Cast
in order of appearance
Photographer, Rob Snyder
Evan Wyler, Brian Centers
Amber, Lisa Machak
Alexa Vere de Vere, Liz Steele
Waitress, Carolyn Redding
Ronald, Rob Pold
Swen, Rob Snyder
Skunk, Rob Pold
Backup Singer, Carolyn Redding
Second Backup Singer, Lisa Machak
Carla, Carolyn Redding
Newstand Woman, Carolyn Redding
Secretary, Lisa Machak
Royalton Clerk, Rob Snyder
Denise, Carolyn Redding
Morris Kaden, Rob Snyder
Illya Mannon, Carolyn Redding
Bethany Vance, Lisa Machak
Mike Stabinsky, Rob Pold
Ginny Cameron, Lisa Machak
A Muse, Carolyn Redding
A Second Muse, Lisa Machak
Director’s Note
"I want a place to go and paint. To be left alone
for a while. And when I'm done painting, I want to get together
with some friends, have a beer,and talk about stuff. And we'll commiserate
if my painting went poorly. And celebrate if my painting went well.
That's what I want." --Mike, Act Two, As Bees in Honey Drown
When I meet people who want to be artists, I am moved to discover
their motives. Replies fall into two main camps that I describe
as the need to explore the self and the need to expand the self.
Those who are interested in exploring the self believe, as T.S.
Eliot said, that "We shall not cease from exploration and the
end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and
know the place for the first time." People who take this journey
go about it with the sincere, simple wish to learn more about themselves
and life in general; they find that the journey is its own reward.
It doesn't matter if the work of art created out of the journey
sells well, or if the art (or artist) is well received. If the artist
has truly discovered something worth sharing by honestly digging
into life, then satisfaction follows. Mike, in the quote above,
seems to be of this breed, and so am I. Although I make my daily
bread and mortgage payments in theatre, I would still have to create,
even without a salary. The love of finding a new
truth each time I do a show--learning from the actors, designers,
and play--is motivation enough to spend tremendous effort exploring
the show until we get it just right. As a result, I'm almost always
depressed the day a show opens; my exploration has come to an end.
From then on, the play is a dialogue between audience and actors.
Those who spend their time counting the cost of such a journey can
never gain the full measure of joy from it. "It's too hard,"
they will say. "It takes too much time to practice/learn/execute
the art. The tangible rewards are few." Alexa would agree.
She implores Evan to settle for "fame without achievement."
Fortunately, there are many people at the Theatre of Western Springs
who, like me, love the journey and find reward in exploring our
art. They have to, since almost none of them are paid, and all of
them engage in work that is less than celebrity-making--working
backstage or in other areas that don't get much attention. Some
artists seek tangible rewards foremost and go through the motions
of art to get them. They want fortune and fame, and put their efforts
into attracting money and attention (or applause) rather than cultivating
art. These are the people who hope to expand the self. They want
to enlarge themselves with popularity and status. They are prime
targets for the deadly sin of pride, and thus, for the likes of
Alexa Vere de Vere. They will, as Morris Kaden says in the second
act, give away themselves to pursue the very idea of celebrity.
Many will find that success is unobtainable, or fleeting, a treasure
that isn't given for long. It's easy to lose the favor of the audience,
and if that's your measure of self--what do you have left? The great
acting teacher Constantin Stanislavski implored his students to
love the art in themselves, not themselves in the art. In other
words, he wanted them to enjoy the work of the craft rather than
their picture in the paper, to enjoy learning their lines and other
menial tasks, rather than seeking recognition. This is a difficult,
but important, lesson. And while As Bees in Honey Drown is a comedy
of fame and a revenge tale too (wait until you see the second half--it's
a different world), it is also the story of a young artist learning
how to set his values and to be true to himself.
About
the Play
As Bees in Honey Drown was developed over several years in a
number of readings at the playwright's artistic home, The Drama
Dept. in New York. Portland Stage gave the script a staged reading,
and it was further workshopped at the Sundance Playwrights Festival.
The play's first full production opened on June 19, 1997 at the
Drama Dept. That production transferred to the Lucille Lortel
Theatre on Broadway less than a month later.
The Outer Critics Circle awarded As Bees in Honey Drown its John
Glasser Playrighting Award; the Drama Desk committee nominated the
script for its Best Play award. As Bees in Honey Drown had its
Chicago-area premiere in March of 2000 at the Northlight Theatre in
Skokie. A film version of As Bees in Honey Drown has been in the
works for several years; Richard LaGravanese (director of Living Out
Loud, screenwriter of Erin Brockovich and The Fisher King) is the
current director attached to the project. He's said to be rewriting
Douglas Carter Beane's own adaptation. Dozens of Hollywood
superstars have been rumored to be competing for the part of Alexa;
most often mentioned are Madonna, Julia Roberts, and Nicole Kidman.
As Bees in Honey Drown is dedicated to the playwright's mother. This
is the first of Douglas Carter Beane's plays to be presented at
Theatre of Western Springs.
