Empty Chair Theatre Company

Katie Logan Review Coriolanus

2011-12-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

There are a handful of moments in Ralph Fiennes’ new adaptation of Coriolanus that force the audience to realize we aren’t in ancient Rome. For me, it’s a moment towards the beginning when a bleeding Roman soldier feeds information to Gerard Butler’s Tullus Aufidius. Aufidius promptly shoots him point blank in the head. The scene pans out to show Coriolanus, played by Fiennes, watching the footage back in Rome; Aufidius has sent him this video of blatant torture.

Coriolanus is at once disturbingly immediate and yet too distant for its own narrative good. To me, a lucky viewer who caught an advance screening at the Austin Film Festival, this is the challenge for anyone (particularly a filmmaker) updating Shakespeare.

Although Fiennes’ production retains the names of places like Rome and Corioles, the film was shot on location in Serbia, and the distinct character of the country, the people and their past infuses the movie. It’s true, too, that particular scenes share an uncomfortable similarity with footage we’ve come to expect out of Iraq and Afghanistan. We’re treated to agonizing moments of Coriolanus sweeping a home in Corioles; his tense finger on the trigger is just as likely to fire upon a civilian as a combatant.

Even outside the combat scenes, the film strikes a contemporary tone. The screen-time devoted to the citizens of Rome seems especially prescient in light of the ongoing Arab Spring. Around the world, we’ve been witnessing people fed up with their leaders, roused to action sometimes by their own grievances, sometimes by the encouragement of others. Coriolanus taps into that energy.

And yet this kind of narrative resonance is something that exists in the world of Shakespeare’s words, without any need for Fiennes’ artistry. It emerges from the fact that the playwright, while dealing with the people of the Roman republic, is really interested in what people are feeling and doing in Jacobian England. This concern connects the two populaces. Already, there’s a timelessness to this drama, the conflict between a deserving but too proud leader and a people too easily swayed.

Sure, Fiennes’ film highlights this drama in the terms of this historical moment. Where the concept fails, however, is in the kind of distancing that our combat and our media allows. It’s hard to imagine a hero like Coriolanus rising from the kind of war that produces long distance drones. He’s a figure who needs closeness, intimacy, in order to thrive. When Coriolanus and Aufidius face off for the first time, the film has to instigate a form of ritual, a gentlemen’s agreement of sorts, to get them within dagger rather than firearm’s distance from one another. Once they can touch, wrestle, physically wound each other, we fully understand their abilities and the almost euphoric extent of their rivalry for the first time, where those plot points were suspect before.

While screenwriter John Logan has enthusiastically substituted television news reporters for the messengers who crop up in the play, he nonetheless sends Coriolanus into the streets to ask the people’s permission, recognizing the value of the prince begging from the pauper face-to-face. This is a movie that happily garnishes itself with technology but feels uncomfortable, and rightly so, doing the same to its protagonist.

Coriolanus is a sophisticated, smart film on many levels (commenting on the performances alone would force me to write nearly twice as much). In its eagerness to make Shakespeare relevant, however, it comes close to cheating itself of what is most of relevance--the awareness that what happened in Coriolanus’ Rome or Shakespeare’s England can teach us just as much about power, citizenship, and rivalry.

image via flix66

Blog Design Update

2011-12-04T22:57:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,
We've updated our layout! Please explore the blog a bit. You'll notice that we've introduced some Tabs with some special selections.

The Empty Chair Hot Seat
Our new hub for happenings in the company. The Hot Seat is our newly revitalized Empty Chair Newsletter. If you've signed up for it the newsletter will still come straight to your inbox, but now you can also access it here on the blog. By clicking on the stories you can go straight to the particular post!

Company Beat
Here you can find out about what our company members are doing when we're in our off season. Right now you can read about Julia Sears and Kelley Van Dilla, both spotlighted in the winter edition of the Hot Seat.

Empty Chair News
Officious Company Announcements, Notices and Bulletins

Artist Interviews
Read about the Directors, Designers and other Artistic staff as they work to create our shows. Right now, Directors Katie Logan and Elizabeth Nearing discuss their plans for the summer shows.

And MORE TO COME!
Hope you enjoy our new layout and our first edition of the HOT SEAT!
Best,
Natasha
Director of Marketing and Communications

Julia Sears at Edinburgh Fringe

2011-12-01T13:56:00.000-05:00

I spent the month of August in Edinburgh, Scotland at the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I was on a study abroad through the University of Washington where I took a class about dramatic critique and structure and saw 25 different pieces of theatre over the course of the month. I ended up seeing a few extra shows including a 6 hour overnight theatre experience called Hotel Media (based on the Greek myth of Jason and Media) and a phenomenally inspiring production called Mission Drift, about expansionism in the West, put forward by New York's TEAM (Theatre of the Emerging American Moment). Although I spent the month studying the structure of the past (Aristotle's Poetics, Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces, Carl Jung's Archetypes etc) I spent a lot of time discussing with my peers the future of theatre.

This is what I observed and learned: There is an energy of change surrounding the theatre. Groups that value collaboration and innovation are cropping up everywhere. Boundaries are being pushed physically, technologically, emotionally and musically. People are once again searching for what it means to be a part of the theatre. What works is what is true. What works is a piece that has purpose. But most of all: the theatres that are going to survive deficit, set backs, and insurmountable challenges are the ones that create because they need to, work because it is their passion, and have something to say. Whether a group is studying a classic or a brand new play this burning need to work hard, create, and speak up is what makes great art. The need creates theatre that will move you up from your seat into the world with a new thought, a new perspective, or a new passion. It is what makes us want to continue to be a part of the world of art. After having this experience i was proud to come home to the Empty Chair Family. I feel lucky to have a place to explore what it is I have to say as an artist, work on projects I care about and speak to a community that values what I have to say.

Thesis Work: Kelley Van Dilla in Rabbit Hole

2011-12-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

Thesis projects at Vassar can be a whole range of projects. Most importantly, they are meant to be a place where we can implement all of our theatre training.

photo by Andy Levy

As such, the ensemble of senior thesis members in a given project will come up with a lot of the technical elements themselves, though students may elect to be a lighting or set designer for their thesis as well. The shows are low budget and mode minimal, but no less exciting. Professors are around to facilitate and encourage, but much of the project is left up to the students.

photo by Andy Levy

My project only had two thesis members (myself and Hilary Tandy). Since we couldn't find a student director Darrell James stepped in to direct the piece - he is a faculty at Vassar and holds two MFAs in acting. We cast the other roles via audition through the drama department. I performed as Howie in Rabbit Hole by David Lindsey-Abaire. The play won the Pulitzer in 2006 or 2007.

I've been working on the project since this summer but the rehearsal process was just under four weeks, though that is not typical for all thesis shows. I am very happy with how my project turned out and how much I learned.

Give to the Max STORIES: Danny Cackley

2011-11-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

I'm a firm believer in the role that arts education plays in the development of young and growing minds. It helps children engage their imagination and provides them with opportunities to see through the eyes of great artists. Empty Chair Theatre Company is a truly wonderful organization for their efforts to nurture the minds of young students with their camp programs, along with their season of summer shows for student and young professional actors. I've been active myself as an actor and a counselor and can't count the number of times I've thought to myself how privileged I am to help provide new experiences to children and audiences of all ages. I strongly encourage supporting their 'Give to the Max' campaign, ad recommend
continuing to keep an eye on this up-and-coming company!!

Give to the Max STORIES: Oliva Myers

2011-11-09T20:32:00.001-05:00

This is my fourth year with Empty Chair, and I have filled a bevy of roles including camp counselor, actor, assistant stage manager, fight captain, and props mistress. Every time I work with them it re-affirms my faith in the power of young people; whether it is working with our incredibly mature, hard-working, and hilarious campers, taking part in the completely professional, enthusiastic, and rewarding rehearsal process for one of our shows, or just sitting in a production meeting listening to people bring their ideas to the table. Working with Empty Chair has inspired within me a great love of Shakespeare, and the knowledge and confidence I have gained from working with this incredibly talented group of people has spilled over into every area of my life. It still strikes me as amazing that a group of seventeen to twenty-four year olds have not only built a successful theatre company, but continue to consistently tackle new and more difficult challenges in order to produce the best theatre we possibly can. It is truly an honor to be a part of the Empty Chair family.

Give to the Max Day STORIES: Quill Nebeker

2011-11-09T19:32:00.000-05:00

From Quill:

Location Manager

James Madison University, B.A. Theater and Dance, minor in Classical Studies.

2008, Richard III (Stanley, Lord of Derby)

I constantly marvel at the autonomy I get working with Empty Chair. The company gives me the opportunity to continue my study of Theater Arts on my own terms, among artists with a tremendous variety of backgrounds and skillsets.

Give to the Max Day STORIES: Kelley Van Dilla

2011-11-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

I fell in love with Shakespeare with the American Shakespeare Center's Youth Camp. As I have continued to study The Bard and pursue a career in acting (I am a drama major at Vassar College), Empty Chair has been an amazing way to bridge my theatre education with the professional world. It's been a joy to grow with the company and I whole-heartedly believe in the importance of sharking Shakespeare with the community.

Give to the Max Day STORIES: CAMPERS

2011-11-09T14:17:00.000-05:00

We checked in with some of our Campers and their Parents about why they enjoy our Summer Camps. Here’s what they had to say. Note: Some exclamation points have been removed for easier reading.

Campers: What was the most fun?

-I had the most fun playing awesome and hilarious theatre games. They were all so much fun!

-The activities and rehearsal for the play, and the play itself (everything basically) because its so fun and hands on.

What did you learn the most from?

-the part where we learned about the history of england because thats one of the topics i know least about.

-I learned the most from Richard III because I learned in detail a very fun and accurate history of London.

-I learned a lot from the sessions...which taught me about the time which Shakespeare lived, explained where the story lines had came from, and practiced the language from his time.

From the Parents: What was the most fun?

-Seeing my camper come home every day even more of a Shakespeare enthusiast. This is a fantastic camp that not only teaches great group building, theatre and theatre prep skills but it teaches young people a real appreciation for classic theatre. Love it.

-[My Daughter] thoroughly enjoyed the camp and is already looking forward to attending again next summer. I don't think I've ever seen her so excited about a camp/activity.

Give to the Max Day STORIES: Joan Cummins

2011-11-09T13:36:00.000-05:00

Empty Chair's production of Taming of the Shrew was one of the most exciting acting experiences I've ever had. As a senior in high school,I was seeking opportunities on my own, opportunities to do something creative, meaningful, and fun with my peers, and Empty Chair was able to provide that where no other avenue could. WE CREATED IT. The

enterprise was entirely run by us - not without generous support, of course - but WE made it happen, and that sense of ownership only added to the thrill of performing.

I played both Bianca, the snooty younger sister, and Grumio, the bumbling manservant to the volatile Petruchio- a thrilling challenge as between the two of them they appeared in nearly every scene. I was introduced to ways of thinking about theater and about performance that I had never before encountered. I was superbly connected to my fellow cast members, part of a tightly linked ensemble, and I absolutely had a BLAST doing the show. It got me hooked.

Give to the Max Day STORIES: Rebecca Speas

2011-11-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

Rebecca and her Aunt and Uncle at our Folger Benefit

When Elizabeth and Julia asked me to be a part of Richard III back in 2008, I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I had never been involved in a project like it, and I really had no idea of what to expect from a totally student-run production—I didn’t know the play that well, I had never encountered such a short, intense rehearsal process, and I only met much of the cast and crew for the very first time on the first day of rehearsal. I remember going into it and wondering whether we would be able to pull off an entire show (and Richard III, no less) in two-and-a-half weeks with limited resources and a cast that barely knew each other.

