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Creating the Role of Sarah Bernhardt in the Divine: a Play for Sarah Bernhardt by Michel Marc Bouchard

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Creating the Role of Sarah Bernhardt in the Divine: a Play for Sarah Bernhardt by Michel Marc Bouchard CREATING THE ROLE OF SARAH BERNHARDT IN THE DIVINE: A PLAY FOR SARAH BERNHARDT BY MICHEL MARC BOUCHARD By CHRISTIE LYNNE ROBINSON PERFORMANCE OPTION IN LIEU OF THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOLOF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2017 © Christie Lynne Robinson 2 For Sarah Bernhardt. Thank you for speaking the unspeakable. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………...5 ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………..……………....6 EVALUATION 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………..…………………………..…….………………………..……….7 2. STYLISTIC DEMANDS…………………………………………………………….……………..……….…………….……..9 3. PRE-REHEARSAL ANALYSIS………….………………………………………………………….………………11 4. REHEARSAL……………………………………………………………………………………………….……………16 5. THE MICHAEL CHEKHOV TECHNIQUE……………………………………………………….………….…27 5. TECHNICAL REHEARSAL, DRESS REHEARSALS AND OPENING NIGHT………….…………...33 7. CONCLUSION…………………………………..………………………………………………..…………..……….37 APPENDIX A LESSAC VOCAL MARKINGS…………………………………………………………………………………………...40 B PRODUCTION PROGRAM……………………………………………………………………………………………..41 C PRODUCTION PHOTOS…………………………………………………………………………………..………….…50 D AUDIENCE RESPONSE…………………………………………………………………………………………………..54 WORKS CITED………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…55 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….56 4 ACKNOWLEGEMENTS I wish to express sincere gratitude to several people who have helped me on this journey. First, members of the performance faculty of the University of Florida, including Professor Ralf Remshardt, Dr. Mikell Pinkney, Professor Tiza Garland, Professor Kevin Marshall, and Dr. Judith Williams. Thank you also to Kathy Sarra, for her knowledge regarding physical demands as well as her emotional support during this process; Charlie Mitchell for his trust in my process and patience in me discovering how to articulate it; Tim Altmeyer for consistently asking “what do you want?”; Yanci Bukovec for never failing to push me, believing in the power of transcendence through art; Dr. David Young for his fervor and trust that I could embody such an icon. Sincere thank you to Jacob Lesh, my MFA brother, for holding me up and being there every night on stage -- his spirit is infectious. Thank you to Nathan Halvorson and Amy-Jane Mooney, without their tough love and mentorship, I undoubtedly would not have taken this remarkable leap. 5 Presented to the College of Fine Arts of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts Theatre CREATING THE ROLE OF SARAH BERNHARDT IN THE DIVINE: A PLAY FOR SARAH BERNHARDT BY MICHEL MARC BOUCHARD By Christie Lynne Robinson February 2017 Chair: Charlie Mitchell Second Reader: Kevin Marshall Major: Theatre From Monday, November 7, 2016 through Sunday, February 5, 2017, I was privileged to portray the role of Sarah Bernhardt in Michel Marc Bouchard’s The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt. The production was included in The University of Florida’s 2016-2017 season. My approach began with a comprehensive analysis of the circumstances that gave rise to the play, mainly the life of Sarah Bernhardt herself. I researched the original production at the George Bernard Shaw Festival, as well as the playwright, Michel Marc Bouchard. Once I had identified the genre most suitable to the text, I began to focus on the language as my guide. After using the Lessac vocal methodology to institute tonal, consonant, and rhythmic opportunities, I began creating a physicality that aided in presenting Bernhardt emblematically. I applied the Alexander Technique to aid in the most efficient use of my body and breathing, which presented a challenge due to the limitations imposed by costume demands. The Michael Chekhov Techniques of the Qualities of Movement, Psychological Gesture, and Focal Points were instrumental, assisting me to gain inspiration and truth with finding a character. 