Tuesday, October 16, 2012
How to be equal parts clown, ghoul, shadow, midwife, and devoted friend - Company Member Sean Ewert talks about being in DON'T GIVE THAT BEAST A NAME!
When I found out that we were doing a show based on Woyzeck I was
incredibly excited. When I found out that I would have a hand in
creating our version of "Andres" (his best friend) I became even more
excited. When I found out he was to be mute and possibly gay - well, I
certainly felt I had some history to bring to the role.
The workshop preceding the actual production was one the most rewarding
workshops I've been a part of. Long discussions about how to make the
people in our play real and not a parody. Discussion about religion in
the south. Discussions of religion in general. I found myself thinking
about religious moments I'd long forgotten. My own family has a
fractured religious history - Jewish, Catholic, Agnostic; I came to
believe that Tinkerbelle (as Andres was now known in our show) had been
wounded by religion - physically in some way, it literally had bit him
and left a mark. Starting from here gave me the freedom to begin to
think about movement, heart and humor.
I also began to think about the closets we keep. Sexual, religious, fetish, nerdy stuff, pet peeves, strange passions... Having grown up in a conservative high school environment in the 1980s I know what it's like to have a secret to keep. I was once told I was going to hell. I was terrified. I thought to my 15 year old self "oh no, they all know I'm gay!" (which they probably already did anyway, in hindsight) What was really going on, my friends were upset than I didn't worship as they did, in their church. Phew, it was only that. Something I had totally blocked out, until working on this play and Tinkerbelle.
Tinkerbelle, as I discovered through rehearsal has moved into the basic
elements of survival. Having the chance in the workshop to move through
so much of his past - I was delighted when I saw the script and
realized that DON'T GIVE THAT BEAST A NAME occurs during a time of
intense change for him. His present time in the play has him beyond so
many of the "closets" in his life I had been examining - but still
terribly misunderstood by so many in the world he lives in. Something I
think we can all relate to.
There is a lot of myself in Tinkerbelle; and yet he really does feel like another creature altogether. Equal parts clown, ghoul, shadow, midwife, and devoted friend. Like all characters I've either seen or played myself at The Mammals, Tinkerbelle is epic sized - even if he doesn't look like it. He's really brave. It's been a good lesson in finding all the things you love about the character you are playing, even if you are playing the biggest villain or loser in the world. I'm finding as each week goes by in our run, he really has found his own language and is using all of it to make his point. Even if no one is listening or can understand. It's been one of the most personal roles I've ever had. Tinkerbelle is a pleasure to inhabit each week. I love his story. And as I said before, I can certainly relate to a lot of it. I hope I bring the right mix of humanity and empathy to Tinkerbelle - so that audiences will take a bit of his playful soul with them when they leave The Zoo (our theater). I believe his experience in the play makes one rethink what it takes (and means) to be truly charitable and kind. -Sean Ewert
DON'T GIVE THAT BEAST A NAME is the story of newlyweds FRANK and MARIE, a couple of country western one hit wonders whose fortunes take a dark turn when they get involved in a snake handling church. A southern gothic tale inspired by George Buchner's Woyzeck, Shaped Note Hymnals, Classic Country and Murder Ballads.
Starring Gabe Garza* as FRANK and Erin Orr* as MARIE
Also Starring Jamie Bragg, Liz Chase*, Sean Ewert*, David Fehr, Sarah Koerner*, Elise Mayfield, AJ Miller, Erin Myers, Anthony Stamilio, Gene Van Dyke, Nicolle Van Dyke
* Denotes Chicago Mammals Company Member
Remaining Performance Nights -
Friday and Saturday 10/19 & 10/20
Friday and Saturday 10/26 & 10/27
Friday and Saturday 11/2 & 11/3
All shows start at 8pm
$20.00 goto beast.brownpapertickets.com
Where -
Zoo Studios
4001 N. Ravenswood Ave Suite 205
Chicago, IL 60613
The Chicago Mammals explore performance works embracing themes of history, mythology, and destiny using the genres of science fiction, horror, and phantasmagoria
 |
| Sean Ewert as TINKERBELLE (click on image to enlarge) |
I also began to think about the closets we keep. Sexual, religious, fetish, nerdy stuff, pet peeves, strange passions... Having grown up in a conservative high school environment in the 1980s I know what it's like to have a secret to keep. I was once told I was going to hell. I was terrified. I thought to my 15 year old self "oh no, they all know I'm gay!" (which they probably already did anyway, in hindsight) What was really going on, my friends were upset than I didn't worship as they did, in their church. Phew, it was only that. Something I had totally blocked out, until working on this play and Tinkerbelle.
 |
| Sean Ewert as TINKERBELLE outside the Snake handling chruch (click on image to enlarge) |
There is a lot of myself in Tinkerbelle; and yet he really does feel like another creature altogether. Equal parts clown, ghoul, shadow, midwife, and devoted friend. Like all characters I've either seen or played myself at The Mammals, Tinkerbelle is epic sized - even if he doesn't look like it. He's really brave. It's been a good lesson in finding all the things you love about the character you are playing, even if you are playing the biggest villain or loser in the world. I'm finding as each week goes by in our run, he really has found his own language and is using all of it to make his point. Even if no one is listening or can understand. It's been one of the most personal roles I've ever had. Tinkerbelle is a pleasure to inhabit each week. I love his story. And as I said before, I can certainly relate to a lot of it. I hope I bring the right mix of humanity and empathy to Tinkerbelle - so that audiences will take a bit of his playful soul with them when they leave The Zoo (our theater). I believe his experience in the play makes one rethink what it takes (and means) to be truly charitable and kind. -Sean Ewert
The Chicago Mammals are proud to present
DON'T GIVE THAT BEAST A NAME
written by Randall Colburn and Bob Fisher
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by CHICAGO TRIBUNE, CHICAGO READER, CHICAGOTHEATERBEAT.COM, FLAVORPILL,
and AWG!
DON'T GIVE THAT BEAST A NAME is the story of newlyweds FRANK and MARIE, a couple of country western one hit wonders whose fortunes take a dark turn when they get involved in a snake handling church. A southern gothic tale inspired by George Buchner's Woyzeck, Shaped Note Hymnals, Classic Country and Murder Ballads.
Also Starring Jamie Bragg, Liz Chase*, Sean Ewert*, David Fehr, Sarah Koerner*, Elise Mayfield, AJ Miller, Erin Myers, Anthony Stamilio, Gene Van Dyke, Nicolle Van Dyke
* Denotes Chicago Mammals Company Member
Remaining Performance Nights -
Friday and Saturday 10/19 & 10/20
Friday and Saturday 10/26 & 10/27
Friday and Saturday 11/2 & 11/3
All shows start at 8pm
$20.00 goto beast.brownpapertickets.com
Where -
Zoo Studios
4001 N. Ravenswood Ave Suite 205
Chicago, IL 60613
The Chicago Mammals explore performance works embracing themes of history, mythology, and destiny using the genres of science fiction, horror, and phantasmagoria
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