Living Together 101

Class, please settle down. Quiet please. Thank you.

Mr. Spencer is away today, so I will be your substitute teacher. My name is Ms. Cat, but you may call me Sabbie. It doesn’t appear as though Mr. Spencer has left a lesson plan, so, today, we will be discussing allegorical interpretations of insect imagery in postcolonial literature.

The image of the insect is surrounded by contradictions and ambiguities….

Yes, Jolaine? Oh, Mr. Spencer has left a lesson plan. Well, how helpful of you. It’s almost as though you used to be a teacher yourself.

Hmmm…It says here that your assignment is to go see the Regina Little Theatre’s production of Living Together, which is playing from February 14 to 17. Well, it’s not postcolonial insect imagery, but it’s still very interesting. Fortunately for you, I studied this play a decade ago in English 378 and I kept all of my notes. (And they said these would never come in handy – hah.)

The Norman Conquests is a trilogy of plays written by British playwright and actor Alan Ayckbourn in 1974…

Well, that is a very good question, Colleen. Yes, the play the RLT is doing is called Living Together, not The Norman Conquests. However, Living Together is the second play in this trilogy. The first one was Table Manners, which the RLT did last year, and the last play is Round and Round the Garden, which, you never know, we could end up seeing on the main stage next year. Here’s a gold star, dear. With an inquisitive mind like that, you could be a journalist or something.

What makes these plays unique is that all three depict the same characters over the same weekend, but each play takes place in a different part of the house. Table Manners is set in the dining room, Living Together in the living room, and Round and Round the Garden in, naturally, the garden. The audience gets a different perspective of the action as well as new plot information with each change of venue. The plays can be watched in any order and stand on their own as individual plays, so you don’t have to see them all to understand what’s going on.

The Norman Conquests is written in the tradition of the British bedroom farce. Does anyone know what that is?

Yes, Nathan, you’re right. It’s a comedy that deals with an absurd situation having to do with extramarital relations. The women tend to be stronger and smarter than the men, who are usually henpecked and dominated.

That’s a great answer. I seem to have run out of gold stars, but here’s a blue one. I’ll just stick it to the centre of your forehead…there.

The characters in Ayckbourn’s plays each fit a “type” in the bedroom farce. Sarah is the “nagging housewife” who is always stressed out and feels she’s the only one keeping everything together. Reg is her “downtrodden spouse”, the henpecked husband who depends on Sarah for everything. Annie is the “frumpish virgin”, the responsible one in the family who cares for their hypochondriac mother. Tom is the “dimwitted rustic” who is trusting, reliable and stable, but is unable to understand jokes or respond to romantic innuendos. Ruth is the “icy career woman”, the breadwinner who was embarrassed into marrying Norman and whom one would refer to as “nice.”

And Norman, well, what can you say about Norman? He doesn’t fit into any category. He is a shaggy assistant librarian with delusions of an uncontrollable sex drive…

Yes, Martin. I said “sex.” Quit giggling.

Ahem. As I was about to say, The Norman Conquests is a commentary on relationships and marriage. Ayckbourn believed that happy marriages weren’t worth writing about. If my scrawling English class notes are correct, he once said, “Comedy ends in marriage and tragedy begins a year later.”

None of the characters in these plays is happy even through they are all in relationships. Instead, they are tired, frustrated, bored, stressed, depressed, angry, miserable. They got married because it was expected of them by society.

Although Tom and Annie aren’t married, they are no better off than the others. All of the relationships are dull, lacking in passion and romance…

Martin, please don’t pull Sharon’s pretty red hair…Yes, I do understand that you’re making a literary allusion to Anne of Green Gables by calling her “Carrots”, but it’s still not a very nice thing to do.

Now, where was I? Ah, yes, so Ayckbourn uses the character of Norman to shake things up – to challenge societal norms. (Norms/Norman – you can’t tell me that’s a coincidence.) Norman believes in passion and love, and although he’s an unlikely romantic interest (he’s “built like a haystack” and is quite obnoxious), he has affairs with each one of the women. He disrupts the stability, rituals and comfortable world of the other characters, serving as a catalyst to spur them into action…

Martin, please stop dancing on top of your desk. That is not safe at all... Oh, you got Andrea to reinforce your desk with steel cross braces for this very purpose? Well, that was a smart thing to do, but it’s still very distracting while I’m trying to teach. Please get down now.

Anyway, Norman brings out the hidden passion in the other characters, changing their lives forever. The plays end with a token restoration of order, but the endings of each are still unresolved or open. Ayckbourn believes it is artificial to end a play with closure because life isn’t perfect and tied up in a bow – it continues on before and after the play…

Martin, is that a note you’re passing to Darcy? Let me see that…It’s a picture of me with the caption, “Sabbie smellz,” and there are stink lines and everything.

