Oriana caught up with Alexandra King to congratulate and ask her about her acclaimed production, Seraglio.
Tell us all about Seraglio and how you conceived it! Premiered in 1989 in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ojai and Salt Lake City. It is a three-act folkloric ballet about star-crossed lovers in early twentieth century Istanbul. It is the story of a Turkish girl and Greek boy who fall in love, despite their cultural and class differences and decide to risk everything to be together. She is the youngest daughter of the wealthy Turman family and he is a poor Greek immigrant who seeks a better life in the metropolis of Istanbul. When their relationship is discovered, they are forced to face the reality that their love and their lives are threatened.
Through the lens of the Aegean conflict, Seraglio reflects the hardship of young lovers who bear the cross of forbidden love in a multicultural society; it reflects the universal struggle of immigrants to assimilate. Like Romeo and Juliet or Tony and Maria of West Side Story, Seraglio tells the age-old story of star-crossed lovers from a fresh perspective, and in a new style - folk dance, thus disrupting the status quo of dance theater as a European art. With 40 dancers, actors and a snake, elaborate sets and a grand score, Seraglio brings all the power and passion of Greek and Turkish music and dance to the stage.
What was your casting process like?
The casting process was difficult because of the lack of supply of dancers in Sta. Barbara; there were virtually none, (a COVID made situation). So, I went to LA and that was just about as miserable because no one wanted to work weekly in Santa Barbara (1.5 hrs north). But I got the dancer I had my heart set on - Devilla! - I wore her down and she joined and brought me the gorgeous dancer, Lisa Marie Young! Over time - between meet-ups and cast members scouting for me - I cast the entire show - 42 dancers and actors. It was not easy. Part B of this answer is that I had to teach actors to dance and dancers to act: so when "auditioning", it was daunting. I gave short combos which just about destroyed the actors and had to pull teeth for a while to teach dancers to be dramatic and get into and stay - in character. But during the last 2 weeks of rehearsals the entire cast stepped up to the plate and transformed into academy-award-winning theatrical dancers!
What were the most important details in the direction and choreography?
The most important details were:
1. Intellectually, to be clear and succinct with explanations and demonstrations, and honest in a way that can be accepted and digested, (diplomatically blunt).
2. Physical (dance) details were drill-drill - drill. Separate groups and have them work together or with the assistant director, while I focused on a group.
3. Emotional details were first and foremost, for me, patience and listening more than I talk - let the artists talk. Show the emotion on the outside for them to see, then tell them about the incidents in my life that I drew on to express the emotion. It helped create trust and empathy between me and the artist. Have everyone dance at the start then practice characters and emotions right after - if we had time! Did you have challenges in audience interest?
No challenge (for once!) with audience interest! I made the low target/minimum and luckily another donor stepped up at the last minute, so the bills were all paid.
Do you have plans for another showing? How can the community get involved?
I am distributing flash drives to some of the cast who are going to Greece this summer to try and locate a producer there. I have also reached out to Dora Stratrou in Athens - she was enthusiastic about having us there - we just need $$! We are also searching for a donor to take it to LA.....everything hinges on money....sigh.
How can you help? Help us find $100K.....we could do a 3-day run in any city for about that much at this point.
Anything else you'd like to share?
My new project is a documentary, Big Fish, Small Pond character-driven expose about the state of world dance in America through the eyes of four iconic dancers who struggled to be included in the mainstream dance world. Big Fish, Small Pond asks the question, can world dance be included in the mainstream of dance in an ethnocentric society that claims to be multicultural?
SERAGLIO - A Folkloric Ballet (alexandraking.com)
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