Pen, Paint, and Pretzel's (3Ps) minor production directors, sophomore Taylor Shann and freshman Marc Frost, got together to discuss their shows, 1959 Pink Thunderbird and No Exit. Here's what they had to say about their shows and their rehearsal processes:
Frost: Good day, Mr. Shann.
Shann: And to you, sir.
Frost: So, I guess we're supposed to adver...I mean discuss our shows.
Shann: Yes, yes. So, Marc, why don't you start off by promot...I mean, telling me about your show.
Frost: Well, No Exit has a simple, if bizarre concept. Three strangers are put in a room and the door is locked. The audience quickly figures out that the room is hell. But hell has no flames, no racks of torture, no pits... in fact, hell is rather well furnished. The creeping realization for these random people, however, is that hell is actually "other people." But before I get off into my existentialism rant, why don't you tell me about 1959 Pink Thunderbird?
Shann: Yes, 1959 Pink Thunderbird is a trip to Texas and the stories of the locals in a small town called Maynard. Composed of two very funny one acts, the first play is the afternoon of a hot summer day, where three wives sitting gossiping on a porch. The second play is populated by two of their husbands and a brother. The plays work independently as comedies, but performed together make a lot more collective sense.
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Shann: Now, Marc, of all the plays out there, what made you want to direct No Exit?
Frost: Well, Taylor, I have wanted to direct No Exit since I first read the script almost a year ago. To me, Sartre's work stands out as one of the strongest - and most complex - plays of the 20th century. Sartre's philosophy and the way he uses his character's words and interactions to expound his ideas, continually fascinates me. So many plays and films constantly spell out their messages for you. It's like all the characters are saying, "Hey, here's the play's message." But, Sartre avoids this annoyingly obvious method by focusing on his character's intentions and motivations and then slipping his thoughts within the structure of the character's ensuing interactions. Now, weren't you telling me something about this play having some personal relevance to you?
Shann: Yes, well, 1959 Pink Thunderbird is sort of a personal journey for me, as my mom directed these shows way back in the day. I have vivid memories of sitting at rehearsal, playing Gameboy and watching the actors. So when I see Graham Griffin play Roy, I'm also seeing a friend of my mom's playing Roy when I was eight years old. It's an odd effect, but since I don't remember much else from that experience except that it was funny, the show itself is made up of my ideas and the inspirations that came from working with the actors. In other words, don't worry, mom, I didn't steal your material.
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Shann: Marc, certainly No Exit is no simple play. How did you deal with the challenges you faced mounting the play?
Frost: No Exit is certainly quite an ambitious project. I knew that going into it, but I see this as a positive thing. I mean, the show is so complex and has so many levels that it gives us a lot to work with. And the actors and myself have taken these layers in the script and added them into the show. Actually, it's been an incredible rehearsal process filled with creative decision-making. How about you, Taylor? I know your show has a lot of comedy, but I know it's not shallow.
Shann: The trick, Marc, was to work in complexity, depth, all of the things that make theater "deep," but never forget that it's supposed to be funny. We are here to make people laugh. If they're spending more time thinking about the characterization or the inherent deeper meanings, the play has failed. Those other themes, about love and life and character, should be things that people realize while thinking back. It's sort of the polar opposite of your play, but in the end, they're both very much about people.
Frost: Yes, our plays will definitely have a lot in common.
Shann: Right...
Frost: Yeah, I mean, mine's French; yours is Texan.
Shann: Mine's funny. Yours...isn't so funny.
Frost: Mine's more abstract. Yours is more direct.
Shann: Mine's real. Yours is hypothetical.
Frost: Mine's philosophical. Yours is...Texan. Yeah, maybe they don't have as much in common as I thought.
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Frost: Taylor, directing a minor production means you have a lot less time and fewer resources. Have you been limited at all?
Shann: Well, as a minor production, there is a limitation of things we can do. The plays take place at the back of a bar and on a back porch. Obviously, we can't build these things and the focus of the show isn't on an extensive set anyway. Instead, we're trying to give the impression of these places, a simple backdrop and then letting the actors and props fill that space in the audience's heads. Well, that and actual bottles of beer from Texas, sans beer. How about you? How has it been putting together No Exit in such a short time?
Frost: Well, we've been able to a lot of good creative work in the short time we've had. The play certainly challenges all of us: me, as a director and the cast, as actors, and the audience, as silent, but implicated observers. What I've stressed to my actors is "play your character's intentions" and they've done a great job doing just that. I chose them not just because I thought they could do show, but also because they seemed to have the best chemistry, which is key to this play. And what about your cast?
Shann: Well, there's not much to say about my cast, except that they're ridiculously talented at playing their parts. Given the time frame, I cast the people that I thought could best quickly and completely absorb the characters. Once that's accomplished, you just let them play and make the play funnier and funnier. Most of the best gags in the show aren't because of the lines or my direction, but what came out of these people working off each other. They are the best thing about the show, by far.
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Frost: Any final thoughts?
Shann: This is a chance for some really talented people to dig into good characters, and on top of that, bring down the house. The situations the characters get in are funny, but the biggest laughs come from the characters themselves. If we get a huge laugh simply because the audience anticipates a character's reaction, before it even happens, I'll be happy. And you, Mr. Frost?
Frost: My show is by no means straightforward, but I ascribe to the theory: "Play to the smartest person in the audience." So, I'm directing the play based on the assumption that if you can accept the basic premise, everything will make sense based on that initial assumption. Sartre wrote the play a half century ago, but No Exit still holds the same relevance to its audiences today as it did then. I think that when people understand how the play relates to their individual lives, it'll blow their mind, but in a good way.
Shann: Yes, well, let's use this last little space to adver-
Frost: Discuss. You mean to discuss our shows (that happen to be playing THIS FRIDAY AND MONDAY!)
Shann: It's called tact, Marc. Tact. Let's just tell the people that this weekend offers
you the opportunity to laugh, party on Saturday, recover on Sunday and then
really think on Monday. The only way to lose is to not show up.
Frost: Hah! Tact...
1959 Pink Thunderbird will play at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. this Friday night and No Exit will play at 8:00 p.m. this Monday night in the Balch Arena Theatre.
