TS: What do you think Fugard’s play The Road to Mecca is about?


BR: For me, it’s about how we respond to oppression and repression, how we ward off or combat darkness, whether it’s personal or political, and how we create a vision for an alternate reality from the one we face.


TS: What kind of research did you do in order to coach the actors cast in The Road to Mecca?


BR: I collected dialect samples and listened to different voices so as to have some options for the actors to select from. I compiled a list of movies, audio books and You Tube clips where the actors could hear authentic South Africans for the sounds and the rhythms of the dialect. I also watched the archived original production to hear what Fugard and Yvonne Bryceland did dialect-wise when the play was fi rst performed in New York. But truthfully I am very fortunate that these dialects are in my DNA. I grew up listening to these voices, so the research is mostly collecting material for the actors and also serves to jog my memory.


TS: Can you tell us about your process? How often will you rehearse with the actors? Do you work with recordings? What is the best way to give dialect notes?


BR: It is always a highly individualized experience, tailor- made to the actor I’m coaching. Usually we start with recordings and selecting a sound sample on which we may base the character’s dialect. And then we start to put the sound changes in, and we drill them. We come up with phrases and sentences to perfect the sound substitutions. Giving dialect notes depends on the circumstance and where the actor is in his/her process. The goal is that the actor feels comfortable enough to play in the dialect, to


inhabit it so fully that he or she is not thinking about


sounds all.


TS: do


the at


How you col laborate


with the director, Gordon Edelstein?


BR: I haven’t worked with Gordon before, so it’s a new collaboration and I’m very excited about it. Every collaboration for me starts with an initial conversation with the director about his/her vision for the play, about the characters, about what he/she is hearing and, of course, about how much time I’ll spend in the rehearsal room. On this production I’m delighted that Gordon would like me in rehearsal as much as possible and looking forward to it.


TS: Where did you get your training? Any great teachers who infl uenced you?


BR: I owe a huge thank you to Jim DeMonic, head of the voice and Speech department at AADA, who exposed me to Edith Skinner, a method I use constantly. He welcomed me into his classes to observe; I lapped up every moment and was astounded by the breadth of his knowledge. I am also extremely fortunate to have connected with the great Tim Monich, undoubtedly the top dialect coach in the country, if not the world. His wisdom, guidance, and generosity inspire me.


UPSTAGE THE ROAD TO MECCA


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