Most videos of plays are one-camera, well-intended souvenirs for the cast and their families. This is a two camera shoot created by film pro (and really great guy), Sam Burbank. This remarkable play was produced by The Bootstrap Theater Foundation. This performance was in the spring of 2010 at Fort Mason in San Francisco.
As I've had the privilege of working with the playwriting/music making duo who created the play on a number of projects, I feel qualified to sing their praises here.
Sharmon Hilfinger is the playwright whose imagination and way with words have already provided Bay Area audiences with plays about water as commodity, imaginal discs (I know!), Georgia O'Keeffe and, with Tell It Slant, Emily Dickinson.
Joan McMillen composes and plays the music, coming with themes she's created before we workshop each script, and even more that she amazingly creates while we are working with the director and Sharmon and any other musicians Joan has invited in on the process. Joan has such an ear for finding the music of the moment that all who come to work on a BootStrap Production are inspired and moved.
The actors I've been fortunate to work with are all inspiring to me. We form a collective, a theater family, and most of the character development and stage movement is jointly created, first in workshops (click to hear more), then in rehearsals.
I love these women dearly. They are adventuresome and have their eyes and ears open to the world. Each theatrical piece both grows out of the previous ones, yet also travels through new theatrical and musical lands, always in response to the story at the center of each project.
While I could go on and on, why don't you take a look. All the songs are written to Emily's poems. Enjoy!
BootStrap presents
Tell It Slant
By Sharmon J. Hilfinger & Joan McMillen
Video by Sam Burbank
Directed by Viginia Reed
Based on original direction by Rachel Anderson
Music direction by Alva Henderson
Southside Theater, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco April-May, 2010
CAST
Demiurge: Paz Pardo
Edward Dickinson: Bear Capron
Austin Dickinson: Todd Brotze
Emily Dickinson: Caitlyn Louchard
Lavinia Dickinson: Juliet Strong
Aunt Lavinia: Michael Sommers
Susan Gilbert: Siobhan Doherty
Emily Norcross: Nick Allen
Mary Lyon: Bear Capron
Joseph Lyman: Nick Allen
Benjamin Newton: Michael Sommers
Samuel Bowles: Nick Allen
Perez Dickinson Cowan: Bear Capron
Master: Michael Sommers
Dress Maker: Bear Capron
Pianist/Composer: Joan McMillen
flute: Siobhan Doherty
trombone: Nick Allen
drum: Todd Brotze
Stage Manager: Joan S. Swanson
Asst Stage Manager: Zachary Howard
Technical Director & Set Design: Ron Gasparinetti
Lighting Design: Neil Satterlund
Costume Design: Susan Dennis