About
the Author
Hollywood made Douglas Carter Beane something of a celebrity one
night in 1993. When he received the news that Steven Spielberg's
Amblin Entertainment had won a bidding war against Disney for the
right to produce his original screenplay, To Wong Foo, Thanks for
Everything, Julie Newmar, Beane was a struggling playwright earning
his living as a babysitter for friends. Overnight, Beane acquired
fame, financial security, and artistic control. Prior to hitting it
big in Hollywood, Beane enjoyed a number of more moderate successes.
As a participant in ASCAP's Musical Theatre Workshop, he wrote White
Lies, a revue inspired by The National Enquirer (1991). Beane's
first full-length play was Advice from a Caterpillar, staged on
Broadway in 1991, starring Ally Sheedy. (The 1998 movie features
Cynthia Nixon and Andy Dick). Beane's second play was The Country
Club, mounted by the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut in
1997. After Wong Foo became a hit in 1995 (starring Wesley Snipes,
Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo--all as drag queens), Beane used
his success to found The Drama Dept., a Manhattan ensemble; he
serves as the company's artistic director. The first original script
produced by The Drama Dept. was As Bees in Honey Drown.
Beane's latest play, Music From a Sparkling Planet, debuted at The
Drama Dept. this summer. The comedy concerns three grown men who try
to contact Tamara Tomorrow, a former television host from
Philadelphia (like Beane, who was born in suburban Philadelphia in
1959); Tamara entranced the men when they were young by making
optimistic predictions about the future. Beane's next work, The Big
Time, (rumored to have begun as a film pitched to Oliver Stone) is a
musical slated to open in New York in 2002. Beane has contributed to
quite a few screenplays yet to make it to the big screen, including
Bewitched, detailing the courtship of Darren and Samantha Stevens;
Archie, the high school hi-jinks of Veronica, Jughead, and pals; How
Life Is, the twisty tale of an insurance scam; and Little Diva,
about a teen pop star who risks her career by giving up lipsynching.
More Photos
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Setting: The present; New York City.
Production Credits
Director, Tony Vezner
Stage Manager, Edward W. Wavak
Assistant Stage Manager, Susan Kosiarek
Costume Designers, Peggy Carlson, Susan Remy
Costume Crew, Sandra Buboltz, Martha Davis, Charlie Egan, Liz Egan,
Pauline Gamble, Julie Knoch, Kristin Lampadius, Joseph Petrolis,
Linda Roberts, Paulette Sarussi, Helen Smith, Stephanie Williams,
Jackie Weiher
Dramaturg, Michele Sarussi
Lighting Designers, Benton Bullwinkel, Dick Jacoby
Lighting Crew, Scott Norris, Stephanie Rychlowski, Sue Turner
Makeup Designers, Arlene Page, Jim Hannigan
Makeup Crew, Stephanie Abramowitz, Catherine Bloomer, Mary Ellen
Druyan, Charlie Egan, Dennis Hudson, Ann Marie Hultgren, Kathleen
Kusper, Roxanne Taylor
Properties Designer, Bonnie Hilton
Properties Crew. Peggy Beyer, Dave Bremer, Mark Cunningham, Mike
DeKovic, Bill FitzGerald, Harry Hultgren, Dennis Hudson, Mike Mallon,
Bill Redding, Mary VanNest, Kevin Slattery
Set Designer, Tony Vezner
Set Construction Chair, Mark Hewitt
Set Construction Crew, Grace Abrahamson, John Allen, Jerry Arnold,
Karen Arnold, Catherine Bloomer, Anne Cahill, Mark Cunningham, George
Dempsey, Tom Frohnapfel, Mike Huth, Pat Huth, Kirby Harris, Mark
Hewitt, Harry Hultgren, Terry Locke, Richard Ptacek, Paul Roach,
Fred Sauers, Karen Smith, Tom Squillo, Willy Steele, Cal Turner,
Gregg Valek, Tony Vezner
Set Painting Chair, Sandy Squillo
Set Painting Crew, Catherine Bloomer, Tricia Boren, Mark Cunningham,
Tim Feeney, Karen Holbert, Pat Huth, Mary Pavia, Mike Pavia, Rob
Pold
Sound Designer, Jonathon Genson
Sound Crew, Stephanie Robey
Production Box Office Chair, Mary Ellen Schutt
Production Group Sales Chair, Carol Clarke
Production Hospitality Crew, Catherine Bloomer, Linda Bremer, Carol
Clarke, Mark Cunningham, Judy DiVita, Eileen Duban, Charlie Egan,
Liz Egan, Kirby Harris, Karen Holbert, Martha Hogenboom,
Laura Leonardo-Ownby, Craig Mahlstedt, Jan Mahlstedt,
David Michael, Fumiko Michael, Duane Mills, Jim Patten, Joanne Patten,
Lauren Patten, Nora Patten, Elizabeth Roche, Connie Sierzputowski,
Virginia Swinnen, Janette Taft, Gregg Valek, Lenka Valek
Production House Managers, Susan Cardamone, Joe Delaloye, George
Dempsey, Karen Holbert, Harry Hultgren, Roland Imes, Jon Mills,
Tom Schutt, Noel Smith, Don Strueber
Production Lobby Photo Display, Marjorie Mason Heffernan, Jane Stacy
Production Posters, Kathleen Kusper
Production Program Chair,
Mary Maureen Gentile
Production Program Design, John Vilhauer Production Publicity Chair,
Liz Egan
Marketing and Managing Director, Jeff Arena
Special Thanks
All three works of art credited to Mike Stabinsky in the show were
actually created by local artist Jani Bodell; we appreciate her
generosity in painting them to our specifications so quickly.
