Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

How 'The Red Shoes' Came to Life

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 13:23:00 -0700

What is it about that attracts you as a story to adapt for dance?

It’s the story that Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger fashioned around Hans Christian Andersen’s story of The Red Shoes for their seminal 1948 movie that really attracted me. The Andersen fairy tale is a little difficult to relate to today with its themes of the "sin" of vanity and religious redemption. However, the image of the red shoes that once put on, will not allow the wearer to stop dancing, has long been a potent one for creative minds from Powell and Pressburger to Kate Bush to Emma Rice and her memorable theatre production for Kneehigh.

I have loved the film since I was a teenager with its depiction of a group of people all passionate about creating something magical and beautiful. It seemed to be saying that art was something worth fighting for, even dying for, if the rather melodramatic conclusion is to be believed. It was a world full of glamour, romance, and creativity populated by larger than life personalities. In short, it was a world that I wanted to be part of!

The film’s genius though was to take that highly theatrical world and turn it into a highly cinematic, and at times, surreal piece of film-making. My challenge has been to capture some of that surreal, sensuous quality within the more natural theatre setting.

Ashley Shaw and Sam Archer in Matthew Bourne’s production of “The Red Shoes.” Photo by Johan Persson.

What are the main themes of the story?

The main message of The Red Shoes is that nothing matters but art. As Michael Powell said, The Red Shoes told us to go and die for art. Whilst acknowledging the exaggeration here, I believe it was a piece that asked us to take art seriously as a life-changing force: something that gives intense joy but also asks for and requires sacrifices. It is the love story of two young artists—one, a dancer, Victoria Page; and one, a composer, Julian Craster—and the fight between that love and the lure of the highest artistic achievement as represented by Boris Lermontov, the dance company’s legendary impresario, who believes that you cannot be a great artist if distracted by human love. Lermontov sees art (or more specifically ballet) as something close to a religion. This is both his strength and his tragedy. Even Vicky and Julian would not have found their love if it were not for their shared artistic success. It is only the thrill of creation that brings them together, after a fairly rocky start. However, when they are starved of their creative lives their relationship becomes messy and they find themselves missing something.

I’m also exploring how the fairy-tale world of ballet and the stories it tells can actually blend into the real-life tale of love, ambition, artistic, and personal fulfilment, until the two are barely distinguishable.

How does it speak to the audience of today?

In today’s culture there seems an obsession with what it takes to become a great performer or artist. The two most popular shows on television [in the U.K.] are about finding someone with star quality (The X Factor) or watching someone aquire the skills and dedication to become a great dancer (Strictly Come Dancing). Katherine Hepburn was once asked what star-quality was and she replied, I don’t know, but I’ve got it. It’s an indefinable thing but we seem fascinated by it. The Red Shoes gives us a glimpse into that world, an insight into the art form of dance, a revealing backstage story into the minds of artists and the creative life.

However, the heart of the story is a tragic, real-life, triangular love story like no other. Two men in love with the same woman but in very different ways, and all tied up with their combined artistic achievement. When Julian, the composer, accuses Lermontov of being jealous of his relationship with Victoria Page he answers Yes, I am, but in a way you would never understand.

Ashley Shaw in Matthew Bourne’s production of “The Red Shoes.” Photo by Johan Persson.

What are the differences between a dance company in 1948 and today?

The Red Shoes is a story about dance and dancers, something that we in New Adventures know a thing or two about! However, a dance company in 1948 was very different to dance company life today. When The Red Shoes was released in 1948, ballet was a relatively new and mysterious art form and the film was a genuine insight into a rare and extraordinary world of flamboyant personalities, glamorous women, fey men, and obsessive, uptight creative figures with strange names and a range of international accents! Most, if not all of this has changed, of course, but I did see a similarity between the life of a hard-working touring company, full of slightly eccentric personalities and the world of New Adventures today. I don’t think a contemporary ballet company today would necessarily create the right atmosphere to re-create the company we see in the 1948 film. The family atmosphere of New Adventures with its group of talented, highly individual performers, who tour around the U.K. and the world as a tight knit community, seemed the right company to portray the fictional Lermontov company of yesteryear.

