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The Director Series
Lear deBessonet, On the Levee
A scene from On the Levee (Photo: Erin Baino)
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Encore introduces a new monthly series that takes a behind-the-scenes look at some of the incredible productions on stage today. We will speak to some of the most exciting and up-and-coming directors in theater and film, along with choreographers and conductors. We will examine the craft of directing, giving readers a glimpse of the challenges these visionaries overcame and the journey the show took to opening night.
What drew you to this project?
Even though both sides of my family are multi-generational Louisiana residents, when Spike Lee mentioned the Flood of 1927 in When the Levees Broke, it was an entirely unfamiliar reference to me. The Flood of ’27 was the largest natural disaster in American history, pre-Katrina; it helped elect Huey Long governor and Hoover president; and led to the greatest northern migration of African Americans since slavery. My grandparents lived through the flood, but I had heard nothing of it. Fascination with this historical amnesia was the beginning of On the Levee for me.
How did you weave the historical background and the storyline together?
A vision emerged for a piece of theatre that would employ mixed theatrical techniques to tell the story of the flood alongside a larger story about how history is made and remade. We developed a vision for a piece that would fuse Kara Walker’s astonishing cut paper silhouettes, light projections and narrative vignette films, with Todd Almond’s score, evoking the musical tapestry of Mississippi in 1927 (rag, blues, hollers, spirituals and a capella choral movements). And Marcus Gardley wrote a story of two fathers and sons torn apart when the disaster explodes the contradictions between status and morality.
How did you approach this piece versus the other projects you have worked on?
We started working in a pretty unconventional way, outside the bounds of how new plays are usually made. Marcus played fast and loose with the historical drama, and with his singular poetic voice, he expanded James Gooden and his father Joe Gooden into fully realized characters whose story intersects with and ricochets against the drama of Will and LeRoy Percy. From there, Todd composed a lush soundscape to create the texture of the world. We imagined that an ensemble of 12 actors would literally sing the world into existence; their voices would be the water and the dirt, and they’d summon the ghosts and erasures of history. And Kara created films that gave us a sense of scale, a panoramic perspective that demanded interaction.
At every turn of the story, we searched for the medium best suited to enliven that moment. So there are reasons that we’re choosing to tell some parts of the story—like Will Percy’s emotional breakdown—visually, through music and movement. And at some of the epic moments, the text lovingly gives over to music and visuals, almost as in a dance piece.
Do you want the audience to leave with a message?
We wanted the audience to invest deeply in these characters so that the large-scale tragedy could be experienced personally. And we entered into the project with the belief that theatre is uniquely positioned to open up different modes of feeling than what’s accessible through a documentary, history book or newspaper article. We wanted to create a total immersive universe that might open up different brain synapses and a forgotten space in the soul.
What adjustments in your vision, if any, did you have to make working in this space?
The piece is epic and huge, and natural elements play a massive role in the story. So in trying to fit it into the Duke Theatre—or really, any theatre—we had the terrific challenge of finding non-literal theatrical solutions that would engage an audience’s imagination. We obviously couldn’t literally put the Mississippi River on stage.
What were your main challenges going into the first rehearsal?
I care so deeply about this project, and it has been on the front burner of my brain for three years, so my biggest challenge was trying to stay calm and focused—and leaving no space for fear.
How do you assist the actors in reaching their characters?
For this piece, the text was the foundation for all of my work with the actors. Marcus is so good at creating robust, complex characters that express themselves through language. Because physical circumstances and historical context were so central to this story, I also spend a lot of time synthesizing research to share with the actors. I come from a more experimental background with an emphasis on visual storytelling, but I also am very devoted to playwrights and the development of new work. In this play, the characters live in their words, so my journey with the actors was one of burrowing deep into Marcus’s language.
Are you a director that uses previews as part rehearsal, part performance?
The first week of previews definitely functions as an extension of the rehearsal process for me. Experiencing the play alongside an audience receiving it for the first time gives me volumes of information. But, at some point, I do think it’s important for the director to step away and really entrust the actors with the show.
What were your concerns in the audition process?
We had a tall order to fill in casting this piece; we needed actors who had great facility with language and who were strong singers. But beyond that, my process is intensely collaborative, so I needed actors who were game, playful, and imaginative—actors who knew how to be part of an ensemble.
Were you looking for anything in particular in the cast auditions?
“The Murderer is You” speech that Will Percy delivers in Act III. If it makes you gasp when you hear it, if you hear it and think there is no way this is the voice of the young idealistic poet we meet in Act I—well, it made us gasp too. I will never forget the silence in the room when we first asked an actor to read it aloud.
On the Levee runs through July 10 at the Duke Theater. Tickets can be purchased here.