 |
| Photo by Emily McKnight |
Enter theatre.
Sit.
Watch.
Become engaged.
Enjoy a cookie during intermission.
Consider favorite parts, why they are favorites, and what I hope to see more of in second act.
Sit.
Watch.
Contemplate feelings of play.
Want to contribute reviews or articles?
Contact us at ictheatreblog@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label D'Souza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label D'Souza. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2015
A Review of Romance/Romance
by Meghan D'Souza
Iowa City - Lean in, I've got a secret. I've had a long week and wasn't sure that I was in the mood for two one act musicals. On a normal day, I'm excited to see a play or musical that I've not heard of, but on Friday? My brain was on cruise control and wanted to be spoon fed something familiar in a familiar format:
Enter theatre.
Sit.
Watch.
Become engaged.
Enjoy a cookie during intermission.
Consider favorite parts, why they are favorites, and what I hope to see more of in second act.
Sit.
Watch.
Contemplate feelings of play.
Enter theatre.
Sit.
Watch.
Become engaged.
Enjoy a cookie during intermission.
Consider favorite parts, why they are favorites, and what I hope to see more of in second act.
Sit.
Watch.
Contemplate feelings of play.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
A review of The Great Gatsby
by Meghan D'SouzaPhotos by Len Struttmann
Cedar Rapids - The talent at Theatre Cedar Rapids has brought to life Simon Levy's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, featuring the characters you likely met in high school and have loved to hate ever since. At least, I have. Set in New York during the Roaring Twenties, these characters lead lives that are glamorous to the outsider, but Nick Carraway (David Schneider) gets an inside glimpse and leads the audience through the story where we learn the awful secrets that they're hiding.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Much Ado About This
By Meghan D'Souza
Photo by Len Struttman
Iowa City - With the end of summer nearing, I've found myself looking for more reasons to spend the evenings outside. Those final hours of a summer night, when the sweet-scented humid air cools down as the sun kisses the horizon goodnight has always been a favorite of mine. Toss in a picnic and a beautifully executed classic play performed under the umbrella of aging trees, and I'm in heaven. Fourth Room Theatre offered such an experience with their performance of Much Ado About Nothing on the lawn of a gorgeous brick home, the front porch serving as the backdrop to the play.
Photo by Len Struttman
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| Hannah Spina, Rachel Korach Howell, and Genevieve Heinrich |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Brilliant Traces Exercises the Mind and the Heart
by Meghan D'Souza
Urban Theater Project—Pack the tissues if you plan to attend Brilliant Traces, performed by the Urban Theater Project of Iowa. This play introduces us to complete recluse Henry, who has spent a year avoiding human interaction in his small home in Alaska, and utterly heartbroken Rosannah, who barges into his home donning a wedding dress when her car breaks down nearby during a blizzard.
The audience slowly learns about the characters and how their histories shape who they are throughout the play. It is an interesting story where much of what is said in the beginning eventually intertwines and makes sense as the story moves along.
The set design was clever, with a cot, small stove, kitchen supplies and table and chairs all arranged and minimally decorated in a way that made it feel like the audience was peering in to a tiny cabin that belonged to a single man.
The downside of the play is that it takes a while for this story to take shape. However, this is not the fault of the actors. This is more, I suspect, the result of the script. Alex Williams was very intense as Henry, using his whole body to project the anxieties he felt at having the stranger intrude into his space and challenge him to face issues he had tucked away. His ability to relay a story as Henry was absolutely captivating and believable, as though he truly did live the experiences himself.
Thus, the need for tissues. He is so believable, he left many audience members in tears. This is a play for a night when you want to bring your brain and think about how our experiences shape our behavior.
Brilliant Traces runs through June 15. DATE CHANGE: It now shows Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 13-15, at 7:30 p.m. at CSPS. Tickets are $10; call 319.431.2110 or email boxoffice@urbantheaterproject.org.
Urban Theater Project—Pack the tissues if you plan to attend Brilliant Traces, performed by the Urban Theater Project of Iowa. This play introduces us to complete recluse Henry, who has spent a year avoiding human interaction in his small home in Alaska, and utterly heartbroken Rosannah, who barges into his home donning a wedding dress when her car breaks down nearby during a blizzard.
The audience slowly learns about the characters and how their histories shape who they are throughout the play. It is an interesting story where much of what is said in the beginning eventually intertwines and makes sense as the story moves along.
The set design was clever, with a cot, small stove, kitchen supplies and table and chairs all arranged and minimally decorated in a way that made it feel like the audience was peering in to a tiny cabin that belonged to a single man.
The downside of the play is that it takes a while for this story to take shape. However, this is not the fault of the actors. This is more, I suspect, the result of the script. Alex Williams was very intense as Henry, using his whole body to project the anxieties he felt at having the stranger intrude into his space and challenge him to face issues he had tucked away. His ability to relay a story as Henry was absolutely captivating and believable, as though he truly did live the experiences himself.
Thus, the need for tissues. He is so believable, he left many audience members in tears. This is a play for a night when you want to bring your brain and think about how our experiences shape our behavior.
Brilliant Traces runs through June 15. DATE CHANGE: It now shows Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 13-15, at 7:30 p.m. at CSPS. Tickets are $10; call 319.431.2110 or email boxoffice@urbantheaterproject.org.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
On Golden Pond Impeccably Delivers Laughs and Warmth
by Meghan D'Souza
Photo by Shelley Klimes
Old Creamery - Simply walking into the Old Creamery Theatre gets one revved up for the performance of On Golden Pond as the eyes of the audience fall upon the meticulously decorated living room of a log cabin. The set, designed by Tom Milligan, is incredible, complete with a fireplace, a partial stone wall, wooden stairs with a hallway, and a front patio that really captures the essence of a summer cabin. Additionally, Andrew Bosworth's props—the rugs, hat rack, wooden side tables, dozens of books, mosaic lamps, cushy chairs and even a wood pile by the fireplace—added to the rustic ambiance.
Tom Milligan and Kay Francis carry the bulk of the show gracefully and impressively as long-wed couple Norman and Ethel Thayer. They bicker and banter effortlessly, enveloping the audience into the show, allowing them to believe they truly are a couple, the set truly is their summer home. There is a fine line between pretending to be a character and truly becoming the character. This pair has mastered the art of becoming their characters, giving the audience a real treat.
The magnificent lighting, designed by Kyle Ketelsen, also helps keep the audience engaged throughout the show. Instead of having a painted background or curtains, light is used on the backdrop to convey the time of day. A soft coral color conveys daytime. A dark blue with a hint of stars conveys nighttime. This is very clever and really sets the mood for different scenes. Different lighting outside the front patio also gives a sense of time, with a bright light used as a front door light and a soft light used to cast a sunset glow upon the actors' faces.
The impeccable acting and great delivery keep the audience giggling throughout the evening. The storyline about aging and everlasting love leaves the audience with a warm heart.
On Golden Pond runs through May 27, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30, on the mainstage at the Old Creamery Theatre. Tickets are $27 ($17.50 for students).
Photo by Shelley Klimes
Tom Milligan and Kay Francis carry the bulk of the show gracefully and impressively as long-wed couple Norman and Ethel Thayer. They bicker and banter effortlessly, enveloping the audience into the show, allowing them to believe they truly are a couple, the set truly is their summer home. There is a fine line between pretending to be a character and truly becoming the character. This pair has mastered the art of becoming their characters, giving the audience a real treat.
The magnificent lighting, designed by Kyle Ketelsen, also helps keep the audience engaged throughout the show. Instead of having a painted background or curtains, light is used on the backdrop to convey the time of day. A soft coral color conveys daytime. A dark blue with a hint of stars conveys nighttime. This is very clever and really sets the mood for different scenes. Different lighting outside the front patio also gives a sense of time, with a bright light used as a front door light and a soft light used to cast a sunset glow upon the actors' faces.
The impeccable acting and great delivery keep the audience giggling throughout the evening. The storyline about aging and everlasting love leaves the audience with a warm heart.
On Golden Pond runs through May 27, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30, on the mainstage at the Old Creamery Theatre. Tickets are $27 ($17.50 for students).
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Baby With the Bathwater a Well-Executed Dark Comedy
by Meghan D'Souza, photo by Brian Tanner
Parents Helen and John are overwhelmed, to say the least, when they bring home their newborn baby in Christopher Durang's Baby with the Bathwater.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" John, played by humorous Bryant Duffy, asks his wife with great confusion. Helen (Kait Skaggs) responds that according to their doctor, they don't have to decide right away. She has always wanted a girl, however, so in time she names their child Daisy.
Fast-forward 17 years and Daisy, played brilliantly by Brian Tanner, is a man in therapy trying to understand why his parents raised him as a girl, how to cope with his depressed mother and delirious father, and how to come to terms with who he really is.
This is a dark comedy and the cast delivers the humor well. The two highlights for me were supporting actresses June Kungu and Annette Rohlk. This pair appears in the second act, first as mothers sitting by Helen in a park, then as a teacher and principal at Daisy's school.
The chemistry between the two is fluid and natural. When they act as mothers, the audience feels like they are really getting a glimpse into a private, but humorous conversation. Kungu's body language, facial expressions, and speech all feel natural. She knows how to act without over acting.
Rohlk won me over as the self-centered, eccentric principal. Her comic timing and interaction with Kungu, the truly concerned teacher, was impeccable. She used the stage and props wisely to get the best laughs in a scene that was fairly dark. I can't imagine a better pairing.
This play is certainly worth seeing. It is different, it is funny, and you will leave it with something to talk about.
Baby With the Bathwater runs Friday and Saturdays through April 28, 7:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society. Tickets are $13 ($10 students/seniors). Call 319.423.9820 to reserve by phone.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Five Women Full of Laughter and Insight
By Meghan D'Souza
Photo by Rob Merritt
TCR - If you're a lady, you've shared a night in with your girlfriends, gossiping about people you know, airing out your past and venting your frustrations. These nights in are always peppered with silliness and end with inside jokes and memories that last a lifetime. If you're a gentleman, you've likely wondered what it'd be like to be a fly on the wall when we ladies get together and let it all hang out.
