“The whiskey they drank that evening is important. Otherwise, it would be hard to account for what followed. Perhaps without it there would never have been a cafe. For the liquor of Miss Amelia has a special quality of its own. It is clean and sharp on the tongue, but once down a man, it glows inside him for a long time afterward. And that is not all. Things that have gone unnoticed, thoughts that have been harbored far back in the dark mind, are suddenly recognized and comprehended. A man may suffer, or he may be spent with joy--but he has warmed his soul and seen the message hidden there.”
--The Narrator, ‘The Ballad of the Sad Cafe’
Now that’s some good liquor. Where can you get some of that, you may ask. Well, it’s my job to tell you. Fair warning, though. As it happens, some Georgia Moon corn whiskey (today’s equivalent) has been floating around our space for about a year now. When a bottle of liquor lasts that long around Signal, it says something.
It turns out it was the northern Irish (God bless ‘em) who brought the process of moonshine to the American colonies during the 18th century. It’s a relatively simple process in two steps: fermentation and distillation. The fermentation is the process of breaking down the starches of the corn grain into sugars. To speed this up, sugar, yeast and malt can be added to the mix, making up the mash. Once you had the mash, the distillation of the alcohol was achieved by heating it, which would separate the alcohol from the water. That vapor would then be chilled and, voila, moonshine. This was all done in a homemade still and then kept, usually, in mason jars (though Miss Amelia of “Ballad” was fancy and kept hers in barrels).
Before the Civil War, moonshining wasn’t even moonshining yet; it was a respectable practice by farmers who were just making a little extra on the side with their excess crops. Crafty. It wasn’t until the federal government tried to tax what they referred to as “luxuries” in the 1860’s that the term “moonshiner” came into play. Those that didn’t want to pay the tax on the liquor they were making were forced to carry on under the light of the moon. Not paying taxes was one thing, but when prohibition came along, moonshining made the transition from tax evasion to out and out against the law.
Now, we come to the 1930’s; around the time of our “Ballad.” Despite prohibition, moonshining was a good option for farmers and, given the economic climate, it was often the only option. At that time, unskilled laborers were making around 40 cents an hour, but one trip to Atlanta would bring in forty dollars. Hmmm, twenty dollars or four hundred dollars a week? Easy enough to figure that one out. Now, the danger wasn’t so much in making the moonshine, but in transporting it. It had to be at night and it had to be fast. So, bootleggers, or “trippers,” became adept at souping up their V-8 Fords into what was called “tanker cars”...and even more adept at driving them. This, folks, was not only the inspiration for “The Dukes of Hazzard,” but the beginning of Nascar as we know it. In fact, the first stars of Nascar all got their start running liquor in the moonshine business. So, when Cousin Lymon tells Miss Amelia he wants to “go in the Ford tomorrow,” he’s not talking about a country ride in the jalopy.
Thirsty? Yep, me too.
Your humble dramaturg,
Snook.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Real Love Triangle
Okay, here’s a real good one. The more I find out about Carson McCullers (author of the novella), the more I am extremely curious about her…because, after all, I am a curious person. As it turns out, this little love triangle between the woman, the criminal and the hunchback is a bit of a mirror held up to the life of the author. In the spring of 1941, Carson was temporarily reconciled with her husband, Reeves McCullers, and they both fell in love with a composer, David Diamond. Carson had no problem with her husband having an affair with a man; in fact, she encouraged it as she, herself, was bisexual and felt it could be a special kind of bond. However, when the man Reeves was with was also her object of affection, things changed. To put it mildly, it all got a bit complicated and ended with their second separation.