Turns out, I needn’t have worried. That first summer proved to me that any group of people—regardless of age or experience—can come together in a short period of time and create wonderful theatre, if they have the determination and the will to do so. Richard III was such a formative, galvanizing experience for me, and it is because of that experience that I have returned to the DC area every summer since to work with Empty Chair, both onstage and off. Empty Chair has taught me the power of the ensemble, of collaboration with people that you trust and respect, and of generosity and hard work. It has supported my growth as a performer as well as a person. Many of the people that I have met through Empty Chair have become some of my dearest friends, and I have been able to watch them do wonderful, powerful work on the stage and behind the scenes. It is truly inspiring to be a part of this company; I am proud to see how far it has come, and am eager to see how it will grow.

What is Give to the Max Day?

2011-11-05T00:22:00.000-04:00

Empty Chair Theatre Company is kicking off its 2012 Season on November 9th with Washington DC’s Give to the Max Day ! Check it out!

We are excited to start our season off with this great event. Give to the Max DC will be a fun and competitive 24 hours and there are super cash prizes.

What Prizes are we working for?

Golden Tickets

$1,000 for 10 hours starting at 2 p.m. and ending at midnight, awarded to the nonprofit that garners the most individual donors each hour.

Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Awards

Awards for nonprofits under $1 million in revenue for the most individual donors:

Grand Award – $10,000
Second Place – $5,000
Third Place – $3,000
Fourth Place – $2,000
Fifth Place – $1,000

And of course we need your help.

Want to get involved?

Check out our G2M page

Make a pledge, Like it or Share it on facebook while you're there!

Help us spread the word.

Tell your friends and family about our event and share your story.

Every little bit helps. Share your story on our G2M page here.

We've also got some Special Gifts in store for our donors this year!

Keep checking back for some super exciting news.

Empty Chair Theatre Company presents its Fifth Year Anniversary Season

2011-10-22T11:23:00.002-04:00

Join us Summer 2012!

Keep reading for a more info about our exciting season...

Romeo and Juliet

In Verona, the seeds of a feud whose cause no one remembers have grown into a gnarled machine of hate. Knee-deep in their war stand Romeo and Juliet. When the two are thrown together, the stubborn sparks of their passion erupt into a flame of violence, which must ultimately consume them. Shakespeare’s unforgettable fable of love, lust, and loss burns with meaning four centuries later, reminding all audiences of the eternal power of the human heart to create and destroy.

Twisting the timeline of the Bard’s words and scenes, Empty Chair will present a razor-sharp deconstruction of the traditional romance, shining light on the unexposed corners of a world audiences know all too well. Veteran director Katie Logan’s bold interpretation seeks to illuminate the modernity and emotional strength of this classic, presenting a non-linear Romeo and Juliet to surprise, delight, and provoke audiences into exploring Shakespeare's tragic tale from within, rather than without.

Hamlet

On the rotting stage of Denmark, Prince Hamlet directs his own vision of vengeance against his father’s murderer. Shakespeare’s wild and whirling mousetrap snaps down on a world of passion, madness, and the hard truths of our mortal existence. In this immortal incision into the human mind, audiences are forced to laugh and cry at their reflected selves, seeing through Shakespeare’s words “what a piece of work is a man.”

Empty Chair’s production of Hamlet seeks to explode the traditions of theatre, past and present, reigniting the fire under Shakespeare’s words and actions. Under the direction of Elizabeth Nearing, this taut, intense production will pull audiences into the gripping interior of Hamlet’s Denmark, exploring the untested underbelly of the Bard’s classic. A small cast, streamlined text, and fully immersive world that assaults the senses and defies theatre’s comfortable conventions will all add up to create a living, breathing, untold story that lingers long after its final blow falls.

Information about Opportunities with Empty Chair or scheduling an Audition Appointment Coming Soon.

Checkin back in with Amalia part 1

2011-09-05T15:59:00.001-04:00

Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications, Amalia Oswald, checked in with us about some of her experiences from this summer. Not only was Amalia a part of our Summer Productions (Titus Andronicus) she also worked as a Counsellor and Teacher during our Drama Camps. Amalia is a rising Sophomore at Adelphi University studying theatre. Here's a little about her summer.

Actor:

This summer I played Lavinia in the summer season production of Titus Andronicus. It was an amazing experience! We started the rehearsal period in mid-June and got off to a running start with just a few bumps, our first read through had our Marcus Andronicus reading via phone call since he was still on the west coast.

But fear not, by week two the cast had hunkered down and was cranking out some great work. All the actors met with director, Julia Sears, for character conferences where we talked through our characters back stories, their moments of great change, and how they saw the world of Rome through their eyes. This was super helpful as Lavinia since she undergoes such a huge change when she is ravished and mutilated. No one would come out of that the same person. I discussed at length with Julia, about the Lavinia before and after her rape and came to the decisions that before she was a cheerful, optimistic, quiet yet sometimes sassy young woman of public importance. After her rape she became a broken person who was stripped of her dignities and pride with only her animalistic tendencies left to her, Lavinia was fight or flight and now all the fight had been beaten out of her.

Quickly we reached opening weekend and with it the FOLGER BENEFIT! It was a classical actor’s biggest dream to perform on the Folger Stage and the performance that night had all the actors on fire. I would have to say that it was one of the best performances of my life. We spent the morning moving all our set, props, costumes, etc. into the space and then spent the afternoon with an open dress and a talkback for the Fellowship students. After dinner all hands were on deck for the big performance. We laughed, we cried, we killed, and we ate pie. Afterwards we met our adoring fans in the main hall for the reception where co-founder Elizabeth Nearing made a fantastic speech that really articulated the reason why this company exists. The night ended with a BANG.

Two more performance-packed weeks rolled by and soon it was time to strike and say our goodbyes.

I am so grateful for this experience, Empty Chair has given me the opportunity to play a dream role and work with some extremely talented people who I am honored to call my peers. I am eternally thankful to the company and I cannot wait to take the next opportunity to work with the company as an actor again!

Being an actor was amazing but luckily the company also gave me the chance to work with my FUTURE peers, give or take 5-10 years…

Coming up next: Drama Camp!

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

Drama Camp Photos!

2011-08-14T11:53:00.000-04:00

Camp Party Photos by Olivia Meyers

Wrapping up the Season

2011-08-04T09:29:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone! Its about that time again and we are winding down our Summer Season and

Summer 2011 is wrapping up well. Titus and Twelfth Night were both great shows.

Thank you to everyone that came out again to support us in our Season and at the Folger Benefit.

But we're not quite done!!

The last day of Drama Camp session II is tomorrow! Come out to see the show!

We've been working with a tremendously talented young group and Richard III should be great.

The Summer Shakespeare Workshop also starts next week.

Designer Spotlight with Megan- Costumes for Titus

2011-07-27T16:17:00.000-04:00

We're approaching Closing Weekend! Don't forget to get your tickets and stop by our Discussion Panel on Saturday! Here's a chat we had with Costume Designer Megan Spatz:

1- Tell me a little about you...who you are and where from and how'd you get involved etc. etc?

I go to school with Elizabeth, which is how I found out about Empty Chair Theatre. Last summer she asked me to design the costumes for the production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" which she was directing.
Through that project I met Julia, who was playing Titania, and Julia asked me to design the costumes for Titus.

2- When you are designing a show what gets you ticking and the ideas flowing? What inspires you?
The inspiration for a design can really come from anything. Music, pictures, daydreaming, random things I see in life. I guess I begin by collecting pictures that I think are interesting and I respond to when I think about the project. Then I ignore those pictures for a few days, live my life, and just have the project on the back-burner of my mind. Then I'll usually see something in my everyday life that will spark an idea or an image related to the project. From there it just flows. I guess that's a very vague answer but I really can't explain it too much, it just kind of comes from thinking about the play while I live my life. And then ideas spark that I play with and try to integrate into the world of the play.

3- What were the dominant images for you in working on these costumes?

I looked at a lot of animal and military inspired fashion. It was important that the costumes had a good balance between the two styles. So I ended up collecting a lot of images that were extremely animalistic or militaristic. Then I just took elements from both styles and tried to combine together in a way that looked authentic, rather than decorative.

4- What's in your toolbox? What do you work with?

Anything and everything I can get my hands on. You'd be surprised what you end up using.

Have you seen our Titus? Have some questions?

2011-07-26T09:44:00.000-04:00

Empty Chair is proud to present a special discussion of violence in the world ofTitus Andronicus.

Please join us for the post-show panel directly following the matinee on Saturday, July 23rd. Director Julia Sears and select members of her cast and crew will offer their perspectives on the unique challenges presented by Lavinia's rape, human pies, and all of those amputated hands. Admission to the panel is free and completely open to the public.

Matt on Drama Camp

2011-07-25T20:20:00.000-04:00

The second session of Drama camp has begun!! This session the campers are working on Richard III. Camp is always a fun and crazy or rather, crazy fun, time for Empty Chair. We checked in with Matt Minicinno, Assistant Director for Love's Labours about what the camp experience is like:

The final day of Shakespeare camp is always rewarding. In a few days, Empty Chair will have started it's second session of camp rehearsing for Richard III, but first let's look back on the first session and how Empty Chair.

The first week was mostly composed of workshops with Empty Chair actors and regulars. Mark Tucker and Jeremy Tuohy taught a rollicking Clown Workshop, in which campers embrace their inner fool by learning about "takes," and "silly walks." Amalia Oswald taught a Dance Workshop, drawing from her own roots and the Muscovite theme of Love's Labour's Lost to teach a Russian folk dance to the whole cast. Shunan Chu illuminated the campers with a Movement Workshop, arming them with the basics of Laban Movement Analysis and Linklater Voice Work; things that some actors don't learn until college. Myself and Elizabeth collaborated on salons educating campers about Shakespeare's Life, Plays, Elizabethan England, and Original Practices over the course of the first week.

By week two, we were deep in rehearsal for Love's Labour's. Campers were held to the same standards as adult members of the company, guided by counselors as they scanned, paraphrased, and memorized their lines in a heftily abbreviated text. Campers (unlike the company's adult actors...probably) also wrote up "Character Sheets," on which they drew pictures of their characters and analyzed them verbally, describing them in terms of adjectives and comparisons. By the end of the week, the campers were all deeply immersed in the characters they were portraying, and some were even composing elaborate, humorous backstories (Aidan, portraying Don Adriano de Armado the fantastical Spaniard, composed a lengthy biography that included bull-fights, the conquest of Canada, the Bering Strait, and baguettes a-plenty).

Our fun-filled two weeks culminated in a frenetic, fabulous final performance for parents, friends, and Empty Chair actors given a bit of time off from rehearsal. In the Black Box of H-B Woodlawn, the campers presented a hilarious take on Shakespeare's wordy comedy, complete with an adaptation (see below) of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," a selection of Russian dancing, somersaults, masked tomfoolery, and some amazing accents. After a goodbye ceremony on Friday, the campers departed ready and eager to return (while the counselors shared a celebratory cupcake or two, and basked in the afterglow of thirteen stars in the making).

Saturday June 23rd is Buddy Day

2011-07-22T23:33:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone!!

Are you coming to see the show this weekend?

If you bring a buddy to one of tomorrow's shows you'll $2.00 off both of your tickets! And if you bring two buddies, get $5.00 off each!

Hope you'll bring your friends!

TITUS

2011-07-15T19:20:00.000-04:00

Beautiful poster art by Kelley Van Dilla

Congrats to the Cast and Crew of Titus for opening yesterday!

Come see the show tonight at Theatre on the Run or at the Folger tomorrow.

Get your tickets here!

Actor-Bites: Meet Danny Cackley

2011-07-13T20:58:00.000-04:00

Will you introduce yourself?
I'm Danny Cackley. I attended University of Virginia, studied Drama, graduated in 2010.

When did you first get involved with Empty Chair?
have been in ECTC's productions of Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard II, and Twelfth Night. First heard about the company from Elizabeth, the co-founder of ECTC, back in 2008.

