Touched by Duse, a LORAGE Productions, directed by Tyler A. Chase

Possibilities.mp3

A Chase/Dale collaboration

Video Clip

Journey

Eleonora Duse

Photos

Gallery II

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Video Clip

To view video please turn off the music (upper left corner) where it says on/off and then hit the play button below. Short composite of a screening and people who support us.

The National Arts Club Screened a segment of our work in progress. Attendees were Paul Sorvino, Mario Fratti, Marian Seldes and many others.

Touched by Duse (work in progress) about the journey of two friends destined to bring the great Eleonora Duse out of obscurity. It's an intimate look at the world of some of todays great individuals who believe in the nobility of acting and the magic inspired by Duse. In the film so far: Ellen Burstyn, Paul Sorvino, Austin Pendelton, Mario Fratti, Marian Seldes Anne Jackson, Susan Batson, William Esper and more...

Journey

The Journey

Touched by Duse began as a serendipitous meeting between two friends who hadn't seen each other in thirty years; Auteur/Producer, Tyler A. Chase and renowned Canadian Actress, Jennifer Dale. Jennifer has a deep connection to Eleonora Duse and Tyler, an American living in New York, with an extensive background in the Off Off Broadway Theatre scene had become a film maker and founded a production company, L'ORAGE Productions (L'ORAGE Ltd). It was a natural progression and something that matched the ideology of L'ORAGE Productions. Since Tyler is adept with camera and equipment, the two set out to make a film with pocket money and a prayer. It has become what it is with the help of Lisette Cevallos - Producer, Musician/Composer, Cody Geil and some great professionals who donated their time on different aspects of the project. Among these are: Jennifer Snowdon, who did the makeup for Ellen Burstyn; editor, Karama Browne who worked hard helping to put together the final edit for the William Esper Studio screening and Alexandra Innes, a Toronto journalist who wrote a fantastic article about the project in JoLee Magazine, an international publication. To make a straight forward documentary about the emotional and physical life of such a complex woman would be impossible. The influence of her life has lasted all these years along with the many legends that revolve around her. Touched by Duse is a voyeuristic expose of the fascinating people who consider Eleonora Duse as their muse and follow her "theatre religion" involving the ideology that acting is a "spiritual and high art form" and crucial to mankind. Although Touched by Duse is in it's beginning stages such stellar people as: Academy Award Winner, Ellen Burstyn, Tony Award Winner, Marian Seldes, Paul Sorvino, Austin Pendleton, Anne Jackson, Susan Batson, William Esper, Ronald Rand, Rita Fredricks Salzman, Martin Waldron and Helen Sheehy have already participated in the filming of this work. Tony Award winning playwright, Mario Fratti (NINE) is contributing his own talent for Auteur, Tyler A. Chase to complete the narrative of the film. Together with their passion for the theatre and appreciation of a pioneer and her contributions to art these artists have embarked on this journey to bring Duse to those who don't know of her and to inspire young artists all over the world. The film will bring you on a journey where we hope to understand Eleonora Duse and how she transformed into the timeless legend that she is to so many great and renowned people living around the world, each with their own unique connection to her. Those who are touched by Duse are touched by her incredible achievements, courage and the spiritual evolution that she fought to have. People today who consider her their personal totem never even saw her and yet she has somehow altered their lives. In a haunting and tragic inner thread of the film, Director, Tyler A. Chase follows an elderly actor and renowned professor, Martin Waldron, who was actually in the physical presence of Duse when he was a baby. Mr. Waldron has for years made weekly pilgrimages to the cenotaph that he had made for Eleonora Duse in a Brooklyn cemetery. When asked about his devotion to her he said "something happens when you are touched by Duse." The film has been in an unorthodox state of development/production, following it's own path and supported by a small but determined production company. Although to date, there isn't any public knowledge of the film, there has been a great demand to see the progress of the work in its evolutionary stages just from word of mouth. Parts of the film have screened at: The Dante Alighieri Society in Cambridge, William Esper Acting Studio, Kanbar Instititute of Film & Television at NYU Tish School of the Arts The National Arts Club. The company is now preparing a budget and a shooting script to complete dramatizations of Duse's life. One of the scenes is being contributed by Tony Award Winning Playwright, Mario Fratti. Donations to help in the completion of the film are being accepted and preparations are being made for fiscal sponsorship. Touched by Duse has been filmed in Canada and New York City and will film in Italy where Duse lived.
Eleonora Duse

Eleonora Duse

Eleonora Duse (1858-1924) was an Italian actress born into extreme poverty. Her family, a troupe of traveling actors went from town to town in wagons to put on plays wherever they could. Duse suffered greatly as a child actress who was made to go onstage at four years old. It is said in her own short biography that one time a stage hand hit her across her legs so that she would cry on cue. Despite her unforgiving circumstances and the hardships of being a woman at a time where there were very few options for survival, Eleonora Duse became the greatest actress of all time and inspired Stanislavski to write about what is recognized today as Method Acting. She changed the art form forever. She inspired dancers, poets, writers, painters and sculptors all over the world. George Bernard Shaw wrote a famous critique of her work while James Joyce was in love with her just from seeing her act. Marilyn Monroe had her picture beside her bed. Ellen Burstyn, Al Pacino, Marissa Tomei and Laura Linney are just a few of the people who hold her as their personal totem. All the acting you see today in films, theatre and television has been informed by what Duse did. Duse said, "an actress consumes her life at a terrifying pace. She disappears like a stone beneath the water; like a bud that flowers only to wither instantly, leaving no trace." Auteur, Tyler A. Chase and actress/collaborator, Jennifer Dale are dedicated to bringing the "mother of modern acting" into the light for as many people as possible and hope to inspire others as much as they have been inspired in making this "film trippant", Touched by Duse.
Photos

