Let’s get together

The enigmatic formula of the Francis Ford Coppola One-Act
Marathon merges the efforts of a playwright and a film director
into a collaboration that is beyond the reaches of one medium.

By combining the power of two separate disciplines, “An
Impending Rupture of the Belly” merges the rawness of the
stage and the power of visual stimulation provided by the camera.
The stage replaces the editing room, as actors merge the vision of
playwright Matt Pelfrey and director Nicole Haeusser into an
emotional experience that embarks on a visually explosive journey
through one man’s troubled mind.

“An Impending Rupture of the Belly,” the third and
final play of the Marathon, showing Dec. 9-11, is a full-length,
two-act play that follows the paranoia of a man who knows the
apocalypse is coming.

Haeusser, a fourth-year School of Theater, Film, Television and
Digital Media student focusing on directing and cinematography, is
aware of the separate appeals in theater and cinema. Film is a
different experience, as it provides an emotional connection with
the audience through the camera’s ability to capture
cinematography.

“Film adds on a layer to the performances,” Haeusser
said. “In our society, people find it easier to be
entertained by the cinema.”

In general, the only film aspect in the Coppola One-Act Marathon
is the director. However, Haeusser envisioned a visual
representation that would provide the audience with a depiction of
the play’s underlying emotional state and bring more of a
film element into the theater.

Responding to the confines of the stage and inspired by
cinematography’s transcendence, Haeusser decided to
incorporate a visual installation into the production. The stage
will be framed by two huge projection screens swirling through the
psychological chaos of a man in the depths of paranoia.

It’s a manifestation of Coppola’s goal for this
project, captivating the audience with the visual aspects of film
and building upon the concentration of stage acting.

Through this experience, Haeusser discovered the vulnerability
of the actors, the immediacy of the stage and the sometimes obtuse
nature of theater.

“Film is more forgiving toward the actor,” Haeusser
said. “With theater, everything is there. It’s much
more vulnerable. But you have much less control as a director as
well.”

Haeusser is embracing these aspects of theater, discovering that
it brings her closer to the audience and provides a more intimate
interaction with the actors.

“In theater, the actors must be in character continuously.
They are scrutinized continuously,” Haeusser said. “In
a play, you have to hit every beat, you have to hit every emotional
moment because if you don’t hit one, then it’s like a
domino effect and the whole scene falls apart.”

In the end, the actors are exposed and the director is left a
bystander. Yet, with the live interaction on stage, there is an
undeniable power.

“The screenwriter and director envision the scene way
before it actually comes together,” Haeusser said of the film
process.

Pelfrey’s character insight and Haeusser’s visual
expertise, together with the actors’ emotions and
experiences, create a powerful presence.

“With film, the cutting process and the editing room is
the place for life,” Haeusser said. “On the stage,
suddenly it has life. All the props work and the actors fit and
it’s a really wonderful moment.”