In the Company of Actors (2007)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Ian Darling

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

From a rehearsal room in Sydney through to opening night in New York, a company of actors reveals the magic and struggle of creating theatre.

Plot:

Within the world of theatre the rehearsal room is a sacred space -- the private domain where boundaries are pushed...

Plot Keywords:

Theatre | Australia | Arts Films | Process | Stage Play

Cast

Robyn Nevin	...	Herself
Cate Blanchett	...	Herself / Hedda Gabler
Hugo Weaving	...	Himself / Judge Brack
Justine Clarke	...	Herself / Thea Elvsted
Anthony Weigh	...	Himself / Jorgen Tesman
Aden Young	...	Himself / Ejlert Lovburg
Julie Hamilton	...	Herself / Julie Tesman
Annie Byron	...	Herself / Berte
Andrew Upton	...	Himself
Mary Macrae	...	Herself
Alan John	...	Himself
Fiona Crombie	...	Herself
Nick Schlieper	...	Himself
Eric Duffy	...	Himself
James C. McKay	...	Himself (as James McKay)

Runtime:

Australia:75 min (original release)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (HDCAM)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn Academy of Music - 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Trivia:

Martin Scorsese and his wife Helen Morris, Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda, Naomi Watts and Jack Finsterer (husband of Justine Clarke) attended the premiere of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler (which was filmed as part of In the Company of Actors (2007)) at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) in New York in 2006. After the play they met the cast and crew of Hedda Gabler and footage from these meetings are shown during the end credits.

To the casual viewer, this could be any program broadcast on the ABC's "Sunday Arts Show".

In The Company of Actors is an observational documentary focusing on the Australian cast and crew of Hedda Gabler as it prepares for its New York debut.

Stylistically, In The Company of Actors offers nothing new or exciting to the world of documentary. To the casual viewer, it could be any program broadcast on the ABC's Sunday Arts Show. However, what it does offer the viewer is a wonderful insight into the world of stagecraft and it's actors. This is mainly due to its two central figures, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving. It is their international status that draws the attention of the viewer. It is because of them that we are compelled to view this film and why we are drawn into the inner workings of the play. To many, Hedda Gabler is just a play. In The Company of Actors gives it a more rounded life. It makes the viewer see it as a living and breathing entity. We are drawn into what makes the play come alive on stage.

For those aspiring to be actors, this documentary provides the perfect platform to view what goes on backstage. It allows you to see how the play ticks by letting us into its inner workings. For those that think that acting is an easy and laid back job, this will make you think again. The work and dedication put into this play by cast and crew is staggering. It makes us see the actors in a different light and makes us respect their job even more.

By opening the stage door to us, Ian Darling has invited the viewer into a world we rarely see. One where we "enter as individuals and leave as an audience," united in the world of stagecraft.