Jack of all Things Third

You've got to be a "jack of all trades" if you work in a scene shop. Our shop consists of a base team of just nine employees; Technical Director, Associate Technical Director, Shop Foreman, Master Carpenter, Scenery Mechanic, three Carpenters, and a purchaser. We will then hire in general and specialty labor as required. But titles can sometimes be misleading. Our guys may each have their specialties but there is a wide range of skills needed by all to build a set like we did for Third. Our shop foreman, Brian Sears, took some photos along the way to show you what we mean.

This is a model photograph of the opening scene of the play. Scenic Design by Ralph Funicello. The eleven settings in this production move on and off stage with seemingly very little effort, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes. There are seven electric motorized winches, all controlled by computer, driving much of the action. There are four "palettes", which are pretty much big sleds, that are driven by steel cables built into tracks in the stage floor (think San Francisco's Cable Cars). Two of these sleds move up and down stage carrying the big rooms, such as the kitchen, offices, and bedroom. Two more sleds move left and right just upstage of the proscenium. These carry smaller furniture items, like a bench, tables, and a couch. Then there are two giant sliding wall panels that open up to reveal the scenery as it moves up and down stage. The last motor brings the large bookstore facade in an out from the fly loft to the deck. We also use pneumatics to operate some door panels in the wings that open for scene changes; think Star Trek. A crew of four backstage operate the motors, load and unload the furniture and settings from the sleds, and run the "Flys" which bring in light fixtures, walls, and even make it snow.

Some of our automation equipment is off the shelf, but much of it is custom made right here in our shops. This grooved drum, on which the cable winds, was machined in our metal working shop.

Our Metal Muncher, above, is taking a bite out of some steel in this photo making a long horizontal groove. This part (I think) is what we call a "dog" and is what helps make a hard connection from the sled to the cable in the deck.

Our carpenters usually start a scenic piece by framing it out in steel. Yes, that means they weld too. We frame in steel mostly because it is very strong for it's weight. And we don't like our scenery to be too heavy.


Then comes the wood - in this case a lot of paneled walls and windows. You get to be good with angles, bevels, and miters pretty quick. Wood glue is added for additional strength, and so that we can use fewer nails and staples, as they make dimples that need to be filled. After the shop has a unit all built, filled and sanded, it is sent down to the paint shop for it's treatment. Our three scenic artists turned plywood and pine into some stately oak for this production of Third.

Engineering all of this automation, rigging it and installing it takes a good amount of expertise, and we've got that in spades from our Technical Directors and Shop Foreman. Adam, our ATD, moves a cable winch into place onstage for the flying wall. The motors for the sleds are located below the stage in our "trap room".

Here is Nate spreading down some adhesive as part of the installation of the carpet tiles. The carpet is the secret weapon in this show. It is the perfect surface for sliding the scenery around on and, since most units don't have wheels, we don't have the rumble rumble of the casters drumming on a wooden floor. Another advantage is that the platforms are only just over an inch tall, significantly reducing the usual height of a traditional wagon.

In review, for this production, our shop staff were engineers, draftsmen, computer programmers, riggers, machinists, welders, master carpenters, electricians, and carpet layers just to throw a few titles at you.

Oops - forgot - the sink in this kitchen unit has running water. Add plumber to the list.

You're the Man!

Here's a scene from Third in which Professor Jameson (Maureen Anderman) and Woodson (Graham Hamilton) compare their latest bookstore purchases, highlighting their philosophical and personal differences.

Audiences Loves Third

Third - Boston Rehearsal Video

About "Third"

Director Richard Seer talks about the play.

Coming Home for "Third"

Third Director Rick Seer and Actor Maureen Anderman talk about coming "home" for Third:

Third Cast and Artistic Team

Here's the full cast and artistic team listing for THIRD

CAST

Maureen Anderman (Laurie Jameson) previously appeared with the Huntington as Nat in “Rabbit Hole” and Sara Goode in “The Sisters Rosensweig” (for which she received a nomination from the Independent Reviewers of New England). Her Broadway credits include understudy for Vanessa Redgrave in “The Year of Magical Thinking,” Edward Albee’s “The Lady From Dubuque” (Tony nomination) and Michael Weller’s “Moonchildren” (Theatre World Award), and Off Broadway she appeared in Sara Ruhl’s “Passion Play,” A.R. Gurney’s “Later Life” and many more. Anderman has numerous regional theater, film, and television credits.

Graham Hamilton (Woodson Bull III) appeared Off Broadway in “The Two Noble Kinsmen” for the Public Theater/NYSF. His regional theater credits include “Hamlet” (South Coast Repertory), “Two Gentleman of Verona” (Shakespeare Festival/L.A.), and numerous productions at The Old Globe in San Diego. Hamilton’s film and television projects include “Untitled Paul Currie Project,” “How I Got Lost,” “Cold Case,” “Lincoln Heights,” and “Guiding Light.” Hamilton received his B.F.A. from The Juilliard School.

Halley Feiffer (Emily) has Off Broadway credits including Jenny Lyn Bader’s “None of the Above,” Eric Bogosian’s “subUrbia,” and Jules Feiffer’s “Feiffer’s People,” and more. Her regional credits include “Knock, Knock!” at the Vineyard Playhouse and “Jules’ Blues” at the Schoolhouse Theatre. On television and in film Feiffer has been seen in “Law & Order,” “You Can Count on Me,” “The Squid and the Whale,” and “Margot at the Wedding.” Also a playwright, Feiffer graduated last May from Wesleyan University.

