Peer Inside the Mind of a Director
Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes discusses The Cutting
Published 2.12.08
Q: Weylin, how did you first hear about The Cutting? What drew you to it?
A: There's a number of British publishers that I keep an eye on. I love to check out Oberon and others and they've yielded good things for me in the past. The internet has vastly changed how I research plays. Ten years ago, I'd have had to spend a lot more time visiting other theatres for ideas. Now, I order most of my scripts online. Amazon.com loves me.
Q: And what was it that first drew you in?
A: It's a unique, interesting play. The idea of having a character that doesn't speak for a good chunk of the play--yet is still on stage and has to be a presence--is probably what first attracted me. I thought that was a unique challenge for an actor and something I wanted to explore.
Q: She's not quiet the entire time, is she?
A: No! Maybe for the first third.
Q: The casting is two women whereas the script calls for the psychiatrist to be a man. What was the thinking behind that?
A: I saw the play as two equals struggling to understand each other and by having one of them be a man, specifically the psychiatrist, it was an aspect where one of the characters could seem to be less of an equal. I also thought that there could be an unintentional romantic element if they were different genders that would be a distraction.
Q: So there is no romance between them?
A: I don't think so, but I don't really know. There could be. Rehearsals start soon and we'll find out then.
Q: You don't know?
A: There is a suggestion of possible romantic interest in the script that could go either way. My instinct is to shy away from it, as it doesn't seem essential to the story being told, but I'm very open to whatever may happen in the rehearsal process between the two actors.
Q: Is it common to discover relationships between lead characters in the rehearsal process?
A: Hopefully, yes! Every rehearsal process reveals surprises about the script that were completely unexpected. That's what makes it so exciting. No matter how much planning I may do, and no matter how much I may think I know what a certain moment or scene is about, it invariably changes once rehearsals begin. I want the actors to bring themselves into each scene and to explore and play. I find that if I tell an actor too rigidly how I want a scene to unfold, it rarely works. I often feel that my job is to provide a framework within which the actors can play and then to shape what the actors come up with into something that is complete and coherent and helps to tell the overall story.
Q: Can you talk about the casting?
A: At first, we did want to cast it locally, but we made some trips to New York when we weren't finding the right chemistry. We always thought that Eve would be terrific as Judith but at first her schedule wasn't working out. I knew her from Gypsy and Around the World in 80 Days so when her schedule changed, we jumped on the chance to cast her. As for Rachel as Alex, I've known Rachel's work for years, most recently from A Streetcar Named Desire at New Rep. It's terrific to have the opportunity to work with her.
Q: Is this a thriller, a mystery, a drama?
A: It's a blend of all three, really. For me, part of the interest of the play was the question of whether Judith killed her mother and if so, what would that motivation be. It puts the audience in the situation where they can wonder what could make them commit such a horrible, violent act. Hopefully, it's as close as any of them will get!