{"id":2825,"date":"2021-04-16T13:09:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T13:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/?p=2825"},"modified":"2021-05-15T13:16:40","modified_gmt":"2021-05-15T13:16:40","slug":"actors-now-lead-the-show-at-american-shakespeare-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/16\/actors-now-lead-the-show-at-american-shakespeare-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Actors Now Lead The Show At American Shakespeare Center"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Audio story by Mike Tripp for WMRA (NPR) radio.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since its artistic director resigned earlier this year under a cloud of allegations, the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton has embraced change \u2013 with a new model led by the actors. WMRA\u2019s Mike Tripp takes us backstage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/TRIPP-ACTORS-LEAD-SHAKESPEARE.wav\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ASC-001_0-1024x744.jpg?resize=361%2C262&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2826\" width=\"361\" height=\"262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ASC-001_0.jpg?resize=1024%2C744&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ASC-001_0.jpg?resize=300%2C218&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ASC-001_0.jpg?resize=768%2C558&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ASC-001_0.jpg?resize=70%2C51&amp;ssl=1 70w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ASC-001_0.jpg?w=1161&amp;ssl=1 1161w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 361px) 100vw, 361px\" \/><figcaption>Actor-Managers John Harrell, Zoe Speas, Chris Johnston and Brandon Carter of American Shakespeare Center. <br>CREDIT LINDSEY WALTERS\/MISCELLANEOUS MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHY<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ZOE SPEAS: My husband?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CHRIS JOHNSTON: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear the noise?<a href=\"https:\/\/mediad.publicbroadcasting.net\/p\/wmra\/files\/styles\/x_large\/public\/202104\/ASC-006.JPG\"><\/a>A promotional photograph for American Shakespeare Center&#8217;s production of &#8216;Macbeth.&#8217;CREDIT LINDSEY WALTERS\/MISCELLANEOUS MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Actors Zoe Speas and Chris Johnston read lines as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It\u2019s during a March edition of \u201cDr. Ralph Presents\u201d &#8212; a podcast featuring&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/americanshakespearecenter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Shakespeare Center<\/a>\u2019s co-founder Ralph Cohen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SPEAS: I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak?<a href=\"https:\/\/mediad.publicbroadcasting.net\/p\/wmra\/files\/styles\/x_large\/public\/202104\/ASC-010.JPG\"><\/a>Inside American Shakespeare Center&#8217;s Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton &#8212; and this is pretty much how it&#8217;s looked since the pandemic began.CREDIT LAUREN PARKER<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This past year, the Center had to adapt \u2013 and not just to the pandemic, which, as with almost all other performance venues, caused it to move to online presentations, outside performances and then social distancing within the theater. Artistic director Ethan McSweeny stepped down in February after two and a half years at the helm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/entertainment\/theater_dance\/mcsweeny-resignation-asc-shakespeare\/2021\/02\/19\/36f5c522-7219-11eb-85fa-e0ccb3660358_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">February report in the Washington Post<\/a>, dozens of staff at the theater have alleged McSweeny contributed to a toxic work environment and unfair treatment of some women and people of color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked McSweeny to respond to those allegations.&nbsp; In an email, he said that they were \u2018false and remain unsubstantiated.\u2019 He also said that he was happy that ongoing efforts by the Playhouse continue to get attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rodney Young II, chair of the ASC\u2019s board of trustees, said he couldn\u2019t comment about any personnel matters, including McSweeny\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But whatever the reasons for McSweeny\u2019s exit, Young said it opened the door for the actors to take over.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RODNEY YOUNG: It\u2019s exciting for an organization to have an opportunity, not necessarily by choice initially, to rethink how that organization is going to do what it does. The circumstances that we\u2019ve confronted create for us a real opportunity to reimagine, to reconstitute \u2026 rethink how we\u2019re going to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their choice moving forward? \u2026 Four actor-managers working in concert as a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">YOUNG:&nbsp; This is not their first rodeo when it comes to this kind of actor-driven, actor-led approach to producing plays. So, it made all the sense in the world to us to more formally implement this approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John Harrell, with ASC since 2002, is one of the four actor-managers. He\u2019s responsible for text &#8212; other words \u2026 scripts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JOHN HARRELL: We\u2019ve been making plays like this for a decade and a half.