-Henry David Thoreau
Monmouth, Maine, est. 1790: a sleepy little town in the northernmost reaches of our fine country. There is a general store, a methodist church, a small collection of classic New England houses and not much else. Not even a bar. The souvenir shirts sold in the general store say it all:
Welcome to Fabulous Monmouth, Maine!
What Happens Here, Stays Here.
But Nothing Ever Really Happens Here.
Yep, besides the lake there's not a lot to see and do for most of the year.
The casual visitor to Monmouth would of course wonder at the giant Neo-Renaissance building in the center of town: towering over the two-story pitched-rooves is the main tower, resplendent with wainscoting and turrets. Tumbling down from the tower is a massive edifice covered in stained glass and gorgeously articulated molding. From the main building there is a bridged roof connecting it to smaller outbuildings that curve gently in opposition to the tower.
This is the Theater at Monmouth.
Many of the actors, like myself, are new to the theater. Recruited from regional auditions all over the country six months earlier, we have all made our way to Maine, Vacationland USA. Others have been performing here year after year, are mainstays in the process and darlings of the returning public. All of the artists (actors, designers, directors, stage managers and technicians) are professionals who have departed their home bases to spend the summer putting up a classic season in Monmouth. And what a season it is shaping up to be!
The theater is producing five plays by four different authors as follows:
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare- a romping case of mistaken identity, two sets of twins are separated at birth and end up in the same city years later. When the twin masters mistake their twin servants, the hilarity ensues. This piece is chock full of EVERYTHING: we've got acapella 50's songs, live sound effects, ridiculous fight scenes, witchcraft, 13 beatings, a number of women scorned, busking and Bunraku puppetry. If that's not enough, we'll throw in some retro 50's costumes and a prostitute. No seriously, there' s a prostitute. Its gonna be awesome.
Is He Dead? by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives- America's greatest storyteller interpreted by one of the best comic writers working today. This farce shamelessly mocks everyone and everything: Art, accents and dachshunds included. Ready to get outrageous? We are. Come see it.
Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw- A masterpiece of Shavian sexual politics, this piece shows the hypocrisy inherent in everyone. Aristocratic propriety versus middle-class values erupt in an explosion of finger-pointing, double-crossing and ultimately love-making. Shaw's scathing wit leaves no character untarnished, and at the end of this wickedly funny play, we get to realize how full of it we all really are. And in spite of all that, everybody goes home happy. But remember: falling in love is dangerous - - at any age.
Pericles by William Shakespeare- An epic journey of love and redemption, Shakespeare (and co.?)'s massive play really does have it all: 3 shipwrecks, famine, incest, a jousting tournament, gods, pirates, and almost 75 characters (Seriously. Count it.) Oh, and don't forget the pimps, bordellos, and CHILD prostitution. Yep. Its all in there. This play is rarely done, and despite the incredible scope of the thing, there are some really tender moments, and heaps of stunning poetry. A journey you won't soon forget.
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde- An American family moves to England and buys a haunted house. Sir Simon de Canterville, the resident ghost, tries every trick in his book to frighten them, but can't break through their Yankee pragmatism. As the Ghost's hijinks become more and more outrageous, the family's youngest daughter takes pity on Sir Simon and tries to help him break the curse of his confinement.
When I was being interviewed for a position as an actor, I told the artistic director that a season featuring Shakespeare, Shaw, Wilde and Twain could only be topped by adding in something by Vonnegut, and then you would have a perfect season. Those five are my favorites in the English language, and its a real pleasure to be working on a classic season as ambitious as this one!
Each actor is in three or four pieces, and because the first show, Comedy of Errors, opens on July 8th, we are furiously rehearsing all five shows at once. It also means that each play gets about five days of rehearsal time (about a quarter of the amount of time usually needed to rehearse a full-length play) before heading into technical rehearsals. The actors of course, have the same amount of text to learn as if they had a full rehearsal schedule. So most evenings here for the first ten days have been spent memorizing, memorizing, memorizing.
Last Sunday however we did take a break from the work to celebrate my 28th birthday. We went to the next town over, Hallowell where there is a bar (public house) called the Liberal Cup. There we were all able to unwind, and sample the local brews, in an idyllic New England town, complete with shop-lined streets and a lovely lake. It was a welcome reprieve from the heavy pace of the first week.
Monday is the company's day off, and we spent our first one at the pool. Not bad for company housing, eh? And of course if one tires of the pool, there's also the lake. I think there might be something to this Maine lifestyle . . .
Other highlights of life in Maine are Whoopie Pies, Lobster Rolls, and Moxie: Maine's official soft drink. It kind of tastes like slightly flat Dr. Pepper with Root Beer mixed in. It tastes better than it sounds.
The company is getting along well and since we are all waist-deep in text, the days are packed with rehearsals and memorizing. Fellowship, scenic countryside, and beautiful language: no place I'd rather be.
Till Next Time,
BBell
