latimes.com: Robin Givens is stirring on an antique divan, waking with a wicked hangover to several harsh realities. At least she's not alone. Sheldon Epps, who may be one of the calmest and most self-possessed men in show business, is sitting not 12 feet away. Epps is there to guide Givens — who became a 1980s sitcom star, then saw her marriage and divorce from boxer Mike Tyson turn into a public soap opera — and the rest of the cast of "Blues for an Alabama Sky." Pearl Cleage's 1995 drama, set in Harlem during the Great Depression, examines the gumption and talent it takes to hold on to one's dreams and integrity when times are lean and how easily they can be snuffed out.
Monday, November 07, 2011
Pasadena Playhouse gets direction from Sheldon Epps
latimes.com: Robin Givens is stirring on an antique divan, waking with a wicked hangover to several harsh realities. At least she's not alone. Sheldon Epps, who may be one of the calmest and most self-possessed men in show business, is sitting not 12 feet away. Epps is there to guide Givens — who became a 1980s sitcom star, then saw her marriage and divorce from boxer Mike Tyson turn into a public soap opera — and the rest of the cast of "Blues for an Alabama Sky." Pearl Cleage's 1995 drama, set in Harlem during the Great Depression, examines the gumption and talent it takes to hold on to one's dreams and integrity when times are lean and how easily they can be snuffed out.
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3 comments:
The last few years have been hard for many theatres and the Pasadena Playhouse is no different. It is interesting from this article to see how Sheldon Epps keep moving forward and trying new things and ultimately it was the kindness of friends that saved his company. People often think that theatre is a huge money maker but it is not. We do it because we love the art form. The economic crisis has made people see that it doesn't matter how popular your theatre might be it still might not make enough money to stay open. the part of the article that really spoke to me was when it said that Epps would meditate alone in the theatre. Saying that the space was still alive as long as "someone was imagining the lights being on." I think it was this personality, positivity and perseverance that helped keep this company standing. I would love to see how they do in the next few years.
I'm truly glad to see that the Pasadena Playhouse is getting back on its feet and is able to announce a five-show season. I love that the article starts by talking about "Blues for an Alabama Sky" because that is what Epps is about, making theatre. The whole point of meditating in the empty theatre and trying to find funding was to get back to making art and Epps seems thrilled to get back to it. From the few lines we get about rehearsal he seems to provide a beautifully nuanced insight and "Blues" is sure to be all the better for it. I hope this show and the rest of the season do well for them and that they continue to be able to make theatre in a predominantly film/tv area.
It is good to see a theatre getting back on it's feet, especially the Pasadena Playhouse. I really appreciated the notes on rehearsal and the casting choices because it shows how Epps and Givens are both so in tune with the situation of the play. This semester we have been discussing how a director and actor communicated and just yesterday did an overview of how an actor becomes in tune with a character and it is great to see that both director and actor are so in the character (although Givens has a bit of experience with these high emotions which I am sure helps). Hopefully this will provide a seamless performance necessary to continue re-building a following.
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