The writing team of Bob Drury and Tom Clavin are best known to their readers as American military historians. Noted for turning out impeccably researched chronicles, their books range in coverage from World War II and Korea to the Vietnam War and usually grace The New York Times bestseller list. But for all their military acumen, the two had overlooked one of the biggest stories in American history: That of Chief Red Cloud, who led the Western Sioux Nation to victory against the U.S.The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend (Simon & Schuster, November 2013) was born.
Before that, Drury and Clavin had been kicking around a few ideas for their next subject when they found themselves at the Marine Corps Base at Quantico as they accepted an award for Best Nonfiction from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
“After the ceremony a Marine said to us, ‘You do know about the only Indian to win a war against the United States?’ ” Drury told Indian Country Today Media Network. “We said we were familiar with the Battle of Big Horn and other well-known battles. And then he said, ‘I didn’t say battle, I said war! An entire war.’ And I thought, Why didn’t we know about that?”
The Marine then told them about Red Cloud, chief of the Western Sioux Nation. The two were stunned to discover that the warrior in question was not Geronimo, Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse—proud fighters who most schoolchildren are taught about. They knew then that they had their next book.The Heart of Everything That Is tells Red Cloud’s story in his own words (he related his tale to a third party before he died) and lays out a riveting timeline of the period.
In researching his life, the authors uncovered a wealth of material from diaries and letters written by U. S. military officers and their wives and children, and wilderness trackers, plus a treasure trove of historical information gleaned from the letters and journals of the pioneers who crossed the Great Plains during the 1800s. Indian Country Today Media Network caught up with each author recently to gain insight into what compelled them to learn more about Red Cloud and write, “His overall leadership, his organizing genius, and his ability to persuade contentious tribes to band together…had enabled perhaps the most impressive campaign in the annals of Indian warfare.”
Your book is meticulously researched, full of the smallest details of life on the American Plains. What surprised you most in your studies of that period?
Clavin: The biggest surprise was how little we know of Red Cloud in our popular culture. We know a great deal about Geronimo, Cochise, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. But Red Cloud wasn’t discussed at all in our history books. As we did more research we discovered stories of his exploits and of his importance in Sioux society and their culture and history.
It was shocking to us that he was little more than a footnote to what we know about the American West. It’s been mostly the white academics and white scholars who have written about the Indian. The Indian point of view has been mostly through the observation of others, as with Frances Parkman’s The Oregon Trail.
What drew you to the story of Red Cloud?
Clavin: I was reading a description of the Fetterman massacre and Red Cloud and thought I was pretty well versed in eighteenth-century history. But ultimately when we decided to take on the story of Red Cloud, it became a four-year journey.
Drury: We saw his life was rich during the period of Manifest Destiny. It told of a way of life that had gone on for a millennium. We were accustomed to interviewing living people. But what we found was almost like Twitter, everyone kept a journal back then. Tom went to all the historical societies and university libraries out west and found so many letters. Some of the documents were so fragile that we had to handle them with gloves. Reading these journals was like interviewing living people. It was an amazing discovery. For example, no one knew how the Indians ‘treatied’ with each other.
Would the Plains Indians have survived without the trading posts and contact with whites?
Clavin: They probably would have survived much better! The trading posts were very destructive to them. They seduced the Indians from finding their own food and clothing, which they had always done. It also introduced alcohol to them and brought diseases they had no immunity from, like smallpox and cholera.
What was Red Cloud’s legacy to the Sioux?
Clavin: Once he retired as a military leader and after he could see the growing military power of the white people, he wanted to be sure that the Lakota Sioux and their children had education and medical care. He was an advocate in Washington for funds and other resources to come back to the reservation.
What does the book’s title mean?
Clavin: The Lakota Sioux name for the Black Hills ispaha sapa. The area straddles the border between Wyoming and Southwestern South Dakota. They considered it their sacred territory—where they came from. The translation is “the heart of everything that is.”
Does Red Cloud have descendants?
Clavin: Tribal leaders have been descendants of Red Cloud, the leader of the Oglala Sioux, who was considered their leader until he died in 1909. Then it was Jack, his son, then James, his son, then Oliver Red Cloud, his son who died this past July at 93. His son, Lyman, was supposed to take over as leader, but died two weeks later. I have heard there is now a vacuum in terms of their spiritual figurehead.
Do they still live on the Pine Ridge reservation?
