The rehearsal process for Heartbreak House has proved to be rich in conversations that speak to how this production is illuminating the play’s relevance in connection with our society today. By making the decision to move the setting forward in time (from Edwardian England circa 1916 to 1940 at the start of WWII), the cast and production team have helped renew the immediacy of the play and bring it into the 21st century.

Director Bill Brown shared some specific reasons for justifying how the change in setting would help modern audiences connect with a story and characters that some might be inclined to write off as dated and irrelevant.  At its height, the British Empire was the largest empire in history and the foremost global power, holding sway over roughly one-quarter of the world’s population at the time.  Bill felt strongly about setting the play on the cusp of the war that would ultimately instigate the decline of this immense world power.

There have been several times in rehearsal when we have gotten into discussions about the similarities between Shaw’s point of view, the new setting, and the current state of the world.  Bill once commented on the growing concern of decline that faces our own nation, having been mired  in the throes of an economic crisis for years now and participating in a war that many people have become numb to.  The Shotovers, an eclectic Bohemian set who occupy the manor where the play takes place, are a family that is currently struggling to make ends meet because of the patriarch’s inability to design and create new weapons of mass destruction.  Yet, they possess the truest sense of how to effectively combat the bitterness and idleness that permeates the society of the time–and of every time.  It was also interesting to draw parallels between the way the characters in the play treat Boss Mangan, the stout industrial capitalist, and the way we have lost faith in our own leaders of industry.

It’s become increasingly clear how a script this rich and dense, one that can stir and communicate across time, presents an even more invigorating appeal when experienced in performance.

We’re now into our third week of rehearsals for Heartbreak House, and it has been a very exciting start to a process for a play that never ceases to shock and surprise those of us working on it. The story continues to come alive in unexpected ways, and not just because of the sharp, skilled actors Writers’ Theatre has assembled for this production. Bill’s strategy in rehearsals has been one of “peeling away the layers” – allowing the actors to find and build their characters piece by piece, exposing the complexity and the universality of each of their plights. There have been many discussions about how everyone in this play experiences their own form of heartbreak, and how bringing vulnerability to the table is essential when it comes to, in performance, realizing these people as human beings and not just as ‘characters.’ I think audiences will appreciate the level of commitment and care that has been taken to develop the roles and relationships in this production.

That’s not to say that the process thus far has been all about the serious stuff. What has surprised me most in rehearsals up to this point is how buoyant and witty this script can be when in the proper hands. It’s fascinating how much of the comedy I missed in my initial readings of it. As Bill talked about early in rehearsals, part of the joy of jumping into Shaw is that every character is incredibly intelligent. The word-play can be almost dizzying at times, and the actors are having a ball savoring the play’s salacious selection of quips and jibes. It is a signal of good things to come when the actors are so game – and trust in each other and the material so strongly – that the kinetic energy of some of their exchanges is nothing short of intoxicating.

Scenic Designer Keith Pitts discusses the set

Hey there! My name is Brandon Pape and I am the assistant director for Writers’ Theatre’s upcoming production of George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House. Rehearsals have begun and I will tell you about how it is going in my next post. Today, I want to talk about the design for the show and share a few thoughts that have come out of our production meetings. I’ll also let you in on a few of the choices we are pursuing to make this production of Heartbreak House unlike any other.

The first production meeting is an exhilarating part of any play process, but it is especially so when working on a revival. This is where the team first gets to hear what the director has planned for this particular incarnation of the script and to discuss what each designer is drawn to about the story, the characters, the setting, etc. The question is always: Why do this play? Why now? Why here? Bill Brown, the director, began by asking the team which character in the story they identified with. Is it young, idealistic Ellie? Or is it dashing and suave Hector? Or maybe it’s Captain Shotover, with his sharp, often hilarious one-liners. By the time everyone had shared their answer, it became clear that – although this play was written almost 100 years ago – the characters and subject matter are thrillingly identifiable and relevant today. It also served as a great ice-breaker, giving us some keen insight into the psyche of each member of our production team, and the opportunity to poke fun at people’s answers. (Kidding…)

Bill then made a compelling campaign for the piece. He was quick to point out that most people’s perception of Shaw as being “too talky” is the result of seeing productions that miss out on the emotional and intellectual playground that exists within many of his scripts (it helps that this is Bill’s favorite Shaw play). “Every play ends up being Shaw,” he declared early on. “Every play is about talk.” He also mentioned the ties in tonality between this play and the writing of Chekhov (the overwhelming loneliness of the characters, the idyllic but isolated family estate setting, the idea of clinging to a lost or dying way of life). He highlighted how this play comes alive very differently in performance than it does on the page, and that the key to portraying these characters is to always respect them and invest in their humanity. It’s also very, very funny.

One choice that Bill introduced early on is his desire to move the play’s setting from the eve of WWI to 1940, just before the Blitz, so that the looming danger – and the threat of “the end of a civilization” – is able to loom larger and more violently over the character’s heads (“The idea of balloons dropping seems quaint,” Bill observed). He also suggested a radical way to accommodate the play’s scenic demands (it takes place in two different locations on a countryside estate) that is sure to provide a fun environment – that playground of the mind – for actors and audience alike to make new and fresh discoveries about the story.

I won’t reveal any more than that…for now. All I can say is that things are shaping up to be beautiful, audacious, and loads of fun. This will certainly be Shaw unlike you’re used to seeing him, and I for one can’t wait to get acquainted with the characters that will populate this House.