Chekhov’s 'The Seagull' lands at the Liberty Theatre
Company of Fools presents a Russian classic
"Casting is the first big enchilada. I prod the players to
explore possibilities that they might not see on their own. My job is to ask good
questions."
Rusty Wilson, director
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
"I love those Russians," Rusty Wilson said. "I am a 19th
century Russian literature fanatic. They were consumed by a search for God."
Company of Fool’s Artistic Director Wilson is directing the upcoming
production of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, where the pursuit of God and truth
often collides with the quest for love.
"I am discovering one of the elements of Chekhov’s genius is in
the tragic and comedic, all at the same time," Wilson said. "There is a truth in
there about people."
A bittersweet romantic drama, the play will run from Oct. 12 to Oct. 29,
on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with a Sunday matinee, at the Liberty Theatre in
Hailey.
The cast will also perform two shows on the mornings of Oct. 18 and 25 for
three local high schools.
With The Seagull one can expect some subtle moments, some laughs
and high drama; in other words, a lot of paradox.
Chekhov titled this, his first play, The Seagull, A Comedy in Four Acts-–those
last words are not exactly ones that spring to mind when Anton Chekhov, the great Russian
playwright is mentioned.
But fear not. There is humor in his diverse themes.
Chekhov, a medical doctor, a master of the short story and a seminal
figure in modern theater, wrote some of the most classic of Russian dramas, and is
considered by many scholars, after Shakespeare, arguably the most important playwright
ever.
The Seagull was first produced in Moscow in 1898. The legendary
acting teacher Konstantin Stanislavsky was the director of many of his plays at the famed
Moscow Art Theatre.
At the heart of The Seagull is a willful self-absorbed actress, her
insecure son, a younger lover, a brother and assorted other characters with close
connections to them. It’s a family of sorts, both loving and dysfunctional.
Chekhov wrote his characters with realistic compassion and humor. He
emphasizes character and mood; his plots describe the desolation of lonely people and the
misunderstandings that come from self-absorption and desperation.
Wilson and members of the cast spoke to a Mountain Express reporter
at the Liberty Theatre last Thursday morning.
"Casting is the first big enchilada," Wilson said. "I prod
the players to explore possibilities that they might not see on their own. My job is to
ask good questions."
Wilson held auditions in New York City and Providence, R.I., as well as in
the valley.
"Rusty did such a good job casting," Peter Sampieri, one the
actors, said.
Featured in the play are locals, as well as three out of towners.
Norway-born Celia Hansen, who plays Nina, lives in New York City, where
she takes acting classes with Walt Witcover, director Wilson’s former acting teacher.
She appears in commercials, the occasional "extra work" and in soap operas. This
is her American stage debut. A professional dancer and model, she grew up in Aalesund, on
Norway’s west coast.
The Seagull is "a beautiful play, with beautiful words,"
she said. "It has opened a door in my life; this has made my life more colorful,
especially being in Sun Valley."
Both actors Vogler and Sampieri are associated with Trinity Repertory
Conservatory in Providence.
A graduate of Trinity, Vogler also lives in New York and Sampieri is
taking a sabbatical from his studies in Providence. They play the two male leads, Trigorin
and Treplev.
The cast seems ideally suited to their roles. For instance, Vogler is a
well known actor and a professional in his own right, while Sampieri is a struggling
writer and actor, mirroring the characters they play.
"Chekhov is so deceptive," Vogler said, "when you first
start [rehearsing] you think there’s nothing there. Then there’s a breakthrough
moment—the possibilities are limitless. It’s a discovery."
Sampieri plays a lovesick youth going through a serious identity crisis
who remains passionate despite his set backs.
"There exists in every moment [of the play] the possibility for every
emotion," he said.
Portraying the actress Madame Arkadina, around whom much of the action
revolves, is local actress and gallery owner Page Shelburne.
"Everybody will identify with one or more of the characters and their
pursuits. There is something for everyone," she said.
Shelburne called the rehearsal process, which has been six days a week for
over a month, as "an emotional roller coaster. It has been so filling. The cast is
wonderful, we’ve been so happy with each other…
"The writing is brilliant," Shelburne added, "you never
stop finding things--there are life messages."
Masha, one of the unrequited lovers, is played by local painter Amy
Clifford. She is also making her stage debut after studying with Rusty Wilson for a year
through the Company of Fools acting classes.
"In some ways," she said, "I like acting more than
painting. I feel more alive. There’s no hiding behind a pretty picture."
Mike Craig, Michael Lanzarone, Chad Smith, Dan and Sheila Summers, Travis
Schneider, a Wood River High School student, and Marilyn Teitge make up the remainder of
the cast.
Original Company of Fools members John Glenn and Dennis Rexroad are,
respectively, the production manager and the designer of the gorgeous tree filled modern
set.
The Seagull will have a preview night on Thursday, Oct. 12, where
the audience may pay what they wish, for the 8 p.m. show. The tickets are only available
at the theater that night,
Friday, Oct. 13, is the formal opening night. Tickets are available at
Chapter One in Ketchum and Read All About It in Hailey.