The performances and personalities in the famous film are legendary. How have the New Adventures dancers approached playing these characters?

Who can imagine The Red Shoes without Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann, Léonide Massine, and perhaps most of all, Anton Walbrook? This is something that we have all had to contemplate and boldly address. I think the New Adventures dancers, whether they knew the film before or not, have all fallen in love with these unique performers. Our task has been, I think, to honour them with the odd little tribute but then to create our own characters as dictated by the story we are telling. Trying to recreate special performers or performances is always a mistake and I’ve encouraged the dancers to find their own way. That has not stopped us, however, from delving into countless biographies and YouTube clips to look for inspiration into the flavour of the period in which we are working and to gather anecdotes about dancers and dancing in the 1940s and 50s. All our ensemble dancers were given a famous dancer of this era to study and the clues are in their given names in the program!

Liam Mower in Matthew Bourne’s production of “The Red Shoes.” Photo by Johan Persson.

You have chosen the music of celebrated Hollywood composer, Bernard Herrmann rather than the original Oscar-winning score from the film. Why?

I have a great affection for Brian Easdale’s very fine score for The Red Shoes ballet in the film. It’s an impressive achievement by any standards and a first for a mainstream film to include an unheard of 15-minute ballet as its central story-telling device.

A feature film that includes a featured ballet is very different from a full-length wordless dance piece in which the music not only has to serve the ballets that the company perform but also the backstage life of the company and most importantly, the emotional story of Vicky Page, Julian Craster, and Boris Lermontov. I found this variety of ideas in the work of one of my favourite Hollywood composers, Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann is probably most famous for his work with Alfred Hitchcock but Terry Davies (who is brilliantly arranging the music) and I decided to concentrate on the pre-Hitchcock music and have uncovered some real gems. Various concert pieces and suites from his earlier films have proved very rich sources of material. Who knew that Citizen Kane was full of dance music? And has there ever been a more bittersweet and moving film score than that for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir? These both feature heavily, as does the one post Red Shoes era piece. The score for the 1966 movie Fahrenheit 451 is both magical and unsettling and the perfect sound world for The Red Shoes Ballet. It also gives us the sense that the Ballet Lermontov are creating something new and slightly futuristic.

I’m very proud to be presenting much of this music in the theatre for the first time. There is so much to enjoy musically here. I think it will be one of the revelations of this piece.

Design always plays such a big part in New Adventures productions. What have been the challenges on this project?

My Associate Designer, Lez Brotherston, has taken on another enormous challenge with this production. Firstly, to create an adaptable theatrical space depicting scenes both on-stage and backstage, as well as a range of locations from Covent Garden to Monte Carlo, but also to allow for those flights of fancy that take us out of the literal theatrical world and into the sensuous and surreal world of artistic endeavour. For this, Lez and I also rely heavily on the brilliance of our lighting designer, Paule Constable, who always manages to surprise and thrill me with her own vision of what we are all trying to achieve.

Do you relate personally to any of the characters in the story?

Perhaps not surprisingly I have found myself agreeing with much of what Lermontov says in the movie. I am nothing like him, of course, and I do acknowledge that some of his views are a little extreme today, but I do understand his particular kind of love for Vicky and his love of his company and dance in general. Nothing else seems as important to him. As I get older, I recognise that sentiment more and more.

Sam Archer (left) and the cast of Matthew Bourne’s production of “The Red Shoes.” Photo by Johan Persson.

A Day in the Life of Toby the Rat

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 15:57:00 -0700

What is the first thing you do with Toby?: The first thing I do with Zeus (that’s his real name; he plays the part of Toby) is open up the cage to give him morning cuddles and scratches. He looks like he’s smiling when he gets his scratches behind his ears.
What do you think Toby likes so much about being Christopher’s companion?: Toby adores Christopher because Christopher feeds him good rat pellets, takes excellent care of him, and thinks to include him in his space travels.
Who does Toby look up to?: He looks up to Christopher, obviously. Some of the adults in Christopher’s world are questionable role models. Toby is a discerning fellow. Maybe that’s why he has no lines in the play. Imagine what he would say!
What are Zeus’ favorite things to do?: He loves to sleep and then eat, in that order. He soaks up attention and love from his favorite people, too. Oh, and he likes to read. Mostly biographies.
What has been the biggest highlight of being the animal wrangler?: One would be getting the opportunity to work with rats and discovering how wonderful they are. I have also really enjoyed all the people I’ve met on the road, and I adore my crewmates and the rest of the company. Maybe the biggest thing is seeing our country, our larger cities, and the people in them, and learning that we aren’t really that different.