Clavin: Quite a few still do. Though some also attend school outside of the reservation and marry outside, there are still grandchildren and great-great- grandchildren living there.
What surprised you the most in your research?
Drury: Well, there were so many things that surprised me. For example, we have the Alamo, the Battle of Big Horn and the Fetterman fight, which somehow had gotten lost in the mists of time. The story is about the demise of one nation, Red Cloud’s nation, and the rise of another nation, the continental power of the United States—and in the middle of it was the Fetterman fight.
Another was old Jim Bridger, the self-taught trapper and explorer. Why were Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kitt Carson and all these iconic figures mentioned in our American history books but not Bridger? I think he is the most fascinating character in the book because his story lends so much to the book’s narrative. He and Red Cloud lived almost parallel lives on this vast continent. During this period mapmakers described the vast interior of the country as the great American desert. But during their lifetimes we annexed Texas, fixed the Canadian boundary, defeated Santa Ana and took over many of the western and northwestern states. All of a sudden we were becoming a nation, and at the same time Red Cloud was in charge of what whites considered a nation. So it was inevitable that these two nations were going to clash. And this was witnessed by Jim Bridger and Crazy Horse, among others of the period. I wonder to this day why he is not up there in the pantheon of Western pioneers.
What is your takeaway?
Drury: If we had just honored that final treaty, because Red Cloud’s war never really ended, even though he signed a treaty. It still continues in the courts today, because we broke so many treaties. But if we had just honored that final treaty that ended Red Cloud’s war, this would be a better country today for everyone.
So why did two white guys think they could write about the history of American Indians?
Drury: My only answer is I didn’t serve in World War II, but that didn’t stop me from writing Halsey’s Typhoon and doing a good job of it. I didn’t serve in the Korean War but that didn’t stop me from writing The Last Stand of Fox Company, and I was even too young for Vietnam, but that didn’t stop us from writing Last Men Out. So in the same sense I don’t think color, age or creed matters when you’ve got a ripping good yarn. And this one’s a great saga with epic sweep.
On October 9th the equine extravaganza that galloped into town four years ago will return with an even more spectacular show. Sixty-nine horses ranging from Andalusian and Arabians, Belgians to Appaloosas, and Percherons to Paints along with other exotic horse breeds from around the world will grace a big top the size of two football fields. But you don’t have to be horse crazy to be wowed by the beauty and raw power of these magnificent animals performing on a “stage” the size of two hockey rinks and a surface made of sand.
Forty-nine artists (half that number are actual riders) will ride in three major styles. There’s the hell-bent-for-leather “Liberty” style; the side-by-side and in synch for the “Roman” style; and the elegant prancing and posing techniques best known for the elegant “Dressage” style. Watching these massive beauties go through their paces is as riveting, as it is awe-inspiring, and a tribute to the intimate relationship riders and trainers have with their horses.
Grand Cavalia | Credits: Color-ish company
Canadian Marc-Olivier Leprohon, head of artistic and equestrian operations, spoke to the Alexandria Times about Cavalia Odysseo.
Can you describe the development of Cavalia Odysseo?
When we began in Quebec in 2011 we were twelve people. Now there are 130 that are on the tour. Also we bring on an extra one hundred people for seating and food wherever we go and another fifty people to help move the show, tear down the big top, and pack up supplies into one hundred trucks.
That’s a huge production! What’s planned for the future?
There are two distinctly different shows, Cavaliaand Cavalia Odysseo. Our Artistic Director, Wayne Fowkes, has a goal is to create different shows in North America and around the world. Right now it’s the biggest show ever built and includes a huge lake and a hill in the background that the horses run up and down.
What kind of surface do the horses perform on?
We all work in sand. All of the acrobats or aerialists have to adapt, because the ground is not even. Every day we smooth the sand and roll it. It’s soft enough for the horses and compact enough for the artists. In the show there is nothing to obstruct the view of the horses. It’s like bringing nature indoors. In the beginning the horses strut, then jump and canter. We work them into dressage and finally into trick riding. So their warm-up is actually on stage, not backstage.
How are the horses trained and do they perform in every show?
We follow what the horse wants to do and try to understand what they are telling us. Each one is trained to do four different disciplines even though they don’t do the same things every day. In addition we always have some that are in training when we are on the road.
Where do the horses go between cities?
