Greetings from the Barn!
Astonishingly, we’re now about to open “Hay Fever” by Noël Coward, our final show of the season. After highlighting different designers and apprentices, I thought it would be a fun change of pace to focus on two performers in our production. I’ve had the great pleasure of directing these two extraordinary actors — Connan Morrissey and Gabriella Joy Rodriguez — and want to share a fun interview I conducted while we were still in rehearsal. Be sure to check out their wonderful work onstage along with the rest of the talented cast. “Hay Fever” runs from Aug. 13 to 24.
Brendon Fox: Good evening! Thank you for joining me to chat about “Hay Fever.” Could you start by sharing who you’re playing in the production?
Connan Morrissey: I’m playing Judith Bliss—mother to Sorrel Bliss, who sits next to me. Judith is an unhappily retired British actress who is stuck in her country house with her family and is looking to find a way back to the London stage.
Gabriella Joy Rodriguez: I’m playing Sorrel Bliss, and I would describe her as someone who is passionate, determined and seeking to learn more about people outside of her family dynamic—someone who’s curious about life.
BF: So, what’s your experience been with Noël Coward in general and “Hay Fever” in particular?
CM: Well, funnily enough, this is my return to Peterborough Players after 30 years, and the last time I was here I had the privilege of doing three shows — one of which was “Hay Fever.” I played Sorrel, the daughter, at that time. It’s a delight to be back in the woods in New Hampshire and revisit the play again from Judith’s perspective. If you asked me anything about that production — I was telling Gabby today — I don’t remember a thing about it. So that’s really refreshing because I don’t have any preconceived ideas about it. But the thing about Coward is that it’s a perfect fit for an end-of-the-season production. It’s about a family in a country house in the woods who are effervescent, full of life and very creative in a way that the summertime in Peterborough seems to capture the magic of, right?
GJR: This is my first time working on a Coward play, and it has been exciting to be able to experience characters in a way that perhaps to some might seem larger than life. But when you really sit with it, the way that they speak to each other and the way that they love each other is something that a lot of us experience in our own lives and with our own family members. It’s been fun to explore family dynamics in a way that maybe other writers would tone down for the sake of being relatable. But this is one of the most relatable roles and shows that I’ve been a part of!
BF: What’s something that each of you find intriguing about both your character and the other woman’s character?
CM: Well, first of all, I’m not privileged enough to have a daughter, but as a mother with a child who is similar to Sorrel’s age, there’s that wonderful thing of being able to appreciate the person that they have become but also know that they must leave you, and that’s difficult at times. And that they are coming into their own. And the power of that. Several times in the play, Judith talks about how beautiful Sorrel is. And it’s true. You look at your children and you think, “Oh my God, you’re so beautiful. I cannot understand how something that’s so beautiful came from me, right?” And you appreciate the life that they have ahead of them. So that’s wonderful to watch. And the dynamic that you, Gabby, have with the character of Simon, your brother, is playful and very sibling-like. It’s delightful to watch them play like puppies on the stage. And in terms of my own character of Judith, I think she’s at a time in her life that is like mine in that she is approaching her third act. What do you do in the next third of your life to make it as vibrant and curious as the first two-thirds? So that’s something that I really appreciate that Judith is exploring.
BF: But since Judith is not currently acting in a play, part of a lot of the fun of “Hay Fever” is watching you pull people into your own drama in a really delightful way that can become a little blurry for an audience. Is she really hurt or excited by this person, or just acting hurt or excited for the adrenaline rush? Judith Bliss has an extraordinary ability to throw fairy dust around and bewitch people. Noël Coward is fascinated by charisma, and you both exhibit that quality in your characters.
GJR: I was going to say, I think that’s what strikes me the most. Just watching you (Connan) in the room, and I realize that some things I’m doing — I picked this up from my onstage mother. I’m assuming that Simon and I have seen all your shows in London. I see how you interact with different people (including fans). I’m taking notes of all of that, and I think “Well, if it works for her, then it must work for me because this is who I came from.” That’s been exciting — to try and find ways to mimic some of your physicality and the way that you speak, because I think that’s something that Sorrel does admire in her mother. I think something that has been shocking to me about the relationship is the things that they talk about, because I don’t know that most 19-year-olds are having these types of conversations with their mother about the men (or whomever) that they’re interested in. I think there is a lot of trust in this relationship. I think that’s a beautiful thing.
BF: I’m struck by the fact that this play is 100 years old, which is crazy. Just a few years older than Peterborough Players. Does it feel like something relevant, and something that is worth people coming to check out?
CM: Well, I adore Coward because of his facility with language and how thought is expressed vocally, rather than just physically. I think we have this idea of Coward—that his plays are dusty and British, and we don’t want to participate in that. But it’s very physical, very alive. These characters have impulses that they act upon with their bodies as well as vocally, which is really so much fun to watch. And it’s fast and furious. And yet at the same time, it’s very witty and precise, which I appreciate a lot.
GJR: I feel that although it’s 100 years old, it does a very good job at exposing raw human behavior and the extremes that people go to feel connection with each other or with themselves. That’s a message we can all relate to, no matter the language that’s being used. I love that.
BF: I want to touch on something that’s so important to the Players — the idea of repertory casting. Gabriella, this is your third show here this summer! You were lovely playing a pre-teen in our musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” You moved onto “Native Gardens,” a modern play where you told us a story in a nonverbal way while etching very specific characters. And now you end up going back in time to the 1920s. Can you speak a little bit to that? What is that like for you as a performer, having to pivot in that way?
GJR: I mean, it’s been one of the best challenges I’ve ever experienced, and as an artist it’s a dream to be able to dip my foot in so many different types of stories, different time periods, and to be able to do so with honesty and not having to feel like I’m putting anything on. None of the characters that I’ve played have felt like a struggle connecting to them. The challenge is more along the lines of “I’m in rehearsals for this right now, and then at night I have to tap into this other part of my brain and play this character.” It’s helped me grow and trust myself more — to trust that although these rehearsal processes are very short. It’s helped me grow and trust myself more — to trust that although these rehearsal processes are very short, I will retain everything and we’re all going to do a very good job.
BF: And I feel like our wonderful cast has gelled quickly in rehearsals — enjoying each other’s work and building on it.
CM: What has struck me is that though the Bliss family is a major focus of the story, it’s truly an ensemble piece.
BF: If you could give your elevator pitch of why folks should check out “Hay Fever,” what would it be?
CM: I think it’s a champagne glass full of delightful, fully drawn people who behave badly with one another in an amusing way but eventually fall in love with each other again.
GJR: That was so beautiful! OK, I’m going to give you three phrases. And that’s all I’ve got. It’s funny. It’s a little scandalous. And it’s got a lot of heart.
BF: I love that. Thank you both so much. It’s been such a privilege to collaborate on this with you and our entire cast. I can’t wait for Peterborough to come see these fun, fabulous people.
Brendon Fox is artistic director of the Peterborough Players.