A post shared by #CuriousIncident (@curiousbroadway) on Mar 2, 2017 at 9:44am PST

Inside the Writers Room

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 10:55:00 -0700

Founded in 2005, the L.A. Writers’ Workshop invites seven local playwrights to participate in a year-long development cycle with the aim of supporting their artistry. Participating playwrights gain research assistance, dramaturgical support, a reading with professional actors, and (most importantly) a community.

This May, playwright Tracey Scott Wilson (FX’s The Americans, The Good Negro) was named the Center Theatre Group 2017 Fadiman Awardee, an award which supports the commission of a new play from the recipient as well as a one-week residency at Center Theatre Group. That night in June, the Writers’ Workshop alumni were gathered to celebrate Wilson, to catch up on recent goings-on, and (of course) to discuss the state of American theatre.

While Los Angeles is perhaps best known as a film town, the truth is that the city has a robust theatre scene and is home to many renowned playwrights. And these playwrights are not only responsible for creating exciting theatre, but also some of the most exciting (and award-winning) serialized television shows.

It hardly needs to be stated that we are living in a television renaissance. The exploits of networks such as Netflix and Hulu are so well documented that it has almost become cliché to mention them. But it should be noted that this content revolution has been fueled, largely, by playwrights. In the relatively small rolls of the L.A. Writers’ Workshop alumni association, there are over 40 writers who have worked in the television industry, including Jessica Goldberg (Hulu’s The Path), Marco Ramirez (Marvel’s Daredevil and The Defenders, and Netflix’s Orange is the New Black), Sarah Gubbins (Amazon’s I Love Dick), and Carly Mensch (Netflix’s GLOW).

Of the workshop's nearly 80 participants, over 60 have had their plays produced at regional theatres around the country. Theses theatres have included the meccas of new play development such as the Actors Theatre of Louisville and Playwrights Horizons, as well as founders of the American regional theatre system including Center Theatre Group. Recent notable plays include Pipeline by Dominique Morriseau (Lincoln Center Theater), Vietgone by Qui Nguyen (Manhattan Theatre Club), and The Nether by Jennifer Haley (Royal Court Theatre, Kirk Douglas Theatre).

At Center Theatre Group, we have a long history of fostering new plays. Some of our most notable World premieres have included Angels in America, and first season, that Center Theatre Group is already planning a second season, which is set to begin this fall. The intention of Chisme y Queso was to allow Center Theatre Group to meet new people in our surrounding communities, to connect with our neighbors in a nontraditional setting, and to support emerging artists. But the program has hit an unexpected nerve with its audience.

The hybrid of comedy and theatre is new to the venue and yet people keep coming back to see that, said Center Theatre Group Community Partnerships Director Jesus Reyes. There is a communal and cultural need for laughter, for theatre that tells bitingly honest stories, whether they are taken from our own lives or ripped from the headlines.

The value of the stories told at Chisme y Queso caused Reyes and Community Partnerships Associate—and Chisme y Queso director—Alejandra Cisneros, to invest more time in the development of the skits performed onstage. As a result, local playwrights will now work in a writers room with Center Theatre Group Resident Artist Naomi Iizuka and Literary Manager Joy Meads. This will increase the development time of each skit and the attention paid to each writer.

The writers room allows the playwrights to work more closely with each other and with the actors during the creative process. It’s been an amazing experience for all of us to see how vivid and alive the writing can be, said Iizuka.

Supporting the dramaturgical and play development components of the program has become a priority for Reyes, Cisneros, Iizuka, and Meads.

We didn’t realize we were essentially creating a playwriting incubator," said Reyes. "We are investing in playwrights at the inception of their careers. This investment ties into Center Theatre Group’s mission of cultivating new artists, and L.A.-specific artistic voices. It means that even though this program is location-specific, the impact will reach throughout our company and the city.

