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<\/a>Carr understands if people are hesitant to see the play due to its title, but he says that audiences should move past judgements like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do appreciate the fact that there may be some younger couples that will go, \u2018I don\u2019t want to see a play about urine,\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
But the play is most definitely not about pee, says Carr.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a play about power,\u201d he says, \u201cand a play about rebellion, revolution, all of those elements.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carr says it can be more challenging to direct a comedy than a drama: as always, the director needs to remain aware of characters\u2019 motivations while keeping in mind blocking and other elements of theatre, but there is the additional responsibility of throwing comedic timing into the mix.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s multi-layers to playing a comedy which you don\u2019t always get when you\u2019re doing a drama,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Carr\u2019s job comes down to looking deep into the characters\u2019 motivation and making some technical adjustments to the actors\u2019 and actresses\u2019 processes during rehearsal.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt every rehearsal, characters are saying, \u2018Why am I doing this?\u2019 That\u2019s always the basic question for an actor: \u2018Why are you doing this?\u2019 They ask the same questions. I have to answer those questions,\u201d says Carr. \u201cBut at the same time, I will say to them, \u2018Okay, what I want you do at this moment is put a big pause there, look in this direction there, or just do this one directly at the audience,\u2019 because those are stylistic cues, and those come with the territory of either comedy or this particular satirical style of play.\u201d<\/p>\n
The characters sometimes narrate to the audience, which poses unique directorial challenges for Carr in terms of comedic timing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe actors of the play frequently stand aside from the plot and they become very much representational,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re deliberately being evocative and provocative.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carr says that any satire that currently deals with political power nods to Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re living in a world in which abuse of power is rampant,\u201d says Carr, \u201cand this is a play about the abuse of power.\u201d<\/p>\n
And satire itself is a powerful medium, says Carr. He says there is a joy in doing satire that goes beyond other forms of theatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone can stand on stage and do a pretty dance or sing a pretty song,\u201d he says, \u201cbut if you\u2019ve got something with some balls in it\u2014and this one really does\u2014 it\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n