Aactors: Grace Bernardo, Jill Hoiles, Madeline Jaye
Photography: Al Foote III
Photography: Al Foote III
2019 - Early Development of Sorry.
THE INSPIRATION:
Sorry. began with an apology I didn't mean. The chain of events is unimportant, but what is relevant is the fixation I began to have on how often, easily, and automatically women say, “I’m sorry.” I’m also interested in how infrequently men say it. I’m convinced there is a secret language behind the female apology: apology as self-protection, apology as de-escalation, apology as habit. I began to wonder: Does a woman who apologizes constantly, actually believe she’s wrong? What does constant apologizing do to a woman? What would happen if a woman who always said, “I’m sorry” stopped saying it?
While my research does not demonstrate that women "of a certain age" apologize more often than younger women, I have a theory: women "of a certain age" were taught to apologize quickly, easily, frequently. This behavior has been passed on unconsciously, to the younger generation. As a side agenda, I’m also interested in the progressive invisibility of women of a “certain age” in the theater landscape. Sorry. is an attempt to shift this phenomenon.
STAGE ONE: ASSEMBLING THE INGREDIENTS
In May 2019, SITI Company announced Sorry. had been selected for the SITI Company Alumni Fall Lab Series 2019. While this residency was designed for movement development, by the end of June, a rough draft of a script had formed, and the "Cheetos and Beer" table reading ensued. While it turns out not many people in Los Angeles still eat Cheetos or drink beer, as listeners, they were unmatched. The script was intended to be a frame more than the focus for the SITI Lab residency. Sorry. is dense with movement and I was excited about having actors who share my SITI Company movement vocabulary.
STAGE TWO: CASTING THE MOVEMENT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP OF 2019:
I may still be a New Yorker at heart, but I live in Los Angeles, which made casting a daunting prospect. With the assistance of SITI Company members, administrators, and recommendations from NYC friends, a superb cast of "movers" was assembled, with the exception of the male actor and one of the main female characters. (SIDE NOTE: in this first incarnation of Sorry., there were two men: The Waiter and all the other men) Turns out, not a lot of women in their 50's+ want to fall out of cafe chairs, a requirement for one of the dances. Through a recommendation, I found one women amenable to falling down. While perusing her website, I realized I was looking at a photo of an old friend from A Chorus Line, Ron Navarre. I emailed him and asked about the woman, since they worked together. He said he did recommend her. "She's great to work with. Oh, and she's my wife." I cast Ron as The Men, and Madeline as Francine. Individually and collectively, the cast of Sorry. was beyond my wildest dreams - Kismet.
STAGE THREE: THE REHEARSALS
We rehearsed for six weeks, from the end of August until early October, exploring, staging, and discussing how women’s roles have changed and not changed. The Furies actors were well under the age of 30 and The Women were over 50, so there was a lot to talk about. The cast’s willingness to delve into dark subject matter, discussing topics most people won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, was moving, and terrifying to helm. I will never forget the faces of the women in the cast, the night we rehearsed the Men's Pants Dance. The universality of moments like that give me courage and impetus for the next incarnation of Sorry.
But I must admit, the title does present punctuation problems on grant applications.
THE STAGED READING: OCTOBER 6TH & 7th 2019 - SITI Company Studios
Sorry. began with an apology I didn't mean. The chain of events is unimportant, but what is relevant is the fixation I began to have on how often, easily, and automatically women say, “I’m sorry.” I’m also interested in how infrequently men say it. I’m convinced there is a secret language behind the female apology: apology as self-protection, apology as de-escalation, apology as habit. I began to wonder: Does a woman who apologizes constantly, actually believe she’s wrong? What does constant apologizing do to a woman? What would happen if a woman who always said, “I’m sorry” stopped saying it?
