On DirectorFest with Dan Rigazzi

This week, The Drama League presents DirectorFest 2007, the 24th annual presentation of one-act plays staged by the Fall Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project (Roger Danforth, Artistic Director). DirectorFest 2007 runs from Thursday, December 6 through Sunday, December 9, 2007 at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex in midtown Manhattan (312 West 36th Street). 

Performances are Thursday, December 6 at 8PM; Friday, December 7 at 8PM; Saturday, December 8 at 2PM & 8PM; and Sunday, December 9 at 3PM.

Since its inception in 1984, The Drama League Directors Project has gained an international reputation for nurturing a new generation of exceptional directors.  One of this year's featured productions is The 100 Most Beautiful Names of Todd, directed by Drama League Directing Fellow Dan Rigazzi.

In this sweet-spirited work by Julia Cho, a young woman tries to help her daughter hold on to the memory of her father. Director Dan Rigazzi received his MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University. His directing credits include productions at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, The 2003 New York Fringe Festival, The Provincetown Playhouse, the Berkshire Opera Company and the Light Opera of Oklahoma.

The following is Rigazzi' own personal take on this year's DirectorFest program, the Drama League Director's Project and The 100 Most Beautiful Names of Todd.

A ONE ACT PLAY, PLEASE... ANYBODY?

Quite honestly, one of the most difficult aspects of the Drama League Fellowship was finding a one act play I felt strongly about that was appropriate for DirectorFest. That sounds odd, given the sheer volume of short plays out in the world, nevertheless, finding that perfect piece feels like hunting a needle in a hay stack. 

First, are the simple limitations of the production: three or fewer actors, twenty to thirty minutes in length. Production values are relatively high, but small plays are necessary. No flying scenery or turntables in this one! The purpose of DirectorFest is to introduce a group of new directors to the theatre community. So, ideally, the play you select should tell the theatre community something about you—about your temperament, your taste, your aesthetic, and frankly, show the world what you're good at. Hmm. What is it I'm good at, exactly? Oh yeah, and I should REALLY like the play—love it, in fact.

I wanted to do a new(ish) play, to avoid comparisons to memorable productions of more famous one act plays. So that narrowed the field. I also wanted to discover a new author—new to me, at least. My copious and borderline obsessive script reading lead me very quickly to the catalogue at New Dramatists, where I could read synopses and breakdowns of every play by each of their members, past and present. As the writers at New Dramatists are some of the best in the American Theatre, this was a goldmine. I found a lot of great short plays and ultimately settled on one that was also recommended by a friend. Julia Cho's The 100 Most Beautiful Names of Todd was my ultimate selection. 

This remarkable little play met all of my needs. Its poetic structure calls out for an inventive and unusual staging scheme, yet the characters are richly drawn humanistic creations. The play is a deep exploration of life's biggest questions—what happens to us when we die? How could I manage if I lost a parent? A partner? Is there a God? If so, why does he/she allow bad things to happen to good people? It is also a comic piece about first love and how a mother and daughter navigate the teenage years. In short, it's a rich play for me, for the actors and for designers to all bite into. Professionally, it gave me the opportunity to work with two very talented teenage actors, a first for me. All told, it's turned out to be the perfect play. Who knew such a thing existed?

Photo: Director Dan Rigazzi