SVP cast, crew piece together plans for show.
By: Minx McCloud
Editor’s note: This is the second in a planned three-part series on the Somerset Valley Players production of "The Homecoming." As one of the first community theater presentations of the original play ever staged, the theater group must work through the challenges that arise while crafting a production. In the first story, Director Debra Case Schulze was auditioning for her cast. Now, the crew must work out staging and set problems as the actors work on lines and moving about the stage.
The set is a medieval monastery from the Somerset Valley Players’ most recent play, "Incorruptible," but on this particular night (Nov. 4), Director Debra Case Schulze is conducting a rehearsal of "The Homecoming," the group’s holiday family show.
The actors recite their lines in a West Virginia drawl on the nearly empty stage making a strange and incongruous mix with the faux-castle walls that surround them.
It’s just another challenge to work around for the cast and crew of "The Homecoming."
The play was written by Christopher Sergel, based on a novella by Earl Hamner Jr. It was the predecessor of the popular television show, "The Waltons."
The production has proven to be a formidable undertaking, but Ms. Schulze remains in good spirits, excited to be directing a play she adores.
"I am very pleased so far," she said. "If everyone stays focused and ‘in the moment,’ this will be a great show."
On this particular night, the theater looks a bit shabby and, yes, perhaps even lonely with nobody in the audience. When the house lights go down on opening night and the stage is lit, there will be magic in the air.
The actors deliver their lines in rehearsal, still a bit hesitant and unfamiliar with the words. There are soft murmurs as the director and stage manager discuss various aspects of the play.
Many directors find it difficult to work with children, and this play has eight of them with main parts as the Spencer siblings. (Forget what you know about the Waltons; all the names in this play are different.)
"The children have been a joy," Ms. Schulze said. "There are the usual problems, such as kids peeking under and through the curtain or the window on the door. It’s difficult trying to stage eight kids, a mother, and grandparents so that all are seen and heard by the audience. ‘LOUDER, LOUDER, LOUDER’ is my new chant."
During the rehearsal, the children are excited and fidgeting. One young boy looks as if he will burst if he doesn’t get to say his lines soon. A girl keeps glancing at the nonexistent audience and Ms. Schulze warns all the children to stay "focused."
"You’re not in the element of what you’re doing," she tells them firmly. "I don’t want you looking out at the audience, jiggling, or moving around. I want the audience to see a family interacting with each other."
Earl Hamner Jr., creator of the Spencer family and narrator for "The Waltons" show had agreed to record narration for the Hillsborough production but in October, Ms. Schulze learned he suffered a small stroke and won’t be able to do it.
When he mentioned that actor Richard Thomas (John Boy Walton) was appearing on Broadway, Ms. Schulze phoned Mr. Thomas and he said he would try to fit it into his schedule.
She has not heard definitely if he will do it, and she hopes he will, but it will not be a disaster if he can’t she’ll need to find someone to record or perform the part, however.
During the rehearsal, there are so many things to work out.
A discussion ensues about "busy work" for the characters should Grandpa whittle, or perhaps slice an apple? What is Grandma doing in the kitchen? What is each child doing in any given scene?
Each character must look as if they’re at home, active
There are so many details and so little time.
A major part of every play is the setting, and as soon as "Incorruptible" ended its matinee on Nov. 6, the cast and crew of "The Homecoming" began to strike (take down) the set and put up their own. Indeed, before the matinee-goers even left the theater, the marquee for "The Homecoming" was posted outside.
That’s how short time is when you are staging a play every minute counts.
"The audience doesn’t know the work that goes into a production," says Eva Goodman, who plays Grandma Ida. "They see only the result and don’t know the work 90 people went through to produce a play."
The set has proven to be one of the major problems, Ms. Schulze said.
"Apparently set design is a lot like finances," she said. "It works great on paper, but when you’re working on an old stage that isn’t square to start with, everything goes to hell really fast."
She left work at 2 p.m. one day and went directly to the theater. She didn’t get home until 10:30 that night. Making major compromises was one of her big disappointments, even after two grueling days of set design.
She’s working on figuring out how to realistically simulate the West Virginia farmhouse on the Playhouse’s small stage.
In her first drafts, the front porch was leaving too little room for the living room area; she had to redesign it to accommodate the movements of as many as 11 characters at a time.
"That’s a lot of people to move around," Ms. Schulze said. "It’s just very difficult when you have put so much time, energy, blood and tears the tears were (that night) and in the end you have to settle for something less than you envisioned.
"The audience, however, will be very pleased," she added.
Though a bit frustrated with the set problems, Ms. Schulze takes it in stride.
"I’ve learned that you have to have a vision and go for your number one options," she explained. "If they are physically not possible because of the facility or the cast then you are forced to move on to your second option."
That’s the thing about plays you never know the amount of heartache that went into them until you work behind the scenes; or at least attend a rehearsal.
During this rehearsal, the actors were pantomiming because the props had not yet been picked up from "Anything But Costumes," the prop rental house in Flemington that has been meeting the needs of theater groups for several years.
This year, items needed include a stove, icebox, radio and Victrola, all circa 1930, and they cannot be picked up until Nov. 20, leaving little time to get used to them before the Dec. 3 opening.
A small crisis occurred when Jacob Mercer-Pontier, who plays Clay Boy, was picked at school to be a camp counselor for the outdoor education program and was going to be away for two days.
However, he decided that he had made a commitment to the show and decided not to accept.
"What a great kid," Ms. Schulze said. "So, I’m not the only one making compromises."
There are still many things to be done, including costumes, lighting and sound, and there are a number of dedicated workers toiling behind the scenes on everything from publicity to box office and ushering. Add to that the printing of programs and tickets, press releases and makeup, and you have the makings of a play. There is a tremendous amount of effort involved in even a small community production.
"Last I hear, we are 77 percent sold out for opening weekend," Ms. Schulze said. "That’s very good considering it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet."
Meanwhile, up on the stage, the eight children have just finished decorating the Christmas tree. They gather beneath it and begin their lines.
Suddenly, most of the ornaments, as if in cahoots with each other, rain down on the children, causing massive giggles and disruption. The rehearsal stops while everything is put back.
That’s just one example of the kinds of "blocking problems" the stage planning Ms. Schulze must deal with.
Another is discovered later when the curtain closes and the Christmas tree is in front of the curtain.
This family show, sponsored by Reading Ridge Pharmacy, will be presented 7 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 3-18. All tickets are $10. For reservations, call (908) 369-SHOW (7469) or log on at www.svptheatre.org. The theater is handicap-accessible.

