By Chad Henry, Literary Associate, Denver Center Theatre Company

 

I caught up with Bruce Sevy, DCTC Associate Artistic Director and director of THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE a few days ago as he was running to an afternoon rehearsal.  I managed to get a few questions in as he was putting down his briefcase and coffee at his director’s table, ready to take a look at some “bits and pieces” with his actors.

 

Chad:  You’re in previews for VOYSEY now, right?

 

Bruce:  Yes, we had our first preview on Thursday and it went really well!  The sets and costumes are beautiful and I couldn’t ask for a better cast—they’re all brilliant.  The play I think takes a little concentration on the audience’s part—the language is somewhat formal, along the lines  of George Bernard Shaw–but the play barrels along at a fast and very entertaining clip—there are some nice comic moments along with the family drama.  The audience stayed with us all the way, and of course there were the “oohs” and “ahs” of recognition when they got what the story was about—they gave the cast a great standing ovation.  The play’s almost a hundred years old but it might as well have been written yesterday.

 

Chad:  Right, it’s about financial shenanigans among the high and mighty—in Edwardian England.  Isn’t this script an adaptation by David Mamet?

 

Bruce:  Yes, it sure is.  A lot of people know Mamet from contemporary, knuckle-duster  plays like Oleanna, Speed-the-Plow and Glengarry Glen Ross, which DCTC presented last season.  Also, audiences know his  movies–The Verdict, The Spanish Prisoner and RedBelt to name a few. But he’s also written period movies like The Winslow Boy.

 

Chad:  Adapted from a Terrance Rattigan play.  What do you enjoy most about these period plays?

 

Bruce:  Well, the research is great fun—and educational.  I spent a lot of time with set designer Lisa Orzolek looking at period libraries and drawing rooms—those great homes of England were magnificent.   And I didn’t miss an episode of Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock Holmes on PBS!  Of course our costumes are gorgeous—Bill Black, our costume designer, not only gets the silhouettes exactly right, but the costumes have incredible detail.

 

Chad:  Have you had challenges with this play or the material?

 

Bruce:  Every cast member is a total pro and a joy to work with– we did some work with accents—getting them right but making them clear and comprehensible for a contemporary U.S. audience.  You want to walk  the fine line between upper class BBC British dialect and communicating the story!

 

Chad:  Thanks, Bruce.  Have a good rehearsal–and a great opening on Thursday!

 

Here’s Edward Voysey, played by Sam Gregory, explaining his dilemna:

Popularity: 16% [?]

By Douglas Langworthy, Literary Manager, Denver Center Theatre Company

 

This year we are excited to announce a new spin on our PERSPECTIVES ON THE PLAY on the Play” series. It will still happen the first Friday preview of every show at 6pm in The Jones Theatre and free and be open to the public. However, this year for most of the shows, instead of holding our regular extended discussion with the cast and crew, we will be inviting different members from the community with an expert perspective to talk about issues related to the play. Our first Perspective of the season was last Friday for THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE when I was joined by Buie Seawell, Professor of Business Education at the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver. We had a really interesting conversation about the ethical issues in the play and we’ve put highlights of that on YouTube. Here is a video of Professor Seawell talking about Edward Voysey’s ethical dilemma.

Popularity: 7% [?]

By Sam Gregory, Actor in THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE

 

So, I’m finally getting to play the lead! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a lot of great roles at DCTC, but never one as large as Edward Voysey. He never leaves the stage!

 

Back in May, when I first read THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE, I was pretty intimidated by that fact. So, I spent a few hours every day reading and re-reading the play. I’d do this first thing every morning, sitting in my favorite chair by the window, with a cup of tea and my old cat Nigel (named after Mr. Tufnel  in THIS IS SPINAL TAP) sleeping on my lap. He always helps me learn lines this way.

 

By the time I got into the first read through two and a half weeks ago, I was pretty confident about what I wanted to do.

 

And when I saw all the amazing actors in the room, I thought, “this show is going to ROCK.”  You see you never want to be the best actor in the room.  Just like in tennis, the better your opponent plays, the better you play. So too in acting, the better your scene partner is, the better you are. And I can safely say, that my scene partners are making me a better actor.

