In homage to one of the stage’s great works, NEON, the MTC’s mini-season of locally created independent work, has mounted Menagerie by the highly experimental Daniel Schussler Ensemble to open the performances. Though not a literal rendition of the play, the piece creates a world mired in Tennessee’s themes, mirroring The Glass Menagerie in ways but never directly adapting – a creation with a life of its own.
“We’ve taken what makes Tennessee Williams a great writer and it’s his imagery, his debauchery, the way he presents women – we’ve taken all the essences of Tennessee and infused them into our characters,” reflects lead actress Jane Badler, an American expat who’s worked her way around stages and screens both in Australia and abroad.
While it mines the actors’ own emotional storages, it also explores the life and work of Tennessee himself. Certain aspects of Menagerie mirror The Glass Menagerie – which is in turn semi-autobiographical. Both Tennessee’s schizophrenic younger sister and his faded damsel mother appear in Menagerie, though certainly as caricatures. “I’m the mother and I have two children, and there’s a gentleman caller that comes to visit my slightly crippled daughter. So of course that situation is in here but it’s almost unrecognisable.”
The unique grooming process to bring the piece together is a hallmark of Schussler’s works. The actors have created their own characters and scripts based on Tennessee Williams’ life and his archetype characters, beginning in what the director calls ‘scores’ – starting out with mostly sensory work “about heat, and shanty towns,” says Badler, and trying to scope out the lives of these characters through long improvisations.
“I think yesterday was the first day that we became very specific about when we walk on, when we walk off, when we turn the kettle on,” says Badler. “When you have six different people and they’re all working together obviously you have to know when to let other people take over – it’s like a puzzle. It’s a very exciting but very unusual way of working.”
The Daniel Schussler Ensemble has established a unique niche for itself, gaining a reputation for their interpretation of classics for the contemporary stage, The Dollhouse and Shakespeare adaption Ophelia Doesn’t Live Here Anymore amongst them. Most of Menagerie’s cast members have worked with Daniel many times before, so had a head start on the unorthodox Artistic Director’s methods.
“It took me a while to get what was going on! It’s been a baptism by fire,” says the veteran actress. “I guess it took me at least a couple of weeks to really start to understand. And I think I still am, everyday, learning and making mistakes, backtracking and trying to learn this kind of technique of acting that’s quite different from what I’ve done.”
Badler has appreciated the opportunities afforded by NEON – shining a light into the industrious heart of smaller theatrical institutions around the city. “I find that the best experiences I have are in the independent theatre world because you take risks, and often there’s not a huge expectation of commercial [results].”
And as an audience member she is equally excited by the work being produced in this city. “I’m a huge fan of independent theatre, probably in some ways more so that mainstream theatre. If I go out to the theatre I usually like to find something that’s a little cutting edge, that’s going to challenge me.”
The “puppeteer” Schussler has brought out the best in the actress, she reflects. “You reveal each day more about how you work together. It’s different in that you have to bring a lot to this, you have to be totally responsible and constantly be bringing ideas and improv, you can’t have any laziness.” Inherent in this director-actor relationship is trust, especially on a somewhat unusual piece, which they’ve had to develop while working together. ”He’s definitely in some ways like other directors but I have tremendous respect for him and I trust him completely. And I can’t say that I’ve felt that way about all directors that I’ve worked with”.
The soul-baring emotional frailty of Williams’ work is what, in some instances, drew Badler to perform in the honorific piece, one which it will hopefully replicate. “I’m an American, and Tennessee is one of the most famous American playwrights and I’ve seen a lot of his plays and films. Also, of course, on the wishlist of any actress is to play these characters, which I have never done.”
Reflecting on her involvement and the piece itself, she says, “It’s wonderful – I feel really lucky that Daniel had faith in me and asked me to be part of it.”
BY BELLA ARNOTT-HOARE