We usually have two weeks in between that’s when we take them to a local farm. Before we open at National Harbor they’ll stay on a farm in Delaware that provides sixty-three stalls with paddocks and fields to run around in with their friends.
Nomads / Nomades | Credits: Pascal Ratthé
Stephanie Evans is one of the artists in the show also spoke to the Alexandria Times about her experiences with the horses. Raised on a horse farm in Canada, she has competed in many international equestrian events and trained in dressage in Lipica, Slovenia, the original home of the Lipizzaner breed. She also learned equestrian skills in Spain at the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre.
What is the breakdown of horse to rider and how do they get pampered?
Each rider is assigned three to six horses and each horse creates a bond with their rider. We have eleven different breeds – – some are stallions and some are geldings. On site we have round pens and an outdoor stand ring for sun and fresh air. We travel with two vet techs who are in contact with local veterinarians and we have a farrier who travels with us in case a horse throws a shoe.
What are some of the quirks of their personalities?
I have three horses I ride now. One is an Andalusian stallion, who’s super relaxed, super sweet and super lazy. Another Andalusian I ride is very excitable and always looking around for things. Sometimes he is unpredictable!
Do the horses play well together?
No! We have to separate them because we have a lot of stallions, although the geldings get along. There is a group of Arabians that are in a big “Liberty” number and they get turned out together. The oldest is fifteen and the youngest is five.
Why do you have so many stallions?
Stallions have a greater presence and are known for having more muscle tone. Their mane and tail create a more visually impressive horse and they have more character.
Since the artists are from so many different countries how do they communicate with one another?
We mainly speak English and French. You’ll also hear Spanish, Portuguese, and Susu since we have a big group from New Guinea.
UPDATE: For the DC Metropolitan area a 50% discount will apply for a limited time only. This major rebate will apply on all tickets for Cavalia’s newest production Odysseo.
“The shutdown of the national government will affect thousands of employees and businesses in the Washington, DC area,” said Normand Latourelle, Cavalia’s Founder and Artistic Director.“Considering the impact of the shutdown on the local economy,we want to offer a special promotion so everyone can experience the magic of Odysseo.”
JULY 02, 2013 BY JORDAN WRIGHT Special to The Credits – MPAA
Filmmakers Jim Rash and Nat Faxon with Liam James on the set of THE WAY, WAY BACK – Courtesy Fox Searchlight
After winning an Oscar for their screenplay for The Descendants, the screenwriting duo of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash appeared to have burst onto the scene as a couple of unknowns. In reality the writing and directing team have been on Hollywood filmmakers’ short list since 2007, when their script for The Way, Way Back was being read and praised by insiders. The Credits sat down with the old friends and collaborators in advance of their already well reviewed coming-of-age comedy to find out about their process, their history, and what’s on tap next.
The Credits: Can you talk about how you two break down a script that you’re working on? What is your process?
Rash: It evolves. We break the stories down and do the treatments together, and then we get started based only on my wonderful neuroses. That’s to say there are times when Nat needs to send me to a coffee shop while he tends to his family so this single guy can sit and talk to himself. After that we get back together.
You both went to prep school. Was that experience helpful in writing a coming of age film?
Faxon: It was more about our memories of summertime and the people that influenced us when we spent our summers in Nantucket. I remember when I was first included in doing cool stuff with the older kids and being part of the gang. It was more about recollections.
Rash: I wasn’t popular like Nat probably was. I pulled more from pain—specifically in the first scene, which we used verbatim from an incident when my stepfather called me a three on a scale from one to ten. We just have a fondness for rites of passage, the moment when something shifted for us. We bond with that protagonist.
What was the lifecycle of this script? It’s been kicking around getting good buzz for a while.
Faxon: This script was sitting around for a while. It was written back in 2005 before The Descendants. And it had gotten on The Black List. It did open a lot of doors for us, and we got some great meetings, one of which was with Alexander Payne’s production company that has the rights to The Descendants. Even still, making a movie in Hollywood is always a challenge no matter what level you’re at, and this was no exception. We had to find financing and casting to put all the pieces together. It was a struggle all the way through.
Allison Janney as “Betty” in ‘The Way, Way Back.’ Courtesy Fox Searchlight
Who was the first talent you got on board?
Rash:Allison Janney. We knew her through different circles and had written the part pretty much with her in mind. So we started with her and it really was a building pattern from there. The last piece was Steve Carrell.
