Scott Weinstein returns to Bloomington to direct "The Break" at Waldron
Not every love affair has to end in marriage so says award-winning director Scott Weinstein, who has returned to Bloomington, this time to direct the world premiere of "The Break: A New Rock Musical" at Constellation Stage & Screen June 6-23.
One thing that attracted this New York- and Chicago-based creative to the hilarious yet tender "The Break" is the longterm-relationship memories it spurred as he read the script.
"This plot is very different from my own college relationship (resulting in marriage and a baby)," he said over the phone. Yet some lingering similarities sucked him in.
Emmy-nominated talents Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond have created a brand new musical rom com about Sam and Charlie, who have been together since college.
They're in love. Maybe.
So why do they shun the marriage talk? A monthlong "break" from each other allows them to date around and discover if a Sam-Charlie lifetime contract is their thing.
Kooman and Dimond’s work can be experienced in the Disney Junior series "Vampirina" and Netflix's "Ridley Jones." Their stage musicals include "Romantics Anonymous," which premiered at London's Shakespeare's Globe. For Bloomington audiences they wrote Constellation’s "The Enlightenment of Percival von Schmootz" (2020).
Two experienced musical theater performers star: Alex Keiper and Louis Pardo are both making their Constellation debuts. Keiper is a New York-based actor who has performed across the country including at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Pardo is a California-based actor who has performed in national tours including "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Hair."
Director Weinstein's work has been seen in venues such as Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. His chamber version of "Ragtime" was nominated for 10 Joseph Jefferson Awards, winning four, including Best Director and Best Production. Among other honors, he earned a Berkshire Theatre Festival Directing Fellowship and a Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership. He was the associate director for the Equity National Tour's Las Vegas and Chicago productions of "Million Dollar Quartet."
"The Break" team members include scenic designer Christopher Rhoton, lighting designer Jennifer Fok, costume designer Dana Tzvetkov, sound designer Brandon Reed, stage manager MitchellWard, assisted by Katie Ayer, props manager Aubrey Krueger and props artisan Barb Steininger.
"You're directing this like a musical"
Weinstein uses auditions and callbacks as mini rehearsals. In addition, he knows where he wants the process to go. "I'm flexible, but there's always a plan," he said. That's because "thousands of things can go wrong" in any show.
For this production, there might be even more than the normal stress, since the writers, Kooman and Dimond are sitting in on rehearsals. Weinstein, however, said he sees their attendance as a big bonus. For one thing, they are two of his favorite writers: "funny with heart."
For another thing, Weinstein adores musicals, more than any other genre. "I'm not a singer, but I love music and storytelling," he said. In fact, when he directs straight plays, he sometimes hears, "Hey, you're directing this like a musical." For him, musicals are all about that collaboration with choreographers, set designers, orchestras, music directors.
The worst part of directing might be that when things do go wrong in a production, it's the director who receives the scorn, "never the costumer!"
If you go
WHAT: "The Break: A New Rock Musical" by Emmy-nominated talents Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond. For people 18+.
WHEN: June 6-23, visit https://seeconstellation.org/mainstage/the-break/ for times.
WHERE: Waldron Arts Center auditorium, 122 S. Walnut St.
TICKETS: Reserved, starting at $35 for adults, $20 for students. On Thursdays, choose your own price from $5-$75. Tickets available through seeconstellation.org, phone at 812-336-9300 (Mon-Fri 12-5 p.m.) or in-person at 122 S. Walnut St. (open Wed.-Fri. 12-5 p.m.).
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Constellation producing 'The Break" A New Rock Musical' in June
