Almog Pail’s first serious encounter with theatre was a three-year course in high-school where she had the opportunity not only to act but also to direct her own production. She graduated from the Theatre Department at Tel Aviv University in 2008, majoring in acting and playwriting and continued to perform on stage, television and films in Israel. She talks to Lily Agius about her fascination with Rita Hayworth, acting, and her future plans, before she performs her updated version of the script that brings Rita Hayworth back to life this weekend at MITP, Valletta.
What is it about Rita Hayworth that draws you in and how can you relate to her – as a woman and as an actress?
What drew me most to Rita, and fascinated me, is the duality of her life: The person versus the actress. On screen you have this gorgeous image of a sexy, enticing, mysterious and confident woman, greatly manifested in films like Gilda, The Lady from Shanghai and The Love Goddess. Yet behind the camera hides a very insecure, shy and unstable woman, constantly in a love-hatred relationship with the movie industry. Off camera, Rita was nothing like her image. She was desperately looking for a stable family life, even if her relationships were all considered scandalous and each of her five marriages ended in failure.
At first it was very hard for me to perceive this contradiction, but the more I studied her life, the more I realised how ingrained it was. As an actress myself, I appreciate her ability to create such a distinction between life and film, and to portray such an illusion on screen. As a woman I identify with her search for an embracing partner, for security, for solid ground.
On top of her unstable love life and insecurities, Alzheimer’s disease struck Rita in her early forties, progressively ruining her life. She could barely memorise text, and it became impossible to work with her. The real tragedy was the lack of awareness of the disease at the time, leading people to confuse her condition with alcoholism and foolishness. She was thrown out of Hollywood, dying as a recluse in her New York apartment after a 20-year struggle. The power of this destructive disease and its symptoms played a big role in my decision to write the play. I have personally experienced it through a close family member, and it is not easy to grasp the deterioration of a person with so much knowledge and vividness. It is one of the most absurd phenomena of human nature.
Walk us through the experience of writing Me, Myself & Rita to the moment of performance. What can the audience expect to see/experience?
When after the research I finally came to writing the play, I tried to bring three dimensions to the character: the film image, the insecure woman off-camera in the early years of her career, and the demented old woman in her last period. Theatre offers the possibility for such mutations.
The plot is not chronological. It is patchy like the memory of Rita. When fragments pop up, they are full of details and life. Characters from her life stop by, leave their mark, and fade away. When they fade, they leave a dark emptiness and more uncertainty.
The audience is experiencing these moments at the same time as Rita, and this unique condition creates some comic moments along with painful ones.
Apart from acting, the play combines live music, film and dance, and it is based on interaction with the audience.
Me, Myself and Rita premiered as a work-in-progress at the 2009 Notte Bianca. How have you developed the script further?
Yes, I met Peter Busuttil, the artistic director of Notte Bianca, who invited me to work on a solo-show for the festival. The 2009 performance aroused considerable interest in Malta and among foreign critics.
The current production has been developed in collaboration with the leading theatre director Albert Marshall. It is a great pleasure to work with Albert. Our dialogue is very inspiring and fruitful.
Are there any actors and films that you consider to be inspirational and/or important to the film industry?
I am inspired by a number of strong actors and directors: Elizabeth Taylor, like Rita Hayworth, was considered as one of the greatest beauties. If there is a single film that reveals her true capacity as an actress it would be Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1955). Her interpretation of Martha is incredible, taking the character to another level. There is no surprise that it landed her with an Oscar.
A more contemporary astonishing actress is Julianne Moore, a red-head like Rita Hayworth. She took off with a daring role in Shortcuts (1993) by Robert Altman. But she took my breath as a brilliant actress in The Hours (2002) playing the depressed pregnant housewife Laura Brown who is influenced by “Mrs Dalloway” of Virginia Woolf. Although she was sharing the screen with two other giants, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep, her presence took over. Her acting was incredibly convincing.
I have to mention the German actor Bruno Ganz. Playing Adolf Hitler during his last days in his bunker in Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004) Ganz demonstrated that acting is not only an extravagant display of abilities, but also a great contribution to society and its story. Ganz’s charisma is immense. He studied Hitler’s character as if it were through a brain scan. It is almost terrifying to watch him get Hitler’s persona so perfectly. All actors should see it.
What else are you working on, and do you have planned for the near and far future?
Another activity that I enjoy at the moment is dubbing in popular cartoons. I am also currently participating in a popular TV series which has recently been sold to the American network CBS.
My near future plans include another theatre project and possibly a movie. I am also working on taking this show to other countries. Lately I was accepted to an advanced acting programme in HB Studio, Manhattan. I shall be there by the end of the year, and apart from studying I hope to perform. I intend to make New York my home for some time. At the moment there is no “after New York”. You can stay a hundred years in the Big Apple continuing to make future plans.
You can catch this original performance on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 May at 8 pm at the MITP, St Christopher Street, Valletta. The play will be followed by a screening of Rita’s most important film Gilda (1946), part of the subject matter of the play. For reservations email [email protected] or call 79002365. This cultural project has kindly been made possible by HSBC, Hamilton Travel, Print Right, Studio Seven and Dermalogica.