Theatre Cedar Rapids invites you to be that fly as five bridesmaids escape to a bedroom for a breather during their friend's wedding reception in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. Director Angie Toomsen and her cast do an outstanding job of bringing this tale to life and taking the audience through a range of emotions through the course of the night. The transitions from high moods to intense low moods, the comedic timing, and the chemistry between characters is all very smooth, keeping the audience engaged throughout the entire show.
Pulling off a show that continuously captures an audience can be challenging with a space as intimate as the Grandon Studio. The set remained the same through the performance; the ladies stayed in a well-decorated pink bedroom and used the space effectively. The bed was piled high with pillows and stuffed animals, the vanity had two mirrors and make-up, stage left contained two chairs by a small table for the ladies and, most cleverly, a window seat stood down stage on stage right to help separate the audience from the characters. With so many props, the activity on stage was never stagnant.
The whole team of actors kept the play engaging, interacting well with one another, whether they were speaking or in the background. All are strong actors, however, K. Lindsay Eaves and Lindsay Prince stood out the most with their abilities to charm the audience and capture the full realm of their characters. Trisha (Eaves) was the lady every friend felt she could talk to about anything, yet she struggled with who she was. Eaves used warm, open body language to really capture the essence of Trisha. Georgeanne (Prince) offered the most comic relief as a love-scorned woman drinking her angst away as the night went on. Her facial expressions, comedic timing, and ability to react as well as she acted made her captivating.
A show about five women may sound like it is intended for a female audience, but I assure you this play is for all adults. By the time you leave, you will feel like you had a great night out with friends. It's a night full of laughter and insight.
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress runs through May 5, 7:30 Thursdays through Saturdays, 2:00 Sundays in the Grandon Studio at TCR. Tickets are $20/$17.50 ($15 for youth).
Saturday, November 12, 2011
A Southern Exposure is a witty, serious show
by Meghan D'Souza
Amana - Remember The Golden Girls? Blanche's southern accent, the ladies bonding around the kitchen table, explosive fights and great shows of affection.
Iowa Theatre Artists' production of A Southern Exposure reminded me of my favorite parts of The Golden Girls, only more somber. It is a serious play with witty lines in the right places. Three elderly sisters face the difficulties of aging together while one in particular, Hattie (Cherryl Moon Thomason), focuses most of her energy on her 24-year-old granddaughter Callie Belle (Kimberly Braun). She raised her since she was a toddler and the two have a strong bond that the actresses convey believably right from the beginning. Even their arguments expose an element of underlying love and they behave with similar mannerisms, they way close relatives tend to do.
These actresses along with Meg Merkens and Marty Norton as Hattie's sisters made this an all-star cast. Merkens is able to mold herself into any role, from Cher to this small-town Kentucky-raised elderly lady. This was my first time witnessing Norton's talent and I'm glad I had the honor. Her character, Mattie, is struggling with the beginnings of dementia and Norton's soft voice and innocent face provided a heart-wrenching performance while providing laughs in an appropriate manner, as well. As a woman in my 20s, I found Braun's character incredibly relatable, as she makes decisions against her grandmother's judgment.
Director Michael Petkewec made great decisions which really bring the audience into the play, regarding the set, blocking and lighting. As soon as the audience looked at the set, if they did not have any background on the play, it was obvious that it took place in an older woman's home. The kitchen took up a bulk of the set, with a real refrigerator that was filled with items. Running beside the fridge was a mustard-colored counter with a sink, coffee maker with liquid in it, decorate tins and towels and a cookie jar. The columns arrange to give an idea of walls were painted a mustard color and lined with floral wallpaper. That, combined with the furniture simply felt like many grandmother's homes that I've visited. On a platform to the right of the stage was Hattie's bedroom, again decorated the way you'd expect a simple older lady's room to be decorated, with a quilt on the bed, mismatched pillows, and wooden furniture. Set inconspicuously in black above the kitchen was a small room of a New York City apartment. This was cleverly used and unnoticed when the rest of the set was in use.
The lighting was used to either to highlight characters separately when they were intended to be in different cities, highlight one room so the audience focused on the current setting, or was dimmed to enhance the doleful mood. The costumes were wisely used and changed often to give the audience a sense of passing time. Also exhibiting a sense of a change of seasons, the set changed only slightly, with decorations hung during character interactions.
Because the set and lighting worked so well, it invited the audience into the story, allowing us to become emotionally involved with the characters. Watching Hattie and Callie Belle made me miss my mother who only lives an hour away. Their strong relationship echoes our own. Watching Mattie made my heart ache for my grandmother, who exhibits the same problems that Norton so perfectly displayed.
Go to the play with someone you love, be prepared to laugh, but bring tissues. Everyone around me was crying at some point in the play, but left with warm thoughts about family and unconditional love.
Amana - Remember The Golden Girls? Blanche's southern accent, the ladies bonding around the kitchen table, explosive fights and great shows of affection.
Iowa Theatre Artists' production of A Southern Exposure reminded me of my favorite parts of The Golden Girls, only more somber. It is a serious play with witty lines in the right places. Three elderly sisters face the difficulties of aging together while one in particular, Hattie (Cherryl Moon Thomason), focuses most of her energy on her 24-year-old granddaughter Callie Belle (Kimberly Braun). She raised her since she was a toddler and the two have a strong bond that the actresses convey believably right from the beginning. Even their arguments expose an element of underlying love and they behave with similar mannerisms, they way close relatives tend to do.These actresses along with Meg Merkens and Marty Norton as Hattie's sisters made this an all-star cast. Merkens is able to mold herself into any role, from Cher to this small-town Kentucky-raised elderly lady. This was my first time witnessing Norton's talent and I'm glad I had the honor. Her character, Mattie, is struggling with the beginnings of dementia and Norton's soft voice and innocent face provided a heart-wrenching performance while providing laughs in an appropriate manner, as well. As a woman in my 20s, I found Braun's character incredibly relatable, as she makes decisions against her grandmother's judgment.
Director Michael Petkewec made great decisions which really bring the audience into the play, regarding the set, blocking and lighting. As soon as the audience looked at the set, if they did not have any background on the play, it was obvious that it took place in an older woman's home. The kitchen took up a bulk of the set, with a real refrigerator that was filled with items. Running beside the fridge was a mustard-colored counter with a sink, coffee maker with liquid in it, decorate tins and towels and a cookie jar. The columns arrange to give an idea of walls were painted a mustard color and lined with floral wallpaper. That, combined with the furniture simply felt like many grandmother's homes that I've visited. On a platform to the right of the stage was Hattie's bedroom, again decorated the way you'd expect a simple older lady's room to be decorated, with a quilt on the bed, mismatched pillows, and wooden furniture. Set inconspicuously in black above the kitchen was a small room of a New York City apartment. This was cleverly used and unnoticed when the rest of the set was in use.
The lighting was used to either to highlight characters separately when they were intended to be in different cities, highlight one room so the audience focused on the current setting, or was dimmed to enhance the doleful mood. The costumes were wisely used and changed often to give the audience a sense of passing time. Also exhibiting a sense of a change of seasons, the set changed only slightly, with decorations hung during character interactions.
Because the set and lighting worked so well, it invited the audience into the story, allowing us to become emotionally involved with the characters. Watching Hattie and Callie Belle made me miss my mother who only lives an hour away. Their strong relationship echoes our own. Watching Mattie made my heart ache for my grandmother, who exhibits the same problems that Norton so perfectly displayed.
Go to the play with someone you love, be prepared to laugh, but bring tissues. Everyone around me was crying at some point in the play, but left with warm thoughts about family and unconditional love.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Zahren and Schiano Shine in Give My Regards
by Meghan D'Souza
Amana - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company brought a rare treat by inviting Way Off Broadway from Fairfield, Iowa's only professional musical theatre, to deliver Give My Regards!, a collaboration of favorite Broadway songs, an idea conceived by WOB director Randy West.
Because this was less of a musical, per se, and more of a concert showcasing various songs and famous Broadway songwriters, the set was simple. There was a wide platform to help give the set dimension and wood columns plastered with posters from the shows in the performance gave the illusion of walls. A clever addition to the set was a large screen that showcased images from the various shows featured in this performance.
The lighting was generally fine, with the whole stage lit up or a spotlight to change the atmosphere. It was particularly impressive during a Sweeney Todd number when a blinking red spotlight gave the necessary eerie ambiance. However, a few numbers used distracting purple floodlights along with the regular lighting, making the actors look washed out in situations that did not call for this look.
While the ensemble consisted of four performers, it was Ian Zahren who took the music and turned it into a fabulous performance. The show is not about watching a choir sing, but about talented actors performing Broadway hits. He added the passion and personality necessary to make this show worthwhile. Especially noteworthy was his solo performance as Judas from Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a difficult song to sing, but he managed it, exuding an intense struggle in emotion, pulling goosebumps up from my arms.
Cassandra Schiano also gave a particularly moving performance during a song from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. For the song I Love You, she portrayed a child longing for her parents' support. She even cried while singing, drawing the hearts of the audience towards her.
Some improvements could be made now that opening night is over. The dancing was not fluid when the ensemble performed together. Opening night blunders were handled awkwardly by some members of the crew, taking the audience away from the spirit of the show and giving it more of a dress rehearsal feel at times.
At the end of the night, the talent of Zahren and Schiano won the audience's hearts, literally making them laugh, cry and leaving satisfied with their night at the theatre.
Amana - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company brought a rare treat by inviting Way Off Broadway from Fairfield, Iowa's only professional musical theatre, to deliver Give My Regards!, a collaboration of favorite Broadway songs, an idea conceived by WOB director Randy West.