Who are you playing and what are you most excited to explore?

-most exciting thing about Titus: working on this most bloody of Shakespeare's plays, addressing the issues of loyalty versus family and playing the patriarch of this clan of somewhat bloodthirsty Romans. Also discovering and exploring these themes of love and loss, of ritual and sacrifice, and most definitely of revenge.

oh and I'm playing Titus Andronicus.

Drama camp Parody Song

2011-07-12T12:53:00.000-04:00

The first session of camp put up Love's Labours Lost and came up with this amazing song !

YOU’RE SUCH A PAIN
Parodied by Marty, Aidan, and Miscellaneous Counselors
Original Song Written by Carly Simon

You walked into the castle
Like you thought our vow was insane,
Your diplomacy dipped below the belt
And we saw you in the light
Your beauty would make us all forsworn
We had met you all before
And all us boys dreamed that we’d be your partner, We’d be your partner, and

All (CHORUS)
You're such a pain
You probably think this play is about you
You're such a pain
I'll bet you think this play is about you, Don't you? Don't you?

You had me several years ago
When we met you in Brabant
Well, I thought that we made such a pretty pair
And that you’d never put me in a tent
But you went after the things that you loved,
And one of them wasn’t me
I saw some fools that entertained you, and---

All CHORUS

Well, I hear you sent us a bunch of letters
And some gifts for us as well
Then you dressed up as some Russian boys
To see if we’d worn your gifts
Well, we loved even though we shouldn’t've
And we confessed our love
So together we saw some worthies, we saw some worthies and

You're dad just died,
You probably have to go rule France,
You're such a pain,
We’ll have to wait one more year now
Won’t we? Won’t we? Won’t we?

Actor Bites: Back with Oliva Meyers

2011-07-11T22:12:00.001-04:00

Its Tech Week for Titus! The show opens this Thursday at Theatre on the Run and this weekend is our Folger Benefit!

Will you introduce yourself? Olivia Myers attending University of Manchester, Applied Theater

When did you first get involved with Empty Chair? Elizabeth Nearing cast me in a production of Macbeth her senior (my sophomore) year of high school, during the process of which I also got to meet Julia Sears. They then asked me to come as an actor for the 2008 summer season with Empty Chair. In addition I have been the fight captain/ass. stage manager for the 2009 season, props mistress and tech crew, including fights, 2010 season, and one of the founders of Empty Chair Camp, along with Elizabeth Nearing and Allison Miller. I also played Maria in Empty Chairs Twelfth Night, the first production in this summers 'Savor the Madness' season.

Who are you playing and what are you most excited to explore? Quintus, Caius, Nurse, Goth Captain, Clown. Most people seem to complain about being double or triple cast as bit parts, but I love it. I love the challenge of creating several (in this case, FIVE) distinctly different characters. There are so many relationships to figure out, so many arcs to explore (because bits tend to go through their arc in the course of one or two scenes), so many quirks to discover. Bit parts, if you make them really good, can be one of the most entertaining and interesting parts of a show. This season all of my parts are distinctly different from each other-it's going to be so exciting to get to the point where I can switch in and out at ease.

Dramaturgy Tidbits - Shakespeares Sources

2011-07-11T15:50:00.000-04:00

Rubins. Tereus Confronted with the Head of his Son Itylus

The Gesta Romanorum

Shakespeare could read Latin, so it is extremely likely that he got his hands on a copy or pamphlets based on the Romanorum. The following are some interesting tidbits in relation to Titus (and some of Shakespeare’s other works):

The Medieval were so into telling people what to do, that they would mash historical and imaginary stories together in order to prove a point.
The author(s) reflect the people of their time through their belief in the existence of giants and dwarfs, fairies, spells and enchantments, fond of inventing combats with dragons and monsters.
An English version didn’t appear until 1824
The stories are in a similar vein as Aesop’s Fables
Warton thinks that the Gesta Romanorum was composed by Peter Bercheur, prior of the convent of Saint Eloy who died in 1362

Bercheur allegorized the Metamorphoses of Ovid
He was French, or at least spent a lot of time in Paris

Chap 1 and 21 are: King Lear-- dying king bequeaths all of his stuff to his three sons, they argue about it.
Chap 27: Antony, emperor of Rome, loves chess. He notices that when you put all of the pieces together in a bag, the king is cofounded with all the rest. He sees this as a representation of his moral state. He realizes that when he’s buried he’ll be mixed up with everyone else. He divides his kingdom up and retires to the Holy Land.
Chap 49: an emperor makes a law that whoever violates a virgin will lose both eyes. His son does this, and the emperor carries out his law.
Tale 108: Of Contancy in Adhering to Promises: Two thieves vow to do everything together. They murder together, steal together, etc. They end up betraying each other in the end. Similar to Chiron and Demetrius.
Tale 114: a man falls into a hole in the woods. The pit is mortal sin. The man licks a great tasting stone to get out, the stone represents Christ.
A lot of the stories focus on emperors educated their sons
And animals doing crazy things
The book is full of roughly thousand-word stories which teach morals and religious values. Sometimes the characters in the stories (often Roman nobility) do not act according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and so they are punished accordingly. It seems that Shakespeare was interested in creating a cast of characters who had this moral basis (or something similar to it) but chose to ignore it or disobey it. Although not everyone could read Latin in Shakespeare’s time, the morals and archetypes of the stories found in the Romanorum would have been well-known. Shakespeare takes the teachings, warps them and explores what happens when a group of people stop caring about community and start only caring about themselves and their vengeance.
Shakespeare got the name “Titus” from this book

Post taken from our Titus Casebook.

Company Origins

2011-07-09T15:47:00.000-04:00

Julia Sears with her Folger High School Fellowship class.

Shakespeare has inspired generations of artists, whether they poets, novelists, or directors, with his unparalleled poetry, his vibrant storytelling, and his sense of what it means to be human. It is fitting, then, that the inspiration behind Empty Chair took its first breaths at a performance of King Lear at the Folger Shakespeare Library in 2007. It was in conversation there that Julia Sears and Elizabeth Nearing began to plan the founding of the company.

Nearing and Sears both wanted to do work outside the bounds of their high schools and other traditional means. Nearing and Sears had both had great experiences with the American Shakespeare Center’s Young Company, which provides opportunities for teens, but only lasts for three weeks each summer, not enough to satisfy the most curious hearts and minds.

Sears and Nearing, both inspired by the passion of the people they worked with there and eager to work with them again, considered: “What if we were all just doing theatre at the same time whenever we wanted?” And this was the seed of inspiration. Over the course of the same conversation, Nearing and Sears decided to take the initiative and to make the opportunities they wished for. The possibility of waiting until college to found the company was considered and then discarded; the sparks had been kindled into a full flame. They began with the June 2007 Shakespeare Showcase, a presentation of scenes from several plays. This kind of performance allowed each member of the relatively small group to play all of the parts they wanted, engaging everyone to the fullest. During this same time period, both Julia and Elizabeth completed full Folger Library High School Fellowships while completing high school.

Today, They are both rising seniors in college, with four summer seasons that includes seven productions behind them. This season signifies a full circle in the girl’s Folger relationship with the Library honoring the company by offering Empty Chair their Elizabethan Stage for a one night benefit performance of Titus Andronicus.

Still a young company full of young people, Empty Chair strives to provide unique opportunities to perform and study Shakespeare with one’s peers. It supports a highly collaborative creative environment and works for a balance of original Elizabethan practices and modern theatrical traditions. Co founder Julia Sears emphasizes the company’s dedication by saying “We are still committed to our original core mission indoctrinating young artist to the belief that Shakespeare’s stories are not solely material for academic study, but also living tales that have bearing on the modern world. We will always strive to create a tradition of classical theatre that lives for our times.”

by Melanie Sears

Rehearsal Photos

2011-07-08T21:56:00.000-04:00

Dramaturgy Tidbits - The Roman Family

2011-07-08T16:18:00.000-04:00

The Roman Family

Families were dominated by men. The head of the Roman family was the oldest living male, called “paterfamilias” or “father of the family”. This man looked after the family’s business affairs and property and could preform religious rites on behalf of the entire family.
The paterfamilias had absolute power over his household. If anyone pissed off the paterfamilias he could legally disown them, sell them into slavery or kill them.
Sons were extremely important because it was up to the sons to continue the family name. A father without sons would likely adopt one to make sure the family name perpetuated.
Women usually married in their early teenage years, men in their mid-twenties.
Materfamilias exerted power behind the scenes and managed the household. An upperclass materfamilias was expected to help her husband’s career by exuding modesty, grace and dignity.
Women only had so much influence though. Paterfamilias decided what happened to newborn babies. After birth, the midwife placed babies on the ground: only if the paterfamilias picked it up was the baby formally accepted into the family. If the baby was not picked up, then it was abandoned outside. Exposed babies were left in specific places so that they could be picked up and used as slaves.
About 25% of infants died in their first year of life. About half of all children died before the age of ten. Because of the high mortality rate, women who successfully gave birth were rewarded. After three live babies, women were recognized as legally independent.

Post taken from our Titus Casebook.

What sticks out to you?

2011-07-05T22:34:00.000-04:00

A Wordle of all the text from Act 1 scene 1. Want a closer look? Click on the image

Elizabeth on the Folger

2011-07-04T14:31:00.002-04:00

1- How did you get involved with the program? I applied to HSFP as a rising junior in high school and was accepted into the Fall 2007 seminar.

2- How has it impacted you/how you think about shakespeare? The program broadened my view of the academic side of Shakespeare. Most of my experience prior to going was with Shakespeare in performance at the American Shakespeare Center's ASCTC. We got the chance to listen to a number of remarkable scholars from all different areas of the field, it also connected me to like-minded students in the DC area.

3- What was the program like? What did you do? What plays etc. etc. The semester I went we studied Othello, Richard III and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The program consisted of a series of lectures on each play (two per week), we would see each play and discuss the performance. As a part of our final, we were required to perform a scene from one of the plays. I did the Lady Anne wooing scene from Richard III. Finally we were required to do a final research project, which I did on Measure for Measure.

4- What were some highlights of the experience? One of my favorite parts of the experience was the bookshelf in our classroom. The one bookshelf had cooler books on Shakespeare than I had ever seen, and we were welcome to check them out as we liked. Beyond that, the Folger opened up a lot of doors for how to get information and who to go to. One of the most memorable days in the program was going on a behind the scenes tour of the library. We got to see the conservation lab where they dissected old books, the reading rooms, folios, and the endless vault of books they have underground. It is an incredible facility.

5- Whats the most important/exciting thing about renewing this relationship with them? There is something incredibly thrilling about returning to a place that has had such a great impact on my life, and in a new capacity. I admire everything the Folger does with research, performance and education and I am honored to be a part of it in some way.

6- How did that particular production of King Lear inspire you? What about it? I think Julia and I were struck by how incredibly passionate the production was. It was physical, intense, vibrant and heartbreaking. It made me realize that that was the kind of theatre I wanted to do. Julia and I couldn't work together through school, so we worked outside of it.

7-Once you started the company who made up the first few productions? How has that changed? The first few productions were people from our high schools and Shakespeare camp that we managed to bring together. Starting in 2009 we started to see new faces at auditions and bringing in people that we wanted to work with from all over. There are still a group of Empty Chair regulars, but we have exciting new people every year. The other exciting part of working with a group of young artists is that we are all always changing and being exposed to new things all over the world. Every summer we're able to get back together and put all of the new things we've all learned into practice.

Actor-bites: Meet Elena Robertson

2011-07-01T20:04:00.000-04:00

Will you introduce yourself?
I'm Elena Robertson and I'm a Junior and Christopher Newport University, studying Musical Theatre, though in the Fall, I'll be at the London Center for Dramatic Arts, doing a Theatre Studies Program threw FSU.

