Four theatre companies in Chicago have received the Regional Theatre Tony Award: Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985, Goodman Theatre in 1992, Victory Gardens Theater in 2001, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2008. And while the work of these prestigious institutions has been met with local, national, and international acclaim, there are many people who feel that if the city is ever honored with a fifth Tony Award, it will go to Court Theatre, a professional institution situated on the campus at the University of Chicago that has been named “the most consistently excellent theater company in America,” by The Wall Street Journal.
Charles Newell, Artistic Director of Court since 1994, has directed over 30 productions. He and his colleagues are committed to discovering, and rediscovering, the power of classic theatre, and they are also prolific producers of translations and adaptations of classic texts. A recent conversation I had with Charles revealed a lot about the sort of work that excites him, as well as the passion he holds for expanding the canon of this work through initiatives such as the Barbara E. Franke Commissioning Program for New Classics.
Douglas Post: You’ve been with the Court Theatre for fifteen years now. What sort of changes in programming have you put in place since you’ve been here? How has the aesthetic of the theatre shifted? What have you been working towards, and what do you continue to work towards? I realize that’s a lot of questions all at once.
Charles Newell: It is. Let me see if I can be succinct. When I was brought here from Manhattan to be the Associate Artistic Director of this theatre, it was clear to the then- Board leadership and to Nicholas Rudall, the founding Artistic Director, that, after over 20 years of leading this theatre, what Nick really wanted to do was to be less involved in the day-to-day running of the theatre and to return to teaching. And I was extremely lucky, because in that first season, I directed Stephen Wadsworth’s translation and adaptation of The Triumph of Love. And so, with the graciousness of Nick and the Board, I was asked to take on the role of Artistic Director. Now, I’d been working throughout the country doing classic work, most especially at the Guthrie Theatre, and had spent eight years assisting an incredible slew of directors that I still can’t believe I actually got to work with. These were people such Mark Lamos, Liviu Ciulei, Lee Breuer, John Houseman, Michael Kahn, Alan Schneider, Lucian Pintilie, JoAnne Akalaitis, Garland Wright. They all had a strong point of view when it came to doing the classics. So what I brought with me was a desire for a national perspective that involved national artists. It was clear to me that Court needed a jolt of artistic and creative energy. And so, in 1997, I was able to ask JoAnne Akalaitis to direct Nick Rudall’s translation of The Iphigenia Cycle. And that started a more provocative and challenging approach to classic work. Concurrent to that was a desire to elevate the quality of the staff that is here. And then, jumping ahead to 2003, together with the board and the university, we had this outrageously audacious idea that Court Theatre could become the national center for classic theatre. And who the hell are we to say that? But it has been a very animating and very inspirational and daunting vision to put forth for ourselves.
DP: Some of the recent translations and adaptations that have been produced at your theatre include Richard Nelson’s adaptation of The Wild Duck, SITI Company’s adaptation of Radio MacBeth, Lee Breuer’s adaptation of Mabou Mines’s DollHouse, Mickle Maher’s translation of Cyrano, and your own adaptation of Titus Andronicus. What has been your experience with these undertakings? What’s been positive or negative?
CN: Here’s a story. I had commissioned Richard Nelson to do a new translation of The Wild Duck. And he was with us late in previews while we were all struggling with the end of the play. And Richard said, “Look, Charlie, I’ve already translated it the way I want to translate it, but clearly the geography of my text is not fitting the geography of your production. My geography is traditional, but yours is different. And I want to adapt my text to serve your production better.” Which, to me, was the most wonderful collaboration I could have had because, as I’m fond of saying, I usually work with dead playwrights, and they always agree with me. But for Richard, as a living playwright, to engage in such a generous way was thrilling, much more so than my imagined conversations with Moliere.
I think one of the challenges for classic theatre is that often, after ten or fifteen or 20 years, the translations start to get a little foreign. So we need to revive the classics and the classic translations with contemporary playwrights.
DP: And so for playwrights who are not Richard Nelson, both local and nationally, what doors might be open to them at your theatre regarding adaptations or translations or new ways of looking at the classics?
