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Blog
Ordway Blog: Stay connected here with what is happening at Ordway and take a look at what is going on behind the scenes.
Thu, Jul 15, 2010 11:44 AM by Ryan Jones
The Ordway is under construction this summer as the 5th street stage door entrance and loading dock are undergoing extensive renovations. The Ordway’s Stage Door entrance is getting an update thanks to the $7.5 million bonding project that was awarded to the Ordway by the State of Minnesota in 2006. The renovation process began June 14, 2010 with demolition to the Stage Door’s existing stairs. The new Stage Door entrance will include the addition of an accessible ramp using reclaimed brick from the original loading dock, as well as upgrades to the existing doors, which will include mechanized access and the installation of new security cameras. The new loading dock will allow trailers to back up directly to the building, creating an energy efficient seal. This will allow for more efficient loading in and out of show equipment and increased efficiency for heating, ventilating and air conditioning functions. The loading dock and stage door entrance, scheduled to be completed by August 30, 2010, will continue to serve as a private entrance for artists and staff of the Ordway and Arts Partners
Photos by Peter Van Johnson
Posted in Construction, Behind the Scenes
A Night of Magic: Summer Dance
Thu, Jul 15, 2010 10:34 AM by Ryan Jones
By: Kristie Gaalswyk (Ordway Intern)
As I walked up to Landmark Plaza, I didn’t know what to expect. Things were still getting set up and I was surprised to see that people were already sitting and walking around waiting for the impending night of dancing. It was great to see everyone mingling while eating and drinking.
It occurred to me quite quickly that people from all walks of life were coming together to share in this one moment. I saw older people, young people, a man with a cowboy hat, a woman in a wheelchair waiting patiently, a group of teenagers in flip-flops standing awkwardly, and even little kids jumping with excitement were there to share in the fun of learning and experiencing Tango.
When the instructors were beginning the lesson, I was curious as to how such a varied group of people would interact in this one space, the dance floor. What I came to see was truly awe-inspiring. Everyone became involved in the learning process. They forgot the people around them, who were either stumbling over the steps or excelling at the sultry movements of Tango. They didn’t even pay notice to the people outside of the dance floor watching with smiles glued to their faces. They were certainly in the moment. Some were fast learners, picking up on the dance moves quite quickly and others struggled a bit, but nobody paid any attention to this. You could tell by their faces that everyone out on the dance floor was lost in the moment and having a great time.
As the lessons went on, people walking by would come to a halt and after time would start making their way into our little cluster. Some would join in the dancing, others would meekly dance on the side trying to catch up on what they had missed, or others would just become one of the spectators watching the magic happening in Landmark Plaza while sipping on a glass of wine or munching on a delicious crepe.
It finally came time for the people to test their newly acquired dance techniques to live music. Mandragora Tango started to play, and the atmosphere changed. As the music began, I decided to walk the perimeter taking in the beauty of the weather, the sun gleaming on the Downtown Saint Paul buildings, and the people who had come together for this one night. There was a pair of older women smiling and swaying to the music as they sat on a nearby park bench, a mother spinning around to the music with her little baby in her arms, two little giggly girls skipping through the dancing couples, and a woman leaning against a parking meter mesmerized by both the music and watching the couples as they danced by. This was truly a sight to behold.
It was refreshing to see how this moment really gave all people, from all walks of life, the opportunity to experience arts and culture. I was truly proud of the Ordway and the downtown Saint Paul organizations for creating such an event as this, an event that makes the arts accessible to all.
As I walked away from the plaza, the music began to fade, as did the smile that I had on my face the whole time I was watching the event. I began thinking to myself; will the beauty of this moment be forgotten? Will people who came together for this one night forget the magic that just occurred in the plaza? My question was quickly answered, however. As I got into my car in the parking ramp, I saw a couple all by themselves in the distance, silhouetted by the setting sun, and they were dancing the Tango moves they had just learned. The smile on my face quickly returned as I drove off into the sunset, thinking about the magic of the night; and how glad I was that a night of Summer Dance shall return tonight where people can learn another genre of dance, Disco.
Let the dancing continue!
