Tercentennial Tableaux Vivant Will Paint A Living Picture Of Newtown’s History

By Jan Howard

A tableaux vivant will highlight Newtown’s historic past as part of Newtown’s yearlong tercentennial celebration that begins in January.

The committee for the tableaux vivant planned for sometime in October 2005 consists of award-winning filmmaker Amber Edwards as producer/director; lighting designer Marilyn Rennagel as set/lighting designer; Patrick Brady, musical director of the Broadway show The Producers, as musical director; and Town Historian Dan Cruson as narrator and historical consultant.

Ms Edwards and Mr Cruson met this week to discuss aspects of the event. They have been studying art books to see how actors’ actions and poses could best be orchestrated so the tableau would take on the appearance of a living painting.

The committee, which has been meeting since March, has outlined each scene and determined estimates for the number of and type of actors needed, set and lighting elements, props, costumes, and special backstage and crew requirements. Mr Cruson had suggested ten interesting tales about Newtown, four of which will be featured in the tableaux vivant.

Community participation would be required, with residents taking an active part in various aspects of the production. “We need people of all ages,” Ms Edwards said.

“It could be a family involvement,” Mr Cruson said, with members of a family taking on various tasks in the production.

“Anyone interested in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should email me,” Ms Edwards said, at chezamber@charter.net. “The earlier you volunteer, the more certain you will get the thing you’re interested in.”

According to Ms Edwards, tableaux are an old-fashioned tradition in which actors are frozen in place, but a narrator moves across the stage explaining what characters are represented and the historical Newtown scene being reenacted. The narrator will be played in the spirit of “The Stage Manager” in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town.

Ms Edwards noted that the original inspiration for the tableaux vivant was the 1957 Meredith Wilson musical The Music Man and the tableaux vivant performed by the mayor’s wife, Eulalie McKechnie Shinn.

“Marilyn was over here one night, and we were listening to The Music Man and remembering the tableaux,” Ms Edwards said. Tableaux vivant were also depicted in Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth and George Eliot’s Daniel Deronda

“Tableaux are living paintings,” she said, noting the committee would be looking for suggestions from the actors of how their gestures and positioning of their bodies could best represent a painting.

During a Christmas party at her home, Ms Edwards said she and Ms Rennegel suggested to Mr Cruson that a tableau be considered as part of the tercentennial celebration. “He said ‘great’ — you’re the chairmen.”

Ms Edwards noted that the tableaux would serve as a reminder of how past generations created these entertainments for themselves.

The tableaux vivant will consist of five separate still life scenes, each lasting approximately five to seven minutes, including “Land for Sale — Cheap,” “You Say You Want a Revolution,” “The Moral Outlaw,” and “Mary Hawley — Our Benefactress” as well as a finale featuring all participants in the tableaux.

Individual tableau scenes would change with lighting, Ms Edwards said. Each tableau will be underscored with appropriate music, played by a small orchestra. Immediately before the curtain rises on each tableau, an appropriately costumed young woman will cross the stage carrying a placard with the title of the upcoming tableau.

The John Angel drawing of the purchase of Newtown from the Native Americans will be the inspiration for one of the tableaux.

An overture will precede the first tableau, and between each tableau, while sets, lights, scenery, and actors are being changed, there will be a series of vaudeville-style variety acts in front of the curtain.

It is envisioned that these acts, called olios, will consist of barbershop quartets, magicians, accordion and banjo players, singers, dancers, and other acts, such as spinning plates or musical glasses. The title of each act will be displayed on an easel in the corner of the stage. Some of the olios will relate directly to Newtown’s history.

Olio acts will be by audition only, probably in late June. “Nothing should be modern,” Ms Edwards said. “They have to be old-fashioned, and the more old-fashioned the better. I want to be just surprised when people say ‘this is what I do.’

 “I’m hoping we can do two shows that day,” she said. The production will take place at Edmond Town Hall, “which is ideal for it.

“We will be as theatrical and professional as we can,” Ms Edwards said.

Preparations for the tableaux vivant would begin next summer, Ms Edwards and Mr Cruson said.

“We want as many people doing something as possible,” Ms Edwards said. “We need people as actors, and costume and wig coordinators, and lighting and scenery crews.

“I’m thinking it would be like a big military operation, getting people off and on in an orderly fashion.”

One person would be responsible for each tableau.

There is something for everyone who wants to get involved in this production.

The first people needed would be costume and wig people, Ms Edwards said. “We also need scenery builders and painters.” Volunteers would also be needed for sets, makeup, hair, and props and seamstresses to work with the costume director.

“We need to get costumes and props in order,” Mr Cruson said, probably as early as the beginning of the year.

“We have no costume budget, so we will be looking to borrow,” Ms Edwards said. “We need four or five costume coordinators who will reach out to groups for costumes.”

“We need a huge number of volunteers,” Ms Edwards said. Stage managers and people to help with lighting are needed as well as someone to create a printed program. She said donations are needed for lighting equipment as well as a sponsor for the printed program.

Local musicians are also needed to play during the tableaux. “It will be a great opportunity to work with a real Broadway guy,” Ms Edwards said in reference to Mr Brady.

Mr Cruson noted that Revolutionary War reenactors could be involved in military scenes because they have the equipment and props that would be needed. “Connecticut 6th has a bunch of guys that could do the colonial part of it,” he said.

Ms Edwards said Tom Swetts, technical director of Newtown High’s theater department, has offered student assistance for the production. He has also offered to share scenery and “to paint some things for us,” she noted.

Tableaux attendees’ imagination would need to come into play as some of the tableau scenes unfold because, as Ms Edwards said, “You can’t recreate a colonial cabin in eight minutes.” Scenes would be flexible so they would not be the same shape, she noted.

Tickets for the tableaux vivant would be sold in advance with general seating on a first come, first served basis.

To volunteer for the tableaux vivant, email Ms Edwards at chezamber@charter.net