1776
“Director Liz Bealko, who is making her Theatre Tulsa debut, has guided this large ensemble with a sure and steady hand, and a penetrating eye for detail”. – James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World
In my production of 1776, I wanted my cast of women and non-binary actors not to play men but the people of power who shaped our nation at its birth, ignoring their gender. I felt that making them step into a role and having them portray a man would restrict their creativity and hurt their performances. In our one-on-one character development sessions, I chatted with each actor about their delegate and explored the masculine and feminine energies each of them possessed. This allowed the actors to make choices that were truthful for them. Having these founding fathers portrayed by women stripped the characters of their gender and gave the audience the opportunity to experience these figures in a totally new way, as if they were meeting them for the first time, while still telling the story of the American Revolution.
One Idea that I had not seen before, was to bring Washington to life on stage. This character is only heard through dispatches read by Thomson, but I had the actor who played The Painter and Leather Apron also portray Washington. I had the letter reading cross faded from Thomson into Washington, and Washington recited these letters as if she was writing them in the moment. This created another layer to the production and made the needs of Continental Army, which the Congress were ignoring, more tangible. This was a connection that could be lost in the original production.
When I was creating this show, I had particular goals for my set. This show can easily feel closed off and sterile, and I wanted my set to be open and inviting. I designed it without walls or windows. The goal was to make the “room where it happened” seem like an old theatre. So much energy is expelled in this room by people with large personalities, that even when it is empty it is still hauntingly alive. While the set was fairly minimal, the congressmen brought the room to life with their storytelling. This was especially true during Adams’ number, “Is Anybody There.” While the Congress is empty, the set still alive and full of energy.
I added a large platform in the back that served as a window into what is happening outside of the Congress – on the battlefield, in Jefferson’s house, and in the mind of John Adams. For example, in “Mama Look Sharp”, while the young courier is singing in the Congress, I had the actors portray a slow-motion battle, with soldiers fighting and dying. Near the end of the song, the dancers joined the trio in song and became a hauntingly beautiful chorus of soldiers singing together. This was a particularly beautiful moment in the production that became especially memorable.
Theatre Tulsa
Winter 2023
You can view the entire album of this production’s photos by clicking here.
Media Coverage
Broadway World Article
Tulsa World Article
Tulsa World Review
