2008 · 2007 · 2006
2008Boys & Girls
Yes, This Really Happened To Me
Election Day
The Sand Castle
2007
Diversey Harbor
& Sexual Perversity in Chicago
Killing Women
2006
Burying Miss America^
Highness^
The Sand Castle |
Thurs - Sat @ 8 pm & Sun @ 3 pm @ Chopin Downstairs Theatre 1541 W Division St @ Milwaukee Ave Division Blue Line stop Tickets: $18, discounts available |
*Scroll down for artist interviews!*
On a quiet California beach, the Renolds family spends a wistful summer evening gossiping, studying and singing forgotten songs. But in the twilight, the Earth is moving. Irene faces a life-changing decision, and Sunset Cliffs won't be the only thing a summer storm brings crashing to the ground. With poetry, wit and humor, Lanford Wilson delivers a forgotten classic of American theatre, a dazzling meditation on family, heartbreak and growing older. Join Theatre Seven for a rare treat: a brand new production of this seldom produced masterpiece!
Photos by Joe C. Moreno
The Sand Castle
By Lanford WilsonDirected by Brian Golden*
Cast: Robin Kacyn*, Tracey Kaplan*, Chris Popio, David Raymond, Joel Reitsma, Joshua Rollins and Annie Slivinski
Contributing artists: Justin Wardell*, Brenda Winstead*, Wendy Silva, Miles Polaski, Amy Gilman, Jon Ravenscoft, Jeff Augustin, Emily Guthrie and Lauren Glass
Special Thanks: Walt Whitman
Tickets: $18 general admission - $14 for students, seniors & industry - $12 for groups of 7 or more
To purchase, click "Buy Tickets Now" button above or call 773.853.3158
T7 artists reflect on their involvement in The Sand Castle
Brian Golden - Director
When you first read The Sand Castle what about the story made you want to bring this world to life?
I think I was drawn to the mystery of the play, there was something haunting and unfinished about it. Clearly, this is not a "well made play" in the conventional sense, and a lot of the play walks that dangerous territory between mysterious and confusing, and I think I was drawn to that danger. Knowing a little bit about Lanford Wilson's life, I knew the play was autobiographical to some extent. The play, and therefore the memory the play describes, seemed unfinished and incomplete in a kind-of haunting way. Also, I think everything I've directed in the last couple years is about family.
What was your biggest challenge working with this text?
I think the easy answer is to say the moments of metatheatricality, where characters leap out of the present and not only address the audience but comment on their characters, or how they've forgotten their lines. And that's true - that's a pickle. But more challenging, I think, is kind of settling the play in to a specific world. We've got a lot of rich textual metaphors - how hard to play those? We've got 4th wall breaking and an entire "meta" scene - how hard to play that? We've got naturalism mixed with some highly theatrical things going on - how to position the entire piece? That's a bigger challenge, and really more in line with what a good director is thinking about, much more so than pacing, or rhythm, or figuring out a specific scene, and a lot of people don't really get that.
Which character do you have the strongest connection with? Why?
Irene, I think, the mother character in the play. Irene is a pretty tough cookie that keeps her cards close to the vest for much of the play, and most of her life. We see her just on the verge of allowing herself to be really vulnerable, and right when she's about to go there, she gets squashed. And then, by the play's end, each of her children have betrayed her in their own ways, and she finds the strength to keep mothering them and hold the family together. It kind of blows me away, and having been raised by a single mother who was pretty remarkable, it hits close to home.
As the Artistic Director of T7, can you talk a little bit about what it is like to maintain that role when you are directing a production for T7 as well? What's the biggest challenge in wearing both hats?
Let's just say it's hard, but very rewarding :)
Brenda Winstead - Costume Designer
What photographs or sources did you use/pull from to create authentic 1960s California fashions?
The most useful sources were pulled from the internet, like old family photos. They had the informal and unstudied qualities that best fit the lives of these characters in the moment of the play.
This is the third Theatre Seven production you've designed, but your first production as a company member. Does it feel any different?
Working with Theatre Seven has always been smooth and enjoyable. I've never worked with a group of more friendly or professional individuals who also happen to be very talented. That's why I joined without hesitation! I feel a little more involved in the process this time around and am taking more pride in the show, I think. I like house managing throughout the run to see how the actors are holding up, how the costumes are holding up, and how the audiences are responding to the work.
Who was the most difficult character to costume? The easiest?
I think all of the characters have very distinct roles in the story of the play, but those roles did not become fully clear to me until the first run through of the show. Seeing the actors' interpretations of these characters gave me a sense of perspective from each individual and showed me how each relationship worked. From that point, it all came together very easily... or at least, as easily as these things can come together.