Because this was less of a musical, per se, and more of a concert showcasing various songs and famous Broadway songwriters, the set was simple. There was a wide platform to help give the set dimension and wood columns plastered with posters from the shows in the performance gave the illusion of walls. A clever addition to the set was a large screen that showcased images from the various shows featured in this performance.
The lighting was generally fine, with the whole stage lit up or a spotlight to change the atmosphere. It was particularly impressive during a Sweeney Todd number when a blinking red spotlight gave the necessary eerie ambiance. However, a few numbers used distracting purple floodlights along with the regular lighting, making the actors look washed out in situations that did not call for this look.
While the ensemble consisted of four performers, it was Ian Zahren who took the music and turned it into a fabulous performance. The show is not about watching a choir sing, but about talented actors performing Broadway hits. He added the passion and personality necessary to make this show worthwhile. Especially noteworthy was his solo performance as Judas from Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a difficult song to sing, but he managed it, exuding an intense struggle in emotion, pulling goosebumps up from my arms.
Cassandra Schiano also gave a particularly moving performance during a song from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. For the song I Love You, she portrayed a child longing for her parents' support. She even cried while singing, drawing the hearts of the audience towards her.
Some improvements could be made now that opening night is over. The dancing was not fluid when the ensemble performed together. Opening night blunders were handled awkwardly by some members of the crew, taking the audience away from the spirit of the show and giving it more of a dress rehearsal feel at times.
At the end of the night, the talent of Zahren and Schiano won the audience's hearts, literally making them laugh, cry and leaving satisfied with their night at the theatre.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Check out a comedy that warms your heart
by Meghan D'Souza
Lisbon - The Mount Vernon Lisbon Community Theatre invited audience members to join them in the elaborately decorated 1930s Brooklyn home of Martin Vanderhof for a lesson about what is really important in life, shown to us in a most zany way. Their production of You Can't Take It With You provides an enjoyable evening.
This group of actors was able to take "zany" and not go too far with it. Each character had his and her own quirks, and everyone in the play embraced them without turning the performance into a corny show. For instance, grown and married daughter Essie, played by Tawnua Tenley, is certain she is destined to be a ballet dancer. Because of this, she is constantly dancing and spinning around the house. The closest she gets to a walk is a dancer-like glide across the stage. She can even be found practicing on the furniture. As an actress, Tenley does a fabulous job taking on this role and maintaining it throughout the play.
As the other daughter, Alice, who fits more in society's norms, Andrea Hallier found the fine line between showing great love for her family while also wishing they were less odd without ever seeming resentful about their behaviors, except when the play called for such behavior. The message of love and acceptance overriding materials and denial came across very well, in part due to Hallier's fine performance.
Along with truly becoming their characters, the actors did a fantastic job of exuding their familial relationship. I would venture to guess they grew close in the creation of the play, because watching them on stage truly seemed like watching a family who simply understands and loves each other in spite of, or perhaps because of their quirks.
This play was refreshing with the route the director Grant Freeman chose to take. The audience is treated to a performance by actors who truly become their characters. Had the wrong turns been taken, this could easily have become slapstick with overacting performers. It is a comedy with a heartwarming lesson. This group carried it out beautifully.
There is one more performance this evening at 7:30 at Lisbon Community School. Tickets available at Shepley Pharmacy, Lisbon Library, or at the door.
Lisbon - The Mount Vernon Lisbon Community Theatre invited audience members to join them in the elaborately decorated 1930s Brooklyn home of Martin Vanderhof for a lesson about what is really important in life, shown to us in a most zany way. Their production of You Can't Take It With You provides an enjoyable evening.
This group of actors was able to take "zany" and not go too far with it. Each character had his and her own quirks, and everyone in the play embraced them without turning the performance into a corny show. For instance, grown and married daughter Essie, played by Tawnua Tenley, is certain she is destined to be a ballet dancer. Because of this, she is constantly dancing and spinning around the house. The closest she gets to a walk is a dancer-like glide across the stage. She can even be found practicing on the furniture. As an actress, Tenley does a fabulous job taking on this role and maintaining it throughout the play.
As the other daughter, Alice, who fits more in society's norms, Andrea Hallier found the fine line between showing great love for her family while also wishing they were less odd without ever seeming resentful about their behaviors, except when the play called for such behavior. The message of love and acceptance overriding materials and denial came across very well, in part due to Hallier's fine performance.
Along with truly becoming their characters, the actors did a fantastic job of exuding their familial relationship. I would venture to guess they grew close in the creation of the play, because watching them on stage truly seemed like watching a family who simply understands and loves each other in spite of, or perhaps because of their quirks.
This play was refreshing with the route the director Grant Freeman chose to take. The audience is treated to a performance by actors who truly become their characters. Had the wrong turns been taken, this could easily have become slapstick with overacting performers. It is a comedy with a heartwarming lesson. This group carried it out beautifully.
There is one more performance this evening at 7:30 at Lisbon Community School. Tickets available at Shepley Pharmacy, Lisbon Library, or at the door.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Music lovers will love Cabaret Class
by Meghan D'Souza
Amana - Molly Hammer hit the nail on the head again.
As the star in the one-woman musical Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class,
she carried the show beautifully. Anyone who had the treat of seeing her as Patsy Cline in Always, Patsy Cline will know this is an actress who can carry a whole show.
Sister Robert Anne approaches the audience as attendees of a class on how to put on a cabaret. Director Meg Merkens does help the show roll on as the whimsical principal Mrs. Doyle who hands out Catholic-related prizes to audience participants; these are gifts anyone who grew up attending Catholic school can especially appreciate. As Hammer explains the concepts of a set, pacing, and set-up for jokes, she does wonderfully with those very techniques. The stage is set as what Sister Robert Anne explains is a multipurpose room for the school. It is a classroom, gym, and stage, she says, explaining why there is a teacher's desk, basketball hoop, and a backdrop covered in windows for the middle school's performance of "Windows to Heaven."
Music lovers will truly enjoy this show. Hammer's beautiful voice is perfect for the role as she sings a wide variety of songs, from rock to religious to country. Accompanying Hammer on the keyboard is musical director Ian Zahren, camouflaged as a monk taking his vow of silence. Although he is generally to blend in with the background, he stays in character during the entire show. How one stays in character as a silent monk is difficult to explain until you actually witness this.
As stated, Hammer is given the task of encouraging audience participation. This involves improvisation on her part, along with handling the unexpected. While the audience can be shy about responding or joining her on stage, she knows how to roll with the punches while remaining in character, a feat I find impressive. The audience was also pleased with the results by the show's end.
The pacing, comedic timing, and Hammer's talented vocals keeps the musical moving fast. My date and I were surprised to see that an hour and a half had flown by when it felt like we had just gotten to the Iowa Theatre Artists Company. As the saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun," and we should have known a pairing like director Merkens with Hammer would make time fly.
Amana - Molly Hammer hit the nail on the head again.
As the star in the one-woman musical Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class,
she carried the show beautifully. Anyone who had the treat of seeing her as Patsy Cline in Always, Patsy Cline will know this is an actress who can carry a whole show.Sister Robert Anne approaches the audience as attendees of a class on how to put on a cabaret. Director Meg Merkens does help the show roll on as the whimsical principal Mrs. Doyle who hands out Catholic-related prizes to audience participants; these are gifts anyone who grew up attending Catholic school can especially appreciate. As Hammer explains the concepts of a set, pacing, and set-up for jokes, she does wonderfully with those very techniques. The stage is set as what Sister Robert Anne explains is a multipurpose room for the school. It is a classroom, gym, and stage, she says, explaining why there is a teacher's desk, basketball hoop, and a backdrop covered in windows for the middle school's performance of "Windows to Heaven."
Music lovers will truly enjoy this show. Hammer's beautiful voice is perfect for the role as she sings a wide variety of songs, from rock to religious to country. Accompanying Hammer on the keyboard is musical director Ian Zahren, camouflaged as a monk taking his vow of silence. Although he is generally to blend in with the background, he stays in character during the entire show. How one stays in character as a silent monk is difficult to explain until you actually witness this.
As stated, Hammer is given the task of encouraging audience participation. This involves improvisation on her part, along with handling the unexpected. While the audience can be shy about responding or joining her on stage, she knows how to roll with the punches while remaining in character, a feat I find impressive. The audience was also pleased with the results by the show's end.
The pacing, comedic timing, and Hammer's talented vocals keeps the musical moving fast. My date and I were surprised to see that an hour and a half had flown by when it felt like we had just gotten to the Iowa Theatre Artists Company. As the saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun," and we should have known a pairing like director Merkens with Hammer would make time fly.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Last Train to Nibroc is Thought Provoking
by Meghan D'Souza
Iowa City - World War Two. We hear stories from our relatives all the time. It was a time when women were encouraged to work in factories. A time when U.S. citizens learned to live on rations. Dreamwell's production of Last Train to Nibroc follows a different type of story during that war involving a young man and woman struggling on the home front.
While I found the dialogue repetitive at times, the play in its entirety was
enjoyable, thought-provoking and, in Dreamwell's true nature, certainly taboo. May, played by the talented Ottavia DeLuca, found herself newly single and the victim of shattered dreams. To be single at her age, the early 20's in the 1940s, certainly did make a lady an old maid in that time. She was disappointed in her former fiancé and upset that her plan to become a missionary could not become a reality, now that she was not getting married.
Raleigh, played by K. Michael Moore, was facing a harsh reality of his own. He had been discharged by the army due to an illness. Specifically, epilepsy, a misunderstood illness that scared everyone in that era. He felt shame and guilt, wanting to serve his country and not being allowed to do so. He felt that people didn't understand why he wasn't overseas like their brothers and sons were.
Though simple, the set was creatively designed to accommodate the three scenes that make up this play. With dark blue walls covered in posters circa the 1940s outlining the stage, Raleigh and May met on a train, so they sat on a cushioned bench, with the whole stage lit.
