During the construction of our last show this season, Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr. Dougherty, our kind mentor and producer for this venue, suggested that maybe next year we could do student directed one-acts. I immediately fell in love with the idea, but there was a problem - I was graduating this year. Seeing that I wasn't doing anything this summer theater-wise, I messed around with the idea of doing a one-act this summer instead, me directing, and some of the more experienced members of our drama program acting in the show. I presented the idea to Mr. Dougherty, and he agreed to help with the venture.
Some of you may be wondering where I got the idea to do The Turn of the Screw, a dense, dark show about ambiguity and ghosts. Like many things, I was led to this story through the songs of Kate Bush. After seeing a movie based on Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw, Ms. Bush wrote a song, called The Infant Kiss. I heard this song, and was floored by both the immense beauty and creepiness in the song, two combinations I love. I looked more into the resource material, and found that there was a stage adaptation of the novella by Jeffery Hatcher. I read it, and instantly fell in love with it. Hatcher created a play with so much to work with, for actors, directors, and techies.
So when Mr. Dougherty asked, 'What plays are you interested in?', I immediately jumped on the chance to do The Turn of the Screw. It offers many things that me and the actors love. For me, I get to mess around with staging, as the script offers few requirements, set and tech-wise. Just a chair. I can let my mind run wild with staging , and with finding the right amount of horror, tension, ambiguity, and awe. With Elizabeth, she takes on the role of the Governess, a woman unlike any character she has played. A role with a major character arc, she goes from being a unsure, eager young woman, to a confused, worried governess, to a determined, do-anything madwoman. It is new territory, something to make her own. Griff's portrays numerous roles, from an uncaring, disaffected uncle, to a middle-aged care-taker, to a sly, misbehaving boy, all through his voice and mannerisms - no costume changes. It's something he certainly loves to do, but taking it to the next level. And, of course, the techies are given plenty of room to experiment with lighting, as the script denotes that 'looming shadows' are a must, as well as making characters disappear into darkness. It's a show full of challenges and material, something we as theater people relish.
Our enthusiasm for this show is mounting as the weeks pass on. Stay with us here at our blog, to see how this great venture with unfold, and then come to see our show to see how it all works out!
A link to the song that first inspired me, 'The Infant Kiss': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUTkdw4C0XA
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