Regulars at PlayMakers Repertory in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, know Brendon Fox from the 2009 production of Michael Hollinger’s “Opus,” which he directed. In February, he returned to PlayMakers to direct both parts of “Angels in America,” by Tony Kushner. A native of Greenwich, Connecticut, an alumnus of Northwestern University and UCLA, Fox is currently based in Los Angeles, but the theatre takes him regularly around the country: from San Diego to Chicago to Chapel Hill, where he has directed a variety of works, tackling classics (Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” “As You Like It” and “Twelfth Night”) and modern materiel (Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” David Sedaris’ “The Santaland Diaries” or Christopher Durang’s “Beyond Therapy”). We caught up with Fox following the premiere of “Angels in America” and asked him about his experience on this production and working in regional theatre.
CPJ: “Angels in America” is your second experience with PlayMakers Rep; you also directed “Opus” in one of their previous seasons. What made you come back? What was the collaboration with PlayMakers Rep like?
FOX: Before I answer this I just wanted to mention that this is not my first time working in North Carolina theatre. Many years ago I worked in Statesville; I did two shows there, just a couple years after college. As for PlayMakers Rep, it was a great experience! PlayMakers is one of the very few theatres left in the country to still have a resident company. For “Opus,” we had two graduate students and three residents, and I was literally impressed by the high level of professionalism and talent. So, coming back for “Angels in America,” I knew I was going to work with a very high caliber of talent. Almost half of the cast is formed by resident actors and the other half by visiting actors. We also have one graduate student. In addition, the whole organization is very well run. The leadership is excellent (artistic director Joseph Haj and managing director Hannah Grannemann) and that positively affects everybody’s work. “Angels in America” is a very hard show. It is very important to have that creative and exciting atmosphere to accompany it. And last but not least, the first time I came here couple years ago, I fell in love with Chapel Hill. “Opus” premiered in the fall and this area is just gorgeous during that time of the year. I loved exploring the Triangle and really connected with it.
CPJ: What is your impression of the North Carolina audiences? How did they receive your work?
FOX: I’ve been actually very impressed with the audiences here, for both shows. We ask a lot of them, intellectually, emotionally. But they reward us so well. The PlayMakers Rep audiences are very game, very adventurous, and that’s very exciting for a director. Again, “Angels in America” is a very tough piece, even today. Different people react differently to it and I’ve been impressed with the response we’ve had. I love the preview period; it is always a great way to connect with the audience and still get to work with final ingredients of the show.
CPJ: How was the work with the predominantly local cast?
FOX: “Opus” was all local. “Angels in America” is about two thirds local. My experience is that the actors in the Triangle and those in New York or Los Angeles are equally passionate and skillful. What’s great about working with local actors is that the audiences recognize them. They’ve seen them in many other shows before, in very different roles, so they’re like old friends to them. People would actually stop me at the supermarket and talk about the work of such or such of my actors, because they’ve known them for years and have been following their work for years. There’s a level of familiarity within the community that is great and also rare.
CPJ: Is this your first time working on “Angels in America” and what was that like? What do you take from it?
FOX: Yes, this was the first time for me. And it was one of the most difficult experiences I’ve had. The play demands a lot, emotionally and intellectually. I was on my toes the whole time. I started preparing and did the preliminary work almost a year ago. I started working with the production designer very early on. We started brainstorming about what were the few iconic things to symbolize what unfolds in this story. Everybody was so excited from the start; there was a top level of commitment on everybody’s part. No one wanted to settle for anything mediocre.
CPJ: Was it a challenge to stage both parts of the production at once?
FOX: What was very important was to make sure we were telling one story, even if we were telling it in two parts. We wanted to get the actors to think the long view, even if the two parts have very different temperatures and are very dissimilar in tone. Part one starts with a funeral, part two ends in Heaven. Part one is more claustrophobic, which is why we used the wooden box in the middle of the stage, to give the feeling of suffocation. Part two is a bust out, the old ways are no longer possible, the characters are re-creating their lives; it’s messier but much more liberating (it’s called “Perestroika”).
CPJ: You are based in Los Angeles. Working in Regional Theatre and on the West Coast are two entirely different experiences. Could you describe those differences? Do you work regionally often?
FOX: I alternate and I like that. I especially like working in Universities and training programs. There’s something very rejuvenating in letting the students be up on the stage.
CPJ: And speaking about theatre students, what advice would you give to young actors who want to work in regional theatre?
FOX: Openness to new experiences; flexibility. Meeting people, travelling, filling up with life experiences. There’s a lot of exciting theatre in the large cities, but there’s also a lot going on in middle size towns, like Chapel Hill. I’ve been very fortunate to have found one!
