february 16.2001 »
*
Ever the dreamers
Two Portland gay men bring
a stunning play to life
by
A ndy S imon
ohn Logan’s script for
Never the Sinner insists
only that all the actors
remain visible to the
audience at all times. Other
than that, it calls vaguely for
an open and fluid staging.
Logan leaves the rest of the
envisioning to the director.
Jon Kretzu, director of
Artists Repertory Theatre’s
production of Never the Sin­
ner, worked long and hard at
it. Once he had a vision of
how he would bring the play to life, he turned
to scenic designer Tim Stapleton to build that
vision out of material stuff, out of wood and
paint and found objects.
The process of envisioning took Kretzu
more than two years, from the time he read
The Joseph Cornell-inspired set for N ever the Sinner; (insets) built-in
the manuscript until the Portland production
boxes contain evidence
opened. During these years, he studied the
1924 Leopold and Loeb murder trial, read nov­
form for the main action, but I turned it so it
Leight. Like their cur­
els about it, watched films about it and listened
pointed out into the audience. I also raised it
rent project, this play is
and added the stairs at each comer, which it
a period piece in which
to the music of the era. As he imagined how
the play would look, he realized he faced some
made it even more gallowslike.”
jazz is prominent.
tough challenges.
Stapleton was fortunate to find used plank­
Kretzu says he’s
ing for the platform. Its heavy, rough-hewn
really excited about
“The script is very cinematic,” he says. “It
look makes it seem solid but not smoothly fin­
the play. Never the Sin­
reads like a screenplay.”
ner is set in the begin­
ished. The roughness of the construction is
Kretzu realized he would have to develop
ning of the Jazz Age;
Jon Kretzu
used to great effect when, at one dramatic
the clarity of the image of every scene. Each
point in the play, the scene is lighted from
Side Man is about the
scene would have to be pared down visually so
beneath the platform, creating a powerful, hell­ end of the era. As Kretzu describes it, the dis­
the audience’s attention would zoom in on the
ish effect. Kretzu wisely uses the effect sparing­
integration of a family parallels the coming
action like a close-up lens.
apart of the jazz scene.
ly, which adds to its power.
He came to think of the flow from one
After Side Man ? Neither director nor
Another example of close collaboration:
scene to another, with no curtain and no black­
Kretzu gave Stapleton a list of evidence items
designer mentions future productions he has
outs, as a kind of editing right on stage. The
that would be mentioned in the trial. He want­ committed to, but Kretzu says he usually has
light, the sound and the set itself were so much
about six plays in his head in various stages of
ed the objects to be visible as part of the set.
a part of telling the story that he came to think
planning.
Stapleton recently had seen some artwork
of them as additional characters in the play.
When asked if being a gay man influences
by
Joseph
Cornell
consisting
of
assemblages
Fortunately, Kretzu didn’t have to do it all
his choice of material to direct, Kretzu says it
displayed in small boxes. He realized that
himself. Theater is always a collaborative
doesn’t in any direct way. “I find that any artist
building a back wall for the set broken by Cor­
undertaking, and he and Stapleton have a long
who does their work filters everything through
nell-like
boxes
would
be
the
perfect
way
to
put
and extremely successful history of working
their experience, so it’s filtered through who I
the evidence in front of the audience. The
together: Bent, As You Like It, Breaking the
am,” he says, then explains with a chuckle that
back wall becomes a kind of installation and
Code, Master Class, Lady Windemere’s Fan — the
he has a broader view of life “having slept with
invites
the
audience
to
look
more
closely
at
the
list of plays they’ve done, for Artists Repertory
both persuasions.”
assemblages.
Theatre and for other companies, goes on and
That a play he’s directing has gay charac­
Kretzu and Stapleton plan to continue to
on.
ters
doesn’t get him more excited, he says.
work
together.
In
fact,
Artists
Repertory
The­
They work so closely together their ideas
“I’m after the core of the piece and how it
atre will bring them together for the company’s
intertwine. “For instance,” Stapleton says, “it
can affect an audience.’ *
last play of the season, Side Man by Warren
was Jon’s idea to build a rough wooden plat­
J
in
The Fifth Annual Pool
Sat. Feb. 17th 7pm
$ IO O
1st Place
Everyone
Welcome!
P D X 251 2 “N E ” Broadway
Full lottery/ATM
(503) 287-42 I 0
www.inotherwords.oro
b row se for
Gû U books anytim e
A rtists R epertory T heater ’ s splendid —
and very affecting— production of Never the
Sinner continues Tuesdays to Sundays through
Feb. 25. Side Man will open May 20 and run
through July I . For ticket information call
503-241 -1278.
A ndy S imon is a teacher and theater lover
who lives in Southeast Portland.
C orn er o f Sandy Blvd. & N E 64th
3 1 0 6 N E 6 4th
P o rtla n d , O R 9 7 2 1 3
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