6 INTRODUCTION The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt was officially announced as a part of the School of Theatre and Dance season schedule in spring 2016. I had never heard of the production before and I was curious. Through my studies in theatre history, I was aware of Sarah Bernhardt and the artistic impact she made in the nineteenth century; I was anxious to explore this new play and what it entailed. In spring of 2016, my graduate advisor, Tiza Garland, informed me that I should select three plays of interest in the upcoming season in which to perform my project in lieu of thesis role. After some consideration and reading all the plays that were available at that time, I selected The Divine as my first choice. I approached Dr. Young once more during my selection process, expressing interest in the play. Delighted, he shared he would consider me for the roles of Mrs. Talbot or Sarah Bernhardt. Upon learning this information, I read the play once more to learn about the two characters. Although Mrs. Talbot is an endearing and beautifully challenging character, it was Sarah Bernhardt that truly inspired me. The fact that this was a depiction of the real Sarah Bernhardt herself was intriguing. I was struck by the author’s representation of her spirit within the theatre and prima donna charisma. I wanted to know more. Sarah Bernhardt functions as a demonstration of the power of art in our lives, as well as a celebrant in authentic connection to what one desires out of life, and how to take a stand to get it. While Bernhardt is the title character, this complex play deals with the ruin of purity, tyranny of the church, child labor and appalling working conditions, and the hope for change. 7 She serves as the encouraging voice to rebel and speak out against such injustice happening around her. The second act involves Bernhardt delivering a daring criticism about society’s ills: a direct address to the archbishop regarding the church’s war against art. I began to wonder if this was the author’s liberty to create a closure to Bernhardt’s subplot, or if this was an actual event which wove beautifully into several other plotlines. After some extensive research, I was intrigued to learn that this speech was indeed delivered in 1905, and was one of the original inspirations for Michel Marc Bouchard to write the piece (Montreal Gazette). This led me to further inquire into the actress, anxiously wondering if other instances in the play were real events. I spoke to Dr. Young and expressed my interest in playing the divine Sarah Bernhardt. This document details my journey with The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt, highlighting script and textual analysis, pre-rehearsal work, the rehearsal process, and finally, opening week and post-production details. This work will also describe several acting techniques that I implemented, as well as their results in the rehearsal and performance processes. Although the experience of the production was not exactly what I had predicted, I was appreciative for the opportunity to conclude my career at the University of Florida, playing such an iconic figure from theatre history. 8 STYLISTIC DEMANDS “A style as bold as this would be shocking in other actresses.” –Gerda Teranow The Divine takes place in the early twentieth century and the theatrical demands of this time require a sense of overindulgence; lavish effects, physical comedy, grand gestures, and well as outlandish costumes. However, it becomes clear Bouchard only addresses the Romanticism style when depicting Sarah Bernhardt and her grandiose acting technique. After much examination of Bouchard’s script, as well as John Harrop and Sabin Epstein’s book, Acting With Style, it can be concluded that, even with Bernhardt’s bravura way of storytelling, the world of the play is most closely related to realism. According to Harrop and Epstein, realism focuses on the individual, encompassing the motto that “the proper study of Mankind is Man”: The focus of this inquiry came more and more to be on the individual, culminating the development of psychology and the placing of human motives for action deep within an inner self…Realism was, then, the response, at this particular moment of history, to the desire of individuals in a democratic society to understand themselves in terms of both motivation for action and relationship to the social and economic limitations and opportunities of that society. (170) This description encompasses Bouchard’s script beautifully. The characters surrounding Bernhardt capture the quality and dealings with the harshness in their everyday lives. Issues with sexual abuse (specifically in the church), the eye-opening reality of child labor, as well as the overall darkness of society provide a playground for Bouchard’s characters to take on a 9 reflection of their own position in civilization. Their language is conversational, rather than an elevated and heightened form. Although the world of the play is rooted in realism, Bernhardt’s style does not necessarily follow suit. During my pre-rehearsal process, I concluded that much of her personality and behavior off stage emulated what she brought on stage. In developing and researching Bernhardt’s acting style, I felt it important to honor this idea and implement it within the realistic world surrounding her. Throughout her own theatrical training, Bernhardt devised her own formula which would set her apart from her colleagues, establishing herself as one of the finest actresses in history. At the age of 16, she auditioned for the Paris Conservatoire.
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