The 39 Steps
Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA
through November 4, 2012
by Shera Cohen
 |
| Photo by Kevin Sprauge |
Josh Aaron McCabe (seated in photo at right) is one of the four actors starring in "The 39 Steps" where he portrays at least 30 roles all within 2 hours.
Q. Tell us about the rehearsal process under director
Jonathan Croy?
Jon is the kind of director who believes strongly in the
collaborative process. So we are all encouraged to dive in and try things -
often slipping on the ice before we can skate on it. This show is technically
demanding, and we spent quite a bit of rehearsal in "tech," trying to
figure out how to make this machine operate smoothly with its many moving
parts. There are set pieces continually rolling in and out, trunks used in
different formations, over 200 sound cues, lighting effects to create all sorts
of locations, racks and racks of specially designed costumes that allow us all
of the quick changes. The thing about a comedy like this is that it is actually
a lot of drudge work in trying to craft the humor amidst the story telling.
When we add the final piece of the machine - the audience - we learn very
quickly how well we've put it together and where we still need to oil the
moving parts. Luckily, we have an amazing team of designers, actors, stage
management, and a brilliant director.
Q. Do the actors offer direction suggestions; i.e. your
fun with the stuffed cat was hilarious.
We all offer ingredients into the mix. Jon is very open
and encouraging of the actors (and designers) to bring ideas. The cat was
actually born in Jon's mind before we ever started rehearsals. I recall him
asking me over the summer: "So, do you think you'd have fun with a cat?"
Then he turned me loose to experiment and play. There were various adaptations:
a stuffed animal, a custom built "cat puppet." Finally we took a
stuffed animal and made a puppet out of it.
Q. How much is ad lib?
Ad-libbing is often entertaining, but can also become a
slippery slope. There are different types of ad-libbing. In the rehearsal
process - some ad-libs actually became a part of our script. They just worked
and we kept them. The goal is to try to stick to the rehearsed script. However,
in a wild show like this things are bound to go wrong and we then speak off the
cuff a bit to get us back on track. This show also has veteran actors who are
very adept at handling mishaps in a clever and fun way. The slippery slope
comes into play, though, because we only want to go to that cow so often for
the milk. The basic rule of thumb is: use the improv when necessary when we
derail, but otherwise execute the show that we rehearsed.
Q. You have a voice that can handle any role: male,
female, young, old. How did you learn to "do" voices?
I don't know that I ever learned anything other than to
let myself "play". As a kid I would often imitate actors that I saw
in movies. I also memorized most of Bill Cosby's sketches and had all of his
inflections down. But, I also had a lot of vocal problems, even as an adult. I
carry a lot of tension in my throat that works against having a free voice and
actually can limit me quite a bit. I was blessed with an amazing voice teacher
in graduate school, Susan Sweeney, who was determined to help me work through
this. What I finally learned is that if I allow myself "to play," to
get out of my head then my voice will naturally free up and I am fortunate
enough to have a range that I can play with.
Q. You especially have a knack for portraying old women.
Is that your specialty?
Shakespeare & Company really has some game when it
comes to this genre of comedy. There are so many skilled actors and directors
here that bring a high level of expertise (and nuttiness) to this style of
storytelling. I'm just lucky enough to be surrounded by such a multi-talented
Company that allows me to continue to learn and play in the sandbox, too. As
far as playing old women, I plead the fifth.
Q. Any backstage anecdotes you'd like to tell us?
It's an ongoing challenge playing these multi-character
roles. Not only is it about creating the characters, but then also keeping
track of who appears when. The other night in performance I ran off the stage
as a policeman and did my quick change into Professor Jordan. I was waiting
backstage to do my entrance, when it suddenly dawned on me that I was actually
supposed to be entering as the Pilot on the opposite side of the stage! That
was a lovely moment of panic. I tore through the backstage hallway - clothes
flying everywhere - and entered as a rather disheveled Pilot. It was a nice
reminder that I can never get too laid back about the story telling.
