The Bard Hits the Burbs: The Texas Repertory Theatre Company Celebrates Spring with A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Texas Repertory Theatre Company in A Midsummer Night's Dream

Center stage, an enchanted couple dances a waltz in precise, elegant steps. With their eyes locked on each other, we can guess they are central characters in the drama that is about to unfold. Did I mention they are dancing with swords? A small cluster cherubic looking children accompany this mysterious pair on the bells. Clearly, they are of the fairy persuasion. Not a word has been spoken but the poetry has clearly begun. William Shakespeare may have very well been the first multi-disciplinary theater artist. His works abound with song, spirit, swordplay, and, let’s not forget, all that luscious text. Houston’s newest kid on the theater block, the Texas Repertory Theatre Company, charges into spring with a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Jerry Winters.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream may very well be Shakespeare’s most accessible play, and is certainly a “gateway” Shakespeare play. Considered a “wedding” play, Midsummer found the bard in a dreamy, lyrical mood. Interlocking plots, misapplied love potions, and a dive into the supernatural world give Midsummer its enduring charm. Winters is not so interested in doing “anything” in terms of outrageous treatments that come in and out of Shakespeare fashion. “The sheer musicality of the language makes this play magnificent enough,” says Winters. “There’s no need to rewrite or rework Shakespeare.” Winters returned to the root theme of the play, that “love wears multiple hats.”

Jackie Coleman plays Hippolyta and Titania and assisted in staging the movement for the play. On loan from Connecticut’s Hartford Stage, Coleman is a seasoned Shakespearean actor. Coleman brings her vast experience in movement for the stage to this production. After all, madcap comedy needs a good dose of physical comedy. "Jerry wanted to create three different worlds that deal with the nature of love in their own ways," says Coleman. "I believe incorporating the movement and staging ideas from different sources has allowed us to accomplish that."

Jesse Dreikosen designed a set that depicts two separate worlds, the highly structured, ruled-by-law land of Athens, and the forest, where earthly passions take hold. Pillars topple to reveal a ruin-like enclosure and a much less symmetrical world. “I wanted to create a playground with all kinds of obstacles,” say Dreikosen. “It’s a place where order erodes.” It’s a perfect setting for the mayhem that’s about to ensue. Dreikosen designed the sets for the entire Texas Rep 2006 season.

Hardly a year old, the Texas Repertory Theatre Company is fast becoming known as the little theater company than can. With a slick black box that gives off an off-Broadway vibe, ample parking, a something-for-everyone first season, what’s not to like? With the motto “believe,” this team of directors, actors, designers (many who studied at the University of South Carolina) have a dream that a professional theater company can and will thrive in Northwest Houston. They’re the first professional theater company in the area, although several successful professional theater companies exist outside of other major cities across the nation. The idea is to go where people are and theater is not. So far, it seems to be working. Garnering favorable notices on the first two shows, Midsummer is sure to be another feather in their cap.

Artistic Director, Craig Miller, is full of hope about bringing Shakespeare to the suburbs. “Shakespeare wrote this play about things that never change in humanity: the heart, the mind, and the tangled mess they make of each other. Anyway you slice this beautiful 400+ year-old play, it inevitably falls out in this wonderful examination of that glorious grey area between logic and love,” says Miller. “We deal with it everyday of our lives. Love is essential. However, it is almost never logical.”

The Texas Repertory Theatre Company presents William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Previews begin on May 3rd and 4th at 7:30 pm, and opens on May 5th -May 27th, 8pm, at 14243 Stuebner Airline Road. Call 281-583-7573 or visit http://www.texreptheatre.org/ .

Movement Makes THE MISER: A Conversation with Steven Epp

Photo by Michal Daniel
Steven Epp as Harpagon in The Miser.
The Miser runs through April 30 on the Alley’s Hubbard Stage.
For ticket information, visit www.alleytheatre.org.

