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Stage Experiment

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007

Click here to enlarge this photo Bryan Haynes⁄The Gazette Lillian Locklear (left) and Anu Yadav rehearse a scene from ‘Hansel and Gretel Eat Crabs.’ The play is the first production of a new experimental theater group based in Mount Rainier that is scheduled to open this month. Click here to enlarge this photo Photos by Bryan Haynes⁄The Gazette Lillian Locklear leads the cast of ‘Hansel and Gretel Eat Crabs’ through vocal exercises before they start rehearsals. This is the first cast for a new experimental theater company in Prince George’s County.

At least they do in ‘‘Hansel and Gretel Eat Crabs,” playwright Mary Resings’ version of the fairytale, which is being produced and performed by members of Active Cultures, a new experimental theater group opening shop this month in Prince George’s County.

Active Cultures was begun last November by Resing and Jessica Burgess to address what Resing felt was a need in American theater.

‘‘American theater has become so generic,” said Resing, who has worked in professional theater since High School and in new play development at the Wooly Mammoth Theater company for the last eight years. ‘‘The same plays are done all around the country in exactly the same way. I felt there was a need for theater that was locally based and focused on the specific community it came from.”

Thus, Active Cultures has made it its’ mission to develop and produce plays which are ‘‘deeply entwined with local interests and artists.”

Resing said she and Burgess decided that Active Cultures would be based in Prince George’s County because they felt that that many of the theaters in the area weren’t offering the types of plays they were interested in.

‘‘That’s not to say that the District doesn’t have a rich theatrical life or that there aren’t many wonderful community theaters here in Prince George’s County,” Resing said.

Erin Sutton, who is the group’s costume designer, said she loves that Active Cultures focuses on new, original works that include elements that affect people in the community.

‘‘There’s nothing wrong with doing older, more traditional plays, but it’s always nice to have new voices that are relevant and push the boundaries.” Sutton said.

Resing said that someday the group would like to become permanently attached to a theater space and produce at least three plays per year.

‘‘We’re also interested in getting an after-school education program going for kids in the area,” Resing said.

Because the group have just recently applied for a 501C3 (non-profit permit) their ability to fundraise is limited, which means the majority of the shows funds come from Active Cultures staff’s personal funds and theater groups and companies from around the Metropolitan area.

‘‘Active Cultures doesn’t have a stock room of materials just yet,” Sutton said. ‘‘Thankfully, Arena Stage, where I am a costume design intern, has allowed me to borrow some items from their stock, which is very nice of them.”

Sutton said that she also has a small budget of her own, which she uses to purchase, costume materials.

‘‘We’ve been lucky to have support from other theaters such as the Wooly Mammoth,” Resing said. ‘‘The theaters give us advice on how to run a successful operation, lists of people willing to help us with our production and whatever else we need. They’re kind of like mentors.”

Resing added that many Prince George’s County residents have been helpful as well.

‘‘There’s a lot of resources here in the county, which is exactly what we were hoping for,” Resing said.

Altering a classic

‘‘In the play, we explore some themes about food, eating and body image,” Resing said.

While Resing kept the basic storyline the same there are still quite a few changes, such as the character of the witch.

‘‘I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by who the witch is,” Resing said. ‘‘When I created the character I had to decide what a witch is and what it means to be one.”

‘‘Hansel and Gretel Eat Crabs” director Patrick Crowley said that while they’re advertising the play for children ages ten and up it’s not necessarily ‘‘kids theater” and that he hopes families will bring their teenagers to see it.

‘‘Another theme in the play is beauty and women as a commodity,” Crowley said. ‘‘It’s an entertaining play that’ll make you think.”

Currently the group rehearses at least five times a week at a Hyattsville community center and all the staff members and actors are volunteers.

‘‘Most of us are young artists from around the District and Maryland who were interested in bringing our various talents to Active Cultures,” Crowley said.

Crowley heard about the group through Resing, who he met and became friends with while the two were employed at the Wooly Mammoth.

Because the group is made up of students and people with full-time jobs, the staff and cast only had five weeks when everyone was free to rehearse, build the set, design costumes, and learn the choreography and all the other aspects that go into putting on a successful show.

‘‘I feel like we’re in pretty good shape in terms of what we can control,” Crowley said. ‘‘The music is in a really good place and I can tell that the actors are starting to get into their roles.”

Sutton said that the costumes are well under way and should be ready by the end of this week.

‘‘A week before the show opens, we have something called ‘‘tech Week,” which is when the actors rehearse in costume on the fully constructed. That way if there are any problems, we can work them out before opening night,” Sutton said.

Sutton, who is making all the costumes for the production, said that her one of her favorites is the fat suit, which is necessary for a scene in which the character literally grows right before the audiences’ eyes.

‘‘I also enjoyed making all the gowns for the pageant scene. I did a lot of thrift store shopping and the costumes started out as these plain old prom gowns. It was fun to alter them and see them morph into something pageant worthy,” Sutton said.

Active Cultures set designer, Paul Ring, began building the set on Jan. 14.

‘‘The majority of the play takes place in three locales, the beauty pageant stage, the double wide trailer that the family lives in and in the second act, Cookie’s house boat,” Crowley said.

Ring, who is the facilities manager at the New Joe’s Movement Emporium had all the set materials donated by his employer.

‘‘I hope people come out to see our play, it’s going to be a wild ride with an important message,” Crowley said.

In addition to ‘‘Hansel and Gretel Eat Crabs” Active Cultures plans to begin preparing for its next big project.

‘‘Susan Lori Parks, a famous playwright, came up with the idea that she would write one play for each day of the year,” Resing said. ‘‘Each week of this year, a different theater company will be given seven of these plays to produce. In May, Active Cultures will participate in the program by producing several of her plays.”

Resing said that she is a huge fan of Parks and cannot wait to bring Parks’ plays to the county.

‘‘Prince George’s is a great place to be doing theater and I hope that we’re here for years to come,” Resing said.

E-mail Wendy McConnell at wmcconnell@gazette.net.