Creating Szechuan

I have to confess, I love actors. There has always been something about a performer comfortable being in front of an audience and sharing their ideas/ take on a character with no fear of judgment. I have such respect for those of us who can fully invest themselves in telling a story to an audience. There is much bravery in breathing life into the words on a page. And I’ve always had a soft spot for the ones who can convey an entire back history of a character in a look, a glance, or a reaction. Give me a blank stage and a solid story told by an evocative storyteller and I’m all yours. The Good Soul of Szechuan is full of this kind of performer. I feel lucky to be a part of the production as both casting director and stage manager.

During the audition process (a very unorthodox process to say the least) I tried to foster a “lets just have fun” atmosphere with the Actors. As an organized, analytical, and a little obsessive-compulsive type of person… alright fine, very obsessive-compulsive person, I like things to be in order and charted out with schedules that to be followed. But when working with a director like Shade Murray whose brilliant ideas don’t always follow a schedule, you have to know how to think on your feet. On the day of auditions what Shade came to me with was something far better and more telling about each performer than how we had previously talked about structuring the audition process. At callbacks, before we brought everyone in the room, I gave the actors a little warning about how we were going to handle the evening. It went something like this, “I have no idea what Shade has up his sleeve for tonight. So have fun and good luck”. I smiled and then ushered 28 people into our main stage, sat down and waited. With Shade, you just have to sit back and watch as he gets the best performance/ audition/ moment in a scene from an actor that they are willing to give. I’ve found that there is a time to be proactive with him and a time to let the creativity flow. There was a moment when one performer was so impressive that I had to turn to the person sitting next to me and say, “moments like this are why I love my job”. Not everyone gets to experience when a raw, unyielding talent is offered so simply to their audience. That performer was cast in our show. Through those auditions we have assembled an amazing group of multitalented performers willing to give much assistance to bring Shade’s vision and ideas into reality.

As a stage manager I wanted to keep that energy pulsing through our rehearsal room. With the concept Shade is going for there needs be a “yes I can” attitude. It has been truly amazing to watch all 18 actors access, in themselves, the style and aesthetic for this production. By keeping the freedom of trial and error open to each performer and still nurturing productive ideas, we’ve created a rehearsal room where even if you’re not onstage, you are a vibrant presence in the scene. There is a core band of 5 whose musical tones and rhythms have not only just been awesome to listen to, but have influenced the scene work they accompany. There was a scene in the play where I didn’t understand its arc. I thought the scene was written choppy and not very fluid in how it got from point A to point B. While listening to the actors and musicians play off each other and feel not only the pace of the scene but the emotional powerhouse of it all, I finally understood. It hit me so hard that I couldn’t contain my words. Yet “whoa” is all I managed to get out.

I’ve never been with a cast from first contact of auditions all the way through closing night. I’ve never been with a play that long before. One of the hardest parts of a stage manager’s job is we HAVE to watch the play every time. No getting around it. You can’t not pay attention. I am so thankful that I get to watch this play over and over and over again. Shade and these actors create such beautiful theatre together.

Michael Caloia

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