When did you first get involved with Empty Chair?
Roughly two years ago, I was visiting JMU, when I met Quill Nebeker who told me about Empty Chair Theatre Company and forwarded me the audition form so that I could hear about the auditions for A Midsummer Night's Dream and Richard II, about a month after the auditions, I was asked if I would be able to join the cast of Richard II in the role of Bushy, Scroop, and Ftizwater - I agreed, fell in love with the company and my involvement in Titust Andronicus, I believe is definitely thanks to last summer.

Who are you playing and what are you most excited to explore?

With Young Lucious, I am most excited to explore the development of a child in this world ruled by violence and vengeance. Young Lucious hasn't seen her (I was told today that we're going to change Young Lucius into a young girl instead) family in many years, she was raised by Lavinia practically, and since she's been reunited with her family, all she's seen is violence. Our gender roles are defined by how we are raised, Young Lucius is at a sort of half-way point in her life when the action of Titus Andronicus hits her. She was raised up until this point, just like Lavinia, but when the violence at home begins, her 'training' as a young woman stops and the practical training of a soldier begins, because it must, because her family needs more people to join the fight. The most difficult and interesting part for me personally, is exploring the change in Young Lucius from a hopeful child, to a hardened, angry youth all in a very short time.

I play Young Lucius, if you didn't realize that.

A peek in on Drama Camp

2011-07-01T19:58:00.014-04:00

Intern and Administrative Assistant Justin McCarthy checked in with us about how camp is going:
This week at camp has been quite eventful. Our workshops have revolved mainly around Love's Labour's Lost and introductions to the world of Shakespeare. We've had the kids develop little "synopsis" skits of the play in groups, we've discussed the nuances of Shakespeare's language and provided introductory lessons in the mechanics of Elizabethan playwriting, and we've assigned roles for the performance of LLL and begun blocking scenes. We've been working on the script in small groups with the kids, and providing in-depth assistance and guidance to promote thorough understanding and appreciation of the text.

In our efforts to make Shakespeare as fun as it can be, we've been playing games like "prop skit," in which the kids develop a 5 minute skit that a) employs a seemingly random prop and b) incorporates a reference to Shakespeare.

Julia on the Folger

2011-06-30T19:54:00.000-04:00

While the opportunity for our company to perform at the Folger Shakespeare Library is in itself amazing, its also a really exciting homecoming. Both Elizabeth and Julia (our company founders) participated in the Folger's High School Fellowship program and the 2007 production of King Lear inspired them to begin making their own theatre. We've checked in with the two of them and asked them to tell us a little about their time at the Folger. Here's Julia:

1 - How did you get involved with the program?

I heard about the program through Elizabeth and went through an application process with essays and recommendations from professors.

2- How has it impacted you/how you think about shakespeare?

My Fellowship at the Folger really helped me find a different approach to the study of shakespeare. My previous experiences with Shakespeare had all been centered around performance while at the folger I learned how to study it from a scholar's stand point. They gave me a way into the text and history of plays that was grounded in research.

3- What was the program like? What did you do? What plays etc. etc.

In the program we focused on three plays As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, and Othello. We attended lectures from local scholars, directors, and actors, went to see productions at the Folger and the Shakespeare Theater Company, did scene study work in class and had discussions about the text and context of the plays. The program culminated in a performance of scenes (mine was a Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado Ado About Nothing) and an expressive research project on the play of our choice. For my project I wrote about the roles of women and fluid nature of gender in As You Like It and Titus Andronicus and did a photo shoot about gender.

4- What were some highlights of the experience?

I remember going into the vault in the Libarary to look at rare books. Usually its closed off to the public but we got to go check it out. I don't think I've ever been so excited to see books. I also very much enjoyed my class's final projects. I though it was so fun to see what interested each person most about the plays and how they chose to express it in a non traitional way.

5- Whats the most important/exciting thing about renewing this relationship with them?

After attending the fellowship I felt that the Folger was doing an important thing by suporting botht the scholarly and performative approach to Shakespeare's work . They provide the opportunity to both learn by experiencing shows but they have extensive resources about the academic work being done about Shakespeare and classics. This combination of education and experience is one that I believe Empty Chair tries to emulate in the model of our company.

6- How did that particular production of King Lear inspire you? What about it?

The acting in the production was inspired. The text was so extremely clear and committed to, often a problem with american actors doing Shakespeare is there is separation between the text and what the actors are actually doing on stage. In this production the two elements were tied together so intrinsically especially in the actor playing Lear.

7-Once you started the company who made up the first few productions? How has that changed?

The first few productions of the company were made up of local high school actors, mostly that Elizabeth or I had known before, who were all interested in working on Shakespeare and having fun doing it. As the company started to work in summer seasons we had many peers of ours join us who had attended the ASC's Young Company Theater Camp. Now the company has grown into a dozen people working as resident staff and approximately 30 people working on each show from colleges and high schools both local and distant. What all the company members have always shared is a strong sense of community and an initial appetite for experience with classical work.

Actor Bites- Meet Elizabeth Officer

2011-06-29T20:04:00.000-04:00

Will you introduce yourself?

My name is Elizabeth Officer. I am currently studying performance at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, and am expecting to graduate this spring.

When did you first get involved with Empty Chair?

Titus Andronicus is my first production with ECT. I met Julia Sears at the UW, where she directed me in a production of Romeo and Juliet earlier this year, and then invited to come be a part ofTitus. Although I'm from the other Washington, I decided to come across the country to play Tamora.

Who are you playing and what are you most excited to explore?

I am very excited to play Tamora, because it is both incredibly challenging and rewarding. I love exploring her language and finding the humanity beneath her cruelty.

We'd love to invite you....

2011-06-28T18:34:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, our production of Titus Andronicus is travelling to the Folger in DC for a night of celebration.

In the next up coming weeks, we're going to be posting a special line of blog posts about our relationship with the Folger, our evening performance there and the special partnership we're opening with their High School Fellowship program in the fall.

Keep checking back, and we hope to see you there!

Dramaturgy Tidbits - The Goths

2011-06-28T12:58:00.000-04:00

engraving by Anker S. Smith (1759–1819)

A few fun facts about the Goths and Ancient Rome:

The Goths are an East Germanic tribe who originated in Scandinavia.
The appeared in Roman Empire in the 3rd Century
The Huns liked to attack the Goths, which pushed the Goths to seek more land to conquest from the Romans.
The Gothic War of 376-382

Major turning point of the Roman Empire, as this was the first barbarian invasion that triggered the fall of Rome
The Huns were attacking the Goths, so the Goths saught asylum in Rome. They were allowed in, because the Romans saw the Goths as a new group of people to tax!
Weapons were supposed to be confiscated, but Romans accepted bribes to allow Goths to keep them
So many people crammed into one small, pretty terrible, part of the Empire led to famine-- Rome failed to delievered the food, water or land they had promised the fleeing Goths. Eventually, they were ushered into a large ghetto (guarded by Romans) and left to starve while the Roman guards ate the last of the grain.

The Goths were told to go south to find resources and aid, so they set off on a death march.
The Goths were barred from the city they were promised and Romans tried to assassinate many Goth leaders at a banquet
Open revolt began, and many Goths plundered Roman towns and resources, which led to war.

Designer Spotlight with Bryce Cutler

2011-06-27T19:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Since Titus has gotten under way we thought to check in with some of the designers to see how the show is coming together. Here's our chat with Scenic Designer Bryce Cutler:

Tell me a little about you...who you are and where from and how'd you get involved etc. etc?

Hi, I'm Bryce Cutler. I'm a scenic and media design major at Carnegie Mellon University. I'm originally from the sunny retirement land of West Palm Beach Florida and I got involved after Elizabeth, who I go to school with, approached me about her company and this great opportunity.

When you are designing a show what gets you ticking and the ideas flowing? What inspires you?

I collect magazine images, pamphlets, postcards, internet images and videos- I have binders and binders full of thousands images and things that just intrigue me as an artist- everything from installation art to typography to color samples. So after reading the play I go thru my binders and folders and pull out the ones I emotionally respond to. For Titus these are some examples of the emotional response images...

I think this is my favorite part of the process because the options- especially for a Shakespeare play because it can go in so many different directions, are endless. Part of it to, is why did I respond to these images- what could grass growing on chairs have to do with Titus Andronicus? And that's where the magic and exploration of design begins.

What were the dominant images for you in working on this set?

Thru the design process some of the dominant images Julia and I came up with were:

Frida Kalho was a big inspiration for Julia and I and a lot of our colors come from her paintings. Also a lot of her paintings have great exteriors and that was something else we have tried to work into the set.

Exploring the set we came up with this idea of exposure and reveal thru light. I tried to find a way to adapt the light to have those colors that are so visceral in Frida's paintings. So for me this was an important image cause it showed we could adapt lights to colored and the impact it has on the space and kind of lead to this idea of nasty fluorescent light that you'll see in the finished product.

Why the deer head and how did that emerge?

The deer heads emerged out of the Frida Kalho painting and the challenge of how do we show the history of the play. So I asked myself what are some modern forms of violence and killing and war? I came up with medals, trophies, and deer heads among other things. Then this idea of taxidermy and deer heads began to take over and felt right for this play and this world. Violence is all thru out the play and what can be more violent then shooting something and mounting it's head on a wall. So originally we had about 15 deer heads to act as "trophies" like in the image below.

We soon realized a few problems with this idea and began to explore another idea, leading us to what you will see onstage.

What's in your toolbox? What do you work with?

My main toolbox is my computer. I do a lot of work on drafting programs, and I am a huge fan of 3D rendering. I do my modeling in Google Sketchup and my lighting in 3DS Max. It gives me the opportunity to see things in great detail and how something will actually look with light on it. It's a great resource. I've also been doing a lot of model making. The great thing about models is you can touch it, feel it and understand the big picture and a director can play i the space.

Can't wait to get to DC and start working!

To find out more about Bryce check out his website: www.brycecutler.com

Actor Bites- Meet Emily Strong

2011-06-26T15:15:00.000-04:00

Hope you all have had a great weekend! Here's another member of Titus Andronicus:

Will you introduce yourself?
My name is Emily Strong. This fall I begin my junior year at Bryn Mawr College, where I major in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. I am also involved with the student-run, all-female Shakespeare Performance Troupe as an actor and the club's secretary. I will be directing Cyrano de Bergerac for the troupe next semester.

When did you first get involved with Empty Chair? Titus Andronicus is my first show with Empty Chair. I met Julia three years ago at the American Shakespeare Center's Young Company Theater Camp (YCTC), and after years of hearing about the company through mutual friends and YCTC alums, finally auditioned last December.

Who are you playing and what are you most excited to explore?

I play three characters in Titus Andronicus - Mutius, Martius, and Aemilius. The challenge of creating three distinct identities on the stage thrills me. Mutius must move and speak in a way distinctly different from Martius, and Martius from Aemilius. Though a squeamish person when watching bloody violence on the stage or the screen, I am excited to take part in the violence ofTitus as an actor. Although this play is extremely bloody, none of the violence feels gratuitous - this is a play about the meaning of bloodshed, not one that simply includes bloodshed. I love stage combat and will fight onstage with weapons for the first time this summer.

Dramaturgy Tidbits- Historical Context Part 1

2011-06-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

Image by Joseph Graves

When Shakespeare first wrote Titus, it was received incredibly well. Although not as pronounced in England as in other parts of Europe, the Renaissance was still an important influence. Renaissance (“rebirth”) art and architecture saw a return to Classical forms. Europeans romanticized the ancient Greeks and Romans. Books were increasingly being published and circulated, especially about Classical ideas and art forms. In this way, Shakespeare was able to write a fictional story about a Roman emperor and his woes. The reception of Titus was great because of the pre-existing perked interest in Roman society and culture.

