Director Richard Seer on 'Quartet'

San Diego theatregoers are certainly familiar with Richard Seer's work. His Old Globe directing credits include "Other Desert Cities," "God of Carnage," "Life of Riley," "The Last Romance," "The Price," "Romeo and Juliet," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "Trying," "Fiction," "Blue/Orange," "All My Sons," "Da" and "Old Wicked Songs."

The show "Quartet" - which Seer took on - comes from the mind of playwright Ronald Harwood ("The Dresser") and tells the story of four retired opera singers living in a home for aged artists. In their heyday, this quartet performed Giuseppi Verdi's classic opera "Rigoletto" together. Verdi's opera plays a significant role in the events of the play. So, let's take a minute to discuss Verdi's work.

In the final act of "Rigoletto," the song"Bella Figlia dell'Amore"brings together four of Rigoletto's central characters. The Duke, an avowed womanizer, has seduced and then abandoned Gilda, the daughter of his jester Rigoletto. Gilda and Rigoletto follow him and watch him attempt to seduce a new lover, Maddalena. Musically, Verdi captures his characters' complex personalities and the inherent drama of the moment; the Duke's seduction, Maddalena's laughing rejection, Gilda's anguish, and Rigoletto's desire for revenge. In "Quartet," Harwood cleverly compares and contrasts his own characters against the roles they played in Rigoletto.

RAGE Monthly: What excites you most about directing Quartet?

Richard Seer: Having such formidable actors like Robert Foxworth, Elizabeth Franz, Jill Tanner and Roger Forbes. I'm such an admirer of actors of this ilk, their energy and their gravitas are well-earned. It is delightful to sit there and be a fan. Also, it is hugely helpful that we have British actors for a British play; the roles are suited to them. They bring a wealth of understanding to their roles and a knowledge of British humor and idioms.

For people who saw the 2013 movie, is it pretty true to the play?

Actually, it is not true to the play at all. This is a play that asks... what do artists do when they can no longer create art? Dustin Hoffman directed the movie and I understand why he was interested in the topic. There are some devices in the play that just don't work on film. The play has a funny and lovely solution to those questions - how can they find a way to still make art?

Would you call this a high-brow comedy?

I would call it a character comedy, built around situations. The British are famous for this, they don't write joke lines like American comedies. Character comedies are bittersweet, somewhat dramatic and also comedic. This show also has a certain amount of insider bitchy-ness that will be appreciated by opera enthusiasts. It is a little bit campy in places.

Are there some parts of theatre arts that are dying out?

Yes and no. I think what's interesting is what is happening to San Diego Opera. Nick Reveles [San Diego Opera Arts Educator] is working on our production; helping our actors to learn the Verdi Quartet. The San Diego Opera is reinventing itself. Theatre Arts have to do that, as do newspapers and television; they are constantly reinventing in this rapidly changing world. That is what these institutions have always done. The Old Globe is famous for it with their Shakespearian work - they rethink and reinvent work that is so rich. Fiasco is a newer theatre company that is reinventing work. [Playing right next door to "Quartet" is Fiasco's production of "Into the Woods."] I love that they didn't have a phony reverence for the musical. They stripped it down and examined it with new eyes. It was absolutely worth doing. "Quartet" uniquely does the same thing; a new play that interweaves classic opera.

Quartet runs through Sunday, August 24 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park along with the production of Into the Woods mentioned, which runs through Sunday, August 17. For tickets and more information call 619.234.5623 or go to theoldeglobe.org