Interview: Megan Carmitchel, Michael Cusimano, and Frankie Errington Bring THE TURN OF THE SCREW to Chalk Circle Collective

Chalk Circle Collective is a new theatre company looking to bring a new approach to working on theatre with a collaborative and artists-first mission.  Megan Carmitchel, Michael Cusimano and Frankie Errington talk about launching this new endeavor with their production of THE TURN OF THE SCREW, playing through October 29th.

Megan Carmitchel, Michael Cusimano, and Frankie Errington decided to try something different in creating Chalk Circle Collective, approaching making theatre with a creative and collaborative focus. With the impact of the pandemic on theatre worldwide, finding a new way to approach live theatre, with as Frankie says an aim of “Maximizing artist's potential” this felt like the right time to launch this theatre company.

They even take their collaboration seriously in an interview, seamlessly following each other's sentences and weaving back and forth for an answer.  So in that spirit, I’m posting their answers so you read it that way, as a conversation and a collaboration all at the same time.

Michael: If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that live performance is so essential.  We’re seeing a lot of the big theatres across the country that use the traditional model of theatre are failing.   

Megan: We thought, why not try something different?  We have built our careers in this amazing San Diego theatre community, how can we contribute to it but still try something different?  Could we create a place for artists to go and launch their own careers to different levels that they may not have previously explored? 

Frankie: This production is our proof of concept- we need to see if we can create something from nothing. 

Michael: We wanted to focus on the word “new”- we need a new way, we need to start thinking differently about how to approach this very necessary art form.  New people, new works, new roles, new spaces, different skills.  

THE TURN OF THE SCREW is the classic gothic horror tale of an unnamed Governess portrayed by Carmitchel, who finds herself hired to look after children at a remote home in Essex.  Cusimano plays a variety of other characters, with direction by Errington. 

This play felt like the right choice to kick off their company because of the ways it would challenge all of them while also supporting the mission of their new organization. Where Megan and Michael have had very successful careers on the San Diego stages in musicals, a play like this felt like a new direction for them both.

Michael: Megan and I had a really successful collaboration earlier this year where we created a musical evening that was based on the synergy of our relationship, and after that, we knew we wanted to do something “non-musical theatre” that could build on that same dynamic.  It is something special and unique, two artists who speak each other's language.  Finding a two-hander straight play seemed like the best way to capitalize on that asset. 

Megan: Both roles are a natural fit for the two of us, but still extremely challenging.  And we found a way to challenge our musical skills in a way that we’ve never done before by creating our own soundscape in real-time.

 Frankie:  We found that this really fits into our mission- how can we craft the project based on the artist, versus plugging the artists into the play? 

This also means that rehearsals and their approach to the process were going to be extra important; not just to stretch their theatrical talents but to build and work in an empowered and safe space for artists to feel they can try things and make choices.

Frankie: The first two days were extremely challenging because we were creating our own language from the ground up.  I was nervous in a “how do I set this up for success for all of us” way.  And specifically for my two friends and fellow artists, how do we want to attack this?  Because what we’re doing is very different, there’s nothing really to look at as an example. 

Micheal: We’re building and creating a language with its own unique sonic vocabulary and storytelling elements that are being discovered. 

Megan: It’s scary because none of us know if it’s going to work.  It’s so much more vulnerable, it's so different stepping into the room and saying “Here is what we each have to offer, how do we use those skills and make something together?” 

Frankie:  Day 3 we started hitting a stride where we understood what each other was bringing and got into a flow of true collaborative creativity.  It feels really good.  What was cool about going back and reviewing what we had done was finding that there were so many things that worked. 

Allowing the chance for failure without fear is a vital component of the collaborative process, everyone has to feel safe to try something new without judgment.

Megan: It's ok to have drafts of the things that are wrong.   With that, comes the necessity of trust and reliance upon the people you’ve decided to work with. 

Frankie: Watching Megan and Michael work, they have a sense of rapport and language that is beautiful to watch because there is a certain element of trust. There’s nothing more satisfying for me than seeing people I love do really cool, great things.  I got to watch this entire week and see those moments happen over and over again. 

Megan: We try to adopt an attitude of “Ok, so we did that version of the thing wrong, but we will find the right way because we are more than capable.” 

Michael: It is painful when the thing doesn’t work, but allowing space for that by pushing through is the way to make a space that is safe. 

At the end of the day though, they each want the audience to walk away from the show discussing not just the Collective, but how this show and what they have created has made them think about and feel afterwards.

Frankie: We really want people to be questioning the reality of the story- are the ghosts real?  What really happened in the narrative to this woman?  Who was that man representing at any given time? 

Michael:  I also want them to be talking about how these nontraditional storytelling elements like the live soundscapes, looping, and experimental staging are related to the stories and the characters. 

Megan: And how it propelled the story forward. 

Michael:  I hope they go home saying “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play that looked and sounded quite like that.  That was totally unique.”  Because the elements that we’re combining are unlike anything I’ve done and anything I’ve seen onstage.  

Megan:  And I want them to feel creeped out

How To Get Tickets

THE TURN OF THE SCREW by Chalk Circle Collective is playing through October 29th.  For ticket and showtime information go to www.chalkcirclecollective.com
 

Photo Credit: Kay Marian McNellen

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