Author: Charleston Stage

Guest Actor Jordan Ellis

Where did you grow up?  Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?  I grew up in a small town called Shelby, NC.  I was always a rambunctious child, at all times wanting the most attention I could get.  I became involved with theatre, either because my mother was tired of hearing me talk, or she knew I could channel my energy into a character on stage.  I think it was a little bit of both.  So, in 1993 my mom enrolled me into Shelby High School Summer Workshop theatre where I landed the role of Avery in Charlotte’s Web.  My passion for theatre began then.  This was actually a high caliber of training for such a small town, and I was able to study with the same teachers from 1993, through middle school, and until I left Shelby High in 2004.  I will be forever indebted to them for giving me the spark, the foundation, the passion, and most of all the respect for collaboration for theatre and the arts.

Where did you study theatre?  I went to Catawba College in Salisbury, NC, where I received a BA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance.

Where have you worked previously?  What are some of your favorite roles?  I have previously worked with The Manhattan Concert Series at Carnegie Hall in NY, NY;   Project Rushmore in NY, NY;  Midtown Arts Center in Fort Collins, CO;  Central Piedmont in Charlotte, NC;  Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre in Winchester, VA;  and Pineville Dinner Theatre in Pineville, NC.  Some of my favorite roles include Huck Finn in Big River, Tobias in Sweeney Todd, Frankie Epps in Parade, Bobby Strong in Urinetown, Slim in Cowboy Mouth, Buff in Suburbia and Jack in The Weir.

What are you most looking forward to playing the role of Peter Pan?  The flying of course!  Also, I’m excited to be able to act like a kid again!  So much fun!  I think the main challenge has been to listen and think like a kid again though.  Acting is always about listening and thinking.  Being naïve, vulnerable, and always having a kid’s outlook on life changes these things drastically.  It’s much harder than you think.

Where are you living now?  After traveling around the country doing theatre for a year, I now call New York home.  I moved to New York City to get better opportunities as an actor.  It’s very cut throat there, but it has so much to teach you.  New York and I have a love-hate relationship.  However, I’ve learned so much in my short tenure there.  I can’t help but to love it more than I hate it.  If you give to the city, it will always give back to you.  It’s the center of the universe, and I cannot wait to see what else it has in store for me!

What do you do in your spare time?  In my spare time I hangout with my niece Madison.  Also, I hang with friends and keep in touch with old friends.  I like to read, workout, cook, do random improv, sing and see plays.  I’m a diehard Atlanta Braves, Carolina Panthers, and Carolina Tar heel fan!  Let’s hope the Panthers look better this season (if there is one). 

 

 

This is my favorite play of all the plays I have written.  I originally wrote Helium in 1990, after reading a memoir by New York Times Humor columnist Russell Baker called Growing Up.  Mr. Baker opened his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir by observing that his 80-year-old mother’s mind “could wander free through space and time.  Some days she went to weddings and funerals that had taken place a half-century earlier . . . she moved across time . . . with a speed and ease beyond the gift of physical science.”  While Mr. Baker certainly saw the sadness of his mother’s affliction, he also saw that there was a freedom there as well.  From that thought, my play Helium was born.

Over the next few years I was able to see aging and dementia first hand.  My delightful grandmother, having reached the age of 100, passed away still with the twinkle in her eye and her good humor mostly intact.  I watched as my mother and her sister, her primary caregivers, found their way through my grandmother’s last and somewhat difficult years.

A few years later, my wonderful mother-in-law (yes, some are wonderful) became lost (on most days) in the fog of dementia.  It was a challenging time for our family, especially my wife Jenny, who became her primary caregiver.  Our kids were little and they marveled at Granny’s mind and her flights of fancy.  Sometimes we wanted to cry, but often we just had to laugh at the things she would tell us.  And, like Russell Baker’s mother, she spent much of her time traveling, for like many patients with dementia, much of her long-term memory remained intact.

After Granny passed away and having seen dementia and aging first hand, I decided to revisit Helium and the play underwent a major revision in 1997 and was produced the next year at the Dock Street.  It struck a chord with many people who would say to me, “let me tell you about my aunt, my mother, my uncle, my cousin” and they would relate their trials, but also the joys they found as caregivers.  They would share with me the flights of fancy that their own loved ones had taken.

