Backstage drama feeds the comedy in ‘The Understudy'
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The company, which is also distinguished by its 'pay-what-you-can' policy for all performances (which keeps their productions accessible), mounts three productions each season, two in the fall and winter at the Boston Center for the Arts and one during the summer at Club Café.
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''The Understudy' is our fifth summer production here,' says Elias. 'It's a fun place with a great vibe, and the Club Café staff have been wonderful partners. The room encourages us to create a more immersive theater experience for our audiences.'
And while the Club Café space doesn't have the bells and whistles of traditional theaters (there's a limited lighting grid and no wing space), award-winning actor and director Paula Plum, who has worked with the company since their inaugural season, says Hub has a team that makes magic happen.
'Lighting designer Emily Bearce
has worked wonders with limited instruments, Justin Lahue has created evocative projections for the walls of the theater, and Peyton Tavares's set is very flexible,' she says.
''The Understudy' has a kind of 'Play That Goes Wrong' vibe,' says Elias, 'so our creative solutions to three set changes and exits and entrances through the audience add to the fun.'
The action takes place at an understudy rehearsal on the stage of the Broadway premiere of a newly discovered play by Franz Kafka. Jake (Cristhian Mancinas-García) is a B-list action film actor trying to boost his credibility with the Broadway gig. He shares the stage with the never-seen Bruce, a megastar who makes 10 times Jake's salary. Harry (Kevin Paquette), an actor struggling to find work, has been cast as Bruce's understudy, but also happens to have jilted the stage manager weeks before their wedding six years ago.
'I have been so excited by the on-stage chemistry between the two men,' Plum says. 'That's not always something you can predict, but Cristhian is very skilled at physical comedy and Kevin's reactions increase the humor.'
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As the characters work through the scenes in the absurdist Kafka play (which appears to be a cross between 'The Castle' and 'The Trial') the two build a begrudging friendship. This places even more pressure on Roxanne, who is trying to stay calm through the chaos created by a stoned board operator while navigating the emotional upheaval caused by Kevin's appearance and Jake's interest in her.
Rebeck's script doesn't shy away from drama with a capital D, and the absurdity of a life in the theater. Plum says that beneath the humor lies real insight into 'what it really means to deal with an acting career. There's a lot of heartbreak and disappointment,' she says. A speech where Harry claims he's not bitter 'exposes all the anxiety and neuroses of lots of actors.'
Navigating all the emotional extremes might seem to demand a firm directorial hand, but Plum says she follows her instincts, and Elias describes it as 'adjusting the barometer.'
'Really,' says Plum, 'when you have great actors, my role becomes making sure the technical aspects of the play work smoothly.'
As she looks ahead to more Hub seasons, Elias says three shows a year feels right, despite growing audience interest in Hub's work.
'In the early days, people would come to the show because they knew someone in it, 'she says. 'Now, more and more, I'm seeing repeat customers, people who came to one show and want to see what we are doing next. That's gratifying.'
That word-of-mouth success is something that anyone would be lucky to understudy.
THE UNDERSTUDY
Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston, at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave, Boston, July 19-Aug. 2. Tickets are pay-what-you-can. Audiences receive 20% off Club Café food bill.
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