Posted in Summer Dance, Dance
Wed, Jul 7, 2010 2:08 PM by Paul Escalante
A sudden silence swept across the crowded nightclub as the door swung open and in walked the silhouette of a man. He stood with his hands on his hips, head cocked a little to the left. His face, wet with sweat from the hot sun, flickered in the candlelight and his heavy trousers and boots were caked with dirt. Embedded in the man’s thick dark skin were scratches and scars from a hard day’s work. Upon entering the room he brushed the dirt off his clothes and removed his wool hat.
“José!” shouted a voice from the corner of the room. “It’s good to see you, hombre. You want a drink?”
“No gracias, Umberto” José replied in his thick Argentinean accent as he weaved through the tables toward a woman across the room. “Tonight, solo quiero bailar.”
With that he thrust the woman into his arms, the music began, and they danced into the night.
If only life actually happened like that. But who knows, maybe long ago in the slums of Argentina it did. The history of the tango is not clearly defined, but one story says that it began with the gauchos of Argentina. Ironically, the dance that today is the quintessence of elegance and wealth, with women in glittering gowns and men in tuxes, actually started with the working class. After a long and hot day on horseback in the fields the gauchos would enter crowded nightclubs hoping to dance. (Good luck with that guys.) They had to dance with flexed knees because their pants were stiff due to the sweat of the horse and the women held their heads back to avoid the stench of their foul smelling partners. In exchange for dancing with such a disheveled date, the women placed their hands on the man’s left hip looking for money. Together they would weave through the crowded nightclub, which is why the path of the Argentinean Tango is curvy.
How much of the story is true is hard to tell, but it is fact that the dance began in the lower class and worked its way up. The name “tango” even means “a place for slaves to meet”. It was first danced to the flute, guitar and violin, probably in the courtyards of tenement blocks in Buenos Aires. People would get together and play the popular music of the time, savoring the moment of peace from a life of hardship. The dance became more than a pastime. It became a language that weaved together the styles of many different cultures, castes and countries. Gradually the various threads joined to create a fierce tapestry of passion and seduction that we know today as the tango.
This Thursday, get ready to learn the secrets of seduction as the Ordway’s third week of Summer Dance continues with the tango! For those of you that haven’t heard, Summer Dance is the place to be every Thursday night. It’s an eight-week program that begins at 5:30 with food and drinks, continues at 6:30 with a free dance lesson from local professionals, and at 7:30 it’s time to show off your new moves to live music! But don’t worry; you really don’t need to be a “good dancer” to come. All levels of skill and experience are welcome, and that includes you. See you Thursday!
Written by Arielle Melum
For more information on Summer Dance visit http://www.ordway.org/summerdance/
Posted in Summer Dance, Dance, Tango
Wed, Jul 7, 2010 1:53 PM by Paul Escalante
Upon telling people that I work with Ordway Center for the Performing Arts I’m often met with the response, “Oh neat, what shows are coming up?”
“Well at the end of the summer we’re doing Gospel at Colonus.” I respond, to which people raise their eyebrows and stare blankly at what I hope is not a new zit on my forehead. “It’s the story of Oedipus told with a gospel twist.”
“Oh,” silence. “That sounds interesting.”
Interesting: That wonderfully elusive adjective that we Minnesotans love to use when we either want to give a polite insult, or to describe something that we really know nothing about. The ironic thing is interesting happens to describe the Ordway’s upcoming performance of Gospel at Colonus perfectly. A classic tragedy of suicide, betrayal and incest infused with the soul-stirring sounds of galvanizing gospel music…what could be more interesting than that?
But what’s it about?
The play Gospel at Colonus is a gospel version of the third and final part of The Oedipus Plays written by Sophocles around 405 B.C. A prophecy is made to King Laius of Thebes and his wife, Jocasta, that their son, Oedipus, will kill his father and marry his mother. To prevent this from happening King Laius leaves his son to die on the side of a mountain with his feet bound and pierced. (And you wonder why the kid is deranged…) But because this is a Greek myth and prophecies always have to come true Oedipus is rescued by a shepherd and later accidentally kills his father and marries his mother. I didn’t see that one coming.