Ten years later, she was in a New York City bar, hanging out with W.H. Auden…as you do. She noticed a couple and proceeded to observe them: "a woman who was tall and strong as a giantess, and at her heels she had a little hunchback." Weeks later, an "illumination," as she calls it, struck her:
"I was still working on ‘Member of the Wedding’ when with a sudden voltage I remembered the hunchback and the giantess. There was a strong impulse to write that story, suspending ‘Member of the Wedding,’ so I went back to Georgia to write ‘The Ballad of the Sad Café.’ It was a torrid summer and I remember the sweat pouring off my face as I typed, worried that I’d broken faith with ‘Member of the Wedding,’ to write this short novel. When I finished the story I jerked it out of the typewriter and handed it to my parents. I walked for several miles while they read, and when I’d come back I could see from their faces that they’d liked it. It was always my father’s favorite work."
I can’t help but wonder if her folks knew her personal inspiration for the story. At the completion of the novella, she told Diamond, "Darling, ‘The Ballad of the Sad Café’ is for you."
It’s safe to say that this connection wasn’t lost on Albee. After he had gotten the go ahead from McCullers to write the adaptation, he wrote to David Diamond about the idea, presumably feeling him out. Diamond wrote back to him saying that it was a fine idea and Albee was off.
Ah, the theatre.
Your humble dramaturg,
Snook.
Ten years later, she was in a New York City bar, hanging out with W.H. Auden…as you do. She noticed a couple and proceeded to observe them: "a woman who was tall and strong as a giantess, and at her heels she had a little hunchback." Weeks later, an "illumination," as she calls it, struck her:
"I was still working on ‘Member of the Wedding’ when with a sudden voltage I remembered the hunchback and the giantess. There was a strong impulse to write that story, suspending ‘Member of the Wedding,’ so I went back to Georgia to write ‘The Ballad of the Sad Café.’ It was a torrid summer and I remember the sweat pouring off my face as I typed, worried that I’d broken faith with ‘Member of the Wedding,’ to write this short novel. When I finished the story I jerked it out of the typewriter and handed it to my parents. I walked for several miles while they read, and when I’d come back I could see from their faces that they’d liked it. It was always my father’s favorite work."
I can’t help but wonder if her folks knew her personal inspiration for the story. At the completion of the novella, she told Diamond, "Darling, ‘The Ballad of the Sad Café’ is for you."
It’s safe to say that this connection wasn’t lost on Albee. After he had gotten the go ahead from McCullers to write the adaptation, he wrote to David Diamond about the idea, presumably feeling him out. Diamond wrote back to him saying that it was a fine idea and Albee was off.
Ah, the theatre.
Your humble dramaturg,
Snook.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Ballad of the What?
Despite and maybe because it was Edward Albee’s follow up to ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, ‘The Ballad of the Sad Cafe’ usually elicits a blank stare from even theatre folk. In short, it was originally a novella written by Carson McCullers that was then adapted into a play by Edward Albee. Set in a small southern town, it tells the story of a love triangle between a woman, a convict and a hunchback. In long…
Okay, so you’re still reading, which means you’re interested. I’ll be posting here throughout our rehearsal process little bits of dramaturgical nerdery for those who subscribe to that sort of thing. With the help of my social savvy partners in crime, I’ll be throwing out some tweets and facebook messages as well. So, without further ado…
HOW IT STARTED
Albee once said, ‘I seem to lose my mind about every fifth play and do an adaptation.’ ‘The Ballad of the Sad Cafe’ (hereafter to be called simply Ballad for god’s sake) was his first and, according to many, his most successful adaptation (the flip side of that being ‘Lolita’ which was, to put it politely, a train wreck). In his own words, the idea sprung from “two reasons really…one of them is that I am interested in finding out what happens when people do adaptations of novels for the stage. Usually there is a tendency to cheapen—to lessen the work that’s adapted, but then again, I can’t think of very many good playwrights that have ever done adaptations. They’re usually second rate people who do adaptations. I’m not suggesting here that I’m a first-rate person, but I am interested in finding out if it’s possible to do an adaptation of somebody else’s work—to move it from the pages of the novel to the life of the stage—without cheapening or lessening the work. And then again, ten years ago—is it ten? Yes, probably eleven years now…when I first read Ballad of the Sad Cafe, I said to myself, ‘If I ever start writing plays I’d have to make this into a play.’”
