New Orleans vs. Nawlins...

Dialect is always a major consideration when doing a piece such as Streetcar.  Of course, I always look for clear authentic dialect development... you know, forming the words and sounds naturally; not mimicking; listening to people of the local area and learn all the formation and resonation points. But, the question is what level of dialect should we approach.

In a small regional show such as this one, we should not over do it or over think it.  A true and honest hint of the dialect will be our primary goal...

Many of the actors came into the rehearsals with a hint of authenticity in their dialect already, while others brought a general southern drawl into the work.  Over the next few weeks, we will be working to localize the southern and accentuate the already developing accents.

Here is a little NPR tidbit to get everyone started...

NPR New Orleans Dialect 

Questions... Questions...

Actors have many ways of approaching roles.  I, myself, really delve into the emotion and purpose behind the character's actions and beliefs.  I research, I analyze, I live... I question everything...  

I approach each character (and show) like a parent with a newborn baby... wondering what they will do and be like when they 'grow up.'  Character work is my favorite aspect of rehearsal -  I have a catalogue of techniques I use with my rehearsals and this particular process is no different.  I have many things planned for future rehearsals... some will be successful, some will not, but hopefully all will fill the actor with more insight and allow a newer ideal of character to surface.

This is also how I approach mid-century literary works when I direct.  Every author and playwright has a style, a life issue, a story that they are trying to tell on the page.  It is the job of the director to interpret this and bring to life on the stage.  Every director will see a different focus as they craft the production. Williams' work is so rich with life and symbolism, that we could spend an entire 6 week rehearsal period on discussion, analysis and inquisition.  Learning the author's intention becomes a vocation that overrides all other thought or inquiry.  I have chosen to approach this show with a fresh view.  

We are trying to remove many of the preconceived ideas and character traits and look within to find something raw and honest.  My actors are approaching characters in many different ways.  I am thrilled to hear their questions and ideas and participate in the discussions and debates that ensue during each rehearsal.

I was so excited when my Blanche /Stella understudy, began e-mailing me with so many ideas, views and thoughts.   Many of them allowed me to review my own thoughts and look anew...  

This post is going to look at some of the 'musings' of Jennifer...

"I'm typing up my script sans stage notes from the verbose Williams, and came across a couple references I wanted to look up.  This is probably a duplicate for you, but I thought it was interesting and it's the kind of thing I do.  (I like to research eras, localities, etc for flavor)...
     
Blanche compares Stella's neighborhood to the "ghoul haunted woodland of Weir", which is apparently from a Poe poem I'd never read before.  It's possibly darker than The Raven, and weirder than his stories...  Interesting that's where she goes...   Side note- I'm reading this for the first time, and I've only seen parts of the movie once, so I'm trying to ignore Williams direction as much as possible while reading it so I can come at it completely fresh.  Also, I've noticed Stella spends a lot of Act I just getting away from both Stanley and Stella (stands on the porch forever, and she's been in the bathroom awhile...).  Is that new now that Blanche is there muddying the waters, or did she do that before, to get away from Stanley when he was getting too intense?"

Another e-mail pondered... 

"I just came across a bit of stage direction (I'm avoiding reading it as much as possible) that cracked me up...  "business used by Stella in tidying up the room may vary slightly: the example herein often holds true."
Ha!  Oh, Master Williams, how incredibly kind and generous of you!  The business may vary SLIGHTLY?  *sigh* ...  Shakespeare has really spoiled me in this way... Sometimes a character's exit isn't even marked in the script, and there's never a direction to the actor like "speaking with difficulty", "shrilly", or "airily"... and those are all on the page I happen to have open as I type this...   This is obviously going to be my biggest issue with performing Williams.  I've never done it before, so this is all new to me.  I've actually used Williams as an example when talking to new actors about how to deal with stage direction.  "At one end of the spectrum is Shakespeare, who gives you no help whatsoever in how to act or what to do, which is challenging at first but enormously freeing when you've gotten accustomed to it.  At the other is Tennessee Williams, whose stage direction is so specific that there seems to be no room for acting."  ... The language is rich, and the characters are powerful- but it is not his job to direct, it's yours.  If you want us to do what's written, I'll write it down in MY scripts, but I want YOU to tell me if you really want me to "Turn to Stella from corner of trunk" at that point in the script.  Rawr.   Onward.  Glad I got that off my chest.   To be continued..."


 And, finally...
 
"Hot, sticky evening... With Daniel out of town I'm being cheap and using the AC very little, and whew.  I can certainly use this stickiness for the show...   I've been in the city once, as I said at audition, but it was a daytrip with 4 or 5 other Airmen while we were stationed at Biloxi, and I don't feel I experienced much of the city at all.  The strongest memory I have is the smell of Bourbon street hitting us long before we got to it.  By the time we were there, I guess I was used to it, but..  I saw the city as a tourist, I didn't *experience* it at all. ...
 