Gospel at Colonus begins after Oedipus banishes himself from Thebes for performing murder and incest. After years of wandering with only his daughter, Antigone, the duo reaches the city of Colonus. While they settle in at their new abode of a rock outcropping on the side of a grove, Oedipus’s other daughter, Ismene, delivers the news that there’s trouble back in Thebes. Oedipus’ sons are fighting over his throne. If that wasn’t enough to fight about, they are also battling over where Oedipus should be buried, because according to the Delphic Oracle his burial place will receive good fortune. They are just one big happy family.
I won’t give away the ending. You are going to have to see the show to find out what happens. I will tell you it’s not quite happily ever after. But I promise it’s not just a depressing tragedy.
The music of Gospel may be renowned, but it actually has some rather humble, local roots. It includes performances by The Steeles, who began to develop their style right here in Minnesota, and continue to perform around the Twin Cities today. They have been awarded every musical award offered in Minnesota. Now that’s what I call an accomplishment! The Steeles aren’t the only cast members bringing Minnesota pride to Gospel. Rev. Dr. Earl F. Miller is the Senior Pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Saint Paul. He’s also served as President of many other Saint Paul organizations.
Gospel at Colonus is an upbeat and heart-pounding musical that will take you for a journey; a soulful journey of love, power, and pride. If that isn’t interesting, then I don’t know what is.
Check back soon to learn more about the amazing artists of Gospel at Colonus!
Written by Arielle Melum
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Learn more about The Gospel at Colonus at the Ordway >>
Posted in The Gospel at Colonus, Theater Season
Q & A with dre.dance founder Andrew Palermo
Wed, May 19, 2010 2:25 PM by Ryan Jones
In 2004, Taye Diggs and Andrew Palermo founded dre.dance, a New York based contemporary dance company. Andrew and Taye were friends for many years before they created their company and have worked together on a wide range of projects for over twenty years. Aside from working with dre.dance, Andrew has choreographed multiple shows and has appeared both on and off Broadway. The following is a question and answer with Andrew about his experiences and inspirations for dre.dance. On Thursday May 20th, dre.dance performs their production beyond.words at the Ordway. Hear more from Andrew Palermo before the show at the Ordway Extra, starting at 6:30pm.
How did the idea of forming a dance company come about?
As I was rounding out my time performing in the original company of Wicked in New York, I was beginning to work more and more as a choreographer. I knew I wanted to go into choreography full time, so I approached Taye with the idea of presenting an evening of work together.
Taye and I had been friends since high school and taught many masterclasses together over the years. We share a commonality and respect each other’s work, so it seemed like a good idea to lean on each other, as it were, with our first full evening of dance.
We went to Dancers Responding to Aids and offered to co-produce the show with and for them, benefiting their wonderful organization. They were excited at the idea, having only one request; that we were more than just ‘Taye and Andrew’. Hence, dre.dance was formed.
What is the meaning of dre.dance?
It’s a combo of our nicknames; ‘Drew’ and ‘Taye’.
What do you look for in the dancers you hire for dre.dance?
We really require a lot from our dancers.
First, they must be technically very strong.
Second, they must be extremely athletic. We don’t separate what the boys and girls do. They all throw each other, and themselves around.
Third, they must be able to tell a story. That doesn’t mean that they are always in ‘narrative’ mode. It means that, even through the simplest movement, or lack thereof, they must have something going on inside.
Fourth, they must ‘get’ our style.
Lastly, they must be collaborative and have a passion for performing the work. dre.dance is a family. We need each other to succeed. So, if one person isn’t pulling their weight, or is not jibing with the rest, we all feel it. It has to be a group effort.
What dance movement styles inspire your choreography?
Taye and I really just let it all filter through us. We don’t narrow our choices based on what piece we’re working on. That said, we pull from almost everything: classical technique, jazz, hip hop, theatrical choreography, pedestrian movement, gesture. You name it, we use it.
What comes first, the music choice or the choreography?
It depends on the piece. We’ve worked in every order. Sometimes the idea is first. Sometimes, the music. Sometimes, the choreography.
