Sam Mendes At The Donmar - Stepping Into Freedom
BOOK REVIEW
BY DOROTHY SINCLAIR
"Sam Mendes at the Donmar - Stepping Into Freedom" by Matt Wolf.
Limelight Editions. $22.50
A chronicle
of the amazing London Production Company known simply as the Donmar reads
like a "Who's Who" of the modern theatre world. Rather than
merely opting to track a decade of exciting achievement, Matt Wolf has
chosen to offer us a glimpse into the inner workings of this unique performing
group, and of the Artistic Director who is almost solely responsible for
its existence and its success.
In late 1989 Sam Mendes wandered by a boarded up warehouse, an abandoned
theatre in a state of disrepair. This former home of the studio theatre
of the Royal Shakespeare Company sported a sign reading simply, "Closed
Until Further Notice." At the time, Mendes was awaiting reviews of
his production of The Cherry Orchard and was a nervous wreck, yet there
was something so compelling about the space that the fresh young director
decided to make inquiries. "It was a vibe thing," he says, "where
it is, the shape of the auditorium the atmosphere when you walk in. It
felt happening, and it still does." A scant three years later Mendes
was not only heading a company, but about to open his first production
in that same building: the European premiere of Stephen Sondheim's musical
Assassins. Throughout its life span, the physical structure itself continues
to be a major player. High ceilinged, with a three-sided stage, it seats
a mere 250 - intimate but rarely intimidating. The audience can see not
only the actors, but one another as well. Actors accustomed to close-
up camera work find it simple to adapt to what they view as a cinematic
space. while those used to a larger theatre find it a welcome respite.
The space has proven to work as well for large-scaled musicals as for
two-character dramas.
The first defining decision in what was later considered to be a stroke
of genius, was to open with a musical by the brilliant, versatile Stephen
Sondheim, who was to emerge over the Mendes decade as "the Donmar's
de facto house dramatist." Sondheim has said of his work that he
has "always seen them as music theatre rather than musicals."
As such, they work brilliantly in the space, with Mendes the perfect director
to bring them to fruition. In addition to Assassins (a European premiere),
Mendes brought in Company, Into the Woods, and the first sustained London
run of Merrily We Roll Along, The director concludes that Sondheim is
"just brilliantly suited to the space."
Cabaret, which was eventually to make a superstar both in America and
abroad of Alan Cumming, proved the next major defining decision. Mendes
came to realize that revivals need not necessarily be rehashes of old
successes, nor do they require a specific time lapse from the original.
A revival could be as recent as a year after the original (or even the
successful film version). A revival need not imitate nor blatantly attempt
to "one-upsman" the original - it merely needs a fresh approach
to already established, worthwhile material. It was no mean feat to top
the original Broadway production of Cabaret, which had catapulted Joel
Grey to heretofore unprecedented heights and Liza Minelli to an award-winning
movie star, yet Mendes managed such a fresh and original take on the play
that it not only toured America after its Broadway run, but sold out nearly
every performance. From a personal point of view, this critic can attest
to a penchant for avoiding revivals whenever the memory of the original
is fresh in mind. Disappointment is generally in store. One major exception
was catching a touring company matinee of Mendes' incomparable Cabaret
one Sunday in Denver. Here was a fresh and immediate approach to the material
which at the same time lost none of its original intent or luster!
Mendes was fortunate to surround himself with a professional and caring
staff which included executive producer Caro Newling and casting director
Anne McNulty. After a few forays into original works, the group discovered
that Donmar's audiences responded better to plays with a track record,
be they Shakespeare, Sondheim, Stoppard, Mamet or Tennessee. As a result,
a truly eclectic body of work emerged. Decisions on what to do next depended
often on a gut reaction, rather than a practical choice. Caro Newling's
attitude all along was "if that is the project you want to do, then
do it." Directorial passion always won out, frequently resulting
in what appeared to be unorthodox choices.
The theatre survived on meager government subsidies, subscriptions, and
later, on first-look deals from Broadway producers. And it seemed that,
despite the fact that they were able to pay "fuck-all" (to quote
actress Helen Mirren), virtually everybody wanted to work at the Donmar!
