Period props and “research”

Sorry for the lack of posts — things have definitely been busy as we’re really in the full swing of things now. I’ll backtrack to where we left off last week, to get you all caught up…

On Wednesday, we ran Act I on our mock-up set in the rehearsal room and it went surprisingly well for the first time (a couple of photos of Helen Hedman and Will Gartshore in rehearsal are attached, thanks again to John Boal). It’s become clear that the character “Agnes” is a fantastic role for Helen. I think she has four or five costume changes in the first act alone. We also learned how important it is to track the wealth of period props... cocktail glasses, cake plates, candy dishes, cocktail wieners and gherkins, hats, gloves, etc. All these cool props must lend an authentic 1950’s atmosphere. Helen brought in an antique ice cream container for “Bing Crosby Ice Cream.” Totally delightful. Imagine if they sold “P. Diddy Ice Cream” today? The cast and I have had many laughs looking at the actual Sex Habits of American Women book from the ‘50s. It has charts and graphs illustrating facts such as, “Over 2 out of 10 wives are more passionate than their husbands,” “How many ‘petted’ during high school days?” and “Relationship of parents’ happiness to daughter’s happiness in marriage.” The subtitle of the book is, “A new presentation of the known and concealed facts concerning the conduct of the American female in love and marriage... A brilliant analysis of the modern woman’s repressions, frustrations, inhibitions, and other psychological and emotional complexes.” Ugh. Trust me, the play’s a lot less long-winded. Look for vintage copies of the book signed by the cast for sale in Signature’s lobby. It’s definitely good for a few more laughs!

— Michael