The Official Blog of PURE Theatre

PURE Theatre rehearsing Circle Mirror Transformation at Robert Lange Studios

Special Thanks to Robert Lange Studios for the rehearsal space to kick off Season 8: Nomads & Fools “at” PURE Theatre! That’s a webcam shot of our rehearsal. Join us September 3 at Charleston Ballet Theatre for the opening!

Dates

Sept 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18

NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE!

Charleston Ballet Theatre @ 477 King Street

Times

7:30 evenings; 2:00 PM Matinee, Sunday Sept 12th

Synopsis

Circle Mirror Transformation follows five small town Vermonters as they take a community acting class, each with their own expectations. They soon learn more about each other and themselves than they bargained for. Circle Mirror Transformationpremiered at Playwrights Horizons in New York in October 2009 for a scheduled month long run. Due to its enormous popularity and critical acclaim (The New York Times called it “absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny”), it was extended several times and ran through January 2010.

Cast

The cast includes PURE veterans Pam Galle (Sheep’s Clothing), Sullivan Graci Hamilton (Ginger, Speech and Debate), Randy Neale (Yankee Tavern, The Seafarer), Carri Schwab (Ginger), and Paul Whitty (Sheep’s Clothing, Hogs, Faith Hope & Charity)

Awards and Nominations for the Play

OBIE Awards: Best New American Play to Annie Baker, Circle Mirror Transformation and The Aliens

New York Drama Critics Circle: Emerging Talent Special Citation to Annie Baker for Circle Mirror Transformation and The Aliens

Drama Desk Award nomination: Outstanding Play to Annie Baker, Circle Mirror Transformation

RE: Low Country Boil, premiering at PURE March 5–27

R.W. Smith

As a member of PURE, I have had the opportunity to not only grow as an artist, but expand my skills along the way. All of us in the core take on different duties, whatever it takes to get the show done. Personally, I’ve worked as an actor, director, producer, front of house, company manager, writer and general morale booster. Every one of the core members and extended PURE family has done the same in some form or fashion. It’s how you produce theatre. Everyone takes on the roles that are necessary to get the job done. It reminds me of when Uta Hagen talked about the roles we play in life: teacher-student, spouse-spouse, parent-child, employer-employee, etc. We take on these roles in our daily lives; playing each role with its appropriate status, relationship, and history.

Working on Low Country Boil has reminded me of these roles and how embracing them is the only way art can be made. So many shows at PURE have been directed by one core member while other core members have worked on their vision. We each demand so much of each other artistically, but when it comes time to defer to the person in charge, that respect is given without question. We each wear our hat and play our role.

Right now I’m wearing three hats. Writer/director/actor. To be honest: too many hats. If I had my druthers, I would not be in the play, but (**Warning!!!! , Low Country Boil spoiler****) I stupidly brought my character back to life from the first one. I say stupidly more because I’m in the middle of juggling the hats and not because it is a plot point I’m uncomfortable with. But here I am looking at a piece through the eyes of a director, a writer and an actor, and each has an opinion, sometimes very different from the other; and the ensuing battle can be quite nasty. Mind you, the whole thing transpires in my head. A nightly fight club taking place in my cerebral cortex like a scene from Being John Malkovich. But in the end, I have to defer to the director. The responsibility rests with him/me.

My actor/me needs to focus on breaking down scenes, beat-to-beat, objective-obstacle-action, motivations, super-objectives, being in the moment, listening, character development, etc.

My writer needs to let the director tell his/my story the best way it can be done.

As I head down to rehearsal today, with all my hats in my bag, I know that I’ve got the talent around me to produce a great show. I’ve got a wonderful cast and an amazing theatre company supporting me. So all I have to do is make sure I’m wearing the right hat.