Guest Post: "London Still" announces Hello Again

From "London Still"(Alexandra Silber's blog)

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So. This is all a little tardy, but I am so thrilled to announce my upcoming project.

Starting 4 March 2011, I will be playing The Young Wife in The Transport Group's exciting new New York revival of Michael John LaChiusa's Hello Again-- the first New York City production since the original in 1993. This production will feature new orchestrations by Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Company) and will be staged non-traditionally in a raw space in SoHo (New York SoHo, not to be confused with London's Soho) by Drama Desk nominee and Transport Group Artistic Director Jack Cummings III.


Hello Again is a ground-breaking piece of theatre with music, lyrics and book by the Michael John LaChiusa suggested by the 1897 play La Ronde (also titled Reigen) by Arthur Schnitzler (who, amusingly, was a close friend of Sigmund Freud's, thus, possibly inspiring the psychological exploration of sex and aaaaaall it's intricacies). Hello Again focuses on a series of love affairs among twenty characters, in ten scenes, during the ten different decades of the 20th century-- enabling it to explore and address the nature of love, relationships and sex throughout that 100 year period with all of it's varying limitations, longings, hardships and complications.

Here is what the press blurb says:

"Hi. So you're from Philly? Oh. Sorry if my hands are cold."

"Experience the world of Michael John LaChiusa's Hello Again: the passion, sex, and power of 10 love affairs, one from each decade of the 20th Century. Witness The Whore, The Young Thing, The Senator, The Soldier and others as they navigate each new sexual entanglement. Love and desire clash as each character seeks elusive connections. Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler's controversial 1897 play, La Ronde, 5-time Tony Award nominee LaChiusa brings Schnitzler's love stories to life with musical and lyrical styles of each decade, ranging from opera to jazz to disco. Transport Group's production, the first New York City revival of Hello Again, will feature new orchestrations by Drama Desk Award winner Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Company) and will be staged non-traditionally in a raw space in SoHo by 2-time Drama Desk Award nominee Jack Cummings III (The Boys in the Band). The cast features Alan Campbell, Blake Daniel, Jonathan Hammond, Rachel Bay Jones, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Robert Lenzi, Alexandra Silber, Elizabeth Stanley, Bob Stillman and Max von Essen." 

Basically? It is going to be pretty special. Sexy. Emotional. Physiological. Fascinating. Funny. Tragic. Stunning. Risky. (*ahem*) Penetrative. 

And truly, there is nothing like meeting your cast six weeks ahead of rehearsals, shaking their hands and then taking your clothes off to pose for riské photographs (another *ahem*... below...), but there is also nothing like being blessed enough to sing the landmark song (the perfect and brilliant "Tom"), and reviving a contemporary classic with a rock star cast in The Big Apple itself. 

Join us. 
Do. 
Come along and say Hello.
Again. 
     ...And possibly again. 

The only thing I’m wearing in this photo is Bob Stillman and some pearls...

PS) .... Have you headed over to Facebook and liked “Hello Again” yet?
Like it! and then come see it!

Still-Wife: The Beginnings

“Whenever an actor first reads a play on which he is going to work, he is an audience. He visualizes the play and hears it like an audience. Whatever identification he may have with the play is similar to the identification he may have with the play is similar to the identification an audience might have and should not be confused with the organic identification he must find with the character he is going to play. He laughs at or with the play, he cries at or with the play, and, more than anything else, he cries and laughs at or with the character he is going to play.
“This is the moment where the images he conceives, and the tone and sounds he hears in his imagination on his first contact with the play must soon be discarded and not confused with the real work on the play and the part. The actor still has to go backstage and then evolve on stage.”

—Uta Hagen

*

In preparing for The Young Wife in Hello Again I first did two things. I read the play. Then I read it again. And then again. (One could say that I said Hello again and again and again…)

An actor’s ultimate job is to create a character that serves the play. The story (and not their own ego). So obviously in order for an actor to make a meaningful contribution to the piece overall, one has to gather information, make provisions for, and establish as much detail as possible concerning the play itself before beginning to “interpret” or make an outline for their own role within the play/ story/ piece.
To quote Uta Hagen once again, “all tedious research is worth one inspired moment.”


I always try (sometimes without a great deal of success) to throw away as many of my first impressions as possible, because whenever my first impressions have been utilized in the past I have always experienced regret. (It is tremendously difficult getting past them.) My first impressions got in my way like Prince Phillip feebly making his way through the thorny branches in Sleeping Beauty. Only less sexy. And without a sword. Leaping toward a “photograph” of my first impression is almost always a trap— an objective perspective that, in my opinion, doesn’t do me any good. At all.