Well, that’s it. I’m taking you to the principal’s office.

Class, you’re going to have to find me at the Green Room party to learn more about The Norman Conquests – such as how rituals of civility are challenged throughout, and how the imagery of the Victorian home in decay reflects the social and political atmosphere of the plays.

Patrick, you seem like a responsible manager type – I’m leaving you in charge while I’m gone. The class assignment is to read all of the Backstage with Sabbie columns on the Regina Little Theatre website and write an essay about how wonderful you think they are. Extra credit if you email your essays to me as fan mail at: backstagewithsabbie@gmail.com...

No, Martin, you are not the embodiment of the Norman character because you challenge societal norms with your behaviour – you are just disrupting my lesson.

Sigh. There’s one in every class….

Theatre you can sink your teeth into

Okay, do I have everything? Corset: check. Feather boa: check. Fake eyelashes: check and check. But where did I put those fishnet stockings? Don’t mind me – I’m just getting ready to go to the theatre. Yes, I know it sounds like I’m getting ready to walk back and forth on the street outside the theatre, but I assure you that’s not the case.

There’s a fine explanation for the vixen ensemble: it’s almost Hallowe’en and the RLT is putting on a production of Dracula. “But Sabbie, you’re not in the show,” you’re thinking. True, but give a theatre gal any opportunity to break out her tickle trunk o’ costumes, and she will. Plus, all the cool kids are doing it.

As I put on my insanely high platform heels (Note to self: do not drink tonight; you may fall off your shoes and die), I wonder what the show will be like. For months, I’ve heard about director Murray Hugel’s vision of the show, one which consumed his life for the past four years and included setting the production “three centuries and one apocalyptic event into the future.”

Of the costumes, I’ve heard the words “mesh”, “pleather”, and “every character gets his/her own colour.” Um…okay. I want to keep an open mind, but I can’t help but think, “This is either going to be really good, or very, very bad.”

Fortunately, it was more than good – it was a great show (and the costumes were really cool, too). This was the most ambitious technical show I’ve seen at the RLT, and the acting was exceptional. Murray pulled together a strong ensemble cast with a good mix of new and veteran actors. Dracula wasn’t just a performance, it was an experience.

Microphones captured the subtleties of vocal characterization and even the actors’ breathing, adding to the show’s intensity. Live musicians onstage provided a musical backdrop for the production and created an atmosphere of fear and anticipation. Stage manager Pat Wilson and her backstage crew deserve major props for the numerous sound and lighting cues – I was in awe of the expertise it took to keep this technically complicated show running smoothly. They deserved a standing ovation.

There was an undercurrent (or should I say an overcurrent?) of sexuality in this play. Some scenes, particularly those between Dracula and the women, left me longing for a cigarette, and I don’t even smoke. I thought this was appropriate; I’ve always felt Dracula is, at heart, a commentary on female sexuality, the dichotomy between the virgin and the whore, how society expects women to behave, and the perception that the sacrament of matrimony can save even a fallen woman… You know, don’t get me started on this – I’m an English major, so I could go on all day (and trust me, I do.) If you ever want a detailed literary critique of any of RLT’s plays, just find me at the Green Room party on the Friday night of a production, and I’ll give you an earful.

It was the acting in this production that made it something special. The show was well-cast across the board, but there were a few performances that stood out for me. Lyndon Bray’s portrayal of the madman Renfield was intense. The energy and commitment he brought to this role had my jaw on the floor. It felt all-consuming, electric, and exhausting. I was also impressed that he spent much of the play on stage, unmoving, while other scenes were taking place. I wondered what he was thinking about. (Lyndon, care to drop me an e-mail to tell me?)

I was impressed with Martin Krieser as Jonathan Harker. He used body language and vocal quality to show Jonathan’s transformation from Mina’s sweet fiancé to a fragile, broken shell of a man, to the hero who finds the emotional and physical strength to kill the vampire and save the day. Martin wasn’t afraid to show emotion and vulnerability, particularly in the scene where Jonathan has gone mad. I’ve never felt so much sympathy for a character.

Kenn McLeod was enigmatic as Dracula. For the first part of the show, he was a disembodied voice, a shadowy figure in the darkness. A spotlight swept over the crowd, and when it returned to the stage, Dracula was just there, as if by magic.

Coolest. Entrance. Ever.

Kenn’s strong stage presence added to the role; in the scenes where he appeared to draw other characters to him, I could feel his magnetism in the audience.

