Permission granted by Maggie Niven
Advice from a professional actor:
"You cannot become a really good actor if you do not act regularly, and you cannot stay a good actor unless you act regularly. If you are not actively working on a consistent basis, the only other option available is to attend acting classes on a consistent basis. If you think you can learn and maintain your “acting chops” without getting on your feet and acting every single week, you are only fooling yourself. If you say things such as “I would love to study, but I can’t afford to pay for classes,” that simply means you have chosen to make other things in your life more important."
"The single most important element in acting classes is your preparation. You must prepare to perform, whether it’s in an audition or when you are cast in a production or project. Who you are as an actor and what defines how good you are, depends on how well you have prepared in classes. You can’t say, “It’s just a class, but if I get an audition or a job, then I will really prepare.” Truth? No, you won’t! You must develop preparation skills through habit. Practice, practice, practice. Actors who study get a whole lot more work than actors who don’t study!"
"The single most important element in acting classes is your preparation. You must prepare to perform, whether it’s in an audition or when you are cast in a production or project. Who you are as an actor and what defines how good you are, depends on how well you have prepared in classes. You can’t say, “It’s just a class, but if I get an audition or a job, then I will really prepare.” Truth? No, you won’t! You must develop preparation skills through habit. Practice, practice, practice. Actors who study get a whole lot more work than actors who don’t study!"
The best way to get better at auditioning is to take a theatre class.
"When you're not practicing, someone else is getting better."
"When you're not practicing, someone else is getting better."
Setting:
A small, provincial Russian town, 1836
Act I: The sitting room in the house of the mayor.
Act II: A small room in the inn of the town, immediately following.
Act III thru Act V: Again in the sitting room at the mayor’s, some time later.
A small, provincial Russian town, 1836
Act I: The sitting room in the house of the mayor.
Act II: A small room in the inn of the town, immediately following.
Act III thru Act V: Again in the sitting room at the mayor’s, some time later.
Adaptor’s Note:
It is with great humility that I offer this new adaptation of this classic comedy.
I first read The Government Inspector in 1967 as a class assignment when I was taking Russian Theatre from my teacher and mentor, Professor William Kuhlke, at the University of Kansas.
At some time or another, I saw the musical movie version, The Inspector General, starring Danny Kaye. I have only a dim memory of that.
I encountered the play again when I was serving as a Festival Respondent at the Arizona State
Festival of the American College Theatre Festival in the late 70s.
It had quite gone out of my mind until the Spring of 2010 when I began to formulate a plan to
create EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre)—to bring together members of the wonderfully
talented professional theatre community in the Greater Kansas City area to present a series of
one-night-only concert-style stage readings of plays that are, sadly, too often un-produced—due
to their large cast size or number of sets, etc.
As EARTh was being formulated, I contacted my dear friend and colleague, Doug Weaver, and
asked him to send me a list of ten plays that he might like to direct as stage readings. He replied
with, “Ten plays? I’ll send you a list of a hundred!” The Government Inspector was high on his
list, and, as such, was included in EARTh’s Inaugural Series.
Once that was determined, we then needed to select which translation/adaptation we wanted to
use. There are numerous ones from which to choose. For one reason or another, none seemed
quite right for us—one was perhaps too archaic, one too academic, one too contemporary, etc. I
decided to try my hand at making “our own” adaptation.
I wish to recognize the translations/adaptations that have gone before and those translators/
adaptors whose work I have used to guide and inspire me. In particular, they include Thomas
Seltzer, Ronald Wilks, Leonid Ignatieff, Peter Raby, and Jeffrey Hatcher. I am in their debt.
And, of course, are all in the debt of Mr. Gogol, whose self-evident comic genius has endured
for over 175 years.
—Kip Niven
28 February 2011
I first read The Government Inspector in 1967 as a class assignment when I was taking Russian Theatre from my teacher and mentor, Professor William Kuhlke, at the University of Kansas.
At some time or another, I saw the musical movie version, The Inspector General, starring Danny Kaye. I have only a dim memory of that.
I encountered the play again when I was serving as a Festival Respondent at the Arizona State
Festival of the American College Theatre Festival in the late 70s.
It had quite gone out of my mind until the Spring of 2010 when I began to formulate a plan to
create EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre)—to bring together members of the wonderfully
talented professional theatre community in the Greater Kansas City area to present a series of
one-night-only concert-style stage readings of plays that are, sadly, too often un-produced—due
to their large cast size or number of sets, etc.