To change to the next scene, which took place just over a year later on a park bench, they simply removed the cushions from the bench, but kept the lighting the same. For the final scene, they added a chair and tossed a blanket and pillows on the bench to give the feel of a front porch.
The storytelling was helped along by the costumes Moore and DeLuca wore. In Scene One, they donned an army uniform and a typical 1940s dress. In Scene Two, back in Kentucky where they're from, Moore had changed into overalls and a button-down shirt and DeLuca added gloves and a hat to her dress. Ladies never went outside without gloves and a hat in the '40s. Scene Three took place on May's porch after dinner. Here, Moore wore a shirt and tie with khakis. May had a different dress on with socks and white shoes, but no hat or gloves.
The most important part of the play was the acting and it was splendid. The whole 80 minutes was on the shoulders of Moore and DeLuca and they carried it effortlessly. They two took us through three different years. We watched them grow, carry heavy burdens, accept change and forge ahead.
DeLuca won me over in the most serious scenes. I usually try to separate myself from a show when things get too tense, but I simply couldn't do that with her on stage. She had some harsh lines to deliver and she did it well. Moore responded perfectly, making the whole event believable. With the use of facial expressions, good voice tones, perfect reactions to one another and an even flow of conversation, this twosome put on an excellent performance.
It's a play that makes you think and makes you talk. It's performed in a way that will have you immersed. This show runs Friday and Saturday only so do not miss it!
Iowa City - World War Two. We hear stories from our relatives all the time. It was a time when women were encouraged to work in factories. A time when U.S. citizens learned to live on rations. Dreamwell's production of Last Train to Nibroc follows a different type of story during that war involving a young man and woman struggling on the home front.
While I found the dialogue repetitive at times, the play in its entirety was
enjoyable, thought-provoking and, in Dreamwell's true nature, certainly taboo. May, played by the talented Ottavia DeLuca, found herself newly single and the victim of shattered dreams. To be single at her age, the early 20's in the 1940s, certainly did make a lady an old maid in that time. She was disappointed in her former fiancé and upset that her plan to become a missionary could not become a reality, now that she was not getting married.Raleigh, played by K. Michael Moore, was facing a harsh reality of his own. He had been discharged by the army due to an illness. Specifically, epilepsy, a misunderstood illness that scared everyone in that era. He felt shame and guilt, wanting to serve his country and not being allowed to do so. He felt that people didn't understand why he wasn't overseas like their brothers and sons were.
Though simple, the set was creatively designed to accommodate the three scenes that make up this play. With dark blue walls covered in posters circa the 1940s outlining the stage, Raleigh and May met on a train, so they sat on a cushioned bench, with the whole stage lit.
To change to the next scene, which took place just over a year later on a park bench, they simply removed the cushions from the bench, but kept the lighting the same. For the final scene, they added a chair and tossed a blanket and pillows on the bench to give the feel of a front porch.
The storytelling was helped along by the costumes Moore and DeLuca wore. In Scene One, they donned an army uniform and a typical 1940s dress. In Scene Two, back in Kentucky where they're from, Moore had changed into overalls and a button-down shirt and DeLuca added gloves and a hat to her dress. Ladies never went outside without gloves and a hat in the '40s. Scene Three took place on May's porch after dinner. Here, Moore wore a shirt and tie with khakis. May had a different dress on with socks and white shoes, but no hat or gloves.
The most important part of the play was the acting and it was splendid. The whole 80 minutes was on the shoulders of Moore and DeLuca and they carried it effortlessly. They two took us through three different years. We watched them grow, carry heavy burdens, accept change and forge ahead.
DeLuca won me over in the most serious scenes. I usually try to separate myself from a show when things get too tense, but I simply couldn't do that with her on stage. She had some harsh lines to deliver and she did it well. Moore responded perfectly, making the whole event believable. With the use of facial expressions, good voice tones, perfect reactions to one another and an even flow of conversation, this twosome put on an excellent performance.
It's a play that makes you think and makes you talk. It's performed in a way that will have you immersed. This show runs Friday and Saturday only so do not miss it!
Monday, November 22, 2010
'Plaid Tidings' brings Christmas Cheer
By Meghan D'Souza
Old Creamery - Plaids are back.
Well, not plaids. That is so last season. I mean the Plaids, the late 1950's quartet from Stuart Ross's musical Forever Plaid. They're back onstage in Plaid Tidings where we learn along with them that they have been sent from heaven to bring Christmas cheer and accomplish a dream they did not get to achieve before their untimely death. It is time for them to put on a Christmas show.
Sparky (Joe Lehman), Jinx (Ryan Gaffney), Frankie (T.J. Besler) and Smudge (Vaughn Irving) took to the stage with so much energy, I was exhausted. Donned in their green plaid tuxedos, they wooed us ladies with "Sha-Boom (Life Could be a Dream)" using long-handled toilet plungers as microphones and percussion. Frankie’s body was taken over by the divine as he hip hop danced his way through "Twaz the Nite B4 Xmas." Blind without his glasses, Irving tap danced his way offstage. And right off the stage. The men sang familiar tunes, both Christmas carols and late '50s songs, and danced for two hours with only intermission to give them a moment to breathe. Never once did they break character or did we wish the musical would hurry up and end.
Sure, they used slapstick to get us laughing, but these gentlemen made it work. They also bounced jokes off each other well and kept the play flowing nicely, transitioning smoothly from grand humor to quiet nostalgia. They were so nostalgic, I even found myself longing for the days of Perry Como’s Christmas shows.
The set was cleverly executed. For the first half of the play, the men were framed by two walls that were decorated with plaid curtains. As Smudge reminisced about their younger days, he told us of their dream to perform on a television Christmas show. He revealed a miniature set, explaining that the friends gathered around it to sing Christmas carols during sad times in their lives. Once the men realized they had been placed back on earth to perform a Christmas show, that very set appeared before us. The stage looked like a living room decorated for Christmas, complete with gifts, garland and lights for the second half of the play.
The nostalgia really hit when the foursome rolled out a television designed to look like those from the late 1950s. A recording of Perry Como’s Christmas show appeared and the quartet sang back up to Como’s "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." This came after a remarkable high-energy performance capturing the highlights of The Ed Sullivan show. With Jinx playing the accordian, the other three fellows flew on and off the stage appearing as The Rockettes, The Vienna Boy Choir, a plate spinner, a juggler, The Chipmunks and many more notable icons from the days of yore in a quick amount of time.
I was not ready to think about Christmas before this, but the men are so energetic, so whimsical, so talented and fun that they pulled me out of my bah-humbug funk. I busted out a few belly laughs and the audience gave them a standing ovation for good reason. The show runs through December 19 at the Old Creamery Theatre. Go here for more information.
Old Creamery - Plaids are back.
Well, not plaids. That is so last season. I mean the Plaids, the late 1950's quartet from Stuart Ross's musical Forever Plaid. They're back onstage in Plaid Tidings where we learn along with them that they have been sent from heaven to bring Christmas cheer and accomplish a dream they did not get to achieve before their untimely death. It is time for them to put on a Christmas show.
Sparky (Joe Lehman), Jinx (Ryan Gaffney), Frankie (T.J. Besler) and Smudge (Vaughn Irving) took to the stage with so much energy, I was exhausted. Donned in their green plaid tuxedos, they wooed us ladies with "Sha-Boom (Life Could be a Dream)" using long-handled toilet plungers as microphones and percussion. Frankie’s body was taken over by the divine as he hip hop danced his way through "Twaz the Nite B4 Xmas." Blind without his glasses, Irving tap danced his way offstage. And right off the stage. The men sang familiar tunes, both Christmas carols and late '50s songs, and danced for two hours with only intermission to give them a moment to breathe. Never once did they break character or did we wish the musical would hurry up and end.
Sure, they used slapstick to get us laughing, but these gentlemen made it work. They also bounced jokes off each other well and kept the play flowing nicely, transitioning smoothly from grand humor to quiet nostalgia. They were so nostalgic, I even found myself longing for the days of Perry Como’s Christmas shows.
The set was cleverly executed. For the first half of the play, the men were framed by two walls that were decorated with plaid curtains. As Smudge reminisced about their younger days, he told us of their dream to perform on a television Christmas show. He revealed a miniature set, explaining that the friends gathered around it to sing Christmas carols during sad times in their lives. Once the men realized they had been placed back on earth to perform a Christmas show, that very set appeared before us. The stage looked like a living room decorated for Christmas, complete with gifts, garland and lights for the second half of the play.
The nostalgia really hit when the foursome rolled out a television designed to look like those from the late 1950s. A recording of Perry Como’s Christmas show appeared and the quartet sang back up to Como’s "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." This came after a remarkable high-energy performance capturing the highlights of The Ed Sullivan show. With Jinx playing the accordian, the other three fellows flew on and off the stage appearing as The Rockettes, The Vienna Boy Choir, a plate spinner, a juggler, The Chipmunks and many more notable icons from the days of yore in a quick amount of time.
I was not ready to think about Christmas before this, but the men are so energetic, so whimsical, so talented and fun that they pulled me out of my bah-humbug funk. I busted out a few belly laughs and the audience gave them a standing ovation for good reason. The show runs through December 19 at the Old Creamery Theatre. Go here for more information.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Jake's Women's pace is slow, acting great
by Meghan D'Souza
ICCT - The cast and crew of Jake's Women made a complicated concept simple. The story deals with Jake's personal struggle accepting the relationships with the women in his life: the fact that his first wife died, his daughter is grown up, his second marriage is failing. Jake prefers to shut himself in his home office where he can create characters and control what they do rather than deal with reality. A majority of the play takes place in Jake's mind, which sounds much more confusing than it is. As Jake was summoning his sister, his daughter at different ages, his wives as they once were, and even his therapist, the audience could follow along because of the lighting, costumes, and well-delivered dialogue.