Another performance that generated a lot of buzz was Blaine Lucyk as Old Count Dracula. Unfortunately, the night I went, Blaine’s microphone was not working. I could tell that he had put a lot of work into his characterization, but I didn’t get the full effect without the sound. My brother went the next night (Hi Joe!) and I asked him what he thought of the show. The first thing he said was, “I don’t know what it was, but there was something about Old Dracula that was just…good.” He was not alone in that opinion.

I enjoyed the Vampire Vixens, played by Sharon Nowlan and Sherry Sagal, and it wasn’t just because I was dressed like one of them. They brought a lot of energy to the stage. In fact, I was told that after they “ate the baby”, the bar in the lobby experienced record drink sales. Hmmm…this could be something the RLT might want to explore for future shows. I wonder how that would work in Dear Santa?

I thought Meghan Pederson, who played Jonathan’s fiancé, Mina, shone in the second act. In the scenes where she was terrified, there were times when I could actually feel her fear.

It was great to see an actress new to the RLT, Rebekka Chartier, in a lead role as Lucy. Rebekka did a nice job of transforming Lucy into a demonic, fallen woman.

Mark Claxon played Abraham Van Helsing with religious fervour, eliciting an e-mail to my account from a patron who wanted to let someone know how much she enjoyed his acting.

Ryan McLeod brought some much-needed humour to the play in some of his scenes. His line, “Lucy, you have no pulse,” was quite the hit with the audience, providing a welcome break to the intensity of the show.
It’s been a long night, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to peel off these eyelashes, release myself from this corset, curl up with my one fan e-mail (Thanks, Doreen!) and go to bed.

(You can e-mail me, too – the address is at your right. It’s not as if I bite. Wait – so that’s where I put those fake vampire teeth! Okay, maybe I do bite. But I promise not to draw any blood.)

Memoirs of a costumista

"You know I don't sew, right?" was my response when Colleen asked me to do costumes for the one-act plays she was directing this fall. "Well, there was that pencil case I made in Grade 8 Home Ec, but I don't think it would play well onstage." She assured me that prowess with a needle and thread was not a requirement for the position of Costume Goddess (yes, I am putting that on my resume), and mentioned that my partner in crime, Jolaine, had already agreed to help. How could I say no?

Our quest: put together dapper ensembles for the casts of Babel Rap and Louis and Dave. We began our search in the RLT costume room, a place where it's easy to get lost in the memories of past shows. "Oh, look - there's the dress I wore in Anne of Green Gables and there's that pair of overalls that has been worn in every play I've been in." 

Costumes cram each crevice of the room, from the endless racks of hanging clothes to the bins stuffed with every costume trapping imaginable - suspenders, military hats, crinolines, shoes - you name it. It's a virtual cornucopia of costumes from all eras. It was hard not to strip down and try everything on for fun. But we had work to do and the costume room delivered some key goods: coveralls, work boots, and perhaps the most hideous 80s jean jacket that has ever plagued mankind. 

We were still short a few costume pieces, though, so next stop: Value Village. If the RLT costume room was a costumista's paradise, this was our Mecca. Stepping through its doors, we were greeted by the smell of musty clothes and endless possibilities. (But mostly the mustiness.) It's easy to get distracted in VV, because there's just so much stuff. Our eyes widened at the array of shiny new Hallowe'en costumes and accessories. Arms loaded with red flippy wigs, feather boas and fake lashes, we commended each other on our purchases, almost forgetting the real reason we had gone shopping: "Oh, right - the one-act costumes!"

We weaved through the aisles, giggling as we passed the used underwear section. (Seriously, who donates this stuff, and worse yet, who buys it?) We were looking for a heavy metal T-shirt for Louis, but the majority of the shirts looked as though they had come out of cereal boxes. Some of my favourites were: "Bob's Nob's Tour '91", "Yorkton Junior High Jazz Band", and a shirt from a credit services company that proclaimed, "Kickin' Debt and Takin' Names" (oh, yeah, you're tough). "That's it - I'm not feeling bad about putting my stuff in the bin anymore," said Jolaine.

We finally found a Jim Morrison shirt, work boots, a Canora Credit Union ball cap, an Eddie Bauer plaid shirt and a pair of frayed jeans (that I would later rough up even further with some sandpaper), all for just $26.43. Hey, we may not be able to sew, but we sure can shop.

As an actor, I found costuming a show an interesting experience. It's a different way to get into the characters' heads and understand their personalities and motivations. With each costume choice, I asked myself, what clothing or accessories would make this character more authentic and believable from an audience perspective? What can I do to help the actors feel even more comfortable in their characters' skins? It made me think about the many times I've slipped on the perfect costume that has allowed me to lose myself in a character. I hope I was able to do that for someone else this time.

