Director's Notes
So many aspects of theatre take place in the dark. Every quiet moment on stage is accompanied by a frenzy of activity behind the scenes -- stage managers calling cues, wranglers preparing props, stagehands locking set pieces into place, sound engineers adjusting the mic levels, actors changing and dashing off to their next entrance. That hidden hustle is a huge part of the magic that the audience feels during a performance, even if they’re not consciously aware of its presence.
Curtains revels in this unseen part of the process. Nearly the entire show takes place in an empty theater, and the characters we meet are not just actors, but producers, musicians, and techies as well. We get to see them in rehearsals as they make mistakes and try new things, building a show before our very eyes. The play invites us to witness something that is usually off limits to an audience. But at the same time, there is the murder mystery, full of secrets and intrigue, creating a different kind of boundary.
This contrast was a driving force in the design of the production. In a show where the characters all seem to be hiding something, we made the deliberate choice not to hide anything. Without curtains masking the wings, the secrets of the stage are revealed. Do you see the fly lines to your left, which allow scenery to drop from the top of the stage? To your right, the metal door leading to our freight elevator? We use that to bring large set pieces and furniture from the shop to the stage. The doors at the back of the stage lead to the gym, where actors wait for their entrance. Many of you have likely never had the chance to see the mechanisms of our stage, and even this is only a small part of the vast organism that is a theatrical production. As the cast brings us seamlessly from opening night of Robbin’ Hood through the rehearsal process that follows, we invite you to see the space in a new way, enjoying not just the shine of a polished performance, but the grit and grind of the process that leads up to that moment. Let the curtains part -- it’s time to rehearse!
Leo Mahler
Director