During the Restoration, literature that was associated with the Monarchy became popular. Shakespeare saw a great revival during the Restoration. However, almost all productions were adapted and changed greatly to make it so that the plays forced some great moral lesson and so that good guys always won in the end. Ravencroft’s version of Titus placed the characters into their rightful social place and by the end of play order has been restored, like how the Stuart Family had restored order to England.

Actor Bites- Meet Mark Tucker

2011-06-24T19:35:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great week. We've checking in with a few actors as they work through their first week of rehearsal. We asked them a few questions:

Will you introduce yourself?

Hello! My name is Mark Tucker. I am currently attending Blue Ridge Community College in VA, but will be transferring to JMU after this fall semester to study theatre.

When did you first get involved with Empty Chair?

I have been involved with Empty Chair Theatre Company since 2008, after being invited to be in Richard III. Since then I have acted in Measure for Measure, King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Twelfth Night with the company as well as coordinating music for Midsummer, Richard II, and Twelfth Night.

Who are you playing and what are you most excited to explore?

I am playing Demetrius in this season's Titus Andronicus. I have never played a character who does as many bad things as Demetrius is, and I am very excited to explore how this character is malicious but without becoming an unrelatable monster.

Education Desk: Parkstreet Academy Workshop

2011-06-23T16:18:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, Education coordinated a workshop with the students of Park Street Academy in Charlottesville. Company Members Jonathan Lambert, Natasha Solomon and Director of Education, Katie Logan led the two day workshop. Here Katie reflects on the workshop:

Natasha and I spent a lot of time talking about how to create a uniquely Empty Chair workshop. In particular, our contact, mentioned that her students weren't entirely comfortable with text, so we were looking for ways to get them engaged with the material that weren't just about reading. We divided our two days primarily into sound and movement; on the first day, I came in and talked to the kids a bit about Empty Chair and what we do. Then we started playing with sound. I did a rainmaking game with them to get them thinking about how they could use their bodies to make sound and music; if you don't have something to make rain electronically, how can you produce it?

Then we dove into Queen Mab (they had been working on R&J already so we thought they'd have some familiarity, and we cut the speech way down). The kids picked out images that they liked from the text and we tried to create sounds to accompany the text. I think the exercise gave them a better idea of who Queen Mab was and what story they were telling. Then, we had an afterschool workshop with some of the PSA kids and homeschool students; that hour and a half was more play heavy. We did a lot of ensemble games with them, and Jonathan taught a really great little section on rhythm and iambic pentameter.

On Friday, Natasha worked with the group on their feet creating movement and stage pictures to accompany the sound work they'd done on Thursday. Friday afternoon ended in a short informal performance for parents, teachers and staff.

Titus Rehearsals Photos

2011-06-22T14:52:00.000-04:00

We're three days into rehearsal for Titus.

Here are some photos from the read thru and from text work.

From the Director's Desk

2011-06-21T23:10:00.000-04:00

Rehearsals for Titus Andronicus started yesterday and we checked in with Director Julia Sears about how things were going:

Starting Rehearsals for me is always simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Here are a few thoughts as we start rehearsals for Titus Andronicus:

As rehearsals start I am most excited to hear the actors individual takes on each character. You work on a show for months in advance (if you’re lucky) and you hear the play a certain way in your head. What I look forward to are the moments when an actor will say something that is so different from my original thoughts. I love to be surprised and have my mind opened up to new perspectives on this play that I’ve spent so much time with. Surprises mean a dialogue is unlocked in rehearsal, which allows exploration of possibility and change the two things that keep a rehearsal process alive.

In this first week of rehearsal I am very interested in collaborating with the ensemble to create the rules of the Titus world. So much of the set up in the start of Titusis centered around the structure of Rome; its rituals, its hierarchy, and its conventions. We will create a physical vocabulary to establish these rules of our Rome by exploring the viewpointing technique. Once the rules are invented the question then becomes when do these rules get broken, and by who?

I’m very intrigued by the parent child relationships in the show. Its something that must be influenced by the actors perspective on their family. It’s changed by each persons individual take on their characters and how they interact physically or spatially with their scene partners.

Music has been a big inspiration for me while I work on the text and staging of Titus. Having a soundtrack that expresses the heart and the mood of the play helps me to see it in my minds eye and translate what I see to the stage. I think I never really know what world a story is in until I know what it sounds like. For Titus I’ve been listening to a lot of Tom Waits, some Laura Marling and the Tallest Man On Earth too. My go to for the beginning of the play has been “Dead and Lovely”. This heavy southern American sound creates a soundscape that is gruff and lively.

Congratulations Cast and Crew of Twelfth Night

2011-06-20T10:33:00.000-04:00

Twelfth Night closed last night after a short but successful run!

Take a peek at our review over at the Maryland Shakespeare Website

Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make the show a success and thanks to all you who came out to see it! We hope you enjoyed it.

If you got the chance to see the show, how did you like it? We'd love to hear from you!

Next up? Titus Andronicus! Rehearsals start today. So keep checking back for the next installment of our Savor the Madness summer season!

Only two more days to see Twelfth Night!

2011-06-18T12:13:00.000-04:00

There are still four more showings of Twelfth Night: Today and Tomorrow at 2:00 and 7:30.

And just to whet your appetite here's a peek at Miranda's directors note:

Photo (c) Kelley Van Dilla

Director's Note

Welcome to the “midsummer madness” of Twelfth Night! Like many comedies, Twelfth Night depicts a world turned on its head. From practical jokes to accidental duels, the characters find themselves caught up in chaos and confusion. Much of this mayhem is caused by mistaken identity and misdirected love—the results of gender confusion and the shaking up of sexuality. It’s hilarious and silly, but it’s also subversive, especially since turn-of-the-seventeenth century notions of gender and sexuality were in many ways more fluid and open than our own.

Twelfth Night was written long before the development of our modern understandings of gender and sexuality. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that the word "homosexual" and the concept behind it came into being, so Shakespeare and his contemporaries didn’t believe in the strict separation of gay and straight—nor would they have understand what those words referred to. According to their way of thinking, one preferred certain things, and did certain things, but those deeds and preferences didn’t stem from a specific identity (like “gay”) that influenced everything in your life. Our own society, on the other hand, is very much built upon the Victorian obsession with classification, labeling, putting everyone into stable and scientific categories of identity; we rely on binaries like gay and straight, male and female, to instruct us upon how to think and to live. Only very recently has the belief that identity is not inherent, stable, or fully knowable begun to take hold—for example, in the recent interest in and acceptance of concepts like queerness and transgenderism.

As we search for a way to navigate a world in which boundaries of gender and sexuality are blurring and shifting, it's instructive to look back at a text, like Twelfth Night, that was written before those particular boundaries existed, at least in any recognizable way. For unlike many modern stories, Twelfth Night takes ambiguity as a given, and even, ultimately, celebrates it. These days, more and more, young people—like the characters in this production—are grappling with questions of who they love and who they are. TV shows like Glee and Pretty Little Liars portray gay teenagers in a fairly realistic, positive way; but what would happen if young people (not to mention the rest of us) instead took their cue from the world of Twelfth Night—where it matters less what you’re called and more what you’re experiencing in the moment; where nobody cries when they realize they’re different; and where figuring out how you fit into the world around you is confusing, certainly, and often painful, but also exhilarating, amusing, and joyful.

Miranda Steege

Discussion Panel

2011-06-17T15:13:00.001-04:00

Last night was our Twelfth Night Discussion Panel. After the show, Director Miranda Steege and members of the cast opened up about Twelfth Night with emcee Elizabeth Nearing. For those of you that weren't able to make it, here's a little bit of what happened:

Elizabeth Nearing: For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Elizabeth Nearing the artistic director of Empty Chair, and this is Miranda Steege, director of twelfth Night, and these are the actors, slowly but surely. To begin, I want to talk to Miranda about gender identity in twelfth night and how high school fits in-

MS: The high school thing came about because high school is a big transition time for many people in terms of gender identity, it’s a time when gender identities are being formed. The text is interesting because it’s a 400 year old play that, at the time it was written, these kinds of gender identity didn’t exist yet - yet this text deals with these things in a very fluid way. No one is freaking out because they fell in love with a girl, or whatever.

[the cast introduces themselves. Company members in this exerpt include Rebecca Speas, Danny Cackley, George Dippold, Nico Zevallos]

EN: First I want to hear from Rebecca Speas about Viola, and about taking a girl playing a boy in a modern context and how that was for you.

RS: Hmmm. I think, because I’ve played so many men, especially for this company, in a way it was an additional thing for me. In fact, I tried to think more about what Viola was as a girl first, and who the males in her life were. I think Viola is trying to imitate the men in her life, and Cesario is a representation of that. Viola imitates Sebastian especially, I definitely followed George around to copy his walk.

EN: Speaking of George...Sebastian has so many relationships, like between Antonio and Sebastian. How was that able to be brushed under the rug when Olivia came into the picture?

GD: Well, there was a point in the rehearsal when we realized that this switch wasn’t going to happen on stage. I think a lot of it happened on that walk from Illyria - especially that thing with Antonio.

NZ: Antonio kind of gets shafted in this play, but since we had this openness Antonio was allowed to be a little more okay with this then most. “So he’s married? He’s still cute.” There was this thing where Antonio was trying to not be off in a corner, forever alone. There was a time when Miranda forgot when I was on stage.

EN: Does anyone have any questions about the play?

Audience: How many times did you rehearse that kiss between Antonio and George? It looked really comfortable, that’s why I ask.

George: We actually had to rework it recently, it’s an interesting thing that’s still evolving.

Audience: Who’s idea was Taylor Swift?

DC: [points to MS] This one right here.

MS: I had to fight hard to convince them it would work

Transcript by Quill Nebeker

Don't forget about Empty Chair's Summer Camps!

2011-06-17T14:56:00.000-04:00

Registration is still open

Empty Chair Theatre Company seeks to provide young artists with unique opportunities to study and perform Shakespeare in a collaborative, professional context. Our two-week camp is intended to give Elementary and Middle School students an exciting experience with Shakespeare in performance.

First Session (June 27– July 8): Love’s Labours Lost
One of Shakespeare's wittiest comedies, this play tracks the exploits of King Ferdinand and his friends as they struggle to balance knowledge and courtly love in far-off Navarre.

Second Session (July 25 –August 5): Richard III

Shakespeare's famous play about the machinations of the hunchbacked king who everyone loves to hate - a devious tragedy with a historical mien.

Tuition: $400.00

Empty Chair Theatre Company’s Summer Shakespeare Camp is occurs on campus at HB Woodlawn Program an alternative education program of the Arlington County Public School System, serving grade 6-12. HB Woodlawn is located at 4100 Vacation Lane Arlington VA 22207

For more information about Empty Chair’s Summer Camps please contact Allison Miller at : camp@emptychairtheatre.org Or refer to the www.emptychairtheare.org

Happy Opening Night

2011-06-16T15:57:00.000-04:00

Last night's preview went off without a hitch and we're stoked for Opening Night.

Don't forget the Panel Discussion after the show tonight.

Northern Virginia Magazine's Clara Ritger was with us last night.

Read her Review of the show here

In celebration of opening night i have some exciting new photos!

More photos to come.

Photos (c) Empty Chair Theatre Company

Rehearsal Photos - Fight Rehearsal

2011-06-15T10:12:00.000-04:00

Have you got your tickets? Its not too late!

Swing by Theater on the Run for a Preview performance of Twelfth Night tonight!

And to whet your appetite, here are some photos from a Twelfth Night Fight Rehearsal...

A little about Character: George Dippold on Sebastian

2011-06-13T21:19:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! Welcome back from the weekend.

Empty Chair is getting closer and closer to opening night! Don't forget to pick up your tickets

Never seen Twelfth Night before? Want to brush up a little before you come? Email us and we'll send you our Twelfth Night Study Guide brought to you by our Education Department!

And don't miss our Discussion Panel on Thursday night following the show!