However, working subjectively through the play from its foundations one avoids ready-made-microwave-dinner-type-character-cliches. (Example: choosing to cry at the moment when you feel sorry for the character you are playing, the actor could be providing the tears that should arguably be in the eyes of the audience. A character truly struggling does not necessarily mean that the character is moved.) Through asking myself/you as the character who “I” am, what “I” want, what “I” do, one ends up with profound, deep-rooted human meaning.


*

A great place to start is by asking yourself “What is the playwright trying to communicate?” Then to attempt to define it in an active sentence. (We have done that as a group, as well as on individual levels, but we can’t give it all away now can we?)

Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde served as Michael John LaChiusa’s source material— and Hello Again was the result of this dramatic suggestion. Now do not be confused— Hello Again is in no way a “musical version” of La Ronde (in the way that Hello, Dolly! is the musical version of Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, or She Loves Me is a musicalized version of The Shop Around the Corner)—instead, it is inspired by, but not a word-for-word musicalization of this 1900 play by Arthur Schnitzler which scrutinizes the sexual morals and classism of the period through a series of encounters (rather than focusing an exploration of relationships—particularly sexual— outright, which is more the focus in Hello Again).

The play was not publicly performed until 1920 when it elicited violent critical and popular reactions against its subject matter, and interestingly, in 1922, Sigmung Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, wrote to Schnitzler saying, "you have learned through intuition—though actually as a result of sensitive introspection—everything that I have had to unearth by laborious work on other persons." (Cool huh? They became very good friends as a result of this correspondence, and Schnitzler must have been relieved, for up until this point his edifice has been wrecked. Edifice Wrecked… Freud. Oedipus? Get it…? Awful? Okay, it is. It’s awful…moving on…)


All this being said, in La Ronde, each of the characters in the play is literally the same person from scene to scene— the circle is literal, The Young Wife who interacts with The Young Gentleman is the same exact person that interacts with The Husband in the following scene. It is entirely possible that the characters in La Ronde are all members of a singular small community.

But in Hello Again the characters are not in any way the exact same person (because of course, first of all, they are set in completely different times/decades and places),  the connection from scene to scene is less literal, more symbolic, and entirely nebulous which allows for a lot of dramatic and interpretive wiggle room— more homework and more discipline required to create believable and meaningful characters.

*

One of the things we discussed at the very first read/sing through was how each of these characters may indeed both be Nurses, Soldiers and Wives, and they share qualities, but they are different people. Perhaps echos of the previous selves (The Soldier), or influenced by experiences from a sort of  “past life” shadow (The Nurse), or perhaps they are simply experiencing the same longings within the confines of different circumstances (The Young Wife).

Where to begin? Most crucially, it was essential for me to identify that I was not developing one character, but indeed, two— The Young Wife in Scene 4 set in the 1930s, and The Young Wife in Scene 5 set in the 1950s.
The Young Wives, if you will…
     …and I know you will.

So. I began by giving each woman a proper name.

One of the most beautiful things about this piece are the reoccurring themes—from musical repeats (“hello again” / “his eyes are green,” the “we kiss,” theme, and “i’ve got a little time” / “we have a little time”) a brooch that travels through time, shadows of characters we meet again and again, and, of course, everyone’s names— Marie, Sammy, Emily, Marianne, Leocadia…

The 1950s Young Wife already has a name outright— Emily.

And because I find it difficult to create any kind of real person without a name so I named The 1930s Young Wife Marianne. It was a logical step: Emily refers to her friend “Marianne” who is having an affair with a “college boy.”

Thus Marianne and Emily.
Hello (…Again.)

In order to really be Marianne and Emily, I had better know who I am when each scene begins and how I got to be that way. Time, place, relationships— hair styles, undergarments, current events, weather, social expectations, income, education, personal likes and dislikes. All valid and important and useful if not outright necessary information. What do these women want? Need? Desire? What are they afraid of? Amused by? Repulsed by? Each scene in Hello Again is ostensibly a mini-play within itself, as well as contributing to the “macro” of the whole circle so there is very little to draw from in the text itself, one has to utilize the full force of their imaginative powers.

Sheesh! I’d better get to work.

But in the meantime, I will leave you with this quote, by director Jack Cummings III, from rehearsal:

“I think you actually have to… open his trousers…like with the belt and fly and everything…and just.. you know...really get in there…”

Over and out.

Hello Again 101 with The College Boy

TG chats with Robert Lenzi (The College Boy) about Hello AGain, love and sexy grad shows.

The Gezentites

Because sometimes.... sometimes it just gets very very real....

