Another chance to work with the exceptionally talented
Michael Morris, former artistic director of London's
Old Vic. The last show we worked together on, "The
Weir," still stands as one of the most enjoyable,
communal, and artistically satisfying experiences
in the vast tundra of my limited experiences.
Proof is an amazing play. Economical, intriguing,
and hilarious. Michael called me for this show while
I was living in Boston, without a car or a portable
studio. Of course, I would have moved heaven and Earth
to do this show, but it turns out I didn't have to.
I had a web site.
When you have a web site, you have the ability to
put files (music, word docs, whatever) on virtually
any computer anywhere. Thus, the tech for this show,
was HIGH tech. Oh man, sorry for that last one...
I stayed at home in Boston, with a BAD FLU, and either
Michael, or John the sound designer would call if
there were any changes they needed. I would then hop
on my computer, compose it, refine it and upload it
to my site. They'd download it, confirm it worked,
and it would be in the show..
Opening night of this show turned out to be the first
time I got the chance to meet face-to-face, the folks
I'd worked with on this show.
As far as the music is concerned, Michael's idea
to use the music as the voice of the proof itself
is a composers dream. He asked me to work with fugal
textures. Math in the music. Counterpoint and such.
A lot of emotions to render in the music for this
play. The sense of loss, unstability, desire for recognition,
love, you name it. In many instances I wrote different
versions of a cue so Michael and the company would
have some choices to pull from.
I had a great time working on this show, and I still
have never been to a better opening night party!
Also, just in case it ever comes up in a crossword,
this show actually started at The George Street Playhouse
in workshop, before it moved to the Manhattan Theater
Club and then to Broadway and the West End. This production
opened two weeks after the Broadway production closed
as a welcoming home of sorts. Mr. Auburn couldn't
attend opening night because of a family emergency,
but from what I'm told, loved the production when
he saw it a week or so later.
