Unorthodox musical tells story of war, fallen angels

"In war, you don't know if a bullet will hit you or not," said playwright and Postdoctoral Fellow in the Drama Department Talaya Delaney, explaining her inspiration behind the new Vassar Experimental Theatre musical "Haarlem Berlin." "We're all living lives that are kind of uncertain.
There is no rational way to know if you'll be okay or not. That's what I feel is terrifying and what I wanted to write about."

"Haarlem Berlin" is the collaborative effort directed by New York City-based guest director Rachel Chavkin and written by Delaney. The pair met at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where Delaney first conceived of the play's concept. "I played with the idea for a long time," she said. She finally decided to pursue the project when she joined Vassar's Drama Department. "The faculty here encouraged me to experiment—something I don't usually do." Chavkin shared Delaney's sentiments as she reflected on Vassar's unique openness to theatrical endeavors. "It was a perfect opportunity to work on it at a supportive environment like Vassar," she said. "Haarlem Berlin" is a departure from plays Delaney as written in the past. "They were usually about power dynamics between people," she explained. "They were very claustrophobic. But this play is different. The scope is huge."

The project is indeed epic in scale. Delaney's imaginative new narrative spans broad topics, from the fantasy of angels to the gritty reality of civil war. The play follows four angels as they attempt to save humanity, upon a request by God. Included among these angels are the kind angel Helita (Lilli Cooper '12) and the fallen angel, Circusmaster Henry (Jamie Watkins '10) who strives to save humanity by telling the didactic story of a useless civil war waged throughout upstate New York.

The fallen angel speaks to the audience as he hopes to convey that dying for a cause gives death reason. The play unfolds as Circusmaster Henry resurrects soldiers who died in this war, including the play's namesake, Haarlem Berlin (Henry Behel '10, who is acting in the play for his senior project). As the story unravels, fight scenes, love stories and beautiful harmonies ensue. The expansive concept is not the only ambitious aspect of the work. "It's officially a musical now," said Delaney.
"It is 50 percent music and lyrics. I wrote the text first, and then sent it to Dave [Malloy, guest composer], and he turned it into music. It brings an added element I never even imagined." A live band will accompany the actors on stage with instruments such as a drum set, flute, saxophone and even a harp.

Delaney gushed compliments for the actors in the play. "They are amazing," she said, adding that they have picked everything up quickly during their short rehearsal time. "They improvised sometimes, and I would often ask them about their characters and whether they wanted to add certain elements to them. I learned so much from them."

The rehearsal process has been particularly challenging due to its workshop rehearsal process, meaning that the script has constantly changed during rehearsals. In fact, "only one scene now remains from the original script," said Behel.

Delaney emphasized the actors' support, saying, "Everyone has been generous with the idea that it's a workshop—I even gave them some lines yesterday." She singled out this dynamic rehearsal process as a special reason why Vassar students should go see the play. "There is so much action and change during practice, and it lends the play an energy that hopefully [the audience] will sense."

The actors in the play found these constant changes challenging, yet rewarding. "I had never worked on a new play before," said Watkins. "I was amazed by how exciting and freeing the process can be. Admittedly, it's hectic and a little confusing, but you're working on something raw—something that is fresh, not just for the audience, but also for the actors and the director, and even the writer. The mayhem of the whole thing is just thrilling."

They also enjoyed being involved in the playmaking process. Cooper said, "We really felt like a part of the development of the piece. Having them in the room making changes as we worked was a really intimate process." Behel added some final words about the play/musical/adventure that is "Haarlem Berlin:" "Expect to be confronted by a piece of theatre not unlike Lost, in thinking ‘What the hell is going on?' but also seeing something human and heart-felt."

Watkins added, "Come to get a look at a piece that is albeit rough around the edges, but absolutely brimming with the creative energy of some wonderful theater artists and exceptionally talented Vassar students."

"Haarlem Berlin" will be showing at the Powerhouse Theater Oct. 1 through Oct. 3 at 8 p.m.