Alley Theatre and Theatre de la Jeune Lune join forces for Molière’s The Miser, directed by Dominique Serrand. The founders of Theatre de la Juene Lune were all trained at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, which incorporates a hefty dose of the movement arts. The Miser is a marvelous opportunity to see physical comedy of the highest order. Steven Epp, who co-conceived the production along with Serrand, plays literature’s most notorious penny-pincher, Harpagon. Epp fills us in on this wonderful production.

First off, congratulations on a magnificent performance and thank you for taking the time to speak with the Houston dance community. The Miser is a feast for movement lovers. From where I stand, the piece is as much choreographed as it is directed? Do you agree?

SE: Yes and no. Movement is an integral part of what we do and how we approach acting and theatre in general. But our pieces are never blocked or choreographed by the director. The movement develops naturally and organically through playing and improvisation during the rehearsal process until we arrive at, and agree on, a physical map. Some moments are extremely precise, others more loose and open to evolve in performance.

From a somatic perspective I am curious about the Harpagon's posture which forms the letter "C" (for "cheap" I suppose). It seems Harpagon doesn't even want to give his organs any room either. He would probably have them removed it he could save some money. How do you come upon that choice?

SE: It's not an imposed choice, it's the organic physicality of the character that gradually emerged through rehearsal and that I have honed slowly in performance.

While we are on the subject of your embodiment of Harpagon, your walk was a hoot—completely homo-lateral, which causes the body to toddle about. It's the way the very old and the very young walk. Can you speak the process of developing this walk?

SE: When we were first working on the show I was spending a lot of time with a friend and his three year-old son and I was struck again (I have three children of my own and watching them grow has been the best acting class I could ever hope to take) at how toddlers have so much energy and agility, yet they are always on the verge of being out of control. Something about how they careen through the world, both physically and emotionally, felt like a good way into Harpagon.

Can you tell us about the physical training you do at Theatre de la Jeune Lune? How are the methods from Ecole Jacques Lecoq integrated into the actors' daily regime? I picture tumbling in the warm-ups.

SE: Over the years we have immersed ourselves in Commedia, the clown, farce, Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, the buffoon, opera, all of which are forms that require great physical engagement. We try to be very playful and open in the rehearsal process and to create theatrical spaces that support that. We try to find how the emotion comes from the body and movement, rather than the head and ideas, without denying that there is a great psychology behind any character. We’re not very interested in realistic naturalism; we are more concerned with the poetic, the profoundly human, the outrageous, the world of theatre. Each actor prepares in his or her own way for performance depending upon the particular demands of what they are doing in any given piece. You have to be physically and vocally ready, whatever that requires.

There's a marvelous bit in the play that contains no movement. Master Jacques (David Rainey) plants himself during his rant about the exact details of what people think if Harpagon. La Flèche (Nathan Keepers) gives new meaning to becoming part of the scenery as he literally tries to blend into the wall. And you are sitting down and become increasingly tense. At some point you look as if you have stopped breathing out of pure disbelief. Can you speak to what is going on that scene?

SE: I would argue that there is in fact great movement in that scene, but in minute details, and that's what makes the scene work so well, beyond just being hilarious. Sometimes stillness is the strongest choice.

There's a great "go for the juggler" moment at the end when Elise, a woman of questionable judgment, seems to be having a dutiful daughter moment. Instead she flattens Harpagon. You go down pretty fast and some mighty Texas-size belly laughs ensue. Are falling lessons part of your training?

SE: I did spend a lot of time in my twenties, in my early years with the company, doing a great many pratfalls. My favorite was in our production of Scapin, another Molière play, when I slid down two flights of stairs flat out on my stomach.

How do you see Theatre de la Jeune Lune as the keepers of a much older form of theater when movement dexterity was crucial to the actor's art?

SE: There is currently a renewed interest in physical theatre in America, which is encouraging. For us it's just the way we work and what theatre is.

The end is quite poignant. The song and dance was tightly wound using tiny steps and clipped voices. I took it as a warning not to end up like Harpagon. Any last thoughts?

