Interview: 6 Questions & A Plug with DON QUIXOTE's Jason Ballweber

The Guthrie Theater's Dowling Studio welcomes local company Four Humors this spring with a world premiere production of a new interpretation of a story practically as old as time, the tale of THE INGENIOUS GENTLEMAN DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA. Four Humors has been producing theater since 2005, focusing largely on newly devised work created by the company. This is no exception.

Artistic Director Jason Ballweber stated, "Four Humors has been talking about adapting DON QUIXOTE for eight years. We have been drawn to it for a number of reasons-one being the two main characters are fools. I'm drawn to characters that live life with their hearts, not their brains. Second, there is a huge element of meta-theatricality in the novel, where the author inserted himself into the telling and insists that he is telling a history. We love that kind of game with an audience, and inviting them to play along with us is a big part of the stories we tell."

In this 6 Questions & a Plug, I wanted to learn more about this production from Ballweber himself, who directs and was one of the writing team members. Read this then don't delay - the show runs only through May 22, so get your seats and head up to the 9th floor post haste.

For readers who, like me, have never seen your work before, can you describe your approach to theatre? Is it more physical or verbal or some combination of the two?

We approach theater with a full sense of playfulness. We look for the joy and the fun in the story we are telling so that we can bring that feeling into the audience. We are definitely both verbal and physical. We spend a lot of time on the words and what they do to the world and then we spend just as long finding the characters and the outward physicalization that brings the story out.

Do you write the show in its entirety, or is your work something that happens organically with your cast and team as you rehearse?

For the production we had a small team of 5 write the first draft and then Nick Ryan did a rewrite to give the piece one voice. After that it moved into the rehearsal room where the actors found the characters and helped shape the words even more.

Is it intimidating at all to take a story such as Don Quixote, which is regarded as one of the greatest works of fiction of all time, and write your own show based on it? Do you feel responsibility to the original text and/or do you use the theme/ideas and run with them?

I would say daunting more than intimidating. We were excited to take apart the novel and figure out how to make it into a cohesive hour and a half long show. We definitely feel a responsibility to the text. We love the novel and we hope that after seeing our show people will want to read it or reread it. We tried very hard to bring out the elements that make this novel unique, like Cervantes being a character.

I'm more familiar with the musical telling, THE MAN OF LA MANCHA, which is, while humorous, more moving and emotional a piece. What feeling will audiences leave your show with?

We always hope that our audience leaves our shows with their heads up with a smile on their face and talking to the person next to them. In the best of worlds that person was a stranger before that night.

What is it like doing your show in the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie Theater? Do you feel that performing there is changing your show at all or leading you to anything new?

It is a very welcoming environment. The people who work in the studio are willing in so many ways to help the show become the best it can be. The show become much more of a collaboration with them than what I originally thought it would be.

With more than 80 professional companies in the area now, tell BroadwayWorld.com readers how is Four Humors different than other theatres in Minneapolis/St. Paul -- what makes you stand out among the crowd?

We are the only company I know of that create original theatrical comedies. We don't do sketch shows and improv, we create new plays with an emphasis on imagination, playfulness, and fun.

Now, for a plug -- what will Four Humors do next after DON QUIXOTE?

Four Humors will be performing at the Twin Cities Horror Festival 5 with a show called Ubu for President. That is the working title. We will be exploring the world of U.S. politics through the lens of the Ubu plays and it will be performed days before the election.

More information:

The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha continues through May 22, 2016, in the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie Theater. Single tickets start at $22 ($15 for the preview performance) and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

Post-play discussions:

• Tuesday, May 17 following the matinee performance
• Thursday, May 19 following the evening performance
• Friday, May 20 following the evening performance

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