“They Stumble That Run Fast”

At Antaeus we talk a lot about “process,” but we mean more by that than just rehearsal. We mean developing a whole way of working together as an ensemble. We study plays over a long period of time, individually and together, in private and with our audiences; and everyone in the company has a chance to participate, to study the text, the period, the background, the playwright. Together we learn how the text might work, before we even start rehearsals. It also allows us to read multiple adaptations of plays to find the right fit for our productions – we did this with our current production of Uncle Vanya and it’s what we are doing right now for our 2016 production of Hedda Gabler.

As an ensemble, we stay together over many years, so that each member becomes familiar with how the company works as a group, and how every other actor works as an individual artist. This is extremely valuable for our unique partner casting, by helping us develop an ease with one another’s process, a respect for one another’s artistry, and we are able to start rehearsals without the weeks of getting to know one another. It also means that newcomers can be more easily absorbed into the ensemble.

Our past experiences with the classical and new plays we have produced or studied continue to be a valuable asset for understanding the next play we work on. And the next. Every one in the company has an opportunity to continue to learn, and the result is not just better productions, but better artists. Better people.

That’s what we mean by process.

– Dakin Matthews
On behalf of all of us, thank you for being part of of our family. None of this would be possible without your generous support. If you believe in this process work at Antaeus, make your end-of-year gift today. We look forward to seeing you at the theatre in 2016!