Clothing Makes the Character

Sydney Lester, Kelsey Kato and Allie Mgrublian show-off their collages.

SCR’s Teen Players, who present David Lindsay-Abaire’s Snow Angel this month, have proven their acting chops: they had to spend two years in SCR’s conservatory and go through an audition before being admitted in to this program. However, these talented teens learn a lot more than their lines in these productions. Working with costume and scenic designer Sara Ryung Clement, who has contributed to several TYA productions including Ben and the Magic Paintbrush and Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, the students created costume collages to help them bring their characters to life.

Nikki Daurio, Christopher Huntley and Nick Slimmer discuss their characters.

Clement’s prompts for the project included those that would elicit a visual response (What is your character’s favorite color?), but also those that made them think more deeply about their characters’ personalities and motives (What does your character fear? Are you precise or sloppy?). Clement then helped the teens distill their ideas into functional costumes.

Some costumes came to life almost exactly the way the students envisioned. For instance, girlie girl Tina-Louise (played by Sydney Lester) wears pink almost exclusively, right down to her floral-print sweater, just like Sydney envisioned. Benny, played by Kelsey Kato, wears a pair of shoes nearly identical to the pair Kelsey put on his collage.

On the other hand, sometimes the costumes varied greatly from their original concept, as was the case with Sophia Falmagne, who plays an awkward outsider named Helen. Sophia originally thought that her costume would be a no-frills affair with the occasional half-hearted attempt at fashion. “But the whole thing is an attempt at fashion that fails miserably,” she says of her orange tights-and-strapless sweater dress combo. “But it makes me feel awkward just wearing it, so it helps me feel more in character.”

IN COSTUME:  Left, Sophia Falmagne, Bahaar Tadjbakhsh and Jasmine O'Hea; right, Max Weinberg,
Clarke Schwartz and Kelsey Kato.

The students all agreed that putting on their costumes helped their characters come to life. Allison Baayoun and Allie Mgrublian, who play twins Betty and Fran, said that wearing matching outfits made it easier to coordinate their movements, while Kelsey Kato (Benny) said that dressing in the show’s winter layers helps him remember that the play is set in Vermont, and that all the students need to act as though they are cold. “It’s a constant reminder. It really helps anchor me.”

IN COSTUME: Left, Christopher Huntley, Grace O'Brien and Shireen Kulkarni; middle, Allison Baayoun and
Allie Mgrublian; and left, Nikki Daurio, Sydney Lester and Nick Slimmer.

And it isn’t just clothing they had to think about. “I was worried about what to do with my hair,” says Jasmine O’Hea, who plays Eva, the play’s mysterious heroine. “I needed something that looked old-fashioned but that was easy to do myself!” In addition to doing their own hairstyles, the students are responsible for getting in and out of their costumes themselves.  “I don’t think I considered the quick changes enough!” says Christopher Huntley, who as nerdy kid Arlo has to get in and out of his cold-weather layers half a dozen times in the show.

Come see these budding talents on display in Snow Angel which closes Sunday, May 27.

Characters Influence Dance in ‘Anton’s Uncles’

In the next installment of SCR’s Studio SCR, Los Angeles-based Theatre Movement Bazaar will present a reimagining of Chekhov’s classic Uncle Vanya. In this retelling, only the male characters remain, the original text is distilled and new elements are added. But even those unfamiliar with the original text will be able to keep up, thanks in large part to the introduction of movement and dance.

Theatre Movement Bazaar began in the 1990s as a collaboration between choreographer and dancer Tina Kronis and writer/mechanical engineer Richard Alger, with the goal of creating new works merging dance, text, cinema and theatre, with an emphasis on physical movement. “We aim to raise the level of physicality in our theatre to that of dance performances,” says Kronis.

Kronis grew up studying classical ballet all over the world, and later expanded her repertoire to include modern, African dance, folk dance and mime. “I found my voice in mime, ironically enough,” says Kronis, who performed with renowned Swiss mime company Mummenschanz. “Mime became the link for me between dance and theatre. With Theatre Movement Bazaar, we are able to mix those worlds even more. Now I approach theatre with the eye of a dancer.”