Here, is the fictional vinyl of the not-so-famous-actually-totally-false-40s-trio-brilliantly-invented-by-Michael-John-LaChiusa, The Gezentites. 

Ta-DAAAA!      

[*confetti*]

As Blake Daniel, Rachel Bay Jones and myself have been rehearsing this incredible little classic 1940s trio (something akin to the style of The Andrews Sisters) featured in Scene 2 (with The Soldier and The Nurse, played by Max von Essen and Elizabeth Stanley)-- well... well all I can say is that it was love at first croon. 

The three of us sat before music stands with our hands in our heads-- (I believe there was a conversation with Blake which included the phrase "is this a bad time to mention I don't read music..?") --concerned we might never get the notes perfected, we persevered. We succeeded. We were choreographed. 
And... well... the rest is history. 
And as terriblyseriousartists, we realized it was essential that we come up with a name for our group.


After a genius naming swoop (courtesy of group member Blake Daniel) suggested we call ourselves The Gezentites, we were hooked, but Rachel's inspired discovery of appropriately whimsical tissues? My personal affinity for wasting perfectly good evenings on Photoshop? Well, that kind of extra-curricular work seals deals people. 
It was official.
It was love.
We're taking The Gezentites on the road. 

So. This fake album features such artificial hits (there are apparently 20) as "Kleenext to me," "Snot You It's Me" and the title track, "Back Achoo" as well as their most famous 40 bars ever performed in public "Zei Gezent: Be Well and Happy..."
 ...and listen: basically, if you want to be on the inside of this inside joke... 
you'll just have to come to the show. 
[*she motionlessly stares at you through the computer screen with total seriousness*]
     ...Won't you...? 
[*the stare is both intoxicating-ly intriguing and fairly disturbing*] 
                ...won't you...?

But, in the meanwhile reader, enjoy my irreverent Photoshopping, and do "Zei Gezent: be well and happy..."

Rachel Bay Jones, Blake Daniel and Alexandra Silber have been singing in 3 part harmony for 2 weeks...

7 Minutes in Heaven with Elizabeth Stanley

TG chats with Elizabeth Stanley (The Nurse) on Hello Again, first kisses, and intimate staging.

Lights, Camera, Action!

NY1 Visits Hello Again, Wednesday February 9th

NY1's Frank DiLella stopped by rehearsal on Wednesday, February 9th to listen to the songs and interview the actors. (click to view video)

Here are some additional pictures from the visit:

Alan Campbell sings, as Chris Fenwick plays, for the camera

Jack Cummings III takes his turn in front of the camera

Michael John LaChiusa braved the cold for his interview. We're glad he did.

Nikka Graff Lanzarone and Max von Essen prepare with Chris Fenwick.

NY1 Onstage is on every Sunday at 7:30pm and repeated throughout the week

Jonathan Hammond and Blake Daniel sing for the camera as Chris Fenwick and JCIII looks on.

Still-Wife: An Introduction

Hello…again! (I know. I know… but the joke isn’t even remotely wearing thin with all of us yet, so… for the moment it is here to stay. I’m sorry. I am. I just can't make any promises.)

at The Savoy in London (where people aren't so confused about why I'm in the show)

So who the hell am I? (…Right? I know so many people probably looked at the casting announcement for this show and went? Who?! Was Laura Benanti like, not available or something?!) So anyway: hi there. Hello. Again. My name is Alexandra Silber (though you can call me Al if you like, everyone except Marc Kudisch does, but only because he has permission and frankly wouldn't take no for an answer...) and for the last 8 years I have been based in the United Kingdom— at school in Scotland (at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) then working in London’s West End. Hello Again will actually mark my New York theatre debut and it is a real honor (—or, as they would type in the Old World— hono(u)r…) So—onward!

*

Often, I am asked what the creative process is like, how actors approach and develop characters, and how they manifest themselves into being. So I thought it might be interesting to chronicle that process for The Young Wife in this production, not only to illuminate things for those of you who may be interested in what happens from audition to full performance, but also to observe it and have an awareness of it in myself. (Fun? Possibly excruciating? ...fun?)

So welcome, to The Transport Group’s 2011 Revival of Hello Again, and a re-formation and discovery of The Young Wife.

*

So, is there a "best" way to approach developing a character? The short answer is No. But, I will say that I personally approach character development a lot like a collage.

I have no idea of what it's going to develop into when I begin work on a character. To quote one of my greatest artistic inspirations (visual artist, author, and dear friend) Nick Bantock, “Making art is like having a relationship—you want to bring in some ideas, but if you don't allow it to develop naturally and speak to you as it develops, you end up imposing and projecting upon it.”

