle Parsons playing Violet.

Madam—Roger and Hammerstein's 'Cinderella'

Fran Drescher in the Broadway production of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s "Cinderella." Photo by Carol Rosegg.
This 1957 classic (originally presented in a televised broadcast) boasts a character who has sometimes literally been referred to as an evil stepmother. Madame—as she is known in this musical version of the Grimms’ fairy tale—doesn’t miss a beat in that regard. She spends much of the play lobbying for the marital prospects of her two blood daughters, while forcing her stepdaughter to work in abject poverty as the housemaid. Talk about harsh! Fran Drescher was memorably evil (and fun!) as Madame when Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella played the Ahmanson in 2015.

Big Edie—'Grey Gardens—the Musical'

(L-R) Betty Buckley and Rachel York in "Grey Gardens" at the Ahmanson Theatre. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
It would be a crime not to include Edith Bouvier Beale "Big Edie" of
(L-R) Bertila Damas and Elisa Bocanegra in "Electricidad" at the Mark Taper Forum. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
Clemencia is an absolute beast! Not only does she use her wits to claw her way to the top of a male-dominated East L.A. gang culture, but when her husband turns out to be a womanizing monster, she murders him and takes control of his territory herself. When not ruling her roost with savage aplomb, Clemencia goes head to head with her hate-fueled and vengeful daughter in this adaptation of Sophocles’ Electra from Luis Alfaro. This tale of violence, revenge, and justice played the Taper in 2005 with Bertila Damas as Clemencia.

Honorable Mention: Beula—'Forever'

Playwright and performer Dael Orlandersmith in "Forever" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
Dael Orlandersmith’s unflinching portrait of her childhood, created in the wake of her mother’s death, is not for the faint of heart. And while she never appears on stage in the flesh, the mother of Orlandersmith’s telling is a woman of almost nightmarish proportions. Equal parts victim and victimizer, Beula is the type of figure who is terrifying for a lot of reasons. But most terrifying of all is that Beula is a character who it would be so easy to become. Forever played the Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2015.

Nine Times Paris Came to Broadway

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 13:33:00 -0800

'Les Misérables'

What is there to say about Les Mis? It is considered by many to be the French musical. Premiering in Paris in 1980, this adaptation of Victor Hugo’s lengthy masterwork of the same name follows Jean Valjean as he embarks on a path of redemption that takes him from a small village in France to the Paris uprising of 1832. The self-proclaimed world’s longest running musical, it’s a super-hit that has been seen by 70 million people—and lauded, venerated, and occasionally lampooned.

'Phantom of the Opera'

Another no-brainer addition to this list, Phantom has the honor of being the highest grossing show of all time with $5.6 billion in sales. It also set records during its four-year run at the Ahmanson from 1989–1993. Set in Paris’ famed opera house, this adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s book of the same name tells the story of a love triangle between a budding soprano, a French nobleman, and a disfigured musical genius/madman. It’s melodrama at its best. And did we mention the chandelier?

'Can-Can'

The first entry to step a little off the beaten path, Can-Can is a Cole Porter classic that premiered on Broadway in 1953. Set in the 1890s, the plot concerns a prominent judge’s objections to a scandalous dance form originating at a Montmartre nightclub—the can-can. His aim is to shut down the club where the scandalous two-step originated, but things get complicated when he falls in love with the nightclub’s proprietress. The rest of the plot is classic Porter fluff, and while it may not be a mega-hit like our previous two entries, Can-Can does boast some pretty famous tunes, such as: “I Love Paris.”

'Miss Liberty'

Miss Liberty is another deep cut from the mid-20th century. This Irving Berlin musical tells the story of a young reporter tasked with tracking down the woman who served as Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s model for the Statue of Liberty. When he notices a photograph of a beautiful young woman in the artist’s studio, our young reporter mistakenly believes he’s found his lady—he also falls madly in love with her. The rest of the plot concerns itself with the question of Miss Liberty’s authenticity as well as questions surrounding our young reporter’s journalistic integrity.

'Gigi'

Another absolute love letter to the city of Paris, Gigi is a show that just can’t quite find its feet on the Great White Way. Based on the 1958 film of the same name (which was, in turn, based on a 1944 novella by Colette), Gigi tells the story of a headstrong young Parisian who is tasked with becoming a courtesan to wealthy Parisian noblemen. When she meets the wealthy womanizing Gaston, her future as a mistress seems inevitable—that is, until Gaston falls in love with her.