The set had two levels with Jake's office up high and comprised of a desk, word processor and phone. The stage level was the living room he shared with his second wife, designed with a couch, chair, coffee table, phone and scotch with tumblers that the characters used throughout the show.
The show had its slow parts, likely due to long dialogues between Jake (Chuck Dufano)and Maggie (Barb Arceneaux) that were supposed to be sharp and intense. These conversations were intended to help Jake and Maggie work through their relationship and come to a conclusion about what was wrong and what they could do to move forward. My date and I found ourselves wishing for a resolution sooner. Stay together or not; we just wanted a new scene. This might have been resolved with more movement on the stage or perhaps by finding a way to break up the conversation to help us digest it and feel the pain with the characters instead of feeling like we were watching a soap opera.
The good news is that the actors made up for the slow flow. Of course, there was Dufano, who had a large load on his shoulders by taking on this play. He did a fabulous job delivering his lines, setting the right atmosphere through his acting, eliciting laughs at the appropriate time, and making our hearts ache just a bit when he reminisced about days that Jake missed.
I won't lie... though Dufano is a little young, I wished he were my dad during his scenes with Alison DeVore and Emily Larson, who played Jake's daughter Molly at two different ages. Both girls exhibited the right sort of familial chemistry with Dufano, and managed to be believable as different versions of the same girl. Outside of resembling each other, they also held themselves similarly, acted with the same cheerful disposition (when the script called for it), and, simply put, became Younger and Older Molly. They did a wonderful job bringing relatable nostalgia to the play.
Ellen Stevenson played Jake's sister Karen, who was always brought forth solely as a character in his mind. Her excellent acting abilities is what initially helped the audience understand that she was not supposed to be in Jake's house as a physical entity, but that we were watching what he was thinking. Her ease on the stage, ability to be Karen, not just act like she is Karen, and good humor served the entire play well.
So, I review plays. I have to be honest and say this one moved a little slow. It's my job, even if I'd rather sugar coat it. However, I also get to be honest and say the actors were wonderful. Dufano and the ladies are on stage for a reason and that's because they know how to act.
ICCT - The cast and crew of Jake's Women made a complicated concept simple. The story deals with Jake's personal struggle accepting the relationships with the women in his life: the fact that his first wife died, his daughter is grown up, his second marriage is failing. Jake prefers to shut himself in his home office where he can create characters and control what they do rather than deal with reality. A majority of the play takes place in Jake's mind, which sounds much more confusing than it is. As Jake was summoning his sister, his daughter at different ages, his wives as they once were, and even his therapist, the audience could follow along because of the lighting, costumes, and well-delivered dialogue.
The set had two levels with Jake's office up high and comprised of a desk, word processor and phone. The stage level was the living room he shared with his second wife, designed with a couch, chair, coffee table, phone and scotch with tumblers that the characters used throughout the show.
The show had its slow parts, likely due to long dialogues between Jake (Chuck Dufano)and Maggie (Barb Arceneaux) that were supposed to be sharp and intense. These conversations were intended to help Jake and Maggie work through their relationship and come to a conclusion about what was wrong and what they could do to move forward. My date and I found ourselves wishing for a resolution sooner. Stay together or not; we just wanted a new scene. This might have been resolved with more movement on the stage or perhaps by finding a way to break up the conversation to help us digest it and feel the pain with the characters instead of feeling like we were watching a soap opera.
The good news is that the actors made up for the slow flow. Of course, there was Dufano, who had a large load on his shoulders by taking on this play. He did a fabulous job delivering his lines, setting the right atmosphere through his acting, eliciting laughs at the appropriate time, and making our hearts ache just a bit when he reminisced about days that Jake missed.
I won't lie... though Dufano is a little young, I wished he were my dad during his scenes with Alison DeVore and Emily Larson, who played Jake's daughter Molly at two different ages. Both girls exhibited the right sort of familial chemistry with Dufano, and managed to be believable as different versions of the same girl. Outside of resembling each other, they also held themselves similarly, acted with the same cheerful disposition (when the script called for it), and, simply put, became Younger and Older Molly. They did a wonderful job bringing relatable nostalgia to the play.
Ellen Stevenson played Jake's sister Karen, who was always brought forth solely as a character in his mind. Her excellent acting abilities is what initially helped the audience understand that she was not supposed to be in Jake's house as a physical entity, but that we were watching what he was thinking. Her ease on the stage, ability to be Karen, not just act like she is Karen, and good humor served the entire play well.
So, I review plays. I have to be honest and say this one moved a little slow. It's my job, even if I'd rather sugar coat it. However, I also get to be honest and say the actors were wonderful. Dufano and the ladies are on stage for a reason and that's because they know how to act.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Riverside's [title of show] is fabulous
by Meghan D'Souza
[title of show]
Yes, that's really the title of the show currently running at Riverside Theatre.
[audience laughs]
[standing ovation]
[reviewer raves]
[readers attend show]
Okay, okay. I wish it was that easy to capture how great this performance was. To help me along, I stole quotes from audience members on their way out from the show.
"What a great way to start the 30th season (of Riverside Theatre)."
"That was fabulous! Just fabulous!"
"I laughed so much my cheeks hurt."
This show follows a group of friends as they write a musical about their lives. What is fun is that what we are watching, their lives unfolding, is also the musical. This musical is for a festival, but the friends have dreams of making it to Broadway. We witness excitement, a downfall and lifelong goals being fulfilled.
I can't imagine a more perfect cast for this show. Eddie Skaggs, Patrick Dulaney, Jessica Flood and Kristen Behrendt came together to build believable relationships in front of our eyes. Skaggs and Dulaney played two close friends who had a long history together. Flood and Behrendt joined the story as ladies who had not previously known each other, but by the end of the play it was clear that everyone had grown together and built a strong bond in their experience of writing and performing their musical.
The most important part of making this musical work was the comedy. For some, this can be tricky. However, the whole cast, especially Dulaney, had a real talent for comedy. They knew how to use body language, tone of voice, facial expression and, above all else, perfect timing to get the humor across. That is why our cheeks were hurting from laughing so much. It can be so easy to overact or really throw a joke so far in the face of the audience that it simply isn't funny. This cast was so clever with their humor and bounced off of each other so well that the script worked perfectly.
Despite being mainly a comedy, this musical did have its sober parts and I was impressed with the smooth transition the actors made from humor to tension, back to humor, all while staying true to who the characters were. Such a jump to extremes was unexpected, but I liked it. Instead taking a tense scene and making it all about sarcasm to keep the humor going, the anger, anxiety, and stress felt real. The atmosphere was tense. When the characters mended the situation, they made another smooth transition back up to the fun times they were having.
Props should also be given for a clever set design on the open stage. The stage floor was covered with a life-size piece of notebook paper that had doodles pertaining to the musical drawn on it. The piano was on wheels for the characters to move the pianist around when they changed the set around. A dry erase board stood towards the back for the characters to write their notes on, but it was also used as a screen to project images on during one of the songs. The back lighting also used projection, depending on the mood on stage.
This is definitely a musical I am glad I did not miss. It is rare for me to laugh out loud at performances, but this show had what it takes.
[title of show]
Yes, that's really the title of the show currently running at Riverside Theatre.
[audience laughs]
[standing ovation]
[reviewer raves]
[readers attend show]
Okay, okay. I wish it was that easy to capture how great this performance was. To help me along, I stole quotes from audience members on their way out from the show.
"What a great way to start the 30th season (of Riverside Theatre)."
"That was fabulous! Just fabulous!"
"I laughed so much my cheeks hurt."
This show follows a group of friends as they write a musical about their lives. What is fun is that what we are watching, their lives unfolding, is also the musical. This musical is for a festival, but the friends have dreams of making it to Broadway. We witness excitement, a downfall and lifelong goals being fulfilled.
I can't imagine a more perfect cast for this show. Eddie Skaggs, Patrick Dulaney, Jessica Flood and Kristen Behrendt came together to build believable relationships in front of our eyes. Skaggs and Dulaney played two close friends who had a long history together. Flood and Behrendt joined the story as ladies who had not previously known each other, but by the end of the play it was clear that everyone had grown together and built a strong bond in their experience of writing and performing their musical.
The most important part of making this musical work was the comedy. For some, this can be tricky. However, the whole cast, especially Dulaney, had a real talent for comedy. They knew how to use body language, tone of voice, facial expression and, above all else, perfect timing to get the humor across. That is why our cheeks were hurting from laughing so much. It can be so easy to overact or really throw a joke so far in the face of the audience that it simply isn't funny. This cast was so clever with their humor and bounced off of each other so well that the script worked perfectly.
Despite being mainly a comedy, this musical did have its sober parts and I was impressed with the smooth transition the actors made from humor to tension, back to humor, all while staying true to who the characters were. Such a jump to extremes was unexpected, but I liked it. Instead taking a tense scene and making it all about sarcasm to keep the humor going, the anger, anxiety, and stress felt real. The atmosphere was tense. When the characters mended the situation, they made another smooth transition back up to the fun times they were having.
Props should also be given for a clever set design on the open stage. The stage floor was covered with a life-size piece of notebook paper that had doodles pertaining to the musical drawn on it. The piano was on wheels for the characters to move the pianist around when they changed the set around. A dry erase board stood towards the back for the characters to write their notes on, but it was also used as a screen to project images on during one of the songs. The back lighting also used projection, depending on the mood on stage.
This is definitely a musical I am glad I did not miss. It is rare for me to laugh out loud at performances, but this show had what it takes.
Monday, August 23, 2010
9 Parts is powerful
by Meghan D'Souza
Dreamwell & ICCT - I will be honest. When I hear someone mention the war in Iraq, my mind goes straight to my personal political thoughts about it, dating back to the first time I learned where Iraq is in the early 90s because of the first war. Sometimes I will think about the civilians and wonder what their thoughts are and what their lives are like, but other than reading an article here and there, I have no way to understand what an Iraqi person is experiencing.
