80 years ago… a play premiered in Paris that altered our perception of reality. Now, the C.A.G.E. Theatre Company under the direction of its artistic director, Michael Hagins, presents Matthew Tiemstra, Gigi Principe, Alaina Hammond & Charlotte Vaughn Raines in Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist masterpiece NO EXIT.
Translated from the original and adapted and directed for today’s reality by MICHAEL HAGINS, the production has a limited run of Fri., July 5 & Sat., July 6 @ 8:00 pm; Sun., July 7 @ 7:00 pm and Thurs., Fri., Sat., July 11, 12, 13 @ 8:00 pm at one of NYC’s edgiest theatres, The Theater Under St. Marks, 94 St Marks Place, NYC.
Arts journeyman, Michael Hagins, transports us into Sartre’s version of Hell: A mysterious impenetrable room where individuals are trapped and forced to see themselves through the eyes of others. In this interpretation, an immersive element is added to allow the audience to join in the claustrophobic atmosphere thus making hell more than “other people” it makes it ourselves.
Charlotte Vaughn Raines ran the gamut of Classical, Contemporary, and Musical Theater experiences. She had her Off Broadway debut in “No Mercy,” at the DR2 Theater and went on to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Teatro Latea, and Shapiro Theater. So how was existentialism in the subterranean Theatre Under St. Marks.
What made you decide to do this play?
I was thrilled when Michael asked me to be part of this production. I somehow missed the boat on reading, studying, or seeing a production of No Exit in high school or college, and it’s pretty well known in Theatre circles. I’m very excited to explore this unique role, where all my training in portraying humanity is put to the test, considering the role I’m playing…
Now, in the days of social media, avatars, and other “masks,” how has Sartre’s message stood up against the test of time?
When you’re meeting new people, there’s an initial energy you put out, i.e. that first impression. As you continue to interact with those same people, especially for longer lengths of time, other sides of you come out. The more you’re around them, the more energy it takes to maintain the first impression, or “mask” as some people might say. We are multifaceted beings, and I think it’s unnatural (and dare I say unhealthy) to show only one side of ourselves to people all the time. I think Sartre’s message stands the test of time because the way that Estelle, Garcin, and Inez all get to know each other over the course of the play demonstrates the flow of human interaction, but Sartre dramatizes it by placing it all in Hell, so you know there’s something more serious going on with all three of them.
What is your creative process?
I love using the text to look for answers in how the character I’m playing helps to serve the story of the play. Before the first rehearsal I try to read the text a couple times to get the overall arc, and then I start diving into details. I’ll come up with initial thoughts and ideas about my character’s point of view, and try some choices out at the first rehearsal read. The rehearsal process is super collaborative for me. Clarity in my acting choices is also very important to me, so I ask a LOT of questions, haha. I can’t ultimately determine how the character is going to be played until I start working with my scene partners and the director. The choices my scene partners make give me additional material to work with, and the director has the clearest view of the macro vision of the story, so all together we can bring the show to life.
Do you feel an extra sense of responsibility in doing a piece so known; so historic?
I don’t feel an extra sense of responsibility, I feel more excitement!
What is Hell to you?
Hell to me is when your insecurities rule you. When you can’t trust yourself because you don’t know how to. When you feel like you’re a complete victim to your inner demons and know you need to change but you don’t know how to, and the vicious cycle keeps repeating itself.
ARTIUM: OMNI 