A tale of two Seagulls.

I'm starting to think about the next play I'm going to be in. I'm playing Masha in Lamb Lays With Lion Vs. Katie Mitchell's The Seagull. It's a part I've always wanted to play, and I'm thrilled that my first venture in performing Chekov outside of school will be this daring conceptual production.

I studied Chekov in school, both in undergraduate and graduate school, and there is definitely a mystique about it. Everyone has their ideas about the "right" way to perform Chekov's plays. While some "experts" say that humor must be part of any Chekov production, other says that playing the subtext is the most important thing. The result of erring too far on one side of the other is either a very shallow play or a very drab one.

The concept for Lamb Lays With Lion's production is that there are two casts performing The Seagull. One cast, inspired by British auteaur-director Katie Mitchell will interpret the play with period costumes and set, and "naturalistic yet simultaneously symbolic" acting, as one critic described Mitchell's style. (sidenote: Ms. Mitchell did give her permission for the project).

The other cast will employ only four actors, and it will be set in modern day, with a very different interpretation (I'm unclear about what that interpretation is at the moment, but I'm sure it will be a bold choice).

The two casts will rehearse separately, and come together toward the opening. Jeremy wrote me today, and used the analogy of Two-Face from Batman to describe the technique. "One face, one play. Different halves, co-existing but vying for control." Excellent.

So it should be a fun experience. Now I just need to start working on my lines so I can be off book for the first day of rehearsal, and start thinking about my character. More on that later.