“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely liars…” – Dorante – Act 2, Sc. 1

Hey there, Writers’ Theatre patrons! My name is Chris Thoren, and I have the honor of assistant directing the upcoming production of The Liar. I’m here to give you an inside look at the people involved, the play itself, and the whole rehearsal process.

Let me tell you a bit about this exciting project.

The Liar was originally written in 1644 by Golden Age French playwright Pierre Corneille. One of his lesser known farces, it was written in the style of the time–Alexandrine verse and rhyming couplets (think Shakespeare meets Dr. Seuss).

In 2010, however, playwright David Ives (Venus in Fur, All In the Timing) was approached by the Shakespeare Theatre Company to adapt it. What followed was what Ives called the most fun he’s ever had writing a play. Now that the show has closed a successful run in D.C., Writers’ has the pleasure of producing the Midwest premiere.

The Liar follows a young man by the name of Dorante (being played by Nate Burger). He arrives in Paris on a search for adventure and a penchant for trouble, brought on by his tragic flaw and greatest talent: his complete inability to speak a word of truth. What follows is a hysterical romp, featuring mistaken identity, daring sword fights, and, of course, passionate love.

So, it’s been two full weeks of rehearsal! What have we been up to?

After an initial read that had the entire room bursting at the seams with laughter, the team dove into rehearsals headfirst (sometimes literally, when Tyler Rich came into choreograph some epic fights).

At this point, the entire play is staged, which means the actors are up on their feet without scripts and know where they’re going. Now that we don’t have to worry about lines, the team can focus on handcrafting the little moments that make a play tick. That means spending days running full acts and scenes, and then going back in to fine tune smaller beats.

For six hours a day, the cast gathers together in the rehearsal space generously provided by Glencoe Union Church. Every day, cast members discover a new direction or idea that director William Brown is immediately happy to try. “Let’s see that version!” he says excitedly as the action plays out before him. That attitude and mentality has morale and creativity firing on all cylinders. It has truly brought this play to life, lending it a unique flair. We’ve found some really creative ways to engage you, the audience, and even discovered a need for some hysterical dialect work provided by coach Eva Breneman. We can’t wait for you to see it.

I’m not alone in leaving rehearsal physically exhausted, which we all agreed comes from laughing so much. What a problem to have! Stay tuned for more looks inside the rehearsal room as we move forward on The Liar, which starts performances on Tuesday, May 21.