While Urban Aphrodite may have recently changed its name to DreamWeaver, company co-founder Ann James promises they’ll be dipping into their bag of tricks when they kick off their theatrical season with a stage adaptation of Reservoir Dogs from November 11-20.
Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 cinematic breakthrough follows six professional criminals brought together for a heist. Despite not knowing each other’s real names, they must unravel the reasons why things have gone awry and which of them is responsible.
With past productions like Fight Club and Fast Times At Ridgemont High to her name, James promises the stage version will fully take advantage of its venue, The Market.
“We will be using all the levels and staircases in the space to reflect dominance and submissive moments,” she says.
“These guys have competing egos, so the different levels will illuminate who is in charge. The audience will be very active and involved because action will literally unfold around them like a huge tent.”
Shanghai stage veterans Mark Edwards (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Heroes) and Greg Carew (Glengarry Glen Ross, World Theater Masters: Athol Fulgard) join DreamWeaver staples Ryan Larsen (Fast Times), Mike Griffin (The 39 Steps), Eric Paci (The Princess Bride) and Liam McDermott (Psycho Beach Party) in the ensemble.
Making his on-stage debut is Johnathan Wilson. A self-confessed Tarantino super-fan, he jumped at the chance to play Mr. Brown, who was portrayed by the director in the film. He notes that Reservoir Dogs lends itself to the stage due to its ability to build a riveting story despite taking place in only two locations and not showing the actual heist.
“Everything that happens in between what takes place in those two locations is in the audience’s mind,” he raves.
“It’s not important what visually happens because all you need to know are how the characters feel about it. Tarantino tells a complete story with only the essential elements because he gets so much out of them through his dialogue.”
Although Reservoir Dogs’ script remains revered for introducing early Tarantino-speak – dialogue-heavy riffs on irreverent subjects like the French pronunciation of Big Mac and the true meaning of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ – the film is buoyed by its stellar cast featuring acclaimed actors like Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth and Michael Madsen.
“You have to be somewhat loyal to the source material, but the key is to use it as inspiration. From there, you can build a character and back story that is its own thing,” McDermott says.
Groundbreaking for inspiring the 1990s American indie film boom and for its on-screen violence (legendary horror director Wes Craven walked out early and unnerved by it during a film festival screening), Reservoir Dogs remains a crime classic.
Despite its numerous knock-offs, Carew credits its continued appeal to its characters.
“There’s that cliche of there being no honor among thieves, but Tarantino is playing with that,” he says. “The characters that are interesting emotionally are the ones with conviction – they believe in what they’re doing and have a sense of purpose."
Nov 11-13 and 17-20, 8pm showtime, RMB180-200. The Market, tickets.
Photos by Andre Hayes.
0 User Comments