Understanding the process with Marshlight Theatre director Paul Griffin
Marshlight Theatre opened their production of Small Things by Daniel Maclvor, with performances Nov. 14-16, and Nov. 21-23. The Argosy had the opportunity to view the production, and talk with Director Paul Griffin about his process in bringing this script to life on the Marshlight theatre stage.
As per the program, Small Things is described as “Three women. Three very different lives. One unexpected connection.” The show follows “retired teacher Patricia [who] hires the talkative Birdy as her housekeeper, they seem like the most unlikely pair. Between them stands Dell, Birdy’s daughter, navigating motherhood, her own uncertain future, and the delicate dance between these two women from different worlds” says the Marshlight program.
Griffin, an educator and director of Small Things. Griffin has experience in both physical theatre, a style of performance primarily focused on movement, and comedy del arte, an Italian style of theatre that uses character, improvisation, masks, and exaggerated comedy. Griffin describes “a large part about [the styles] is about rhythm and energy, and keeping things a certain way.”
Griffin, an educator, previous Mt.A Crake Fellow in Drama, and director of Small Things, discussed his experience finding this script, and why he chose it for the Marshlight stage.When asked what drew him to Maclvor’s Small Things, Griffins describes he “was looking for a comedy, a comedy with heart, and a comedy that wasn’t sort of predictable.” Griffin describes choosing scripts as the culmination of several processes, “the way I read scripts is, I read about seven or eight pages and if I’m not interested, I’ll put it aside.” Griffin says this does not necessarily mean it is not a strong script, but he understands not all scripts will “suit the company” or “be interesting to [a specific] audience,” says Griffin.
As a smaller play space, Marshlight Theatre offered both a creative outlet and challenge for Griffin. As the set designer for the production, Griffin creatively utilizes the small space to his advantage, dividing the space into two smaller sets, using lighting and curtains to articulate a change from one house to the next. “One of the nice things about building the set is that, especially in this space, I can go and build it over a number of days,” says Griffin. He describes this concept as “parallelism,” with an underlying representation of class and wealth, bleeding into the world of the play without being the focal point.
When working with the cast, it was important for Griffin to establish the conventions of the world of play, in order to change and break them. “It was really interesting to realize that what you thought the character was, the character was not,” says Griffin. He elaborates, describing the three women as “very genuine,” and felt these characters would resonate with Marshlight audiences. “There are people like [Birdy, Dell, and Patricia] that came to see that show, found it hilarious, and watched somebody learn to adjust without any fireworks, just slowly coming to terms,” says Griffin.
When talking about the casting, Griffin considers himself “really really lucky,” The cast. consisting of Allison Bernardi (Dell), Danielle McFarlane (Birdy), and Penny Mott (Patricia), understood “that this could be a good show, and they wanted to make sure it was a good show” according to Griffin. In collaboration with Griffin, the cast worked towards tackling Maclvor’s style and formatting, which “sets [the show] up for what you expect, and then twists it on its head” says Griffin. The show is separated into “21 [scenes], so audiences can get bored.” To combat this, they worked with lighting designs, staggered entrances, and creating new ways for actors to enter and exit.
With the show closing this past weekend, the Marshlight Theatre company is not slowing down! Next up, another Mt.A director takes on Late Company by Jordan Tannahill, directed by current Crake Fellow in Drama Jay Whitehead. Marshlight is currently accepting applicants for auditions, with the show set to open Feb.20, 21, and 22, and then again on Feb. 27, 28, and March 1.
For more information about the Marshlight Theatre and their upcoming season, check out their website: https://marshlight.ca/
You can also follow their instagram: @marshlight.ca