9 Parts of Desire, presented by Dreamwell Theatre and ICCT, is about various Iraqi women's experiences and viewpoints since Iraq has been torn apart by war. The key is that it is about these women's experiences. It isn't a political play, but a poetic play that the playwright, Heather Raffo, comprised after befriending many Iraqi women and learning their stories. Although she did not use their specific stories, she was inspired by what she learned and wrote realistic interpretations. The result is a monologue that painted the mosaic picture of how different Iraqi women have viewed, lived through, and continue to survive the war.
Director Rachel Howell cleverly decided to divide the monologues up among nine talented women who told their individual stories with great passion. Some were so intense and engaging, my heart broke a little and I forced myself to break away mentally so I could take an emotional breather. I'll admit, I felt a little guilty that I had the option to take an emotional break during a play that was about people who never get a break.
One specific heartbreaking story came from Ottavia De Luca, who played a young Iraqi girl. Her eyes were wide with innocence as she nonchalantly explained her life and how she can name a specific gun by its sound. She was angry at her mom for taking her out of school when the American soldiers appeared and thought it was because she waved at them. She thought her mom was overprotective for not letting her go out for fear that she would be kidnapped and sold. She was sad that she had not been in a swimming pool for two years and figured it was because the American soldiers were using it, or maybe it was dried up. Her brothers had been killed in the war, but she was too young to know who they were and didn't feel any emotions about it, but witnessed her mother's intense sadness about losing her boys. She idolized her dad, who she thought was with Saddam Hussein, and she expected him to return at some point.
Listening to De Luca speak like a young girl who is just frustrated with her family and longed to be outside and do fun things reminded me of reading The Diary of Anne Frank. Except this Iraqi Girl did not have enough life experience before the war to know that something like finding bullets is not natural and should not be exciting. While Anne Frank had prewar memories so she could try to create a sort of normal life for herself and hold on to hope for a normal future, the Iraqi Girl simply did not understand why she had to stop going to school and stop going outside alone, but thought hearing machine guns and learning how to shoot a pistol was a part of life. Seeing her so full of energy, but so naive and innocent was absolutely heartbreaking.
Angie Toomsen also did a fantastic job of taking the audience on her character's terrible emotional journey with her. She was an Iraqi American with family members who still lived in Iraq. Even though she lived outwardly in peace, she could never find peace within because she was constantly wondering if her family was okay. She was always watching or reading the news and seeing names of places where her relatives lived and worked and felt unsettled and sick because she could not get in touch with them to know if they were okay. She felt disgusted when the Americans around her felt no empathy for the suffering that people like her family members were going through; she internalized the whole experience. All she could do was watch the news and pray constantly to find comfort. An interesting observation that I discovered the playwright, herself, experienced was when Toomsen's character mentioned hating how the Americans around her cheered for the war on TV at the bars while she hurt for the Iraqis who were burying their loved ones with their own hands in their yards.
The talented cast plus the direction of Rachel Howell most definitely got the playwright's purpose across, which was to give the western audience an intimate glimpse into the real lives of the Iraqi women so we could see them as they are: Women. Not "Other, Unrelatable Beings." All of the stories in the play have incredible perspectives that leave you thinking and feeling like you've really connected with not just another culture, but a completely different way of life and different ways of adapting to it. It's a powerful play.
Dreamwell & ICCT - I will be honest. When I hear someone mention the war in Iraq, my mind goes straight to my personal political thoughts about it, dating back to the first time I learned where Iraq is in the early 90s because of the first war. Sometimes I will think about the civilians and wonder what their thoughts are and what their lives are like, but other than reading an article here and there, I have no way to understand what an Iraqi person is experiencing.
9 Parts of Desire, presented by Dreamwell Theatre and ICCT, is about various Iraqi women's experiences and viewpoints since Iraq has been torn apart by war. The key is that it is about these women's experiences. It isn't a political play, but a poetic play that the playwright, Heather Raffo, comprised after befriending many Iraqi women and learning their stories. Although she did not use their specific stories, she was inspired by what she learned and wrote realistic interpretations. The result is a monologue that painted the mosaic picture of how different Iraqi women have viewed, lived through, and continue to survive the war.
Director Rachel Howell cleverly decided to divide the monologues up among nine talented women who told their individual stories with great passion. Some were so intense and engaging, my heart broke a little and I forced myself to break away mentally so I could take an emotional breather. I'll admit, I felt a little guilty that I had the option to take an emotional break during a play that was about people who never get a break.
One specific heartbreaking story came from Ottavia De Luca, who played a young Iraqi girl. Her eyes were wide with innocence as she nonchalantly explained her life and how she can name a specific gun by its sound. She was angry at her mom for taking her out of school when the American soldiers appeared and thought it was because she waved at them. She thought her mom was overprotective for not letting her go out for fear that she would be kidnapped and sold. She was sad that she had not been in a swimming pool for two years and figured it was because the American soldiers were using it, or maybe it was dried up. Her brothers had been killed in the war, but she was too young to know who they were and didn't feel any emotions about it, but witnessed her mother's intense sadness about losing her boys. She idolized her dad, who she thought was with Saddam Hussein, and she expected him to return at some point.
Listening to De Luca speak like a young girl who is just frustrated with her family and longed to be outside and do fun things reminded me of reading The Diary of Anne Frank. Except this Iraqi Girl did not have enough life experience before the war to know that something like finding bullets is not natural and should not be exciting. While Anne Frank had prewar memories so she could try to create a sort of normal life for herself and hold on to hope for a normal future, the Iraqi Girl simply did not understand why she had to stop going to school and stop going outside alone, but thought hearing machine guns and learning how to shoot a pistol was a part of life. Seeing her so full of energy, but so naive and innocent was absolutely heartbreaking.
Angie Toomsen also did a fantastic job of taking the audience on her character's terrible emotional journey with her. She was an Iraqi American with family members who still lived in Iraq. Even though she lived outwardly in peace, she could never find peace within because she was constantly wondering if her family was okay. She was always watching or reading the news and seeing names of places where her relatives lived and worked and felt unsettled and sick because she could not get in touch with them to know if they were okay. She felt disgusted when the Americans around her felt no empathy for the suffering that people like her family members were going through; she internalized the whole experience. All she could do was watch the news and pray constantly to find comfort. An interesting observation that I discovered the playwright, herself, experienced was when Toomsen's character mentioned hating how the Americans around her cheered for the war on TV at the bars while she hurt for the Iraqis who were burying their loved ones with their own hands in their yards.
The talented cast plus the direction of Rachel Howell most definitely got the playwright's purpose across, which was to give the western audience an intimate glimpse into the real lives of the Iraqi women so we could see them as they are: Women. Not "Other, Unrelatable Beings." All of the stories in the play have incredible perspectives that leave you thinking and feeling like you've really connected with not just another culture, but a completely different way of life and different ways of adapting to it. It's a powerful play.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Bees Knees has many great moments
by Meghan D'Souza
ITAC - Sometimes, I leave a show wishing I could capture certain scenes and stick them in individual music boxes for me to open and enjoy at my leisure.
That's not creepy.
It is a compliment. The Bee's Knees and Then Some was a great show that held those very moments. First, allow me to summarize the show.
It was set in 1932 in Tennessee during the Depression. The play was performed vaudeville-style, so the set was simple with intricate theater curtains painted on walls lining the stage, two worn white cafe chairs and a matching table, and two wooden chairs on either side of the stage for the performers to pull onto the set as needed. At the back of the stage, Music Director and pianist Bradley Fritz, referred to as Mittens McGhee, sat as a constant, donned in a black vest and top hat, just as you would expect to see if you walked in to a 1930s show.
The first half of the show mainly involved an actual story. Cora Cornsilk, portrayed by the humorous and captivating Meg Merkens, discovered that her niece Connie Cornsilk, played by the expressive Jenna Vik, had had a falling out with her dopey boyfriend Harry Haystack, the talented Alex Shockley. Upon hearing this news, Cora decides it is up to her to bring the couple together. The audience is entertained with jokes, dancing and singing while Cora tricks the couple into meeting up and using what she sees as sage advice. She tells Harry to beg for Cora's hand in marriage by sundown, even though he is terrified that Cora will agree. She advises Cora to resist any romantic words Harry utters, even a marriage proposal. "Turn real cold, like a frog's behind on a frozen pond," she advises.
Does her advice bring them together for a happy ever after? Or do Cora's well-meaning words make everything go awry? Silly reader, you have to go to the show to find that out.
Before intermission, the audience is treated to well-done slapstick skits, dancing from the Charleston era that includes a hands-free cartwheel by the tall glass of water named Ian Zahren, and a magic act.
I was having fun and that was only the beginning. My favorite parts came after intermission.
The following is what I would have liked to grab and place in a music box to enjoy over and over:
* Chuck Cooper, Marshall Nielsen, and Russell Sanderfeld serenaded the audience with "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue." Like fingers intertwining when a couple holds hands, the voices of these gentlemen absolutely melded together and accepted nothing less than our adoration.
* The stage darkened, with a single spotlight in the center on Jenna Vik, dressed in a black flapper dress, a long white pearl necklace, and black headpiece with a white feather placed in the front. It felt as though she sang with genuine love, from her heart, through her voice, to our hearts. The best way to describe her singing is to imagine what the most beautiful butterfly fluttering through wild flowers in a prairie would sound like if it could leave music in its wake.
* While the whole show was wonderful, I felt that Ian Zahren had the biggest presence, though he wasn't seen much until after intermission. I would first make a music box of his first song and jazz dance number that was done after intermission. After carrying Bradley Fritz out as though he were a mannequin and setting him up at the piano, he performed a solo for us that took me to a whole new place, entirely. That's how huge his presence is. When Zahren is on stage, you want to watch or you fear you will miss something.