CN: Well, thanks to the truly visionary, philanthropic leadership of our dear friend, Barbara Franke, we now have the resources to commission new texts. Richard’s translation of The Wild Duck is the most conspicuous result of this program. But we also have a number of different projects in different phases of commissioning. The answer to your question, I think, is to look at the work that Court Theatre has done, look at our aesthetic, look at the artists that we have worked with, and, if you have an idea that you’re passionate about that is an adaptation or a translation of a classic text or idea or theme, we’re interested. We also have more ideas than we can ever possibly produce. I’ve got a bunch of ideas about texts that I want to have adapted or translated, but what I don’t know enough about is who is a good match for that idea. And so that also means that I need to be educated. What is your passion? What is your artistry? Don’t assume we know anything about what makes sense for you or what your work is. We also now have a Resident Dramaturg. His name is Drew Dir. He’s here as part of a joint appointment between the University of Chicago and Court Theatre.
DP: So, simple nuts and bolts. Somebody has an idea, and they don’t have a relationship with you or Drew or anyone at your theatre, what is the best way for them to approach you?
CN: Well, right or wrong, it’s rare that I will spend time with anything that’s unsolicited, so, right now, letters of inquiry are really the best way to go. I’m almost sure that we don’t have enough of a network with playwrights in Chicago, which, of course, sounds ridiculous considering how many talented playwrights live here and how much new work is happening. But, unfortunately, it’s an issue of staff capacity. If there’s a project going on with a playwright involved who seems to be a good match for what we do, we want to know. There’s a great way to be persistent without being a pain in the ass.
DP: And it’s a fine line.
CN: It’s an extremely fine line.
DP: You don’t have a literary department right now.
CN: We do not. But another way to get our attention is through a director. We’re constantly looking for directors, and playwrights who have an existing relationship with a director can often find themselves in our mix. The same can be said of designers. I recently had one of our regular designers contact me about a playwright he had worked with. And he said, emphatically, “Charlie, there’s this playwright. She’s really interesting. You’ve got to check her out.” And I said I would. So, it’s as simple as that. And as hard as that. But I do look to all these people for great ideas and for great writers.
Chicago
Four theatre companies in Chicago have received the Regional Theatre Tony Award: Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985, Goodman Theatre in 1992, Victory Gardens Theater in 2001, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2008. And while the work of these prestigious institutions has been met with local, national, and international acclaim, there are many people who feel that if the city is ever honored with a fifth Tony Award, it will go to Court Theatre, a professional institution situated on the campus at the University of Chicago that has been named “the most consistently excellent theater company in America,” by The Wall Street Journal.
Charles Newell, Artistic Director of Court since 1994, has directed over 30 productions. He and his colleagues are committed to discovering, and rediscovering, the power of classic theatre, and they are also prolific producers of translations and adaptations of classic texts. A recent conversation I had with Charles revealed a lot about the sort of work that excites him, as well as the passion he holds for expanding the canon of this work through initiatives such as the Barbara E. Franke Commissioning Program for New Classics.
Douglas Post: You’ve been with the Court Theatre for fifteen years now. What sort of changes in programming have you put in place since you’ve been here? How has the aesthetic of the theatre shifted? What have you been working towards, and what do you continue to work towards? I realize that’s a lot of questions all at once.
Charles Newell: It is. Let me see if I can be succinct. When I was brought here from Manhattan to be the Associate Artistic Director of this theatre, it was clear to the then- Board leadership and to Nicholas Rudall, the founding Artistic Director, that, after over 20 years of leading this theatre, what Nick really wanted to do was to be less involved in the day-to-day running of the theatre and to return to teaching. And I was extremely lucky, because in that first season, I directed Stephen Wadsworth’s translation and adaptation of The Triumph of Love. And so, with the graciousness of Nick and the Board, I was asked to take on the role of Artistic Director. Now, I’d been working throughout the country doing classic work, most especially at the Guthrie Theatre, and had spent eight years assisting an incredible slew of directors that I still can’t believe I actually got to work with. These were people such Mark Lamos, Liviu Ciulei, Lee Breuer, John Houseman, Michael Kahn, Alan Schneider, Lucian Pintilie, JoAnne Akalaitis, Garland Wright. They all had a strong point of view when it came to doing the classics. So what I brought with me was a desire for a national perspective that involved national artists. It was clear to me that Court needed a jolt of artistic and creative energy. And so, in 1997, I was able to ask JoAnne Akalaitis to direct Nick Rudall’s translation of The Iphigenia Cycle. And that started a more provocative and challenging approach to classic work. Concurrent to that was a desire to elevate the quality of the staff that is here. And then, jumping ahead to 2003, together with the board and the university, we had this outrageously audacious idea that Court Theatre could become the national center for classic theatre. And who the hell are we to say that? But it has been a very animating and very inspirational and daunting vision to put forth for ourselves.
