Shows: Past Productions
[ Coming Soon ] + Past Productions +
THE METHOD GUN
a project of Creative Capital
created by Rude Mechs | written by Kirk Lynn | directed by Shawn Sides
featuring Thomas Graves, Hannah Kenah, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Shawn Sides
[ Video ] [ Photo Gallery ] [ Reviews ] [ Press ] [ Production History ]
The Method Gun is available for touring.
THE METHOD GUN Exclusive Worldwide Tour Representation:
Thomas O. Kriegsmann, President
ArKtype
t. (917) 386-5468
f. (212) 749-7696
e. tommy@arktype.org
w. http://www.arktype.org
The Method Gun was published in Issue #4 of Play: A Journal of Plays.
The Method Gun explores the life and techniques of Stella Burden, actor-training guru of the 60s and 70s, whose sudden emigration to South America still haunts her most fervent followers. Ms. Burden’s training technique, The Approach (often referred to as "the most dangerous acting technique in the world"), fused Western acting methods with risk-based rituals in order to infuse even the smallest role with sex, death and violence. A play about the ecstasy and excesses of performing, the dangers of public intimacy and the incompatibility of truth on stage and sanity in real life.
Using found text from the journals and performance reports of Stella Burden’s company, “The Method Gun” re-enacts the final months of her company’s rehearsals for their nine-years-in-the-making production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Stella left the company under mysterious circumstances in 1972. Diaries and letters from actors in the company express a sense of desperation, inadequacy, and frustration inherent to the process of creating meaningful work for the stage and in everyday life. Set amid swinging pendulums and talking tigers, “The Method Gun” bounces between interior monologues, rehearsal sequences of “Streetcar,” and group interactions - all gleaned from historical documents - to express a longing for the return of inspiration and a more believable presentation of self in everyday life.
Promo video created by Philip Algeier at the 2010 Humana Festival of New American Plays
"charming... gorgeously rendered... both stunning and haunting." - Eliza Bent, American Theatre Magazine
"If you only have time to see one show between now and March 28, make it The Rude Mechanicals' 'The Method Gun.'" - Erin Keane, Louisville Courier-Journal 2010
"Honest, brave and often hilarious exploration of the creative process...absurd and awe-inspiring." - Erin Keane, Louisville Courier-Journal 2010
"It’s both fascinating and terrifying, in a bizarre sort of way." - Lewis Lazare, Chicago Sun-Times
"Rude Mechanicals cultivate a stunning virtuosity that... is essential viewing for anyone interested in theater." - Louisville Leo
"Somebody had better bring this show to Seattle."
– Brendan Kiley, The Stranger
"...make your way out to the Off Center and get ready to have your mind blown."
– Ryan E. Johnson, austin.com 2009
"The Rudes craft compelling theater... 'The Method Gun' packs more intensity and more poignancy... And the Rudes' tweaks have made it much more intimate and immediate... And the final scene... emerges as one of the most polished, gorgeous, breathtaking and riveting moments on an Austin stage. To this critic, 'The Method Gun' still ranks as one of the best productions to grace the Austin stage."
– Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, Austin-American Statesman 2009
”Nothing short of the best work this theater collective has done in its 13 years as it has carved out its well-respected reputation on the international indie theater scene...This is the Rude Mechanicals doing what they do best: crafting a rich series of stunning and surprising visual moments, lacing those moments with kinetic physical movement and wrapping it all together with a script both lyrical and cheeky.” — Austin American-Statesman 2008
“The ‘final performance’ of Burden’s Streetcar features a characteristically Rude-ish blend of physicality and audaciousness... so precisely timed, so crisply executed... almost hypnotic.” — Austin Chronicle 2008
Citations:
"Top 9 Creative Arts, Ah, Things I Was Lucky Enough to Experience This Year" - Austin Chronicle
"Top 10 Theatrical Treasures and Pleasures of 2008" - Austin Chronicle
"In the arts, the Eight from '08" - Austin-American Statesman
|
|
|
|
March 16 - 28, 2010 at the 34th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays
April 9 - May 2, 2009 at The Off Center (Austin, TX)
April 2 - 12, 2008 presented by The Long Center for the Performing Arts
March 16 - 28, 2010
34th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays
PRODUCTION STAFF Playwright - Kirk Lynn Director - Shawn Sides Ensemble: * Thomas Graves, Hannah Kenah, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Shawn Sides Production Manager - Madge Darlington * Stage Manager - Lowell Bartholomee Lighting Designer - Brian Scott Scenic Designer - Leilah Stewart Sound Designer/Composer - Graham Reynolds Projection Consultant s: Lowell Bartholomee Technical Director - Madge Darlington * worked on 2009 Production: Heather Hanna & Jude Hickey in Ensemble Jazz Miller (Stage Manager), Michael Mergen (Projection Design), Robert Fisher (Sound Engineer/Op), Natalie George (Master Electrician), Jared Oberholtzer (Asst Stage Manager), Katey Gilligan (Costume Design) |
April 9 - May 2, 2009 at The Off Center (Austin, TX)
For their help on the 2009 version of The Method Gun , we are grateful to:
Innu Salon • Alamo Welding Supply Co. • Room Service Vintage • Stephen Pruitt of Fluxion Scenic and
Light • The Magician Black Bert • The estate of Col. Robert E. Darlington • Paul Soileau • Luke Savisky •
the dirigo group • Sunny Haralson of Ruby Pearl • Steve Wiman of Uncommon Objects •
Lisa Byrd of ProArts Collective • Margaret Hejny • Andrew Dolan • Kathryn Blackbird •
James & Hester Magnuson • FUSEBOX!!
