I am sitting "backstage" right now, in the dark
and somewhat dusty confines of the beautiful and strange Satori theatre
space … the space that New Century is utilizing for our next show, an
adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial … This space, this gorgeous
Inscape arts building, at the foot of the International District, used to be
the Immigration building … and has seen many lives furthered and many dreams
crushed … Cliche, yes, but truly lived
by vast numbers of people in Seattle's past … and the ghosts and echoes and old
stones of this space feel like just the right Peter Brook "Empty
Space" to create and tell Kafka's harrowing story of spiritual, existential,
and institutional mazes …
However, to be practical … this space is just being
transformed into a theatre, and there are some awesome challenges … to say that
space backstage is limited is to assume that there IS a backstage … sounds
bleed in this space, so even my current typing might invade a quiet scene … and
other residents of this shared-art-building have complained as we rehearsed … None
of us have access to this locked building, and cast members have been left
outside knocking vainly while we wondered why they were late … Ah, the glories
and glamour of the American regional theatre … Regardless, I will always be
very grateful to the amazing Satori Group for allowing us to play in their
home...
As for the play, I feared that it might be dusty, academic,
dead … huzzah, not true … This script, and this production (helmed by the great
John Langs) has sex and dread and laughs and some great, wild acting … The
protagonist, Joseph K., is being played by Freehold faculty member Darragh Kennan, and his typical level of diligence, discipline, and genius is steering
our play to a beautiful and terribly human place …
But who knows? All productions, all ensemble-based art
forms, are so delicate, so surprising, so unpredictable … as we move into tech,
we may hone and sharpen our story … or we may lose a deep sense of why we need
to tell it, and we may just go through the motions, without even realizing that
we've left … dangerous territory, these complex embodiments of story …
I hope you come...and I hope that we deserve your
attendance...
Amy Thone has been grappling professionally with Shakespeare's plays for twenty-two years, as an actor, director, dramaturge and teacher. She is the Casting Director at Seattle Shakespeare Company, and a faculty member of Cornish College of the Arts. Amy has performed throughout Seattle at numerous venues including INTIMAN Theatre, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Seattle Shakespeare Company and many others. Amy is also one of the founding members of the New Century Theatre Company.
For more information on New Century Theatre Company's production of The Trial running April 5 - April 28, go to NCTC's website.
Amy Thone has been grappling professionally with Shakespeare's plays for twenty-two years, as an actor, director, dramaturge and teacher. She is the Casting Director at Seattle Shakespeare Company, and a faculty member of Cornish College of the Arts. Amy has performed throughout Seattle at numerous venues including INTIMAN Theatre, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Seattle Shakespeare Company and many others. Amy is also one of the founding members of the New Century Theatre Company.
For more information on New Century Theatre Company's production of The Trial running April 5 - April 28, go to NCTC's website.
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