Hello All Actors' Mission!
Well, I hope it's been as wonderful a summer for you as it has been for me. I admit that I've hesitated to turn away from my laid-back summer joys, but I realize its now time to gear up for what I believe will be an outstanding and important production.
On October 2, 3, 4 and 5, Actors' Mission will perform Moises Kaufman's and the Tectonic Theater Project's The Laramie Project. I am hoping that a good many of you will want to join me in a work that is not only timely, significant, and important to our town, state, and nation, but also one that touches the heart and calls us (and through us, our audience) to what binds and unites us as human beings.
The purpose of this email is to give you some basic information about the play and to send you a Tentative Schedule, including those all important audition dates. The Tentative Schedule is enclosed as an attachment. Remember it is tentative except for the auditions; there are bound to be mistakes and changes.
What you need to know about The Laramie Project right now.
What do people do and say when an incomprehensible and terrible event happens? And what if it happens not just in the news, at some safe and remote distance, but right in our town, in our state, where we can not brush it aside or choose to ignore it? The Laramie Project (or should I say the people of Laramie themselves) provides an answer to these questions.
The Laramie Project examines, as most people know, the aftermath of actual events that took place in Wyoming ten years ago, the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, by two local Laramie men about his own age. The crime was the subject of an immediate media frenzy, and most in Wyoming know many of the details surrounding Matthew's death and the subsequent trial. Many have opinions about the incident and especially about the notoriety the publicity brought to our state.
What many people do not know is that the play has as much to do with the reaction of the townspeople of Laramie to the tragedy as it is does with the tragedy itself. And most beautifully and poetically, it is told in the very words of the townspeople who lived through the experience. Let me explain.
Just after the murder, nine member of the Tectonic Theater Project including Moises Kaufman, traveled to Laramie from New York to collect interviews about the incident that would eventually become the material for this play. They were to return a total of seven times to the town, and would devote two years to writing The Laramie Project.
The result is a play that speaks to us in the every-day vernacular of ordinary people, real men and women of all ages and occupations, the citizens of Laramie. It is plain, direct speech, and it is sheer poetry. For those of us who live in Wyomng, we have the added pleasure of finding eloquence in the words of people we can relate to, that are familiar to us, our fellow citizens.
What about staging?
The staging of The Laramie Project is unusual. There are four male and four female actors (ranging in age from college-aged to middle-aged). Each of the eight actors will play multiple roles. Each will play one of the members of the Tectonic Theater Project, who came to Laramie to conduct the interviews. The actors will play not only their "New York" character but also up to eight or nine Laramie townspeople, presumably the individuals their character interviewed. The townspeople represent all types --- gay or straight, sympathic or heinous --- and include doctors, lawyers, students, professors, bartenders, friends of Matthew's, ranchers, a Catholic priest, the notorious Reverend Phelps, and so on.
The play is not written in scenes and acts. Instead, it is written in a string of vignettes which Kaufman calls "moments". The actors move in and out of these "moments" shifting from one character to another as called upon by the script. Costume is merely suggested, set and lighting rudimentary, and the action just streams from one "moment" to the next "moment".
This type of staging is going to be immensely challenging for everyone (especially me). Many productions have solved the problem by staging the play as a kind of Reader's Theater, you know, with stools like in our production of The Christmas Carol. Many have staged the play mostly as a Voice Play. You can view some of these efforts on Utube. My plan is to move our players in and out of the vignettes with a lot more staging than a Readers Theater or Voice Play. No actor will leave the stage, just move in and out of characters and "moments."
An Actors' Play
This play will be a great opportunity for our players. Because of the summer, I am a little worried I won't get enough of you to commit. Don't let this opportunity pass you up. It's a great play for actors.
How do you prepare for auditions? Well, you can borrow a book from me and read it. Also, attend the second movie viewing I've set up. Otherwise, you'll just have to trust me as I have you read various parts at auditions. Would you mind dropping me an email if you even remotely thinking of auditioning?
I am absolutely committed to open auditions. No casting decisions have even been thought about.
Commissioned Music
Nina Kessner has created an original body of work for this play. I plan to use this music in a way I'll explain later. It is just so moving to listen to it. Yes, it's in the polishing stage. This woman is a goddess.
Production Team and Community Interface Group
I have had some volunteers already. But for right now, I am looking for two groups to develop.
