BERNHARDT/HAMLET by Theresa Rebeck Directed by Moritz Von Stuelpnagel
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A publication of Photo: Jake Chessum UPSTAGE SPOTLIGHT BERNHARDT/HAMLET By Theresa Rebeck Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel Mark Twain wrote: “There are five kinds of actresses: bad actresses, fair actresses, good actresses, great actresses. And then there is Sarah Bernhardt.” In 1897, the international stage celebrity set out to tackle her most ambitious role yet: Hamlet. Theresa Rebeck’s new play rollicks with high comedy and human drama, set against the lavish Shakespearean production that could make or break Bernhardt’s career. Janet McTeer, “one of the finest classical actresses of her generation” (The Telegraph), brings the legendary leading lady to life. A NOTE FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TODD HAIMES Sarah Bernhardt’s real-life portrayal of Hamlet has become a landmark moment in theatre history, but behind every cultural milestone lies immense personal risk. For Bernhardt, then, Hamlet is more than just a role. He is her ultimate challenge and her archnemesis, the only thing standing between her and the promise of true immortality. With piercing wit and fierce humanity, Theresa Rebeck explores the sacrifices necessary to shatter centuries of tradition, take on the untouchable, and command one’s own legacy. WHEN WHERE 1897 Paris, France WHO Sarah Bernhardt: A celebrated French stage actress known for her eccentric lifestyle Edmond Rostand: A playwright completely transfixed by Sarah Constant Coquelin: The leading man in Sarah's troupe, he has played every role in the canon Alphonse Mucha: A famous artist Louis: The leading theatre critic of Paris Lysette: The pretty ingénue of Sarah’s troupe Raoul: An actor in Sarah’s troupe Francois: An actor in Sarah’s troupe Maurice: Sarah’s devoted son Rosamond: Rostand’s neglected wife 2 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY Photo: Jake Chessum TABLE OF CONTENTS Interview with Playwright Theresa Rebeck ....................................................................................... Page 4-5 The Life, Legends, and Legacy of Sarah Bernhardt ............................................................................ Page 6-7 Interview with Actor Janet McTeer .................................................................................................. Page 8-9 The World of the Play: Paris in 1897 .......................................................................................... Page 10-11 Interview with Director Moritz von Stuelpnagel ............................................................................ Page 12-13 Sarah's Supporting Players .............................................................................................................Page 14 The Woman’s Part: Gender and Casting in Shakespeare ..................................................................Page 15 Shakespeare in Adaptation and Translation ................................................................................. Page 16-17 Designer Statements ................................................................................................................. Page 18-19 Pre-Show and Post-Show Activities .............................................................................................. Page 20-21 Glossary and Resources .................................................................................................................Page 22 About Roundabout and Staff Interview .............................................................................................Page 23 UPSTAGE CONTRIBUTORS MANAGING EDITORS: GRAPHIC DESIGN: Jill Rafson, Director of New Play Development Darren Melchiorre, Associate Director, Art and Design Jason Jacobs, Teaching Artist EDUCATION STAFF: Leah Reddy, Teaching Artist Jennifer DiBella, Director of Education WRITERS: Mitch Mattson, Director of Career Training Elizabeth Dunn-Ruiz, Teaching Artist Katie Christie, Director of Teaching and Learning Nick Mecikalski, Artistic Assistant Karen Loftus, Lisa & Gregg Rechler Education Program Manager Hunter Nelson, Artistic Apprentice Victoria Barclay, Education Program Manager; School Programs Oliva Jones, Education Apprentice Sean Tecson, Education Coordinator, Data and Professional Development Olivia Atlas, Education Coordinator, School Programs INTERVIEWS: Olivia Jones, Temporary Community Partnerships Coordinator Ted Sod, Education Dramaturg Jackie Maris, Education Coordinator, Operations and Career Development Copyright © 2018 Roundabout Theatre Company, Inc. Kimberly Aragon, On-Site Education Intern (RYE) All rights reserved. Lindsay McAuliffe, Education Special Projects Intern BERNHARDT/HAMLET UPSTAGE GUIDE 3 INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT THERESA REBECK Education Dramaturg Ted Sod spoke with