Richard III, playing in repertory with Noises Off and Crime and Punishment. Opens Oct. 3; plays Wed.-Fri., 8 pm; Sat., 2 & 8 pm; Sun., 2 & 7 pm; through Dec. 12. Tickets: $40-$44. A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. 818.240.0910 x 1 or anoisewithin.org
Nearly two decades ago a handful of actors, mostly graduates of San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre (the nation’s foremost residential theatre of its time), landed in Los Angeles determined to begin their careers on stage, film and television. At the center of this cadre was Geoff Elliott and his wife Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, who quickly caught on to the LA Equity waiver movement and the unique opportunity it brought to actors to create work with their own voices while waiting for Hollywood to come calling. For Elliott and his pals, classic theatre, particularly Shakespeare and Moliere, captured their imaginations. They formed a production alliance and named it “A Noise Within,” after a stage direction from Shakespeare’s Richard III. Eighteen years into its existence the production company has become one of the foremost theatrical institutions in the county. They open this season by revisiting the origin of the title quote in a production of Richard III under Elliott’s direction.
Geoff Elliott
Elliott played the title role for the company in 1996 and is grateful for the insight that production has given him into the world of Shakespeare histories. He played with several ideas for fanciful settings but finally decided on a bold step: “I am setting it in its period. We’re doing late medieval around the time of the Battle of Bosworth -1482. I finally settled on a very strong impulse to put it in the actual period. I think that period Shakespeare was imagining when he created this play is really where the energy comes from. There is this dark kind of power with this particular play. I sometimes wrestle a little bit with setting the histories somewhere else. Although these characters had relatively little to do with the actual historic figures, they represent people who were alive at a certain time.”
While choosing a time period is a delightful artistic process that shapes the look, tone and feel of the production, there are also more practical considerations a director must work through. Elliott laughs, “The real challenge is that it is a very long play. It does need editing. Because it is Shakespeare it is brilliant but it was an early play and at times gets long winded and repetitious. It takes time and patience and commitment to go through the play, look at what is really important and what to highlight. I would guess this play unedited is 3:45.”
Steve Weingartner as Richard
Another difficult element of Richard III is it almost seems like a one-man show with Richard so overwhelmingly prominent - in the original text he speaks 1171 lines, three times as many as the next largest role. Elliott is very aware of this pitfall, “You can’t avoid that element. You’ve got to have a Richard you have faith in. One scholar has said Richard III is a conversation with the audience, interrupted every once in awhile by the play. You’ve really got to have somebody who can bring that kind of insatiable greed as well as disarming charm to the role; someone who can be incredibly likeable and frightening at the same time.” For this daunting task he has wisely chosen company stalwart Steve Weingartner, fresh off his critically acclaimed portrayal of Petrucchio in Elliott’s off-beat staging of The Taming of the Shrew. The cast also includes ANW members Deborah Strang (Margaret), Lenne Klingaman (Lady Anne), Susan Angelo (Queen Elizabeth) and Apollo Dukakis (King Edward).
Noises Off
Through years of creating fine stage work, A Noise Within has broadened its scope to include highly popular modern and contemporary plays under the aegis of the “Classic Repertoire.” This year the company is attempting the hilariously funny but technically frightening Noises Off, directed by and starring Elliott. In their small space they must create a large set of an English estate, followed by the back of the same set in Act II. “We’ve avoided it for years because it is so technically difficult, especially for a smaller theatre like ours.” However, Elliott is confident they will be able to pull it off. A play like this is not open to resetting in a different time period or world. “Michael Frayn supplied such a recipe for success so we’ve got to do everything we can to follow his formula.”
Some years ago when it became clear A Noise Within was one of the top theatres in Los Angeles, Elliott and company were determined to move from its lofty perch in the rickety Masonic Temple in downtown Glendale, which has been a happy home to so many wonderful productions. For awhile they had a deal with the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the CSU Los Angles campus but soon returned to Glendale. But now the company is in the midst of its most ambitious plans yet, a capitol campaign to open a new theatre space by fall of 2010 in the historic Stuart Pharmaceutical Complex in Pasadena. They have raised $9.2 million of the $16 million needed. Elliott is thrilled, “Now we seat 145. In the new space we’ll have potential to seat 350. Part of the building itself is historically significant and that will be retained. The rest will be removed so the theatre can be built.”
Susan Angelo as Queen Elizabeth
Once they move, A Noise Within will join a thriving theatre world in Pasadena. Elliot is excited about being part of such company. “We have close connections with the Pasadena scene. Jessica Kubzansky and Michael Michetti from Boston Court have directed for us and are good friends. Damaso Rodriguez and his wife Sarah from the Furious Theatre were interns at A Noise Within in 2000. We know them very well and have a great fondness and respect for them. Then of course there is the great Sheldon Epps and the guys at the Playhouse. We’re really looking forward to joining that family there. We think we can all help each other a great deal.”
Sometimes the growth of the company and his own career amaze Elliott. “We’ve certainly gotten better at what we do. With some maturity we’re able to take things a little bit more in stride in terms of challenges. I guess the thing I find most amazing is what we get to learn from this whole process.
“Julia and I both trained as actors at ACT. We had no notion and no desire to run a theatre and be artistic directors. We were going to be actors. Over the years it overwhelms me sometimes when I think about how much we’ve been through. How much we have learned. The experiences we have had-good and bad. The amazing thing is we have survived. We’re still married and in the same office. The company is like a family that continues to grow and mature together and sometimes fight and sometimes love and sometimes hate each other. You get to grow together. I wouldn’t trade it.”
Photos by Craig Schwartz
Article by Tom Provenzano