Jonathan McMurtry (Jack Jameson) is a multiple award-winning actor who has appeared in more than 200 productions at The Old Globe since 1961 and starred in plays at most of the country’s major regional theatres. He has performed in all the major works by Shakespeare (“Macbeth,” “Henry IV,” “Henry V,” “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Othello,” and “King Lear”), and classics by Chekhov (“The Seagull” and “Uncle Vanya”), Beckett (“Waiting for Godot”), Inge (“Bus Stop”), Mamet (“American Buffalo”), and many more. On film McMurtry has starred with Sharon Stone, Reese Witherspoon, Sidney Poitier, and Lee Marvin, and has been seen on many television shows.

Robin Pearson Rose (Nancy Gordon) is associate artist of San Diego’s The Old Globe theatre. She was on Broadway in “Julia,” “Holiday,” “The Visit,” and others, was seen Off Broadway in “Nellie” and “Summer and Smoke” (Roundabout Theatre Company), and appeared in regional productions of “You Can’t Take it With You” (Laguna Playhouse), “All My Sons” (Old Globe; San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award, Best Actress), “Measure for Measure” (Williamstown Theatre Festival), and “Bourgeois Gentleman” (Yale Repertory Theatre). Rose’s film appearances include “Something’s Gotta Give,” “What Women Want,” and “Fearless.”

ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION TEAM

Wendy Wasserstein is the celebrated author of “The Heidi Chronicles” for which she received the Pulitzer Prize, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards, as well as the Tony Award for Best Play (the first time the Award had been won by a women writing solo). Her other plays include “An American Daughter,” “Uncommon Women and Others,” “Isn’t It Romantic?”, and “The Sisters Rosensweig,” which the Huntington staged in 2005 to critical and popular acclaim. Her last play, “Third,” premiered in New York in 2005. Wasserstein’s career was cut short when she died in January 2006 at the age of 55, right after the premiere of “Third.” The lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honor, and in 2007 she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

Richard Seer (Director) is a Boston University graduate who appeared—as an actor—in two productions during the Huntington’s 1982-1983 inaugural season, “Translations” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” An award-winning actor and director for more than 35 years, Seer performed on Broadway in the hit play “Da,” for which he won the 1978 Theatre World Award. He also has appeared Off Broadway, and on film and television. He has directed or acted in more than 60 regional theatre productions in the U.S. and Great Britain. In 1985, Seer received B.U.’s Kahn Award for directing; he became associate artistic director of the American Festival Theater in 1988.

The “Third” creative team also includes Ralph Funicello (Scenic Designer), Robert Morgan (Costume Designer), Matthew Richards (Lighting Designer), and Bruce Ellman (Sound Designer). Stephen M. Kaus is Production Stage Manager, Eileen Ryan Kelly is Stage Manager.

Comin' together

Here's the news and lots of it. I'll try to be brief:

Streamers final performances are this weekend - with a closing performance at two o'clock this Sunday afternoon. For more Streamers info including articles, reviews and video, visit here or read more from the blog here.

BU School of Theatre has both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and The Weavers up and running. The former is in Studio 210 through Dec 8th, the latter at the Wimberly through Dec. 16th.

Rehearsals for Third begin next Tuesday. We're looking forward to it and to having Maureen Anderman back in Boston. TheatreMania.com carries the casting news. Scenery construction is well underway. Our machine shop has been particularly busy as we gear up to try a new (really really quiet) method of moving scenery around on stage. This photo shows an example of their metal work. More on the physical production later.

Judy Gold was in town earlier this week to psych us up for her upcoming appearance in 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (starts Dec. 18 at the Calderwood Pavilion). We did brunch. She's tall, she's queer, she's Jewish, she's a (loud) Mother, and she is damn FUNNY! We're looking forward to it. Here's a short I found on You Tube - she talks about working with the crew backstage. Contains adult language.



I'm glad that we are not responsible for providing a stage manager and/or hair and makeup help.

We had a meet and greet yesterday with our four new Huntington Playwriting Fellows. I have to wait until next week to drop names, but it was great to meet them.

I've got new video for Shakespeare's Actresses and Ennio to share later as well.

Rehearsals for Shining City begin soon at the Goodman in Chicago. They'll pack it up and move it to Boston soon after they complete their run there. Goodman Artistic Director Robert Falls directs.

We have a prelim design meeting set up for She Loves Me next week. Yay. The entire artistic and production teams will be getting together for a few hours to brainstorm.

Our annual Holiday party is coming up. I'm looking forward the all staff meeting - with only eating, drinking and chatting on the agenda! Glad to say that we're getting one last shot at some darn good southern food served up at our favorite neighborhood bistro thanks to a certain Huntington overseer! We have the best board in Boston. No doubts.

We'll soon be sending of some new costumes for The 39 Steps to NY for the understudies. Rehearsals begin soon with previews starting January 4th at the Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre. BU students Rosie Garner and Kevin Bigger are heading to the city to reprise their respective roles as Production Assistant and Assistant to the Director. Congrats!

Our education department decided they don't have enough going on with all of our great programming for teens. We are now offering classes for adults! Check it out here.

Oh yeah, and one more item: Another $25 ticket sale!!! Happy Holidays all!