A CHAT WITH BRIAN PEDACI
This week, we were fortunate to have some time to chat with Brian Pedaci, one of the actors making his Seat of the Pants’ debut in our upcoming production of Elephant’s Graveyard.
Who are you playing in the show? What intrigues you about the character as we’re getting started? What are you looking forward to and what do you expect to be challenging?
I play the ringmaster and owner of the circus, Charlie Sparks. Though this play is about a historical event, mine is the only character who is based on an actual person, with biographical facts that can be researched. As an example, I discovered that he was an orphan, dancing on street corners for money, when he was adopted by a showman, who took Charlie's last name as his own when he started the circus. This adds intriguing color and secret motivation to a character driven by money and a desire to live up to his late adoptive father's standards.
The play's atypical narrative structure provides an opportunity for ensemble-created physical expression that is both exciting and a potentially challenging new mode of working for me.
Though we’ve only had a few rehearsals so far, what have been some of your thoughts or takeaways on working this way – with an extended period of time and process to live with the play?
It has proven to be a very fruitful and process that seeks to unlock creativity and discovery without immediate pressure for results. It's been 30 years since I was first introduced to the concepts in Michael Chekhov's techniques but I haven't engaged with them in a meaningful way since. It's very gratifying to be working with an ensemble within the same creative framework and I hope it lends itself to a more cohesive final product.
What interested you in being part of the project? What are some of the things that you like or that drew you to the play?
I've been intrigued with Seat of the Pants’ immersive process since their introduction into the Cleveland market, and envious of the artists they've drawn into their orbit. I’ve wanted to audition before, but this is the first time that my schedule coincided with theirs in a way that would allow me to participate in an extended rehearsal. I was intrigued by the documentary-like structure of the piece and the collaborative spirit evidenced in the audition process.
How do you generally work as an actor when you’re approaching a new role?
In the weeks or months before starting normal rehearsals, I enjoy doing research to familiarize myself with the world of the play and to start dreaming on the themes of the piece. During this time, I'm also reading the play over several times to understand the actions of the character within the larger narrative of the play, to get a feeling for the character's motivations, objectives, and obstacles.
Before the first rehearsal, I like to have a firm understanding of what every line means, especially if there are unfamiliar words or references made.
When rehearsals begin, I see how the ideas I've developed individually merge with, enhance, or conflict with those presented by the director, the designers, and castmates as we build the world of the play together. Now is the time when we start to hear the music of the piece, experiencing the rhythms and harmonies. This is also when physicalities are explored - how does my character inhabit the space created by the physical set and the other characters?
How would you describe the major themes or ideas of the play to someone who asked?
This play explores the American appetite for spectacle, mob-think, violence, and revenge. It reveals collective memory through documentary-like fragments of narrative.