SE: I don't know if it's a warning exactly, I think audiences do very different things with it, which is great. It's somewhat open ended; it's not hitting you over the head with a big answer or moralistic statement. It's both a funeral and a celebration.

The Alley Theatre in association with Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Actors' Theatre of Louisville and American Repertory Theatre present The Miser. Performances continue through April 30th. Call 713-228-8421 or visit http://www.alleytheatre.org/

Learn more about Theatre de la Jeune Lune at http://www.jeunelune.org/

Young Dancers Shine: Houston Repertoire Ballet Presents New Works

A single lithe dancer stands center stage. Slowly she begins to walk forward lifting her graceful arms toward the heavens. Her eyes lift skyward. Gradually, she begins a tender dance of sorrow, longing, and acceptance. Despite her petite frame, Morgan Buchanan, holds the space with her poised presence. These are the opening moments of choreographer Gilbert Rome’s newest work, Lament, for the Houston Repertoire Ballet (HRT).

According to Rome, Lament “is about the lifecycle of a woman,” This is a challenging role for Buchanan but she enjoys being pushed when it comes to dance. “I always enjoy working with Morgan, says Rome. “She has the maturity to handle the work.” It’s a solemn work, but Buchanan, at age 15, has the technique and dramatic flare to pull it off. With her doe-eyed beauty and sleek physique, she conjures a young Gelsey Kirland. Trained by Victoria Vittum, the director of HRB at Ballet Center of Houston and Rome, Buchanan enjoys rising to the challenge. “Emotion has to come from the heart every time I perform,” says Buchanan. “I try to make the audience feel what I'm feeling, and you have to know when you've put too much or too little emotion into the steps.” Rome’s work will be performed in HRB’s spring concert and is one of the premières slated for their annual Spring Concert.

You might say Mr. Rome knows something about drama having survived Katrina in New Orleans after retiring from HRB this fall. Rome performed with such legends as Rudolf Nureyev, Erik Bruhn, Lynn Seymour, and Marcia Haydee and performed with National Ballet of Canada. Rome is pleased take a vacation from retirement and return as a choreographer; he is especially pleased to be working with Buchanan again.

Buchanan is just one of the many talented dancers at HRB under the direction of Vittum. Based in Copperfield, Vittum has been training young dancers at the Houston Ballet Center since 1994. Some of her students have gone on to work in major ballet companies across the U.S. including ABT, NYCB, and the Boston Ballet.

Also on the bill is Vittum’s contemporary dance, Tangled Web, about the struggle between good and evil. And she’s not kidding about the web; the dancers literally weave ropes into intricate webs. “It’s about good triumphing over evil,” says Vittum. In addition to running the Houston Ballet Center and HRB, Vittum is an award-winning choreographer. “Tangled Web has been so much fun to satge on the dancers. The movement is a little different for the dancers, especially working with the ropes,” says Vittum. “The students have been so open to trying all kinds of experimental things and we have all had a great time with this ballet.” Allison Wardwell, who dances the lead role of “Purity,” in Tangled Web, is a graduating senior at Jersey Village High School and will be attending the University of Texas in Austin in the fall.

To get in the Spring romance mood, Vittum is also staging Act III of The Sleeping Beauty known as “Aurora’s Wedding.” Guest artists include Sharon Wehner and John Henry Reid from the Colorado Ballet. Wehner is a principal ballerina and Reid is one of Vittum’s many successful former students. Sasha Milena Filipovich, HRB’s ballet mistress, will also premiere a new work, Le Deux Movements en L'air, with music by Dvorak. “The choreography is inspired and motivated by the elegant music of Antonin Dvorak,” says Filipovitch.


Houston Repertoire Ballet presents The Sleeping Beauty, “Act III, Aurora’s Wedding” and three ballet premieres on April 28, 2006, 2pm & 7pm at Tomball High School Auditorium. Visit www.hrbdance.org or call 281-861-0199 or 281-351-2787.



