Westport Country Playhouse streams ‘ Tiny House’
KICKS OFF NEW WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE SEASON
When Westport Country Playhouse debuted on June 29, 1931, with its production of “The Streets of New York,” few Depression- era optimists could foresee the fledgling summer theater still at it 90 years hence, much less experiencing its productions on cellphone and computer screens from anywhere except the Playhouse auditorium.
Yet that is the reality, however virtual, as the historic summer Playhouse awakens from its Covid- induced dormancy Tuesday with Michael Gotch’s “Tiny House” 90 years to the day after its auspicious beginning.
“We’re going forward in a new way, somehow,” said Playhouse Artistic Director, Mark Lamos, who stages “Tiny House,” available online through July 18. “It’s going to be different.”
Set during the Fourth of July, Gotch peoples “Tiny House” disparately with a young, married couple, eccentric friends and family, and quirky neighbors at the off- the- grid, isolated mountain paradise. It is the theater’s first homegrown virtual production and its process has been an exhausting and revealing journey for the company.
“We always intended to bring ‘ Tiny House’ to Westport because it was a success in Delaware,” Lamos said, referring to the initial, in- person production in 2018 by the Resident Ensemble Players at the University of Delaware, a professional troupe including playwright Botch and cast members in Westport’s virtual production.
“I’m pleased with the results as they’re coming through in post- production, I’d have to say,” Lamos said, who fills out the 2021 season with John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize winning “Doubt: A Parable,” directed by Playhouse associate artistic director David Kennedy ( Nov. 2- 21); and two archival video productions that will stream on- demand, beginning with its 2018 production of “Man of La Mancha” ( Aug. 23- Sept. 5), and not yet announced production ( Sept. 13- 26).
“It’s sounding like, and looking like it did onstage,” he said. “It’s actually a little more beautiful because it’s got this art direction that’s like a film.”
While working with his original Delaware cast gave Lamos a head- start, working with actors in their homes scattered throughout the country presented a daunting challenge.
“The actors each received equipment enabling them to create in- home recording studios,” said Lacey Erb, the director of photography, referring to Sara Bues ( Sam); Hassan El- Amin ( Bernard;) Lee E. Ernst ( Larry); Elizabeth Heflin ( Billie); Denver Milord ( Nick); Stephen Pelinski ( Win); and Kathleen Pirkl- Tague ( Carol). “We spent much time helping them set up the equipment and getting familiar with it.”
In addition to production designers, Lamos required the additional expertise of Erb and Charlie Corcoran ( digital scenic design); M. Florian Staab ( sound edit, mix and additional sound design); and Dan Scully ( editor).
Scully immediately proved himself invaluable by storyboarding the production from a one- camera, archival recording of the Delaware production. A common device in filmmaking, storyboarding graphically renders each scene so the creators can reimagine the performance for digital platforms.
Botch’s overlapping dialogue posed another technical challenge, as Zoom doesn’t handle multiple simultaneous speakers.
“The video editor and sound designer then do the overlapping in post- production,” Lamos said, who would respond to each edit with written notes to achieve the desired snap, crackle and pop of repartee.
Consuming over two months from rehearsal to final cut, the process took more than twice as long as it takes to open a live production. Such intense attention one pays night and day to the production tests one’s passion for the project, Lamos agreed.
“I think I never had an interest in doing film and TV because you’re sitting with a project for sometimes years in development,” he explained, citing endless script revisions, casting, filming and post- production. “To do that for so long- I just can’t do that.”
Even if “Tiny House” arrives to Lamos’ satisfaction, the question remains whether or not the Playhouse’s mature subscription base will enjoy the virtual platform. The prospect of watching their beloved Playhouse productions online can be foreign to many as well as technically intimidating.
“Well, yes, that’s true,” Lamos said. “We’re hoping that people will feel comfortable with it. And if they have problems, there are many ways they can seek help on the website and through calling the box office.”
Lamos’ discussions with regional colleagues on this very subject encourage Lamos.
“We were talking yesterday with Roche Schulfer, who is the longtime managing director at The Goodman,” he said, referring to Chicago’s respected company. “They have had very good luck with their digital content, and it is drawing new audiences that have never been to the theater before.
“So, I’m hopeful that that will happen with ours as well.”