March 31, 2009

Two Men of Florence - In Box

Sometimes I like to share some of the email I get here. We receive a regular communications update from Rebecca Curtiss. This is today's:

>>> Rebecca Curtiss 3/31/2009 10:54:21 PM >>>
Louise Kennedy's Sunday piece about how she finds she can't be shocked by theatre anymore (formerly with comments that don't seem to be present anymore):
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/03/29/shock_theater_has_lost_its_value/?page=1

And a blog reaction:
http://www.clydefitchreport.com/?p=1535

Alex Beam explains he won't spend money in this recession on our production of TMOF as it was reviewed poorly by Louise Kennedy and Carolyn Clay:
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/03/31/downturns_upside/

And an usher's response to Alex that she sent to David Newcomb(House Manager):
>>> Anne Wheelock < > 3/31/2009 6:40 PM >>>
Dear Alex Beam,

Like you, I've got a sense that we're in this recession for real
now. Free-lance editing isn't the most lucrative work in the best of
times. But I'd hate for that to have kept me from the Huntington's
"Two Men of Florence." I know the Globe reviewer wasn't "moved," but
the audience at the performance I attended weekend before last, gave
the cast a standing ovation. That has to count for something. And
don't you think it's in a recession when things that make our city a
better place most need our support?

Having heard you when you substitute for Tom Ashbrook, I can't
believe you wouldn't find an evening at the Huntington worth the
price of admission. You like meaty topics. You wouldn't mind
dialogue that's more than the usual banter. The production is all
out gorgeous. Do reconsider. You can probabaly get tickets
half-price at Bostix if your budget doesn't cover full price.

Sincerely, Anne Wheelock

Thomas Garvey bestows Francis O'Connor with a "Hubbie" award:
http://hubreview.blogspot.com/2009/03/2009-hubbies-round-one.html

Playbill.com announces Maureen beginning at Arena tonight:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127877.html

Also, watch the Globe on 4/1 for Ed Siegel's Op-Ed about TMOF and the Underground Railway's production of Brecht's "Life of Galileo." We hope to be in the Names column Thursday, as well, as we had a number of VIPs at tonight's audience including Celtic Ray Allen!

Rebecca Curtiss
Communications Manager
Huntington Theatre Company

Click comment and discuss....

March 29, 2009

Grimm Rehearsal Photos

Here's a peek at The Miracle at Naples rehearsals through the eyes, cameras, and cell phones, of our cast members and company.

(L to R) Pedro Pascal (Tristano), Christina Pumariega (Flamania), and Lucy DeVito (La Piccola)


(L to R) Alfredo Narciso (Giancarlo), Gregory Wooddell (Matteo), Christina Pumariega, Lucy DeVito, Pedro Pascal, and Dick Latessa (Don Bertolino Fortunado) pose in our scene shop - visiting to check out their wagon.


David Grimm (Playwright), Charles Haugland (Dramaturge), and Pedro Pascal


Alma Cuervo (Francescina) takes a break at the Calderwood Pavilion


Christina Pumariega and Leslie Sears (Stage Manager)


Peter DuBois (Director) , Chris Carcione (Assistant to the Artistic Director), and Alma Cuervo gather for some table work.


Lucy DeVito - framed


Alma Cuervo, Alfredo Narciso, and Dick Latessa at the table


Gregory Wooddell and Lucy DeVito chat while David Grimm gives a line change.


Dick Latessa mugs for the camera


and Lucy cuts it up with two unidentifiable vagrants. Doesn't look like Comedia del Arte to me....

The Miracle at Naples, a world premiere by David Grimm, directed by Peter DuBois, April 3 through May 9, 2009 at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage: the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA.
Buy tickets online or call 617 266-0800
. Rated V for Very Adult Comedy.

Two Men of Florence - Final Week

I've been asked a few times this weekend if we still have tickets for Two Men of Florence. The answer is YES WE DO - ticket sales have been great - but we still have good availability for our final week. We must close next Sunday, April 5

A couple last minute treats for you:


A backstage video of our fake fire pit - used to "burn" the papers and research of Galileo.

and

Yours truly (Todd Williams) preparing to understudy Ed Herrmann. Just kidding. One of the robes wasn't draping well, so these folks (barely in the frame: Designer Francis O'Conner (r) and Costume Design Assistant Mary Lauve) asked me to model it after the dress rehearsal so they could figure out how to fix it.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800. Photos by T. Charles Erickson

March 27, 2009

The Miracle at Naples - Full Cast Arrives

by Chris Carcione

The full cast assembled on March 10. After the Meet and Greet (see slideshow below) we read through the script and began “table work,” the process of going slowly through the script and analyzing each scene in terms of back-story, character, and plot. Our dramaturge, Charles Haugland, also presented some relevant research to help the actors better understand the world of the play. For me, table work was a little tedious because I could see the actors getting so excited about the text that I wanted them to just jump up and get on their feet, but this is an important part of the process. I quickly discovered this when we began blocking the show. We spent the rest of the week staging the whole show, trying out different blocking and seeing what works and what doesn’t.