Here's George talking briefly about his character Sebastian :

What is your role in the play? Give it a title- hero, villain, soothsayer etc.

If you were an animal what kind of animal would you be?

To answer the first and last questions, I believe Sebastian's role in the play is that of a hero and his animal self would be a wolf and/or dog. His highest value is loyalty, he takes friendship and companionship seriously, and protects the honor of his family and friends without hesitation.

Twelfth Night - Notable Productions Part 2

2011-06-11T11:37:00.000-04:00

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Here's another intriguing production of Twelfth Night brought to you by our dramaturg Eamon:

In Oxford summer 2009, the Creation Theatre Company produced a very unique version of Twelfth Night stripped down to the bare essentials. A handful of actors took on a variety of roles, each distinguished by one or two simple costuming suggestions pulled from a large trunk center stage. The only set piece was a large sand dune that sprawled across the stage as the characters were deserted from their identities and made to expose their performances as transparent, heightening the comedy.
Check out a Review of the Production here at the Oxford City Guide

Creation Theatre Company on their production

Photos from the review at the Oxford City Guide

Education Updates

2011-06-11T10:48:00.002-04:00

With Empty Chair’s production of Twelfth Night just around the corner, the Education Department is pleased to offer even more ways to explore this remarkable play.

Directly following the opening night performance of Twelfth Night on Thursday, June 16th, please join us for a special discussion with director Miranda Steege and select members of the cast and crew. Panelists will offer their takes on the fluid nature of gender and sexuality in the play. From influential scholarly materials to daily rehearsals, the panel will provide insight into the production process and the challenges facing a modern company that engages with early modern texts.

Next week, we’ll also release our Twelfth Night Study Guide, a packet of information and activities for students (and their parents!) attending the show. A few copies will be available at the door, but parents can also request a guide ahead of time by emailingeducation@emptychairtheatre.org. Make sure to mark your calendars for the 16th and to pick up a study guide!

Rehearasal Photos - Music Rehearsal

2011-06-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

Here are a few photos gathered during one of Twelfth Night's Music Rehearsals

For more...take a gander over at our Facebook Page

Twelfth Night Discussion Panel and Study Guides!

2011-06-09T13:44:00.000-04:00

With Empty Chair’s production of Twelfth Night just around the corner, the Education Department is pleased to offer even more ways to explore this remarkable play.

Next week, we’ll also release our Twelfth Night Study Guide, a packet of information and activities for students (and their parents!) attending the show. A few copies will be available at the door, but parents can also request a guide ahead of time by emailing education@emptychairtheatre.org. Make sure to mark your calendars for the 16th and to pick up a study guide!

A little about Character: Oliva Myers on Maria

2011-06-08T13:53:00.001-04:00

If you were an animal what kind of animal would you be?

Here's Olivia Myers:

In my mind, the character Maria is a grey wolf alpha female. She is fierce and very smart, especially compared to many of her companions. To those within her circle, especially Olivia and Feste, she is caring and protective, but to outsiders she can be vicious.

Much of her character arc within the context of the three months of Twelfth Night is defined by her competition and subsequent triumph over the character of Malvolio. Grey wolves are very territorial, and can react with direct attacks when their territory is encroached upon, much the way Maria views Malvolio's attempts to usurp her place in Olivia's life. Maria, along with Sir Toby and Fabian, devises and executes a plan for Malvolio's downfall.

The grey wolf hunts in small groups led by a male and female mated pair (Toby and Maria), with one or two underlings (Fabian) to support them. Though Maria begins the show as a commoner trying to infiltrate the higher social circle of Sir Toby and Fabian, by the end she establishes herself as the alpha female over Fabian, claiming her place at Sir Toby's side. Though this may not be a purposeful displacement of power on the part of Maria, her superior intellect and cunning causes her rise in the ranks. Beautiful, smart, caring, and yet first and foremost a predator, Maria embodies a grey wolf.

The Comedy in Twelfth Night Part 2

2011-06-08T13:40:00.000-04:00

Traditional comedy showed the fool characters to be wise in order to mock their intelligence; if one laughed at a fool being wise then they supported the notion that it was a ridiculous concept. This inversion carries over other oddities: the poor becoming rich, women becoming strong and assertive, and powerful men becoming gullible, bumbling, effeminate messes. By inverting traditional values in a Comedy, playwrights reinforced those same values which the text seems to devalue.

Not so in Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night inverts reality, but Shakespeare’s text holds enough ambiguity for progressive ideals to take center stage. The inversions might not be reflected positively, as once the night ends all is supposedly righted and reset, but they are not reflected negatively either. Olivia never feels ashamed for having loved a woman; Viola’s escapades as Cesario show genuine affection for Olivia which is never admonished; Orsino’s flirtatious dialogue with Cesario plants the seeds for his relationship with Viola, he loves her despite her gender; Malvolio, the champion of tradition and Puritanism is mocked mercilessly, and although some productions play him as a victim, he is certainly given more negative stagetime than positive; Antonio, who openly loves Sebastian, whether as a friend or as an admirer, is something of a martyr, and arguably the most moral character in the play; Toby, Maria, and Andrew, although somewhat loveable, are never redeemed in their crude behavior, making their inversion of the aristocracy more satirical than anything else; and finally Feste, the fool, is the only one with any sense from beginning to end- His inversion is permanent.

Image from Shakespeare Illustrated a part of the Emory University website.

Twelfth Night Poster

2011-06-05T18:19:00.000-04:00

Artwork by our talented Graphic Designer Kelley Van Dilla

Don't forget about.....

2011-06-03T19:57:00.000-04:00

ECTC is also putting up a production of Titus Andronicus in July!! Don't forget!!

Did you know that [in] 594- The first unquestioned production of Titus Andronicus takes place, recorded by Philip Henslowe, by the Earl of Sussex’s Men on January 23. On January 28 and February 6, Henslowe records two more performances. Two more take place on June 5 and 12.
Also in 1594, the First Quarto is published with the following title page for Titus:

(Thanks to Isabel Smith-Bernstein (dramaturg) for the information)

A personal post

2011-06-03T19:48:00.000-04:00

Blog guy Michael here-
I'm really excited to announce a project I have been working on for sometime. I've been a part of ECTC for four years now and I have so many wonderful memories to chronicle. So, I'm going to be posting a series of entries consisting of my favorite ECTC photos and my memories/reactions. I hope you guys enjoy!!

A little about Character: Natalie Cutcher on Olivia

2011-06-02T11:53:00.000-04:00

Olivia, at a glace.
Though there are still many discoveries to be made and choices to flesh out, our characters are slowly--but steadily--taking shape. We were asked, "If you were an animal what kind of animal would you be?" So far, Olivia would resemble a phoenix. She quite literally transforms, shedding her mournful state to reveal a fiery passion and desire that completely consumes her. It fuels her future actions and she embraces this wholeheartedly. (If it were up to her, a phoenix would reflect the regal coloring of a peacock more so than the traditional, apocalyptic orange and reds, but that's probably just a girl thing.) Olivia also possesses the determination of a bloodhound, the curiosity of a squirrel monkey, and the bashfulness of a cuttlefish. Did I mention she's a frequenter of the zoo and secretly names the animals after people she knows? Yeah, that too.

The Comedy of Twelfth Night Part 1

2011-06-02T11:02:00.000-04:00

William Hamilton. The carousing of Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Oil on canvas, 1792. Shelfmark FPa32.

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night follows in a long line of traditional comdedia del arte plays and classical works by the likes of Plautus, using the fantastic and ridiculous for guaranteed laughs. Much like in his Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare coloured Twelfth night with stock characters: the separated twins, the miserly parents, and the pontificating fools. Twelfth Night’s humour comes from the very foundations of theatrical comedy. However, there is a nuance in Twelfth Night’s text not present in the visceral, physical comedy so dominant in the production of Comedy.

Bevington, David. Shakespeare's Comedies. 5th ed. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007.
Image from the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Twelfth Night Notable Productions - Part 1

2011-05-31T03:44:00.003-04:00

New York City’s Shakespeare in the Park productions are always a favorite, and when Anne Hathaway (The live one, not Shakespeare’s wife) took on Viola, their production of Twelfth Night became a hit. With veteran Broadway stars Raul Esparza and Audra McDonald to help Hathaway along her journey, this star studded minimalist production became a testament to modern Shakespeare; they put their faith in the text and their expertise and therein grew their success.

Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/theater/reviews/26night.html

Rehearsal photos - Twelfth Night Table Work

2011-05-28T17:12:00.000-04:00

Hard at work! Keep it up everyone! And have a happy Memorial Day Weekend.

What is Twelfth Night ?

2011-05-26T23:55:00.003-04:00

Twelfth Night Merry Making in Farmer Shakeshaft's Barn", from Ainsworth's Mervyn Clitheroe

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night premiered on the stage in 17^th century England as a complementary piece to the Christmas festival season. Elizabethan audiences would have recognized the fore name as a reference to the conclusion of Christmas. Twelfth Night marked the last night of the final day of Christmas, giving cause for a large celebration. It was a night of fantasy; anything could happen.

Keep checking back for more interesting tidbits about Twelfth Night brought to you by Eamon Boylan, one of our Dramaturgs.

Bevington, David. Shakespeare's Comedies. 5th ed. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007.

Happy First Day of Rehearsal Twelfth Night Cast !

2011-05-26T01:21:00.012-04:00

The cast during their read through.

Thoughts from the first day:

From Rebecca Speas (Viola):
The most exciting thing that happened today for me was definitely the read-through. Before today I have only had my voice in the room as I've practiced lines, and as such I had no real idea how the lines were going to sound with other people. Suddenly having scene partners, and being able to look Orsino or Olivia in the eye, for example, really brought the text and the characters and the situations to life for me in ways that just reading the scenes to myself could not. I'm so excited to work with this cast and crew - I think it's going to be a really great show!

From Matthew Minnicino (Sir Andrew) :
I think we all have great chemistry. Like, really good chemistry.

From George Dippold (Sebastian):
The first read-through was awesome and I think it was invigorating for everyone to really start to see our own brand of the emotional roller coaster that allows for this to be a successful show with a healthy balance of comedy and tragedy. The cast is great and everyone seems to be brainstorming and working together swimmingly! Can't wait to keep working!

From Danny Cackley (Orsino):
Most exciting thing was watching everyone's face each time Matt Minnicino gave a line reading. And then dissolving into fits of laughter shortly afterwards.

From Olivia Meyers (Maria) :
The most exciting part of rehearsal for me lay in the character discussions that were explored after the read through. The scope and insight provided by the amazing dramatic minds in the room into all aspects of this world we are creating: character, attire, roles, sociological applications, ect. was a thrilling thing to listen to and take part in. After weeks of struggling over a specific scene, that I just couldn't get settled in my body and my mind, bringing it up in discussion resulted in it being explained in a matter of minutes. In a few quick sentences my director and one of my fellow actors helped me understand a scene that had been a complete mystery to me, and how it was an important scene in establishing the strength and wit of my character, Maria. The cast and directing team strives not only to understand their roles, but each character and detail of the show itself. Being a part of a group that strives for excellence, not to prove a point, but because they have such a deep love and enthusiasm for the subject, and for each other, was absolutely breathtaking.

Keep Checking back for more peeks into the rehearsal room.

About camp, from a counselor

2011-05-23T13:04:00.001-04:00

Recently, I asked company member Lee Havlicek to talk about her experience as a camp counselor at ECTC's summer camp.

“Having gone to Shakespeare camp myself as a kid, I really wanted to work at Empty Chair's summer camp. I fell in love with Shakespeare at a pretty young age, after seeing the movie version of Much Ado About Nothing and going to see the Shakespeare Theatre's Free For All shows.

When I got a little older and realized that there was a place I could go to actually be a part of plays and learn more about acting and Shakespeare, I was the happiest 12 year old. The opportunity to help other kids have a similar experience really meant a lot to me. I was so excited to share something I care so much about with kids who are starting to discover theater and Shakespeare and their own abilities.

