University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 2001 A directorial analysis of Vaclav Havel's Temptation van Belle, Timothy David van Belle, T. D. (2001). A directorial analysis of Vaclav Havel's Temptation (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/22672 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/40940 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. 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Please contact the University of Calgary Archives for further information, E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (403) 220-7271 Website: http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/ IVER ITY OF C LGARY A Directorial Analy i of Vaciav Havel' Temptation By Timothy David van Belle THE I UBMITTED TO THE F CULTY OF GRADUATE TUDIE P RTI L FULFILME T OF THE REQ IREME T FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF F E ARTS DEPARTME TO DRAMA CALG RY, LBERT JULY, 2001 © Timothy David van Belle 2001 Abstract This thesis records the directorial process involved in the development of the production of Vaclav Havel's Temptation, presented by the Department of Drama at the University of Calgary from 29 November to 9 December, 2000. Chapter one presents an outline of Havel's biographical context and traces his development as a writer. The chapter ends by placing Temptation within that context. Chapter two is a textual analysis of Temptation which outlines a number textual elements which proved important to the production. Chapter three documents the development of the mise-en-scene, focusing on the continuing dialogue between director and designers through early discussions and into production. Chapter four describes the casting and rehearsal process, outlining the progress of this work on a week-by-week basis. Chapter five serves as a retrospective to the entire process, focusing on both the director's response to the production created and on his professional development as a director. III Acknowledgements Our production came together through the efforts and imaginations of many, many people. Thank you: The cast, crew, and stage management team; Grisell Amaro-Galvan, the best assistant director I have ever worked with; my advisor, Douglas McCullough, for his constant support and good advice; Gavin Semple, whose designs were as brilliant as I had hoped they would be; Don Monty, Lisa Roberts, Halina Supernat, Martin Hebert, Brian Kerby and Werner Karsten for working through the technical aspects of a huge project; Chad Goebel and Warren Janssens for technical and personal support on the home front; Dr. N. G. Zekulin for good contextual advice; Jennifer Roberts for much love and support during the writing of this thesis, also for contributing very useful ideas to my thinking about the nature of evil. Final and ultimate thanks to S/He who created and who continues to create, for many acts of deep, deep Love and Imagination. iv For Jen. v TABLE OF CO TE TS Approval page ii Abstract. iii Acknowledgements .iv Dedication. ....................................................... .. v Table of Contents vi Introduction 1 Play selection 2 CHAPTER ONE: CO TEXT 5 Havel's biographical context 6 Literary development. ........................................... .. 13 Temptation and Havel's literary work 23 CHAPTER TWO: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 27 The nature of evil as expressed in Temptation .29 Theatricality and performance within the text of Temptation 35 Magic and ritual in Temptation. ................................. .. 40 Absurdity and form in Temptation .42 CHAPTER THREE: DEVELOPING THE MISE-EN-SCENE .49 Set design. ................................................ .. 50 Costume 58 Lighting 64 Properties 66 Make-up design 67 Special effects. .............................................. .. 69 Music 71 CHAPTER FOUR: CASTI GAD THE REHEARSAL PROCESS 74 VI J • The actors: what I was looking for 75 The audition process 77 Casting 79 The rehearsal process: Week 1 81 The rehearsal process: Week 2 87 The rehearsal process: Week 3 92 The rehearsal process: Week 4 95 The rehearsal process: Week 5 99 The rehearsal process: Week 6 105 Performances 107 CHAPTER FIVE: REfROSPECTIVE 109 Areas of growth 110 Successes 117 Works cited 122 Works referenced 124 Yll Introduction This thesis documents and reflects on the process I underwent while directing Vaclav Havel's Temptation at the University of Calgary as part of my MFA studies. It is meant to provide a permanent documentation of something which is by nature temporal­ the existence of a production during a limited period of time, seen by a finite amount of people. As such, issues of translation will always abound. In this introduction, I will begin by documenting and reflecting briefly on my play selection process as a means of introducing the play, speaking of what drew me to it specifically. Chapter one of the thesis will focus on the context in which the production took place, exploring Havel as a writer, and locating Temptation in the context of his oeuvre. In chapter two, I will present my own analysis of the play, outlining several key aspects of the text that were developed in the University's production of the play. In the next two chapters, I will describe the development of the performance text, explaining the choices we, as a production team, made, particularly in light of the analysis work I describe in chapter two. Chapter three will focus on design issues and execution, paying special attention to the relationship between the designer (Gavin Semple) and myself. Chapter four will outline the casting, rehearsal, and performance processes. Finally, chapter five will be a brief retrospective on the production, focusing on what I feel were the strengths and areas of growth both for the production and for myself as a director. 2 Play selection As is the case with most MFA students in directing at the University of Calgary, I was invited to submit five proposals for productions for the 2000-01 season. In January of 2000, I submitted proposals for productions of Tartuffe, by Moliere, Shakespeare's The Tempest, Collateral Damage, a contemporary play by Canadian playwright Mansell Robinson, The Einstein Project, a contemporary docudrama by American Paul D'Andrea, and Havel's Temptation. I had a number of criteria that shaped my selection of proposed shows. First, and most important to my studies, I wanted to make sure that this production would stretch me out in new ways as a director. I had gained a lot of experience in working with a small cast on a tightly knit show during my work on my pre-thesis production of Patrick Friesen's The Raft. This show was poetic, had a cast of three, and delved into the psychology of the characters in a more or less traditionally realistic approach, even though my directing approach focused heavily on using the actors' bodies as a means of accessing this psychology. In contrast, therefore, I tended to choose scripts which would help to develop a different set of skills, those required for a more presentational style of script, one in which the staging is more overtly important. All of the shows I proposed save for Collateral Damage had casts of larger than ten actors, and required a great deal of attention to staging and spectacle. As a director I knew that, in general, I felt more comfortable with smaller-scale productions and smaller casts. My choices were designed to force me to approach something decidedly large-scale. 3 My second criterion was that the show should be a good choice for the University. I wanted to direct a show that would engage the audience that comes to the University's productions, as well as one that would engage the students working on the production. I felt that all of the productions I proposed had the potential to grab the attention of an audience, even though all of them would be engaging in different ways. For the more traditional script proposals, that of Tartuffe and The Tempest, I specifically proposed productions that would stretch an audience's understanding of the text, relying heavily on movement in order to find new meanings in centuries-old texts. Collateral Damage, as a kind of parable of contemporary societal politics in Canada, was certainly gripping material, and D'Andrea's The Einstein Project investigated the life of Albert Einstein through a very creative dramaturgy. In all of my proposals, I knew that I did not want to produce a play that would elicit a mediocre response from the audience. I wanted to make sure that the production would be out on a creative limb as much as possible, whether it succeeded or failed.