A Few Questions for Director Brenna Geffers

Why Beckett?

Samuel Beckett’s world of tramps, disembodied voices, and clowns striving against the void felt like a seductive world for Die-Cast right now. We were particularly drawn to the idea of showcasing his shorter works as a means to highlight our ensemble-driven approach. We hope that each member of our team has a moment to shine in their own unique way within the different styles and content of the pieces. 

Why These Pieces?

Catastrophe might be one of Beckett’s more recognizable shorts, but I’ve never really liked any performance of it. However, after imaging Keith Conallen and Kishia Nixon’s sharp, specific, and wild comedy skills, it became an early addition to the roster.  David Kaplan suggested looking at "What Where" due to Die-Cast’s preference for ensemble work, and after reading, it became a quick favorite among the cast. Cascando is a radio piece that I have never seen, but re-reading it this winter, I just fell in love with it and the impossibilities it represented for live performance. Ohio Impromptu has just been my favorite Beckett shorts for a long time;  I have always found the balance between sorrow, regret, hope, and healing to be so delicate. 

Why A Cabaret?

Once we knew we were creating a collection of shorts, we wanted a way to unify them into a cohesive evening. Beckett's use of the Vaudvillian aesthetic led us to want the world of the Music Hall to be our larger frame. The Music Halls and Cabarets informed not only the visual look of our characters, but also the invited actual music to be an essential character of the piece. 

Why New Music?

The first song, Dreams of Fair To Middling Men, is very much pulled from real details from Beckett's life, from when he moved to France as a young man to his time after World War 2, before he started to write the plays he would become so known for. In reading his biography, it was fascinating to discover these specific and unusual details about the younger man. Far from the silent, older man in thick sweaters. It is a little love letter from us to Samuel Beckett, genital warts and all.  It was a fascinating journey to go on as an ensemble, passing around lyrics and musical notions to collectively create what we hope is a fun way to begin a Beckettian Cabaret.  The final song was actually one of the first things we knew for sure about the piece. We were still reading different texts out loud at the time to find the right combination. But we knew we wanted to end the piece with a Farewell. One of our composers, Chris Sannino, sent over the chorus to director Brenna Geffers as a proposal. It is in the performance exactly as he sent it. The verses are pulled from one of Beckett’s poems. 

Who Is In This One?

You will recognize the cast if you are a Festival regular. 

• We have Steven Wright, who was in Menagerie of Angels, SnagglePuss, Demolition Downtown, The Strange Play, The Weird Tales Anthology, Suddenly Last Summer, and Green Eyes. 

• Kishia Nixon also starred in Green Eyes, as well as Suddenly Last Summer and The Strange Play. 

• Chris Sannino was also playing a variety of instruments in Suddenly Last Summer and the Hotel Plays. But you would also recognize his compositions from Green Eyes. 

• Keith Conallen was last in P-town for Chalky White Substance and Weird Tales Anthology. He has also been in Sangglepuss and Menagerie of Angels, with his first role being the titular prince in Pericles. 

• Ross Beschler made his Provincetown debut with the Stage Directions turned Main Character in Suddenly Last Summer. 

• Anthony Crosby was part of Die-Cast's first show, Pericles, and has also been in Menagerie of Angels, Snagglepuss, Demolition Downtown, Green Eyes, and the nun from Suddenly Last Summer. 

• Han Van Sciver may not be with us in person, but their musical compositions are part of the Beckettian Cabaret. Han was part of the Pericles team, as well as Demolition Downtown, Weird Tales Anthology, and the star of last year’s Suddenly Last Summer. 

• Die-Cast co-founder, Brenna Geffers has directed all of the P-town Festival projects.