BWW Interviews: Director Wes Driver Talks Finding the Magic in Blackbird's MAGIC

Wes Driver directs a rare production of Magic - a play by early 20^th century intellectual G.K. Chesterton - for Blackbird Theatre (the Nashville theater troupe he founded over a year ago with Greg Greene), opening next Friday night, August 12, continuing through August 27, with performances at Shamblin Theatre on the David Lipscomb University campus.

"Chesterton was one of the most original, most penetrating thinkers of the 20^th century, and this play captures his thought and joyous spirit so perfectly. It's funny and romantic, but dark and mysterious, too. And it features that sort of drama the Edwardians did so well and we at Blackbird relish-passionate debate about big ideas," Driver explains.

Though largely unknown to most people today, was one of the towering intellectuals of the early twentieth century. He was a renowned journalist, acclaimed debater, and perhaps most famously an influential defender of the Christian faith whose humor and profound prose were a great inspiration to many of the last century's most esteemed writers, including J.R.R. Tolkien, T.S. Eliot, John Updike, Neil Gaiman, and C.S. Lewis.

Driver describes Magic as "a funny, fiercely dramatic, unabashedly romantic play that involves an aristocratic family whose conflicting beliefs and doubts about the supernatural are all challenged by the arrival of a mysterious conjurer."

With just over a week to go until opening night, Driver talked with us about the rehearsal process, offering some insight for potential audience members about what to expect and discussed how Magic speaks to contemporary theater-goers.

How are rehearsals going? Is the production coming together as you'd hoped? Rehearsals are going frighteningly well. Even with the cast in their street clothes, rehearsing in a community room at an apartment complex, we've already been able to establish a haunting atmosphere and some strong character dynamics. When you produce a new or unknown work like Magic, there's always that fear that you'll be in the middle of rehearsals before discovering the play's really not that good. But that hasn't been the case at all. We keep discovering new layers, and with each rehearsal, it gets richer and richer. I'm so grateful the actors took a chance on us and this fascinating play. I think audiences will leave the show feeling the way I do-why aren't other theaters producing this brilliant little piece?

What's the theme of Magic? Well, as is typical with Chesterton, the themes are deep, getting to the very core of our hopes and fears as human beings. A Conjurer appears at the estate of a Duke and treats the guests-a businessman, a doctor, a priest-to tricks that challenge their conflicting beliefs (and lack of beliefs) about the nature (and supernature) of the world. But make no mistake: this play was written by one of history's great wits. So it's clever and funny, too. It explores science and religion and romance and all the other wonderful and crazy things we believe in.

This isn't necessarily a contemporary show, so how does it relate to what's going on in the world now? How does the show speak to you personally? I think the cast and crew of Magic have been surprised and impressed with just how timely the play is. It satirizes physicians, politicians, clergy, and capitalists in a way that proves things really haven't changed in a hundred years. The heart of the story deals with characters very close-minded in their beliefs and systems of thought, and there's certainly no shortage of extreme fundamentalists in today's world (on both sides of the spectrum). So I think it's quite relevant to see what happens when those that are most absolute have their faith (or their doubts) shaken. As Hamlet's line goes, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." That line has always spoken to me, and its sentiment is at the very heart of this play.

Has anything particularly funny (either ha-ha or strange) happened during the run-up to the show's opening night? Most of the "ha ha" moments have been provided by Chris Bosen, who has been consistently amusing and surprising with his portrayal of the oddball Duke. But we're trying to keep any "funny strange" things from happening. This is a show that delves into the supernatural, and being superstitious theater folk, we don't want to upset any malicious spirits ourselves.

How does Magic fit the stated mission of Blackbird Theater? First of all, we want to do shows we ourselves most want to see, and being such a big fan of Chesterton, this was a natural fit. We also try to do shows no one else is doing, and only one other theater company that we know of has produced this play in the states within the past fifty years. But, most important really, Magic is a play of intellectual weight and spiritual wonder and it features the sort of drama the Edwardians did so well and we at Blackbird relish-passionate debate about big ideas.

Blackbird's production of Magic stars David Compton as the Conjurer and Amanda Card McCoy as Patricia, both of whom have entertained audiences on a number of Nashville stages, including performances with Tennessee Repertory Theatre and Nashville Children's Theatre. Both Compton and McCoy were among stars of Blackbird's inaugural season production of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. The play also features notables Alan Lee, Daniel Hackman, Zack McCann, Chris Bosen and Robyn Berg.

For further information about Blackbird, visit the company's website at www.BlackbirdNashville.com.

 

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