Machinal by Sophie Treadwell
The play:
Based on the murder of her husband by Ruth Snyder and her lover, Machinal is an expressionistic play exploring one woman's increasing dissatisfaction, isolation and claustrophobia in a loveless marriage and an inhuman and mechanical workplace. Her lack of control in personal and professional realms leads her to take drastic and violent action as the play increasingly backs her into a corner.
Production:
I'm interested in exploring the play's Expressionist style through a multimedia production. Hand-held live-feed cameras as well as pre-shot footage will highlight emotional intensity and help drawn out the social critique of the play - in terms of isolation and claustrophobia for its female characters, as well as providing a sense of machinal humans and the increase of a surveillance under capitalism.
Casting possibilities:
It could successfully be performed with a half year group with an even gender split as below and some multi-roling. A much larger cast could individually distribute all parts, though they would be smaller roles in many cases. There's a possible version where the central Young Woman is a role that keeps changing hands between up to 9 different actors.
You will find a full casting breakdown for a cast of 12 (6f, 6m) at the bottom of the page. A full year cast would depend on whether we had a new Young Woman for each episode or 4-5 that carried them all. Ultimately its a play that I am excited to shape to the group as I think it lends itself to that kind of expression through casting.
Learning opportunities:
Requires stylised acting and movement - practical introduction to Expressionism and Stationendramen for both acting and production arts students to work within a set genre
American accents
Ensemble movement sections in the workplace and in scene changes
Multi-media stage and camera work
Guildhall graduate Emily Berrington was in recent Almeida production
Rights: From Treadwell estate - edits in Almeida production were approved which I can get a copy of and rights do exist in theory.
VISUAL REFERENCES:
