Your play is an eight-hour adaptation of Dostoevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov. Why did you choose to adapt this novel?
It's been my favorite novel since I was 16. Originally, I felt that justice couldn't be done to it on the stage—adapting the book would require a mini-series format. Then Allan Buchman of the Culture Project suggested doing a stage mini-series, which we did as a Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab/Culture Project festival. In that case, each part was adapted by a different director—I adapted and directed the first episode (which became the first act of The Brothers Karamazov, Part I). Doing a mini-series with a single case would involve a higher level of Equity agreement, which would be more expensive, and it would be much harder to hold a cast together. That's why I eventually settled on the two-part, Nicholas Nickelby-style adaptation.
For you, what were some of the advantages and disadvantages of working on something so big and well known?
The only disadvantage is that it's been adapted before and will be adapted again, so, when the plays were in production, I was concerned that other adaptations would be running. The advantage is that my adaptation serves to introduce people to one of the great works of Western literature. Several audience members have come up to me and told me the plays have inspired them to read the book.
The original production of The Brothers Karamazov was broken into two parts, which were each played at different venues almost a year apart. Were they done separately on purpose or out of necessity?
It was because of financial necessity. Ideally, I'd like to do both parts in rotating rep with marathon days.
You've previously adapted Chekhov and Sherwood Anderson, and directed Shakespeare and the Greeks. So, you obviously like the classics. What draws you to them, and what do you like most about them?
With Shakespeare and the Greeks, I'm drawn to their moral ambiguity—these plays don't preach. I'm also drawn to the universality of the plays' themes. Chekhov is a master of the classic short story with an ironic twist at the end. This form is perfectly suited to one-act plays. In the early chapters of Winesburg, Ohio, Sherwood Anderson writes haunting character portraits.
Much of your work has been produced by The Eleventh Hour Theatre Company. Tell us a little bit more about them.
I'm the founder and artistic director of The Eleventh Hour. We made our debut with Henry V in 1999. The Eleventh Hour Theatre is guided by three basic principles: telling stories simply and clearly, presenting human beings and ideas in all their complexity without passing judgment, and striving to offer the audience a transcendent experience using ritual, music, and movement to enable the audience to viscerally connect with something larger than themselves. The elements that characterize The Eleventh Hour’s work are found most often in classical plays. The Eleventh is primarily, but not exclusively, a classical theatre company.
During the school year you work at Clemson University. What do you do for them, and how'd you first get involved with the university?
I teach directing, acting Shakespeare, theatre history, and theatre appreciation for non-majors. I found out about the job through my collaborator, lighting and set designer Tony Penna. He began teaching at Clemson shortly after we did Brothers K, Part II.
I understand you made your onstage theatre debut at the age of nine. So, you started out as an actor?
Yes. I mostly acted off-off Broadway, although I made a commercial when I was 12 or 13 and a TV movie when I was 15. I switched over to directing when I was 24. Directing engages me more intellectually, and when I was younger I was too self-conscious to be a really good actor.
What's next for you, professionally speaking?
Composer Carman Moore and I will be remounting The Burial at Thebes, which we originally did at Clemson and at La MaMa. Clemson student Claire Pavlich will be doing the choreography.
Interview with Alexander Harrington was conducted by Michael Criscuolo October 2006.