Aesthetic Penance,
Dramaturg notes
by Michele Sarussi
In the babblespeak world of Alexa Vere de Vere and company, the words play
on buzz, buzz, buzzing in your ear. Every phrase becomes a freeform
performance. Every entrance and exit bracket a stylish interlude. Alexa
keeps talking. And talking. The words rise and fall. The words drone on
and on. But soon you notice that the only words with any importance are
nouns. All the names dropped or intimated, all the places, the things.
Life is driven by the who, the what, the where.
Don't take any risks with the verbs is the standard menu. Mom taught you
to eat your verbs, but Alexa says it's not necessary. Butter yourself a
scone, stay here with the 'who's, and always live this life. You have her
promise. There is trouble to be had when you start nibbling at the 'how'
and the 'why'. They're not likely to be nouns. Stick to the 'who's, the
'where's and the 'what's. They make the buzz that drives the swarm of the
media.
Of course the best nouns are proper names. Check the headlines for proof.
Names generate the buzz. The fame. The flash. The sparkle. Photo op: Hey,
wasn't that your picture in ______? Newsflash: Didn't I see you with
______? Sentences and whole, cognitive thoughts have been left behind. (I
think there are going to be some verbs in the next show.) As Bees In Honey
Drown is about big ideas. Lofty aspirations. But how do we discuss
abstract ideals in an era of pure nouns? Art and life are replaced by
Hollywood and brand names. Fashionable archetypes. Exclusive guest lists.
Alexa opens her arms, and behold! The velvet cord is pulled back. Alexa
Vere de Vere is a tour de force, created through a "miracle in the
order of fish and loaves." (Her own publicity blurb!) She busies
herself humming all the names and the places that you want to hear, while
lavishly emptying your wallet. And your ego. Alexa can give you anything
your credit will buy. Her words are a haze of pop culture and pet names,
oozing exclusivity with every breath. Hers is a suffocating sweetness,
like a cynic's Suess--Oh the places you'll go, the people you'll meet!
Alexa knows that her exclamations are empty, and she's certain you won't
mind. They're just words, lamb--fabulous words. Of course, in the
beginning was the word, but not the word of Alexa. Jesus is quoted by
John, saying "He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth in me shall never thirst." Alexa has an update. "Come
with me, live with me, and always live this life. Never, ever be hungry,
or thirsty, or doubt yourself. Or wait in line. Or talk to bores."
Alexa offers access to the inner sanctum, the hub of the beautiful people
leading their beautiful lives. Alexa speaks your name, and in that instant
of singular recognition, you are created. Alexa grants you access to the
hive. That's what we're after, right? To be the buzz on their lips. The
words in their mouths. To be the latest known noun. This is a play about
the commodity of words, of names, of selves. This is a play about selling
your self. If our greatest creations are always ourselves, then what is
the diffence between art and life? Watch and listen to the hum of the hive
at work. Choose your role carefully; you can be a worker, drone or queen.
Worker, drone or queen. Alexa knows the fitting sting for each.
Publish, Publicize or Perish
by Jeff Arena
As Bees in Honey Drown depicts a publishing world concerned more
with an author's sex appeal than with literature. While that
depiction is shocking and shallow, there's nothing new in selling
books by their covers. Though tame by todayÕs standards, Truman
Capote's first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, published in 1948,
was more famous for its dust-jacket depiction of a 23-year-old
author reclining provocatively on a settee, than for its literary
weight.
What Bees does seem to capture is the escalating crassness with
which the publishing industry uses sex to sell stories. In her diary
of 1998, published as Time to Be in Earnest, P.D. James says,
"A new writer who is young and physically attractive starts
with a considerable initial advantage. He or she will be a hit on
the publicity trail; the image is promotable and acceptable. There
is, too, a curious development of which Swan, a novel supposedly
written by supermodel Naomi Campbell, is an example....Soon a
bestseller will be written by a computer with all the necessary
ingredients of sex and violence fed into a machine. The publisher
will then find a young man or woman with a fashionable face,
appropriate body measurements, and a sensational emotional and
sexual life, and place his or her name on the title
page."
As Bees points out, we just can't resist judging a book by its
uncovered author.
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