Director Hisa Takakuwa Discusses A Christmas Carol
When it comes to South Coast Repertory’s A Christmas Carol, Hisa Takakuwa defines knowledge. Before taking over as director, she spent 14 years as assistant director to John-David Keller on Orange County’s annual holiday tradition. Prior to that, she performed for 14 years in a variety of roles, including Sally.
The bona-fides are there. So is Takakuwa’s extensive and celebrated work with young cast members in not only A Christmas Carol, but across many SCR plays. This dovetails with her “regular” duties directing SCR’s award-winning Theatre Conservatory, which she and her staff helped build into a vibrant teaching facility across the acting spectrum.
Takakuwa understands the storied role A Christmas Carol plays in Orange County. She sat down recently and discussed why A Christmas Carol resonates so much with audiences.
Tell us about your background with A Christmas Carol and why this is so special for you:
Hisa Takakuwa: “I have such a long history with this show and with SCR. I love the original novella, I love the story and I love (Charles) Dickens. I think it’s such an important bridge to welcoming people back into the theatre. It’s an open door to people who might not otherwise enjoy theatre. To be trusted with that responsibility of telling that story is a great gift.”
What is it like for you to connect with A Christmas Carol’s audience as a director, compared to when you were a performer?
HT: “Of all the shows I ever performed, the warmth of the audience and their response to A Christmas Carol is a special feeling. The connection to the audience is really special. It’s great as an audience member and it’s great as a cast member to share in that. I love that we’re part of their Christmas tradition. It’s a big responsibility and an honor and I know we won’t take it for granted this year.”
You come into the director’s chair with a new Scrooge: Richard Doyle. Tell us what Richard brings to this role.
HT: When we got a chance to work on the audio version last year (due to the pandemic), we had the opportunity to start a conversation on the story itself. Getting to know Richard through the conversations we had, he really views himself as a storyteller. Most actors I know do see themselves as storytellers, but he really puts the story at the center of everything he does. Every decision he makes here connects back to the story and what he wants to communicate to the audience. … Certainly his talent and his range of experience as an artist is exciting. To work with these (SCR) founding members is so moving. That’s an inadequate word here, but it’s so important. … He has wonderful presence, charisma and talent. He’ll be lovely in this role and I think we’ll have some fun.”
Last Stop on Market Street Rides Into January
SCR’s Theatre for Young Audiences and Families returns in January with an adaption of the New York Times best-selling children’s book Last Stop on Market Street. The musical joyride into appreciating the world around us, adapted by Cheryl L. West from Matt de la Peña’s award-winning book, runs Jan. 7, 2022 through Jan. 23 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.
Last Stop on Market Street captured the prestigious 2016 Newbury Medal and was a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book, among numerous other awards.
If you’re not familiar with the story behind Last Stop on Market Street, let de la Peña familiarize you with his book as he takes his own joyride: reading his book to Kansas City grade-schoolers in the book’s setting: a bus.
How Did They Do That? A Shot Rang Out’s Balloon Launch
Those balloons that rose at the end of A Shot Rang Out didn’t rise by themselves. Nor did they rise at the staggered pace they did without physics and more than a little creativity from SCR’s Prop Shop, which had the task of preparing the balloons for their climactic rise at the end of the show.
When Props Supervisor Cat V. Kerr and Assistant Props Supervisor Jenna Scordino got the assignment, finding the right amount and color of balloons was only the beginning. They bought eight different types of balloons and tested how sturdy and how aesthetically pleasing they were. Because they needed to order a large amount, Kerr, Scordino and Props Buyer Byron Bacon had to go directly to Party City’s supplier for the bulk order.
That’s when the fun began.
They applied different weights to the balloons, but soon realized that after a few minutes, the weighted balloons wouldn’t rise because helium is slowly escaping from the balloons.
“It was a really fun balance of how much weight can we add to make it slow, but still keep the balloons sitting in a box for up to three hours and still be able to rise up out of the box when we need them to,” Scordino said. “There was a lot of very confusing math and I am not a math person.”
At first, they tried drapery strings weighted with lead beads. When that got too complex, Bacon suggested fishing weights tied around the balloon string. That worked because those weights could be adjusted for atmospheric issues, such as a warmer-than-usual day in the theatre, or the second show in a two-show day, when the Segerstrom Stage is warmer.