How did your journey into becoming filmmakers begin?
Rash: We met at The Groundlings Theatre in late 1998 when we became part of The Sunday Company, which is the farm team that feeds the main company. Eventually we both got to The Groundlings and we were there for about 11 or 12 years. That’s where we became friends and started writing television together. We’re both actors and we’re still acting.
Faxon: For me I had a lot of characters in my family that I used to imitate and make fun of at the dinner table and get some good laughs. Later I did school plays. I knew early on that I wanted to get into the entertainment industry. After college I moved to LA and got involved in The Groundlings and in acting and sketch comedy, and did commercials. Slowly I got TV jobs. I didn’t know anybody out there. It’s hard. Nobody tells you how to play the game.
Rash: I was consuming some dysfunction and pain and then utilizing it later. It started clicking then. I took screenwriting classes and worked for the student TV channel. I did some theatre and then went to LA.
As writers, what are your favorite books? Do you gravitate to any particular author?
Faxon: I am rereading “A Prayer for Owen Meany” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.” Also Jonathan Tropper’s “This is Where I Leave You.”
Rash: “A Separate Peace” and, of course, “The Catcher in the Rye.” At Lawrenceville I liked Southern literature, although I really struggled through Faulkner’s “Absalom, Absalom.”
Faxon: I loved Russian literature early on. I found the stories and the writing to be fascinating. Coming from the East Coast I like Nathaniel Philbrick stories and survival tales. Right now I’m reading [Jennifer Egan’s] “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” which is a collection of stories in which the characters are interwoven. For comic writers I like David Sedaris and Bill Bryson and the twisted characters of Carl Hiaasen.
Liam James as “Duncan” and Sam Rockwell as “Owen” on the set of ‘The Way, Way Back’ Photo by Claire Folger, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
How was the filming process on The Way, Way Back?
Rash: We pretty much got hit with a lot of rain when we started. The house stuff was shot outside of Marshfield, MA in Green Harbor, and the water park was in East Wareham, MA. The town was very supportive and very helpful during the whole shoot. One night, during a very climactic scene we were shooting in someone’s backyard, most of the town came out to watch from their mini cocktail parties. There was this sort of theatre-in-the-round thing going on and the actors really enjoyed it.
Faxon: Certainly we had challenges at the water park since we shot in the evening. There were a lot of hot days and all we wanted to do was go down the slide. One night the folks at Water Wizz, a family owned place, opened the park for us and it was so much fun.
What’s next?
Rash: We’re writing another movie with Fox Searchlight, a sort of dysfunctional tap-into-some-pain type story, and then we’re writing an action comedy for Kristin Wiig, who is a friend of ours from The Groundlings. It’s a little grittier and little darker.
Featured image: Filmmakers Jim Rash and Nat Faxon with Liam James on the set of The Way, Way Back
Quidam diabolo performer William Wei-Liang Lin – photo credit Jordan Wright
The critically acclaimed Cirque du Soleilis bringing Quidam to our area next month. The captivating extravaganza which has toured five continents and been seen by millions over its 17-year history, will be at the Patriot Center at George Mason University.
Last week at Georgetown’s newest restaurant and event venue Malmaison, I had a chance to chat with Jessica LeBoeuf and Cirque’s newest performer, William Wei-Liang Lin, the company’s 24 year-old diabolo act who hails from Taiwan.
LeBoeuf, Quidam’s publicist, described the complex logistics of moving the production from city to city via fifteen trucks loaded with the set, costumes and equipment to stage a show consisting of fifty-two world-class performers including singers, acrobats, musicians and characters from twenty different countries and staging it in an arena. “The show has been redesigned for an arena from the usual Big Top. But it’s the same show, just under a different roof. It’s theatre-style seating, which gives us five hundred to a thousand more seats, still with the sound of a live concert. We take about a third of the stage area, think of a hockey rink, for the backstage where there’s a gym, all the props, costumes and a place for the performers to warm up, plus the band pit and the garage. The stage comes out nearly to the front rows,” she explained.
“There are a lot of aerial acts in the show, though we don’t use a safety net or safety line. We use the téléférique, the French word for cable car. It’s an arch that comes halfway across the arena and stops above the audience and then there’s a cable car system on each of the five rails where we fly the performers in and out on their apparatus. It’s all sheer human power.”
