"Theatre Training News" Article on the Kansas City Repertory Theatre/UMKC Theatre Co-Production of "King Lear"
The KC Rep and UMKC Theatre Collaborate on King Lear
by Thomas Canfield
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s 2006-07 season featured a successful production of King Lear in collaboration with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Theatre Department.
The production underscored the fruitful, long-standing affiliation between the two theatrical entities, a partnership built on shared ideals and resources.
Few training programs have such an integral working connection with a professional theatre. UMKC graduate students enjoy daily contact with professionals in the classroom and on stage. Some of the Rep’s designers, artists and managers also teach UMKC courses, and their students frequently earn the opportunity to assist on Rep productions in a wide range of capacities.
“It’s a win-win relationship for both organizations,” says Tom Mardikes, UMKC Theatre chair. “The Rep gets fresh young talent on stage and intelligent, hardworking students assisting in all design areas. Students get to act with, understudy or assist a wide range of world-class talent. Many connections are made that last beyond the production at hand.”
Featuring contributions from UMKC graduate students and alumni in all disciplines, King Lear was directed by veteran Rep director Larry Carpenter. Previously, Carpenter had directed the Rep productions of Company, Saint Joan, The Front Page and Give ‘Em Hell, Harry. He also received a Tony Award nomination as best director for Starmites, as well as directing productions at the Roundabout Theatre Company and Soho Repertory Theater in New York, the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, and at the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Pasadena Playhouse in California, among many others.
“One of the most important assets for a training theatre artist is exposure to the actual, working world of theatre professionals,” says Carpenter. “Conversely, it is important for a working theatre artist to be reminded of the seminal impulses of early training days. It is therefore a great thing that UMKC’s theatre program and the Kansas City Rep have conjoined to provide such a dialogue. Experience training youth–and youth enlivening experience . . . is an intoxicating, creative dynamic. But it is not unusual, because the fact of experienced artists training theatrical journey-people has been at the core of theatrical tradition since the Greeks.”
Acting/Performance
The production featured a cast comprised of first-class professional actors from across the United States. However, Carpenter says that “I supplemented this company with many good UMKC theatre program actors . . . because these young actors’ training had prepared them to accept the responsibility of joining a professional process.”
The partnership is about process, according to Dr. Gary Holcombe, head of undergraduate studies in Theatre.
“Our students are here to develop a clear process in the creation of character,” says Holcombe, who also played the role of Kent in the production. “This process, at some point in the actor’s journey, becomes habitual. The gift of working with professional actors is the opportunity to witness process at work.
“There are many ways to reach the actor’s goal, and by working with those who do it on a daily basis–and earn their bread and butter by acting–the student actor has the opportunity to witness, first hand, what is working for another actor. They can sit with them, explore with them, see how they do it, and decide if it is a path they wish to pursue. There are as many opinions about process for the actor as there are opinions on how to perform Shakespeare. Working with professionals also reinforces the importance of being on time, being prepared and allowing yourself to fail. The director, hopefully, will point the actor in the right direction.”
David Graham Jones (’07) played the King of France in the production and understudied the role of Edgar. Jones believes that his involvement in King Lear truly enhanced his educational experience. “It was an indispensable learning experience to work alongside truly professional actors as they painstakingly dissected what is arguably Shakespeare’s greatest play,” says Jones.
The production also featured Ben Newman (’07) as the Duke of Burgundy. In addition to this primary role, Newman understudied the role of Goneril’s servant Oswald, which was performed by classmate Logan Ernsthaal (’08). Another graduate acting student involved in the production was David Bianco (’07), who played Lear’s Page and understudied the role of the Fool. Bianco says that the opportunity for involvement in Rep productions not only influenced his decision to attend UMKC, but also enriched his acting skills and marketability as an artist.
“I decided that I wanted to be taken seriously as a professional, and through my preparation understudying Lear’s Fool, I was able to take myself seriously and prepare with more specificity,” Bianco says. He is now using these tools to hone his craft in New York.
Samuel T. Gaines (’08), who played the Herald in the production, says that the novel workshop atmosphere created by rehearsing and acting with professionals was a definite asset. Not only was he able to witness professionalism first hand, but Gaines also was given the freedom to experiment in developing his craft. “Being in King Lear was an opportunity to watch process,” says Gaines. “The mingling of artistic and not-so-artistic energies is what intrigued me.”