Having achieved significant success with his own words in plays from ‘Zoo Story’ to ‘Virginia Woolf”, Albee sent McCullers a letter saying that he wanted to try his hand at an adaptation of Ballad and attached a sample scene. She replied southernly, “Whenever the spirit moves you, I would be most anxious to read the first scene…I have a feeling we are going to be really good friends.’ So, dear reader, to make this long story somewhat shorter, he did, she said ‘yes’ and they did indeed.
A couple of months before Ballad’s Broadway opening, McCullers and a lady friend spent part of the summer at Water Island with Albee and Terrance McNally. Albee would write for four hours each morning, followed by solitary walks on the beach (cue romantic music). Each evening, he would read aloud to his guests; among the plays were those by Beckett and himself, including new scenes from Ballad. McCullers would write, “Thank you for the sun, the hay, the suntan, not to mention Virginia Woffe (sic) and all the fun, Happy Days and our Ballad.”
The mutual admiration was evident by these ego-stroking quotes: McCullers: “This play, as luminous as its stars, is about the destruction of a dream. It has the passion of a Greek drama although the setting is in an eastern town. It shows malicious humiliation and love and tenderness and bitterness. It has in it compassion, the wildest humor and the dark brilliance that to me, is peculiar to the genius of Edward Albee. Albee: “a curious magician…both child and sage; pain and joy. She has mastered the card tricks of both art and life, and she has seen equally and clearly the sleight of hand of reality and the truth which resides in legerdemain.”
Of course, Albee could have stopped there, but didn’t: “I wouldn’t like to have had her as an enemy. She could be vicious and terribly selfish, but she was very bright and a good friend. I enjoyed her company.” Ah, Albee.
So, that’s a peek in at the beginning and a little on the two of them. I’ve got plenty more, so stay tuned…
Your humble dramaturg,
snook
Okay, so you’re still reading, which means you’re interested. I’ll be posting here throughout our rehearsal process little bits of dramaturgical nerdery for those who subscribe to that sort of thing. With the help of my social savvy partners in crime, I’ll be throwing out some tweets and facebook messages as well. So, without further ado…
HOW IT STARTED
Albee once said, ‘I seem to lose my mind about every fifth play and do an adaptation.’ ‘The Ballad of the Sad Cafe’ (hereafter to be called simply Ballad for god’s sake) was his first and, according to many, his most successful adaptation (the flip side of that being ‘Lolita’ which was, to put it politely, a train wreck). In his own words, the idea sprung from “two reasons really…one of them is that I am interested in finding out what happens when people do adaptations of novels for the stage. Usually there is a tendency to cheapen—to lessen the work that’s adapted, but then again, I can’t think of very many good playwrights that have ever done adaptations. They’re usually second rate people who do adaptations. I’m not suggesting here that I’m a first-rate person, but I am interested in finding out if it’s possible to do an adaptation of somebody else’s work—to move it from the pages of the novel to the life of the stage—without cheapening or lessening the work. And then again, ten years ago—is it ten? Yes, probably eleven years now…when I first read Ballad of the Sad Cafe, I said to myself, ‘If I ever start writing plays I’d have to make this into a play.’”
Having achieved significant success with his own words in plays from ‘Zoo Story’ to ‘Virginia Woolf”, Albee sent McCullers a letter saying that he wanted to try his hand at an adaptation of Ballad and attached a sample scene. She replied southernly, “Whenever the spirit moves you, I would be most anxious to read the first scene…I have a feeling we are going to be really good friends.’ So, dear reader, to make this long story somewhat shorter, he did, she said ‘yes’ and they did indeed.