For William Lin the journey to Cirque stardom has been as circuitous as it has been auspicious. As a schoolboy his aim was to study tae kwon do, but when the hoped-for class was filled he wound up studying ‘diabolo’, a technique evolved from the Chinese yo-yo that incorporates string and one or more axles that are spun and tossed.
Quidam by Cirque du Soliel
Eventually Lin developed tremendous expertise, winning first prize over all the acts at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in France, an international competition akin to the Oscars for the Circus Arts. Soon after he was discovered in England by Cirque’s scouts. Although he curtailed his university studies, he still needed to complete mandatory military service. Even so he had to wait a year until a spot opened up in the company this January. “Cirque du Soleil is my dream,” he beams. “My work is my diabolo. I love learning new tricks. Many of my ideas come from videos and movies. For me the possibilities are limitless.” Lin has become wildly popular back home in Taiwan where he is flooded with request for TV interviews.
In a story of a young girl bored by the world and her apathetic parents, young Zoé seeks to fill the void of her existence with the imaginary world of Quidam, which offers characters that encourage her to free her soul. The show is notable for its poetic transitions and beautiful acrobatics that create an exhilarating sensory experience.
As LeBoeuf puts it, “The performers need to keep their bodies in good shape for eight shows a week while performing at the same level. They do Pilates, stretching, yoga, dance classes, conditioning and cross training. To keep them interested and involved local dance teachers are often invited in to do demonstrations. In Detroit we had a famous dancer come in that did hip hop. It was very cool for the foreign performers to learn hip hop. The contortionists said, “I don’t understand how you move!” It was pretty funny coming from them.”
Quidam will hold seven performances from July 17th through July 21st at the Patriot Center at George Mason University 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. For tickets and information visit www.CirqueduSoleil.com or call 703 993-3000.
May 1, 2013 Jordan Wright
Special to The Credits – MPAA
Iceman Director Ariel Vromen
How does an ‘extreme’ special unit Israeli Air Force soldier, law student and world-traveling DJ become a successful director working with some of the country’s biggest stars? Here’s the circuitous route Ariel Vromen took on his path from performing military maneuvers in Israel and reading dense law texts in England to getting behind the camera. Vromen faced an endless string of challenges to get his latest project, TheIceman, onto the big screen. Inspired by real events, the film follows Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon), a notorious contract killer who, when not doing his grim work for the mob, was a devoted family man. When he was finally arrested in 1986, Kuklinki’s wife and daughters were stunned by the revelation of what he did for a living.
Vromen played the film in a slew of prestigious film festivals all over the world, tirelessly campaigning to lock down distribution for this passion project. He pulled it off. The film hits theaters on May 3.
We spoke with Vromen about The Iceman, his plight from law school to movie set, and his love for filmmaking.
Ariel Vromen on the set of ‘The Iceman.’ Courtesy Millenium Entertainment
How did you go from law school in England to filmmaking in LA?
I was a child of thirteen when I got my first camera at my Bar Mitzvah. I used to do a lot of short films. I was very attracted to film. But then when I went into the army, an extreme special unit in the Israeli Air Force, it shut down the creativity within me. Going to law school afterwards felt more serious for me. In law school, I started to be exposed to music. I started to work on electronic music and became a DJ, traveling around the world. I partnered with a lot of people and worked on soundtracks. That’s what brought creativity back into my life. After law school, when it was time to practice law, I said, “There’s no way!’ I had to try to do something I always wanted to do in my life. I was almost thirty then, I really started pretty late. That was the journey, from being creative to not being creative to returning to that world. When I came back to film, my interest was not in directing or writing…I was passionate about sound design. I did a short film in 2002 (Jewel of the Sahara), but it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that I became more attracted to directing.
How did you get your foot in the door in such a short time?
You know, it’s about perseverance and hard work and luck. As you get older you adjust yourself faster and, if you’re smart enough, you learn from your mistakes. You understand what you did wrong and what you need to do better, and if you’re focused enough, then you just go for it. There are no set rules or one specific journey. At the end of the day, you have to decide what kind of filmmaker you want to be. That happened to me after trying to direct a couple of features. To make your own film, it’s almost a miracle. The hardest part for many people in show business is to control your ego, especially if the film’s good.
Was law school helpful to you once you entered the film world?
