In preparation for our performances in less than a month (!), we had a chat with our directors, Mary and Robin, and asked them a few questions about the play and the process of putting on “Pirate Appreciation Day” by Matthew Warner.
Q: What motivated you to co/direct? What is it like to direct together?
M: It’s fun and it’s a lot easier because we work well together.
R: I couldn’t imagine doing this job without co-directing. It’s so much work, so it’s nice to have someone next to you to support you and bounce ideas off of. And someone to weigh in on decisions.
M: It also makes it easier when there is someone else to also give feedback so that not everything rests on your shoulders. The work can be split up, which makes it easier especially in a group as big as we are. By splitting the work communicating with the other departments is easier. And it’s more fun in general to come up with ideas together.
Q: What has been the most exciting part so far? And have you had any obstacles to overcome?
R: I think the most exciting thing is seeing everything come together because we have been planning this whole thing since last summer. I remember reading the script together for the first time and going through it, wondering how we were going to do this. Designing sketches for the stage. And now we have the stage, we have the actors, and we have the lines and we’re combining it with music. It’s exciting seeing it all come together.
M: A lot of things were happening in our heads, but seeing everything come together on the stage is so much fun. And seeing how much fun the other people in the group are having with the ideas we come up with together is very exciting. Especially seeing all the fighting, dancing, choreography, and stage movement.
R: It’s not always easy though. There is a lot of scheduling, preplanning, and organizing involved. There is overall an enormous amount of work going into it behind the scenes and we have to thank our assistants and the heads of the other departments for that work as well.
M: Yeah, communication is easier than expected but still difficult sometimes. It can be hard to reschedule sometimes if people forget to communicate, but the end product makes it worth it.
R: Exactly. The passion and the motivation shown by everyone make it all worth it.
Q: Would you say organizing and directing is also hard(er) because there are so many people in the cast?
M: Since we have both a speaking and a non-speaking cast, balancing those two out is very hard, and we don’t want anyone not to feel appreciated (pun intended). But we’re doing our best to make sure everyone feels as included as possible.
Q: What pieces of media have inspired you for both the stage and the play in general?
M: I mean the biggest inspiration is Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s the pirate media we know the best.
R: For the comedy aspect and putting our twist on the play, we were inspired by Monty Python, Allo Allo!, and Aunty Donna.
M: They have that Slapstick/Sketch comedy that we want to bring on stage, that is very entertaining to us.
R: There are also movie hints hidden here and there throughout the play, which you will have to watch out for when coming to see the play. For the stage itself, we’re going for a childhood bedroom theme. Because the play is so whimsical and silly, we wanted to embrace that with the stage design and make it feel like the characters themselves are toys in a kid’s bedroom.
Q: How is this play different/the same as previous productions?
R: First of all, it’s massive. I remember the BPM when we were max. 25 people, now we are 50 people in the whole production. It’s the largest cast we’ve ever had on stage, the most elaborate set changes, the most props, and the most music written for a play. We wanted to go big for all departments and this absolutely would not be possible without everyone there.
M: Yes, there are so many people here for a reason. Every person is needed and is helping so much with putting this play on the stage. It is amazing to see.
Q: What can the audience expect from this play? Is there a moment you are most excited for the audience to see?
R: It’s a silly play, so come for the entertainment, come for lots of laughs and a fun evening. What we are excited for the audience to see are the more alien parts, the special effects, and seeing all the elements coming together.
M: Come for a lot of silly goofs and silly jokes. We’re also slightly nervous to see how the audience will respond to the play and the jokes because a lot of funny bits have come out of the rehearsal process. Actors are giving the characters their own spin and it’s hilarious. There is always something new and something to make us laugh in every scene.
R: Beware, you’re going to have a fun time!
Q: What’s your favorite line in the play?
R: I mean, there are so many, but here are a few of them:
‘I’m just a dainty little bitch selling girl scout cookies’
‘Whoops. Gotta go!’
‘But Dad, I’m the only one on this ship who speaks ancient Lovecraftian. I have to help!’
‘You see, according to the Definitive History of American —’
‘I was wondering if tonight you would like to dine at the captain’s table.’ … ‘Uh, would you please M.C. this contest if you’re able?’
M: In short, the whole play.
Q: What’s your favorite prop piece?
M: The trident.
R: Frederick’s suitcase and what’s inside it.
Q: If you were stranded on a deserted island, which character would you like to have with you?
R + M: Bridget. She has everything a man needs, everything a woman needs, too, anything any person could ever need. She could probably pull an entire ship out of her pocket.
And finally, we also had a conversation with our head of music, Cédi, to talk about the inspiration behind this year’s music.
Q: How did you use music to convey specific moods? And what kind of music inspired you?
C: We use different instrumentations within our pieces or put emphasis on specific instruments to convey a specific mood. We’re also using tools like rhythm, pace, and tonalities to convey certain moods. We’re playing a lot with conventions, either subverting them or playing into them which can create the desired effects we want.
Because the play is set on a cruise ship in the Caribbean or just the Atlantic Ocean in general, we have looked at a lot of Latin music – from Cuba, from Brazil, just in general from South America – and we have got a lot of inspiration from there. We’ve played with all different types of conventions, so the music is all over the place when it comes to genres. In that sense, we’ve drawn inspiration from all sorts of places in the area where the play is set, giving them justice but also giving them our own twists and sometimes subverting the conventions of their music to fit the play.
Blueprint Masquerades 