* Which brings me to my fourth music box. Zahren and Vik performed a beautiful dance together. Earlier, the whole cast had done a fascinating swing dance routine. This dance was more romantic, a combination of jazz and ballet with Zahren doing fouettes, grand jete, and, basically, I'm saying he spun a lot, jumped elegantly and high, and combined the two. His dancing was impeccable and Vik was beautiful as his partner.
I have never been to a vaudeville-style play. I did not know to expect a variety show sort of experience, but I absolutely recommend this performance. As Meg Merkens says at the beginning, as her character Cora, "Laughter and singing are good for the soul." Their purpose was to get everyone laughing and they did that and left us in awe.
ITAC - Sometimes, I leave a show wishing I could capture certain scenes and stick them in individual music boxes for me to open and enjoy at my leisure.
That's not creepy.
It is a compliment. The Bee's Knees and Then Some was a great show that held those very moments. First, allow me to summarize the show.
It was set in 1932 in Tennessee during the Depression. The play was performed vaudeville-style, so the set was simple with intricate theater curtains painted on walls lining the stage, two worn white cafe chairs and a matching table, and two wooden chairs on either side of the stage for the performers to pull onto the set as needed. At the back of the stage, Music Director and pianist Bradley Fritz, referred to as Mittens McGhee, sat as a constant, donned in a black vest and top hat, just as you would expect to see if you walked in to a 1930s show.
The first half of the show mainly involved an actual story. Cora Cornsilk, portrayed by the humorous and captivating Meg Merkens, discovered that her niece Connie Cornsilk, played by the expressive Jenna Vik, had had a falling out with her dopey boyfriend Harry Haystack, the talented Alex Shockley. Upon hearing this news, Cora decides it is up to her to bring the couple together. The audience is entertained with jokes, dancing and singing while Cora tricks the couple into meeting up and using what she sees as sage advice. She tells Harry to beg for Cora's hand in marriage by sundown, even though he is terrified that Cora will agree. She advises Cora to resist any romantic words Harry utters, even a marriage proposal. "Turn real cold, like a frog's behind on a frozen pond," she advises.
Does her advice bring them together for a happy ever after? Or do Cora's well-meaning words make everything go awry? Silly reader, you have to go to the show to find that out.
Before intermission, the audience is treated to well-done slapstick skits, dancing from the Charleston era that includes a hands-free cartwheel by the tall glass of water named Ian Zahren, and a magic act.
I was having fun and that was only the beginning. My favorite parts came after intermission.
The following is what I would have liked to grab and place in a music box to enjoy over and over:
* Chuck Cooper, Marshall Nielsen, and Russell Sanderfeld serenaded the audience with "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue." Like fingers intertwining when a couple holds hands, the voices of these gentlemen absolutely melded together and accepted nothing less than our adoration.
* The stage darkened, with a single spotlight in the center on Jenna Vik, dressed in a black flapper dress, a long white pearl necklace, and black headpiece with a white feather placed in the front. It felt as though she sang with genuine love, from her heart, through her voice, to our hearts. The best way to describe her singing is to imagine what the most beautiful butterfly fluttering through wild flowers in a prairie would sound like if it could leave music in its wake.
* While the whole show was wonderful, I felt that Ian Zahren had the biggest presence, though he wasn't seen much until after intermission. I would first make a music box of his first song and jazz dance number that was done after intermission. After carrying Bradley Fritz out as though he were a mannequin and setting him up at the piano, he performed a solo for us that took me to a whole new place, entirely. That's how huge his presence is. When Zahren is on stage, you want to watch or you fear you will miss something.
* Which brings me to my fourth music box. Zahren and Vik performed a beautiful dance together. Earlier, the whole cast had done a fascinating swing dance routine. This dance was more romantic, a combination of jazz and ballet with Zahren doing fouettes, grand jete, and, basically, I'm saying he spun a lot, jumped elegantly and high, and combined the two. His dancing was impeccable and Vik was beautiful as his partner.
I have never been to a vaudeville-style play. I did not know to expect a variety show sort of experience, but I absolutely recommend this performance. As Meg Merkens says at the beginning, as her character Cora, "Laughter and singing are good for the soul." Their purpose was to get everyone laughing and they did that and left us in awe.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Remain True takes you back to the past
by Meghan D'Souza
ITAC - When I was growing up, my grandparents would tell me stories about their childhoods living on farms here in Iowa in the 1920s. In my mind, I could clearly picture my grandfather as a child in black slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a short haircut. In one story, he was in the small man-made farm
house that he lived in with his four siblings and mother. He walked into the kitchen just as his mother, donned in a floral dress and apron that she made herself, was scolding his little sister and gave her a timeout at the kitchen table. Just as little boys today would, my grandfather got a good laugh and teased his sister for getting in trouble. His mother looked at him sternly and told him to grab a chair. Now both of them were in timeout. Suddenly, it wasn't so funny.
Stories like this are passed down from generation to generation because they are treasures that we want to keep. Besides being entertaining, they remind us of where people before us have been, how they may have struggled and persevered, and show us how far they have come. How much time has changed or, in some cases, how people are still the same, despite the changing times.
The fun thing about Remain True is that it takes actual oral histories regarding the Amana Colonies and brings them to life. Actors Meg Merckens, Ed Moersfelder, Alex Shockley, and Jenna Vik brought different German characters alive for short stories throughout the show. While this sounds like a task that could leave the audience confused and wondering who they are representing, the foursome pulled the show off beautifully.
The set was simple, with a wood bench, antique chairs from an Amana hotel and a wood burning stove that would have been used in the stories they were reenacting. The actors stayed on stage during the swift scene changes, which worked just fine. If they weren't telling the story, their backs were toward the audience as they made adjustments to their time appropriate costumes.
The most impressive part of the show was the great transition each actor made from one story to the next, graduating from how the Germans came to Iowa, to sharing anecdotes that explained how life was lived, to how they eventually decided not to live communally in the Amanas. Watching the stories play out in front of me really took me back to the fun days of listening to my grandparents share memories of their youth. Instead of having to imagine what it was like, it was great to actually see the narratives passed down from residents of the Amanas acted out. This show is a wonderful way to share the history of the Amanas, with facts that are interesting and unique. It is worth seeing at least once this summer!
Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.
ITAC - When I was growing up, my grandparents would tell me stories about their childhoods living on farms here in Iowa in the 1920s. In my mind, I could clearly picture my grandfather as a child in black slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a short haircut. In one story, he was in the small man-made farm
house that he lived in with his four siblings and mother. He walked into the kitchen just as his mother, donned in a floral dress and apron that she made herself, was scolding his little sister and gave her a timeout at the kitchen table. Just as little boys today would, my grandfather got a good laugh and teased his sister for getting in trouble. His mother looked at him sternly and told him to grab a chair. Now both of them were in timeout. Suddenly, it wasn't so funny.Stories like this are passed down from generation to generation because they are treasures that we want to keep. Besides being entertaining, they remind us of where people before us have been, how they may have struggled and persevered, and show us how far they have come. How much time has changed or, in some cases, how people are still the same, despite the changing times.
The fun thing about Remain True is that it takes actual oral histories regarding the Amana Colonies and brings them to life. Actors Meg Merckens, Ed Moersfelder, Alex Shockley, and Jenna Vik brought different German characters alive for short stories throughout the show. While this sounds like a task that could leave the audience confused and wondering who they are representing, the foursome pulled the show off beautifully.
The set was simple, with a wood bench, antique chairs from an Amana hotel and a wood burning stove that would have been used in the stories they were reenacting. The actors stayed on stage during the swift scene changes, which worked just fine. If they weren't telling the story, their backs were toward the audience as they made adjustments to their time appropriate costumes.
The most impressive part of the show was the great transition each actor made from one story to the next, graduating from how the Germans came to Iowa, to sharing anecdotes that explained how life was lived, to how they eventually decided not to live communally in the Amanas. Watching the stories play out in front of me really took me back to the fun days of listening to my grandparents share memories of their youth. Instead of having to imagine what it was like, it was great to actually see the narratives passed down from residents of the Amanas acted out. This show is a wonderful way to share the history of the Amanas, with facts that are interesting and unique. It is worth seeing at least once this summer!
Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.
Monday, May 3, 2010
You will love Opal
by Meghan D'Souza
Old Creamery - Everybody Loves Opal delivered exactly what it promised: laughter provided by Old Creamery regular Marquetta Senters as Opal Kronkie. Senters molded right into this role as a fun-loving, affectionate, positive woman who lit up the room the moment she shuffled onto the stage that had been transformed into Opal's home full of junk that she collects. You know, because if you keep it long enough, you never know when something might come back in style. With a heart as big as Opal's, it's no wonder she welcomes three perfect strangers to rent her second floor shortly upon meeting them. She only sees the good in people.
Only these people, Brad (Andy Brown), Sol (Jason Grubbe), and Gloria (Lisa Margolin), are not who she thinks they are at all. These three friends are con artists who want to eliminate Opal. When she's gone, the insurance money is theirs. But with all of the plotting and attempts they make, their worlds are turned around. The comedy comes in all that goes wrong and in the end we are treated to a heartfelt lesson about faith and true friendship.
Brown, Grubbe and Margolin did a fantastic job as a trio. They bounced off each other, making it believable that they've been friends long before Opal came into their lives. Margolin's body language and voice were highly effective to convey the humor throughout the play. She also transitioned from a criminal into a person with a good conscience and made that a smooth ride for those of us in the audience.
Brown handled difficult scenes well. His character was drunk in one scene and instead of going over-the-top, which could have been easy, he was able to remain believable. However, his character may have worked a little bit better with a different way of speaking. All of the other characters had southern accents while Brad over enunciated his words. This may have been a way to show that he was once a professor, because the script called for Brown to use an unnecessarily large vocabulary and use quotes that left the other characters dumbfounded. If he didn't use precise diction and didn't have a southern accent, then we may have been left wondering why he didn't use more in his speech to show that he was a professor.
