Today I want to take another look backstage at the inner workings of the amazing Summer Play Festival, going on right now at The Public Theater.  This exciting event showcases 8 new plays by emerging writers and presents them to the public for only $10.00 a ticket (yup, you read that right - 10 bucks).  The brainchild of producer Arielle Tepper-Madover, SPF is now in its 5th season of providing New Yorkers with great theater at low prices and shining a mega watt spotlight on new talent.

I have told you how crazy SPF is - it is a very quick process (two weeks of rehearsals and then you are up in front of an audience), but I think some of the bravest souls participating in SPF are the ACTORS.  They have a big task and not a lot of time to achieve it.  They need to develop characters, learn lines and blocking and then make it look like they have had weeks and weeks of rehearsals.  All the actors do it buh-rilliantly. 

I had a chance to catch up with Sally Wheeler who just finished her stint at SPF in the play Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom - a new piece about the perils of video games.  I loved this play and I especially loved Sally's performance (as well as the rest of the talented cast).  Sally was kind enough to answer a few questions about her experience.  Check out her answers below....

SPF: The Actor's View

Actress:

Sally Wheeler

Play:

Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom

Author:

Jennifer Halye

Director:

Kerry Whigham

Description:
Welcome to everyday suburbia where teens become completely obsessed with an unusual video game. As they advance to each new level, the lines between reality and virtual reality blur. In this sci-fi thriller, only those with a true 'killer' instinct survive.

Sally answers my questions about the show and her experience at SPF this year.  Check it out...

Q: Sally you just finished doing Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom at SPF.  I know the process is intense and a ton of work for the actors involved.  Let me start with the most clichéd question of all time.  "How did you learn all those lines?"  But, really Sally - you played 4 or 5 different characters and had a ton of dialogue and you only had two weeks.  How did you do it?

A: Fortunately, I had the script for 2 weeks or so before we began rehearsal, so I worked hard on familiarizing myself then, although of course they don't become ingrained until you're actually working.  I was definitely a little panicked at times!

Q: The play is a wild exploration of video gaming and the affect it has on a suburban community.  Did you and the rest of the crew do much research on gaming?  Did you have any experience prior to this?  Did you have a video game night with the cast and crew?  Anything like that?

A: I was not familiar with the gaming world at all, so I did quite a bit of research on communities and games like World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons.  Not surprisingly, the younger members of the cast were very experienced in the gaming world, and the playwright obviously had a lot of information.  I mostly used the research to help me to imagine and construct a visual and auditory world for the play.  My characters were certainly bemused and mystified by the games themselves, so I didn't need a lot of concrete knowledge per se, more an idea of the glimpses of the games that I would have as a mom, and then when one of my characters ended up in a game, it gave me some concrete images to work with.

Q: Is the script based on a real incident and/or a real video game?

A: Yes and Yes!

Q: The play really shows the dangers of video games.  I know you have children; would you let them get involved with that sort of thing?  

A: I'll certainly try not to - I'm already one of those high-strung media moms who hardly lets them see anything.  Imagery is so powerful!  I figure all of that is coming later - if I can hold it off as long as I can, why not.  I've definitely run into situations where a good friend is letting her six year old play Grand Theft Auto because she had no idea what it was.  I'll try to avoid that.  I'm ridiculously proud that my four year old runs out of the room in fear at certain scenes in Disney movies.

Q: The language in the play is very specific and the playwright has a pretty specific intention.  Can you talk about that?  I heard she even recording herself saying some of the dialogue to help the cast understand what she was looking for - is that true?

A: The language is very specific, and is laid out on the page in a very specific way which Jennifer wants honored.  She did record herself, really just to give us an idea of how to implement the breaks in the text.  Part of the text reads like instant messaging.  It was ultimately a lot of fun to work on!  It made the memorization more complex - but once you got through that, working on internalizing the specific dialogue and making it honest was a really fun challenge.  We all found ourselves speaking in breaks!

Q: I saw the show on Opening Night and it was great!  You did an amazing job, but you seemed to indicate that you "felt shot out of a cannon".  The technical elements of the show were very elaborate (and awesome).  They must have taken a great deal of work.  Can you describe the 24 hours leading up to Opening Night? 

A: Panic Panic Panic!  I had not been on stage since before my oldest was born so I personally was already feeling a little unsteady.  You only have 2 weeks to get ready and one tech - so opening night felt like the first dress.  The show is technically complex and while we had a (technically) perfectly smooth opening night, the tech had been really chaotic, so I think we were a little like test mice awaiting electric shock, which made it hard to relax.  It was exciting, but we were definitely a lot more settled even on the second night

Q: I am going to spoil this for some of the readers, but at the end of the play you are covered in blood.  Is this your first experience with stage blood?  Was it tricky to deal with?  Did you like the taste of it?  

A: I had been in productions with fight choreographers before but this was my first with a blood specialist!  It was tricky to learn  - I was very proud when I managed to conceal and manipulate 2 squibs with one hand! - but then became a lot of fun - and I definitely had a really hammy curtain call.   It tastes sweet.  Really sweet.  Kind of too sweet...

Q: What was your favorite part about the experience?

A: Working on an exciting play with a great group of people and getting back in the saddle!

Q: What was the most challenging part?

A: Only 2 weeks to prepare

Q: Any particularly funny/fun/crazy moments from rehearsals?

A: Oh, lots of fight choreography excitement and the sudden realization on mine and Brian's part that "wow, you really are going to beat me to death at the end of this play!"

Q: What advice would you give to an actor that might be cast in an SPF show next summer?

A: Get hold of that script as early as you can!

Q: In the past, actors have described SPF as having a "summer camp" like feeling - with actors and directors and crews all mingling during the festival.  Did you find that?  Did you enjoy that?

A: The production company does a beautiful job with that - they have lovely parties all the way through - and I think the 2 week guerilla theater aspect creates a "we're all in this together" vibe -  I loved it!  Everybody is busting their tails - actors, director, writer, stage manager, designers, interns...

Q: I know you are answering these questions from  Bermuda .  Was SPF that intense that you had to escape to the tropics to unwind?  

A: It was plain luck!  Already scheduled.

Q: What is up next for you Sally?  Anything in the works?

A: Not at the moment - I'm available and cruising. 

I am sure, after seeing Sally's wonderful performance that she will soon be showcased in a new wonderful role - or who knows - perhaps Neighborhood 3 will have a life beyond the festival.  Fingers crossed.  I hope you enjoyed this peak into the backstage world of SPF.  For more info and tickets for the Summer Play Festival - just go to www.spfnyc.com. Until next time, I will...

~ See You On The Aisle