Lights Down: SDC Members Reflect on Halted Productions

Pipeline

By Dominique Morriseau, Directed by Ron OJ Parson, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Connan Morrissey, Ron OJ Parson + Bryant Bentley in rehearsal for PIPELINE at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

March 11, 2020. I am standing at the top of the stairs looking over a lobby filled with people. It feels like a dream, a dream come true. The people are diverse in age, race, and attire. Some are at the bar, chatting loudly; others are quietly heading towards the theatre doors. Dominique Morriseau’s PIPELINE is about to open under the direction of Ron OJ Parson. It is a play so dear to our mission at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati that we have 22 community programs planned over the four-week run. I walk past an engagement wall—the playwright’s words at the center and chalkboards filled with patrons’ comments on either side—as I take the stage for a welcoming curtain speech. Imagine taking one of the deepest breaths of your life. After decades it all was real, in that moment, what it was all about was present. Now imagine being in that same spot 24 hours later: looking at an empty lobby, coming out of empty offices, quiet, sun going down. What I can bring to this is hope—hope and faith that we will rebuild, reopen, renew our commitment. Next season will be our 35th. It will happen. Together, we will survive, until we can thrive.

—D. Lynn Meyers

Destiny of Desire

By Karen Zacarías, Directed by José Luis Valenzuela, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park/Milwaukee Repertory Theatre/The Guthrie Theater

Esperanza America in DESTINY OF DESIRE at Goodman Theatre, directed by José Luis Valenzuela PHOTO Liz Lauren

At the Latino Theater Company, where I am Artistic Director, we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium (the anti-war demonstration where Ruben Salazar, an LA Times journalist, was killed by the LA County Sheriff’s Department) by creating programming that dealt with social issues affecting communities of color. Due to COVID-19, the entire season of the LTC— encompassing 10 plays, a youth conservatory, and a new plays festival—had to be postponed indefinitely. In response, we are now transitioning to the digital world through archival screenings and digital readings to keep engaging with our audience.

And it was a very special year for me as a director, with a three-theatre tour in the Midwest of DESTINY OF DESIRE by Karen Zacarías. We can’t overlook what it means to have an all-Latino play reach these audiences, and it was a very exciting venture for Karen and me. Beyond the financial and emotional impact that the cancellation had, it was devastating, because as Latinx artists, we seldom have the opportunity to have a production of this scope and reach. However, we are thankful that at least some patrons of Cincinnati Playhouse and Milwaukee Rep were able to experience a digital format of the play for two weeks each.

—José Luis Valenzuela

American Mariachi

By José Cruz Gonzalez, Directed by Henry Godinez, Goodman Theatre/The Dallas Theater Center

AMERICAN MARIACHI at Dallas Theater Center, directed by Henry Godinez PHOTO Karen Almond

The Dallas Theater Center introduced me to professional theatre when I was in ninth grade, so it was a profound thrill for me to be going back to direct AMERICAN MARIACHI there, especially because it was a co-production with my artistic home, Goodman Theatre, and included my daughter in the cast. We got as far as our final dress on Friday, March 13.

An emotional Kevin Moriarty (Artistic Director of DTC) came to the end of tech notes the night before to let us know that due to the county commissioner’s new guidelines, we would not make it to first preview.

It was a numbing, extraordinary feeling of loss. Not until later that evening, as I realized that every colleague in the field was suffering the same experience, did I begin to feel an odd sense of acceptance.

The production was scheduled to open in Chicago on May 4. That has not happened…yet.

—Henry Godinez

Ragtime

Book by Terrence McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Directed by Robert Kelley, Choreographed by Christopher Windom, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Christopher Windom at RAGTIME rehearsal with Suzanne Grodner + Robert Kelley

On our first day of rehearsal, the instructions for the company were extremely clear: no hugs, no handshakes. Elbow bumps were the designated way to greet one another. The protocol felt odd, especially for theatre people, who seek to create intimacy more than distance. Yet in every way, Artistic Director Emeritus Robert Kelley and his administration were careful and caring and made us feel safe.

Eight days later, with only one week of rehearsal under our belts, the company was gathered together and informed of the decision to postpone our production. There were tears. There were a few sighs of relief. (Throughout that first week some of us came into rehearsal sharing stories of sleep interrupted by nightmares.) The cast and creative team were given a solid promise that we would be invited back to resume our roles when the show is produced next season. After all, theatre is for optimists. It was crushing, however, to see the children in the show receive perhaps their first dose of another theatrical feeling—disappointment.

As I traveled home to New York City, my phone’s inbox kept filling with email upon email from respected theatre companies, announcing discontinued productions and early show closures. The spirit of “The show must go on” is the resilient attitude that connects all theatre artists, so to see our community so resoundingly halted really speaks to the impact the pandemic has had on our world. For weeks, I felt unsettled about our unfinished rehearsal process. What keeps me grounded is remembering my connection to a vast group of artists, each of whom is experiencing this moment in their own deeply personal way.

—Christopher Windom

My Lord, What a Night

By Deborah Brevoort, Directed by Kel Haney, Orlando Shakes/National New Play Network

Sheryl Carbonell as Marian Anderson in the Orlando Shakes publicity image for MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT, directed by Kel Haney

It’s been an honor to spend almost five years directing and developing Deborah Brevoort’s play MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT. Deborah’s play imagines events leading to Marian Anderson’s historic concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which was recognized by many as the official “starting bell” of the civil rights movement and established the National Mall as the USA’s seat of civil protest. The play also depicts Mary Church Terrell, a crucial foot soldier of the civil rights and suffragist movements. (Check out her autobiography—this woman used her life to accomplish an extraordinary amount and should be acknowledged.)

The Orlando Shakes/NNPN production was going to be an integral moment in this play’s development. It felt extremely important to me, especially during an election year, for this Central Florida audience to engage with the questions the play raises about how to fight racial injustice. On March 24th, our friends at Theatre Without Theater posted a video of Sheryl Carbonell singing Anderson’s version of the spiritual “My Lord, What a Morning.” I hope that post introduces more people to Marian Anderson’s story and also serves as a bit of a balm in our current moment.

—Kel Haney

Frida…A Self Portrait

By Vanessa Severo Directed by Joanie Schultz Cleveland Play House/Portland Center Stage

Vanessa Severo in FRIDA...A SELF PORTRAIT at Kansas City Rep, directed by Joanie Schultz PHOTO Cory Weaver

FRIDA...A SELF PORTRAIT , written and performed by Vanessa Severo, is a piece I have been honored to work on since 2018, leading to a world premiere in 2019. In May 2020, we were scheduled for the Cleveland Play House as part of their New Ground Festival, where we were going to implement new material in performances before bringing the piece to Portland Center Stage in September.

The play traces Frida Kahlo’s life story, while drawing connections to Severo’s own life through text and movement, which not only makes the piece a historical biography but also connects with the artist’s heart. Vanessa becomes a conduit for Frida, but Frida also is a lifeline for Vanessa. The narrative comes to life on stage through clothes on laundry lines that are puppeted, danced with, and inhabited to represent characters from Kahlo’s father to Diego, to her unborn children, to her paintings. The storytelling in this piece is unique, emotional, surprising, and honest— bringing Frida to a modern audience in a new way. I look forward to sharing this piece again when we can safely gather.

—Joanie Schultz