them together, whether they understand it or not. I would describe Harry and Louise as being on an unavoidable collision course. In many ways, they are cut from the same cloth, so there is an easy and joyful connection. But despite their deep and genuine affection for each other, their inability to see themselves clearly makes the relationship more codependent than sustainable or self-aware. Nevertheless, it’s an essential step if they are to change the paths they are stuck on individually.


TS: Another fascinating relationship in the play is between Harry and his brother, Paul. What are your preliminary thoughts about their relationship? MB: Again, despite their genuine love for each other, Harry and Paul share the same inability or unwillingness to see themselves clearly. And though they have a shared history, in many ways they are oil and water. It’s compounded by the sense of obligation that comes with a complicated family bond and the need to protect it.


TS: What traits did you need in casting the actors? What specifically were you looking for in casting the people who make up the world of Darling Grenadine? MB: Because these are emotionally complex, very human characters, I looked for actors who had the willingness to expose very personal aspects of themselves through the material. Authenticity and transparency are always desired, of course, and even more critical in a space this small. And because the characters each run the gamut of personality traits, I wanted actors who were as comfortable with joy and comedy as anger and pain. Additionally, the score is very vocally challenging, Harry has to play piano, and our Man and Woman play a multitude of different characters between them, so those were other considerations.


TS: How have you been collaborating with your design team on this production? Can you give us a sense of how your production will manifest itself visually? MB: I always say that if I’ve done my job really well, at some point in the process everyone in the room should be able to feel whether something belongs in the world of the play or not. I invite designers into the discussion about content and my point of view long before we start looking at actual designs. I love being able to speak specifically about


the material and aesthetic and seeing how that sparks their creative instincts. Once there is a general physical world established, we look at the technical possibilities and requirements of how to best execute the storytelling.


Because the space is small, it’s important to me that the production feel immersive and fluid without compromising a real sense of design. There is a sort of low-tech magic to the way Daniel has written the world of Darling Grenadine. Locations change in a moment, and sometimes fantasies bloom into temporary realities. The production will be in the round with four diagonal entrances and a scrim projection wall surrounding the space. The use of color will be spare and specific in all design elements. I really want to focus as much attention on the silhouette of the actors and the material as possible. And of course there are surprises. You’ll have to see the show to find out!


TS: Where were you born, and where did you get your training? Did you have any teachers who had a profound influence on you as an artist? MB: I was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, but by the age of six we had moved to Laguna Niguel in Southern California and again to Joliet, Illinois, where I stayed through my high school years. I was a gymnast and musician for years before I found theatre as a teenager. I started dancing at 16 and began working professionally immediately out of high school. Although I never did a university program, I studied privately throughout my early professional life with Keith Davis, Joan Lader, Suzanne Esper, Gus Giordano, Phil Black, and many others.


TS: What or who inspires you as an artist? MB: Any number of things. Kindness. Courage. Specificity. Loss. Humor. Rage. I think anyone who is willing to risk judgment or scrutiny, from others and from themselves, in order to bring empathy or education or appreciation or catharsis to the world at large deserves to be celebrated and supported. In a modern world where social reality is largely dominated by media and political gatekeepers, art and artists of every kind are more imperative and potent than ever.


TS. Any advice for young people who want to direct and choreograph for the theatre? MB: Make it personal. Be generous. Do your homework.•


Director Michael Berresse and Aury Krebs


in rehearsal for Darling Grenadine Photo by Jeremy Daniel


DARLING GRENADINE UPSTAGE GUIDE


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