Shock

The first line of Blackbird describes the effect of this production perfectly: “Shock.”

Mattie Hawkinson and William Petersen in Blackbird

The experience of observing the rehearsal process for Blackbird has been beyond educational for me, a directing intern at Victory Gardens. Getting the opportunity to sit in on almost all of the rehearsals for this play with two fantastic actors and an incredible director and production team has led to one of the most fascinating rehearsal processes I have been a part of.

Coming into rehearsals, everyone approached the controversial nature of the play as straightforwardly as they could. Everyone knew the subject nature would be hard for an audience to watch, and especially difficult for actors to portray. Dramaturgical work was brought in, thoughts and ideas were shared, but it quickly became apparent that the meeting of these two characters was a view very different than what many people expected in a play about child abuse. There was a different quality in the characters as they looked back and relived the experience. David Harrower’s script never shows the audience the events of fifteen years ago, but forces these characters to delve as deep as they can into what happened and why it happened. These two people are forced to regress to place in their lives which was painful and uncomfortable, but at the same time, safe.

I have watched the run of this show more times than I can count, and have been pleased to not only notice new things in the script, but to also see the actors make discoveries during every single run. Lines are delivered differently in the afternoon than they were that morning. Sometimes the way one of the actors sits in a chair or changes their posture transforms the entire moment, and it is constantly changing. The show is presently in previews, and is all set to open next Monday, but Billy and Mattie are still able to keep me captivated every single time I watch them perform.

As people left the theater after the first preview last Friday, I have to admit I eavesdropped on as many conversations as I could. I heard mutters of awe, disbelief, and yes, shock, from every direction. The audience is left just as confused and broken as the characters left on stage about their own response. The controversial subject matter does make the play difficult to watch, and makes an audience justifiably uncomfortable. There is an adult content warning for a reason. But Blackbird guarantees to make you leave your expectations and your certainty outside the theater. The incredible actors and mesmerizing script will leave you with an unbelievable theater-going experience.

–Rebecca Spooner

Public Enemies Movie – Chicago locations

This was a nice article about a few of the Chicago locations where Michael Mann’s Public Enemies was shot.  They transformed Lincoln Avenue back into 1934 and it looks great in the movie. The Biograph Theater looks great in it’s short scene. It’s great to watch the movie and try to figure out where they are and what building is that? What street are they on?  And so many Chicago actors were in the movie, so look in the background of several scenes and you might see someone you know!   Check out this Tribune article. Also check out this abc 7 news story video.

Meet Dean Taucher, set designer for Blackbird

Soon after selecting Blackbird, director Dennis Zacek reached out to a longtime friend, nationally acclaimed set designer Dean Taucher, to create a realistic scenic design for his production.

A Chicago native, Dean designed sets for some of Victory Gardens’ earliest productions, including Steve Carter’s Eden and Molnar’s The Play’s the Thing, as well as our 1978 premiere of William Norris’ Dillinger – William Petersen’s first Equity production, directed by Dennis Zacek.

Dean is now in his 10^th season designing for the hit TV show Law & Order SVU.   Dean, who just launched his own web site, www.deantaucher.com, sent us this entry for Backstage at the Biograph:

I was born in Oak Park, famously the site of the Frank Lord Wright home and studio and his Unity Temple. I stepped in design from the earliest age, chose a life in the theater over architecture and studied set design at The Goodman School of Drama in which I received an associate’s degree in 1976. At that time the Goodman was part of the Art Institute of Chicago and was situated where the New Renzo Piano modern addition now stands.

After the Goodman, I was fortunate to immediately begin my design career at many of Chicago’s off-loop theaters. From St. Nicholas, Body Politic, The Organic, Goodman Stage II, and Victory Gardens Theater, and working with the likes of Dennis Zacek, Stuart Gordon, Joe Mantegna, Dennis Franz and William Petersen.

Spurred on by the tragedy of my brother’s suicide, five years after that of my father’s, I spent the next year in Italy studying at the Rome Campus of Loyola University. My time in Rome and extensive travel throughout Europe was restorative and enlightening. It was a young man’s grand tour on a budget.

Thanks to my membership in the United Scenic Artists, I was able to immediately work as a scenic artist on many Broadway shows when I moved to New York.

Broadway, Radio City, the Metropolitan Opera, A.B.T., New York City Ballet, Saturday Night Live and major feature films: This was my masters program. Working with the best and being paid. From my work on feature films as a scenic artist I was able to meet and work with the likes of Pal and Richard Sylbert and Mel Bourne on the movie Manhunter as charge scenic and also assistant art director. That brought me to the attention of Michael Mann, the director of Manhunter. From there it has been nearly a straight line to my present job as production designer on Law and Order Special Victims Unit.

On Law & Order SVU, I oversee a crew of 35 which expands and can often double depending on the needs of that particular episode. More sets to build, paint, and dress equals more crew.  I also help choose all the locations traveling with a team of directors, producer, location manager and assistant directors (who set all schedules and run the set- similar to a theatrical stage manager). After the locations are chosen we often alter them to make the action of the scene work or to underpin the economic historic and emotional space the scripted character inhibits.

As for Blackbird, when Dennis and I talked after I read the script, the two operative things he said to me was that it should feel like the characters are in a fish bowl, and there is nowhere for them to hide.   The other needs are specific to the script: an indeterminate room in an indeterminate building, somewhere. We all know places like this. Clear, right?

After a few sketches which weren’t fish bowl enough or afforded  too much hiding space, we arrived at the final design now standing on the Biograph stage.

I have enjoyed my collaboration with Dennis and I am amazed at the subtlety and power that Billy and Mattie have brought to their roles.

Tell your friends this is a show worth seeing,

All my best,

Dean