The curtains may have fallen on "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" at AU's Greenberg Theatre, but there is still a chance to see it once more. Director Gail Humphries Mardirosian is bringing the production back to the stage at the Russian State Academic Nikolov Theatre in Yaroslavl, Russia, this month.
In conjunction with Project ARTS: American-Russian Theatre Symposia, "They Shoot Horses" will be brought to life by 18 AU students at the Seventh International Theatre Festival. Project ARTS was established in the spring of 2004 as a collaboration between American University and the Volkov Theatre and affiliate school.
The project began when actors from the Volkov visited Greenberg to stage two classic Russian plays and a contemporary Czech production. Collaboration has been ongoing with the theatre ever since, including back and forth visits between Russia and AU.
Humphries Mardirosian, the chair of the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Performing Arts, visited Yaroslavl before she made her final decision on the production she would bring to the Volkov Theatre in the winter of 2006.
"I originally thought about taking 'The Crucible' there," she said.
However, because of the text-driven constraints of that play, she decided a musical would be more suited for dealing with the language barriers.
"The music and visuals of ['They Shoot Horses'] tell the story," Humphries Mardirosian said.
She immediately contacted Nagle Jackson, writer of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" The play had been adapted from the 1935 novel of the same name by Horace McCoy.
"I called the New Jersey information line and they found an 'N. Jackson,'" Humphries Mardirosian said with a laugh. "We talked and he loved the idea [of bringing it to Russia]."
The musical focuses on the dance marathons of the 1930s Great Depression era, where couples would compete for cash prizes and dance for hours and months at a time.
"The longest dance marathon, I believe, was nine months long," Humphries Mardirosian said.
One such dance marathon in Venice Beach, Calif., is the subject of this play, a dark look at the struggle for human survival. The couples in this competition face tough odds and lead a grueling dance floor existence.
"It speaks to the struggle of all people," she said. "When people are faced with extreme hardship, they will go to incredible lengths [to survive]."
Humphries Mardirosian, Jackson and musical director Robert Sprayberry began working hard on bringing the little-known production to the Greenberg stage. Casting for the production began in the spring, and the ensemble included a wide array of students, from Performing Arts students to Political Science majors.
"It's really a cross-section," Humphries Mardirosian said.
The students returned to school in the fall semester of 2006 a week early to begin preparing for the October Greenberg Theatre performance dates as well as the subsequent trip to Russia.
The rehearsal period was arduous, many of the cast and crew admit.
"It was a very fluid experience, because we were constantly changing things," said Ben Naramore, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. "It has consumed a lot of my time."
The rehearsal schedule intensified, but Humphries Mardirosian said she was never more pleased.
"This is an exemplary team. The talent and discipline extend into [those working with] lighting, sound and costume as well," she said.
As the final weekend of preparation for the Greenberg production approached, the cast and crew worked overtime.
"In one weekend, we were doing this for a total of 32 hours," said Katie Brobst, a sophomore in CAS.
The hours of preparation seemed to have paid off for the cast and crew, who feel that their two-week AU run was well-received.
"We worked really hard and I think that it showed," said Aubrie Fennecken, a junior in CAS.
The preparation for travel to Russia is now in its final stages. All of the speaking members of the cast, along with some members of the crew and Humphries Mardirosian, will leave for Russia on November 28, just after the Thanksgiving holiday.
While there, participating students will not only present the production of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" but will also take part in an acting workshop in conjunction with the Volkov Theatre and the affiliate school. Playwright Jackson will lead a symposium about the structure of the musical and talk about his play in the context of the American theatre.
Humphries Mardirosian's students are ready for the experience.
"I am looking forward to being completely immersed in Russian culture," Fennecken said. "It's an entirely different community of theatre."
Naramore seemed to voice the sentiments of many members of the group: "Russia is going to be incredible"
