by CARA
In Fair Verona Where We Lay Our Scene
I know that actually writing a critical review of any theatrical production in New Mexico is considered blasphemy; reviewers are more like cheerleaders. And this is understandable because all and any live productions need to be encouraged. But when all coverage becomes rah rah, no critical standards are focused on theatre offerings. Of course, where plays rarely run for very long, reviews and critiques tend to be published after the fact, if at all.
Then too, in this, or for that matter any, theatre community, everyone knows each other. And odds are if you critique someone today you may find yourself acting with or directing them tomorrow. The pool of quasi-professional actors and directors is overall quite small; the plethora of small, part-time theatres is active. And so we have a dilemna. There are not enough good actors to go around – to say nothing of experienced design professionals and others to “realize” the shows.
This point is wholly illustrated by two productions of Romeo and Juliet presented in Santa Fe and Albuquerque this June, both in outdoor summer venues. The Santa Fe Classic Theater mounted the play at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and Vortex Theatre presented Romeo and Juliet (and Love’s Labor’s Lost) at a hertofore underused amphitheatre at the Veterans Memorial Park. Both productions have much to offer; both productions did not quite succeed.
As a former theatre administrator and producer I wish I could take aspects of each production and meld them into one satisfying offering. I would select the actors playing the title characters from the Santa Fe production. Although, I’m pretty sure these actors are less experienced, it is their youth and innocence that renders verimismilitude. And they seem like they are in love and “hot to trot”. Not so in Albuquerque where the actors, if not chronologically older seem so and certainly do not seem like they are in love. Vortex’s Juliet handles the Shakespearian language well but seems ill at ease; Romeo is going through the motions. Romeo, Noah Segard, in Santa Fe is a roundish puppy of a boy wearing an ill fitting costume but he brings adolescent fun and humor to the role. Alyssa Bonanno as Juliet seems 14 years old and is spunky and cute. I believed the star crossed lovers in Santa Fe, but not in Albuquerque.
Let’s compare the Mercutios: Santa Fe has an excellent actor taking this role. He handles the language well and he is both very funny and very poignant. His name is Hania Stocker and he is probably well known in theatre circles in NM. If he isn’t he should be. The Albuquerque Mercutio is definitely not up to the part. The Queen Mab speech was a disaster.
Both nurses were well done as were the older Capulets and Montegues; vintage actors all they performed well.
The costumes of both productions are guilty of inconsistency. Some costumes are well made, some are not. Some costumes are right for the characters, others are completely wrong. Juliet in Santa Fe in a cotton nightgown works; Juliet in “prom dress” like finery in Albuquerque does not. The colors are all over the place. Since both shows are performed on outdoor stages with little scehery and minimal lighting the costumes need to provide some continuity.
The sound and music of both productions is problematic. In Santa Fe, two live musicians on the violin, guitar and other percusives provide un-augmented music from the back of the house and incidental music in the first act. Kudos for using live music, but the integration of the music was not thought out. Recorded music was used in the Albuquerque production where all the actors had wireless mics. The mics were used well by some actors and not by others. The music for dancing and underscoring was a hodge podge.
The Vortex production had a fight choreographer and a dance choreographer and a larger cast of ensemble actors to move around. The Classic Theater had a fight director. The fights were far more believable in the Santa Fe production. There was minimal, incidental dancing in both productions and the scene at the Capulet ball was chaotic and seemingly not choreographed in both productions.
The outdoor amphitheatres are quite different. The Veterans Memorial Park is a large half circle, permanent space with soft covering for the audience and a large somewhat raised, rounded acting space. The house and the playing area are huge. Generally speaking the production did not use the space well. No effort was made to bring focus to the playing area. We looked out across a wide field behind the stage and could see actors approaching seemingly for miles. Lighting positions would appear to be ample, but minimal lighting was used. Because the first act was performed before sundown, this point may be moot. But something should have been done to bring focus for the balcony scene and the tomb scene. I believe the use of a large red billowing cloth was supposed to help with this, but why red? (I know bloody tragedy.) and just generally why; it was very distracting and not just because the wind was a factor.
I suspect that Vortex was not allowed to leave anything semi-permanent for the run of the show. This happens a lot when using public spaces, but the set designer, Mary Rossman should have worked to make something better rather than just several moveable white blocks. Actors need a backstage area where they are not seen.
In Santa Fe the amphitheatare in the Botanical Garden is smaller with a raised stage and audience members on chairs, I believe it is usually used for weddings in the garden. It would appear that some things could be left for the run, but exits and entrance also had to be accomplished from a distance and in many cases through the house. But the balcony scene seemed more “stable” and the actors were able to bring a sense of intimacy to the scene.
One could go on, but generally speaking these productions illustrate what one so often sees in community theatre productions generally and most particularly in New Mexico — A dearth of resources spread thin. Taking the personnel from both productions, I believe Romeo and Juliet could have had a stronger cast. A director friend of mine in NYC would always say when a show of his was not that good, “Well the actors couldn’t do it.” And I would say, “Well you cast them.” Casting a show and picking the director and principal designers is of paramount importance, always.
This leads me to the directors of both productions — a vision is needed to direct a play. Ok, ok, this need not be some quirky Peter Brooke take on Shakespeare nor Nazi’s in uniforms, etc. It simply means that the director knows how he/she wants the play to feel overall and determines the flow and pace of the production. This was missing in both productions. I suspect this is not because the directors were not capable of such visions but time and resources did not permit it. And many people who want to direct, just don’t have this in them. To be sure, one need not be an autere but the director must be the captain of the ship steering the production safely into the harbor of opening night. Many excellent actors and others simply do not have this ability. I know this because I stopped directing plays because of it. I’m a producer and I’m good at putting out fires and making leaps of faith. I find great contentment in helping talented directors, playwrights, designers, and actors reach a fully realized production, but I can’t do what they do, except occasionally act.
All of these atributes are needed for a successful production of any play. Too often New Mexico theatre practioners settle for “doing what we can”. You must break a few eggs and ruffle some feathers and insist on what is needed to create a fully realized production. Don’t just be allowed to use public spaces, insist on what you really need in terms of access and continuity to make the residency work. Don’t forget that you are providing great civic value. Pool resources, work together and create work that soars!
The Considered Life Mindfulness at 70 