What event made you decide to start on this journey in creating beyond.words?
This piece was inspired by a CNN feature about a woman with ‘severe autism’, Amanda Baggs. Ms. Baggs makes videos that shed a light on ‘a day in the life’ for her. The video that really exploded and struck a chord with me is entitled ‘In My Language’. The crux of the message of this video is, ‘just because I (Amanda) speak a different language than you (neuro-typical people), it doesn’t mean that it’s not valid, and maybe you should learn to speak MY language, and not the other way around’ (paraphrased). This message blew me away and led us on our way to create the work.
What are the major lessons you learned while creating this dance piece?
I’ve been thrust into this wonderful community of people affected by the autism spectrum. It’s been a beautiful lesson in how to work with people with special needs while not attempting to strip away who they are at their core. I’ve now taught dozens of classes with people on the spectrum as well as workshops for parents and caregivers to utilize movement therapy. None of this would have happened without ‘beyond.words’.
I think, most importantly, I’ve learned to judge people less. We all have our idiosyncracies, passions, habits; things that make us ‘different’. If someone behaves differently than I do, that doesn’t make it wrong, or them dysfunctional, but simply different than me.
What do you want people to take away from “beyond.words”?
That the only way to understand someone, and potentially make their experience in this world a more realized one, is to approach them with openness and love. Trying to cure someone is definitely not the only way.
Are you creating any new works for dre.dance right now?
We just premiered ‘dre.diohead’, and evening of dance to music by the iconic band, Radiohead, in NYC two weeks ago! And now, we’re presenting it at the Ordway’s wonderful school performances this Tuesday and Wednesday.
We’re also just starting to germinate on the next piece. Keep your eyes out!
Where do you see dre.dance in ten years?
Hopefully all over the world!
www.dredance.com
www.facebook.com/pages/dredance/18881769562
www.youtube.com/dredancetube
www.myspace.com/dredancenyc
Posted in dre.dance, Dance, Behind the Scenes
See South Pacific at it's meant to be seen
Tue, Apr 13, 2010 2:27 PM by James A. Rocco
I was talking to a few friends about South Pacific and I started thinking it was important that I let people know that Lincoln Center’s Production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific is not just South Pacific, this is South Pacific as it is meant to be seen.
Lincoln Center’s Production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific is sheer bliss. This tour is a once in a lifetime experience, performed with the full orchestration. In our lifetimes we will never hear this luscious score played like this again.
Bartlett Sherr’s direction pays tribute to the original while addressing contemporary minds, allowing us to revel in the splendor of a miraculous musical about war, love and the equality of all races. (Watch the video at the bottom of the page to hear more about how this astonishing production came about.)
South Pacific has been called intoxicating and sensual. It’s like taking a sip of brandy. You will be blown away by its beauty. Personally, I was spellbound by a show I know so well, heck I could almost recite the entire thing to you right now, and it seemed like an entirely fresh experience.
Can you tell I’m excited?
Lincoln Center’s Production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific will be here from Tuesday, May 4 through Sunday, May 16, 2010. It is one of the greatest American Musicals and this superlative production has been winning critical acclaim, the hearts of audiences and every theatrical award possible. Please let everyone know that THIS IS NOT SOUTH PACIFIC IN THE CHURCH BASEMENT—THIS IS SOUTH PACIFIC AS IT IS MEANT TO BE PERFORMED.
See you there,
James A. Rocco
VP Theatrical programming/Producing Artistic Director
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Learn more about South Pacific at the Ordway >>
Posted in South Pacific, Musicals
Upcoming events with Andrew Palermo, Artistic Director of dre.dance
Fri, Apr 9, 2010 3:35 PM by Ryan Jones
Andrew Palermo, Artistic Director of dre.dance, is visiting the Twin Cities one month prior to the company’s public performance at the Ordway!
