When watching a polished stage production, it can be easy to forget that the play did not leap fully formed from the mind of the playwright. Recently, four seniors in the undergraduate theater studies major have been learning that bringing a new play to the stage is often a rigorous, collaborative process.
The four students -- Anne Martin of Sillman College, Steven Klein of Morse College, Christopher White of Timothy Dwight College and Jim Knable of Pierson College -- decided to fulfill their senior thesis requirements by collaborating on a new play.
The end result of their effort, a play titled "Saltimbanques," will be staged April 18-19 and April 22-25 at Artspace, 70 Audubon St.
Collaborating on a production of the work, which was written by Knable, gave the four undergraduates an opportunity to see first-hand how a script develops from the first draft to the final performance -- a process rarely explored in undergraduate programs..
In "Saltimbanques" Knable tells the story of twins who are dealing with the recent death of their mother. In the play, Knable explores such themes as spirituality, identity and the nature of art. White directs the play, while Martin and Klein, as the twins, head a five-person cast.
Because the Yale students believe that an important part of the project is sharing what they have learned, they recently traveled to Brookline High School near Boston to teach a workshop on developing a new play, using "Saltimbanques" as a model. "It was great. The students were really interested and engaged in what we were doing. They weren't afraid to challenge us with questions," says Knable, whose script for "Saltimbanque" recently won him a spot in the New York University playwrighting program.
Showtimes for "Saltimbanques" are 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 18; 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19; 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, April 22 and 23; 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24; and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. Tickets are $6; $3 for students. For further information, call (203) 785-8672.
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