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This came in the post today whee!

A friend from Oz sent it.

It's a dvd called In The Company of Actors, a behind the scenes documentary of the Sydney Theatre Company production of Hedda Gabler with Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Anthony Weigh, Justine Clarke, Aden young, Julie Hamilton and Annie Byron. It played not only in Sydney but also at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2006. In fact, Lani saw it. But alas, it was way before this blog was created.

I had heard about the existence of the documentary about a year ago from another theatre geek friend who said that it was presented at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in 2008. Shark Island Productions produced a dvd but sadly, it is currently only available in Australia. Included in the dvd is a detailed study guide of the film. Isn't that a nice touch?

I haven't seen the film yet but surely I will post about it once I have. In the meantime, the description from the back of the cover reads:

"From a rehearsal room in Sydney through to opening night in New York, a company of actors reveals the magic and struggle of creating theatre".

Here's a trailer of the film:

A Desperate Housewife

I think I read somewhere that nobody does desperation like Mary-Louise Parker. Having been a fan of hers in Weeds I totally agree with that statement. So here comes another role of a desperate housewife, Hedda Gabler produced by the Roundabout Theatre. I saw it 2 saturdays ago. Written by Henrik Ibsen, the play is said to be the Hamlet of female roles so I was really excited to see the it.


I did like it. Having said that, I have read the play but it is my first time seeing a production of Hedda so I have nothing to compare it to. Hedda (MLP) is a priveleged daughter of a general who marries a bland scholar Jorgen Tesman (Michael Cerveris) to everyone's surprise. He is mostly preoccupied with his scholarly research and it is soon found out that Hedda doesn't love the man she's married to but has only done so because of her circumstance. Their lives are thrown into disaray when Ejlert Lovborg (Paul Sparks) reappears. He is Tesman's rival and Hedda's former lover. Lovborg has recently worked with Thea Elvsted (Ana Reeder), Hedda's former rival, and has written a brilliant manuscript. With this manuscript Lovborg starts to get acclaim and this threatens Tesman since both of them are candidates for a professorship that Tesman desperately wants. Jealous of Mrs. Elvsted's influence on Lovborg, Hedda tries to come between them and tests her ability to seduce Lovborg.

** SPOILERS
One night after a party, Tesman comes home saying that he had found Lovborg's manuscript which Lovborg somehow has lost. When Hedda sees Lovborg, he is so distraught that he has lost his masterpiece. Instead of telling him that they had the manuscript, Hedda convinces Lovborg to commit suicide because to her "that is the only heroic and noble thing to do." Yes she is not a very likeable character if I may say so. She gives him her gun to help him accomplish the deed. Hedda then burns the manuscript and tells her husband that she did it to secure their future. Lovborg is then found dead in a brothel. When news of Lovborg's death spreads Tesman feels guilty and believes that he owes it to his dead rival to get his manuscript completed. Mrs. Elvsted now reveals that she kept all of Lovborg's notes so that Tesman is encouraged and volunteers to collaborate with her in reassembling Lovborg's masterpiece. The very creepy Judge Brack (Peter Stromare) who's had intentions towards Hedda now tells her that Lovborg's death was actually not a suicide but really an accidental shooting. His gun that was in his pocket had gone off while he was in the brothel. This was devastating news to Hedda but in addition to that, Judge Brack knew that the gun Lovborg had was Hedda's and starts implying his power over her. Hedda now feels the trapness of another man's "control" then moves to her room and shoots herself in the temple. For her, it is the "only beautiful and freeing thing to do".

Mary-Louise Parker was great specially in the scenes when she manipulates and seduces. But I also have to mention that it's also wonderful to watch her when her character starts to crumble and realizes that she doesn't have the hold on people that she used to have. It's fascinating watching her dissintegrate. Michael Cerveris who I've always loved, played Tesman very blandly which I thought was effective because I found his character very boring. Paul Sparks was good as the lover still attracted to Hedda. Peter Stromare also was very effective because he just exudes creepiness during the show. Ana Reeder, well, don't know how to put it but her character was just annoying to me. And I don't know if that's direction or just her acting choices.