The role of Cornwall’s Knight was performed by first-year actor Jess Akin (’09), who regarded the experience as inspirational and vital to his professional development. “I enjoyed the opportunity of working in a professional setting and making the realization that the training I am involved with is not only preparing me to meet those standards but to surpass them,” Akin says.
Anthony Vaughn Merchant (’09) played the role of Gloucester’s Servant. “I found my experience in King Lear to be highly educational as far as learning what professional directors and producers are looking for in their actors,” says Merchant. “I was also able to observe the collaboration of many different actors from different backgrounds and see their work come together to form the brilliant piece of theatre that we were all proud of.”
Additional UMKC graduate acting students involved in the production included Todd Carlton Lanker (’09) who played the role of Cordelia’s Knight and understudied the role of Edmund. Other understudies were Cassandra Schwanke (’08) as Regan and Elana Kepner (’09) as Cordelia.
Scenic Design
In the scenic design program, graduate students work in Rep shops or in the design studio as part of their assistantship assignments, and have access to the professional scene, prop and costume shops.
John Ezell, Hall Family Foundation professor of design at UMKC, created the set designs for King Lear, while Gene Emerson Friedman, assistant professor of scenic design, was the associate scenic designer for the production.
“Giving students the opportunity to work in conjunction with a designer-in-residence on Kansas City Repertory Theatre productions is one of the reasons the connection with the Rep is so important,” says Friedman.“The students assist with model construction, paint elevations and layouts, not only for the Rep productions, but for productions we are designing across the country.”
Scenic design students who worked at the Rep last season included Liz Freeman (’07), Jessica Trent-Secrest (’07), Jarrod Bray (’08), Nick Shaw (’08), Chris Burkhart (’09), Jason Coale (’09), Jen McDuffee (’09), Jeff Roudabush (’09) and Ryan Zirngibl (’09).
Two graduates of the scenic design program assisted John Ezell on the production of King Lear as well: William Spencer Musser (’03) and Adrienne Harper (’06), who has a dual degree in scenic and costume design.
Lighting Design
Students in the lighting design program serve as assistants to lighting designers at the Rep.
Associate Professor Victor En Yu Tan, head of the lighting design program, believes his students learn a lot by watching professional lighting designers run their focus sessions and tech rehearsals, so all lighting students participate on every hang, focus and work call for each Rep production as part of their graduate assistantships. Many lighting design alumni have gained employment in New York and elsewhere through the designers they have worked with in Kansas City.
Recent UMKC lighting design graduates involved in King Lear included Jennifer Falbo (’06) and Margaret Spare (’06) who were both electricians for the production. Falbo was also the follow spot operator.
Spare says, “You can . . . learn a lot when you’re working as an electrician on Rep shows. It’s very valuable to work with and for professional designers who each have different methods of approaching design.” While still a student, Spare also was the assistant lighting designer for the Rep production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway that traveled to Tucson and Dallas.
Sound Design
As well as assisting sound designers and composers at the Rep, sound design students may also have the opportunity to design for the Rep themselves.
This is “an invaluable experience for sound design students,” says Tom Mardikes, UMKC Theatre chair, head of the sound design program and sound designer for King Lear.
Graduate sound design students Patrick Meagher (’07) and Matthew Janszen (’08) worked as associate sound designers on the production. Meagher and Janszen helped organize hundreds of sound effects for King Lear and loaded them into the computer for playback. They also helped create some of the cues.
“I think the most valuable part of working in a professional setting was the chance to learn how certain sound techniques are being applied in a space, while observing the communication between the director and designer,” says Janszen.
In addition to Meagher and Janszen, Jithendria Kumar Aravamudhan (’08) was the assistant sound designer for the production.
Costume Design
UMKC costume design students work side by side with the Rep costume department on many projects. Lindsay W. Davis, associate professor of costume design, has set up a separate shop for UMKC productions that also serves as his teaching laboratory. However, students still interact with the Rep’s professional shop, with Davis overseeing standards in costume design and construction.
As in other design areas, graduate costume design students serve as assistants to Rep designers. For example, Kate R. Mincer (’08) was the assistant costume designer for King Lear. Mincer helped the costume designer, Karen Kopischke, locate resources and was given the opportunity to scout fabrics in Kansas, Missouri and Minnesota, and to present options to her. Mincer also facilitated the communication of ideas regarding construction and draping between Kopischke and the costume shop when the designer was out of town.
