PlayMakers performs "Opus"

WHAT: "Opus"

WHEN: Through Oct. 11

WHERE: PlayMakers Repertory Company, Paul Green Theatre, UNC Center for Dramatic Art, Chapel Hill

TICKETS: $10-$40

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 962-PLAY

ON THE WEB: www.playmakersrep.org

BY DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN

dvaughan@heraldsun.com; 419-6563

Musicians in the audience will notice that the actors are miming the correct notes of Beethoven's "Opus 131" in the PlayMakers Repertory Company production of "Opus." It's a detail that the rest of the audience won't see as they are drawn into a behind the scenes look at a fictional quartet in the play written in 2006 by Michael Hollinger.

The quartet deals with one missing member, adjusting to a new one and learning the challenging "Opus 131" in less than a week to perform at the White House. The PlayMakers main stage season opener is playing at the Paul Green Theatre at the UNC Center for Dramatic Art through Oct. 11.

The cast is Jeffrey Blair Cornell, Ray Dooley, Jimmy Kieffer, Marianne Miller and Scott Ripley. Miller is a former violinist, but the others had to be coached in what notes to imitate with soaped up bows. Recorded music is used for sound -- a total of about 10 minutes of "Opus 131." The department of music and UNC collaborated with PlayMakers, teaching them the terminology and movements of classical string musicians. Richard Luby, a violinist and professor in the department, served as the main coach for the actors.

"The great thing about the play is you don't have to be a lover of classical music to enjoy the play," said director Brendon Fox. The play is also presented on a metaphorical level of what it means to be a family, he said, which includes stepping on toes. "Anyone who has been part of a family or workplace can relate to dynamics in the play," Fox said. That includes the question, "If you're brilliant, can you get away with eccentric behavior?"

This is the PlayMakers debut for Fox, who lives in Los Angeles. He knew PlayMakers artistic director Joe Haj when they both lived there, and timing worked out for Fox to come to Chapel Hill as a guest director. Fox is a consultant for L.A. Theatre Works and previously served as its associate producer. Working with PlayMakers has been a great experience from top to bottom, he said. "I feel like everyone on staff is excited and connected to the work they do," he said. Fox said it is also an advantage to work with actors who already know each other and have worked together previously.

Hollinger "sets the clock to midnight," Fox said, with the script's urgency of the quartet learning a new piece in a short time with a new member.

"I really love it. I enjoy working on contemporary plays, but at times wish for more richness," Fox said. "Opus" is a modern play with characters that are well drawn, but economically drawn, he said, in a play that is 90 minutes with no breaks. Hollinger writes complex and compelling characters, but presents that fairly quickly, Fox said.

The play revolves around whether or not the quartet can pull off "Opus 131," which is like skiing a triple diamond slope, Fox said. The back wall of the thrust stage in the Paul Green Theatre is moved downstage to maintain a smaller area of action. Panels have a musical design and the floor is a deep wood. The main set components are music stands and chairs. The spare set helps to move the action along, Fox said.

The set designer for PlayMakers' "Opus," Jim Kronzer, also worked on the original production with the playwright. He put Fox in touch with Hollinger, who was himself a violist before becoming a playwright and knew the behind the scenes view firsthand.

"Michael is very witty, very warm," Fox said. "It is interesting that he wanted to write about this world of music using one medium, theater, to write about another."