One thing I must say though is that I never realized that this play would have the audience laughing several times. Mary-Louise Parker has great skill in line readings that she was a sarcastically funny Hedda (yes in the Violet Weston August Osage County way). That was so refreshing to me. Another thing I also noticed (and that made me more understand why the show was panned by the NY Times) is that the characters were in period costumes (done beautifully by Ann Roth) and yet the dialogue was very modern. Now, I understand that they wanted to modernize the play to appeal to a contemporary audience but I just felt that it was disjointed. It didn't connect. Much of Hedda's dilemma stems from a trapped bland loveless marriage but as an audience member you couldn't feel her entrapment because of the modern dialogue. With this modern dialogue, the characters movement, gestures and demeanor on stage was also very modern. So juxtaposed with the period costumes, it did feel incohesive.




I did go to the stagedoor after the play. There were only about 7 people there. Mary-Louise Parker didn't come out but I thought that it was nice of her to send her dresser out to let people know that she wasn't going to come out since she was resting for the evening show. I thought that was nice of her and I'm cool with that.



poster by the stagedoor


the marquee at the American Airlines Theatre

MLP on Leonard Lopate Show

Mary-Louise Parker was interviewed at the Leonard Lopate Show March 6. She talks about playing Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler. Listen to the interview here.


(photo from WYNC.org)

An Interview With Hedda

Broadway.com has a great interview with the current Hedda Gabler on Broadway, Mary-Louise Parker. In it she discusses touchy subjects such as NY Times' Ben Brantley and NY Post's Michael Reidel. Check it out here.

(photo from Broadway.com)

Speaking of Hedda....

Mary-Louise Parker was on Regis and Kelly last Friday to promote her play on Broadway, Hedda Gabler. She also talks about her character in Weeds, Nancy Botwin and some recent stage mishaps. Have a look!

Hedda on Broadway

Oh I'm so excited for this one! One of the great classics from Chekov with a great cast: Mary-Louise Parker (Hedda), Michael Cerveris (as Hedda's husband Tesman) and Paul Sparks (Lovborg). Plus it's a new adaptation by Christopher Shinn with direction by The Seagull's Ian Rickson.


From the pressnotes:


A woman of dangerous independence restrained by a conventional marriage, Hedda Gabler (Mary-Louise Parker) indulges in a cruel game, amusing herself with the misfortune she inflicts on those around her. As Hedda struggles to balance her wild desires against her chosen life, she sets into motion a manic chain of events that bring her story to a chilling end.


(Photo from HeddaOnBroadway.com)

OMG! A New Hedda Gabler

I've been hearing this rumor from ATC for the past few weeks but I guess today they made it official!


Mary-Louise Parker will be back on Broadway this winter in a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler. The adaptation will be by Christopher Shinn and produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company. It starts previews on Jan. 6 and will open on Jan. 25, 2009.


From Broadway.com:
In Hedda Gabler, newlywed Hedda Tesman finds herself bored with married life to her scholar husband, George. As the daughter of General Gabler, she had grown accustomed to the freedom and exciting social world of her father's home. When her rival, Mrs. Elvsted, reenters her life with Hedda's former lover, Eilert Lovberg in tow, Hedda sets out on a shocking path of destruction that affects the lives of everyone around her.


What about rumors of her playing Ivy in the film adaptation of August: Osage County? If I know the ATC, they're usually right. I'm crossing my fingers.

Cate the Golden Girl

I watched Cate Blanchett as "Hedda Gabler" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last year; she was a whirlwind onstage. She is definitely one of the best actresses we have today and will most likely get nominated again for her fiery performance as England's Virgin Queen. Too bad "Elizabeth the Golden Age" isn't quite up to par with its predecessor. The production design is impeccable of course. But the pacing is slow. I actually dozed off for a few minutes I'm ashamed to say. The overhead shots, silly dialogue, slow motion scenes, ever-swelling musical score and climactic battle scenes looked as if Shekhar Kapur is taking a page from Jerry Bruckheimer. Like a true geek, there were scenes that reminded me of Aragorn's pre-battle speech, Gandalf at the Bridge of Khazad-dum, Lady Galadriel's walk through the garden, even a Les Miz Fantine-like moment. And it doesn't actually focus on England's golden age. We had already witnessed Mary Stuart's execution in HBO's "Elizabeth I". Just as Elizabeth I saved England, Cate saved this movie. I love Ms. Blanchett and she's one of my favorite actresses. I can't wait to see her as Bob Dylan in "I'm not there".