DP: Some of the recent translations and adaptations that have been produced at your theatre include Richard Nelson’s adaptation of The Wild Duck, SITI Company’s adaptation of Radio MacBeth, Lee Breuer’s adaptation of Mabou Mines’s DollHouse, Mickle Maher’s translation of Cyrano, and your own adaptation of Titus Andronicus. What has been your experience with these undertakings? What’s been positive or negative?
CN: Here’s a story. I had commissioned Richard Nelson to do a new translation of The Wild Duck. And he was with us late in previews while we were all struggling with the end of the play. And Richard said, “Look, Charlie, I’ve already translated it the way I want to translate it, but clearly the geography of my text is not fitting the geography of your production. My geography is traditional, but yours is different. And I want to adapt my text to serve your production better.” Which, to me, was the most wonderful collaboration I could have had because, as I’m fond of saying, I usually work with dead playwrights, and they always agree with me. But for Richard, as a living playwright, to engage in such a generous way was thrilling, much more so than my imagined conversations with Moliere.
I think one of the challenges for classic theatre is that often, after ten or fifteen or 20 years, the translations start to get a little foreign. So we need to revive the classics and the classic translations with contemporary playwrights.
DP: And so for playwrights who are not Richard Nelson, both local and nationally, what doors might be open to them at your theatre regarding adaptations or translations or new ways of looking at the classics?
CN: Well, thanks to the truly visionary, philanthropic leadership of our dear friend, Barbara Franke, we now have the resources to commission new texts. Richard’s translation of The Wild Duck is the most conspicuous result of this program. But we also have a number of different projects in different phases of commissioning. The answer to your question, I think, is to look at the work that Court Theatre has done, look at our aesthetic, look at the artists that we have worked with, and, if you have an idea that you’re passionate about that is an adaptation or a translation of a classic text or idea or theme, we’re interested. We also have more ideas than we can ever possibly produce. I’ve got a bunch of ideas about texts that I want to have adapted or translated, but what I don’t know enough about is who is a good match for that idea. And so that also means that I need to be educated. What is your passion? What is your artistry? Don’t assume we know anything about what makes sense for you or what your work is. We also now have a Resident Dramaturg. His name is Drew Dir. He’s here as part of a joint appointment between the University of Chicago and Court Theatre.
DP: So, simple nuts and bolts. Somebody has an idea, and they don’t have a relationship with you or Drew or anyone at your theatre, what is the best way for them to approach you?
CN: Well, right or wrong, it’s rare that I will spend time with anything that’s unsolicited, so, right now, letters of inquiry are really the best way to go. I’m almost sure that we don’t have enough of a network with playwrights in Chicago, which, of course, sounds ridiculous considering how many talented playwrights live here and how much new work is happening. But, unfortunately, it’s an issue of staff capacity. If there’s a project going on with a playwright involved who seems to be a good match for what we do, we want to know. There’s a great way to be persistent without being a pain in the ass.
DP: And it’s a fine line.
CN: It’s an extremely fine line.
DP: You don’t have a literary department right now.
CN: We do not. But another way to get our attention is through a director. We’re constantly looking for directors, and playwrights who have an existing relationship with a director can often find themselves in our mix. The same can be said of designers. I recently had one of our regular designers contact me about a playwright he had worked with. And he said, emphatically, “Charlie, there’s this playwright. She’s really interesting. You’ve got to check her out.” And I said I would. So, it’s as simple as that. And as hard as that. But I do look to all these people for great ideas and for great writers.
Douglas Post
dpost@dramatistsguild.com