And though Kronis, who draws inspiration from Charlie Chaplin, modern dancer Pina Bausch, and Russian director Vsevolod Meyerhold, is responsible for the company’s choreography, the show’s movement is rarely solidified before rehearsals begin. The framework of each character’s movement style is informed by the character itself, but the actor lends his own mark to the role based on his physical talents and limitations. Even non-dancers have been cast in the show, which Kronis says lends an interesting aspect to the final product. “You get a different type of movement dialogue from non-dancers,” she says.

Once rehearsals begin, actors spend about two weeks exploring the movements of their character before incorporating much spoken dialogue, rather than participating in the seated readings that dominate most rehearsals. The actors learn to improvise, and approach their roles through physical means first. “Our world, our language, is created on stage,” says Kronis. “In the end, it’s all about the performance. It all comes together in whatever form it takes to create the performance.”

Though Uncle Vanya deals with some rather heavy subject matter, the movement and dance in Anton’s Uncles provide a touch of comic relief. “Sometimes it will look like dance,” says Kronis. “Other times, the movement will look rather pedestrian. But it’s a surprisingly funny performance.”

Anton’s Uncles will be presented in the Nicholas Studio June 8-10. Learn more or buy tickets on our website.

Matthew Arkin Joins SCR’s Teaching Faculty

Matthew Arkin

We just can’t get enough of Matthew Arkin. And after seeing him in The Prince of Atlantis, all the way from its first reading to its world premiere last month, Arkin has kindly agreed to stick around, this time teaching SCR’s adult conservatory students. His advanced scene study and characterization class will help advanced students create deeper, more meaningful onstage relationships in three dramatic genres: contemporary drama, contemporary comedy and classical.

Arkin, a well known and successful actor who has appeared in feature films including Liar, Liar and Margot at the Wedding, plus scores of television shows and regional theatre productions, stumbled upon his love of teaching while working as an attorney. Arkin was a lawyer and taught classes in public speaking to fellow attorneys in need of continuing education hours. “It’s basically an acting class, we just didn’t call it that.” He found he enjoyed helping students discover their “aha moments,” and was soon accepting invitations to guest lecture at theatre programs.  When he was offered a regular teaching gig at New York’s famed HB Studio while waiting for a friend in the lobby, he gladly accepted.

Matthew Arkin and John Kapelos in The Prince of Atlantis.
Photo by Henry DiRocco.

Arkin developed his first classes around relaxation techniques, traditional scene study and exercises from Uta Hagen’s “A Challenge for the Actor”—all skills he considers essential for a meaningful career in theatre, television and movies. Arkin says that many acting classes focus on audition skills, which can land an actor the job, but leave them unable to adapt to other actors onstage in a living, breathing scene. “So many classes focus on getting the job, but once you have the job, you have to know how to do the job.”

And of course, doing the job well is essential to getting the next job. “I can help you get hired, but more importantly, I can help you get hired again. And that’s when you start building a career.”

Arkin relocated to Los Angeles two years ago, and now teaches acting classes in West Hollywood with Melissa Kite of The Actor’s Studio. He also maintains a blog on the craft of acting. For more information, visit www.matthewarkin.com.

To learn more about his and other upcoming acting classes at SCR, visit our website!

Announcing the 2012/13 Season

South Coast Repertory’s 49th season will offer audiences an exciting blend of current hits and world premieres. The season begins with Alan Ayckbourn’s hilarious farce, Absurd Person Singular, and will include new plays by some of the hottest writers on the theatre scene, including the world premiere of Noah Haidle’s Smokefall and a second world premiere to be announced; Sarah Ruhl’s comic tale of loss, Eurydice; the Southland debuts of Bill Cain’s touching How to Write a New Book for the Bible, Amanda Dehnert’s trailblazing musical take on Shakespeare, The Verona Project, and David Henry Hwang’s hit comedy Chinglish; and the West Coast premieres of Samuel D. Hunter’s poignantly funny The Whale and Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Broadway hit The Motherf**ker with the Hat.