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DANCE SALAD: A Mix that Matters

For Houston dance lovers, April marks Dance Salad month. For 11 years now, Curator and Artistic Director, Nancy Henderek, has been bringing the world to Houston dance audiences with her legendary international dance festival, known as Dance Salad. The festival gets its catchy name from the founder’s intention to show an astounding array of choreography from places far and near. Year 11 boasts a whopping 11 different companies, dancing 15 different pieces of choreography, with 58 dancers from seven different countries. And if those numbers don’t knock your socks off, nine of the dances are US premieres.

Every year Henderek scopes the international dance festivals and comes up with a unique three-day event. Whether she’s hanging out at the Edinburgh International Festival, Holland Dance Festival, or the Singapore Arts Festival, you can bet Henderek is shopping for just the right “salad” ingredients. Several of the dances will be shown more than once, but each program will be distinct. Hard core fans usually attend at least two nights.

Dance Salad has also put Houston on the map as a place to see international dance. It’s not unusual for people to travel from all over the US to see the show. Henderek, a former choreographer herself, hand-picks each piece to make a satisfying whole. She has no set criteria; the longest Dance Salad piece so far has been 30 minutes, the shortest, four minutes. Henderek has no set laundry list of what she looking for in a piece of choreography. “The dance has to strike me emotionally or musically or be so well danced that one is in awe of the movement itself,” say Henderek, “Something has to makes it come together and communicate to me; then I know it will communicate to others.” She’s been doing this long enough that she has developed a sixth sense of knowing how all the pieces will fit together.

Henderek never knows where her next find might be and keeps her world-traveling ears open year-round. She also has developed an international network of friends and acquaintances that keep her informed. The festival has such a national reputation that Henderek’s house is now loaded with DVDs of artists vying for a spot on the festival.

Modern dance may not come to mind when you think about China. Think again. Henderek scouted out the Chinese at the Guangdong Modern Dance Festival, in Guangzhou, China. Henderek’s finds include Beijing Modern Dance LDTX and The Guangdong Modern Dance Company, two of China’s leading modern dance companies. The husband and wife team of Li Han-zhong and Ma Bo of The Beijing Company choreographed All River Red, set to Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Flying red scarves, a traditional Chinese symbol of good luck, are transformed into a myriad of shapes and meanings in the dance while Guangdong Modern Dance Company draws on an ancient writing form in Upon Calligraphy.

As in several previous years, the Northern European companies will make a strong showing. Royal Danish Ballet, Danish Dance Theater, The Dutch National Ballet, and Göteborgs Operans Balett (Sweden) are all on the bill, as well as a rare appearance by the Béjart Ballet Lausanne (Switzerland).

Each year Henderek selects a few American dance companies to complete the bill. This year Trey McIntyre, a familiar face to Houston audiences, will be presenting Chasing Squirrel, with his pick up company the Trey McIntyre Project. “I have always been interested in Trey's work, and Trey has been very interested in being a part of Dance Salad for years,” says Henderek. This madcap romp set to Kronos’s saucy Latin tunes follows the male/female chase in a lightening-quick athletic dance. "I couldn't be more excited to be back in Houston. The city has been such a tremendous supporter of my work and it's an honor for me to be returning with my own company,” says McIntyre. “It feels like coming home.” He will also be participating in the Choreographers' Forum April 12, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, a panel discussion where the artists share their processes. McIntyre honed his choreography chops at the Houston Ballet under Ben Stevenson and still holds the post of Choreographic Associate. It seems fitting that Stevenson’s new company, Texas Ballet Theater, is also on the program in Stevenson’s vivacious Vivaldi Pas de Deux.

The other American choreographer, Ronald K. Brown, recently impressed Houston audiences with his work on the Alvin Ailey American Dance. Praised by The New York Times as “one of the most profound choreographers of his modern dance generation,” he will present sections of Come Ye, set to music by Nina Simone and Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Every year Henderek comes up with a major find-a choreographer or company that has never been seen before in the US. In Hanover, Germany, she discovered both in Stephen Thoss, at the Ballett der Staatsoper Hannover/Thoss-Tanz. “I was impressed with their wonderful imagination, level of technique, and dedication, says Henderek. “I am happy to introduce them to the US.”

