Inspiration
When I brought in the proposal for this production, what I emphasized was my interest in comparing and contrasting this story to our own time period, and how in our own current day society, it is easy to see how much of our culture looks up to the wealthy and powerful as role models, regardless of the actual modus operandi of the members of this elite group. When the elite model ways of being that includes the devaluing of others, sexually or otherwise, that devaluation becomes the standard by which society designates its winners and losers. Our celebrities, our presidents, our most famous cultural icons often are often glorified through stories of youth and sexual conquest over profound or meaningful connections. I was interested in how these glorifications manifested themselves in a myriad of ways throughout our vulnerable culture. I was also interested in how this directly connected to our community locally as an example of this is played out almost every year on college campuses across the country. In addition I was excited about introducing actors to the acting challenges inherent in the script.
Concept
My concept spine for Les Liaisons Dangereuses was ‘Intimacy without vulnerability ultimately erodes our sense of self.’ The calculating and sensual nature of the main characters was very important but the vulnerability needed to portray their revelations was integral to the success of the piece. I was interested in using Chekhov Technique to explore identity and vulnerability. I also wanted to use Chekhov technique to explore the atmosphere of the period itself. The period the play was set in demanded a very specific type of movement (in relation to gorgeous yet restrictive costumes) which promised to be both lovely/challenging to work on and gorgeous to see. The intimacy was also a challenge and that was a prime interest for me because of my interest in exploring how both physical and emotional intimacy functioned in the play in relation to the ‘hook up’ culture of our target audience – students on the Bucknell Campus. The play was selected in May, set for a production in October. I had originally intended to stage the intimacy myself but had seen a presentation of the Theatrical Intimacy Educators over the summer (at ATHE), I decided to bring in an intimacy choreographer to offer a workshop for our students as well as help choreograph the scenes with physical intimacy with new research on innovative ways to create the best work in these kinds of scenes onstage. Little did I know that not only would the intimacy choreographer offer new avenues into deeply authentic physicality onstage (farther than I have ever gone with actors myself) she also offered trainings in consent and advocacy in the profession directly in relation to the changing nature of policy for actor safety within the field. This not only inspired our students, it inspired our faculty as well and changed the culture of our whole department. It also coincided with the beginning of the #metoo movement in October of 2017.
Conceit
In terms of the design of the piece, I was excited to collaborate on a minimal yet visually stunning backdrop that exemplified the elegance and refinement of the period paired with a contemporary criticism through its juxtaposition to excess. The set design was black and white and created and we played with the ideas of form as set pieces flew in and out to recreate space in each scene as well as move the story along with a smooth and rapid pace, keeping audience attention connected and engaged with the beautiful mesmerizing movement accompanied by haunting cello music in each of the choreographed transitions. We utilized a group of stage hands and minor characters to act as an ‘upstairs/downstairs’ set of servants that moved the scenery as well as brought in tea, announced entrances, etc. We also allowed for moments of interaction with these minor characters, allowing the audience to see something more was happening with our servants, other stories we were missing by only focusing on the elite, but these small moments never pulled from the story, they only allowed for a deeper entry into the period itself. The lighting also emphasized this elegance through an overall attention to movement towards the cool as well as more artistic moments when we silhouetted the fight scene or an intimate moment which involved onstage nudity. It highlighted the minimalistic approach in wonderful ways. The costumes were also the very height of opulence and were breath-taking. We chose to emphasize the jewel box nature of the piece allowing for deep saturation of color to take stage, highlighted by the stark background. We also took special care to consider the ethnicity of our actors instead of work under the assumption that ‘one design fits all’ in regards to race. Color-blind design, in my experience, tends to highlight race rather than allow us the suspension of disbelief necessary to imagine a South Asian actor and the daughter of a wealthy white mother (as necessitated in this casting.) With great discussion we considered the skin tone of our actors before making final decisions on the fabric we chose. A pastel pink on a lighter skinned white woman can read as innocent but on a darker skinned woman read more artificial or as a person who is ‘interested in artifice.’ A hot pink on a lighter skinned white woman can look garish or gaudy where as on a darker skinned woman presents a sense of wealth and prestige. These kinds of color choices are supported by cultural research noting the colors popular in the wealthy elite of a society as well as their customs for rites of passage. It is notable that South Asian women wear red as a bridal color and white as a mourning color for widows. This, in comparison to white as a bridal color and black as a mourning color in many caucasian cultures, offers us insight into the signifiers of a culture and how these signifiers play out consciously and unconsciously on the stage. I feel quite lucky to be working with collaborators that recognize the need to explore the changing nature of visual representation onstage, even in a play in which ethnicity is not a plot point. I believe the choices we made as an artistic team supported the intentions of the concept without pulling the audience out to consider how/if race was functioning in the story.
Reflections
The production was beautiful. It was beautifully executed with swift and elegant transitions, a gorgeously rendered opulent world (thanks to my extraordinary designers) and characters that portrayed sensuality, cunning and vulnerability with a sense of ease (though crafted with great intention and detail.) Although I intended only to use Chekhov work to prepare the actors (which I did for the most part) there were a few actors that asked to work on emotional preparations via Meisner, and I guided them on this process as well. Overall, utilizing these paired techniques served the actors and in turn the play very well. I was more than pleased with the emotional depth and the roller coaster of a story we offered the audience. In addition, bringing on the intimacy choreographer was an excellent move. The actors were able to get comfortable with the choreography much quicker with the new techniques that the choreographer offered and were able to do so in such a way that all of the ensemble members felt safe and supported in every step of the process. It also encouraged all of us directors in the department to reconsider our own practices in working with actors moving forward and this too was an excellent artistic outcome.