“The Screens” is a Middle Eastern epic by Jean Genet, directed by Joanne Akalaitis at the Guthrie’s deep, thrust, mainstage, with the Guthrie’s resident acting company and a big group of diverse actors from NY. There was no diversity in the resident company so the actors from NY were necessary to bring “The Screens” to life. The production ultimately ran over four hours, with a dinner break for actors and audience alike. It was a huge production in all ways, cast, script, set, costumes, props, tech and running crew, and time. It was a two month rehearsal process, three months and change including the run.
The length of time it took was partly because of the length of the script, but was also because of Joanne’s process, particularly with the actors.
Most of us hadn’t worked with Joanne before, I think, so we had to learn her “vocabulary,” how she did things, how she saw things, etc. This is true with every director, I’m sure, but Joanne is different. Her staging and movement stylings are unique. For example, there was a net above the stage and over part of the audience and there was time taken to work in the net for those who were in the scenes in the net. Then there were the actors who had to learn to walk with catherni, the high-soled shoes actors used in ancient Greek Theatre, but our actors had to walk backwards, and up a ramp, from the voms. There were other things, like my character had to have gold teeth, so I had to go to a dentist and get fitted and then I had to practice with the teeth. It had real gold in them, by the way, and I still have them someplace.
This not to disparage any of this, it was fabulous. This is by way of saying how this show really showed me how a unique artist and a big theatre could work together, and what it actually took to make her vision a reality. Time, money, commitment, vision, and artistry. Well done, Joanne.
