Ele Matelan

This interview was one of our best. We were SUPPOSED to meet Ele Matelan, House Theatre Ensemble Member and member of the Jeff A/T Committee, in the Heart O' Chicago Hotel for a nice talk and maybe some sodas, but Eric had to try some Angel Dust our neighbor was throwing out. At least we THOUGHT he was throwing it out! After a brief scuffle, Eric was shot in the shoulder, and we had to move our interview to the back of an ambulance!

Andy: Oh gosh, Ele, sorry about having to meet like this, in the back of an ambulance.

Ele: It's cool. Sorry about that, Eric. How are you feeling?

Andy: Listen, he will be fine. He just gets dramatic when he gets in ambulances. So Ele, tell us about this House Sparrow thing going on.

Ele: The House is taking the Sparrow to the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, for a three week run, opening April 7th. It's a couple of folks from the original production, including the leads, Carolyn Defrin, and Paige Hoffman, and a bunch of new friends and collaborators for the company.

Eric: I SAW THE SPARROW, AND I HAVE TO SAY IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST REALIZATIONS OF THE HOUSE'S AESTHETIC.  HOW HAVE REHEARSALS BEEN GOING, AND CAN SOMEONE HAND ME THAT GAUZE?

Andy: Eric, do NOT go into that light.

Ele: Thanks, Eric, I don't have any gauze, but here's a sock. Rehearsals have been going great. We are using almost all of the same choreography from the previous productions, and the show is pretty precisely choreographed, outside of some of the more traditional narrative scenework, so this has afforded the creative team a lot of opportunity to clean up the storytelling. The props and costumes are all likely in Florida already, so we've not had them the past few days, which was a really interesting change from how the rehearsal process normally goes. I mean, usually we start out miming and then get thrown into the world we're actually supposed to be manipulating, which means we have to adjust for what we had originally assumed that world would look and feel like. This time around, it was kind of like the opposite. Feels a little bit like Our Town right now, having mimed work with desks, lockers and picture frames for the past several days.

Andy: Sounds super fun. I bet you are going to have a blast with your friends in Miami, doing an old fun show. So tell me this... You, in the past have been a stage manager, a production manager, and are currently on the Jeff Committee. What's it like on that committee and what does it entail, for say, somebody like me. If I wanted to join. Oh my God, Eric is starting to cough blood on us.

Eric: I SWEAR I AM FINE.  THOSE ARE THE SNAKES COUGHING ON YOU.  TELL US ABOUT THE JEFF COMMITTEE.

Ele: Classic blood-lossy Eric, way to stay on task. I'm a member of the Jeff A/T committee, which is the artists and technicians committee. We are assigned one to, max, maybe five openings per month to attend, and then we turn in our nominations for aspects of that production along with the members of the proper Jeff Committee. Then that Jeff magic determines whether the production is Jeff recommended, and the proper Jeff folk with attend for the rest of the production's run and make nominations for the end of the year awards accordingly. The Jeff A/T committee takes applications for new members on a quarterly basis. If I remember this correctly, an applicant needs to be sponsored by someone that is already a member of the Committee, and then supply the team with a bio, resume, and statement of intent.

Andy: Sounds sort of like a 12 step program, that maybe Eric should have joined. Then we wouldn't need to be dealing with his Angel Dust gun shot right now.

Eric: STOP SAYING JEFF SO MUCH.

Ele: I'm sorry Jeff, I'll Jeff to Jeff Jeffing so much Jeff. Candidates for the team need to have been working in Chicago as theatre professionals for a minimum of two years. The members then vote on the applicants and add or reject them accordingly. I'm glad to say that everyone takes the responsibility pretty seriously, Eric. We all have joined the team because we're excited and interested not only about the state of theatre in this city and celebrating excellence within it, but also broadening our own horizons, and not allowing ourselves to become insular as artists or audience members. I can say that being on this committee has taken me outside of my own social and artistic circle and gotten me to see shows i never would have sought out on my own.

Andy: Do you ever get any grief from your cast about being on the committee?

Ele: Well, there has...hrm. The Committee has gotten some flack in the past for having some old fashioned taste. The A/T team was formed partially to get younger folks involved in the voting, and also to get people that are more immediately familiar with the work going on within the community, and that perhaps will have a different approach to the work, and appreciate it in other ways. So a nomination won't just go to the show that had the most money to throw at a set, but may also celebrate the show that had the most creative problem-solving behind it. Also, we submit a list of conflicts at the beginning of every month, so we're never at risk of judging companies we have direct affiliations with.

Eric: THAT IS GREAT TO HEAR. HEAR. HEEEAAAARRR. EVER NOTICE IF YOU SAY A WORD ENOUGH IT LOSES ALL MEANING? ANYWAY, PERHAPS THE JEFF COMMITTEE IS AWESOME, AND PEOPLE SHOULD STOP BITCHING ABOUT IT.

Eric, your face is turning into an Alligator! Right Ele?!

Ele: Oh, classic gator-faced Eric! I wish we hung out like this more often, guys!

Eric: I THINK HAROLD WASHINGTON WAS THE BEST MAYOR WE EVER HAD! GATOR'S EATING MY HAND!

Andy: Just relax, man. Anyway, Ele, can you tell us about some of your favorite productions so far this year? Hold this tourniquet on his arm harder, he's losing a lot of blood now.

Ele: Poor Eric. That arm was his favorite. Let's see: I just saw The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen, which is part of Steppenwolf's Garage Rep (Strange Tree), over the weekend, and really loved it. The performances were great, the design was smart, cohesive and fun, and the writing had a lot of clever twists and turns in it. I also especially enjoyed Lifeline's The Moonstone, which brought a lot of life and joy into a classic. I always wish I could take my mom to see Lifeline's mystery shows, they're very smart and classy.

Andy: Well, I'm so happy we had a chance to catch up and talk about this stuff. I had always wondered about the Jeff Committee and junk.

Ele: Glad I could be helpful. Also, Eric, some club soda and some Zout mixed together may help you get all of the blood out of what's left of your shirt.

Eric: ALL HAIL THE GATOR! HE HAD MY HEAD INSIDE HIS BELLY, AND GOD TOLD ME A BEDTIME STORY! CTHULU FTAGHN, IA!!!!

(a minute of twitching that leads to a long silence)

Andy: I think he just died. Let's leave him at the hospital and get the hell outta here!

Ele: Can we stop at the gift shop, though? I want a Ding-Dong!

Andy: Girl, you know we can.

(Later, Eric makes his way out of the hospital morgue at 3 am)

Eric: So, tell us about the Jeff Committee, Ele. MuahahhhahahahahahahahahhahHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHH!

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com