Margaret Mims of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH)appreciates Henderek’s keen curatorial eye. “The concept of Dance Salad is very similar to the way exhibitions here at the MFAH bring together the work of number of artists, often from various countries and cultures around the world,” said Mims. “Similarly, the Festival offers a curated evening of dance—it’s a diverse group of dance companies on one program each of which brings their own signature.”

Dance Salad has expanded its outreach programs to include lectures, demonstrations, master classes, and exhibits. Even though groups travel from distant lands, it’s important to remember that Dance Salad Festival is a locally produced production. “No one will see this mix done this way anywhere else in the world. This is made for the Houston audience,” says Henderek. “Houston's name is traveling the world which raises the knowledge of our city as a place for good dance.”


Dance Salad takes place on April 13, 14, and 15, 2006, at 7:30 pm, Wortham Center, Cullen Theater. Call 713.315.2525 or visit www.dancesalad.org

Reprinted from artshouston

Chasing Squirrels at Dance Salad: Trey McIntyre Returns to Houston

Choreographer Trey McIntyre started out in the dance world by breaking the rules. As a child, he used to skip ballet class on a regular basis. One day his teacher spotted him in the parking lot teaching some kids some cool moves. Instead of chewing him out she had him teach the steps to the other students. “I have thought of myself as a choreographer ever since,” says McIntyre with a sly grin. He was 12 when he created his first official dance. At 36, he has 70 ballets under his belt, and is currently preparing his hot new company, the Trey McIntyre Project (TMP), for a performance at Dance Salad, an international Houston dance festival. He is one of the few American on the bill.

Houston audiences are well acquainted with this tall, strapping, model-good looking dance icon. He danced with Houston Ballet for six years and has set seven pieces on the company thus far. His mentor, Ben Stevenson, helped launch his career. “Instead of giving me advice, he put my pieces in the rep,” says McIntyre with pride. For Dance Salad, he is bringing excerpts from his delicious and uber-athletic romp called Chasing Squirrel, set to the lusty Latin music of the Kronos Quartet. He was running in the Central Park with Kronos plugged into his headset when he saw a dog go nuts chasing a particularly rambunctious squirrel. The piece portrays women as the powerful ones. “I’m a hard core feminist,” he admits. “The piece is a metaphor for sexual chase.” Nancy Henderek, Dance Salad’s Curator and Artistic Director, has had her eye on McIntyre for some time now and hand picked this piece. “It's a fun, wild, and woolly piece that really captures what I wanted to present from him,” says Henderek. “Trey’s company is a perfect fit for the festival and for Houston dance lovers.”

In addition to being the Artistic Director of his own company, he’s also a Choreographic Associate at Houston Ballet, a Choreographer-in-Residence at The Washington Ballet, and a Resident Choreographer at Ballet Memphis. And if that doesn’t sound like enough, he’s in demand from companies throughout the states.

McIntyre looks for innovative ways to thrive as a choreographer. So far, his savvy strategy is working. He cherry picks the best dancers from high profile companies during the summer months (when they are all unemployed). They rehearse at the famous White Oak Plantation in Florida, then go off and perform at various festivals. “I’m interested in challenging the idea of what it means to have a dance company.”

A native of Wichita, Kansas, he lives in San Francisco, but Houston is still close to his heart. “I love the diverse pockets of funkiness.” He misses his weekly stops at Barnaby’s and all the good barbeque joints. Since leaving Houston he has become somewhat of a rock star in the ballet world as his work graces the repertory of major companies all over the world. “Opportunities come up and I don’t want to turn them down,” says McIntyre with that good old Texas spirit. “I want to do everything; I want it all.”

Trey McIntyre Project performs at Dance Salad on April 13, 14, and 15, 2006, at 7:30 pm, Wortham Center, Cullen Theater. Call 713.315.2525 or visit www.dancesalad.org.

Reprinted from Houston.