MACBETH WORLD TOUR 2005 - A JOURNAL
by Graham Michael - Company Stage Manager
PART 2: MINNEAPOLIS - US
PART 1: PILSEN - CZECH REPUBLIC
PART 2
MINNEAPOLIS, MINESOTA, US
MORE AIRPORT TROUBLE…
I am at Heathrow, flanked by two armed policemen. One of our costume suitcases contains a bullet belt from an army surplus shop in Islington. One of the bullets has been re-sealed – the gunpowder inside has been removed and the pointed end crimped back on.
The security officer for American Airlines doesn't like it - as far as they can see, it's a real bullet, possession of which is an arrestable offense. After about thirty minutes, the bullet comes back from x-ray – there is no trace of powder, and I'm free to go, although the police kindly take thebullet away, saving us from being stopped again I hope...
THE CITY
We’re met at Chicago airport by James Morrison (Director of the World Stage Series who've sponsored us to be here) and Cindy Berg (Company Manager for the Guthrie Theater). It's a beautiful evening and the city is bathed in gold light. We're staying at the Marriot Towne Place Suites hotel. It's good to be able to cook for yourself on tour, mainly because eating out can be expensive every day. Plus there are no small portions here, and every meal requires a good deal of recovery time!
We take a sightseeing tour of the lakes and St Paul. On our day off we visit Mall Of America - the largest shopping mall in North America. It’s very quiet. There's a Snoopy theme park in the middle of the complex, complete with roller-coasters and log flumes. Some of our company visit the mall 4 times.
IF YOUR MOTHER WEARS ARMY BOOTS
Gary and Naomi go out to find trees to cut some branches off. As they walk back to the theatre, some guy yells out to them from a nearby house. They both stop dead in their tracks, and hold up the branches guiltily. "Birnam Wood?" he asks. Naomi and Gary nod. "That way to Dunsinane?" he adds, pointing at the theatre. "Good luck guys - see you there next week!" Great moment.
We serve real food and wine in the banquet scene of Macbeth, meaning a trip to Surdyk's Liquor Store and Lund's deli. Then, having failed to find room in our luggage for the camouflage netting we used in Pilsen, I head off to an Army Surplus Store in town. The store is huge and has a great sign outside - "You may have heard of our designer - Uncle Sam?!" and "If your mother wears army boots, she probably got them from us".
THE THEATRE
The Guthrie Lab looks excellent. Once a traditional proscenium arch theatre, it has been stripped back to bare brick, the stage is gone, and it is now a simple box shape. Our opening ‘wasteland’ scene was to be outside in the car park but on the first night it takes so long moving the audience down 4 flights of stairs we decide to bring the scene indoors. With the weather constantly changing here, it's probably a wise move.
By our 3rd performance, we've settled in to the theatre really well and the atmosphere as the audience enter is amazing. Tim Bray, our relight technician has worked wonders. The bare brick walls are sprayed with blue light and the resident staff have worked really hard to re-create our vision. Bowls of flame gel burn in the centre of the space, great sound and the combined effect of everyone's work in this theatre brings us very good reviews in the Minnesota press. The audience seem to love the show - immediately on their feet at the curtain call.
AND MORE AIPORT TROUBLE
A fierce storm between Houston (where we connect) and Mexico causes huge delays. We miss our connection.
At Houston, all the hotels in the area are full of Hurricane Katrina evacuees - no rooms within 50 miles. We will have to spend the night in the lounge. This doesn't go down well with company. As the airport is closed (shops, helpdesks, everything!) I befriend the security guards and ask them what they do for food during the graveyard shift. They give me the number for Domino's Pizza. From the look of them, the guards know this number very well...
As the Passport Checking staff have left, we are not allowed to leave and re-enter the building.
8 pizzas, Coca Cola and a box of cinnamon bread are all sent through the x-ray machine. It's now 1am. Some of the company are asleep, until the smell of Hawaiian pizza wafts through the lounge, and within 15 minutes there is little left but soggy cardboard and empty cans.
PART 1
PILSEN, CZECH REPUBLIC
THE VENUE
Pilsen is about an hour’s bus-ride from Prague Airport. Our venue is in the old industrial part of town. Formerly a brewery, then a military vehicle maintenance station, it’s hugely impressive as we enter through the large gates into the main yard, which we will use as "The Wasteland" - a promenade area where we perform Act 1, including Macbeth’s meeting with the witches.
The famous banquet scene will take place in a separate area - a gated long room at the rear of the brewery.
It has quite an eerie feel. Its industrial function and size remind us a little of images of Auschwitz. Particularly the shower rooms and toilets. We don't use these though - there is no running water, so we have portaloos in the yard. Sometimes, it's all about the glamour...
PARTY
On the first evening there’s a Theatre Festival cocktail party in the brewery museum. The courtyard is all lit up and bustling. Wine, champagne and, of course, a never-ending flow of Pilsner Beer. There is also live traditional Czech music from a very energetic band. As we leave, the men are given a complimentary can of beer, and the women a red rose. Men are from Mars...
NEXT DAY
Our production manager Gary has exciting news: we have a jeep! In the show, our ‘English Army’ usually just use a mock-up: a radiator grille and headlamps with a bit of camouflage. But for Pilsen, a real jeep will drive at speed through the large doors, halting about a metre from the audience. Our jeep owner/driver doesn't really know what it's all for, but seems happy to accommodate our requests. The effect is certainly stunning, but we know that this is a one-off.
Our crew are brilliant to the end, even despite the language barrier, and the fact that many of them have never worked in theatre (I think some of them were medical students!)
Just before take-off on the journey home, my name is called out and I’m escorted off the plane back to the gate. Our suitcase with the toy guns for the show has passed through the X-ray machine and they want to know why we have guns. Eventually all is fine and I board the plane again, met with glaring looks from passengers who've probably now been in their seats waiting for about 45 minutes. Oops.
I do wonder whether this will happen again on the flight to the USA next week...