DAY TWENTY FIVE - Thursday April 19

DAY TWENTY FIVE - Thursday April 19

We were onstage, working the big prologue number.  On a break, we had a conversation with Elena (dramaturg) and Arkady (translator) about anachronisms. Gregg and I feel that jokes about R&B, James Bond, Silicon implants and the Prince of Monaco marrying Grace Kelly (all references to events that took place after this piece was written, and which we are setting, in 1928). We (Americans) feel that these anachronisms do not help the piece and that there is plenty of "honest" humor in the characters and situations that exist in the period. It was explained to us Americans that Russians love this type of humor and that the show would be far less funny - in fact, not funny enough, without them. That seemed like an absurd argument - why would you want to take people out of the period in which the show is set for a few cheap (and not very good, actually) jokes? We lost the argument on that one.  I still don't understand it - but call it a cultural difference and put yet another check mark in the "American Confused" column.

After lunch, we had another argument about something in the prologue.  We won this one, however.  In the script there was a reference to Charlie Chaplin and Freud as being guests in the Cafe in the prologue. These references were inherited from the Light Opera Works script that Gregg adapted with a colleague - the basis for our Russian translation. I imagine, at first, they were just guests to impress Mary with the clientele at the Cafe. The third person referenced is the Prince of Sylvaria - who is to become her love interest. They (the Russians), of course, wanted Chaplin to be in a tramp costume. I explained a few weeks ago that Chaplin could have travelled to Europe in the late 20's (just after he had made "The Circus"), but that he would ABSOLUTELY NOT be in his Tramp costume. At that point they scrambled to come up with the following: "Oh, Chaplin and Freud are bad imitators - hired actors, dressed up to attract customers."  So the restaurant hired them - as you might see bad imitators in Times Square or Hollywood? Ok. But if these are to be American icons in a European Cafe - Chaplin could make sense. A Brit - but found fame in America. But Freud was not even settled in America in the late 20's. He was in Vienna until escaping the Nazi's - so not an American icon in 1928. I also asked how the audience was supposed to recognize Freud - he's just a balding guy in a suit! He mentioned that he could wear a wig. Did he mean Einstein? Who first visited NY in 1921 but didn't emigrate until 1933? Their theories just didn't hold water for me.

My argument was that these figures (if the non-Chaplin guys would even be recognized) would raise more questions than they answered. We have a prince who is disguised as his attendant, and his attendant disguised as the Prince. To add these other icons would only serve to confuse in an already exposition-laden opening scene. Imagine, dance numbers with all of the chorus and ballet dressed as customers in the Cafe - then you have the Prince and his officers, dressed appropriately, and a few waiters - then you have these two random Famous Folks who would always stick out like two sore thumbs. They argued how valuable it is to have two total fakes making the Real Prince dressed up as a Fake Prince that much funnier. Huh? I need a road map in the program to make sense of all that.

So... the Americans won that one. 

Gregg and I lunch at new place – and I found my favorite lunch dish in Russia, to date.  A lovely chicken breast (NOT smoked - like most chicken here - why would you want to make chicken taste like bacon?) with vegetables in a Parmesan cream sauce.  Very tasty.

We meet every couple of days to talk over schedules with Tatiana Michaelovna.  She is THE scheduler... as well as the accompanist for the ballet rehearsals.  And she is INSANELY BRILLIANT at both jobs.  I hope they're paying her what she's worth because she is doing the work of LITERALLY 3 or 4 people.  She is always calm, sweet, FUNNY, warm, understanding and has a handle on this company.  Kirill (the artistic director) says that Lena (the dramaturg) is his right hand and Tatiana is his left hand in helping run the company.

We were discussing scheduling the choreography for the six little princes.  I mentioned that the each need a toy rifle.  Tatiana walked calmly to her closet and pulled out this little baby:

We explained that they needed to be smaller and less real looking - but we certainly appreciated her keen sense of humor and timing.

In the evening I had nearly the full company- chorus and ballet, included - to do tedious mathematical staging of massive palace scenes – how they enter, exit – whatever wasn’t choreography. Many of the ballet were snooty – bored, not wanting to wait around while I staged what the principals do in that scene. I actually skipped over most of the principal stuff to do at a later time without the chorus and ballet. But these folks love to let you know if THEY feel you are taking up their valuable time. Hey, aren't they paid by the government to be in these rehearsals? And to do what the production team feels is necessary to make the best show? Russia or America, feeling that attitude from performers is hugely demoralizing and does not help the process. 

Before the rehearsal started, I asked Ivgeny (the assistant director) to cancel the actress who plays Rosemarie because I knew I wouldn't get to her scene.  Then, she showed up! I asked the A.D. why she was there.  He said, "I didn't see her yet."  I put on my confused and exasperated American face.  I said to the actress, "Do you have a cell phone?" She said yes. "Can you receive texts?" I asked. She said yes. "Do you get email?" She said yes. I said to Ivgeny, "Have you ever heard of a cell phone, texting or email?" The A.D. then held up his cell phone and made a face LITERALLY of, "Oh, I never thought of that." REALLY!? I had to laugh. After I apologized to the actress. 

Crazy, huh?