&nbsp; The sort of artistic generation side we\u2019ve been doing for a long time in a mix. We\u2019ve done it without directors, and we\u2019ve also done seasons where we\u2019ve had directors. Kind of back and forth. In terms of being part of a system that is running the organization, I\u2019ve never been a part of that. In fact, I don\u2019t know many theaters that have operated this way. I suspect that we\u2019re going to see a lot of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is this the next new trend?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HARRELL: I think so. I think what we\u2019re seeing is a reexamination of hierarchies in this country and in this culture. And I think that what we\u2019re doing here is a part of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JOHNSTON: Methought I heard a voice cry, \u201cSleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chris Johnston serves as actor-director for music. &nbsp;Macbeth is just one of the characters he has portrayed on stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JOHNSTON: Teamwork \u2026 essential. There\u2019s no way we can do this without every single person pulling their weight. Every single one of us is putting in all sorts of hours. Zoe is typing up a million emails a minute it seems like. John has been working on text, cutting all of the plays. I\u2019ve been going through tons of music. Carter has been handling contract negotiations with directors and playwrights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s Brandon Carter, the actor-manager who serves as [quote] \u2018ambassador.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JOHNSTON: But that\u2019s only us four. And there\u2019s education and there\u2019s development. There\u2019s the box office. Every single person has something to do. And it\u2019s not just one person in these departments. There are other people, and they are all very busy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SPEAS: And we\u2019re only a few months into this, I\u2019ve really enjoyed watching all these groups within our company that make up the theater delegating and sort of standing up for what they do. And the work being shared. And if you are the person who designs this work, you should say how it gets done. It doesn\u2019t make sense for me to tell you how to do that work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As with anything, there are growing pains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SPEAS: Rehearsal is trial and error. We see the experiment taking place and watch the results happening in real time. We won\u2019t know how this new model will work until we bring that audience back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking of their audience \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SPEAS: We have some really cool and diverse seeds planted in the ground that I\u2019m looking forward to see how they \u2026 how the come up as the Spring progresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BRANDON CARTER: A kingdom for a stage, princes to act, and monarchs to behind the swelling scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter reads lines from Act I, Prologue of Henry V.<a href=\"https:\/\/mediad.publicbroadcasting.net\/p\/wmra\/files\/styles\/x_large\/public\/202104\/ASC-009.JPG\"><\/a>A performance of the production &#8220;The Comedy of Errors&#8221; at Blackfriars Playhouse.CREDIT MAREK KUNICKI \/ MAREK K. PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CARTER: We have been reconfiguring what this place looks like and trying to go about it the best way possible with where the nation is right now. I think we will be a stronger company, and we\u2019re so focused on getting back to the original storyline of what the ASC is about, maintaining our ensemble signature. That\u2019s what this company was built on, and I think that\u2019s what these walls hold is our legacy. I really strongly believe our audiences will see that joy that they always enjoyed seeing rooted in the text, rooted in the storytelling, rooted in challenging Shakespeare at its core. A different but stronger company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ASC\u2019s new season starts in May. They begin with &#8216;The Scottish Play,&#8217; followed by &#8216;Henry V,&#8217; &#8216;All\u2019s Well That Ends Well&#8217; and a fourth as yet unannounced title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For WMRA News, I\u2019m Mike Tripp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Audio story by Mike Tripp for WMRA (NPR) radio. Since its artistic director resigned earlier this year under a cloud of allegations, the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton has embraced change \u2013 with a new model led by the actors. WMRA\u2019s Mike Tripp takes us backstage. ZOE SPEAS: My husband? CHRIS JOHNSTON: I have done [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-audio-stories"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/f8explorer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ASC-001_0.jpg?fit=1161%2C843&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2825"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2834,"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825\/revisions\/2834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/f8explorer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}