'La Cage Aux Folles'

This Broadway darling (which served as the inspiration for The Birdcage) is actually based on a 1973 French play of the same name. The story is pure farce—the gay owners of a Parisian drag club pretend to be a nuclear family when their son invites the uptight traditionalist parents of his fiancée over for dinner. La Cage Aux Folles has been on and off Broadway again and again since its premiere in 1983—most recently staring Kelsey Grammer.

'An American in Paris'

The stage version of An American in Paris, which opened in Paris in 2014 before heading to Broadway in 2015, was adapted from the 1951 film of the same name, which starred the legendary Gene Kelley. It’s a story of art and love in post-war Paris. The plot follows a young American soldier who finds himself in the middle of a love triangle and tempted by the promise of a lucrative visual art career. The original film was inspired by George Gershwin’s 1928 composition of the same name and—just like the movie—it makes an appearance here as well. Craig Lucas, who wrote the book for Amélie, also wrote the book for An American in Paris.

'Sunday in the Park with George'

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1984 classic is a meditation on the nature of inspiration, the artistic life, and the enduring qualities of great work. It tells two stories. The first follows George Seurat as he paints his famous “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” It traces Seurat’s sacrifices and challenges as well as a failed love affair with his model, Dot. The second story follows a descendant of Seurat’s, also an artist, as he attempts to navigate the complicated 1980s art world without losing his integrity. Though never quite reaching commercial success, Sunday in the Park with George is widely regarded as one of Sondheim’s master works. Adam Chanler-Berat plays Nino fresh off the role of George at the Huntington in Boston.

Honorable Mention: 'Anastasia'

Anastasia doesn’t quite count because it hasn’t yet had its Broadway premiere (that’s set for March 2017). Even so, the 1997 animated musical feature has inspired such a cult following that it gets a mention here. It tells story of the lost heiress to the Russian empire, Anastasia Romanov, as she travels to Paris with two con men (who hope to cash in on her royal position). The goal is to reunite with her grandmother in Paris, but this is complicated by a Russian sorcerer and a cute bat (we think) who want Anastasia dead. Along the way, the young heiress manages to fall in love with the younger of her two escorts and faces a choice between her throne and true love.

Deborah Stein and Suli Holum Discuss the Origins of ‘The Wholehearted’

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 13:56:00 -0800

Holum plays Dee, a champion female boxer and victim of domestic violence who is recording a video love confession meant for the object of her affections. Stein explained that the idea to use live feed to show this process came from the video designers. “They wanted you, Suli, to be onstage with a camera that was capturing film that they could mix live,” she said. “That connected to this interest we had in self-portraiture, in a character who was going to be making a movie of herself, where she was trying to represent herself in a certain way, and that the audience would get this double vision or triple vision: Dee as she really is, Dee as she is in the movie she’s making, and then there’s this mode of the video that we call cinema world, which is the movie Dee imagines she is making.”

Holum added that the artists Cindy Sherman and Francesca Woodman—who have “two radically different approaches to what self-portraiture is and what it can mean”—are major influences on “the visual life of this piece.”

But so is the director Ivo van Hove (whom Center Theatre Group audiences were introduced to recently in Stage Talks in the Douglas lobby after each show. They want audiences to come in curious…and leave with questions.

Playwrights, Professors, a Politician, and a UFO Researcher Meet at the L.A. Writers' Workshop

Eliza Clark — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 13:19:00 -0800

The question I’m asking myself this Monday morning about our Salon weekend is not “how useful will this weekend prove to be in writing my play?” but rather, “how will I ever do it any other way?”

There is something so magical about the meaning created through juxtaposition. Though we spent the weekend listening to very different experts talk about very different subjects, I would bet that I am not the only playwright who came away stimulated creatively by a subject or a person who was not “intended” for me. Over the course of the weekend we heard from feminists, professors, Vietnam historians, a politician, business owners, immigrants, a death and grieving expert, a scientist, a therapist specializing in scrupulosity (a specific form of OCD that centers on morality and religion), a reparative justice facilitator, a UFO researcher, and a hypnotherapist who formed a support group for alien abductees/experiencers (those last two were mine).