There is also the incredibly wonderful bonus of learning new things constantly through teaching and watching the kids discover new things about the plays. Plus, there is nothing like watching a kid find something new to love or discover that they have confidence or a talent that they didn't know they had. I only wish I had gotten to work on more than one show!

But by working on Merry Wives of Windsor, a show I had never worked on before, I had the amazing experience of learning the show and working through the text along with the kids. This meant that there were even more, "Oh, man! I never thought of that!" and surprising moments. The kids rehearsed and performed a play that many more experienced actors have never done and did it with confidence and an incredible amount of energy and curiosity, while having a ton of fun.

One of the most wonderful parts of the final performance was watching kids who started out a bit quieter and less sure of themselves come out and really put all of themselves into their role. Watching their faces light up when they realized that they had done this was one of the best moments of the summer.”

Hoping to see you at the camp shows this summer,
Michael, Lee, and the rest of Empty Chair

D.C. Ticket Tax

2011-05-17T22:37:00.001-04:00

This article raises some serious implications for theatre and dance companies all around the D.C. area. Given the economic climate, it is hard enough to see as many shows as I'm sure everybody wants to. Will the D.C. attendees filter over to Virginia and Maryland theatres as the articles says? Will attendance simply drop off altogether? What do you think?

Learning more

2011-05-15T18:42:00.003-04:00

As Summer approaches my involvement with Empty Chair bursts into bloom. It is one of my favorite seasons. And this year we have so many cool and new things going on there seems to be a never ending supply of write ups and contacts to organize.

Luckily for me working with this company means the sometimes tough administrative work is always off set by something profoundly and satisfyingly creative: acting in a show, designing something, helping build a set, or directing a show.

I am not a director, i went to school and studied Acting and English, but over the years i've had the opportunity to assistant direct a great deal and to take the helm in some of my own shows and its something i LOVE to do and LOVE learning and reading more about.

Recently Anne Bogart posted an article on her blog that speaks to the relationship between actors and directors. Its entitled Litmus. And well worth a gander.

Check it out.

-Tash

Natasha Solomon is Empty Chair's Director of Marketing and Communications and an Actor with the American Shakespeare Center.

Twelfth Night Cast Announced

2011-05-10T20:46:00.058-04:00

Empty Chair is pleased to announce the cast of Twelfth Night

the first show of our 2011 Season.

Welcome to company members old and new

Lets Savor the Maddness

Twelfth Night kicks off rehearsals soon so keep checking back here for info and photos from rehearsals as well as tidbits from actors and designers.
Check out Director Miranda Steege's interview with Joan Cummins in our latest newsletter

CAST LIST

Natalie Cutcher--Olivia

Rebecca Speas--Viola

Olivia Myers--Maria

Danny Cackley--Orsino

Charlie Cook--Sir Toby

Matt Minnicino--Sir Andrew

Jeremy Tuohy--Malvolio

George Dippold--Sebastian

Nico Zevallos--Antonio

Mark Tucker--Feste

Anna Treichler--Fabian/Captain

Jesse Bhamrah--Curio/Priest

Empty Chair's Summer shows will perform at Arlington Arts' Theatre on the Run Black Box located at 3700 Four Mile Run, Arlington VA 22206.

Theatre and Life

2011-05-04T13:02:00.005-04:00

One of the things I ponder continually is the relationship between theatre and life. I am constantly amazed at how relaxation, simplicity, and a child-like sense of wonder are integral to happiness and success in both areas. To quote a recent scene from class, “what really matters in our profession—which is exactly the same as life—is how you do things, and the way you treat people, and how you feel about them, not some ideal goal for society or for yourself.” Although the show was about politics and a testosterone-charged 1960s presidential election, the message rings true into the discussion of both theatre and life. No matter how complicated scheduling, rehearsing, making money, sleeping, and developing as an artist and human being can get, that one line of text boils it down very simply. I love being privileged enough to go to school to explore how humans can break down barriers and social filters in order to reach basic, primal, organic life in an attempt to genuinely share and live with one another on and off the stage. When dealing with Shakespearean text—just to throw another wrench into the mix—there is often a whole other bout of tension resulting from dealing with heightened language and a certain expectation for extremely epic, dramatic acting and production quality. So, as I continue to think about and roll around in the gloriously muddy world of Shakespearean and non-Shakespearean theatre, I find delight in constantly seeking simplicity and allowing myself to be human. It has just dawned on me that Mr. Shakespeare addressed the exact same thing, writing quite famously, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” It is excitingly inescapable that theatre and life intertwine along with all other art, and that even (and especially) Shakespearean theatre is effective when boiled down to the realization of just how natural, raw, and utterly human both life and theatre are. Working with others and sharing theatre with audiences, I love to realize just how dependent what we all do as theatre-makers and witnesses is upon the help and humanity of others.

-Company Member George Dippold

Puppeteering

2011-04-15T08:17:00.000-04:00

Empty Chair used large puppets to great effect in its summer 2010 production of 'A Midsummer Nights Dream'. Check out this video of actor Seth Numrich talking about performing with life-sized puppets in 'War Horse' at the Lincoln Center!

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/04/13/theater/100000000773595/anatomy-of-a-scene-war-horse.html?ref=theater

New Fundraising Efforts: Working Towards the Future

2011-04-13T12:03:00.006-04:00

At the end of last month Empty Chair held its first fundraising kick-off party. In addition to starting off our fundraising efforts for the season, friends, family, and company members of Empty Chair gathered to celebrate this upcoming summer season and our exciting new partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library. With the generous donations of our contributors we were able to reach our first goal of 3,000 dollars in the anonymous matching fund started for the company in January. This is wonderful first step for the company's fundraising and we hope to move forward with private and corporate support for the 2011 Season.
Our next development endeavor will be our benefit performance of Titus Andronicus at the Folger Shakespeare Library on July 16th, 2011. The benefit performance's proceeds will go towards many practical and long term goals of the company, including storage space for costumes and set pieces, printing of programs, brochures, study guides and posters, advertisement in local papers, transportation, website management, and housing for actors, designers, and directors. In the future we hope to put the money we raise towards increasing production budgets so our performances will reflect th hard work and vision of our designers, and towards paying our residen volunteer staff and production teams who dedicate their time and energy an to creating a home base for the company.

Thank you to all who were able to contribute and to celebrate with us, and we look forward to our outstanding productions of Twelfth Night (June 15-June19th) and Titus Andronicus (July 14th- 30th, with Folger Benefit Performance on July 16th). Both productions will be taking place at Arlington's Theatre On The Run Black Box Performance Space.

Empty Chair Mailing List

2011-04-13T12:03:00.004-04:00

Sign up for the Empty Chair Newsletter to recieve updates like the ones below and much more!!

http://emptychairtheatre.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ee6235f7d368bc21ee8eca958&id=215498c55c

Summer Camp and Shakespeare Workshop

2011-04-13T12:02:00.003-04:00

The Education Department is gearing up for an exciting summer, as we continue programming from past years and add new projects to our lineup. 2011 marks the third year of Empty Chair’s Drama Camp, a two-week-long Shakespeare experience for elementary and middle schoolers. Long-time Empty Chair member Allison Miller returns to her role as camp director, assisted by Empty Chair counselors and cast members of our summer productions.
In an effort to accommodate our growing campers, we’ve also added a Summer Shakespeare Workshop. This inaugural workshop offers 13-18 year-olds the opportunity to study Shakespeare in depth. For the week of August 8-12, our students will use scenes from the canon to learn about textual analysis and performance, as they work closely with company founders Elizabeth Nearing and Julia Sears.
In addition to our youth programming, the department is deeply committed to providing our remarkable summer season with educational supplements. After numerous applications and a long search, we welcome dramaturgical interns Isabel Smith-Bernstein and Eamon Boylan to our production teams. Finally, we will release information about our summer panel series soon!

Summer 2011 Show Dates

2011-04-08T08:26:00.001-04:00

Twelfth Night
Directed by Miranda Steege
Dramaturgy by Eamon Boylan
Rehearsals begin May 28th
Preview June 14th
The show runs June 15th-19th (With two shows at 2:00 & 7:30 shows on June 18th &19th)

Titus Andronicus
Directed by Julia Sears
Dramturgy by Isabel Smith Berstein
Rehearsals begin June 20th
Preview July 13th
The show runs July 14th-30th (With two shows at 2:00 and 7:30 PM on July 16th, 23rd & 30th)

Summer Dramaturgs Announced!!

2011-04-06T12:02:00.002-04:00

This year, Empty Chair instituted its first official dramaturgical internship program. We sought talented writers and researchers to serve as valuable members of our summer production teams and informative resources for the directors and casts.

The Education Department received a number of strong applications, but we are pleased to announce that we have selected two remarkable dramaturgs from our application pool. Éamon Boylan is a student at Sidwell Friends School. He has previously participated in the Folger High School Fellowship Program and the Oxbridge Academic Program. This summer, he will work on Twelfth Night. Isabel Smith-Bernstein is a student at Carnegie Mellon University, where she studies dramaturgy and history. She will serve as the dramaturg for Titus Andronicus.

Empty Chair congratulates Éamon and Isabel on their internships and happily welcomes them to our summer production teams!

World Theatre Day 2011

2011-04-01T09:59:00.001-04:00

A beautiful post about World Theatre Day

http://vimeo.com/21312184

Empty Chair Theatre Company Music Highlights

2011-03-30T12:40:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! It Michael Van Ness (Resident social media guy)

Shuffling through my ipod the other day I came a cross a bunch of songs that Empty Chair has done in the past. I thought I would put up a few of my favorites.

Ingrid Michaelson-The Chain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu2gxZDquzA
used in Richard II (Summer 2010)

Snow Patrol-Open Your Eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xdpe1bpU-k&feature=related as performed by the cast of King Lear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtAGQTKC89Q the original
used in King Lear (summer 2009)

Mumford and Sons-White Balnk Page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Od0PJp6GI
used in Richard II (summer 2010)

The Decembrists-Shankill Butchers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLY0HNds_tE
used in Richard III (summer 2008)

We've used many more songs than these but I think these are my favorites thus far. In the future I'll throw up a few more. In the meantime, do you think these songs fit with the shows they were in? Which songs would you have chosen for these shows? Comment away!!

Compare and Contrast

2011-03-28T11:39:00.000-04:00

Here are several versions of the famous "St. Crispin's Day Speech" from Henry V. It is arguably one of the most famous and influential speeches in Western literature. This video is the 1944 Lawrence Olivier version of the speech. It is not as highly regarded as the 1989 Branagh version of the same speech, in part, this video argues, because of the music in the Branagh version.

From the video description:

There's some debate over which version of this great speech is better, Laurence Olivier's or Kenneth Branagh's, but it's difficult to compare the two when Olivier's version lacks the stirring music of Branagh's.

Here is Olivier's speech with the added background music from Branagh's movie (score by Patrick Doyle). Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSIEqt3PZsY (Olivier with music)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9fa3HFR02E (Olivier without music)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvmLDkAgAM (Branagh)

News from ASC!!!!

2011-03-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

Empty Chair Theatre Company is proud to say that a number of our members (including Elizabeth and Julia, our founders!!) have come through the American Shakespeare Center's Young Company Theatre Camp. We are proud be associated with the ASC in any way we can and hope you take advantage of this wonderful oppertunity.
-Empty Chair Theatre Company

PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE July 4-23, 2011
American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, Virginia

A three-week concentrated study in performing Shakespeare at ASC’s Blackfriars Playhouse--the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre. This program, designed for theatre professionals and graduate students, offers text-based courses in rhetoric, heightened language, acting, voice, movement, audition techniques, and explorations in Renaissance performance and staging practices.

