Murder Ballad cast members Anastacia McCleskey, Tommar Wilson, and Cole Burden sat down with Assistant Director Nathan Norcross to discuss their experience working on Studio’s first-ever immersive theatre project and sharing that work with audiences in their very own dive bar each night.
NATHAN NORCROSS: Have you worked on anything quite as immersive as this production of Murder Ballad before? How does the audience dynamic factor into each performance?
TOMMAR WILSON: Never. Has there ever been a production as immersive as this? I think we get used to a controlled environment where the actors are on stage and the audience is out there in the dark somewhere. With Murder Ballad we've got the audience right there with us, sometimes even closer than your scene partner, if not between you.
COLE BURDEN: The fact that the audience is practically in the scenes with us makes for a unique experience. There is no way to fully prepare for each show because their dynamic infuses the energy of the entire evening. Audiences are always crucial to live theatre but with this production they actually become a very real part of the story.
ANASTACIA McCLESKEY: Exactly. I love being this close to the audience, getting right in their faces. It makes them feel like they are really a part of it, rather than just watching it.
NN: The show covers a lot of ground in the lives of these characters in 75 minutes of sung-through action.What has been the most challenging aspect of bringing that to life?
AM: The most challenging aspect I would have to say is making sure you’re as clear as you can be so the audience can follow along.
TW: There are moments that you span five years within two or three measures of music. The audience follows but it can be crazy for an actor.
CB: When we began rehearsals we would work on individual scenes without running through the show. It wasn't until we started piecing it all together that I truly felt how quickly time passes, especially when I am offstage. There are years that pass by when I am waiting in the wings.
TW: Yeah, there's a moment where my core relationship with Sara takes a huge turn while my character is not around, and the next entrance is a song all about how much that relationship has changed. The audience sees it happen so it's not a problem, but as an actor you have take several steps in the character’s journey on your own to get you to where the show has taken the audience without you.
NN: What is the most rewarding aspect of working on the show?
AM: It's new every night! Each audience is different. Some sit in silence the whole show and are gasping at the end because they are so shocked. Others are reacting at every turn, which can be crazy but exciting.
TW: The most rewarding part for me is seeing the audience take in all the information and wait for the tension to be released. It builds and builds at a fast pace for over an hour and you can see people anticipating the release. That means they are completely engaged in the story. I don't know what more you can ask for as a storyteller.
NN: Do you have a favorite detail in the environment that production designer Brian MacDevitt and set designer have created? Is there an element that really captures the spirit of our dive bar?
TW: The Sapporo beer sign that hangs next to the bar and changes colors. I don't know why, I just think it's so cool and it really makes the bar experience more authentic somehow.
CB: I love our set! All elements are vital to the immersive experience. We are incredibly lucky to have this design with such impeccable attention to detail. I love it all. I appreciate the detail in the bathrooms and stairwell. It's so cool that the audience is instantly transported to our world from the minute they arrive. I particularly love the "goddess" that resides on the very top of the bar. She's hot.
AM: So many things happen around and throughout the bar, it becomes a character itself and I love that! Andrew knocked it out of the park with the design. I feel like I'm in a dive bar every night.