Creating A Steady Rain in Sante Fe with my good friends Shaun Sipos, Lewis Pullman, and Justin Huen was an adventure in how art seems to be made in 2023.
Shaun and I have been wanting to work together for years. When the idea was floated to do a play while he was filming Outer Range it was a no-brainer, but we faced challenges that would necessitate challenging the ways we had worked in the past. We would have to create a new way to collaborate if we were to succeed. Our primary challenges were physical proximity and schedules; I live in Los Angeles and I couldn’t go on location while they were filming because of the erratic hours.
We wanted to make it work and were committed; we knew we could figure out how to make it work, but we had to be strategic. Finding the right piece was everything. I found the play A Steady Rain by Keith Huff in which the actors are in a dialogue. We began rehearsals over Zoom four months ahead, working our meetings in when we could, from our various physical locations and timezones, delving into the text while each of them took turns filming their TV series.
After completing my men’s program in Colorado at the beginning of June, I drove down to Sante Fe. We had about 11 days to get the play on its feet. Justin Huen came down with me and designed the lights and set, and we truly had some magic happen. The artists gave it their collective all, working all night on set, and it all came together.
The dedication and the commitment to making art was remarkable.
One of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in the theatre.
This is part 1 of 2. Part 2 coming soon, with reflections on the Production of A Steady Rain in Los Angeles this August.