The 2012-13 season was chosen by SCR’s Artistic Director Marc Masterson. “I am excited by the range and vitality of these plays in my inaugural season at SCR,” Masterson said.  “From sparkling new work to plays with recent Broadway pedigrees, the writers and artists assembled for this season draw on long relationships with our audience.”

Visit our website and find more information about each play or learn how you can join our exciting new season with a subscription!

Jane Wakes Up to a Jungle

Jane of the Jungle set rendering by designer Sara Ryung Clement.

By Kimberly Colburn
 
The tranquility of a lazy summer’s day, one of the last before middle school starts, is interrupted by the arrival of an important-looking envelope. And it isn’t for her parents…it’s addressed to Jane. Who could have sent it? Her best friend Kayla didn’t send it. Steve, the boy across the street, would have just jumped on his scooter and come over if he wanted to tell Jane anything. Jane finally opens the envelope to find it’s an invitation from the absolute coolest girl in school, Nicolette Miller. This can only mean that middle school will be amazing, right?

Except…that when she wakes up the next morning, everything in the world is different. Jane has spots! Her clothes don’t fit the same way, she’s swirling with intense new emotions, and people that she’s always trusted—like her Mom and her kid brother Milo—seem different. Her world has literally been turned into a jungle, and she has become a jungle animal.

Jane of the Jungle set rendering by designer Sara Ryung Clement.

Her mom tries to assure her that it is natural and normal, but Jane just wants to hide out and not even go to the party. How can she face the world looking like this? This party is going to define her entire middle school career, and Jane can’t blow it or she’ll be a loser forever. 

Kayla bursts in, and she’s had just as radical a transformation as Jane has had—except that she looks amazing in her feathery finery. Bright and emboldened, Kayla convinces Jane that going to the party is more important than anything. With Milo in tow, Jane and Kayla take off into the jungle, in search of guaranteed popularity. As they begin to hit obstacles in the jungle, Jane must decide just how far she is willing to go in order to make it to the party. She grapples with her new animal status and how to wield her claws. Will she lose herself to find the elusive coolness that she’s looking for? Can she ever find her way out of the tangled vines and lies of the jungle? One thing is for sure: Jane’s world is never going to be the same again.

Other Musicals from the team of Karen Zacarias and Deborah Wicks La Puma

Looking for Roberto Clemente
Set in 1972, it’s a story about a neighborhood competition to meet the legendary baseball player Roberto Clemente.

Chasing George Washington
Dee, José, and Annie accidentally knock George Washington out of his portrait and into real life - turning their White House tour into an unexpected adventure.

Einstein is a Dummy
A fictional day in the life of a young Albert Einstein.

Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans
A contemporary, Latin-American retelling of the classic fairy tale with a salsa twist.

Ferdinand the Bull
A musical adaptation of the children’s book The Story of Ferdinand.

The Magical Piñata
An original Mexican play with music: a seemingly plain clay pot magically transports Cucha from her small town to a mysterious jungle filled with eccentric characters.

Jane of the Jungle is a musical for the whole family, and explores the difficulty of moving from the world of being a kid into the scary land of adolescence. Jane’s mom might suspect what is happening, but Jane’s little brother Milo can’t understand it. Jane sure doesn’t know what to do with herself. The play is full of catchy songs and tunes you’ll find yourself humming long after you’ve left the jungle.

The Journey of Jane

South Coast Repertory is well known for its history of commissioning new work. SCR has more than 40 currently active commissions, meaning the playwright is going to write a play especially for our theatre. Jane of the Jungle is the result of such a commission. Playwright Karen Zacarias and composer Deborah Wicks La Puma have a long history of collaboration. They’ve created several other musicals for young audiences together (see sidebar), and Jane of the Jungle is their latest creation.

Three years ago, Zacarias and La Puma had an idea and a song. They met for a week’s workshop here at South Coast Repertory, and by the end of that workshop had developed their ideas into a rough script. Over the course of the next couple of years, they continued to revise and develop their work until it becomes the work that you see presented on our stages!