AN INTERVIEW WITH HOWARD HORNFELD
ENGLISH LANGUAGE THEATRE IN AND AROUND GENEVA
Take the rigour and method of a Doctor of Chemistry, add more than 30 years of firsthand experience of amateur theatre at every echelon of the play-making process, catalyse with a generous measure of enthusiasm, imagination and tenacity and you have Howard Hornfeld, Impresario, Founder and Director of Howard Productions.
To coincide with Howard Production’s winter performance “Dorian Gray” (see box), Howard, who worked with UNECE from 1994–2001, kindly agreed to enlighten UN Special readers as to what is on offer to English-speaking theatre goers in Geneva. Useful links can be found at the end of the article.
So just how and why did Howard Productions come to be? Well, quite by accident according to Howard…it all began in the summer of 1998 with two free tickets won on
World Radio Geneva (now World Radio Switzerland) for a performance of Macbeth at
the Château de Gruyères… Howard was smitten with this wonderful outdoor experience, and realised that it filled a niche not
yet filled by either of the “established” theatre companies on the Geneva scene at that
time, the Geneva English Drama Society
(GEDS) or the Geneva Amateur Operatic
Society (GAOS) (see below). He was determined Geneva theatre-goers would have the
same – and six months later, they did!
The summer shows staged by Howard Productions are always “Shakespeare in a Château”, on balmy Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, performed in front of an audience
of about 500 people. “We have always been
lucky with the weather” says Howard convincingly, although he did let on that a stock of
rain ponchos (like the ones at ciné-lac) are
available if the heavens do decide to open! In
the early days, the splendid settings of the
Châteaux of Coppet and Crans provided the
backdrop to plays as different as King Lear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The elegant 18th century Château de Prangins has
been the venue in recent years and will be
again from 18–20 June 2009 for this year’s
play, Cymbeline, to be performed by a new-
to-Geneva troupe, Theatre Set-Up. This romantic comedy was written relatively late in
Shakespeare’s career, when the bard was at
the height of his poetic powers. For a stylish
start to the evening, theatre goers who so
desire can also opt for a pre-show drink and
canapés on the château’s beautiful lakeside
terrace, with its magnificent views over Lake
Geneva and the Alps.
Howard Productions’ winter shows are always of classical inspiration with a social commentary and have included in recent years
Harold and Maude, Lord of the Flies and The
Crucible. They are often, as in the case of the
most recent offering, The Picture of Dorian
Gray, books adapted for the stage rather than
plays, and frequently correspond to “A” level
or equivalent texts. A 4th performance of winter shows is indeed staged on the Friday afternoon for a secondary school audience. For
these winter shows, Howard Productions
work with the British theatre company TNT,
under the direction of Paul Stebbings.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
29, 30, 31 January 2009
Salle Centrale de la Madeleine
Howard Productions’ winter season premiered to a full-house for its three-night sold-out run.
The audience was in fine spirits after a pre-show drink in the foyer, served by efficient Howard
Productions catering staff and in the presence of the ebullient and elegant Howard Hornfeld,
founder and director of the theatre company that bears his name. The 4 actors of TNT Theatre Europe, under the direction of Paul Stebbings, performed a dramatically and visually effective stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s infamous novel, first published in 1890.
The action takes place in Victorian London and explores the timeless themes of art, beauty
and youth in the context of the hedonistic life led by artists, artistes and aristocrats at this
time – of which Wilde himself was a notorious example.
Paul Stebbings alludes to certain sensitive issues raised by the original text but successfully
avoids their becoming the main focus of the action. Humourous interludes, inspired by the
Music Hall style prevalent at the time, add light relief to what is quite a sombre and contradictory tale and are a subtle way of inviting the spectator to consider the issue of morality
in a broader sense.
The versatility of the actors, each of whom, except the title role, plays at least two parts requiring physical and vocal transformations, is quite impressive. Paul Flush’s original musical
score enhances both the drama and the comedy of this fast-moving and well-choreographed
performance
Howard Productions is now ten years old and has evolved into a structured organization with five distinct departments: publicity, catering, ticket sales, front of house and technical back-up. The curtain has now fallen on Dorian Gray and this well-oiled machine is now geared to the promotion of the summer show – full details can be found on the Howard Productions website (see below) and tickets go on sale as of 4 June.
Other theatre companies in Geneva
English language theatre is nothing new to
Geneva. The oldest of the 4 theatre companies currently active in Geneva, the Geneva
English Drama Society (GEDS) was founded in 1933. With 250 active members, its
programme is both ambitious and eclectic. A
typical season includes 3–4 full stage productions and 15–20 fortnightly rehearsed
play readings which attract both experienced
and aspiring actors. Workshops and social events are also organized. Howard explained
that it was with GEDS that he “learnt his
craft” and he continues to be an active member. The role he will be playing in GEDS’
forthcoming show, Gaslight, by Patrick Hamilton, will be that of stage manager. The
show, staged at the Théâtre de l’Espérance
runs from 10–14 March and, for those who
like to combine their theatre outings with
dining, Howard particularly recommends the
restaurant at this venue.
The Geneva Amateur Operatic Society (GAOS), founded in 1971 and boasting 450 members, began its career with productions of Gilbert and Sullivan light operas but is probably best-known in Geneva today for its traditional Christmas pantomime. This year, for the first time, it was the Théâtre du Léman at the Hotel Kempinski (ex Hilton) which welcomed more than 4000 spectators, both young and young at heart for 4 sold-out and joyous performances of Aladdin complete with a villain (“Don’t you just love me?”), Widow Twanky and peking duck… (If you’re lost, make sure you go next year…you’ll soon get the hang of it!) In addition to the panto, GAOS stages an operetta or musical comedy with full orchestra in March or April and a Music Hall, cabaret or revue as a summer show in June. A choral group, musical evenings, participation in international festivals (most recently Waterford in Ireland) and the organization of seminars on various aspects of theatre technique keep members busy and the public entertained all year round. There are two other noteworthy “actors” on the Geneva scene. Simply Theatre, founded five years ago, stages shows (Sleuth, Educa ting Rita) but is also an Academy of English language theatre arts for adults, adolescents and children from the age of three. It offers a wide range of courses run by professionals all year round, including corporate workshops that can be anything from a half-day to a week in length. Maybe an original (and certainly effective) solution for your section’s next teambuilding retreat!
The Geneva Literary Aid Society (GLAS), founded in 2004 to mark the fictional centenary of James Joyce’s Ulysses, is largely supported by the Irish community of Geneva and stages one-night shows involving one or two performers that are more “original” and “intellectual” in their approach: “Theatre, music, comedy, politics, poetry, prose… all have been given the GLAS treatment over the last three years”. Funds collected are donated to the care and treatment of people living with AIDS and, more recently, to a Kenyan orphanage. So ladies and gentlemen, now that the days are getting longer, and that you have proof that Geneva is not a cultural desert (for Anglophones at least), put some drama in your life – either as a spectator in front of the stage, an actor “that struts and frets his hour upon the stage” or use your technical or artistic skills back-stage. You don’t need to be a native speaker to play any of these roles, enthusiasm and a minimum of commitment are all that are needed. For newcomers to Geneva, this is also a great way to get to know people…
Websites
Howard Productions – www.howardprod.ch
Geneva English Drama Society (GEDS) – www.geds.ch
Geneva Amateur Operatic Society (GAOS) – www.gaos.ch
Simply Theatre – www.simplytheatre.com
Geneva Literary Aid Society – www.theglas.org