Playwright Theresa Rebeck about her work on Bernhardt/Hamlet. Ted Sod: What inspired you to write Bernhardt/Hamlet? This play was commissioned by Roundabout—are there any specific challenges in writing a commissioned play? Theresa Rebeck: The inspiration happened during a trip to Prague. My family is from Czechia and Slovakia, so we went there to experience the culture for ourselves and encountered those gorgeous prints by Alphonse Mucha. You can actually buy full-size copies of his work at the Mucha museum! We got one of Sarah Bernhardt playing Medea, with her children’s bodies swimming at her feet, that still hangs next to my front door. It used to terrify my children, but they got over it. Her eyes really are so haunting in that poster. As a theatre artist, of course you’re always aware of Sarah Bernhardt, but that poster was the real inspiration for me to write a play about her. Jill Rafson approached me about writing a play for the Roundabout, and when I described my thoughts they immediately commissioned the play. I’m honored that the Roundabout has supported this play—a play about how difficult it is to mount a production in a professional theatre!—and commend them for giving new work an opportunity on the big stage. TS: Will you give us a sense of the kind of research you had to do in order to write this play and how you went about doing it? TR: Unfortunately, film came around right at the end of Sarah’s career, and there’s only one video of her acting—and the video’s quality is really not great—but there is a wealth of resources Theresa Rebeck about her out there (there’s even a book specifically about her playing Hamlet). In my research I also learned about her important collaborations with Edmond Rostand and their relationship. I also TS: Janet McTeer has been cast in the role of Sarah Bernhardt and read a lot of her own writing and included some of it in the play. has been involved in various developmental readings. Can you tell She was quite brilliant and had a lot to say about acting and us what that collaboration has been like? celebrity, which is very much at the center of the play. But this isn’t TR: It is an astonishing privilege to work with Janet McTeer. We a history play by any means. The truth of her playing Hamlet, the knew going in that we would need someone who could not only fundamental questions and ramifications of her character, isn’t portray the greatest actress of the 19th century, but also the located in the exact dates of performances and birthdays, or the greatest actress of the 19th century in the greatest production of specificities around what exactly she said and when she said it. Hamlet of the 19th century. She’s all of that and more. She’s funny, The research I did was all in service of putting a character on the smart, vulnerable, frustrated, strong—she has so many colors, stage: what kind of person she was, what infuriated her, what and she’s mercurial, dazzling. She’s thrown herself in head-first made her rapturous, what are the essential questions of the to discover this character, and from day one she made incredibly event itself. prescient observations about who this person was and what drove her. I’m incredibly grateful to have her onboard. TS: Will you talk about the development process for this play? Do you expect to continue to rewrite throughout the upcoming RTC TS: Your play deals with how successful women are often process? If so, what type of events usually motivate your revisions vilified or penalized for having traits that are celebrated in men. during rehearsals or previews? How some women are criticized for prioritizing their career over TR: I don’t anticipate any major rewrites. We’ve done several being a parent. The play also makes some very salient points readings and a workshop of the play at the end of June; it feels about gender and sexual politics. Why were you interested in ready for rehearsal. Even so, when someone comes up with a writing about these subjects? good idea, I tend to just write it in. Being in the room with bright, TR: You know, it’s a topic that unfortunately just doesn’t seem to creative professionals really spurs the writing process and makes go away. She was certainly the greatest actor of her time, and rewriting not only intellectually stimulating—really engaging with even so, the questions all came up. She was getting a little too the play, finding ways to make it shine brighter and brighter—but old for the ingénue parts, and the parts that she should have been an absolute blast as well. offered when she was at the height of her powers just weren’t out there. She had no choice but to start playing men, and she walked straight into that old canard that men can play women but 4 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY "THE GREAT FRENCH TRAGEDIENNE MAY HAVE BEEN MISGUIDED IN ATTEMPTING TO PLAY HAMLET, BUT SHE WAS UNDOUBTEDLY AMONG THE PIONEERS