Of course, one of the most thrilling parts of working on a brand new play is that no precedent exists for it; we are creating everything for the first time. It’s a thrill and a privilege to have the playwright in the room during the rehearsal process, particularly for confusing or sticky parts of play. Already, David Grimm has made tiny text changes that seem inconsequential like removing a line or changing a few words, but each edit had proved to have a profound impact of the mood of the scene. It really goes to show how delicate a play is. Each line has volumes behind it and to misplace even one is to alter the whole piece significantly, for better or worse.

It’s great to hear David’s perspective during conversations about the various scenes, but it’s interesting to learn that he doesn’t necessarily have all of the answers. It seems that once he writes the play, it exists somewhat apart from him, and he really lets the characters have a life of their own. He approaches the characters the same way we do, just with a better understanding of where they came from.

After ten days of rehearsal, we have the play fully-staged and are ready to move toward refining and exploring the play on a deeper level. I can’t wait to see this exciting new world come more clearly into focus over the next few weeks!

Meet and Greet Slideshow


The Miracle at Naples, a world premiere by David Grimm, directed by Peter DuBois, April 3 through May 9, 2009 at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage: the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA> 02116. Buy tickets online or call 617 266-0800. Rated V for Very Adult Comedy.

March 26, 2009

The Alleged Miracle at Naples

The Miracle at Naples, a world premiere by David Grimm, directed by Peter DuBois, April 3 through May 9, 2009 at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage: the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116. Buy tickets online or call 617 266-0800. Rated V for Very Adult Comedy.

The Miracle at Naples - Rehearsals Begin

By Chris Carcione

Of all my various tasks as Assistant to the Artistic Director, none have been as exciting as having the opportunity to be in rehearsals assisting Peter DuBois on his Huntington directorial debut, The Miracle at Naples.

Peter has been working with playwright David Grimm on this play for almost three years, from developing the original concept, and in readings in workshops. Last summer, the Huntington hosted the final workshop of the play, and many of those actors are featured in this world-premiere production.

We began the rehearsal process at the beginning of March with only a few of the actors. The play takes place in 16th century Naples and focuses on a traveling Commedia dell’arte troupe of players. Those early days, we focused exclusively on learning the stock characters of commedia and how these shows were performed. Because it is a masked performance style, much of its vocabulary relies on physical movements and posture, and each stock character has specific movements and gestures. Judith Chaffee, a commedia specialist from B.U., taught us about these, and then actors began to riff on the traditional commedia gestures to adapt them to better suit our play.

Peter Golub, the show’s composer, was also in rehearsal to teach the troupe their opening song, as it was customary to enter a town singing to attract audience members.

The most interesting part of the commedia work was seeing how it has influenced comedy over the years, particularly slapstick and situational comedy. Many of the commedia scenari, or storylines, involve elements found in sitcom comedy today: misunderstanding, mistaken identities, mix-ups, trickery, etc; and the lazzi involve elements seen in slapstick comedy like that found in the Marx Brothers, a big inspiration of Grimm’s. Much of the comedy we see today traces its roots back to the quirky comic style of commedia.

On the last day of the commedia workshop, we staged the play-within-a-play scene using the masks and a bunch of silly musical instruments to make sound effects and accent certain moments. It was really exciting to see how entertaining this centuries-old art form can be, and how influential it has been. Not bad for four days of work!


The Miracle at Naples, a world premiere by David Grimm, directed by Peter DuBois, April 3 through May 9, 2009 at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage: the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Buy tickets online or call 617 266-0800. Rated V for Very Adult Comedy.

