The cast of "A Dangerous Intimacy"
Peter Sabor (Mr. Rushworth), Natasha Duquette (maid), Patrick Stokes (Prince Regent), Karen Doornebos (Julia), Frederick Duquette (Tom), Syrie James (Maria), Diana Birchall (Mrs. Norris), Karen Fuller (Fanny), Edward Scheinman (Henry Crawford), Juliet McMaster (Edmund), Miriam Rheingold-Fuller (Mary Crawford), and Kimberly Brangwin (Lady Bertram). Picture by Erna Arnesen.
After the success of our "Austen Assizes" play in Brooklyn (at the 2012 JASNA
AGM) to our delight Syrie James and I were commissioned to write a "behind the scenes"
play-within-the-play in Mansfield Park for the Montreal AGM. We knew
this would be even trickier to bring off, as Mansfield Park is arguably the least comic, and
most structurally complex, of Austen's novels. So we decided to begin with a
series of brisk sketches, each a dialogue between two characters, and then move
into the rehearsal scenes incorporating dialogue straight from Lovers' Vows. That would
link that play to the Mansfield Park "actors," and reveal what, exactly, they
would have been rehearsing. We didn't think the interaction between the two had really been shown before, and it would be enlightening, and funny.
Fred, Miriam, Syrie, Edward, Peter, in rehearsal
Fred, Syrie and Edward, as Tom, Maria and Henry emoting in "Lovers' Vows"
Of course, the actual writing was mostly done in the last six months when
time started to press in! ("We'd better get serious.") Our method was basically
to take turns, each writing a scene, the other countering with rewriting and then adding new material, back and forth, with several in-person discussion meetings (fortunately we don't live far
apart), until we had what looked like an hour-long play. The polishing
we did by sitting together and reading the whole play aloud, in several
sessions, to meticulously refine the dialogue and make it funnier. By the time it was done,
as usual it was hard to remember who had invented what. We do know that Laurel
Ann Nattress suggested the green baize and curtain rod a la the Carol Burnett
"Went With the Wind" skit, and Syrie actually sewed the contraption! For every scene that one of us conceived, the other had
improvements, changes and inventions, but remarkably, we nearly always saw eye-to-eye, and when one improved something the other had done, reaction was rapturous! It was a true joint effort,
done in workmanlike, waste-no-time fashion, an efficiency
which never ceases to surprise me, since I never wrote anything in partnership
before. The most fun was the reading aloud and making subtle changes; we would
alternate speeches, and both Syrie and I "were" Tom, Henry, Mary, Julia, all the
characters, at different times. It gave us a facility and intimacy with all the
roles, and a good idea of how the speeches should be delivered.
Miriam and Peter at rehearsal
Syrie and Ellen
From early on, casting was always under discussion. Syrie knew from the
start that she wanted to be Maria Bertram, and probably wrote the part with
herself in mind; I never could see it, and wanted her to play Mary Crawford, for
I think of her as having more of Mary's qualities than Maria's. But I would not
interfere, trusting she knew best for herself and would bring it off in the end
- which she most emphatically did! For myself, I never had an idea of what part
I could play, if any. I have virtually no acting experience (though I've always
read my stories aloud), and have no clear idea of myself as any kind of "type."
As I have trouble projecting (the one thing Syrie keeps on at me about!), I
imagined I might make a "creepmouse" Fanny Price. So I was startled when Syrie,
Laurel Ann, and even my own son Paul, declared with one voice that I must be Mrs.
Norris - and everyone who heard the suggestion said "Oh YES!" Not very
flattering, and I couldn't understand it, until I remembered that I do always
seem attracted to the nasty caricatures (like Mrs. Elton and Lady Catherine), and
that my age suited me to Mrs. Norris far more than to Fanny. To prove everyone
wrong, I tried reading Mrs. Norris's part out loud to myself, and what came out
was this alarming carping caw that was undeniably - Mrs. Norris!
The incredible costume!
The inspiration!
That settled, we knew that we'd ask Juliet McMaster and Miriam
Rheingold-Fuller to play parts, as they'd been in other plays of ours; if Syrie
was Maria, Miriam would be Mary. Juliet plays en travestie amusingly, with a
specialty in clergymen, so she would be Edmund. The difficulty was finding
not only men, but men reasonably young and handsome, with real acting ability,
and who would also be in Montreal for the AGM! We needed several of them, Tom,
Henry and Mr. Rushworth. Not easy! Laurel Ann suggested the brilliant young
scholar and writer Edward Scheinman for one of the parts, Elaine Bander
suggested Natasha Duquette's Shakepearean actor husband Fred for another, and my
son Paul would do Rushworth. Fred liked the idea of orating as Tom, Edward would
be a perfect Henry - but Paul got a new librarian job and couldn't go to Montreal. The almost
last-minute replacement was one of our best pieces of casting. I remembered
seeing McGill professor Peter Sabor read in a Fanny Burney play once, I knew he
was good, and I thought it would be funny having such a brainy man play a
complete dolt!
Peter Sabor (far right) making "Rushworth-face" in performance!