A couple of months before Ballad’s Broadway opening, McCullers and a lady friend spent part of the summer at Water Island with Albee and Terrance McNally. Albee would write for four hours each morning, followed by solitary walks on the beach (cue romantic music). Each evening, he would read aloud to his guests; among the plays were those by Beckett and himself, including new scenes from Ballad. McCullers would write, “Thank you for the sun, the hay, the suntan, not to mention Virginia Woffe (sic) and all the fun, Happy Days and our Ballad.”
The mutual admiration was evident by these ego-stroking quotes: McCullers: “This play, as luminous as its stars, is about the destruction of a dream. It has the passion of a Greek drama although the setting is in an eastern town. It shows malicious humiliation and love and tenderness and bitterness. It has in it compassion, the wildest humor and the dark brilliance that to me, is peculiar to the genius of Edward Albee. Albee: “a curious magician…both child and sage; pain and joy. She has mastered the card tricks of both art and life, and she has seen equally and clearly the sleight of hand of reality and the truth which resides in legerdemain.”
Of course, Albee could have stopped there, but didn’t: “I wouldn’t like to have had her as an enemy. She could be vicious and terribly selfish, but she was very bright and a good friend. I enjoyed her company.” Ah, Albee.
So, that’s a peek in at the beginning and a little on the two of them. I’ve got plenty more, so stay tuned…
Your humble dramaturg,
snook
Friday, May 22, 2009
2009/2010 Season
The Ballad of the Sad Café
by Edward Albee
based on the novella by Carson McCullers
Directed by Ronan Marra
August 9 – September 12, 2009
Chopin Theatre
Albee's signature piercing dialogue propels this 1963 adaptation that centers on the question: is it better to be the loved, or the beloved? Amelia Evans is the despotic proprietor of The Sad Café, located in a small
Featuring Ensemble Members Meredith Bell Alvarez, Vincent Lonergan, Simone Roos, Aaron Snook, Joseph Stearns and Philip Winston with Artistic Associate Bries Vannon and Guest Artists Brigitte Ditmars, Ehren Fournier, Eric Paskey and Charles Schoenherr.
Aftermath
by Ronan Marra
directed by Ronan Marra
Spring 2010
Perhaps most famous for his mysterious death by drowning at age 27, what is less known about Brian Jones is that he was the founder of The Rolling Stones. A master musician, Jones could pick up an instrument he’s never touched before and have it down within the hour. His obsession with non-traditional instrumentation and the musicians of Joujouka would make an unheard of statement on the Stones’ music and beyond. While his fashion, addictions and sexual escapades made the headlines, Jones’ lasting impact on the musical landscape of the world -- not only on rock n’ roll -- is masked behind his high profile relationships, his drug-induced arrests and the two members of the Stones that would become the face of his band. Part bio-play, part musical, “Aftermath” focuses on the dramatic side of rock n’ roll that too often gets ignored: the rock n’ roll.
Featuring Ensemble Members Aaron Snook and Joseph Stearns (remaining cast TBA)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Anniversary
So yeah... this is just about the one-year anniversary of our last blog post. Clearly, we haven't made it much of a priority. In fact, up until last week we had been meaning to delete it.
We've changed our minds, however, as everyone at Signal has agreed to put a new (and necessary) emphasis on our online presence. That will entail a lot of new ventures for the company as a whole, but to start with let's just say that something is frozen over when Aaron starts a Facebook account. And Vince is soon to follow. That's right. Vince.
Oh! And Signal itself is finally represented on the site. Go find us there. We'll "tweet" with you, too, if you are so inclined -- @SignalEnsemble (right?).
All of that is for starters.
Over the next few months we'll be rolling out several additions and changes to the way we look online. So keep an eye out... we're very excited.
What else?
- There are only seven performances left of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie." This Thursday, we are offering 2-for-1's with the password "Assassin." Come check it out. Seriously. It's awesome. And did we mention you only have seven chances left?
- Watch for our 09/10 season announcement this week or next. We revisit one of our favorite playwrights (Albee), and take a shot at something you've definitely never heard of before...
- Congrats to all of this year's Jeff nominees, but a special shout out to our friends Jon Steinhagen, Elise Kauzlaric, Don Bender and Paul Holmquist.