By juxtaposing these different subjects, connections began to emerge. We spent a lot of the weekend thinking about redemption, about the stickiness (and occasional selfishness) of seeking forgiveness. We thought about the power of “me too,” the desire to be a part of a community, and then to protect and defend that community once you are a part of it. We talked about silence, the power of what is said and unsaid. It was passionately argued by a person who seemed to really know what he was talking about that human life on earth will end sometime in the next 100 to 10,000 years, and yet here we all are, trying to create meaning in the face of our own mortal deaths and the demise of the human race. In spite of its morbidity, the weekend was strangely uplifting.

We kept coming back to the search for meaning. How do people make sense of traumatic events? How do people view themselves through the lens of their personal and family history? How do communities cope with harm through storytelling? How do we use narrative to make sense of senseless things like death? How is “fate,” “destiny,” “God,” “Theatre,” a function of our human need to explain the inexplicable? How do people who are in possession of cold, hard, scientific fact still find meaning in the random circumstances that make up a life?

I did not know any of my fellow playwrights personally (though I had heard of all of them and seen and read some of their work) when I showed up on Saturday morning, but by Sunday evening, I felt a strong kinship and sense of community. Our experts were sharing their passions and their lives with us, and on more than one occasion I found myself blurting out my own secrets in an effort to connect. I could not be more excited to be spending the year with these people. And I’m more excited than ever to begin work on my play.

Eliza Clark is a producer and writer, known for "One Life to Live (1968)," "The Killing (2011)," and "Extant (2014)."

A 'Beauty Queen of Leenane' Glossary

Center Theatre Group — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 15:00:00 -0800

Leenane

A town in County Galway Ireland, where this show takes place. Experts argue fervently over the proper pronunciation of the name, but after much research and consultation with the locals, we have determined that the correct version is “Leh-Nan” (the second syllable rhymes with the name Ann). I.e. “I do ask meself, if there was good work in Leenane, would I stay in Leenane? I mean, there never will be good work, but hypothetically, I’m saying. Or even bad work. Any work.” —Pato Dooley

Complan

A nutritional drink, fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. Made up from dried powder, it was usually given to the elderly. I.e. “I can’t see how a urine infection prevents you pouring a mug of Complan or tidying up the house a bit when I’m away.” —Maureen Folan

Feck

A version of the English expletive “f*ck,” although the term is less offensive and does not have the same sexual connotations. I.e. “I’ll tell you who’s a fecking loon, lady. You’re a fecking loon!” —Ray Dooley

Gaelic

Irish Gaelic is the traditional language of Ireland, spoken by about one million people in the country. It is more prevalent in the rural west and Gaeltacht regions (where the play is set). Historically this language has been under threat: colonial forces tried to suppress the speaking of Irish and to forbid its teaching in state schools. Because of this, the speaking of Gaelic is considered to be a politically important and sensitive issue, and is often related to a celebration or assertion of national identity. I.e. The song on the radio in the first scene of the play is sung in Gaelic.

Biteen

Irish-English for “bit.” I.e. “Is the radio a biteen loud there, Maureen?” —Mag Folan

Ceilidh Time

Pronounced KAI-lee, like the first name of actress Kaley Cuoco. A ceilidh is a traditional social celebration accompanied by folk music and dance. In the context of the play, it refers to a radio program playing such music, largely in Gaelic. I.e. Mag: Nothing on [the radio], anyways. An oul fella singing nonsense. Maureen: Isn’t it you wanted it set for that oul station? Mag: Only for Ceilidh Time and for whatyoucall.

Skitter

Slang for excrement. I.e. “It’s more of a day-dream. Y’know, something happy to be thinking of when I’m scraping the skitter out of them hens.” —Maureen Folan

Yank

American. I.e. “You said you couldn’t stand the Yanks yesterday. The crux of the matter yesterday you said it was.” —Mag Folan

Babby

Baby. I.e. “It’d be hard to find a priest who hasn’t had a babby with a Yank.” —Ray Dooley

Gasur

Irish-English for “boy.” I.e. “You’re a good gasur, Ray, fixing me fire for me.” —Mag Folan

Kimberley Biscuits

A brand of biscuits (cookies) famous in Ireland (learn more about Kimberly Biscuits in our Amélie, A New Musical (onstage at the Ahmanson December 4, 2016 – January 15, 2017) carries on a tradition that includes nine Neil Simon productions that moved from Center Theatre Group to Broadway over 25 years; landmark Mark Taper Forum plays like Zoot Suit, Children of a Lesser God, Angels in America, The Kentucky Cycle, and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; the Kirk Douglas Theatre World premieres Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; and Ahmanson pre-Broadway musicals like Curtains, 9 to 5: The Musical, and The Drowsy Chaperone.

