California Suite
Sweet and Sour Productions
For her latest project with Sweet and Sour Productions, director Candice Moore decided to try her hand at comedy.
She chose Neil Simon's California Suite which, although a Broadway hit in 1976/77, is better known for the 1978 film, with an all star cast which included British actress Maggie Smith who won an Oscar for her performance as an actress who fails to win an Oscar.
'I've never seen it as a play but I saw it as a movie and thought it was very funny,' says Moore. 'It's about relationships with different people in situations I think it is easy to relate to, and it is a comedy, so it is different from the things I've directed before, which tend to be more serious dramas.'
Any experienced actor or director will tell you that comedy is harder than 'serious drama' - and this, in any case, has its serious side - but California Suite comprises four short playlets, all of which have to be made to work individually and cumulatively. Making life harder for the cast was the decision to have four of the actors double up roles.
'Each of the four playlets has a distinct style and the actors have a wide range of acting styles that suit each piece. So from a directing perspective it is like directing four separate short plays, which is a nice challenge,' says Moore.
