American Theatre Magazine
4/1/2004
excerpt
Initially, what these actors were serious about was, believe it or not, a by-now-typical L.A. dream: to start a world-class theatre company of West Coast-based actors, bound to L.A. by film and TV careers, that would give them a home to satisfy their theatre craving, in their own backyard, on their own terms--and, thanks to their celebrity and their caliber, possibly attract world-class directors to the table in the process.
"It was clear as we began to strategize that what was missing in Los Angeles, particularly at that time, was that there were no great directors coming in--there was no sense of world theatre," recalled Loewenberg. "The Olympic Arts Festival [of 1984] had proven that there was this very fertile ground, and that people would come and see the work."
Of course, even then Los Angeles was crawling with theatre companies run by actors, or at least driven by actors' need for an outlet and a showcase--though, apart from Downtown L.A.'s Mark Taper Forum and Orange County's South Coast Repertory, the huge majority of the town's theatre activity at the time was in the non-remunerative under-100-seat realm. Loewenberg had been there, done that, and she and her actor colleagues wanted to play in a much bigger league.
But, whether it was the emergence of the Los Angeles Theatre Center around the same time--which attracted its own share of big theatrical dreams and star power, only to flame out in debt by the early '90s--or simply the myriad logistical headaches of creating a sustainable theatre institution from scratch, this particular dream was not to be.
And that's where audio drama made its entrance by a backstage door, if you will. With Babbitt, this impressive talent pool was exposed to the unique challenges and rewards of performing what has been called "theatre of the ear." It was bit like doing voiceover work for commercials or animation, which many screen actors do at some point in their careers, but quite a bit more relentlessly demanding.
Said Eric Stoltz, who's recorded a number of plays with L.A. Theatre Works, including Hay Fever and Betrayal, "It's a quick learning curve crossed with a rude awakening. It is hard-core. It's like getting thrown into an ocean and looking for the nearest shore.
"We were doing Betrayal, and because of the sound requirements, you can't even look at your wife during those intimate scenes." Stoltz adds. "It calls on different areas of your ability to be tested--which is not unpleasant. If you look at it as an exercise in what you can do, it's joyful--as a wonderful study, rather than a finished performance."
OF COURSE, THE RESULTS ARE NOT
just broadcast but sold as finished products. Does the three-day rehearsal period, followed by five live tapings with audiences, allow actors like Stoltz to be proud of their work?
A little perspective is helpful. "I've done television and films that have had less rehearsal, and less care about the final product, than this process," Stoltz said.
---Rob Kendt