>> THIS IS RALEIGH, 117 SOUTHWEST STREET, AN OLD
WAREHOUSE THAT CURRENTLY LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE IT COULD BE A
SECRET HIDEOUT IN EASTERN EUROPE DURING THE COLD WAR DAYS.
BURNING COAL THEATRE DIRECTOR JEROME DAVIS KNEW THIS WAS THE
PERFECT VENUE FOR HIS SERIES OF PLAYS SET IN EASTERN EUROPE IN
THE DAYS BEFORE AND AFTER THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL AND,
FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING, THE IRON CURTAIN.
>> WE HAD A WALK-THROUGH OF FOUR OR FIVE SPACES IN THE DOWNTOWN
AREA, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT WE CAME TO, AND I DIDN'T
REALLY WANT TO GO TO SEE THE OTHERS BECAUSE I KNEW
IMMEDIATELY THAT THIS WAS THE ONE WE WANTED.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SPACE THAT REALLY LENDS ITSELF
TO FEELING LIKE YOU'RE REALLY THERE, LIKE YOU'RE REALLY IN A
DANGEROUS AND SCARY PLACE.
>> I THINK THE VENUE HAS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL.
IT'S JUST THIS -- THIS REALLY BIG, RAW SPACE THAT WE CAN KIND
OF DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF WITH.
>> THERE WILL BE A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF TO DO.
THE BURNING COAL THEATRE COMPANY HAS A REPUTATION FOR TACKLING
CHALLENGES, AND "THE IRON CURTAIN TRILOGY" IS JUST THAT.
NEVER BEFORE HAS ANY COMPANY PERFORMED THE ENTIRE SERIES IN
REPERTORY.
THAT'S ONE AFTER THE OTHER AFTER THE OTHER IN THE SAME VENUE, ON
THE SAME WEEKEND.
>> AND EACH ONE OF THEM HAS A DIFFERENT SET AND A DIFFERENT
AUDIENCE CONFIGURATION.
SO ONE IS DONE IN THE ROUND.
ONE IS DONE IN WHAT'S CALLED 3/4 THRUST WITH THE AUDIENCE ON
THREE SIDES.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS IN AN ALLEY CONFIGURATION WITH THE
AUDIENCE ON TWO SIDES AND THE ACTORS PLAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF
THAT.
SO WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUT NOT ONLY THE SET EVERY NIGHT, BUT WE
HAVE TO CHANGE OUT THE AUDIENCE RISERS AS WELL.
>> SO ARE YOU GOING TO LET BRUCE GO?
>> REARRANGING THE FURNITURE IS ONE THING.
ACTING OUT ONE CHARACTER ON A FRIDAY AND DIFFERENT ONES ON
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WILL BE THE CHALLENGE ACTORS MUST DEAL WITH.
>> AFTER THE DEBACLE OF LAST SATURDAY.
>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SOMETIMES ASK HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
AND YOU JUST DO.
AND, FOR ME, A LOT OF IT IS JUST THE COSTUME.
AS LONG AS I PUT ON THE RIGHT COSTUME, THEN, MENTALLY,
EMOTIONALLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY, I'M READY.
I'M THERE.
>> I WAS -- I WAS APPOINTED TO --
>> ALL THREE OF THE PLAYS, "SHAPE OF THE TABLE,"
"PENTECOST," AND "THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA," ARE FICTIONAL.
BUT LIKE ANY GOOD BURNING COAL PRODUCTION, THERE WILL BE A LOT
OF BURNING QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION TO BE HAD AFTER THE
CURTAIN FALLS, OR IN THE CASE OF THIS SPACE, AFTER THE ACTORS
LEAVE THE BUILDING.
>> FOR ME, AS A PERSON, YOU KNOW, HAVING BEEN IN THEATRE FOR
OVER TWO DECADES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
I'M NOT LOOKING TO TELL PEOPLE HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THINGS OR WHAT
TO THINK ABOUT THINGS.
BUT I WANT TO GIVE THEM, IN THE TIME THAT WE SPEND TOGETHER, AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DO EXACTLY THAT SO THAT THE CONVERSATION CAN
KEEP GOING.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE NOT TALKING, SOMETIMES WE'RE JUST FIGHTING.
AND SO THAT'S SORT OF PERSONALLY WHERE MY STAKE IS.
>> THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL IS THE SYMBOL OF THE DISSOLUTION
OF THE IRON CURTAIN.
25 YEARS AGO NOBODY COULD HAVE PREDICTED JUST HOW IMMINENT AND
DRAMATIC THESE EVENTS WOULD BE.
>> THE CHARACTERS ARE LITERALLY FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES.
THEY'RE, UM -- THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR POWER.
THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR IDENTITY, AND THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR PEACE.
TO MAKE IT MORE DRAMATIC, NONE OF THEM HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA
HOW TO PROCEED BECAUSE IT'S A WHOLE NEW WORLD FOR THEM, AND SO
THEIR -- THEIR -- IT'S LIKE TWO PEOPLE.
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE TWO BOXERS BLINDFOLDED IN A RING, YOU KNOW,
THAT'S WHAT THE PLAYS FEEL LIKE TO ME.
AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE NEXT PUNCH IS GOING TO LAND.
>> "THE IRON CURTAIN TRILOGY," WRITTEN BY TONY AWARD-WINNER
DAVID EDGAR AND DIRECTED BY JEROME DAVIS OF THE BURNING COAL
THEATRE, RUNS FROM SEPTEMBER 4th TO THE 27th IN RALEIGH.
THE COMPANY THEN TAKES THE SHOWS ON THE ROAD TO PERFORM AT THE
COCKPIT THEATRE IN LONDON IN NOVEMBER.
I'M RICK SULLIVAN FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."