Opening June 6th at the Beaumont Stage, it features a new twist in the form of a talented all-female cast, including our own Catherine Lough Haggquist of Biz Books. We spoke with Rachel Peake to find out more about the process of developing and directing such an ambitious production.

What inspired you to take on this production?

I have always thought of Glengarry Glen Ross as a “man’s play” – about men, for men – so I never imagined tackling it. But when I was asked to direct an all-female production I began to wonder about that idea of a “man’s play.” What did my labelling it that mean? What did it say about my own compartmentalization of how men behave versus how women behave, and what men are driven by versus what drives women? That, combined with my interest in separating notions of “feminine” and “masculine” from “female” and “male”, began to get me really excited about what could be unearthed in hearing these words come out of women’s mouths. Not altered. Not made into female scenarios. But presented as-written.

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Can you briefly walk us through your creative process for this production, from the early stages all the way to opening?

The process was a bit unusual for me because it was an extended rehearsal period and our designers came on after our actors had been cast. However, this scenario allowed me to really focus on the text: the ideas, the language, the arguments, the rhetoric, for a large chunk of the preparatory time, and then to bring design and aesthetic conversations into the discussion. Once in rehearsal we spent a good chunk of time on the dense text, and then got on our feet, pushing relatively quickly to a first run in order to give us all an overview of the story, and then breaking in down into detail to rehearse again. We have been rehearsing half-time for a little over seven weeks, and we will go into full time rehearsals for tech leading up to opening.

What were the biggest challenges for you as a director in developing this production and how did you deal with them?

All the glory and all the trials are in the text. It is dense text about a world very few Vancouverites in 2015 know much about, so negotiating the realities of the business and how it works are extremely tricky. Also, of course, there is the added challenge of women taking on male roles and understanding what that means in terms of tactic and intention. When it comes to the second point we have sought outside advice, techniques, and counsel. For the most part, research, analysis, and our detective skills with some imaginative problem-solving thrown in seem to have been our guide.

Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?

I have read a lot of David Mamet. His plays, his theories, his rants. It is interesting to see both how his writing and opinions have changed over his career, and how differently I come to it all than I did last time I read it when I was in university! I also read A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto and Scott Zigler. It was not written by David Mamet, but it was in essence endorsed by him and seems to espouse his directives to actors playing his text. I also read some critical essays that form part of “Gender and Genre” and “David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross: Text and Performance” as well as some articles on sales from the era.

What can you share about any future projects that are in development?

I’m thrilled to be heading to Newfoundland again this summer to work on an interarts project there with Dark by Five at the Liminus Festival in Corner Brook and Gros Morne National Park. I will am developing two new works here in Vancouver: Mata Hari with Single Line Theatre (debuting in February), and Point Counterpoint with the Elbow Theatre (debuting in Montreal in January). I am adapting the main stage opera Stickboy by Shane Koyczan to be toured in high schools by Vancouver Opera in Schools next January. I’ll also be heading out of town to direct Miss Caledonia at Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops and The Snow Queen at the Globe Theatre in Regina.

Where can we find out more about you?

RachelPeake.com

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Glengarry Glen Ross runs from June 6th through June 27th at the Beaumont Stage. For ticket information, please visit TicketsTonight. You can also support the production through its Indiegogo campaign.

The post The Biz Interview: Rachel Peake of “Glengarry Glen Ross” appeared first on Biz Books.

Play Details

This scalding comedy took Broadway and London by storm. Here is David Mamet at his very best, writing about small-time, cutthroat real estate salesmen trying to grind out a living by pushing plots of land on reluctant buyers in a never-ending scramble for their share of the American dream. Revived on Broadway in 2005 and 2012, this masterpiece of American drama also became a celebrated film which starred Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin and Alan Arkin.

The producers of Classic Chic Productions are thrilled to announce their next project, an all-female Glengarry Glen Ross.

Glengarry Glen Ross is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Inc.