March 23, 2009

Two Men of Florence - In Rehearsals

by Kristen van Ginhoven (Two Men of Florence - Assistant director)

Watching this production come to life has been inspiring on many levels. Firstly, it was fascinating observing the playwright, Richard Goodwin, and the director, Edward Hall, as they continued to work hard to crystallize the script. Second, it was magical seeing the text come to life during the various stages of rehearsal; first in the rehearsal room, then in the theatre for tech and dress rehearsals, and finally during the first few previews with an audience. Lastly, assisting Edward Hall is an experience I consider myself extremely lucky to have received.

As a budding director, who is currently a graduate student at Emerson College, who comes to Boston from working as a professional actress in Canada and a theatre arts educator in Europe, I landed one of those ‘being in the right place at the right time’ opportunities. I think of Edward as one of the most influential directors of my generation, so I certainly didn’t have to think long and hard about that one! It has indeed been a wonderful learning experience.

In the beginning, I observed Edward and Richard having tête-à-têtes about adapting areas of the script to make the arguments clearer. They continued to make changes until previews began to achieve better clarity for the audience. Seeing how passionate they both are about the ideas this play presents and how long they have been working on it reminded me that a play is much, much more than the timeline it gets during a production at a theatre. This play has had a long life so far and will hopefully continue to do so.

Being able to observe a rehearsal room that was filled with not only these two men, but also Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jay O Sanders, Edward Herrmann, and the rest of the talented cast and crew has been surreal at times. Especially on the day Doris came straight to the rehearsal room from being at the White House!

It was wonderful to receive a welcoming hello each morning from the ‘Two Men’, Jay and Ed, and to hear stories of working at the National Theatre in London from Dermot Crowley or putting together ‘The Laramie Project’ from Andy Paris, of working on Broadway from production stage manager Gail Luna, as well as hearing stories from the successful actors who live and work in Boston, like Molly Schreiber and Jerry Kissel. In particular, I was inspired by Diego Arcienegas’s ability to successfully build a career as an actor, director, and educator as I have similar goals. Overall, I was impressed and pleased with how he and the other members of the company were so welcoming.

Lastly, I was continually amazed by the knowledge Edward had about every aspect of this play. I was impressed with his ability to keep a calm and positive demeanor while at the helm of such a big production. By knowing everyone’s first name, keeping a positive energy in the rehearsal room, continually being open to questions, always treating everyone with humanity, and working hard to thank everyone for their work, no matter their job on the production, Edward has reinforced to me the importance of humility in a director. He is a monumental international director and I count myself lucky to have been able to spend five weeks seeing him in action.

For me, this experience has served as a master class in directing and an introduction to Boston’s vibrant theatre scene. I hope everyone enjoys the show as much as I enjoyed being a part of it!


Thanks to Kristen for guest blogging about her experiences here at the Huntington! I have to agree with her on many points - this was a production I'll remember too.

We'll soon be bringing you behind the scenes of The Miracle at Naples with guest blogger Chris Carcione.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800. Photos by T. Charles Erickson

March 20, 2009

Miracle at Naples - Casting Announced!

"Huntington Theatre Company Artistic Director Peter DuBois makes his Boston directorial debut with the world premiere of David Grimm's outrageous comedy, "The Miracle at Naples." Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner Dick Latessa ("Hairspray") returns to the Huntington to play Don Bertolino Fortunato, the leader of a troupe of commedia players who are down on their luck. Lucy DeVito, daughter of acclaimed actors/comedians Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman, makes her Huntington debut as La Piccola, Don Bertolino's long-suffering daughter and member of the troupe. "The Miracle at Naples" is for mature audiences." - read more at BroadwayWorld.com

Photo Credits: Dick Latessa (Mr. Maraczek) and Brooks Ashmanskas (Georg Nowack) in the Huntington Theatre Company's revival of She Loves Me, May 16 - June 15, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre. Photo: T. Charles Erickson.

The Miracle at Naples, a world premiere by David Grimm, directed by Peter DuBois, April 3 through May 9, 2009 at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage: the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Buy tickets online or call 617 266-0800. Rated V for Very Adult Comedy.

March 17, 2009

Two Men of Florence - Read, Watch, Listen

Articles and reviews from the Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix, Patriot Ledger, Improper Bostonian and more: Click Here

Audio and video from NPR (Morning Edition and On Point), WBUR, NECN, WGBH, BBC, Boston.com and more : Click Here

Give us your reaction - what did YOU think?: Click Here

Dine:
Special Offer Prix Fixe Menu at Brasserie Jo.
The unofficial Guide to Restaurant Week 2009 - March 15-20, 22-27.
Make Dining Reservations on Open Table.