You are invited to two upcoming events with Andrew Palermo…
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Dance Master Class with Andrew Palermo
Tuesday, April 13
6 – 7:30pm
The Directors Studios
(1170 15th Ave SE, First Floor, Minneapolis 55414; http://tdstudios.us/)
$10; Please RSVP to Amy Miller at 651.282.3017 or amiller@ordway.org
Andrew Palermo's dance class is a combination of contemporary modern, jazz, hip hop and theatrical techniques. It consists of a contemporary modern/jazz warm-up with strengthening elements, followed by technical sequences and phrases, concluding with combinations from the dre.dance repertoire.
Palermo's unique ability to reach students of all experience levels provides a fun yet challenging atmosphere enabling students to improve their technique while enjoying dances to popular music in a relaxed yet inspirational atmosphere.
Dancers of all levels encouraged to attend!
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Lecture and Demonstration with Andrew Palermo
Thursday, April 15
6:30 – 8pm
The Ordway, McKnight Theatre
Short reception to follow in the McKnight Lobby
Attendance is FREE; please contact Amy Miller with questions and to RSVP at 651.282.3017 or amiller@ordway.org
Andrew Palermo will speak about beyond.words, a dance piece developed following intensive study through workshops, residency, and interviews with people on the autism spectrum. He will explain the piece’s creation and evolution, and will demonstrate examples of movement from the piece.
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For more information about dre.dance and Artistic Directors Andrew Palermo and Taye Diggs, please visit their website at dredance.com
Posted in dre.dance, Master Classes, Dance
Diavolo presents a "high flying" event at the Ordway
Wed, Mar 24, 2010 12:51 PM by Ryan Jones
Are you familiar with the dance company Diavolo? Diavolo has toured the world and they are now coming to the Ordway on March 25. Get excited because this company is extremely talented and different then anything we have seen on this stage before. They use combination of gymnastics, dance and acting to create this high flying show.
Speaking of high flying did you know that the word Diavolo actually means devil in Italian and when broken apart the word Dia means “day” in Spanish and Volo means “I fly” in Latin? That is a sly play on words for this extremely dangerous and entertaining performance. The show contains a lot of acrobatic flying and leaping that really involves a lot of trust and teamwork from each performer. To do this they use large and outrageous set pieces to show the frightening and funny ways that individuals relate to their environment.
Who is the creator of this death defying spectacular? None other then Jacques Heim who also created the Cirque du Soleil piece Ka that is permanently running at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. I am sure I will be on the edge of my seat the whole night…..I can’t wait!
Posted in Diavolo
Reviews for August: Osage County
Wed, Mar 17, 2010 2:24 PM by Ryan Jones
Real all of the local reviews for Ordway's one week run of August: Osage County. More reviews will be added as they are published.
Twin Cities Daily Planet - "a fantastically entertaining night at the theater."
Examiner.com - 5 out of 5 stars. "Incendiary wit ignites a scorching drama of familial dysfunction"
Star Tribune - "Hurry to the Ordway Center, where [...] an extraordinary cast of actors are doing mesmerizing work in "August: Osage County," Tracy Letts' blistering, withering, hilarious and altogether mesmerizing family tragedy."
Pioneer Press - "Sometimes family ties bind. And sometimes they strangle. Dysfunction done right."
Broadway World - "a skillful blend of comedy and drama."
How Was the Show? - "Go see it."
Minneapolis Saint Paul Magazine - "the acting is top-notch, the set is wonderful, and the directing laudable."
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Additional reading:
MPR Interview with Estelle Parsons
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Get tickets to August: Osage County, running now through Sunday, March 21.
Posted in August: Osage County, Reviews
Q&A with Estelle Parsons, star of August: Osage County
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 4:37 PM by Ryan Jones
The Ordway is extremely excited to have August: Osage County here from March 16- 21. For those of you not familiar with the show it has won multiple Tony Awards as well as a Pulitzer Prize and stars the Academy Award winning actress Estelle Parsons as Violet Weston the pill popping, unsettled matriarch of the family. When Violet’s alcoholic husband goes missing her whole extended family reunites for a completely shocking and oddly funny reunion that makes anyone’s family seem completely normal in comparison. Estelle Parsons is probably best known for her hilarious role as Roseanne Conner’s mom, Beverly Harris on the sitcom Roseanne but Estelle is a well known theater actress too. Making her Broadway debut in 1956, Estelle calls theater her passion and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2004. In the Q&A below Estelle discussed this dynamic role and a few other things about her iconic career as an actress.