June 6th – 27th, 2015

Preview June 3 & 4 (half price), Opening Night June 6th

Run Tuesday to Saturday, with a 2 for 1 on Tues June 9th

Matinees at 2:00pm on all Saturdays except opening, June 6th.

Tickets $25.00 at the door and $23.00 + service fee on Tickets Tonight.

At the Beaumont Stage (326 West 5th Ave, Vancouver, BC)

You can also get some great perks and help support this production through the Indiegogo campaign for Glengarry Glen Ross and Classic Chic Productions.

Cast:

Catherine Lough Haggquist – Baylen
Marci T House – Williamson
Colleen Winton – Levene
Michelle Martin – Roma
Corina Akeson – Moss
Suzanne Ristic – Aaronow
Christina Wells Campbell – Lingk

Directed by Rachel Peake.

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2nd Edition Click a cover for more details Empire of the Son Ignite: Illuminating Theatre
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The post Glengarry Glen Ross at the Beaumont Stage appeared first on Biz Books.

Glengarry Glen Ross is their latest production, which opens on June 6th at the Beaumont Stage. We spoke with Christina Wells Campbell to find out more about what Classic Chic Productions is and what it’s bringing to the Vancouver artistic community.

Can you start by telling us about how Classic Chic Productions got started?

I wrote a blog post about that very thing which you can read here. That’s the long answer. The short answer, and it’s less altruistic than you might expect, is that I really wanted to play Iago and realized the only way for me to be able to do that was to have a company where women played all the parts.

Of course there are great women’s roles in the classics, but so many of them (particularly in Shakespeare) are pleading for their lives, begging for justice, or goading men to act on their behalf; from Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing’s “Oh, that I were a man!” to even Lady M’s “When you durst do it, then you were a man” I wanted to be able to explore parts where the characters have agency in their lives—where they make choices based on their own motivations and desires—even if (or especially if?) the consequences of those choices turns out badly.

Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
2nd Edition Click a cover for more details Empire of the Son Ignite: Illuminating Theatre
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What do you want actors in your productions and audiences who see them to come away feeling after experiencing a Classic Chic production?

I want the actors to come away with a better understanding of how men (in general) are in the world. It’s proved to be both a fascinating and a powerful thing to feel what it’s like to put on the costume of man because it points also to how we put on the costume of woman. Men (again in general) tend to occupy more physical and energetic space than women. They state their positions without apology. They are better at letting the world know what they want. And being able or not able to do those things has repercussions for women – from having your voice heard at a board table to having your testimony believed in court.

I want the audiences to feel that too. But I also want them to be taken along for the ride—to forget the gimmick of it being an all-woman cast and be engrossed in the story.

What can you tell us about the upcoming production of Glengarry Glen Ross?

It’s going to be good. It’s vicious, funny, and a little heartbreaking.

What are the biggest challenges with running a theatre production company today and how do you deal with them?

Same as it ever was: money, time and space and not enough of any of those. We’ve dealt with them through ulcers, insomnia and general anxiety. No, I jest. We deal by having small budgets, getting things donated or in-kind and putting great people on the tasks of fundraising and marketing. The key to most things in life is relationships – making connections with people you like and respect and building a network that eventually becomes like another family.

Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?

As far as influencing my creative self and spiritual self, I look to these books.

• Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
• On Becoming an Alchemist by Catherine MacCoun
• The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
• How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams

Other authors and playwrights I love are: Morris Panych, Christopher Durang, Zach Helm, Charlie Kaufman, Robertson Davies, Jane Urquhart, and Carol Shields.

What can you share about any future projects that are in development?

Still evolving. I’m afraid there’s not much to report on that front. Soon though. Soon!

Where can we find out more about Classic Chic?

The Official Site, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Glengarry Glen Ross runs from June 6th through June 27th at the Beaumont Stage. For ticket information, please visit TicketsTonight. You can also support the production through its Indiegogo campaign.

The post The Biz Interview: Christina Wells Campbell of Classic Chic Productions appeared first on Biz Books.