Taking my notes from that production in 1998, I recently made additional revisions to Helium
and it is this version that you will see at today’s performance.

The world has become much more aware of Alzheimer’s and dementia since 1990, but much is still unknown.  Patients and their caregivers must still struggle to find their own way.  And each way is different, as no one has the answers.  In Helium, I simply wanted to share one family’s journey, its joys and its sorrows, and with them to marvel and to celebrate the human spirit taking flight.

What I really love about Spelling Bee is that it is not a conventional musical.  While it still tells a story and has a full score of beautifully crafted songs, the excitement comes from the real-time element of the show and the outrageous modern humor throughout the script.  I think of it as an outrageously funny play that happens to have music in it and which works well for audiences who prefer one or the other.  This show seems to satisfy both tastes.  When I saw Spelling Bee in its original Broadway run, I remember it as one of the most exciting and funniest pieces of theatre I had ever experienced and it has stayed in my head since I saw it back in 2005.  It is filled with unique theatrical elements that allow it to stand alone as one of the most curious and satisfying of modern theatre moments.

The length of the show is as long as the spelling bee itself, and it runs without an intermission, so you are basically watching the competition in real time, with a few fantasy elements thrown in for good measure.  It is a great challenge as an actor and as a director because you have to be prepared for just about anything, including being highly aware of the current world events that are going on during the run of the show.  Those references can and do change nightly, based on the actor’s and director’s whims as to what is ‘hot’ at the moment.  It is a constantly evolving production in that sense.

The most unique element of this particular show, however, is that it requires some dedicated audience participation at every performance.  While we have a group of actors on stage playing the spellers, every night we recruit four members from the audience, surveyed from a pre-show poll and different each night, who come on stage and actually participate in the competition.  It is a great challenge for the actors because not only do they have to focus on their own performances but they have to be responsible for guiding these four non-actors who have just been “thrown to the wolves”, so to speak.  It is double duty to produce a top-quality, focused performance, guide these non-actors around the stage and be able to think on your feet and improvise, because you never know what could happen with such chaos thrown into the mix. That is what makes this show so thrilling to watch night after night.  We have rehearsed so many different scenarios with volunteers who have come to our rehearsals and been “guinea pigs,” creating possible problems that could throw the actors off and forcing them to find ways around such issues without breaking character or letting the show get off track.  It is extremely challenging but wildly entertaining for me to see how they deal with it.

I can say without a doubt that this has been one of the most rewarding and wildest rehearsal processes I have had as a director.  Spelling Bee is one of those shows you will come see probably more than once, have an outrageously fun time and still be talking about a week later.  To me that is what the power of theatre is about… to entertain, provide escape and add just a bit of a spark to your everyday life.  That is something that every person needs in their life from time to time, and that is our job.

I hope you find this show as exhilarating and memorable as it has been for me as a director. Here’s hoping it brings you as much laughter and joy as it has for me over the past few weeks.

 

1)  What is your background?  Where are you from and where are you currently now?

I grew up in York, SC, went to Duke University to be a doctor, and instead of going to medical school, I studied theatre in London and dance with the Alvin Ailey school in NYC.  (You can imagine how my family loved that).  I now am a writer/director dividing my time between New York, Los Angeles and D.C.

 

2)  How did you get started in writing, specifically playwriting?  Have you always wanted to write?

I’ve always written.  My mother was an English teacher, so I guess it’s in my blood.  Toni Morrison said “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

I started writing plays because I didn’t see people I knew represented on stage. 

 

3)  What are you hoping audiences will take from Blue?  What is the overall message of this play?

We have far more in common with each other than what divides us.  When Blue was first produced, it was criticized that it was not about race (not by audiences, but by critics).  Actually, that criticism ignited me because I did not want to write the expected southern play filled with angst about racial relations.  Ten years later, Blue has broken theatre records and has been produced all over the country.  It attests to the fact that audiences relate to this family, no matter where they come from, what color they are, how much money they make, etc.  Blue is about family, and that love of family can conquer extraordinary difficulties.

 

4)  Whose work would you recommend for emerging writers to study?

There are so many.  My recommendation is to be as varied as possible. Discover worlds that are completely alien to you or opposite to you.  The classic works are very important because you must know what works before you attempt to change it.

 

5)  If for some reason you were suddenly forbidden to write, what would you end up doing?