Adam Chanler-Berat in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre production of “Amlie, A New Musical.” Photo by Kevin Berne.

“Center Theatre Group is committed to searching out and finding new, inventive, exciting theatrical work. We’ve been doing that our entire 50-year history,” said Center Theatre Group Producing Director Douglas C. Baker. “We admire the classics, we love producing revivals, but any theatre company worth its salt needs also to be in the business of discovering and developing new work. This is a very important part of what we do.”

Baker loved the movie Amélie and was immediately intrigued when he heard that a musical was in development. He traveled to Berkeley Repertory Theatre to see the World premiere last year. “I was entertained, I was delighted by it, and I just had a really, really good time at the show,” he said. “I said to the commercial producers, if they felt they were ready to go to New York, I was happy for them and wished them the very best. But if they would like to come to our theatre to do a bit more work on the show to help take it to the next level, we would happily enter into a conversation about that.” The commercial producers, with input from the creative team, decided that Center Theatre Group was the place to fine-tune the show.

“They recognize that we nurture artists, provide them with a bit of an incubation—room to experiment, and room to grow their work,” said Baker, explaining why the Amélie team and other commercial Broadway producers choose to come to Center Theatre Group before Broadway. “We have more resources available to the artists in terms of not only the rehearsal rooms onsite and a first-rate production staff onsite, but also all of our other personnel who can help them—our excellent publicity, marketing, and ticketing folks.”

Center Theatre Group also has the benefit of knowing our audiences well and anticipating how they’ll feel about these new works.“Our audiences are in on the development process and are engaged by it,” said Baker. “They are able then to be thought-searchers. They’re out ahead of the game. There’s a sense of discovery, a sense of joy when our audience members are exposed to work that is new and surprising.”

(L-R) Arian Moayed and Kevin Tighe in the World premiere of “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” at the Douglas. Photo by Craig Shwartz.

This sense of discovery is why Bank of America has been an Ahmanson season sponsor for over a decade. “We love being able to help bring not only the best theatre in the country to Los Angeles audiences but theatre that also contributes to the local cultural fabric and the economy,” said Raul Anaya, Bank of America’s Greater Los Angeles president. “We’re delighted to help bring the pre-Broadway engagement of Amélie to Los Angeles.”

Thirty-some-odd Center Theatre Group productions have moved to Broadway in Baker’s 26 years at Center Theatre Group, but a few stand out. Baker pointed to 2005’s The Drowsy Chaperone as “one of our really proud moments. We identified a new musical that we felt would be exciting for our audiences, we produced it ourselves, and then off it went to fame and fortune on Broadway and beyond.” The Drowsy Chaperone helped make Sutton Foster become the star she is today. “People still talk about her performance in that show,” added Baker.

Baker also pointed to the success of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph. “It was an unsolicited script that came in, was flagged by our Literary department as an outstanding play, and it was thrilling to watch it develop and grow,” recalled Baker. The play received a lauded and adored World premiere at the Douglas in 2009 followed by a 2010 run at the Taper. In 2011, it debuted on Broadway with Robin Williams in the title role.

Baker is confident that Center Theatre Group audiences will welcome Amélie as warmly as they did these recent hits. “It’s not only that we want to produce new work, but we want to produce excellent new work,” said Baker. “We believe that Amélie will meet and even exceed our staff’s and our audience’s expectations.”

Ellen McLaughlin in “Angels in America” at the Mark Taper Forum. Photo by Jay Thompson.

The Center Theatre Group Plays you Haven’t Heard of—Yet

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 13:32:00 -0800

Some of these works are commissioned—we’re providing funding to create a work from scratch. In others we have no vested interest, but rather an interest in a new play or musical that a creative team is looking to develop or be produced. In these cases, “we like the writer and the play very much, and want to see where it goes—and if it goes,” explained Center Theatre Group Associate Artistic Director Kelley Kirkpatrick.

Regardless of whether the show is a commission (like Sleep, an adaptation of a Haruki Murakami story by Naomi Iizuka) or part of an upcoming season (like