Kerr and Scordino had to take weather and atmospheric matters into account when figuring out how much weight each balloon needed. Once they dialed that in through trial and error, they worked with Technical Director Jon Lagerquist and Assistant Technical Director John Gaddis on the physical task of releasing the balloons.
That was done through an automated device operating on pneumatic air. Once a trigger was pulled, a series of pins holding the balloons in place were released and the balloons flew skyward. Kerr said these were timed in a way to not look planned, but be planned.
“There are so many variables,” Kerr said. “You have the barometric pressure, you have the air flow, you have the temperature. Even in our shop, it’s different from the stage, because the ceiling height creates another factor. At first thought, it was kind of cool to have a science project, but as it got more and more complicated, it became a little less fun. But in hindsight, it is really cool to look back and realize we really did make physics change.”
Winter Adult Conservatory Class Schedule Set—Find Your Spot Now
Building your confidence through a fun improv class. Learning the elements of acting in an engaging fashion. Discover how to make your characters jump off the page in a playwriting class. Take a leap into SCR’s Winter Adult Conservatory classes and save $45 off the full-price tuition if you sign up before Dec. 6.
This winter, SCR offers eight classes that begin Jan. 24, 2022 and run through March 16.
SCR’s Conservatory faculty are all professional teaching artists, who merge a wealth of knowledge and experience with an engaging style that makes learning fun and accessible.
Here is this winter’s class list:
- Basic Skills—Mondays 6-9 p.m., Richard Soto, instructor
- Act II (Intermediate Acting)—Tuesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Diana Burbano, instructor
- Act III (Advanced Acting)—Tuesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Emily Heebner, instructor
- Improv—Tuesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Greg Atkins, instructor
- Advanced Improv—Wednesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Greg Atkins, instructor
- Screen Acting Technique—Mondays 6-9 p.m., Jay Scully, instructor
- Musical Theatre (Online)—Wednesdays 6-9 p.m., Tom Shelton, instructor
- Playwriting (Online)—Wednesdays 6-9 p.m., Diana Burbano, instructor
Check out more information here and don’t miss this opportunity to develop new skills.
Mark Your Calendars-Youth Conservatory Enrollment Begins Dec. 1
Building confidence, developing skills and unleashing students’ imaginations. Those are just a few benefits that come from enrolling your child or teen in one of SCR’s Youth Conservatory classes. Enrollment for the Winter Session begins Dec. 1.
SCR’s award-winning Conservatory classes run for 10 weeks. They teach not only the process, but also the craft of acting, bringing out skills and abilities that benefit students in life as well as the theatre. The Winter Session is open to all students and classes are structured by age group.
Help your child or grandchildren find their creative voice and unlock their potential by enrolling them in one of SCR’s Youth Conservatory classes.
See the impact Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa has on students in this video.
South Coast Repertory strives to keep all of its patrons, artists, staff and crew safe. So we want to ensure your theatre experience is a safe and enjoyable one, we ask you to bring the following items to your performance:
- Your vaccine card (physical, photo or digital). Or proof of a negative PCR test taken within three calendar days of your performance date
- Your mask
- Your tickets (if you already have them)
To expedite our safety screenings for all our patrons, please bring minimal personal items with you.
To ensure timely entry, please arrive early for your performance.
Credit on Your SCR Account?
If you were affected by the cancellation of plays during the pandemic, you may have a credit sitting in your SCR account. If you did not request a refund or gift certificate, the value of your tickets was automatically credited to your SCR account. That credit may be used to purchase single tickets and subscriptions to the 2021-22 season and can be applied to your order by our Ticket Services staff, but cannot be accessed online.
To inquire if you have credit on your SCR account, please call Ticket Services at (714) 708-5555. Subscribers may call the Subscriber Hotline at (714) 708-5599.
How to Contact Us
- Box Office: Call (714) 708-5555 or email BoxOffice@scr.org. Reach us Sundays-Mondays, noon-6 p.m. and Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Administration: Call (714) 708-5500 or email theatre@scr.org. The administrative office hours are Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
- Education: Call (714) 708-5510 or email education@scr.org. The education office hours are Mondays-Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
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Photo: David Ivers in A Shot Rang Out, photo by Jenny Graham.
South Coast Repertory | Emmes/Benson Theatre Center | 655 Town Center Drive | Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Segerstrom Center for the Arts | Administration 714-708-5500 | Ticket Services 714-708-5555