With the pandemic bringing the curtain down on most live productions, creativity played a main role in the Augusta Players latest production.
“Tea For Three: Lady Bird, Pat and Betty” is a three woman show focusing on the lives of three first ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford, and it will be streamed at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Jan. 17.
What makes this unique for area performers isn’t the fact that the play has been recorded and will be streamed. It’s the fact that each of the women playing the first ladies had her own director.
“I think Scott (Seidl, the Augusta Players’ executive and artistic director) was intentionally smart to choose this,” said Karen Brotherton, who directs Kay Gross as Pat Nixon. “It’s a safe environment to work on the show. Everything was one on one.”
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Each of the performances is its own one-woman show. The other performers never interact with one another. All of the rehearsals could be compartmentalized.
One of the things Brotherton really liked about the play was being able to collaborate with Gross. While Brotherton had her ideas of what she wanted to see, she was open to hear what Gross saw in the character.
“Kay is so brilliant. She always comes ready,” she said.
Nicole Swanson echoed Brotherton’s comments. She directs Pam McCorkle as Lady Bird.
“I was able to give all of my attention to Pam,” she said. “We were bouncing things off each other.”
While the play is recorded, it doesn’t take the same pace as a television show or film.
“There’s the feeling as if she’s doing it on stage,” said Swanson.
But with the magic of recording, they are able to go back to different scenes and record them for greater impact.
The dialogue features funny moments, but it also includes some poignant and heartfelt ones such as when Lady Bird talks about seeing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. She remarks about the blood spatters on Kennedy’s pink dress.
“Tea For Three: Lady Bird, Pat and Betty” was originally intended as one of the school outreach programs that the Augusta Players performs. It will be streamed free, but an e-ticket is needed.
To reserve a spot, got to the Augusta Players’ website at www.augustaplayers.org. A link will be emailed no later than two hours before the performance time. Donations will be accepted.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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