Swaine Kaui is a Musical Directing fellow through The Drama League’s Directors Project. He is assisting on Fiddler on the Roof and The Black Suits. He will be directing the Musical Theatre Apprentice cabaret.
Specificity…
Try saying that three times, heck I had a hard time spelling it let alone saying it! Thank G-d for spell check!
So it has now been 2 weeks here at Barrington Stage. I pretty much have been glued to Gary John LaRosa’s side, picking up any tidbits that I can. He’s very good at what he does, so it’s been an honor to assist for him. I watch the way he works with different talent levels of actors, and how he gets his desired result from them. For me it’s been interesting to watch his specificity. What do I mean by that? Well he really pays attention to each word said, each honest gesture made, and how the body moves; and if it doesn’t ring true, he calls the actor out on it. He doesn’t beat around the bush nor does he let the actor gloss over the story, he truly creates a community within the story. I’ve enjoyed watching that, as I work in that same vein, but he sees and hears things that I wouldn’t have caught; watching him has brought my director focus to a deeper level of understanding.
If anyone knows me, they know that I’m not one to idly sit by. Assisting has been a great learning experience for me in terms of just keeping my mouth shut while working under another Director’s tutelage; and not that Gary John is uncaring by any means, but it’s clearly his specific vision, and there’s no room for another directors input to muddy that up. G-d only knows that I’ve been one to share my opinion honestly and freely, even when un-wanted, so this has been a great challenge and a valuable lesson for me to just zip it. As Shakina (my fellow Director’s Project Alumni who is now the Associate Producer here at Barrington Stage) puts it, “The Death of the Ego is a Humbling Experience, learn from it”. So true Shakina, so true.
Julie Boyd, the Artistic Director here at Barrington Stage has been wonderful to me. Within my first week here she took Shakina and I out for tapas, and literally asked “Swaine, what do you need from being here this summer?” Amazing! Not only was she a gracious host, but she was truly invested in me, it made me feel like I was part of her amazing artistic family which she has cultivated here at Barrington. Not only at Barrington, but in the surrounding communities as well. A nice local restaurant, Spice Dragon, generously hosted an evening for the Fiddler cast and team, which was a great bonding opportunity for us all.
Okay-back to the work. Brad Oscar (Tevye) and Joanna Glushak (Golde) make me laugh (and cry-shh-don’t tell anyone), very highly skilled performers and nice people to boot! (I wonder where the origins of “to boot” comes from?) Specificity seems to wash away any kind of “muddiness” that occurs. But the question then becomes: How far can one go in practicing specificity before it begins to venture into being tied down and boxed in, prohibiting the true release and freedom a brilliant performance desires? It seems the answer is a case by case study, depending on the organic actions of the actor and how the director communes with that process. Gary John LaRosa certainly has his finger on that pulse, allowing for organic choices to “flow” from the actor, yet telling the story in a clear and crisp fashion. In talking with Gary John, he approaches this Fiddler as ” A play with music.” Nice.
So how do I handle the need for creative release? Why I’m so glad you asked. I will be directing two Cabaret’s at the new Bill Finn Cabaret space here at Barrington Stage. So I immediately started to plan out the rehearsal schedule, gather my cast, and started the divising process. We are currently in collaboration mode, and I must say I’m thrilled! Though Cabaret is a bit out of my realm, in terms of development, plot lines, arch, character work, environment, etc…it still functions on my true love=story telling. I’m focusing on telling the stories of the cast in an intimate, yet exploratory manner. So far the ideas running around in my brain are quite intriguing.
I leave this posting in good fashion with a song that only music can express. Staying positive as I walk into production meetings bright and early, with a long two rehearsal day ahead of me:
“Good morning starshines, The earth says hello, You twinkle above us, We twinkle below. Good morning starshines, You lead us along, My <coffee> and me as we sing, Our early morning singing song” – Rado