One will be the traditional Production Team, which will meet frequently to make plans and cover details. Nina Kessner will be a key player in this group as always. Other slots have kind of been volunteered for: House, Publicity, Art, Set, and so on. But nothing is totally decided, and there is plenty of room for both leaders and workers who want to get heavily involved but don't necessarily want to act. My suggestion if you fall into that category is that you show up at an audition and fill out a form. New, old, everyone is invited.
Another group I would like to form is the Community Interface Group. I am vague on how much we will do in this group, but it will be composed of community and Actors' Mission folk who would be interested in organizing an educational outreach component to go with our production. There will be several meetings, all listed tentatively on the schedule. I am looking for someone who would like to spearhead this group. I would also like to hear from anyone who would like to be a part of this group immediately via email.
Well, well, well, I have probably exhausted your patience. Please seriously consider getting involved in this production. I would love to hear from many of you so that I don't get paranoid about turnout and Actors' Mission enthusiasm for this production.
Thank you,
G (Dave Gutierrez)
Laramie Project Tentative Rehearsal Schedule
July, August, September, October 2008 Version Date 7/7/2008
Dave Gutierrez, Director
July 8 Tues Kick-off Email List, Blog
July 13 Sun Set Design Gutierrez
July 13 Sun Movie Viewing The Laramie Project Elks 4 PM List
July 14 Mon Community Interact Group Reliance 7 PM List, Invites
July 16 Wed Production Meeting Reliance 6 PM Appointed
July 17 Thurs AUDITIONS Elks 4 PM List, Newspaper Ad
July 19 Sat AUDITIONS Elks 2 PM List, Newspaper Ad
July 20 Sun AUDITIONS Elks 4 PM List, Newspaper Ad
July 21 Mon AUDITIONS Elks 6 PM List, Newspaper Ad
July 22 Tues AUDITIONS Elks 6 PM List, Newspaper Ad
July 24 Thurs Cast Announcement Phone, Posting, List
July 26 Sat Set Building Preliminary Meeting Elks 4 PM Set Crew
July 27 Sun Production Meeting Reliance 4 PM Heads
July 29 Tues Cast Meeting – Read Through Elks 7 PM Cast, Invites
Aug 4 Mon Blocking/Staging Plan Complete Gutierrez
Aug 4 Mon Production – Music Elks 7 PM Kessner, Invites
Aug 5 Tues Rehearsal – Character Coaching Elks 6:30 PM Certain Actors TBA
Aug 7 Thurs Rehearsal – Character Coaching Elks 6:30 PM Certain Actors TBA
Aug 8 Fri Set Construction Elks 6 PM Crew
Aug 9 Sat Set Construction Elks 3-8 PM Crew
Aug 11 Mon Rehearsal – Character Coaching Elks 6:30 PM Certain Actors TBA
Aug 13 Wed Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Aug 15 Fri Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Aug 16 Sat Set, Lighting Elks 3-8 PM Crew
Aug 18 Mon Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Aug 19 Tues Community Interact Group Elks 7 PM Group
Aug 20 Wed Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Aug 22 Fri Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Aug 23 Sat Set, Lighting, Tech Elks 3-8 PM Crew
Aug 25 Mon Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Aug 27 Wed Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Aug 29 Fri Rehearsal if Needed Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 1 Mon Rehearsal – OFF BOOK Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 3 Wed Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 5 Fri Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 6 Sat Production Meeting Elks 4 PM Group
Sept 8 Mon Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 10 Wed Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 12 Fri Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 13 Sat Costume, Props Elks 4 PM Crew
Sept 15 Mon Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 17 Wed Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 19 Fri Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 20 Sat Rehearsal if Needed Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 22 Mon Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 24 Wed Rehearsal Elks 6:30 PM Segments TBA
Sept 26 Fri Production Elks 2 PM Crew TBA
Complete Run-Through Elks 6 PM ALL CASTS/CREW
Sept 27 Sat Tech/Dress Elks 6 PM ALL CASTS/CREW
Sept 29 Mon Complete Run-Through Elks 6 PM ALL CASTS/CREW
Sept 30 Tues Complete Run-Through Elks 6 PM ALL CASTS/CREW
Oct 1 Wed Complete Run-Through Elks 6 PM ALL CASTS/CREW
Oct 2 Thurs PERFORMANCE Elks 5:30 PM CAST CALL
Oct 3 Fri PERFORMANCE Elks 5:30 PM CAST CALL
Oct 4 Sat PERFORMANCE Elks 5:30 PM CAST CALL
Oct 5 Sun PERFORMANCE-MATINEE Elks 12:30 AM CAST CALL
