From the L.A. production, 2004
In America the traditional nude scene in the play caused complications:
It was difficult for us in Los Angeles, especially because of the union, because they’re incredibly strict about what you can and can’t do. And if you use a saber like Kokoschka, you have to have supervisors present. They were at their most hysterical at the end of the play, when the maid Reserl offers herself undressed, very chastely but still naked, and that was very difficult in Los Angeles. At least three assistants had to stand around, as the scene takes place in the middle of the audience, because they were afraid that the actress would be harassed or groped. Of course, nothing ever happened, but their hysteria was enormous. Rehearsing a play there is also difficult because you have to take a ten-minute break every hour; it’s like school. Even if you’re in the middle of a scene and having a great rehearsal, an announcement comes on and the rehearsal has to be interrupted. There are rights that the actors have fought for that are completely counter-artistic, and that hasn’t made things easy.
Heidi Dalik played the role in Berlin in 2006
The woman playing Alma 2 (shown above choking the actor) is Wiebke Frost
Wiebke also played the role of Alma 2 in Vienna in 2002, shown here in an almost identical staging to the Berlin show:
More images from the play (and other detailed info). There are also some modest nudes from the 2002 Vienna performance.
Huh.
I’m curious about a play that Mae Whitman was in a few years ago. It was in LA, and she appeared completely nude for some time.
Given I adore her and she’s never shown anything on screen, I was bummed no footage ever saw light of day. (It only ran for a month or so.)
Given this statement, I wonder if they ran into the same things? Mae didn’t speak to it on her social media.
Apparently she discusses it here with Dax Shepard, but its a 2+ hour interview … in the show notes it’s pointed out as part of the conversation.
I know there used to be a forum dedicated to on stage nudity, can’t find it or any leaks from this play, so maybe someone caught something, but I can’t find anything online with the short search I did.
I’d pay a mint for this too
It’s worth clicking around on that site, because the sidebar shows the different stagings of the play, and they have no problem showing the nude scene either. E.g. here’s Hilde Dalik from the Berlin staging
I have been wondering if the unions have also been a problem with getting American actresses naked. It is clear that the unions and working conditions in California are so bad that most Hollywood productions are being shot elsewhere. They can’t get anything done in California and the costs are sky high. The unions seems to control everything often saying a large number of extra people must be hired and present for all kinds of situations including nudity as mentioned here. Most foreign actors are not in the Hollywood unions so it might just be easier to use foreign actresses for the nude scenes so they don’t have to deal with union rules.
Great find, Scoop, glad you cover more than movies & TV – reminds me of a thread that used to be on another site, Nude on Stage, for artsy nude happenings
Hilde Dalik is beautiful, but Bernadette Perez looks absolutely spectacular here!