“King Lear was a great opportunity for me,” Mincer says. “I learned quite a lot while observing the workings of a professional production. It was important for me to see how a professional costume designer carries through the ideas–from roughs and final sketches to presentations and finished garments. I also learned how vital it is for designers to communicate effectively and frequently throughout a production.”
Costume design alumnae also made important contributions to the production. Michele Bechtold Richmond (’77), who has been head draper/cutter for the Rep since 1989, was a member of the wardrobe crew, while Gayla (Pryor) Voss (’75) is the Rep’s costume shop manager and Ernie Williams (’91) was a dresser. Additionally, alumna Mary Traylor, the head of the wardrobe department at UMKC, was the wardrobe supervisor for the production.
Technical Direction
M.F.A. students enrolled in the technical theatre and technology program participate in a demanding construction schedule of overlapping UMKC Theatre and Rep productions.
“The students who come into the technology program will have a very close relationship with the Rep,” says Chuck Hayes, head of the UMKC technical direction program and the Rep’s technical director. “Our students don’t teach as part of their assistantships. They are assigned to work in the scene shop as carpenters, painters or prop artisans. They work alongside the Rep’s professional staff and learn invaluable skills. As they progress through the program, they take on many management, planning and budgeting skills, particularly when they technical direct M.F.A. productions.”
Technical direction graduate students who assisted at the Rep last season included Brad Branham (’09), Phil Brulotte (’09), Mitch Critel (’09) and Tom Gault (’09). Moreover, UMKC alumnus Bill Shinoski (’93) is the associate technical director for the Rep, while third-year student Brad Kanouse (’07) was awarded a residency as assistant technical director at the Rep for the entire season.
Stage Management
For stage management students, the opportunity to serve as assistants for Rep productions means a chance to see Equity stage managers at work.
Working as production assistants allows students to see real-life situations handled by professional stage managers in the rehearsal hall and in the theatre. The backstage workings of an Equity company can be a wonder to behold.
“There are always professional examples in front of them,” says Ron Shaeffer, production manager for the Rep and UMKC Theatre research associate professor of stage management. “They can talk to and work with the professionals. Being able to work with professional actors is also a plus because it is always different from working with student actors.”
Shaeffer also notes that the Rep asks stage management students and alumni to work as stage managers and production assistants because they are well trained and professionally astute.
UMKC stage management students involved in King Lear included Lindsay Cook (’07) and Sara Doak-Beatty (’07), who both served as production assistants.
Beatty says, “King Lear was a great opportunity that assisted me in the transition from school into my professional career. It was a safe environment to learn about Equity rules and professional etiquette, while gaining valuable contacts and hands-on experience that have helped me grow as a stage manager.”
Additionally, stage management alumna Beth Spencer (’06) was the assistant stage manager for King Lear, while also serving in the same capacity for the Rep productions of Jitney, A Christmas Carol, and Under Midwestern Stars. Last season, she also stage managed Nickel and Dimed and La Cage Aux Folles at the Unicorn Theatre, and Romeo and Juliet for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. This season, Spencer will be the production stage manager for Bad Dates and A Christmas Carol at the Rep, as well as working on all other Rep productions.
Master of Arts Program
Students in the Master of Arts program are able to participate in Rep productions by serving as literary and directing assistants.
“They get to see professional theatre in operation, including the opportunity to observe how directors work, and it is invaluable to them,” says Curators’ Professor of Theatre Felicia Hardison Londré. “Whether they are specializing in theatre history/dramatic literature or playwriting/dramaturgy, this is a great first-hand experience they will be able to apply to whatever they do in theatre. It also is a hands-on way of figuring out how plays work.”
M.A. student Thomas Canfield (’09) was the dramaturg for King Lear. In this capacity, he attended rehearsals and wrote several articles that were included in the play and student learning guides. In these articles, Canfield explored Shakespeare’s sources for King Lear and the role of the Fool throughout history and in the play. He also compiled a pictorial photo spread of artifacts from the Celtic era, and a bibliography of sources for further study.
M.A. alumna Rosemarie Woods (’03) contributed to the production as a member of the wardrobe crew for King Lear. Woods, currently a wig mistress and dresser at the Rep and at Starlight Theatre, is also a playwright. Her one-act play, Heat of the Moment, was presented last August in New York.
Larry Carpenter says, “I look forward to directing such a project again. And I congratulate both the UMKC training program and the Kansas City Rep for their continued commitment to these kinds of projects.”