While my research does not demonstrate that women "of a certain age" apologize more often than younger women, I have a theory: women "of a certain age" were taught to apologize quickly, easily, frequently. This behavior has been passed on unconsciously, to the younger generation. As a side agenda, I’m also interested in the progressive invisibility of women of a “certain age” in the theater landscape. Sorry. is an attempt to shift this phenomenon.
STAGE ONE: ASSEMBLING THE INGREDIENTS
In May 2019, SITI Company announced Sorry. had been selected for the SITI Company Alumni Fall Lab Series 2019. While this residency was designed for movement development, by the end of June, a rough draft of a script had formed, and the "Cheetos and Beer" table reading ensued. While it turns out not many people in Los Angeles still eat Cheetos or drink beer, as listeners, they were unmatched. The script was intended to be a frame more than the focus for the SITI Lab residency. Sorry. is dense with movement and I was excited about having actors who share my SITI Company movement vocabulary.
STAGE TWO: CASTING THE MOVEMENT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP OF 2019:
I may still be a New Yorker at heart, but I live in Los Angeles, which made casting a daunting prospect. With the assistance of SITI Company members, administrators, and recommendations from NYC friends, a superb cast of "movers" was assembled, with the exception of the male actor and one of the main female characters. (SIDE NOTE: in this first incarnation of Sorry., there were two men: The Waiter and all the other men) Turns out, not a lot of women in their 50's+ want to fall out of cafe chairs, a requirement for one of the dances. Through a recommendation, I found one women amenable to falling down. While perusing her website, I realized I was looking at a photo of an old friend from A Chorus Line, Ron Navarre. I emailed him and asked about the woman, since they worked together. He said he did recommend her. "She's great to work with. Oh, and she's my wife." I cast Ron as The Men, and Madeline as Francine. Individually and collectively, the cast of Sorry. was beyond my wildest dreams - Kismet.
STAGE THREE: THE REHEARSALS
We rehearsed for six weeks, from the end of August until early October, exploring, staging, and discussing how women’s roles have changed and not changed. The Furies actors were well under the age of 30 and The Women were over 50, so there was a lot to talk about. The cast’s willingness to delve into dark subject matter, discussing topics most people won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, was moving, and terrifying to helm. I will never forget the faces of the women in the cast, the night we rehearsed the Men's Pants Dance. The universality of moments like that give me courage and impetus for the next incarnation of Sorry.
But I must admit, the title does present punctuation problems on grant applications.
THE STAGED READING: OCTOBER 6TH & 7th 2019 - SITI Company Studios
SITI LAB STAGED READING : OCTOBER 5th & 6th, 2019
CAST
THE WOMEN:
Francine: Madeline Jaye*
Lillian: Monica Barion
Persephone: Hannah Myers
THE FURIES:
Grace Bernardo
Kat Christensen
Jill Hoiles
Amy Liou
Laura McCullagh
Aran Montare Savory
THE WAITER:
Chris Truini
NEUTRAL MAN:
Ron Navarre *
*AEA members
Original Music by David Anderson & Bill Fulton
Art work by David John Attyah
Sound Design by Jill Hoiles
Makeup Design by Laura McCullagh
Photography by Al Foote
Videography by Derrick James Tempro
SPECIAL THANKS to SITI Company for this gorgeous opportunity.
Thank you for training others and encouraging them to discover their own aesthetic.
CAST
THE WOMEN:
Francine: Madeline Jaye*
Lillian: Monica Barion
Persephone: Hannah Myers
THE FURIES:
Grace Bernardo
Kat Christensen
Jill Hoiles
Amy Liou
Laura McCullagh
Aran Montare Savory
THE WAITER:
Chris Truini
NEUTRAL MAN:
Ron Navarre *
*AEA members
Original Music by David Anderson & Bill Fulton
Art work by David John Attyah
Sound Design by Jill Hoiles
Makeup Design by Laura McCullagh
Photography by Al Foote
Videography by Derrick James Tempro
SPECIAL THANKS to SITI Company for this gorgeous opportunity.
Thank you for training others and encouraging them to discover their own aesthetic.