Yes. It puts you into that mode of determination, of researching and understanding the material. It takes a lot of discipline to get up in the morning and work every day until 6 a.m. If you have a deadline, you can’t give up and you can’t be lazy. I wouldn’t say it’s fair, but if you really focus and believe in what you want to get out of it, and you’re putting all your energy into it, then anyone can achieve it. Sometimes it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
How did you develop relationships with fellow filmmakers, as well as distributors like Millennium Entertainment?
It’s funny, because I am much more connected to people that work with me like my editor, Danny Rafic. As for the DP department, I’m still on the search for the same person that will come on again and again for the style that I’m looking for. It would be nice to know that I have one DP that is there for life.
As for distribution, The Iceman was produced and financed by Millenium. It’s complicated. You’ve finished the film and done your screenings at festivals and you think it’s the end. Absolutely not! It’s just the beginning. Being on top of the distributor, doing release planning and strategic marketing, is probably as important as planning your shots and testing your film. Even though not everybody is happy to get your emails in the morning, you’ve got to ask a lot of questions. It’s the only way. You’ve got to be passionate about it. The job is not over when you pick a distributor.
We’ve been touring with Iceman since last September. It was in so many festivals, in Venice, Telluride, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida, New York, New Orleans, Haifa. Despite the fact that it is such a controversial, dark film, with a dark subject matter, people really connected to it. They want to see the character redeem himself. It was a big challenge to make people relate. In the end I’m very pleased with the movie.
Ariel Vromen talks with his crew on the set of ‘The Iceman’
Can you talk about the challenges you had on The Iceman?
Hmmm…casting, financing, insisting on Michael Shannon to be the lead, nobody wants to give me money, competitive projects, dealing with threatening letters from a legal department on a weekly basis, trying to make Shreveport look like New York and New Jersey. Go figure that out. Shooting it in thirty days and having so much to cover in terms of three time periods. Sixty-eight locations, the post-production time restraints to get it into festivals, marketing, making sure it’s the best timing, and just keeping the momentum going. I think there were a lot of challenges! Ask me if there was anything that went smoothly.
Okay. Did anything go smoothly?
I would say the only thing that went really, really great was the work with my actors and the time I loved the most was editing in post-production. Ultimately it was all about creating, not about fighting.
About to film a scene on the set of ‘The Iceman.’ Courtesy Millenium Entertainment
As an independent filmmaker who works project to project without much of a financial safety net, what are your thoughts on protecting the content you create?
Piracy is absolutely a disease. Unfortunately there is a period of time, as it gets closer to the movie’s release, when the DVDs have been shipped, and you can only do so much for the content protection. However, the whole new way of distribution via the DCPs [Digital Cinema Package] really makes it helpful. But the moment that someone wants to put your work out there to the public, even knowing that essential element that you gave your life for something, it’s like somebody who has a virus they’re carrying and they want to spread it around. They just don’t care. You cannot control it.
What can we do?
I think it’s a matter of education. Like if someone goes to the supermarket and they want a yogurt and a bottle of wine and they take it and decide to just walk out. You can’t just say it’s wrong. You have to educate people and enforce it. Already the industry is suffering so much. Even though the numbers seem high, they can be deceiving. Someday we won’t be able to make these films.
There are so many countries where piracy has become commonplace, because people don’t get those movies, like in Turkey, Russia, China, Thailand and also Israel, where I’m from. They will even put them [pirated copies] on TV. When I was in Russia in 2007, I saw my film Danika playing on National Russian Television and it was a piracy copy. I hope people will understand that at the end of the day, we are just stealing from ourselves.
Featured Image: Director Ariel Vromen works with actor Michael Shannon on the set of ‘The Iceman.’ Courtesy Millenium Entertainment
Jordan Wright November 9, 2012
Special to The Alexandria Times
Sisterhood is alive and well and coming to the Carlyle Club in Alexandria. For two nights only the city’s most sophisticated nightclub will be taken by storm by five rip-roaring tell-it-like-it-is women in Girls Night: The Musical!The production, written by British playwright, author and television producer Louise Roche, has toured throughout Britain and the U.S. to rave reviews, with Applause Magazinedescribing it as “Desperate Housewives meets Mamma Mia”. In it the all-female cast including Anita, Carol, Kate, Sharon and Liza, invites gals and their pals to spend a wild girls’ night out, and to sing, dance and sip on cocktails at a karaoke bar.