Luckily I also direct, and I was a performer.  If I were not in the entertainment industry, I would probably work in some form of education.

 

6)  What is most helpful to you as you sit down to write a first draft?

It’s the idea, the journey that compels me to create.  I love telling stories, and I give thanks everyday that I am given the opportunity to do so.

I am thrilled that my play will be performed in the historic Dock Street Theater.  Especially as a South Carolinian, I am honored that my words will be heard there.   Years after I decided not to pursue my medical career, my mother saw one of my productions and said, “You have healed far more people with your work than you ever could have as a doctor.”  I hope that Blue not only entertains, but may have a small part in helping to heal what is becoming a disturbingly polarized country.  I feel it is our duty as artists to work toward finding a common voice.  We don’t have to agree, but we must find a way to communicate.

 

Charles Randolph-Wright has built a dynamic and diversified career in directing, writing, and producing for film, television and theatre.  Most recently, Actor’s Equity named Charles the recipient of the 2010 Paul Robeson Award, an award that recognizes the person who best exemplifies the principles by which Mr. Robeson lived.  Charles directed the 75th anniversary international tour of Porgy and Bess, currently on tour, and Daniel Beaty’s Through the Night, which will open Off-Broadway at the Union Square Theatre this fall.  Charles wrote the play Blue, starring Phylicia Rashad, which broke box office records in its premiere at Arena Stage, the Roundabout Theatre, and the Pasadena Playhouse and has had subsequent productions throughout the United States.

 

This is my third year doing A Christmas Carol in a row, which means I have a strong connection with the story and all the characters.  In the past I played multiple roles like the pauper and one of the apprentices, but this year I was asked to play Bob Cratchit!  I was excited that I was going to get the chance to experience another side to this great Christmas classic.

Bob Cratchit is a nice gentle fellow.  His main purpose in life is to support his rather large family, though Scrooge pays him very little.  The relationship between Cratchit and Scrooge is a difficult one.  Cratchit works long hours with little pay, yet he insists in honoring Scrooge during his family’s Christmas feast.  Since Cratchit has worked at the counting house for years, he has learned to not take what Scrooge has to say too seriously and he especially does not let Scrooge ruin his Christmas spirit.  I have actually started to adopt this practice in my own life.

When I first approached this role I was initially a little nervous.  Bob Cratchit is much older than I, so finding exactly how old I should play him took the majority of the rehearsal process.  But when Barbara Young (Costumer in Residence) gave me my costume and fake mutton chops, it really helped me define who Bob Cratchit is.  Another challenge was the fact I have never been a father before, so needless to say, seven kids is a lot!  I was able to find Cratchit’s gentle personality quite easily though.  The second Cratchit scene took a while to really grasp the mood of the scene, but with the help from Julian Wiles, I was able to understand that the scene is not about being sad about Tiny Tim’s death, but the fact that Bob is trying to lighten the mood of everyone else.  I have really enjoyed getting the chance to play the role of Bob Cratchit and I have been able to grow as an actor through this role!

A Christmas Carol is truly one of my favorite shows of all times because it is so versatile.  It is still a new and wonderful show every time Charleston Stage produces it.  It is always a challenge to provide costumes for some many characters.  Given that I have a huge stock of costumes that could be used each time, I don’t solely rely on using them.  New costumes or costume pieces are added to accommodate new actors and update the show.  Designing for the Spirits is always great fun and challenging because the actor creates the character and the costumes I create have to help enhance the character they have created.

The actor who plays Marley (Gabriel Wright) plays so many characters this year that he is the most challenging and has the most costumes by far.  He must be different each time and disguised enough that it is not too obvious that it is the same actor.  His pile of costumes, shoes, wigs, hats, props and make-up is quite huge.

In fact, no other actor has as many, but all have changes that add up to approximately 350 costume pieces to clothe a cast of 31.  I suppose the real challenge is getting all of them to the Dock.

Recently Matthew Morrison, from the popular TV show Glee, talked about one of his favorite memories as a young actor.  It was playing a Herdman at his local theatre at ten-years-old.  It wasn’t really surprising to me, as many times as I have directed this show it remains a favorite of mine.  Who doesn’t love watching “bad” kids take over the pageant?!  This year we have multiple actors whose older siblings have been in past Pageant productions.  I have heard from former cast members who are in college now and amazingly more than one remember their one and only line was “My wings got bent.”