Indeed. I want my character to live and breathe— I want the character to be as close to a real person as is (sane and) possible. I know that sounds pedestrian, but the truth is, oftentimes there is a great deal of emphasis on a projected performance rather than on creating the impression of a living, breathing person. It is part methodical, part spontaneous and varies for every creative process.

In general I like to arm myself with this copious research and more academic material before I ever get "on my feet." Once we’re staging, the work becomes primarily instinctive but I feel free to "feel" my way because the instinctive work has been informed by the prior intellectual work. I try to never leave a corner (either technical or instinctive) unexplored.

wreck it!

One consistent certainty is that regardless of the aesthetic of the piece, the rehearsal length or the genre, I always have a book—usually a really simple, ugly book I feel happy to destroy, alter, throw about, wreck, weep on, rip up, and accidentally drop in the bathtub. I hate when a book is so hand-bound-by-ancient-Italian-artisans that you feel hesitant to even write your name in it. Creativity is about getting dirty people! And it starts with feeling comfortable enough to not merely mark, but destroy the pages if need be. So go! Go out and get to CVS and buy that 89¢ spiral-bound! Sew a page, pick up the book with your feet, play golf with it, slept with it under your pillow, cover two pages with office supplies, add that coffee ring! Add bird feathers you find in the park (safely sealed under clear packing tape-- getting dirty doesn't mean being unsanitary, sheesh)! Make that drawing using your own hair! YEAH... [*Al recovers from her own enthusiasm*] It is always fun. Nine times out of ten it's fun.

Moving on: I fill said book with both 1. very technical things (basic acting technique stuff a la Stanislavsky, Meisner, Hagen), and 2. a tremendous amount of what I call “instinctively collected” material.

Specifically:

1. Technically speaking one must collect several pieces of information from the text itself: facts, circumstances and “knowns” about the character, things the character says, and things others say about your character, etc. Comb through the script. Ask yourself 'Why that word, and not another word?' and 'What do you think happened?' Those pieces of seemingly obvious information sometimes reveal a well of literal and sub-textual (yeah, pretty certain I made that word up...) inspiration and information. It may seem trivial but it is as important as establishing that the ground you are building a skyscraper on is solid and not sand.

First, I always attempt to write out a fully fleshed-out back story. I do the same for the gaps between scenes my character appears in, filling in the unspoken or unmentioned details of what happens between the scenes the audience views. I prefer writing these in third person. Example, when I was working on Carousel in London it went a little like this: "Julie Jordan was born in a small fishing village 40 miles south of Portland, Maine. Abandoned in early childhood, she was raised in one of the numerous orphanages in the Northeast and subsequently farmed into the countless factories and industrial mills peppering the area at the boom of the American Industrial Revolution, and ostensibly raised by Cotton Mill owner and prominent town leader William Bascomb…" Boom! There you go: time, place, circumstances. We gather from that brief snippet that Julie is alone in the world, and that the mill is her only source of “home,” which increases the stakes when she gives all of it up for love in scene one. Without that degree of homework and consideration, the scenes the audience does see have less power and punch.

those glasses are fake...but don't I look chic..?

Next, it is important (to me at least!) to engage in a flood of scholarly style ‘homework’ (I’m a not-so-closeted-wannabe-academic) so one feels armed with enough information to make accurate and informed choices once you are on your feet. This is also where a dramaturge is vitally important. (the person who works on the historical and cultural research into the play and its setting, though they are trained to do much much more and often do). Cue The Transport Group's Resident Dramaturge Krista Williams, who always enters stage left with a flood of studious investigatory information! Anything you cannot find she will find make no mistake about it. She went to Yale). I don’t mean to suggest that every single moment needs to be plotted and planned beforehand, I simply suggest that if one is armed with all that historical, circumstantial, and factual information possible; that one’s instincts can then be empowered based on the truth of that particular character’s existence. It is like cooking, one has to have all the ingredients and cooking skills prepared and on hand so that one can create a dish both spontaneously and skillfully.

Finally, I collect any kind of additional inspiration that might help me access the character in another way. This means drawings, newspaper clippings, music, poems, bits of literature, photos, even scents and fabrics I feel may be relevant to the development of the person I am chiseling, revealing, building and layering. Like I said, I treat it all a bit like a collage and it begins here…

So-- to 'the book!' To the research! Time to hassle the dramaturge! To test red lipstick and work on finger curling skills! And time to learn Michael John's complex but stunningly beautiful score that one can only hope they serve well.

Farewell for now. I'm off to Google 'til I'm blind. “I’m sure we’ll be saying, Hello Again…”

...again. ...sorry.