Director and Production Supervisor, Sonya Carter, whose unique experience as an International Risk Manager for American Express has informed her career, has racked up over 250 performances on tour and Off-Broadway playing one of the women in the production. In a recent interview Carter talked about the show and its effect on audiences.
Jordan Wright – What was the playwright’s original inspiration?
Sonya Carter – Louise Roche saw a musical in London and she saw all these women in the audience laughing and having a good time and thought, “I could do this. I could reach these women.” It’s actually about five women that she knew. She wrote about her own experiences and as a result she created these five characters that everyone can relate to. She’s really quite brilliant and the show has had great success in the UK playing in large venues. When our producer Tim Flaherty saw it, he went out and purchased the US rights.
How long have you been doing this show?
I’ve been with the show since the U.S. premiere in 2007 in Scottsdale, AZ.
You came from an executive position in the corporate world. What prepared you for life as a performer and director?
Oh my goodness! Life is life and people are people. Whether you’re in an executive arena or you’re in theatre, it’s all about reading them. My executive experience gave me a lot of patience and taught me to use my words wisely. That is a very good lesson. I reached a point in my life after I had been in corporate for many years when I wanted to do something else and I auditioned for the show and I got the part. For a while I did both.
What are some of the funniest or most heart-warming stories you have heard from audience members after the show?
Every show is different because we break that ‘fourth wall’ between the performers and the audience. You really get a different response every night. I’ve had so many women come up to me afterwards and say things like, “I was battling cancer and this is the first time I’ve laughed so hard that I’ve cried from happiness.” The show is so much about relationships between girlfriends and sisters and moms. People have told me, “I lost my best friend and you were able to make me laugh. You remind me of her.” It’s very heartwarming to be able to impact people that way to make them happy to bring them joy.
How do the cast members prepare before the show? What revs them up?
We’re dealing with a comedy here and the dressing room shenanigans are pretty funny. Most of these girls are naturally funny. In the dressing room everyone has her own routine. Somebody will do a silly dance or play music or do a chant. They really do have to connect, because on stage they’re best friends. These girls travel together, share hotel rooms and laugh and cry together. They really have learned to love each other and all their idiosyncrasies over 20-plus years. It’s really great to see.
Is there any audience participation?
Plenty! But it’s not intrusive. We allow you to speak back, to dance and sing. We throw out boas and give tiaras to some.
Over the years you have played three of the five roles. Which is closest to your personal experience?
Well, I’m a little bit of each one. But the first part I played was Louisa. She’s always going for the laugh. In that respect I relate to her a lot. Though there are issues Louisa has where I hope I don’t! Kay’s the schoolteacher. She’s shy but during the show she comes out of her shell and really loosens up after a little wine. Anita is the most complicated character. She has such a big heart. I’d like to think that I relate to her loyalty to her friends.
The characters are really universal. Every night people will say, “ I am you, or I am her, or my friend is like Carol.” They go on down the line. Sometimes we get large groups of women, moms and daughters or co-workers and after the show they’ll come around and take pictures with the character they most identify with.
Who are your favorite comediennes?
I really like Tina Fey. I think she’s absolutely brilliant. I love her writing. Loved her book! She’s my standout. From the past I like Carole Burnett and Lucille Ball, who I grew up with and can watch over and over again.
Does Louise Roche have any other productions in the works at this time?
She does have a few. She actually wrote a Girls Night Two that’s currently touring the UK. And we are having the US premiere this week of another show she wrote called Big Pants and Botox. It’s a one-woman show that is very poignant and funny and sweet.
What do you want women to experience with this show?
I want women to have a good time to leave the day-to-day things behind and not to worry about tomorrow! To take time for yourself and bring your sister, your mom, your friends to a really great show, because life is really short and you’ve got to laugh!
Is it only for women?
The show has all the great girl anthems like “I Will Survive”, “It’s Raining Men”, “Lady Marmalade” and more. But men don’t need to be afraid to come. There’s no male bashing. If anything they’ll get a bit of an education. Sometimes when I’m on stage I will hear a man laughing louder than any woman!
Girls Night Out: The Musical! will be at the Carlyle Club on November 29th and 30th at 8 pm. For tickets and dining information call 703 548-8899 or visit www.TheCarlyleClub.com. There will be a special girl’s night drink menu and dinner service begins at 6:30pm. Street parking is available or adjacent garage parking is $5.00 per car. The club is located two blocks from the King Street Metro.