Justin Wardell - Lighting Designer
There is a great deal of simultaneous action happening within the play. How does lighting help shift the focus from one of the three playing areas (the living room, the porch, the beach), to another?
From the very beginning it was important to me that each acting area had its own feel and texture...that when an actor crossed the threshold of the house, they had to step into a different world. The human eye is naturally attracted to whatever is brightest, so even in short scenes, we have constant movement in light levels to help guide the audience to the important action of the show. This started out very subtle, but as the dramatic tension increases, these shifts become more overt.
When you first read The Sand Castle how did you see light being used? Did what you originally envision change over the course of the process? If so, how?
The lighting needed to be a reflection of the story itself. This is a show that deals with betrayal and the loss of innocence and the crossroads where a family finds itself - all under the backdrop of a California sunset. When I first saw the play on its feet, I was struck by the fact that while most of the action of the play takes place indoors, all of the moments of significant upheaval take place either on the porch or in the living room. As I developed my light plot, it became increasingly important to me that the beach house felt warm and inviting so that there was a sharper contrast with the ever-changing outside world.
How is this show different lighting-wise from the other T7 shows you've designed?
The Sand Castle is the first show that Theatre Seven has produced that is not in a proscenium theatre. We chose to present this show in a thrust environment because of the intimate nature of the play. The structural columns at the Chopin, along with the raked hanging positions, an incomplete grid structure, and limited lighting resources made this task more challenging than it might have been in other spaces. One aspect of the show that has stayed consistent among all of the Theatre Seven shows is the high level of professionalism and enthusiasm throughout the design process.
Tracey Kaplan - Sasha
When you first read The Sand Castle were you initially drawn to Sasha? In what ways do you connect with her?
I read the part of Sasha over a year ago when we were first looking at The Sand Castle as an option and at first, Brian had Robin and I flipping between Joan and Sasha every couple days. At the time, I could see myself playing either character, but now I can't imagine it being any other way...I was immediately drawn to Sasha's playful nature and how bold she was. She wasn't at all what I expected her to be. I was shocked that girls in their 20's spoke the way she and Joan did in the early 1960's.
As I got to know Sasha better and felt more comfortable with her, I found myself connecting with her on many levels. I identified with her need to be part of the group and for everyone to get along. She always wants to keep the party going so she tries to be the ray of sunshine that everyone expects her to be. She smiles and laughs a lot - which I do a lot, especially when I am uncomfortable or want to make others feel more at ease.
What about Sasha is a challenge for you and how did you work with in the rehearsal room?
Apparently, I didn't know how to flirt before this production! Much like Sasha in other scenes, I often smile and joke through uncomfortable interactions and do not fully invest as a way of protecting myself. I found it very difficult to look Josh (Calvin) in the eye and say "You just want me for my big chest" without giggling or becoming Jessica Rabbit. I felt nervous and unnatural - I realized I had never done something like that before. I have been in a relationship for a few years and don't find myself flexing that particular flirt muscle often. Finally finding the confidence to actually look him in the eye and mean what I say was a big step for me. One of the benefits of working with a director that knows you as well as Brian knows me, is that he is not afraid to point out some of my actor "crutches." I now recognize my tendency to smile often on stage and I am more able to control it. I'm very grateful for the constructive criticism... Now I flirt all over the place! Hey, practice makes perfect.
How many T7 shows have you been in now? Can you talk about the different roles you have played both on and off the stage and how you have grown during your T7 experience.
As Theatre Seven's Casting Director, I have the wonderful opportunity to bring in actors I like to read for the director of a particular project. I have a very good memory for names and faces and remember, for the most part, what people have done in the audition room. Luckily, I don't have the final casting authority - that is the job of the director - so blame someone else if a friend doesn't get cast, and allow the director to decide whether I'm suitable for a role. I absolutely love my position.
I've played a wide variety of parts for Theatre Seven, and I'm surprised at how often I am cast as the ingenue or the innocent. In college, I played a lot of outsiders, and a few of them were highly sexualized. With Theatre Seven, I have played the sweet romantic lead in Sexual Perversity in Chicago, a jaded bartender in Diversey Harbor, a housewife with good aim in Killing Women, a reluctant threesome participant in Yes, This Really Happened to Me and the town flirt who is all talk in The Sand Castle...
I have learned more from Theatre Seven productions than in many classes I have taken over the past couple of years. Brian, Margot and Cassy have each taught me invaluable lessons about my acting... I cannot wait to see what they'll do to me next!