$2,200 Tuition and Housing ($2,000 early registration)

Brochure

Complete information at:
http://www.americanshakespearecenter.com/v.php?pg=526

or - contact Colleen Kelly, Director of Training: 540-851-1733 ext. 20
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Colleen Kelly, ASC Director of Training
540-851-1733 Ext. 20
540-849-8870 Cell

American Shakespeare Center13 West Beverley - 4th Floor
Staunton, VA 24401

Reverence and Shakespeare

2011-03-25T07:57:00.003-04:00

This editorial was written by staff member Quill Nebeker. Agree? Disagree? Please comment and share your opinions!
-Empty Chair Theatre Company

It is my observation that often the texts of William Shakespeare are treated with an undue sense of reverence. The first line of his wikipedia page has Shakespeare listed as "...the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist"; what's more, this is reflected in our culture. Shakespeare is the end-all, be-all of dramatic literature - we refer to a brilliant writer (or mock sub-par ones) as "The Next Shakespeare" and go so far as to devote entire companies (ours included) to his production. Rightly so; it is not my place to overstate the beauty latent in Shakespeare's works. That being said, of the dramatics texts that exist from the rise of the English Renaissance up to Parliament's banning of the theater, Shakespeare's bylines make up an estimated 40% (Bryson). Thus, Shakespeare is not just a brilliant poet - he is the brilliant poet representative of an entire age of wonderful poetry. Often, then, as theater makers, we attempt to produce these texts "as Shakespeare would have done", with antiquarian emphasis on historic detail in costuming, properties and even staging. We quibble about the texts - which are better or worse representations of what it is "Shakespeare was trying to achieve" and emphasize the recreation of Elizabethan costuming, properties, and circumstances in the name of "better understanding the Bard". That being said, I would like to take this opportunity to point out that performing Shakespeare "in the faith of the text", while perhaps a noble goal, is a comparatively new idea. Even during Shakespeare's own time, theatermakers were stealing his texts as available and altering them as they see fit or as they remember them. This, of course, is in part what leads to such difficulty when debating what it is "Shakespeare was trying to achieve" - there is too much conflicting data. The notion that we should attempt to use Shakespeare's texts in their uncut forms and set Shakespeare's plays in 16th Century England did not come about until the early 19th century, when J.R. Planche and Charles Kemble produced hyperantiquarian King John, in which they performed the entire piece uncut with costume design researched and constructed by Planche himself (who would later write History of British Costume (1834), the first text on historical costume design). The performance was lauded by laypeople and their contemporaries alike - which should make some sense. Kemble, Planche et co., while most certainly Romantics, were forerunners of the Realists who would emerge fifty years later with the charge that the Theater is responsible for presenting an audience with a theater wherein the humans on stage could be observed and studied in the name of objective, scientific understanding. Thus, their performance of King Johnwould become more important meta-theatrically than it was theatrically. Kemble and Planche's King John would be pleasing to an audience in an attempt to study not the people within the context of King John, who unlike "real" (whatever that word is worth) humans speak in verse and are prone to constant asides, but to study the people who would have performed the play and to attempt to resurrect a theater-going experience of age. Thus, Kemble and Planche's (and much subsequent hyperantiquarian performances) could be considered as much academic exercise as it was theater.

That being said, far be it from me to dictate the theater's function to anyone intent on pursuing it. This type of antiquarianism is not without worth, especially to the devotees of the history of the theater and to educators, these kinds of academic exercises are well worth the energy put into them, for the product gives an insight into history that simply reading a text could not achieve. However, it is undeniable that for many this type of exercise turns into reverence; it becomes becomes the end-all, be-all of Shakespearean production as though Shakespeare himself were able to confirm, "Yes! This is how it should be done!". It seems silly that one would receive scorn for altering a text, or performing it in a different manner. The Theater has many functions, and it is one of the beauties of Shakespeare's texts that they too are multifaceted; they can move as much as they can educate, can provoke as much as they can entertain. Moreover, the Theater is unique in that it as beautiful as it is fleeting; it leaves no true record - only a facsimile of one. We have pictures, texts, etc., for sure, but can never recreate exactly the circumstances, the experience of a given night in the theater - so why try? A story is a living thing - it grows out of and with a culture, and, when the stars align, can be coaxed into sharing its memories. It is a living thing, but to keep it alive over a long period we must be able to operate on it - to rebuild the skeleton, remove vestigial organs and when necessary restart the heart. As theater-makers, then, it is our responsibility to maintain our irreverence; to question not only what it is we are doing and how we would go about doing it, but why we are doing it. For it is only through this kind of irreverence in all facets of the theater that that we will be able to do our jobs not just as theater-makers, but as storytellers.

-Quill Nebeker

Works Cited
Brockett, Oscar G., and Franklin J. Hildy. A History of the Theater. 10th. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008. Print.

Bryson, Bill. Shakespeare: The World as Stage. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2007. Print.

If you take issue with this piece, email Quill, the author, at aquillnm@gmail.com.

Blas from the past: Doubling

2011-03-25T07:45:00.000-04:00

Longtime company member Matt Minnicino on doubling in Shakespeare. This post originally appeared during the Richard II rehearsal process in summer 2010.

This is Empty Chair vet Matthew Minnicino checking in with everyone in blog-reading world, here to extol the virtues of doubling briefly.

There is nothing like being in a small-cast production of a Shakespeare play to make an actor appreciate the joys, woes, and effort required to “double.” Doubling, in case anyone is unfamiliar, is the practice of having on actor play many different parts in a single play, often many small roles. The practice was the norm in Shakespeare’s day, but fell out of favor in the 19th Century when plays generally had spectacularly large casts. Empty Chair, mainly in the interests of fostering the intimacy of Shakespeare, practices doubling pretty heavily. Personally, I’ve had to double a few times (I played 2 roles in last year’s Empty Chair production of Measure for Measure, and 3 roles in its 2008 Taming of the Shrew), but never until this year had to double so intensely. In Richard, I play Bagot (one of the king’s “bad influences”), the Earl of Salisbury (one of the king’s generals), a Groom, and the Gardener (a one-off character with a single juicy allegorical scene). In Midsummer, I’m playing three characters.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Empty Chair is its eagerness to give actors opportunities to explore many characters who can be more memorable in a few moments than a single character that talks for half an hour. As an example of the flexibility of Empty Chair casts I always point to my current Midsummer castmate Mark Tucker and his role in Richard III in 2008, in which he played King Edward, the Duke of Clarence, the Bishop of Ely, and James Tyrell, as well as a few other characters along the way. He was able to imbue each role, most of which only exist for one or two scenes, with unique gait, voice, physicality, and presence–something I’ve strived very much for this year differentiating my characters in Richard II. In Midsummer, one of my characters–simply “The Fairy”–exists mainly through physical work, with few lines but a lot of featured movement, as the Fairy is frequently the manipulator of “Puck’s Puppet,” an avatar-esque giant mask made by Daniel Dobrosielski that appears whenever Puck is onstage, and moves with the same limber, playful, and frenetic quality that Puck does. Playing the Fairy, a small character in the text, has been an immense workout but a huge joy for me. I’ve also been wedged into the “Mechanicals” scenes in which Bottom and the Rude Mechanicals rehearse “Pyramus and Thisbe.” I don’t play one of the characters named in the play, but I’ll leave the details of his interpolation a surprise for those of you who come to see the fun.

–Matt

Blast from the past: Sonnets

2011-03-23T12:12:00.002-04:00

Editors note: This post was taken from a blog ECTC ran for its Miscalled Simplicity showcase in 2010.

Outreach Director Caroline Brent on the Sonnets:

When Elizabeth and I were first planning this showcase, we knew that we wanted it to be about strength. Most of our choices in sonnets focus on overcoming obstacles, Sonnet 66 especially. Sonnet 66 is an expression of the trials and tribulations one has to forge through in order to do what one loves. The line “And simple truth miscalled simplicity” has always stuck out to me because it carries so much weight. I think that there are plenty of simple truths out there that are incredibly complicated. Some of the simplest things, like telling someone you love them, are often the most complex and the most difficult to say. I think sometimes as a woman in the arts it is easy to be pigeonholed or compartmentalized, and we are always striving to break out of that. We need to show people all of the layers and facets that we as artists bring to our work.

Tired with all these, for restful death I cry,
As, to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And guilded honour shamefully misplaced,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgraced,
And strength by limping sway disabled,
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly doctor-like controlling skill,
And simple truth miscall'd simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill:
Tired with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.

Sonnet 140 really stood out to us because of its emphasis on teaching and learning and the blurred line between the two. The final line pulls everything together – you have to be strong and continue on while still carrying an awareness of the world around you, even if your path ends up being very narrow. We all face times when we feel that “this ill-wresting world is grown so bad”, but what is most important is that we do not forget all the spirit and joy that remains close by.

Be wise as thou art cruel; do not press
My tongue-tied patience with too much disdain;
Lest sorrow lend me words and words express
The manner of my pity-wanting pain.
If I might teach thee wit, better it were,
Though not to love, yet, love, to tell me so;
As testy sick men, when their deaths be near,
No news but health from their physicians know;
For if I should despair, I should grow mad,
And in my madness might speak ill of thee:
Now this ill-wresting world is grown so bad,
Mad slanderers by mad ears believed be,
That I may not be so, nor thou belied,
Bear thine eyes straight, though thy proud heart go wide.

Fundraising Letter 2011

2011-03-23T11:27:00.001-04:00

Hello!

Below is our fundraising letter for the New Year. If have contributed, we cannot thank you enough. The last three years have been kind to us and we hope to continue to prosper. Thank you for reading and we hope to see you out at our summer season!

---Empty Chair Theatre Company

Dear friends and family,

Greetings!

Exciting things are currently coming together for Empty Chair Theatre Company. Since the curtain closed on our 2010 season, a great deal of work has been going on in preparation for next year’s season. As a collaborative, ensemble-based non-profit, created by and for young artists, a tremendous amount of heart and energy goes into each Empty Chair production. Our 2011 season promises more of this, as well as new leaps forward, with productions of Twelfth Night and Titus Andronicus.

One recent development that we are thrilled to announce is that Empty Chair has received a generous, anonymous donation of $3,000 to match the goal of our first 501c3 charitable fund raising campaign. Your contributions to this campaign will make it possible for ECTC to obtain exciting new performance space for our 2011 season.

As you are considering your holiday and year-end charitable giving, please put Empty Chair Theatre Company on your list. Also, remember that many companies match charitable contributions of their employees! In addition to being able to mail your contributions to 22 East Masonic View Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301, our website will soon feature online donation capability so that friends and family may contribute with ease.

Be on the lookout for announcements about our new performance space and collaborative programs for the coming year. Also, do not forget to take a look at the current version of the Empty Chair Reel on YouTube! More videos are on the way. See the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/EmptyChairTheatreCo

Please take the time to forward this letter to your friends and family. In three short years, Empty Chair has already come so far. Help us to continue this journey.

With thanks for your support and our warm wishes for the holidays and always,

Empty Chair Theatre Company

For questions or more information, please contact: Lee Havlicek, Director of Development Lhavlicek@emptychairtheatre.org or (202) 841-9641

New Summer Shakespeare Workshop!!

2011-03-01T20:07:00.002-05:00

Empty Chair is excited to announce a new education program for this summer: the Summer Shakespeare Workshop. The workshop is geared towards students ages 14-18 with an interest in performing and learning more about Shakespeare. It will run for one week in August, and will be led by company co-founders Elizabeth Nearing and Julia Sears. It will focus on intensive scene work and culminate in a showcase for family and friends. The workshop runs from 9 am to 4 pm daily, and tuition is $250. We are thrilled to offer this new opportunity to share our love of Shakespeare!
Come join us!

*Summer Shakespeare Workshop
August 8 - 12*
*Student-chosen scenework from all over Shakespeare's canon.*

Please email education@emptychairtheatre.org