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[an error occurred while processing this directive] (none) Putting together the new season By Roberta Kent Special to the Tidings "We think of it in food terms. We're putting together a banquet. We try to provide an appetizer, the meat-and-potatoes, the cream puff." That's the way Literary Manager Lue Morgan Douthit begins describing how the plays are chosen for a season at the Shakespeare Festival. Douthit and Douglas Langworthy, Director of Literary Development and Dramaturgy are the recipe source, so to speak. It's an ongoing process throughout the year, as the two of them put together the list of possible play titles for Artistic Director Libby Appel's review. It is a given that there will be four plays by Shakespeare-at least one in the Bowmer and two or three in the outdoor theater and the Black Swan. Then, the "classics" are examined. "We take into account the Festival's production history. When did we last do a Brecht? When did we last do Chekhov?" Douthit explains. Appel and Associate Artistic Directors Penny Metropulos and Timothy Bond give their input on plays they may want to do that are right for the company. Douthit gives the example of this year's production of Wit. She had been urging its production since 1994, but it worked for this year's slate because of Linda Alper. The same is true of the choice of "The Man Who Came to Dinner", which was the perfect vehicle for Ken Albers. Sometimes a choice is determined by the Festival's wanting to use a particular director. Appel had contacted New York director Loretta Greco last season, asking if she would like to direct at the Festival. She gave Greco two play choices, and one of them, Diana Son's "Stop Kiss," happened to be a play that Greco really wanted to direct. It opens this summer in the Black Swan. Contemporary plays and new plays arrive at the Festival from a variety of sources. "We're expanding the notion of what "new play" means," says Langworthy. "It could be an infrequently produced work of a well-known writer." "We probably read 200-250 scripts a year. We attend playwriting workshops and festivals around the country. We get ideas from the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs Association meetings and e-mail postings," Douthit explains. "We have a vast family of colleagues who make recommendations to us. And, of course, we also go after scripts we have heard about from word of mouth or reviews." "What we don't accept are unsolicited manuscripts," Langworthy adds. A number of factors go into Langworthy and Douthit's selection process. They make the point that they don't start with a "theme" for a season. What they try to do, however, is find choices that are a challenge for the actors and the audience. "Even though we don't consider ourselves a regional theater, we do take into account what is playing in cities where our audience is coming from." Although the season is chosen a year-and-a-half ahead of time, both Langworthy and Douthit try to be sensitive to current political and social ideas. They try to include selections by Latino and African-American playwrights, in keeping with the company and the goals of the Festival on diversity. "But, there's nothing prescriptive in our approach." "We always try to do something in the Bowmer each year that has an edge to it. That is what prompted us to choose "Force of Nature" for this season, for example," explains Langworthy. "It is a new work. It is an interesting genre, a "romantic drama," if you will. We all felt it would add something different into the mix." Additionally, they look for "A Big Fat Comedy," which has to have "legs", that is, be strong enough to run 120 performances. It also has to be strong enough to play with and not against the Shakespeare chosen. This year it is "The Man Who Came to Dinner," a couple of years back it was "Rough Crossing." Next season, the bets are on "Enter the Guardsman" to be directed by Peter Amster. It will be the Festival's first real musical to be produced since the 70s. Like "Rough Crossing," "Guardsman" is based on a comedy by Ferenc Molnar. Douthit and Langworthy's job is to give Appel as many ideas as possible. Then Appel makes a list of possible choices. The culmination of the selection process is the Boars Head Meeting that takes place before the final choices are made. The name is taken from the Boars Head Tavern in Shakespeare's "Henry IV" plays. At first, it was a relatively informal group of representatives from all the departments who got together over beer and food and threw around ideas for the next season. It has grown to a group of approximately 35 people, representing the technical, administrative and artistic staff of the Festival. Appel, Douthit and Langworthy present the "finalists" to the group. Does everyone like the choices? Do they have any other suggestions? They query as to design and production difficulty, how the choices will work together in a repertory format. They get input from the group on whether there are any other plays they'd like to see done, either that season or in the future. With the Boar's Head input, the final choices are made. Next season will have some surprises. Four of the plays for the Bowmer had a classical period and feel. Looking for something "different," the Festival added a production of "Twilight," a contemporary play by Anna Deveare Smith to be directed by Timothy Bond. Originally a one-woman play, it will be done as an ensemble. "It will have a very different look and sound." Appel will again direct a Chekhov play. This time it is "Three Sisters." "This was a play that Libby really wanted to direct and it was a good choice for the company," Langworthy points out. Langworthy has been with the Festival for four seasons. This season, he is dramaturg-essentially overseeing the text of a play-for "The Night of the Iguana," "Force of Nature," "Crumbs from the Table of Joy" and this summer's "The Taming of the Shrew." Last season, in addition to his tasks as dramaturg, he was the translator of the Festival's version of "The Good Person of Szechuan" and was a co-adapter of "The Three Musketeers." He has an MFA in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from Yale School of Drama and a BA in German from Pomona College in California. Literary Manager Douthit has been with the Festival for five seasons, having joined the last year that Henry Woronicz was Artistic Director, though she wasn't involved at that point in choosing the season's selections. This season, she is the dramaturg for "The Man Who Came to Dinner," "Wit" and the summer's productions of "The Trojan Women" and "Stop Kiss." Douthit has an MA from University of Arizona and a PhD from University of Washington in dramatic theory and criticism and an MFA from Trinity University in playwriting and directing. [an error occurred while processing this directive] (none) [an error occurred while processing this directive] (none) [an error occurred while processing this directive] (none) Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2000 Lee Northwest Publishing