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
The Method Gun has received support from Creative Capital Foundation, MAP Fund, The Orchard Project, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Humanities Institute and The Harry Ransom Center.
Rude Mechs is supported by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division
April 2 - 12, 2008
presented by The Long Center for the Performing Arts
Photo Gallery
Production Team
PRODUCTION STAFF Playwright - Kirk Lynn Director - Shawn Sides Ensemble: Laura Cannon, Thomas Graves Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Shawn Sides
Resident Producer - Madge Darlington Production Manager - Meg Sullivan Stage Manager - Jazz Miller Dramaturg - Ellie McBride Lighting Designer - Brian Scott Scenic Designer - Leilah Stewart Sound Designer/Composer - Graham Reynolds Costume Designer - Laura Cannon Video Designers: Michael Mergen & Lowell Bartholomee Sound Engineer/Operator - Robert S. Fisher Technical Director - Douglas Gessaman Properties Assistant - Holly Jackson Backstage Crew: Jared Oberholtzer Creation Intern - Brendan Shea |
COLLABORATORS
Lowell Bartholomee Laura Cannon Harvey Guion Heather Hanna Jodi Jinks Jason Liebrecht |
SPECIAL THANKS
Austin Playhouse |
We would like to thank every single one of you that attended the December 2007 workshop production and those that stayed for the talkback, and those who took the extra time to send us an email with your thoughts. We value deeply your participation in the creation of this new play.
ABOUT THE METHOD GUN:
THE METHOD GUN is inspired by the life and tragic death of Stella Burden, the actress and actor-training guru who created “The Approach.” “The Approach” is a suite of actor training exercises made popular in the late Sixties and early Seventies that fused Western naturalistic techniques with exercises that Ms. Burden gleaned from all over the globe. These exercises were physically-based and often very dangerous. One exercise in particular – The Method Gun – was extremely dangerous and, in fact, was the eventual cause of Stella Burden’s death. Whether her death was an accident, a suicide, or murder at the hands of one or more of her students is a matter of conjecture, innuendo, and debate. Stella asked prospective students one question: Truth or Beauty? From 1964-1984 Stella took only students who answered Truth. Then in 1985 for some unknown reason, she switched and took her first class of students who answered Beauty. In 1986 Stella was dead after participating in a round of The Method Gun. Our performance will culminate in a live re-enactment of the very exercise that took Ms. Burden’s life.
THE METHOD GUN will investigate lies, truth and the art of the actor using salvaged film clips, rediscovered interviews, and live re-enactments Burden’s Approach.
If you have any information about Stella Burden, please contribute at:
http://www.stellaburden.com
What you are about to witness is a work-in-progress. Because one of the many themes running through this play centers on process and collaboration, we hope to bring you along for the ride in a way that will inform the project, our process and the way you absorb Rude Mechs work as it is developed for its premier at The Long Center for the Performing Arts in April 2008.
We have been thinking about this play since 2005. We began work in earnest in Fall 2006 with a trip to South America to research the elusive Stella Burden. In Spring 2007 we conceived a new way of working together (new to us) and began meeting weekly with the full company to brainstorm ideas, work on our feet and follow our interests in a loosely structured format. The work ranged from watching Cassevettes to creating work based on Susan Sontag’s essays on photography. We were lucky enough to be invited for a week of play development at The Orchard Project (in upstate NY). There, in one short week, we drafted many of the ideas you will see tonight and so much credit goes to the people listed as collaborators. We took the summer/fall off to tour Get Your War On and hit the rehearsal room in late October to begin this draft. It is truly a draft - a way to test ideas and notice the rabbit holes in preparation for continuing work this Spring. And that is true for all the elements, writing, direction, design, performance.
Production Support Production Team
BIG THANKS TO | |||||
|
Copyright © 2005 Rude Mechanicals. All rights reserved.
|
|||||