I don't like to leave small roles out. Those take a lot of hard work, and the audience was left laughing at the scene involving Tom Milligan as a doctor and Senters. Their dialogue was so quick and very funny, I'm amazed that they didn't mess up their lines or crack a smile. Milligan asked Senters a series of questions that she either quickly answered or chose to go on a tangent about her cat, forcing Milligan to push for an answer. That was, by far, my favorite scene of the whole play. The way these two actors worked together was incredible.
If there was one thing that I would change about the play to improve it just a bit, it would be a combination of the costumes and the items chosen to be on the set. While the set, itself, was very creative with the skeleton of a house packed with all sorts of junk in every nook and cranny available, some of the junk chosen threw me off when I began to wonder what time period we were in. I suspected it was probably the 1920's because of the slang used, like "Cripes!" and because the rent was $10 per month. But the set had a red and chrome kitchen table that is associated with the 1950s, a radio that I had in the 1980s, and a television that wouldn't have existed until the 1990s. Then again, Opal stayed warm with a radiator, cooked with a small gas stove, and used a basin for her water.
I looked to the costumes to try to figure out what era we were in, but everyone was wearing something different. Grubbe's fedora and suits gave a 1920's flare, but Brown was often in short sleeved button-down shirts or a sweater vest and slacks. Margolin's skirts were too short to suggest it was before the 1950s, but as nice as her outfits were, they did not have a specific time period tied to them. Senters wore slacks and different tops throughout the show. Again, the slacks suggest it was after the 1950s, but there wasn't anything specific about the outfits to tell the audience what year it was.
With rent at $10 and the slang the characters were using, a sense of continuity brought through with the set and costumes would have added a little extra bonus to the play. However, this didn't bring the play down. Actors with good comedic timing and a good bond with each other that translated on stage is what made this play. The title doesn't lie. I really do love Opal.
Old Creamery - Everybody Loves Opal delivered exactly what it promised: laughter provided by Old Creamery regular Marquetta Senters as Opal Kronkie. Senters molded right into this role as a fun-loving, affectionate, positive woman who lit up the room the moment she shuffled onto the stage that had been transformed into Opal's home full of junk that she collects. You know, because if you keep it long enough, you never know when something might come back in style. With a heart as big as Opal's, it's no wonder she welcomes three perfect strangers to rent her second floor shortly upon meeting them. She only sees the good in people.
Only these people, Brad (Andy Brown), Sol (Jason Grubbe), and Gloria (Lisa Margolin), are not who she thinks they are at all. These three friends are con artists who want to eliminate Opal. When she's gone, the insurance money is theirs. But with all of the plotting and attempts they make, their worlds are turned around. The comedy comes in all that goes wrong and in the end we are treated to a heartfelt lesson about faith and true friendship.
Brown, Grubbe and Margolin did a fantastic job as a trio. They bounced off each other, making it believable that they've been friends long before Opal came into their lives. Margolin's body language and voice were highly effective to convey the humor throughout the play. She also transitioned from a criminal into a person with a good conscience and made that a smooth ride for those of us in the audience.
Brown handled difficult scenes well. His character was drunk in one scene and instead of going over-the-top, which could have been easy, he was able to remain believable. However, his character may have worked a little bit better with a different way of speaking. All of the other characters had southern accents while Brad over enunciated his words. This may have been a way to show that he was once a professor, because the script called for Brown to use an unnecessarily large vocabulary and use quotes that left the other characters dumbfounded. If he didn't use precise diction and didn't have a southern accent, then we may have been left wondering why he didn't use more in his speech to show that he was a professor.
I don't like to leave small roles out. Those take a lot of hard work, and the audience was left laughing at the scene involving Tom Milligan as a doctor and Senters. Their dialogue was so quick and very funny, I'm amazed that they didn't mess up their lines or crack a smile. Milligan asked Senters a series of questions that she either quickly answered or chose to go on a tangent about her cat, forcing Milligan to push for an answer. That was, by far, my favorite scene of the whole play. The way these two actors worked together was incredible.
If there was one thing that I would change about the play to improve it just a bit, it would be a combination of the costumes and the items chosen to be on the set. While the set, itself, was very creative with the skeleton of a house packed with all sorts of junk in every nook and cranny available, some of the junk chosen threw me off when I began to wonder what time period we were in. I suspected it was probably the 1920's because of the slang used, like "Cripes!" and because the rent was $10 per month. But the set had a red and chrome kitchen table that is associated with the 1950s, a radio that I had in the 1980s, and a television that wouldn't have existed until the 1990s. Then again, Opal stayed warm with a radiator, cooked with a small gas stove, and used a basin for her water.
I looked to the costumes to try to figure out what era we were in, but everyone was wearing something different. Grubbe's fedora and suits gave a 1920's flare, but Brown was often in short sleeved button-down shirts or a sweater vest and slacks. Margolin's skirts were too short to suggest it was before the 1950s, but as nice as her outfits were, they did not have a specific time period tied to them. Senters wore slacks and different tops throughout the show. Again, the slacks suggest it was after the 1950s, but there wasn't anything specific about the outfits to tell the audience what year it was.
With rent at $10 and the slang the characters were using, a sense of continuity brought through with the set and costumes would have added a little extra bonus to the play. However, this didn't bring the play down. Actors with good comedic timing and a good bond with each other that translated on stage is what made this play. The title doesn't lie. I really do love Opal.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wonderful Town is wonderful
by Meghan D'Souza
Gasps.
That was what I heard around me as we audience members made our way into Englert Theatre to choose our seats for ICCT's production of Wonderful Town. Before us was an extended stage with the silhouette of a whole orchestra sitting at the highest point of the stage, back lit by soft blue lights. Just this sight and the sound of the orchestra tuning up elicited our excited gasps as fellow audience members and I exchanged eager glances. If just entering the room got our hearts pumping, what were the next few hours going to bring?
How about a full transformation to the 1930s with believable acting, on-the-nose costumes, incredible set designs that appeared right from the ceiling, and fabulous props all the way down to Lilly, the real, living dog who made her acting debut. Not to mention the harmonious singing and jaw-dropping choreography, arranged by wife and husband choreographing team Jill and Doug Beardsley.
In short, all of these details were put together to tell a story of two sisters who moved from a small town in Ohio to New York City in the 1930s with hopes of making it big in the entertainment world, one as a singer and one as a writer. The musical follows their struggles, using humor throughout the story.
There were points in this musical when I was so entranced by the singing and choreography that I forgot to clap until the applause around me jarred me out of my state. Though the actors, from the many ensemble members to the lead roles, obviously had to work hard, they did not make the performance look like hard work. The dances were so mind-blowing that I wished I could DVR them back and play them over to take in every detail.
I really felt that everyone involved behind the scenes, from director Ben Bentler to set designer Michael Blake and scenic painter Catherine Porter knew that the sky was the limit when it came to what they could do to make this musical come to life before our eyes. I believe they used four different backgrounds that they creatively had the acting ensemble set up with props between scenes, distracting the audience with dance performances. These included an apartment set from the inside, a brick apartment set from the outside, a street set with skyscrapers in the background, and a naval base with a large picket fence.
It is hard to pin down just one actor that made this whole show work as well as it did. Angelique VanDorpe and Lauren Baker played the two lead roles, sisters Eileen and Ruth, impressively and, in my opinion, flawlessly. They had nearly three hours of lines, songs and dances to memorize and they did it believably. Neither actress overacted, nor overreacted, they simply became their characters, as did every other actor involved in the play. Everybody was believable, down to their hair.
Wonderful Town is a wonderful musical, a wonderful experience, and worth seeing this weekend.
Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.
Gasps.
That was what I heard around me as we audience members made our way into Englert Theatre to choose our seats for ICCT's production of Wonderful Town. Before us was an extended stage with the silhouette of a whole orchestra sitting at the highest point of the stage, back lit by soft blue lights. Just this sight and the sound of the orchestra tuning up elicited our excited gasps as fellow audience members and I exchanged eager glances. If just entering the room got our hearts pumping, what were the next few hours going to bring?
How about a full transformation to the 1930s with believable acting, on-the-nose costumes, incredible set designs that appeared right from the ceiling, and fabulous props all the way down to Lilly, the real, living dog who made her acting debut. Not to mention the harmonious singing and jaw-dropping choreography, arranged by wife and husband choreographing team Jill and Doug Beardsley.
In short, all of these details were put together to tell a story of two sisters who moved from a small town in Ohio to New York City in the 1930s with hopes of making it big in the entertainment world, one as a singer and one as a writer. The musical follows their struggles, using humor throughout the story.
There were points in this musical when I was so entranced by the singing and choreography that I forgot to clap until the applause around me jarred me out of my state. Though the actors, from the many ensemble members to the lead roles, obviously had to work hard, they did not make the performance look like hard work. The dances were so mind-blowing that I wished I could DVR them back and play them over to take in every detail.
I really felt that everyone involved behind the scenes, from director Ben Bentler to set designer Michael Blake and scenic painter Catherine Porter knew that the sky was the limit when it came to what they could do to make this musical come to life before our eyes. I believe they used four different backgrounds that they creatively had the acting ensemble set up with props between scenes, distracting the audience with dance performances. These included an apartment set from the inside, a brick apartment set from the outside, a street set with skyscrapers in the background, and a naval base with a large picket fence.
It is hard to pin down just one actor that made this whole show work as well as it did. Angelique VanDorpe and Lauren Baker played the two lead roles, sisters Eileen and Ruth, impressively and, in my opinion, flawlessly. They had nearly three hours of lines, songs and dances to memorize and they did it believably. Neither actress overacted, nor overreacted, they simply became their characters, as did every other actor involved in the play. Everybody was believable, down to their hair.
Wonderful Town is a wonderful musical, a wonderful experience, and worth seeing this weekend.
Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.
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