Christopher Ashley

It's maybe a little bit like being a general in a war. You're not making the individual decisions on the battlefield, but you're saying what the goals are and what the strategy is.

We have two weeks in the space to add the technical elements. How the set moves, all the automation and actors moving chairs and tables around the scenery that you've practiced in the studio, you add all the lighting aspects. Lighting designs are tremendously complicated technical feats with these lights that move and change color. Everything is computerized, right?

We have two weeks in the space to add the technical elements. How the set moves, all the automation and actors moving chairs and tables around the scenery that you've practiced in the studio, you add all the lighting aspects. Lighting designs are tremendously complicated technical feats with these lights that move and change color. Everything is computerized, right?

We have two weeks in the space to add the technical elements. How the set moves, all the automation and actors moving chairs and tables around the scenery that you've practiced in the studio, you add all the lighting aspects. Lighting designs are tremendously complicated technical feats with these lights that move and change color. Everything is computerized, right?

So if you stand on the stage and you look back at the house during a technical rehearsal... You'll see 40 people up lit by their computer screens. There's a lighting desk. There's a sound desk. There's a stage management desk. There's a separate desk where all the scenery and props folks are.

So if you stand on the stage and you look back at the house during a technical rehearsal... You'll see 40 people up lit by their computer screens. There's a lighting desk. There's a sound desk. There's a stage management desk. There's a separate desk where all the scenery and props folks are.

So if you stand on the stage and you look back at the house during a technical rehearsal... You'll see 40 people up lit by their computer screens. There's a lighting desk. There's a sound desk. There's a stage management desk. There's a separate desk where all the scenery and props folks are.

It's full of technicians, all of whom are simultaneously watching the show and building the technical structure.

It's full of technicians, all of whom are simultaneously watching the show and building the technical structure.

It's full of technicians, all of whom are simultaneously watching the show and building the technical structure.

You painstakingly, moment by moment, work things out. Let's do these three seconds. All right, now we know what those three seconds are. Let's do the next seven seconds. It's very incremental. It's very layered. It's very stop and go. And then by a week later, hopefully you can run a number of And by the end of the two weeks, the goal is that you can actually run the show.

You painstakingly, moment by moment, work things out. Let's do these three seconds. All right, now we know what those three seconds are. Let's do the next seven seconds. It's very incremental. It's very layered. It's very stop and go. And then by a week later, hopefully you can run a number of And by the end of the two weeks, the goal is that you can actually run the show.

You painstakingly, moment by moment, work things out. Let's do these three seconds. All right, now we know what those three seconds are. Let's do the next seven seconds. It's very incremental. It's very layered. It's very stop and go. And then by a week later, hopefully you can run a number of And by the end of the two weeks, the goal is that you can actually run the show.

We were fortunate enough to have Brian Stokes Mitchell in each of the three readings and workshops that led us up to the first production we're about to start. And then he had personal circumstances that didn't allow him to be part of the La Jolla Playhouse production.

We were fortunate enough to have Brian Stokes Mitchell in each of the three readings and workshops that led us up to the first production we're about to start. And then he had personal circumstances that didn't allow him to be part of the La Jolla Playhouse production.

We were fortunate enough to have Brian Stokes Mitchell in each of the three readings and workshops that led us up to the first production we're about to start. And then he had personal circumstances that didn't allow him to be part of the La Jolla Playhouse production.

She's like, here's 30 people that we think would be fantastic to consider. So we all bat them around, champion various names until we winnow that list down to, I think we ended up with six people. And then you start figuring out, okay, who's actually available now. to come and join us in a month. And then what do you do? You send the script to all of those six?

She's like, here's 30 people that we think would be fantastic to consider. So we all bat them around, champion various names until we winnow that list down to, I think we ended up with six people. And then you start figuring out, okay, who's actually available now. to come and join us in a month. And then what do you do? You send the script to all of those six?

She's like, here's 30 people that we think would be fantastic to consider. So we all bat them around, champion various names until we winnow that list down to, I think we ended up with six people. And then you start figuring out, okay, who's actually available now. to come and join us in a month. And then what do you do? You send the script to all of those six?

No, no, no, you very much go one at a time. And most of those six, someone in our group has worked with before, and all of us have seen many, many performances by them. It's a very known group. You're not just basing this on an audition, you're also basing it on a body of work. And very, very excited that we're being joined by Ivan Hernandez as Lincoln. Tell me about Ivan.