`Shades of Blue': Credit Where Due

Interview with Ryan McGee '98 and

Sara D. Newbold '00 and Karin J.

Alexander '02

From So Many Shades of Blue

One likes to think of the Harvard theatre community as all-encompassing--an environment in which experienced actors and directors have the opportunity to refine their skills, while at the same time, novices are encouraged to jump right in. But can the same be said for aspiring playwrights?

Crimson Arts decided to probe the question by meeting with Ryan McGee '98 and Sara D. Newbold '00, authors of So Many Shades of Blue, a new production which will be running through October 24 at the Kronauer Space in Adams House. The play focuses on the episodic memories of a relationship between characters played by Christian P. Roulleau '01 and Karin J. Alexander '02. McGee, Newbold and Alexander were on hand to discuss specifics of the writing process--replete with revisions and re-revisions--as well as the general state of student-written theatre in the greater college community.

THC: Ryan and Sara, the two of you have been involved in a number of theatrical productions here at Harvard and have served in a number of different capacities. Why did you decide to take upon the roles of playwright and producer for this project?

RM: We didn't decide to be producers. That sort of happened of itself. When we started writing, we didn't ever consider production the end goal. There was more of a desire to work with each other since we respect one another's writing abilities.

THC: How had you gotten acquainted with one another's writing?

SN: Ryan hosted a poetry read where people could bring poetry and music--one or the other....And we both had written something and liked what [one an] other wrote. [Our] styles didn't necessarily match, but they sort of fit together, sort of blended.

THC: How did you decide on a topic for the script, and what sources did you draw upon?

RM: Actually, we decided to have absolutely no plot in mind when we started. We just wrote a series of e-mails back and forth. And that's why a lot of the imagery ties in so well, because we would take a...thought from one person's poem...and expand upon it in our own way. We didn't think of [what character] would say it, or what the situation was, but we ended up with 30 pages and distilled it to about 21.

THC: You've said that the play is written in "poetical dialogue." How did you decide on this format? Has it raised any issues during the course of production?

RM: The first play I directed here was Savage Love by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin which [used] the exact same model--a series of poems telling about moments in a relationship....For this show, we decided to take that form and see if we could do it ourselves, on our own. The result is that you're getting a dialogue on stage that you don't normally hear, I think. It has its own rules and its own rhythms that we had to figure out, especially during the rehearsal process.

SN: [Ryan] had a neat way of describing it--bringing emotions into words. I read a lot of poetry so this is a style that I'm comfortable with. Using images to try to tell things in an order that they have never been told in before.

RM: Yeah, the phrase we came up with during rehearsal was "dialogue approaching emotion." [We took] emotions that everyone could relate to and staged them in a way that would be fresh yet identifiable.

THC: Since the completion of the script, how do you feel the project has evolved? What role have your actors played in this evolution?

RM: The first thing we did [with the actors] was have them sit with the script. They brought us up to speed on what we had written, which was a really interesting process.

KA: Yeah, I think it's been very interesting for Christian [Roulleau] and I to see how what we have done affects Sara and Ryan. It's quite wonderful at the end of an evening to have them come and say to us, "That was well done," because it's their work. And yet, we've brought a different dimension to it. It's nice to feel that we've added to it....and it's been beautiful to take it and bring it to life in a way that reflects what they wanted to say.

THC: What have been the most significant challenges to the production and how have you handled them?

RM: For me, not holding onto the script too closely, which we've done remarkably well.

SN: It's tough when you have a specific image in mind and that [image] becomes a completely opposite emotion. But sometimes it works much better than what we had initially intended. You have to really distance yourself from your own writing in order to let that happen--to accept that it's not going to be exactly what you thought, that it's going to be better in the end anyway.

RM: And also, bridging the line between arrogance and confidence. Ultimately, this play is me and Sara--we're putting ourselves very much on the line as well. Having a space like the Kronauer, you really can't hide anything...We have to have confidence that what we're doing is good work and will be well-received.

THC: Finally, of what importance is student-written material to the Harvard theatre community? What unique opportunities does it present both for actors and for audience?

RM: The impression I've gotten from people who've graduated...is that [student-written theatre] used to be a lot more abundant. I think we've seen a little more this semester, but I don't think that it quite plays the role it could. Nor is it always received in the medium it should be produced in. A lot of shows end up in the Loeb Experimental Theatre--but maybe they should end up in smaller places, or maybe there should be workshops. Last year the [Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club] Board staged student readings which was a great start...

SN: It's a shame that more people don't write. I'm not sure whether people are being discouraged or whether there just aren't as many writers as there once were. But people have the means to do it--it's a very unique opportunity, and I encourage people to take advantage of it.

RM: Especially in a space like the Kronauer, which is terribly under-used, but is probably my second-favorite space on campus.