Famous Door Theatre knows a thing or two about crowd control.

Joey Hansa and Dan Kuhlman in Famous Dorr's Cider House Rules

When planning for its current production of The Cider House Rules: Parts 1 and 2, an orphanage-set tale based on John Irving’s epic novel, the company could have cut back on costs—and a few headaches—by casting just 18 actors as originally planned. But the folks at Famous Door didn’t want to skimp when it came to how many actors shared the stage. The company cast 30 people in the production.

"We expanded it because we felt that we just couldn’t tell the story with that few people," says artistic director Marc Grapey (profiled on p. 9), who’s co-directing the show with David Cromer. "We needed the numbers to create the crowd scenes and to create the [feel of] the orphanage. At some moments, we want to have the dramatic gesture of having 16, 18 or 20 people come across the stage. [And], instead of having six people on a crowded train, we’ll have a crowded train with 22 people on it."

"Crowded" is a word that comes up frequently in a tech week conversation with Grapey and stage manager Sara Ormsby. The record-sized cast is, after all, mounting Cider House on the small 182-seat upstairs mainstage at Victory Gardens Theatre. Incidentally, stage management became a main concern for the show. Ormsby, who came to Cider House with experience manning stages at Steppenwolf Theatre and beyond, notes that, while casting was capped at a record high, they came up sparse in the space department. "I came in on Monday (Jan. 6) and did a little walk-around. I had asked the directors not to come so I could have my little heart attack in private," she jokes.

In an effort to create more room in which to play, Famous Door removed the front row of seats and extended the stage to the back wall, eliminating coveted backstage crawl space. Ormsby also had to get creative in the dressing room. She says that, at first glance, the dressing room looked to fit only 15 people. "[So], I did some rearranging…put the casts’ names on pieces of paper and started sticking people someplace. I changed it around about 25 times, but it worked. They’re a bunch of sardines, but they’re in there," she says. "I’ve made lemonade with some pretty challenging resources."

A limited budget and small venue meant sacrifices had to be made. For starters, the prop list was cut from an original tally of 400 items to the cast working with 110 props (ladders, beds and hoards of medical tools—forceps, rubber gloves and the like—being among the most common) during tech week. For Famous Door, it was all a part of making the production manageable.

"I walk around and my mind is constantly running," says Ormsby. "I’m constantly plotting where things are going to go and who’s going to stand where and what’s going to happen next. When I saw this space, I was taking stock…thinking about what we had available, how wide the crossovers where…making sure that we had light blocks so we could keep doors open. This whole (tech) week is about me thinking about how to make what David and Marc have been putting together look good."

Grapey pipes in. He has, as it turns out, seen moments when things have come together as if by magic. "These guys are doing a great job because sometimes, something from offstage will just appear when it’s supposed to and I don’t know how they did it. It’s like, all of a sudden, boom! That’s a testament to stage management because I know I didn’t tell them how to do it," he says. "I think it helps that people are passionate about the project. People care about the book and care about who they’re playing."

In many cases, actors play numerous roles (there are a more than 100 characters that surface throughout the play). Actors Elizabeth Rich and Kevin Stark, for example, each fill more than seven different shoes. For them, it’s a matter of balancing meatier roles with those less demanding. "We each have a couple characters that actually make a journey," explains Rich. "Not every character is totally flushed out…they’re not [roles] you have to do heavy emotional work for. Sometimes, it’s just a costume change, a change in walk or a center of balance that might be different."

Stark, for his part, sees the advantage in having a bigger cast, even if it means actors have to commit to a glut of characters. "This is a tech heavy show. But we have 30 actors…there will always be somebody to help," he says.

The 30 actors—many of which had never worked with one another before—are said to have bonded quickly. Ormsby recalls the first day she showed the cast the space; her instructions quickly captivated the crowd. "There were 30 of them trailing behind me, and I get to Point A and there were still half of them at Point B, where we were five minutes ago. And [I’m talking] and I hear them repeat what I say all the way down the line so that everybody’s getting the information. It was like the telephone game," says Ormsby.

Grapey also attests to the ensemble’s efforts: "They are paying attention. They’re writing things down. I’m expecting to have to say things two or three times, and I’m not. So that’s been a real joy," he says. "It helps that they’re sharing a tiny room. In an interesting way, there’s an amount of trust in this play that exceeds that of other plays. It’s like there’s a big ball they just can’t let drop."

Since beginning rehearsals at St. Alphonsus School in early December, the group has proven quick to adapt. Thanks are due, in part, to the fact that the show is doubly blessed with two directors. The choice was made to bring David Cromer into the fold when the grand scope of the production was fully realized (The Cider House Rules: Part 1 and The Cider House Rules: Part 2 are presented as two separate plays, which are running in repertory). "It brought a different perspective to the show," says Grapey of the choice to have two directors. "When we both have a different idea for something, it’s frustrating. [But] when I don’t have an idea and [Cromer] does, it’s fantastic. I feel that it’s very equitable. We both put our hands on everything. [And] it’s the only way I’d have gotten through this, that’s for sure."

Ormsby sees having two directors as beneficial, as well. Not only can they bounce ideas off of each other, but a second director is, to her, yet another built-in resource. "I can look at one of them while the other one’s working with something and say, 'How do you want lights here?’ Usually, when there’s one director, you’re waiting your turn or the actors are waiting their turn. But it’s been nice for a project of this size to have somebody else to look at," she says.

While Ormsby can rely on double the directorial prowess, she can’t help but yen for a little extra rehearsal time. "One of the actors asked me today, 'How do you think we’re doing? Is it going to happen?’" she recalls. Grapey has heard similar queries. "Everybody’s asking if it’s going to get done, and my answer is yes, absolutely," he adds. "We forget that openings are always like this. If we had another week to open, we’d want another. And if we had another $1,000 to throw at props, we’d want $2,000. At some point, we’ve gotta stop."

As it happens, this cast and crew aren’t ones to complain. In the midst of tech week—a normally hectic period made even more intense this time due to a reconfigured stage, the introduction of 100-plus props and the management of 30 actors strong—the buzz is that they’ve got a good thing going. Cider House does, after all, mark the show’s Midwest premiere, not to mention the official kickoff of Famous Door’s 15th anniversary season. "With this many people and this much stuff going on, I get to the point where I’m like, 'C’mon, let it happen,’ and it does. It always does," says Ormsby.

Grapey echoes the sentiments. "There’s this brick wall there, and then one day it’s just gone," he says. "This is my favorite time. It’s exciting as it comes together, that’s for sure."

The Cider House Rules: Part 1 is on now through April. 6; The Cider House Rules: Part 2 has been postponed to Feb. 16 and will also run through April 6. The performances take place at the Victory Gardens upstairs mainstage theatre, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Call 773/871-3000 for tickets.