I don't know a lot about that period, especially in the South... Info on New Orleans isn't terribly hard to find, but info on Mississippi during the period is scarce.  What was life like for the last generation to live in plantations before they got kicked out?  What was life like specifically for Stella and Blanche growing up?  An appearance of gentility to maintain in the reality of increasing poverty..  How did their parents support Belle Reve?  They'd lost the land attached to it, so they couldn't support the house and family with income from farming...   But they obviously raised the girls on a pedestal- Blanche fell off, Stanley knocked Stella off.  Was any of that ever real, or were they always just keeping up appearances?"

It is a pleasure to be challenged by this fabulous cast of actors.  I know that many more challenges await in the rehearsals to come...  

Stella... Primal, Passionate, and a star in Blanche's world...

Stella, Stella, Stella...  A role packed with intense passion and for many young ladies, a dream role.

My view?  Well, Stella is in her early to mid 20's, a passionate being, who is intensely dedicated to the people in her life.   Her accent is layered with the NOLA inflection.  She is the focus of both Stanley and Blanche's attentions.  A 'star' that both characters are drawn to...  Stella, like Blanche, is from Mississippi.  She left in her late teens, presumably to seek a little freedom from her sister and the confines of the aging ruin of a relic, Belle Reve.  She was likely attracted to the decadence of New Orleans, the freedom and primal 'heartbeat' that exists all through the city.  She is fundamentally, a primal character... seeking her survival, seeking a life away from the cobwebbed gentility of her childhood world.  


Extremely dedicated to her sister, extremely drawn to her husband, Stella becomes the 'prize' in the battle between Stanley and Stella.  Blanche expects the sisterly love and dedication of Stella... Stanley demands (and gets) it.  


The relationship between Stanley and Stella is intensely base and sexual.  When the two are together, passion will fill the room.  The chemistry will be electric and that little heartbeat, I spoke about above will completely overtake the senses.   They are drawn to each other, as a cat in heat is drawn to the local tomcat.  However, I do believe there is love between them, but there is also control.  Though, he comes from a family of tradition, he considers himself a 'new man', looking toward the changes the world is making after the end of World War II. 

Stella so wants to be a good wife and please her husband, but she is also a 'new woman'.  She fights the gentility of her upbringing, with her desperate need for independence.  But, still she 'belongs' to Stanley, knows it, and accepts it.  The more she accepts it, the more dependent she is on him for her base survival. 


Her love and dedication to Blanche is fueled by her memories of childhood... probably notable and cherished memories, as the two girls seemed to be a 'team' in a world dominated by expectations, society, and even the men of their family.  In my view, Blanche looked after Stella, cared for her, and loved her.  Probably the only honest love either have ever experienced in their lives.  

I do believe Stella is dealing with her own demons from her past (and the current issues of abuse from Stanley)  and as Blanche's  mind begins to deteriorate, she finds yet another to contend with.  As we leave the little house on Elysian Fields, we are led to believe that Stella will go on living, with little or no fallout from the tragic scene that just occurred.  But, really now... She just sent her sister off to be 'sectioned' for the rest of her life, with little hope of recovery... just the knowledge of 'promising' new techniques to help the insane...  hmmm...  How blind is Stella really?

Now for a few audition notes for Stella-- 

The actress cast should be able to sing, as I would like to have the character sing at different points .


She should be able to handle a lot of movement -- let's just say she will spend a great deal of time in Stanley's arms.


She should be quietly intense and powerful... facially strong in in emotion and packed (herself) with 'layer upon layer' of personality, life experience, and performance opinion... 


I have been asked several times what my perfect Stella would look like (and Blanche and Stanley and Mitch)... I hate to pre determine a cast physically in my mind, so that little tidbit of insight shall remain a mystery... for now.  


Now, for Tuesday / Wednesday...  Have not had a lot of questions regarding Mitch (only 3 or 4), but will be discussing him a bit in the next post.  And, then on to some general comments about auditions and my views on the show in general, so stay tuned!

Just show me what YOU have...

As I previously posted, I am getting a lot of pre-audition actor introductions.   And, I love meeting the auditionees beforehand.  So, feel free to keep the introductions coming... send your resumes, photos, questions!  I love talking 'Streetcar' right now! 

Honestly, what I love about auditioning such a classic show is seeing each actor's interpretation of such well-known characters, watching an actor grow from the first reading of an audition scene to the final scene they read for me.  What I really want to see is what YOU have, what you can bring to the stage, what your vision of the character is.  These characters are human... they must, fundamentally, show all levels of emotion and humanity.  They will be developed from your personality, so who you are and what you have to offer are what I am looking for on audition night.  Yes, of course, I need to see the 3 Actor Tools in play:  Voice (are diction, articulation and projection strong),  Mind (is the actor able to visualize a character and 'live' their life on stage),  and Body (can they move and give me appropriate motivated action)... and can they tie it all together. 

Many are asking what I am looking for in certain characters, what kind of dialect, what physical features, how I want certain lines delivered, what they can do to make their audition stand out... I have to say -- it won't be that easy to get that kind of information out of me.  ;)  I don't want to see a finished product on audition night!  I will, however, leave clues to what I would ultimately like to see in the final production, here on this page.  Each day or two, I will post some of my thoughts on one of the characters.    So, keep an eye out!