That's all for now, but not for long.
We've changed our minds, however, as everyone at Signal has agreed to put a new (and necessary) emphasis on our online presence. That will entail a lot of new ventures for the company as a whole, but to start with let's just say that something is frozen over when Aaron starts a Facebook account. And Vince is soon to follow. That's right. Vince.
Oh! And Signal itself is finally represented on the site. Go find us there. We'll "tweet" with you, too, if you are so inclined -- @SignalEnsemble (right?).
All of that is for starters.
Over the next few months we'll be rolling out several additions and changes to the way we look online. So keep an eye out... we're very excited.
What else?
- There are only seven performances left of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie." This Thursday, we are offering 2-for-1's with the password "Assassin." Come check it out. Seriously. It's awesome. And did we mention you only have seven chances left?
- Watch for our 09/10 season announcement this week or next. We revisit one of our favorite playwrights (Albee), and take a shot at something you've definitely never heard of before...
- Congrats to all of this year's Jeff nominees, but a special shout out to our friends Jon Steinhagen, Elise Kauzlaric, Don Bender and Paul Holmquist.
That's all for now, but not for long.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Signal Nominated for 7 Jeff Awards
The Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations came out earlier this month and we're so pleased to report that Signal's 1776 and Old Wicked Songs were nominated in the following categories:
1776
Production - Musical
Director - Musical (ensemble member Ronan Marra)
Actor in a Leading Role - Musical (ensemble member Philip Winston)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Musical (ensemble member Vincent L. Lonergan)
Costume Design (Laura M. Dana)
Old Wicked Songs
Actor in a Leading Role - Play (ensemble member Vincent L. Lonergan)
Actor in a Leading Role - Play (Shawn Pfautsch)
1776 is Signal's first musical and represents our first nomination in the Production category. Ronan's nomination is his second, after a New Work nod for Landslide. That's our Vince up there with two acting noms (his first and second). It's also a first for Philip. Laura won Best Costume Design for Seascape. It's also Shawn's first acting nod after receiving nominations for his play Hatfield and McCoy for the House.
Hearty congratulations to all!
Here's the full list of nominees.
1776
Production - Musical
Director - Musical (ensemble member Ronan Marra)
Actor in a Leading Role - Musical (ensemble member Philip Winston)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Musical (ensemble member Vincent L. Lonergan)
Costume Design (Laura M. Dana)
Old Wicked Songs
Actor in a Leading Role - Play (ensemble member Vincent L. Lonergan)
Actor in a Leading Role - Play (Shawn Pfautsch)
1776 is Signal's first musical and represents our first nomination in the Production category. Ronan's nomination is his second, after a New Work nod for Landslide. That's our Vince up there with two acting noms (his first and second). It's also a first for Philip. Laura won Best Costume Design for Seascape. It's also Shawn's first acting nod after receiving nominations for his play Hatfield and McCoy for the House.
Hearty congratulations to all!
Here's the full list of nominees.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Signal's 'Fool' gets 2 Top 5 of Everything mentions in NewCity
Congrats to Simone Roos and Melania Lancy for their mentions in NewCity's "Top 5 of Everything" year-end review! Both ladies worked on Signal's season-opening "knockout staging" (Metz, Tribune) of Fool for Love. Simone gets her props for her performance as May and Mel is recognized for her "ratty motel room" set design.