This is exactly why the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is supporting the program. Our Building Demand for the Arts grants fund the placement of artists at the center of institutional efforts to build meaningful, long-lasting relationships with communities, said Program Director for the Arts Maurine Knighton. At their best, these projects help artists and communities co-create cultural programs that reflect authentic relationships and mutual concern. Chisme y Queso does just that, weaving together playwriting, performance, and music into a rich tapestry that reflects the interests of local residents.

The relationship between community and artists is what makes Chisme a totally unique theatrical experience. The event begins with Community Liaison and emcee Alexis de la Rocha inviting the audience to write down their own chisme on coasters. Throughout the evening, chisme is chosen out of a jar, and the actors must transform the stories into performance, using the few props they have on hand. The writers’ short skits are interspersed among the improvised chisme. It’s a whirlwind performance as the actors shift in and out of a myriad of characters, from jilted girlfriends to arthritic old men. At the end of the evening, the writer of the best chisme is awarded tickets to a Center Theatre Group show and a large block of queso fresco—fresh Mexican cheese.

If there’s an overarching message we hope audiences take away, it’s that storytelling isn’t just what’s on a stage, said Cisneros. When you tell stories of your day, when you tell stories of your week, that is performance.

This project was made possible by a Building Demand for the Arts Implementation grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

From 'Zoot Suit' to 'Water By The Spoonful'

Diane Rodriguez — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 11:44:00 -0700

Hudes, who lives in New York City, saw our historic revival of Luis Valdez wrote about a combustible moment in our culture 40 years ago, and then to unearth that again…that moment still feels extremely combustible in how it is reverberating against the contemporary moment. And the audience knew what they were in for. The air was charged back then, the air is charged now, and these are the things that affect our lives directly. It could be fun and beautiful and artful and also significant and meaningful in that way, which was very exciting.

Zoot Suit has been a very West Coast phenomenon. The original show went to Broadway and opened and closed fairly quickly; there were various reasons why it didn’t work. Do you feel this kind of story is only for the audience in Southern California and the Southwest, or do you think a story like this could go farther and bigger?

I have no idea. The honest truth is, audiences are different from place to place. And one of the joys of having this career is that I go to different places and sit in the audience, and it’s the first time I’ve been in this place and sat with these people. One of the challenging things about New York is you feel a little bit too cool for school—we all take for granted that great work is just going to be delivered to our laps. It’s really nice to see different audience experiences. But I have no doubt Zoot Suit is very meaningful beyond Los Angeles; there’s no question about that.

You’ve had a lot of success early in your career. Has that changed the way you write, and the expectations you feel?

It was certainly a blessing. After the Pulitzer, Water by the Spoonful got more well-known, was put on more syllabi across the country. I’m very fortunate to have that happen with the piece. You can kind of celebrate for a minute, but you have to get back to the work, to the writing. I just finished editing the galleys of the second edition of Water by the Spoonful. The first edition was published after the first production. After that, I made some edits, especially around the intermission area. In returning to the text, I do recognize that this play is a little different, that something special happened when I was writing it. It was a kind of confluence of what was in the air culturally and some resources I discovered that felt very charged and energized in my writing life.

When there’s something in the air you become a conduit for, that elevates the work. You become the voice of that moment in your genre. You’re always wanting to be open for that. I think you’re really going to enjoy having Water by the Spoonful at the Taper, where the audience wraps itself around the play, and it becomes a very intimate experience.

And I’m thrilled to have Lileana Blain-Cruz, who’s a really muscular director. It’s a challenging piece; there’s this heightened language that’s Shakespearean and this vernacular. In the right hands, really interesting visual ideas happen.

I love the visual element that your play ends on. It’s so beautiful. I think she’s going to be a great match. And at the same time that Water by the Spoonful is at the Taper, we’re going to have Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue at the Douglas. Is this the first time they’ve been onstage together?

The trilogy has been done at two theatres, but not concurrently—the plays have been done over the course of one or two seasons, so you wouldn’t necessarily get a chance to go in the course of one weekend and experience them back-to-back. I’m going to be very involved in the productions, and it’ll be interesting to see if there will be any writing shifts to be made that reflect on the proximity.