At St.
Sebastian they never spared the rod,
Guido, but in
the music of the bells at St. Sebastian
we looked for
God.
The audience erupted in wonder as the curtains closed on the
first act of Nine with a
final, choral salvo. Nine was
an indisputable achievement for its full two-week run as this
year’s UC Follies production.
David Pereira plays an elegantly nauseating
study of narcissism as Guido Contini, an
Italian film director refusing to change his womanizing and
self-absorption. Attempting to save his marriage to Luisa (played by
Jenna Simonds) at a Venetian spa, he
gradually comes to realize that his writer’s block springs from
his hesitancy in choosing between the women in his life – Luisa,
Carla, the wanton mistress (played by Jamie Arfin),
and Claudia (Allison Leggatt), an actress of unattainable,
mystery and muse. As his relationships unravel, the spiral of despair
brings us through an allegorical recollection of Guido’s
formative years, from a loving family and rigid Catholic upbringing to
the moment his innocence is finally lost in ignorance, from an
encounter with Sarraghina (Christine Aziz) on the beach.
And the crowd loves the spectacle – the
acting, the music, the direction – Pereira plays his character so
persuasively, so easy to love and hate all at once. There is a twinge
of regret when the curtains close on Guido’s world, with a final
flourish of his arm – a brilliant deconstruction of the
narcissistic tragedy, with an energy that would stagger most
professional productions.
Behind the scenes, coordinating a show of 28
musical actors is no simple task – add to that a ten-piece string
orchestra, and the technical expertise required to bring it all to the
stage. The Production Team usually spends hours prior to each rehearsal
coordinating each department – artistic vision from Director and
Assistant Director, updates from the Musical, Technical Directors and
Costume Designer, technical coordination and logistics from the Stage
Manager, and sponsorship updates from the Producer to keep it all
afloat.
“You have to be prepared, that’s
really the key for putting it all together,” says Linda Au, stage
manager. “My role was to find out what the Director’s
artistic vision was, understand the logistics behind it, and put
everything into motion.”
Over the course of five months, rehearsals
were held three times a week: two four-hour rehearsals and a six-hour
run every Sunday. “We really had confidence in our cast; we were
very lucky this year that we all got along very well,” Au says,
on working with the Follies. Part of the reason was the audition
process, following tradition to cast the nets wide in order to find the
best of the best. This year’s cast included representatives from
both the Canadian Actor’s Equity Association (Leggatt)
and the Randolf School of Arts (Shawn Myers,
Simon Zeldin).
Any words of advice for students thinking to
start up their own production? “First off, you need to be
prepared – early on, we had to stick to the rehearsal schedule.
[As part of the Production team], you need to know the script very
well, even before the rehearsal starts. You need to be understanding,
but still direct and decisive enough to get the job done [with everyone
happy].”
With such a rigid screening process, everyone
is very, very good at what they do – but the dates are set, and
the calendar doesn’t stop to smell the flowers for anyone.
“The key is to multitask – often, rehearsal time comes down
to the production team evaluating performances while scribbling notes
for improvement in direction, cohesion and sound. Before each
rehearsal, we need to make sure the space is booked, cleaned, and the
floor marked for direction. When actors were late, we needed to be
prepared to hound them – my cell phone bill was through the
roof!”
For a full week before the show, the entire
cast moves into the theatre in a blitz of dress rehearsals, sound
testing, set adjustment and final adjustments – but from the roar
of the crowd, night after night, it was worth every moment.
The UC Follies Musical Theatre Company has
always been an entirely student-run production, this year with solid
support from University College, Woodsworth College, the University College
Literary & Athletic Society and countless other private sponsors
and supporters. Nine tops up
the last in a decades-long tradition of excellence, exhibited each
February at the Hart House Theatre.