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Q: After appearing in the show for almost a year on Broadway, why were you so eager to go on the road with August: Osage County?
A: I haven’t had much opportunity to tour, because I was always bringing up kids. I went on the road for three months with Miss Margarida’s Way, but most of the time when I got an offer to go on the road or go to London, I couldn’t go. But I’ve always loved the idea of touring: I have this old dream of being in vaudeville.
And there are all kinds of different audiences out there. I learned that from doing summer stock. Audiences are always a learning opportunity.
Q: Actors always say that each audience has a certain personality. Do you find that affects your performance?
A: Absolutely, particularly with this play, where the audience is so dynamic and so vocal in every way – moaning, groaning, laughing, crying. The audience is really the third essential part. They’re not just sitting on their hands listening. They’re incredible and they’re always different, and as we go from city to city, I’m sure they’re going to be very different in different places.
Q: How did you wind up doing the role on Broadway?
A: Rondi Reed [who originated the role of Mattie Fae Aiken, Violet’s sister] and Laurie Metcalf, both of whom belong to Steppenwolf, are friends. I’ve worked with both of them at Steppenwolf, and with Laurie on Roseanne. We were out one night, and they said, “Deanna’s leaving. You should play that part.” I had seen the play a couple of weeks before, and I said, “What are you talking about?” And they said, “Ever since we read this play, we thought you would be perfect for the part.” And of course I’m still wondering why they thought that. Anyway, after a few days, I called Rondi and told her I was interested. She said, “Okay, I’ll put it in motion.” And she did. I went to meet the director, and they hired me.
Q: Did you audition?
A: I did. I always prefer to audition, because very often when you’re saying the words out loud, you really can tell whether you want to do a play or not. The audition was the dining room scene, which is really, really tough. So I thought, “Let me work on this for awhile, and see if this is something I really want to be up there doing.” The more I worked on it, the more I loved it. And then when I auditioned, it just came alive, like whoosh. I thought it was wonderful.
Q: You’ve said that you didn’t go into the play with the intention of making the role your own. Could you elaborate?
A: The play was a very big hit, Tracy Letts won the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award, and Deanna and Rondi also won Tonys. Quite aside from the prizes, I think that if something is a hit, then the hit should be maintained. The play wasn’t broken, so I didn’t see the need to go in there and fix it. I thought my job was to replace what was there, to do what is there. I had seen Deanna do the role, and I’ve spent my whole adult life looking very seriously and concentratedly at actors. So I just felt I was her doing the role. People laugh at me when I say that, because I’m nothing like her. But I don’t usually try to put my personal stamp on things. I try to play the play the way it’s written.
Q: What do you think of Violet? Do you like her?
A: I think she’s a wonderful person who went astray. I have sympathy for her. Do I like her as a person? It’s hard to know what’s underneath all that. I think she is basically a colder person than I am, and it’s been very exciting to work on that. But I do love her. I think she was a very smart, sensitive woman who was deeply abused as a child, and consequently bears the scars. Who knows what would happen to people if they didn’t have the background they have.
Q: Deanna Dunagan said that one of the reasons she left the Broadway production and took time off before doing the play in London, was because she was exhausted. Does the role affect you physically and/or emotionally?
A: It’s a very vigorous role, but I’m used to doing musicals and I’m used to doing very vigorous stuff. I wouldn’t say I’m exhausted by it. But I do think that it takes up your whole life.
Q: Everyone marvels at how you go up and down those stairs. How do you stay in shape?
A: I’ve been very physically active all my life. Dance lessons, yoga, running, hiking. I would have loved to have been a skier or a tennis player if I weren’t an actor. I run or swim or go to the gym every day, and also do yoga. I started doing weights when I got into my 60s, and have had a lot of trainers. When you get older, your strength dissipates very quickly. It probably starts in your 60s, but when you get into your 70s, if you don’t walk a mile for a couple of weeks, pretty soon it’s hard work to walk a mile. So I’ve always kept up with it, not because I thought it would be particularly helpful in my work – though I do think actors should be extraordinarily self-aware physically – I just can’t help myself. My husband is like that too. That’s our lifestyle, which came in handy when I started this show.
