Harper Regan: {So you Want to do a Play}
The actress, Emma Happisburgh, playing Harper Regan…a woman who walks out on everything
AUTHOR: JENNIFER KIRSCH
Harper Regan
SO YOU WANT TO DO A PLAY?
Way back in 2018 after a few glasses of wine, I agreed to produce a play on the London fringe scene for an ex-secretary of mine.
Truthfully, Emma (the actress in question) is also the daughter of a good friend of mine and she was only my assistant while she got her foot in the door of a theatrical agent who could turn her into a celebrated actress. While she has done well enough, a starring role still eluded her.
Did I really say I would produce a play on the London fringe theater scene?
A PLAY BY ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT SIMON STEPHENS
After two children and many minor roles in short, low budget films, a small inheritance enabled Emma to think about a relaunch of her career as a leading actress. The first task was to find the right vehicle for her talent and strengths.
After considering several plays we decided upon “Harper Regan”; a play by English playwright Simon Stephens. Simon Stephens had had a recent success in London’s West End with a play called Bluebirds. This play was written in 2008 when Stephens was Artist in Residence at the National Theater on London’s South Bank in 2006; a somewhat vintage piece but not far enough from present day to register as a period piece.
Emma, as the leading lady, joint producer and funder, liked the raw emotion of the play and the emphasis on a woman’s journey through life when encumbered with less than perfect circumstances and family confines.
We decided that since the main actor was on stage in every scene and was involved in all the relationships, rehearsals would cover quite a few weeks. They would be intermittent and involve the lead and one of the other characters in each session; husband, lover, toy boy friend, daughter, mother and a nurse. Because it made sense, we doubled up on some of the characters; the nurse and her daughter, the husband and the lover and her boss and stepfather.
In the play a 44 year old married woman leaves home to see her dying father against her boss’s wishes; also neglecting to tell her husband and daughter. She weaves her way though the death of her father, a brief internet induced sexual encounter and reconciliation with her mother. Powerful emotions in 2 hours.
Harper Regan, a play with powerful emotions over a two hour period…
A TIGHT BUT DOABLE BUDGET
We drew up a budget allocating a little money for the six members of the cast, theater rental, publicity, set, props, insurance and minimal lighting and sound elements. It was a tight budget but allowed the possibility of reclaiming all fees if the play was a runaway success.
Luckily I had worked in theater in a previous life which is why Emma approached me to help her to begin with. Although rusty, I was able to polish up the memories and get down to the hard work of putting on a play. If you are thinking about volunteering or helping with your child’s theater group…it is hard work!
Finding an economical rehearsal space was tricky. It needed to be in the center of the city but be reasonably priced as these places charge by the hour. We settled on a converted office building near one of the big stations close to the business district of London; not great for sound but cheap and convenient.
Auditions took place in early April of 2020 with the director interviewing in person and via Skype. We were very pleased with the quality of the actors who auditioned for us; they were really wonderful.
The Director, Pollyanna, was a young woman who had left Cambridge University with a degree in Mathematics and Accountancy. She decided after earning a six figure salary in the financial world that the life was too linear and not creative enough and left it at 26 to become a successful director. She was a genius and so patient all while drawing up a comprehensive schedule as rehearsals began.
After what seemed like a lifetime we moved to a more “theatrical space” but on the complete other side of London, creating quite a trek on the underground every day.
NOW THE HARD WORK BEGINS
Meanwhile, in the absence of a set and props designer, (yes….there should be those…just so you know) I was scouring the second hand shops and my friends homes for suitable lamps, chairs and pieces of 80’s “stuff”.
Given budget constraints, we decided to be minimalist and herald each new location with one or two signature pieces. A street lamp would denote the riverbank scene, a swivel office chair-the boss’s office; waiting room chairs and a wall clock would act as the hospital waiting room and so forth. We managed to borrow a lot and junk shops supplied the rest.
In one scene Harper breaks a wine glass and threatens a guy she meets in a pub. For this, I had to take a train out to Pinewood Studios and indulge in expensive sugar glasses that were about 20 bucks each. I had to get one for each performance, 2 for dress rehearsals and 2 spares. So $450 dollars later, a big chunk of our action props budget was gone!
A high drama scene from the play Harper Regan
BUILDING THE SET, MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA
For the set we came up with a grouping of large screens; the frames made of wood with theatrical gauze stretched across rather like hospital screens but taut so that we could light through the opaque material and change the mood of the scenes with color and varying degrees of brightness.
Another trip by train with a lighting friend of mine from the old theater days who continued to work in the West End of London long after I defected to television, took us out to the theatrical supplies warehouse where we sampled various gauzes under different lights.
Marketing was all important and difficult. Social media had to be fed information every day and that was time consuming. We hired a couple of people to do it but neither of them was very effective. It appeared that all the theater critics and journalists had more than six performances per week to go to!
We also had to produce some ads, a program and posters for outside the theater so it was very busy for our skeleton staff.
The lighting technical rehearsal always takes a long time as the actors need to be there and walk through their moves so that you can place props and light their faces. Tedious for them but very necessary. It took a day and half to get it right as the sound had to be programmed too.
The sounds like birds, waves, traffic, water lapping etc are generated on a computer and timed with various cues and set changes. Sound levels had to tested and that is hard with an empty theater. Butts in seats absorb the sound so it is always a bit of guesswork.
Butts in seats are sound absorbing…empty makes it difficult guesswork!
The last day before opening night is designated as the dress rehearsal and of course we did not have time so our first performance became the dress rehearsal. In theater speak, we call them previews!
Luckily the costumes were quite easy and in some cases the actors own clothes were suitable but nevertheless assembling the gear and making sure it all fit was time consuming. Emma’s mother who used to work in theater wardrobe rose to the occasion and everything looked perfect.
LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
Opening night is always scary; not only for the actors but everyone involved. The Stage manager who cues the lights and scene changes probably has the trickiest job as there is not much time for them to practice with all elements in place.
The poor person is in the back in a little cubbyhole with two computers and a lot of buttons to press. When we were all done for the night they had to tidy the stage, replace the props in their initial positions and then write the show report for the producers, theater manager and director outlining any mistakes or problems.
So after a lot of hard work and angst we opened for a four week run at the Tabard Theatre in London. I looked forward to good, long nights of sleep after closing.
CONCLUSION
While I was happy that Emma had her chance to be in the spotlight and a starring role, it really was a lot of hard work. I am not really sure I would volunteer to do something like it again. I really should be more careful - drinking and saying yes simply do not mix!
I hope you enjoyed reading about what it takes to put on a play especially if you are thinking about volunteering yourself. Just another artsy thing I do when going back to the UK for a visit. Did you read my blog about producing the Maverick Festival of Americana Music? If not, take a look and start making your plans for 2021. Great video in there too.
Be on the look out for my next blog on Normandy. Until then…
Best,
Jenny
Jenny Kirsch is an expat living in Palm Desert. She travels extensively each year when she returns to the UK and guest blogs about her experiences and tips. You might also enjoy other blogs by Jenny. Follow her on Instagram.
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