Congrats to all the designees! Here's the complete stage list:
Top 5 Shows
"A Steady Rain," Chicago Dramatists
"Another Day in the Empire," Black Sheep
"Diversey Harbor," Theatre Seven
"Impress These Apes," Blewt
"Machos," Teatro Luna
—Nina Metz
Top 5 Theatrical Experiences
"Massacre (Sing to Your Children)," Teatro Luna/Goodman
"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf," Broadway in Chicago
"What the Butler Saw," Court
"Passion," Chicago Shakespeare
"Lunatic(a)s," Teatro Luna
— Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Plays
"Doubt," Broadway in Chicago
"Othello," Writers Theatre
"The Crucible," Steppenwolf
"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Broadway in Chicago
"Golden Child," Silk Road Theatre Project
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Musical Theater Productions
"The Color Purple," Broadway in Chicago
"Passion," Chicago Shakespeare
"Kiss Me Kate," Light Opera Works
"Camelot," Broadway in Chicago
"Ragtime," Porchlight
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Opera Productions
"Die Frau ohne Schatten," Lyric Opera
"Madama Butterfly," Ravinia
"Return of Ulysses," Chicago Opera
"Bitter Sweet," Light Opera Works
"Julius Caesar," Lyric Opera
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Solo Shows
Margot Bordelon, "Love, Valor, and Technology," Live Bait
Brooke Bagnall, "Idiot: A Love Story in Pieces," Annoyance
Arlene Malinowski, "Till Deaf Do Us Part," Live Bait
Bob Kulhan, "Bing Faithful's Very Merry Nondenominational Holiday Special," i.O.
Hans Holsen, "Dennis Tar, High School Tennis Star," Annoyance
—Nina Metz
Top 5 New Plays
"Passion Play," Goodman
"Massacre (Sing to Your Children)," Teatro Vista/Goodman
"Lady," Northlight
"The Busy World is Hushed," Next
"Feast," Chicago Dramatists
— Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Revivals
"What the Butler Saw," Court
"Arcadia," Court
"Othello," Writers Theater
"The Diary of Anne Frank," Steppenwolf
"Mrs. Warren’s Profession," Remy Bumppo
— Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Memorable Productions by a Smaller Theater Troupe
"Katzelmacher," The Side Project
"The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek," Thunder and Lighting Ensemble
"Mr. Marmalade," Dog & Pony
"Red Light Winter," Thunder and Lightning Ensemble
"Sueño," Greasy Joan & Co
— Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Female Performances
Amy Morton, "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf
Danica Ivancevic, "Faith Healer," Uma
Mechelle Moe, "The Bald Soprano," The Hypocrites
Heather Tyler, "Dirty Diamonds," Factory
Simone Roos, "Fool For Love," Signal Ensemble
—Nina Metz
Top 5 Male Performances
Colm O'Reilly, "The Strangerer," Theater Oobleck
Andy Hager, "It’s Only the End of the World," TUTA
Randy Steinmeyer and Peter DeFaria, "A Steady Rain," Chicago Dramatists
Sean Sinitski, "Another Day in the Empire," Black Sheep
Dominic Green, "The Permanent Way," New Leaf
—Nina Metz
Top 5 Guilty Pleasures
"Machos," Teatro Luna
"The Hourglass in The Stop Time Chronicles," Chicago Tap Theatre
"Tiger Prawn: The Mountain Mover," Chicago Dance Crash
"The Baby Killers," Dream Theatre
"Eva Peron," Trap Door
— Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Set Designs
Melania Lancy's ratty motel room for "Fool For Love," Signal Ensemble
John Wilson's honky-tonk bar for "Coronado," Steep
Peter O'Keefe's garbage-strewn flat for "Mercury Fur," Broken Compass
Tom Burch's police precinct for "A Steady Rain," Chicago Dramatists
Brian Sydney Bembridge's church meeting hall for "Faith Healer," Uma Productions
—Nina Metz
Top 5 Productions I’d Rather Forget
"Dr. Atomic," Lyric Opera
"The Fool (returns to his chair)," Neo Futurists
"Mirror of the Invisible World," Goodman Theatre
"Lookinglass Alice," Lookinglass
"Some Girl(s)," Profiles
— Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Theatrical Disappointments
"Thyestes," Court
"The Sparrow," House/Broadway in Chicago
"Three Sisters," Gift
"Mercury Fur," Broken Compass
"Scotland Road," Oracle Productions
— Fabrizio O. Almeida
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