Theatre revives the radio star

I’ve been told I have a voice for radio (which a far better compliment than being told you have a face for radio), so I thought I’d give the RLT’s third annual fundraiser, Radio Rides Once More, a try. In my mind, it was a quick and easy way to get a performance fix – just three rehearsals and then we put on the show. Because it’s a re-creation of a vintage live radio broadcast, the cast didn’t have to memorize any lines – we could just read from the script on stage. Sounds simple, right?

I soon realized that radio performance has its own set of challenges. As actors, we rely heavily on facial expressions and physical characterization in the roles we play. In radio performance, all of those options are gone. While, technically, the audience could see us, they were encouraged to close their eyes and really listen to the plays to experience them the way people did decades ago. For authenticity’s sake, I resisted the urge to wave my hands around and instead concentrated on putting all that emotion and expression into my voice.

I learned a lot from listening to my castmates – it’s incredible how some actors can transport you into an entirely different world using only voices. Some of the exceptional voices that stood out for me were Joan Miller as the mischievous Baby Snooks; Colleen Kembel as a sultry Mae West in the Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show; Bill Gardiner as a gangster Marc Anthony and Carolyn McBean as Calpurnia “Julie, don’t go!” Caesar in Rinse the Blood off My Toga; Ken Spencer as zombie Uncle Oscar in The Goon Show; and the Honourable Ralph Goodale as George W. Bush in Hu’s on First? (the cowboy hat and the Texas flag were a nice touch, too.)

The short rehearsal period, a selling feature for me, was also a challenge. On the RLT main stage, we usually have two months to “find” our characters – this time, we had a week, and we were all playing multiple roles. Foley artists Nora Berg and Bob Nicholls had to find innovative ways to provide the numerous live sound effects needed, costume mistress Annetta Kuntz had to put together dozens of costumes for the actors’ multiple roles, and singers Malia Becker and Shanna-Marie Tice (a.k.a. “The Sugar Cookies”) had to learn melodies and harmonies for the many live commercials … all in just a few days. Fortunately, we had the incredibly talented director and dramaturge Jean Freeman as well as stage manager extraordinaire Bernie Tice to keep us on track.

In the end, the challenges were what made the evening special. The show had an air of spontaneity and excitement about it: it felt “live”, as though anything could happen. There was also something magical in participating in shows that were aired decades before I was born. These plays are a part of history and people feel connected to them; they leave us with nostalgic, warm feelings and remind us of simpler times.
It was an amazing experience, both as an actor and as an audience member. I’m sure radio will keep riding at the RLT – I hope to see you there next year.

Four plays for the price of half

What do a vengeful God, a clueless taxi driver, the daughter of a circus freak, and a covert ballet dancer have in common? If you went to the RLT's Fall One-Act Plays, you know the answer. And if you weren't there, uh - where were you? You seriously missed out. I mean, what were you thinking?

Okay, that was a little harsh. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you just don't know what this whole one-act play dealie is all about. Let me fill you in:

So, like, the plays have, like, one act in them.

Oh, you figured that one out? You're far more advanced than I anticipated, grasshopper. So, here's the deal: you get to see a bunch of one-act plays for just $7. Seating is cabaret-style, so you can hang with all your rowdy friends, there's food, and the bar's open (proving the ancient mathematical theorem that theatre + bar = good times).

Ahh, one acts - I feel a bit nostalgic because this is where I got my start at RLT. It's a great way for new people to get involved in all aspects of the theatre - acting, directing, stage managing, set building, crew. The plays are short and the atmosphere is casual, so it's a welcoming and safe atmosphere to try something new.

Plus, the one acts are perfect for those of us in the audience with short attention spans who - look over there - something shiny!

That was pretty. Now, where was I? Oh, the one acts.

Well, since you weren't there, the least I can do is give you the low-down on the night, so you won't make the mistake of staying home and watching reruns of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, or whatever it was that you thought was cooler than coming to the theatre.

Babel Rap

Synopsis: Two workers are helping to construct the Tower of Babel - one is industrious, and the other is on a perma smoke break. Quirky and funny, the play also explores questions of human nature, stereotypes, and the meaning of life. (Gee, those were great costumes. I wonder where they found them?) The play was directed by Colleen Hawkesford and featured two newcomers to RLT, Emily Rutledge as the Smoker and Camilla Kistner as the Worker.

These two actresses had great chemistry and really made the characters their own. I had the privilege of sitting in on one of their rehearsals a month before the performance and was impressed at the transformation and growth of these characters in such a brief period of time.