Tip: Get your tickets soon quickly now - we must close on April 5. Mezz and Balcony views are great on this production.

Experiment: Try Galileo's experiments yourself.

Jay O. Sanders (Galileo) and Edward Herrmann (Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, before he becomes Pope Urban VIII) examine Galileo's new telescope.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800. Photos by T. Charles Erickson

March 10, 2009

Two Men of Florence - Audience Comments

Here are some beautiful photos from Two Men of Florence. Have you seen it yet? What did you think? Click here to comment.

Edward Herrmann (Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, before he becomes Pope Urban VIII) in Barberini’s study. Pride and ambition seem to play a large role in the stories of our "Two Men". They both seem to desire a place in history as well as a need to be right. Does their ambition serve them, or us, in the end? Click here to comment.

Peter Van Wagner, Joe Curnutte, and Diego Arciniegas as Venetian Senators spy through a far-off building’s window as they experience the power of Galileo’s telescope for the first-time. The ruling class are somewhat mocked in this play - with merchants and their negotiations holding little merit in the eyes of Galileo and Pope Urban. Yet they have their influences in the politics of church and science. Do you see parallels in today's society? Click here to comment.

Jay O. Sanders as Galileo turns his newly-built telescope to the sky for the first time and catches a glimpse of the cratered moon, stars, and the Milky Way. How did this moment strike you? We grew up with lunar landings, space walks, Mars missions, science stations orbiting the earth, and fantastic images from the Hubble telescope. How do you think it would feel to know that you were the first person ever to see the heavens with the detail that Galileo and his telescope did? Click here to comment.

Edward Herrmann as Pope Urban VIII considers Galileo’s fate. The Pope, while intrigued by the science and the benefits it might serve his armies, is fiercely protective of the idea of faith and belief. Galileo enjoyed challenging old assumptions and relished proving them wrong. What are the dangers in each approach? Click here to comment.

Edward Herrmann as Pope Urban VIII explains the betrayal of the Church he perceives in Galileo’s book (played by Jay O. Sanders). Again - these two men saw things very differently. Was Galileo wrong not to see how his science would challenge his faith? Click here to comment.

Jay O. Sanders as Galileo realizes his fate at the hands of his Church. Both men in this play suffer loss. Which character did you most empathize with? How did you feel about their interactions? How does the play's debate about faith and science resonate with issues we are facing in today's world?
What do you have to say? Click here to comment and share your experience with Two Men of Florence.


The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800. Photos by T. Charles Erickson

March 8, 2009

Two Men of Florence - on NECN



Click here if the video player does not appear in your browser.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

March 5, 2009

Two Men of Florence - Video



see more video at huntingtontheatre.org

read more about Two Men of Florence at huntingtontheatre.org

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

March 1, 2009

Two Men of Florence - In the shops

Here's a photographic glimpse of what's been going on in the shops

Candelabra under construction. One of four.

Candle Walls waiting to move on stage. 498 Electric candles on 20 dimmers. A lot of wiring!

The turntable set up in the shop for testing - and two days of rehearsal


A chair - recently built, freshly gold leafed, getting new upholstery

Chair getting webbing

More chairs - waiting their turn
We've built two of these, put new backs on eight, and applied gold leaf and upholstery to all. In case your wondering - that's 13,000 square inches of gold leaf.


And why?

for Alvin, of course

If you have any questions for us about this production - here's your chance. Use the comment feature below and send them in. I'll do my best to answer.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

Moonlighting

We're a hard working bunch. Over half of our labor force are seasonal, part time, or what we call "casual" or "freelance" crews. Many folks have a second or third job. So it's not surprising that you'll find a staffer who uses their theatrical talents to earn a little extra extra. And we don't mind a little shameless self promotion now and then:

Two of our Costume Shop staff, Penney Pinnette - Draper, and Denise Wallace - Crafts Artisan, are showing off their design talents this evening at an event at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, Deane Hall.


The invite reads:
Witness the unraveling of a new winter line of couture clothing

Fashion, Cocktails, and Dance

Designers:
Nucocun - Penney Pinnette
Winged Heart Millinery - Denise Wallace
Music: Me and Joan Collins
Dance: Bess Whitsel and Carey McKinly

Sunday, March 1, 2009 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM- call 617 216 5120 for information

I've seen some of of what will be shown tonight and I wish I could be there to see the rest, but I'm in tech for Two Men of Florence. It is some great stuff.

Denise (Winged Heart Millinery) gave us some photos to share: