EBE Ensemble

Today we feature Rhea MacCallum, playwright of “Selling Beaver.” Her credits include: Baby Secrets (Cheeky Monkey), Getting Back to Me (Acme New Works), Name Me (Theatre Encino), Flushed Suicides (Stage Left Studios), Baby Blues (MADAIR Productions), A Little Experimenting (Native Aliens, Strings Attached), Resurrection for Dummies (Stormy Weather Players), The 7th Disorder (TADA!’s 15th Annual Playwriting Contest winner, Westbeth). Rhea holds degrees from USC and New School University and belongs to the Dramatists Guild, ICWP and ALAP. Yesterday Once More was a finalist for the 2004 Heideman Award.

Coming up on Friday, our interview with Rebekah Lopata (“What if I Don’t”).

So far, what has been your most exciting experience as a playwright?
Nothing beats a premiere production! Knowing that your play has found a home and your work will have a chance to connect with an audience – that’s the best.

Let’s talk about “Selling Beaver.” Was there any particular inspiration for it? What has the writing process been like on this play compared to the rest of your work?
“Selling Beaver” is something of an anomaly for me. Having lost traction on a different play, I basically gave myself a writing assignment to help ignite some creativity. I asked my sister to name a bunch of random objects, occupations and locations, and then forced myself to incorporate into a script the most eclectic of the bunch. I figured out the concept within minutes, immediately wrote a complete first draft and have only made minor revisions since. It’s one of the least labored plays I’ve ever written.

As a playwright, what do you find interesting, helpful, or difficult about rehearsals? What do you feel is the playwright’s position in the rehearsal process?
Rehearsals can be a useful tool to a playwright. When a play is being embodied it really highlights where the material drags and needs to be edited down. Great actors, even in a read through, can illuminate lines that just aren’t necessary. After all, if a point can be made through action vs. words, all the better. Sometimes you want to leave something in just because you love the line or it gets a big laugh, but if it doesn’t advance the story, it’s gotta go. Generally speaking when I attend rehearsals I feel like I’m a resource to be tapped if the director and/or actors need me. And even then, while the director gets full access, I take my cues from the director whether or not they want me to answer an actor’s question. I’m open to a free-flowing forum of ideas, but find that it becomes less useful the closer you get to opening night.

Do you have any particular goals for this production of Selling Beaver?
I hope it inspires China to allow the Dalai Lama to return to his rightful home in Tibet.

How important are actors in your writing process? Do you have paticular voices in mind as you write? How important are readings and workshops in the development of your work?
Actors are incredibly important! I have several plays that were written and developed with specific actors in mind. An actor can really inform your work and help define a character. Every character needs to have their own voice and when I’m writing I sometimes use an actor, celebrity, friend, or my good ol’ imagination, but I always have a specific voice in mind. Readings and workshops can be incredibly useful. During readings I like to position myself so that I cannot only pay attention to the actors, but also the audience reaction. The immediate, visceral reaction of an audience is probably the purest form of feedback you can get as a playwright.

What kind of theater excites you? To you have any particular productions or moments as an audience member that stick out in your mind?
A few months ago, I attended a performance of August: Osage County. Estelle Parsons performance was astounding. Simply mesmerizing. I’m in awe.

Do you have any advice people writing their first plays?
Write your first drafts with a pen and paper. It might be faster to type than write, but it’s also less personal. Carry a journal, flip camera, tape recorder - some sort of recording device with you, always. You never know when someone will say, do or reference something interesting. Be an observer of life. Pay attention to what people communicate with their words vs. their body language. See as much live theatre as you possibly can. Read tons of plays. Read and see the same play. Examine how the written text was translated into performance.

Check out Rhea MacCallum’s “Selling Beaver” in Elephants on Parade 2010, running March 10-20, 2010 at Teatro IATI, 64 east 4th st., part of the FAB arts block. For more information on the show, visit www.ebeensemble.com, or to buy tickets visit us on SmartTix.