INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR MICHAEL BERRESSE
Education Dramaturg Ted Sod spoke with director Michael Berresse about his work on Darling Grenadine.
Ted Sod: Why did you choose to direct and choreograph Darling Grenadine by Daniel Zaitchik? What would you say the musical is about?
Michael Berresse: I love working on all kinds of stories, but I particularly gravitate to ones that explore the balance between light and dark in a very personal, human way. People are endlessly fascinating to me, and our tendency to categorize them based on one aspect of who they are is something I love the opportunity to challenge through my work. And whatever the actual content, I have to be able to understand a writer’s priorities on the page and to feel some creative kinship with them. The more distinct and specific the voice of the writer, the more exciting it is for me to create a three-dimensional world around it. For all those reasons, as soon as I read Darling Grenadine, I knew I wanted to direct the show.
Darling Grenadine touches on many different themes, from ambition and romance to sibling rivalry and addiction. It has the magical, bittersweet aura of contemporary New York City but lives in a place without time or borders. Ultimately, I would say the show is an adult coming-of-age story about the courage to be truly honest, especially with ourselves. Not as simple as it sounds.
TS: How have you been collaborating with Daniel on his musical? How involved are you in the process of rewrites on a new work? How do you make suggestions to a book writer/composer/lyricist for any rewriting you may think necessary? MB: Because I’m also a writer and an actor, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of the rewriting process from many sides in my career. The degree of my involvement as a director varies from project to project, depending on the collaboration. Daniel has been very open to my input, and the show has changed significantly since we began working together. The core of the story is absolutely still the same, but the structure around it is quite different. Some of the changes have grown out of the deepening of the characters of Louise and Paul and their relationship to Harry. Others have grown out of the need to focus the storytelling point of view or just a renewed perspective based on our creative conversations.
As for how to express my thoughts in a productive way for the writer, it usually involves framing the suggestion in a larger conversation about rhythm, structure, and how it helps clarify a character arc and/or the contract with the audience. Perhaps most important is to demonstrate how the change advances or enhances the author’s original intent.
TS: Will you give us some insight into your process as a director/ choreographer? What kind of research did you have to do in order to direct this musical? What kind of atmosphere do you like to create in the rehearsal room? How do you collaborate with actors? MB: All we have as artists is our own personal experience and the desire to harness and share it. The beauty of collaboration is that it continues to expand the experiences we have to draw on. I started as a dancer, so the way in which a piece moves physically is a major priority, not just choreographically but in terms of the physical spirit of a show. I often focus on transitions and staging patterns early on
10 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
Michael Berresse
and how they inform and deepen the experience for the audience. Also, because all theatre should have a crafted rhythm to it, I’m always considering the “musical” structure of the script and emotional progression, as well as the songs. And although there wasn’t much actual research necessary with Darling Grenadine, there was a LOT of conversation about what motivates the individual characters.
I like a happy room, and I tend to wear my heart and opinions on my sleeve. As a director, it’s always a balance between stepping into a project with a clear and personal point of view and staying open to new input along the way. Creating theatre is a complicated process with a huge number of moving parts, so it’s critical that there is an executive authority to help negotiate. It’s also paramount that everyone feels welcome to express their opinion and expose their process in a safe and supportive environment.
As for the actors, it’s about cultivating their personal connection to the characters and material through table work and discussion and then shaping that internal work within the context of the physical production. And because I myself am an actor, it usually helps add another level of communication and trust in the process.
TS: How do you understand the relationship between Harry and Louise at this point in the process? MB: One of the unifying themes of the various relationships in Darling Grenadine is that each of the characters can see the others more clearly than they can see themselves. It’s a large part of what draws
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