From body language to vocal characterization, there was a strong contrast between the goodie-two-shoes Worker and the cynical, laid-back Smoker. The pacing of this play was tight and had a natural flow to it. This was one of my favourite performances of the evening.

I learned: There is more than one way to get to heaven.

Rating : Two hallelujahs and a sweet chariot.

Victoria Station

Synopsis: An exasperated dispatcher tries to get a clueless taxi driver to pick up a waiting fare. The driver has fallen in love with his passenger who is either asleep or dead in the back seat. He also has no idea where he is, much less the location of Victoria Station, making the dispatcher’s job all the more difficult. Incredibly funny and also a little disturbing (which is what good theatre is all about), this play was directed by Nils Clausson and featured Scott Krieser as the Controller and Warren James as the Driver.

The staging and set immediately showed a disconnect between the two characters, with the Controller on stage left in his office with a desk, phone, coat rack and other typical office trappings, and the Driver on stage right in who-the-heck-knows-where, with nothing but a bench covered in some material as a set. They are clearly in different worlds, making meaningful communication between them even more difficult.

The actors heightened that sense of alienation with their characterization. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the Controller’s aggravated animation and the Driver’s serene dream-like state.

I learned: Scott Krieser could have a very bright future as a hostage negotiator, should he ever want to change careers.

Rating: One potentially dead body in the back of a cab, a CB radio and $137.53 cab fare.

The Gynecologist

Synopsis: The gynecologist is a popular dude, with an office full of pregnant women, including Dolly Dilly, who thinks she became pregnant while trapped in an elevator. This play marks Patrick Pelletier's debut as a director, and the cast included RLT veteran Jeff Ring as the Gynecologist, and newcomers Carla Dorwart as the Nurse, Irene Paul as Dolly Dilly and Bryce Schlamp as Otis Small. 

The actors seemed like they were having a lot of fun on stage, and they brought the audience right along with them. This play wins the prize for the greatest transformation of actors into characters on stage.

Costumes and characterization were such that at the cast party following the plays on Saturday night, I wondered who the party crashers were. This play will be the RLT’s submission to Theatre Saskatchewan's TheatreOne 2006 , the provincial one-act play festival, being held this year in Swift Current Nov. 9 to 11.

A slapstick comedy, this play had puns and one-liners cheezier than the fabulous bruschetta Colleen picked up for just $5 from the canteen the Girl Guides were running at the show. FYI, the rating on the bruschetta was four thumbs up. Why four thumbs? 'Cause we shared it, of course.

I learned: Don't assume someone is pregnant because she says she is. She may just be descended from circus freaks.

Rating: Two speculums (way up) and a dead rabbit.

Louis and Dave

Synopsis: Set in the 1980s, this play documents the adventures of two guys unsuccessfully cruising for women. Dave reveals a secret cultural life of philosophy, ballet and other intellectual pursuits that threatens the future of their friendship. The guys' pick-up lines were even cheezier than the incredible chocolate swirl cheesecake that I picked up for dessert. 

The rating on the cheesecake: two thumbs up. Why only two when the bruschetta got four, you ask? Because there was no way I was sharing it!

Directed by Colleen Hawkesford, Louis and Dave starred RLT veteran Tony Cuylle as Louis and newcomer Marc Kelly as Dave. This play also featured one of the coolest set pieces I've seen on an RLT stage – a red sports car with working headlights. Set construction goddess and one-act play producer Andrea McNeil deserves major snaps for that one.

(And wow - the costumes on this play were incredible! They looked like they took a lot of work, especially those expertly ripped jeans.)

The actors had a strong grasp of the characters and their friendship – there was a real bond between them that increased the dramatic tension when Dave’s hidden life was exposed. I appreciated the enthusiasm with which Marc and Tony approached the more obnoxious sides of their characters – if I didn’t know better, I would think they cruised for women like this every Saturday night.

The disparity between their on-stage and off-stage personas was part of what made this play such a hit with the audience.

I learned: I'm totally dating the next guy who yells out the window of his car at me, "Hey baby! Yeah, you in the pants!" 'cause that's just hot!

Rating: One Judas Priest cassette tape (played backwards to uncover hidden satanic messages), an econo vat of hair gel and a ballet slipper.

The cost of the evening certainly did not reflect its calibre. We were treated to a night of exceptional acting, directing and backstage work, as well as a lot of laughs. In fact, laughed so hard that I hurt the next day. This could be my new workout regime: Who needs sit-ups? I've got theatre.

But by far, my favourite part of the night was seeing all the new faces on stage and backstage who have taken their first step into the world of RLT. I hope to see more of these fine and (now experienced) theatre types as the season goes on.