Q: How did the role come about in Bonnie and Clyde?
A: In 1966, I was doing the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA. I had seen Arthur Penn’s movies, and I wanted to work for him. I managed to get an interview with him for The Skin of Our Teeth, which he was directing that summer in Stockbridge, and he hired me. And working with him, I suddenly knew that I was in the right profession. I was [almost] 40 by that time, so I’d been in it a long time. But I always used to think, “Am I in the right profession? Maybe I should have kept on at law school, or maybe I should try something else.” But working for Arthur Penn, I realized that I was in the right place and I should be doing what I do, and how wonderful it is when I can have that kind of experience on the stage.
And then he asked me to do Bonnie and Clyde. I was just about to move to San Francisco and join a rep company, which I’d always wanted to do. And the day after he asked me to read the script, I got a phone call telling me that the funding for the rep company had fallen through. So we weren’t going. I called Arthur and I read the script, and I thought, “Why is he offering this to me?” I’m really not too interested in movies. But the more I read it, I realized it was an incredible part. And I really was excited to work with Arthur again.
Q: Did the Academy Award affect your career?
A: It did in that I could have had a lot of movie success, which I wasn’t really interested in. Looking back on it, I think that’s kind of too bad. Sam Cohn was my agent, and we were getting all these really good offers. But they conflicted with work I was doing onstage, things that really interested me. I did a few movies, but I did them when I was on vacation from a theater job. My life just wasn’t about movies: I don’t think I ever chose a movie job over a theater job. I started in cabaret. I did Jerry Herman’s first revue in a club, and two revues of Julius Monk’s Upstairs at the Downstairs. And I had my own nightclub act. Like I said, I love vaudeville. I’ve always been interested in that kind of pure entertaining. I love to entertain people. I love to hear them laugh. I love the silences, when they don’t know what’s going on – though I must say that the silences in this play kind of scare me sometimes. I think, “My God, they’re so quiet, and they’re watching every move I make.”
Q: Well, you are – she is – very frightening.
A: That’s true. She’s a great, great character. I don’t fool myself that it’s me. I know it’s me and the character. But if you don’t have a great, sound, wonderful character that reaches audiences, you can’t do it on your own.
Q: Millions of people know you from Roseanne. It was taped in front of an audience. Was the experience similar to doing a play?
A: No. The audience was there, but they were manipulated – laugh now, applaud now. So it’s not like a theater audience. It’s a completely different experience. You don’t have that long with a script. A good play is so dense that it takes you three or four weeks to figure out what you’re talking about. That’s never true in films and TV, which is cool because you’ve got to get up and do them, and there’s a certain fun in that – but not enough to make me want to do it instead of theater. It’s hard work in the theater. Eight shows a week of anything is hard work, and you give your life to it.
Q: Your character on Roseanne was allowed to develop over time, which must have been interesting.
A: Rosie seemed to love my work. She was always laughing at me. I think she was thinking up all kinds of crazy things to do to that poor mother. She was a lot of fun. We had a great time on that show.
Posted in August: Osage County, Behind the Scenes
This blog is a group effort by Ordway staff, actors, artists, musicians, dancers and all those involved in the creative process of performances, programs and events at the Ordway to provide a behind the scenes look at what happens onstage, backstage and in support of the work presented at the Ordway. We also hope to discuss pertinent topics in our industry.
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Everyone had a great time Rockin' and a Rollin' last night! Be sure to go to Kellogg Blvd Courtyard to see FOOTLOOSE at 9:30pm!
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RT @the651: Don't forget Summer Dance tonight!
http://www.ordway.org/summerdance/
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Come Twist N Shout with us as we dance to the Rockin' Hollywoods tonight in Landmark Plaza! Dance instruction: 6pm and Live Music: 7:30pm
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RT @_cindypr3: Gospel at Colonus opens at the Ordway Aug 5th....The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Soul Stirrers, and the Steeles. Don't mi ...