In exchange for what is known in America as Equity Scale, actors repeatedly
turned down more lucrative work for the opportunity to experience this
environment (which included only two dressing rooms backstage, shared
by the entire cast). Here are some impressive testimonials:
"At the Donmar, you get a real sense of the company...there is no
star, no major glorious leading player. You get this group...who are going
to do the show for an audience in front and on two sides, and you can't
really hide. (Adrian Lester)
"I actually think it's a deceptive space in that it's bigger than
you think; when watching as an audience member, you think you couldn't
get any closer if you tried, but being on stage it's a much bigger space
than you think it is." (Jenny Galloway)
"It's just so fantastic to be able to do theatre...and have the audience
right up against you; I love it...At the same time, the Donmar doesn't
feel like a little theatre." (Alan Cumming)
"It feels like you're performing in a living room - and you can think
your stuff out there; you sense the personality of an audience very quickly
there." (Colin Firth)
"The Donmar is almost like an informal space: it's not intimidating
at all, and it's certainly not sophisticated backstage. But ...the experience
is upbeat. There's no trickery there, just artistry." (Blenda Blethyn)
"The Donmar just has a magic to it; I'm not quite sure why."
(Iain Glen)
The defining, or should I say "re-defining" moment for the Donmar
came in 1998 with Mendes' presentation of David Hare's adaptation of Schnitzler's
La Ronde, The Blue Room. The decision to go with an Australian/American
movie star, with precious little stage experience, in the lead role enlarged
the theatre's reputation to the degree that their fortunes can be discussed
in terms of pre-and post Blue Room. Kidman, her marriage to Tom Cruise
still intact, was in London for the filming of Stanley Kubrick's last
film, Eyes Wide Shut. The choice was somewhat risky: the actress had little
stage experience, but more important, casting a beautiful star of this
magnitude posed problems hitherto unheard of at the formerly abandoned
site. Tight security had to be enforced, for one thing, dealing with Hollywood's
largest theatrical and public relations agencies for another. Would she
succeed in the role for which more seasoned actresses were passed over?
Would this be considered a mere publicity stunt? (Anathema to the Donmar!)
Insecure at the start of rehearsals, the actress plunged wholeheartedly
into the work of this demanding role in a 2-character play, eventually
wining awards both in England and America (where it had transferred to
Broadway). Quite simply, Nicole Kidman feels the experience "changed
my life." Partially because of the nudity required by both Kidman
and her co-star Iain Glen, the show racked up the largest advance sale
ever, playing to well over capacity houses during its entire run. Ticket
scalping became the order of the day.
In 2002, the Donmar repeated the experience with the casting of Oscar-winning
actress Gwyneth Paltrow in Proof, a vehicle that proved nearly as successful,
if not quite so sensational, as The Blue Room.
Wolf is thorough in his documentation of the Donmar's failures as well
as its more substantial achievements. This is a company of risk-takers
and as such, one of its stars points out, "the Donmar is a very creative
place and a very safe place to fail."
Ten years seemed to Mendes an appropriate time to hand over the reigns
to his successor, Michael Grandage. He had already picked up his Oscar
for the innovative movie, American Beauty, starring former stage actors
Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning, and had directed Tom Hanks in Road to
Perdition. It was time to move on. But not until he had fulfilled his
promise to mount an Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night. Time to pursue other
opportunities on stage and screen, and who knows where else?
If fault is to be found at all in Wolf's demanding work, it is that we
would have liked to have gotten under the skin of Sam Mendes - to know
him on an a more intimate level. Apparently the actress Kate Winslet did
just that, for she agreed to become his wife. And we would have opted
for a few less details of Nicole Kidman's extravagant pashmina gifts to
her cast and crew in exchange for a few insights as to just what makes
Mendes tick. Minor flaws in a work so filled with an outpouring of so
many facts and so much love.
Dorothy Sinclair
Los Angeles, June 30, 2004