The Revolutionists- meet stage manager Nick Friedlander!

What made you want to be a part of this show? First, I absolutely *love* our director, Jennifer Lyman.
I’ve now produced and stage managed with her, and know that the quality of her productions is always top tier. When she asked me to stage manage, I couldn’t say no! Second, I am thrilled to be “teching” a show with an entirely female cast. I can’t think of many shows that have four strongly written and multidimensional female characters that drive the entire story forward, so I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to help bring this story to life!

Doing a play during the Pandemic is challenging. How has this experience been different than other shows you have worked on? I think the hardest part is not being able to be in person to rehearse together. We can get a lot of the theater “logistics” done over Zoom - we can block, talk about tech, get direction, etc. - but we can’t feel the energy in the room, make quick jokes, or go for happy hour after a rehearsal to bond as a team. I’m a big “feed off the energy of the room” kind of guy, and a Zoom room just isn’t the same.

Have you done any other theater during the Pandemic? I’ve done more theater than I thought I would have in the last few months! I produced Love Letters this past September at LTA as one of the first shows in their “Small Theatre for Unusual Times” line-up, and most recently ran projections for our yearly production of A Christmas Carol. Additionally, I took a step out of the tech world to be a voice actor on a podcast called Between Acts (run by Missing Link) - if you’re looking for some theater podcasts to fill your time, they have a lot of fun 20-30 minute one act shows for you to listen to!

What do you want the audience to walk away thinking about after the show? I want them to think about how important and influential the women in the French Revolution were. We know about Marie Antionette from our history classes, but outside of that, she is the only woman most people associate with the revolution. Meanwhile, the other women in this show had very key and influential roles during the revolutionary era, especially Marianne Angelle as a compilation of women from Saint Domingue and the sacrifices they made during this time period. I think it’s a fun, non-biographical take on a piece of history not many Americans are familiar with!

What surprised you about the real characters depicted in The Revolutionists? I was genuinely surprised at the depiction of Marie Antionette in this show. As I said in my earlier response, I really only know Marie Antoinette as the woman who says “let them eat cake” (and as a Google search just told me, it’s only attributed to her!), but it is truly a pleasure to see this author’s take on what is going through Marie’s head day by day as she handles a country that is falling into a tumultuous state and anger against the monarchs.

What made you get involved in theater? How did you get involved with LTA? I got my start in tech theater during my college years as a lighting designer for a whole bunch of dance groups. When I moved to Virginia from New Jersey, I was in need of friends, and figured that theater would be an easy way to bond with people - and I was right! I lived about a mile south of LTA, emailed Tina (shout out to you boo!) telling her about my experiences, and she got me plugged in fast. I started as an Assistant Stage Manager for Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike in 2017, and then ran the gamut of roles - from props designer and lighting tech to producing and stage managing. I think the only ones I haven’t done are make-up, hair and set designing at this point…

What advice would you give others who are interested in working in theater? If you see a show you like, look up the theater’s information after the show and how to get involved. Most of the time, especially in the community theater space, we are always looking for people to help on the tech side and making the show come together! The best thing to do is show up for something low commitment, see if it’s the right fit of people and skills for you, and go from there - and if you don’t have the skills, trust me, we will teach you if you are willing to learn!

 

Nick Friedlander is the co-stage manager in LTA's production of The Revolutionists. This irreverent comedy will be on stage February 27-March 20, 2021. Ticket sales will open up soon, check the website for updates!