Picture by Sarah Emsley
Syrie and I had always agreed that her husband Bill would be Sir Thomas
(fortunately he agreed too), and we always wanted stylish Kimberly Brangwin of
Seattle to be the perfect languid funny Lady Bertram. Pretty Austenesque author
Karen Doornebos would be the petulant Julia, in the cat-fight with Syrie, and
Miriam volunteered her lovely twenty year old actress daughter Ellen to be
Fanny.
Bill's entrance as Sir Thomas Bertram fresh from Antigua
Natasha was to persuade her and Fred's pug dog Esmee to play herself, with
Natasha as the maid to mind her. Unfortunately, two days before we were to fly
to Montreal (Syrie was already on a cruise up the St. Lawrence) the hotel
belatedly decided that poor Esmee must be caged, muzzled, heaven knows what
restraints put on the poor little thing. So, scratch Pug (so to speak), and I
had to immediately come up with dialogue to explain her absence, since we didn't
want any stuffed Pugs! Natasha remained in the play, doing her Maid with a soft Irish accent, and actually "maiding" me in earnest, helping me into my unwieldy costume, which tended to slip down my back.
I think Patrick Stokes, as the Prince Regent, was the
last written and cast. Having met him in England, I knew he would bring the
house down as the prince, but my emails went wrong, and I was sending him ones
that began "Say no, if it is to be said," when he replied with bafflement that
he didn't know what I was writing about, he had received nothing! When it was
all explained, he jumped in with full alacrity and played the part to the hilt.
There was the problem of his costume, since his luggage would already be
exceeded with the Admiral's uniform he was bringing for his own presentation;
but Bill lent a brocade vest, Patrick brought a very effective white wig, and I
found a jeweled crown in the Salvation Army! He looked magnificent.
Syrie and Patrick in performance as Maria Bertram and the Prince Regent
Picture by Erna Arnesen
As with Austen Assizes, we had two hour-long rehearsals, one the day before
and the other the day of the performance. Owing to scheduling and commitments,
not everybody could get to both, but everybody did get to at least one. Syrie using her staging knowledge to efficiently wield microphones and effectively direct the troupers, particularly difficult for her as she had the most ghastly cold
acquired on the chill Quebec rivers; she had to save her voice for her part, and
it was touch and go as to whether she might not succumb to laryngitis. But she
didn't, real trouper she. On the day of the play her voice merely had a sultry huskiness that was
just right for her part!
I was quite nervous when the actors assembled for the first rehearsal, not
sure if the play would work or be as funny as the Assizes; but in the very first
minute, when Fred Duquette stood up and delaimed in his resonant booming
flexible voice:
"At Mansfield Park, November comes
There's naught to do but twiddle thumbs..."
I knew everything would be absolutely all right! All the words we had
written jumped to vivid new life when spoken by these speakers of talent.
Everyone was super good, and when Peter Sabor contorted his face into that of the
doltish dunce and spoke in tones that showed complete inside comprehension of
Mr. Rushworth, the effect of the whole was fantastic! (A video will eventually be available so everyone can see.)
Seen on the screen - Karen, Fred, Syrie as Julia, Tom and Maria
Screen set-up. Karen, Syrie, Kimberly
The actors assembled on the stage in the big ballroom at 7:15 for the 8 PM
performance, and sat in their row of chairs, all but me, Bill and Patrick, who were
going to make "surprise appearances," and mustn't be seen by the audience. We
sat in a little tented alcove on the stage, in a litter of crowns, green baize,
scripts and curtain rods. As the audience came in, I asked Syrie, who was sitting on the stage (in a "stage
whisper" of course), "How's the house?" "Every seat is full," she
said with suppressed excitement. Patrick and I amused ourselves counting and
lost track at 500.
We began. Elaine gracefully introduced us, Fred as Tom did his Prologue,
and people started to laugh as Maria and Julia expressed their booooredom. The
laughter didn't stop - everything rolled out with perfect timing. One actor
skipped a couple of lines but they were unimportant, and Syrie covered with
aplomb. Soon it was time for my entrance, which was anything but an easy one! I
had to emerge from the tent, wearing this curtain rod contraption across my
shoulders, swathed in green baize, and walked forward slowly to the microphones
giving everyone a sight of the costume. Laughter began, and proceeded to build,
so I took my time. Then at the microphone I read my lines, remembering to
project as young Ellen Fuller had coached me. She must have done it well because
I was LOUD, and in Mrs Norris's meanest moments, the audience hissed - a new
sensation for me!
Syrie was particularly wonderful as a deliciously amoral
Maria, and got a lot of laughs, but then, everyone did - each part was played to
perfection, with the elan and enthusiasm of people who are having fun, heightened by the audience having fun too! Special bring-the-house down laughter greeted Sir Thomas, straight
from Antigua in his Bermuda shorts, talking of Mai Tais; and the Prince Regent,
sweeping Maria away to see the Cupids on his ceiling. Lots of applause, call for
"Authors!" and then we left the stage for picture-taking, and rapturous happy
mutual compliments. Oh, what a night! And for the rest of the conference I had
the happiness of being recognized everywhere...as Mrs. Norris!
Now - does anyone have any more pictures of the performance to share with us? We'd be grateful!
Cast photo session
Picture by Erna Arnesen
After the play - me, Patrick, Syrie, Bill