As EARTh was being formulated, I contacted my dear friend and colleague, Doug Weaver, and
asked him to send me a list of ten plays that he might like to direct as stage readings. He replied
with, “Ten plays? I’ll send you a list of a hundred!” The Government Inspector was high on his
list, and, as such, was included in EARTh’s Inaugural Series.
Once that was determined, we then needed to select which translation/adaptation we wanted to
use. There are numerous ones from which to choose. For one reason or another, none seemed
quite right for us—one was perhaps too archaic, one too academic, one too contemporary, etc. I
decided to try my hand at making “our own” adaptation.
I wish to recognize the translations/adaptations that have gone before and those translators/
adaptors whose work I have used to guide and inspire me. In particular, they include Thomas
Seltzer, Ronald Wilks, Leonid Ignatieff, Peter Raby, and Jeffrey Hatcher. I am in their debt.
And, of course, are all in the debt of Mr. Gogol, whose self-evident comic genius has endured
for over 175 years.
—Kip Niven
28 February 2011
The first public performance of this adaptation was the third presentation in the Inaugural Series
(2010-’11) of EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre) on February 21st, 2011, in the
theatre/auditorium of the Music & Arts Building on the campus of St. Teresa’s Academy in
Kansas City, MO.
(2010-’11) of EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre) on February 21st, 2011, in the
theatre/auditorium of the Music & Arts Building on the campus of St. Teresa’s Academy in
Kansas City, MO.
The Company included:
The Mayor...............................................Doug Weaver
The Superintendent of Schools.........Scott Cordes
The Judge.......................................Herman Johansen
The Director of Charities.....Richard Alan Nichols
Mishka.....................................................Dodie Brown
The Postmaster........................................Larry Greer
Dobchinsky..............................................Ray Ettinger
Bobchinsky........................................Michael Dragen
The Sergeant..................................Martin Buchanan
The Chief of Police................................Evan Gamsu
The Mayor’s Wife....................Melinda MacDonald
Marya...........................................Jennie Greenberry
Osip.......................................................Ken Remmert
Khletsakov......................................Darren Kennedy
The Waitress....................................Natalie Weaver
Merchant I.............................................Kevin Albert
Merchant II....................................Marshall Rimann
Merchant III............................................Rick Brown
The Locksmith’s Wife.......................Jennifer Mays
The Corporal’s Widow....................Katie Gilchrest
The Mayor...............................................Doug Weaver
The Superintendent of Schools.........Scott Cordes
The Judge.......................................Herman Johansen
The Director of Charities.....Richard Alan Nichols
Mishka.....................................................Dodie Brown
The Postmaster........................................Larry Greer
Dobchinsky..............................................Ray Ettinger
Bobchinsky........................................Michael Dragen
The Sergeant..................................Martin Buchanan
The Chief of Police................................Evan Gamsu
The Mayor’s Wife....................Melinda MacDonald
Marya...........................................Jennie Greenberry
Osip.......................................................Ken Remmert
Khletsakov......................................Darren Kennedy
The Waitress....................................Natalie Weaver
Merchant I.............................................Kevin Albert
Merchant II....................................Marshall Rimann
Merchant III............................................Rick Brown
The Locksmith’s Wife.......................Jennifer Mays
The Corporal’s Widow....................Katie Gilchrest
The presentation was produced in association with Kansas City Young Audiences under the
jurisdiction of the Actors’ Equity Association Kansas City-area Liaison Committee as an AEA
Member’s Project Code. The presentation was under the direction of Doug Weaver, with Jim
Mitchell as Production Stage Manager. The MPC Coordinator was Kip Niven, MPC Treasurer
was Sarah LaBarr, who also, along with Kathleen Warfel, served as House Managers.
Invaluable assistance was provided by Katie McCalla, Production Intern, Claire MacLachlan,
Stage Management Intern, and Maggie Niven, Front-of-House Intern.
jurisdiction of the Actors’ Equity Association Kansas City-area Liaison Committee as an AEA
Member’s Project Code. The presentation was under the direction of Doug Weaver, with Jim
Mitchell as Production Stage Manager. The MPC Coordinator was Kip Niven, MPC Treasurer
was Sarah LaBarr, who also, along with Kathleen Warfel, served as House Managers.
Invaluable assistance was provided by Katie McCalla, Production Intern, Claire MacLachlan,
Stage Management Intern, and Maggie Niven, Front-of-House Intern.