We Were All Well Met

Well, not all of us. Not even remotely all of us. But yesterday David Zarko, Heather Stuart and myself (Jeff Wills) met deep in the heart of Scranton to discuss various Zuppa-related issues. Central to this was some discussion of our upcoming production of R&J, titled thus far in releases as The Very Nearly Perfect Comedy of Romeo & Juliet. I believe this title comes about as a result of one of David's organizing principles behind the show, that the characters have a vested interest in keeping their story a comedy against the forces of tragedy that inevitably creep in. But you can answer to that, David. It's a departure in terms of Zuppa del Giorno titles. We've had a custom of naming our shows through a simple paradigm: [ADJECTIVE NOUN], or vice versa. This project is a departure in more ways than one, so I'm tickled by the title taking this turn.

All consonance aside, we have some more solid ideas of the show now, both from pragmatic and artistic standpoints. Everyone who has collaborated on the idea of a clown/commedia R&J thus far has been enormously generous and creative, and it would be wonderful if we could include everyone. Unfortunately, the theatre's budget and season being what they are, we are limited to a ratio of either 5:1 or 4:2, equity:non-equity actors. Those decisions are frustrating to have to make, and a variety of factors will go into them. Ultimately, ETC/David will have the final word on all that, and that time is not yet at hand. What is at hand is determining who will direct and lead, and who we will bring over from Italy to work with us on this show.

That makes it sound as though we've legions of Italian actors, directors and designers chomping at the bit to join us in this experiment, but really we have two friends we're aiming to collaborate with -- Andrea Brugnera and Angelo Crotti. This is not only because we love working with these two and they're talented artists in their own rights, but because it is our intention to take this show to Italy the summer after its inception and perform it there, in Aquapendente and Civita di Bagnoreggio. Ambitious? Yes. Essential therefore to have input from actual Italians on the show in its development stages? Yes yes yes. Plus, if one or both of these gentlemen end up being able to stay in America long enough to actually be in the show, it's one less person we have to sweat getting into Italy come summertime.

If our discussion of the show's artistic and aesthetic aspects is any indication, what we're moving toward is a production that portrays Romeo and Juliet as red-nose clowns in a world that is otherwise almost entirely populated by masked commedia dell'arte characters. There will be much doubling, and in some cases tripling, of roles amongst the projected 6 main performers. There will also be foley artists on stage who get involved in the action (which is a lovely return to a convention we used to great response in Noble Aspirations). Our specific approach to the story has yet to be defined, but some elements are already being considered as parameters:

1. There will be a significant use of the original text; at present, people seem jazzed about Romeo and Juliet being the ones who are largely involved in that approach.


2. There will be some Italian-language incorporation.


3. The story will be tinkered with, expectations will be subverted, but the sequence of action will remain by-and-large the same and recognizable.


4. The work will be informed by improvisation exploration as well as scene study. It is possible-to-likely that some sequences of the final product may be semi-improvised.


5. We will have legitimate combat sequences.

That's about as much as we know, now. Just wanted to get it up on the 'blog so people can respond with their questions (don't know if we'll have answers), comments (we like "awesome," just as a for-example) and complaints (seriously: this is the venue in which to be heard). There will be periods of relative inactivity on this here 'blog, but feel free to check in any time and throw down any thoughts you may have. That's what it's here for.

More the merrier? Or less is more?

Is it possible that we might cast outside Zuppa? Or do we have so many people in Zuppa that we are trying to choose among us? I'm asking because I know people who would be screamingly excellent for this project.

Also, would we want non-Zuppa people to contribute to the blog? Or no?

Useless information: I have a copy of the play that has a picture of Juliet in a black shroud on the cover. Every time Peter sees it, he signs "gorilla." Perhaps we should have Juliet as an 800-pound-gorilla? No? Well, there's a joke in there somewhere...

What Fun I Had

Here I am, back at my day job, thinking of nothing but the last week of play and exploration. Thanks, everyone, for your enthusiasm and time. David, Heather, Andrea and I all agreed that part of what was so energizing about this project was the way in which it seemed to draw so many talented people together, and I am full of gratitude in the afterglow.

How to summarize our week? Well, it can't be done, frankly. The sketchbook of my mind is full-up, y'all. Interestingly enough, at the same time I feel we have a clearer focus on what kind of show this wants to be. I write what it wants to be because after a week it has also become very clear to me that this story and the traditions we're inspired by have just as much to say about what they do as we might, and say it with the force of hundreds of years' practice behind them. That's not to say we can't be free with our materials. It is to say, however, that as usual the key will be in listening.

I'm going to summarize some ideas below. They are entirely subject to change, and it's entirely possible that I have interpreted some of them beyond what we agree on as a group, but we need to start the discussion somewhere. Agree, disagree, have at thee:

• We want to incorporate the original language and Italian translations, as well as plenty of silent action. No talk yet of interpreting the poetry into contemporary vernacular, though we did just that in our improvisations on the text. Some discussion of possibly a narrator character (Friar Lawrence) and/or linguistic interpreter.


• We've workshopped in clown style with Mark, commedia dell'arte with Andrea, and in free-style improvisation based on readings of the text. At the end of last week we were feeling inclined toward the characters of Romeo and Juliet being clowns in a world populated otherwise by commedia dell'arte mask characters, but we have also discussed: Mercutio being mercurial between clown/commedia; Lawrence having no mask or nose; all the younger characters being red-nose clowns; one family being clown, the other commedia; and all characters being clowns. There's much more to be explored about this.


• The only set discussion thus far has been Andrea's suggestion that it be simple. (Personally, I'd like to include the bench that was in Noble Aspirations and Legal Snarls somehow.)


• Dave G. discussed the show taking place in a kind of meta-reality, in which we're watching players (or pure clowns) trying to tell the story of Romeo & Juliet. David Z. returned often to the idea of the characters, be they self-aware or no, trying to keep their lives in the world of comedy and ultimately incapable of resisting the tragedy. Either way, there seems to be agreement about the show beginning with great humor and light, excited energy, and hanging on to that as long as possible before the tragedy takes over.


• There's a strong theme of metamorphosis in our playing, particularly with regards to growing up or a loss of innocence.

We have not just ambiguities, but many questions:

• How many people will we be working with? Who? How many of those will need to be trained?


• Can commedia and clown characters coexist? If so, how?


• When is this set? Where?


• Will we change the story at all? If so, how?


• How do we proceed from here?

These questions may resist answering until we come to the final rehearsal period, but it's good to consider and compile them as early as possible. We don't know what will come next, exactly, in terms of getting people working together in the same room again. That work continues some days this week with Andrea, Heather and David, and possibly Connor, Rich and whomever else can make it. There's some discussion of running commedia workshops for the community in May/June, which may include time to reconvene, and a reunion to work on a special production of the classic commedia scenario, The Husband, is just as sure as can be happening in August.

In the meantime, ponder and dream and share it here.