King Kong On Broadway: Meet 2 Of The Puppeteers

By The Ensemblist
Mo Brady
Even before it welcomes its first audience, King Kong is proving itself a massive Broadway mounting. The production features a 2,000-pound, 20-foot puppet as its titular character. In addition, the show features a massive cast of 35 actors, including an onstage ensemble of 11, six offstage swings and ten actors known as âKingâs Company.â
The Kingâs Company is a troupe of artists within the production whose primary responsibility is manipulating the Kong puppet. This team of artists responsible for puppeteering Kong, including Marty Lawson and Lauren Yalango-Grant, come from a variety of performance backgrounds.
One of the theatre industryâs most dynamic dancers, King Kong marks Lawsonâs seventh Broadway show. While his previous Broadway shows have featured high-octane choreography by the likes of Rob Ashford and Twyla Tharp, King Kongâs staging relies on a different style of movement: puppetry. While he worked with puppets on Shrek the Musical, it was ânothing as extensive as King Kong.â
Making her Broadway debut in King Kong, Yalango-Grant was a member of Pilobolus Dance Theater for almost eight years. During her tenure there, she helped create shows where dancers worked as a group to create shapes recognizable to an audience. âIt required a very specific and unique set of skills that I find are serving me well in King Kong,â she notes.
The Kingâs Company was assembled through an extensive audition process that both Lawson and Yalango-Grant found unique. âItâs not often that I experience auditions as fun and exciting as this one,â reveals Yalango-Grant. âThe amount of laughter, joy, and support in the room was pretty unique. It was clear that the energy from (director/choreographer Drew) McOnie and (movement director Gavin) Robbins was one of positivity and great leadership.â
The audition process included a half dozen calls to assess the actors on multiple skill sets.
âThe creative team gave us a group warm up every morning in either yoga or dance,â Lawson notes. âThey spent a lot of time evaluating us for teamwork and willingness to try new things.â
âThey were truly trying to see who we were both as individual artists and how we work in a group,â says Yalango-Grant. ââHow do you work in a group when things get tough?â This was particularly important for the Kong team to discover during the audition process.â
Once rehearsals began in early August, Lawson, Yalango-Grant and the rest of the Kingâs Company began their rehearsals at 8:30am, ninety minutes earlier than a typical Broadway rehearsal day.
Over half of their time in rehearsals has been devoted to acting and awareness exercises with movement director Robbins.
Among their daily schedule was a group warm up and twice-daily physical conditioning sessions. âWeâve also gone through some pretty epic workouts together – ones that can only bond you because they are so challenging,â says Yalango-Grant.
This extensive rehearsal process in the theatre has given the actors a chance to practice manipulating the Kong puppet effectively and safely.
âIn the first week, we were muscling everything and hadnât figured out how to work together yet,â says Lawson. âEverything was twice as hard in the beginning.â
The Kingâs Company are not the only actors who are responsible for manipulating Kong. In addition to these ten onstage actors are three âVoodoo Operatorsâ who control the puppetâs face, shoulders and hips. âIt was important we built up the ability to work as one unit and could adapt and problem solve like one mind,â says Yalango-Grant.
âEverybody has to be working with the same intention and the same state of mind.â
âOur relationships with one another and with the puppet is key to making sure we are keeping ourselves and the puppet safe,â continues Yalango-Grant. âWeâve done a lot of exercises which require a group breath and feel – exercises where there is no one leading or following, so that we become one breathing organism.â
While the rest of the showâs cast was preparing in rehearsal studios, much of the Kingâs Companyâs rehearsal process has been at the Broadway Theatre. âKong doesnât exactly travel well so we had to go to him,â notes Lawson.
With previews beginning October 5, Lawson and Yalango-Grant are turning their focus towards how audiences will respond to the production. âI think most people will be very surprised to see the new story that weâve created around Kong,â shares Lawson. âIt was important for our director to create a story for our other leading characters that could stand on its own if we didnât have a 20-foot puppet onstage. So the utmost care has been taken to tell a new and interesting story in every way.â
âI believe audiences will undoubtedly be blown away by the size and nature of Kong,â says Yalango-Grant.
âHowever, his ability to come alive and emote is something I am completely blown away by. His eyes are alive and draw you in. As cheesy as this sounds, it feels as though you are able to see into his soul and he into yours.â
Cover Photo:Â A scene from the Melbourne, Australia production of King Kong (Photo by The Chase James Morgan)
Also by The Ensemblist:
Paying It Forwards: Dance, Dignity & Respect
Success And Rejection On Broadway
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