Jennifer Dale in Toronto
At Duses grave
Eleonora Duse
Ellen Burstyn
Actor-Paul Sorvino
Marian Seldes
Ellen Burstyn with us
Producer-Lisette Cevallos
The Mask in Venice
Acting teacher - William Esper
Collaborators on location
New York Acting Students
Cenotaph of Duse in Brooklyn
Musician Composer-Cody Geil
Duse - Photo by Helen Loman
Duse in a play
Duse as Cleopatra
Vincent Ferrer Church
Duses room
Eleonora Duse's house in Asolo
Isadora Duncan - Friend
Duse on Time Magazine Cover
The film - Cenere
Vincenzo Allesandro Duse
Matile Serao - Friend
Duse and Enrichetta
Duse with her Mother

Gallery II

Sargent Painting of Duse
John Barrymore - as Hamlet
Constantin Stanislavski
Irish writer - James Joyce
George Bernard Shaw
D'Annunzio and Mussalini
Emma Grammatica
Playwright - Anton Chekhov
Henrik Ibsen - Playwright
Writer - Lina Poletti
Arrigo Boito - Writer
Adelaide Ristori - Actress
Renaissance Theatre - Paris
Laurette Taylor - Actress
Eleonora Duse
Civic Repertory Theatre
Marble Bust of Duse
Cemetery in Asolo
Duse on a Postage Stamp
Duse by Alexander Wolkoff
Charlie Chaplin
Young Eleonora Duse
Duse in a Play

Thank you "Cara, You Are In The Light"There are many supporters of our work, who we have deep appreciation for:-Basia and husband Antonio Dallamano cut short a well earned vacation in Italy to travel to Asolo where Duse is buried to do location scouting for our eventual filming there. -Aldon James former president of the National Arts Club allowed us to film Marian Seldes in the parlors, even going so far as to turn on the chandeliers behind the stained glass windows to help with the lighting. - Sharyn Grossman of the National Arts Club who did a Dinner and Duse evening featuring a piece of our work in progress and a panel of great people.And the great people who have participated so far:- Ellen Burstyn who allowed us into her home to film her and shared her extensive wisdom about Duse as well as artifacts that carry so much meaning to her and to her understanding of the craft of acting. - William Esper who is one of the few teachers that teaches his students about Duse and who allowed me to film him teaching and to capture some amazing organic moments from rehearsals in his class.- Paul Sorvino, met us on the day of a memorial for his dear friend, Jason Miller in Scranton, Pennsylvania and spent a long time speaking with us on camera. He also was on the panel at the National Arts Club to speak about Duse after our screening.- Marian Seldes, one of the most legendary theatre actresses of our time who illucidates so much in the film and who attended our evening at the National Arts Club despite being ill.- Mario Fratti, who is a strong supporter of our work and who opened his home for us to film and spoke with so much warmth about Duse. He is one of the nicest people in the business. He also attended the Duse evening at the National Arts Club as part of the panel and sent us a donation which was highly appreciated.- Ronald Rand who connected us with Marian Seldes and is so lucid and intense in his love for the theatre. He also was part of the panel at the National Arts Club and has been very generous with his time and connections- Helen Sheehy with her hospitality who allowed us to film her in her home and let us experience wearing Duse's shawl. Helen came all the way from Connecticut to be part of the panel at the National Arts Club for the Duse event.- Susan Batson, coach to the stars and a staunch supporter of Eleonora Duse. She and her son Karl Ford allowed us to film them at the Black Nexxus Studio. Their energy is priceless.- Krista Bridges, a lovely Canadian actress who accepted to dramatize an event that happened to her concerning Duse. We filmed her in Toronto. When she heard what it was for she didn't hesitate to be filmed even though it was freezing cold.- Austin Pendleton, an incredibly interesting man who has directed Elizabeth Taylor on Broadway and had a varied and successful career in theatre and film. - Anne Jackson saw us at HB Studio where she was teaching and was very open about her career and about her thoughts on the entertainment business. - Rita Fredricks Salzman, an incredible woman who played a huge part in the evolution of American theatre, producing plays by African American writers and bringing up the subject of interacial relationships at a time when it was unheard of. Her first production was a reading with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. She had personally worked with Eva LeGallienne and gave insight into her personality.The great students who spoke with us and to those who allowed us to film them in rehearsals when they were most vulnerable. We take our hats off to you.We are saving the last thank you for Mr. Martin Waldron, Gentleman Actor and Professor who contributed to this project with his patience and many photographs. His involvement with Duse is as sweet as it is tragic. We love him dearly.

DUSE (45).jpg

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Telephone: 212 875-7967

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We need to film in Italy and other location to complete, Touched by Duse. We are looking for financial support. It's a low budget film with high aspirations. There will be fund raisers and events. Contact us directly if you are interested in supporting this work.We will let you know more as things evolve.Let us know you like us on Facebook. Tweet us to your friends.

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As Eleonora Duse would say, "Cara, you are in the light" '

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