 

Bruce Sevy, who directed me in DOUBT, is directing this. And he creates such a free and accepting atmosphere in the rehearsal hall, you feel safe to take risks and explore choices that you might not otherwise.  We’ve really explored every detail of this script. We’ve underscored the Mamet elements while remaining true to the Granville-Barker original.

 

There are a few times in this business when you have what can be called a peak experience when every element of a production seems to be almost perfect. And for me, this is one of those experiences.

 

I’m really happy right now. I feel artistically satisfied. In a few hours, we have our first dress rehearsal. With all the experienced professionals around me, I am confident it will go well and we will take our next step toward opening night.

 

Here’s a video where I, as Edward Voysey, explain Edward Voysey’s Inheritance:

Popularity: 32% [?]

By Lisa Orzolek, Set Designer for THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE

 

In The Space Theatre, architectural sense can be challenging…who has pentagonal shaped rooms?   We closed off 3 of the 5 entry voms for seating, which allowed for places to put bigger scenery: the fireplace, window seat and the bar.  We needed the fireplace to be tall enough for a man to lean against so not putting seats directly behind the fireplace allowed this option.

 

One of the first questions director Bruce Sevy asked when we sat down to design the Voysey library was how far into the room we could put the doors.  Though it would impact a few seats on either side of the doorway, we put the doors 6 feet away from the main playing area, instead of the usual 12 feet.  Keeping the audience view of the stage as unobstructed as possible is one of the constant challenges of designing in the round.  Sometimes we make the furniture shorter than normal or only use a half door so that they can be “inside” the room.  We needed to keep the doors real and have them make architectural sense.

 

The Denver Center has an extraordinary stock of props and a particularly great selection from the Victorian era.  Nearly every item in the warehouse is catalogued, so it was with pictures in hand that Bruce and I began arranging the room.  Needs: desk, large table, bookshelves, fireplace, chandelier, rugs and plenty of “conversation areas” for the family to sit.  Stock was plentiful for the furniture.  Missing items were:  a tall fireplace, barrister bookshelves, an ottoman and a period looking desk.  We built the fireplace, purchased the bookshelves online, built the ottoman and our prop shopper found the desk at a local antique store. We added a window seat to fit in one of the odd corners.  We found a door and doorway in stock and built the double door to match.

 

But even with so much stock, the prop shop has been busy. Among the projects undertaken for THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE:
•    85+ legal looking period documents created and printed (some pulled from stock)
•    14 items upholstered or reupholstered
•    12 floral or fruit arrangements designed
•    6+ trips to the warehouse for room décor not including trips for rehearsal props
•    5 table runners sewn or modified
•    4 mourning decorations created
•    3 pillows remade
•    3 magazines scanned and printed
•    2 period newspapers created and printed
•    2 carpet runners with fringed ends made from “runner on a roll”
•    1 chandelier completely disassembled, rewired and new chimneys added
And in we are also creating the realistic 1950’s Chicago apartment interior for A RAISIN IN THE SUN.

Popularity: 21% [?]

By Barbara Thorngren

 

FACTS, FOOD AND FAMILY. What do these three disparate subjects have to do with the theatre? I’m a tour ambassador, a volunteer who leads  BACKSTAGE TOURS at the arts complex and I was involved with all three of these topics last month. They may not sound like performing arts, but they each play a role.

 

The FACTS are what we tour ambassadors convey to our tour groups. We talk about history, how shows are put together, and how one man’s vision brought us the largest performing arts center under one roof in the country. But, believe me, it’s not boring; the stories behind our civic jewel are interesting and inspiring.

 

In August I was privileged to attend the first reading of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s first play for the 2009/10 season, THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE. That’s where the other two “F’s” come in. The tour ambassadors provide snacks for the cast, crew and other DCTC employees at each first reading. The information we learn there helps us provide insights for our tours into upcoming performances. The 1905 play, adapted by David Mamet, is as timely as anything written last year. When Phil Pleasants introduced himself, he said, “I’m playing Bernie Madoff, oops, Mr. Voysey.” Yes, it’s a play about a Ponzi scheme and how the Voysey family and friends are affected by its revelation. It’s funny and thought-provoking.

 

Now for my “oops”; I forgot one F: It’s FUN to be a DCPA volunteer.

Popularity: 15% [?]