We also have cast members who do not celebrate Christmas and when someone asked if that was awkward, a cast member had the best answer, “Being in theatre is about telling a story and this is a story about giving everyone a chance.”  I couldn’t say it better myself.

 

 

Playing the role of Young Ebenezer Scrooge has been a very enjoyable and yet very challenging time. The first time I read my scenes as Young Ebenezer I was very connected to the character. He is a young innocent man who is a passionate worker and who happens to be in love with his boss’ daughter, a beautiful girl named Belle. He had taken an interest in Belle through her father, Mr. Fezziwig, and first dances with her at the Fezziwig’s Christmas Party. At the party, he presents a song he used to sing at Christmas as a child as a present to everyone, especially Belle. He was having the time of his life after he felt so accepted with the Fezziwig’s and in love head over heels.

So the hard part to figure out is how did Young Ebenezer become the miser and infamous character he is known so much to be? What happens to him in his life to alter his state of living and choose a different path of life from the one he previously was on?

The top of Act II starts in a scene with Belle and Ebenezer at the Fezziwig’s store where Ebenezer is working as an apprentice. She surprises him at work bringing an assortment of food for lunch to him. Ebenezer wishes he could take a moment and stop with his love of his life, but he knows that he has to continue to work because there is so much to do. It was the end of the counting year and all the accounts needed to be brought up to date. Ebenezer knew had to finish his work and gain his money because that is how he was going to support himself and Belle together. The only way Ebenezer can do this, in his mind, is to work harder and longer to ensure their finances won’t ever be a problem.

Ebenezer is scared of poverty and Belle can see this in him. When Ebenezer was a child, his family struggled in supporting themselves, and Ebenezer had to work in a factory as a child to earn money and continue to live. This would be a tragic event for any child to do and this is where he developed a scare for the lack of being stable.

In both Belle and Ebenezer seeing different ways though the love is so strong, is where the downfall in this relationship is. His work becomes a bigger part in his life than his fiance, resulting in Belle leaving him and crushing his heart of love. This collectively alters what the infamous Scrooge will become.

Playing the Undertaker, a chimney sweep, the Gentleman Visitor, a homeless man, a ghoul, Zebediah, a toymaker, Topper, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, was very stressful in the beginning. It feels like a piece of cake now playing all nine characters. It’s interesting everytime I enter the stage I am playing another character from a young teenage boy named Zebediah to playing an elderly toymaker.

The struggle for me was the costume changes from nine different characters and some repeating characters. Special thanks to Barbara Young, the company’s Costumer in Residence, who told me to underdress almost all of my costumes, which saves time and the unnecessary stress. I must say I am very thankful for our dialects coach, Amanda Wansa who took me under her wing and coached me until each dialect was perfect.

My favorite parts to play would be the Gentleman Visitor and Topper. I’m not sure if I would have had as much fun with the Gentleman Visitor if it wasn’t for my counter-part, the Lady Visitor played by Beth Curley who also played the same role in the 2009 Charleston Stage production of  A Christmas Carol. She is such a phenomenal actress who inspires me every night to be the best actor/Gentleman Visitor I can be. I have the most fun with Topper, the over-the-top friend of Fred and Caroline. Everytime Act Two approaches I’m dying to play Topper in the “Yes and No” scene. It’s just one more time for me to go on stage and have fun. I always finish that scene thinking- “This is why I do what I do”.

Mrs. Cratchit has been a fun role to tackle. She is iconic, which provides the challenge of keeping her fresh while still keeping Dicken’s original character alive. But with Julian’s guidance, I have started to really consider the essence of who Mrs. Cratchit is. She is a mother of six who works hard to provide food for her family with little money to spare. Mrs. Cratchit truly resents Ebenezer Scrooge for withholding decent wages from her husband and holds him as a symbol for all that is wrong with her world. 

In this new telling of A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Cratchit leads the children in a song called “All Through the Night.” This song has a special significance for me because it was my lullaby growing up, but I called it the “Garden Angel” song because of the lyric “guardian angels.” I think song is a beautiful and pure way to communicate with others, but for a mother who shares a song with her children, this truly shows a simple and beautiful gift that instills a sense of security washing them with love.