Director Sam Wallace and the Millbrook Community Players, Inc. opened A Country Christmas Carol last weekend with a cast of fifteen actors, most of them playing multiple roles, and including some fledgling talents who show promise for the future.
This musical version of the Charles Dickens classic -- book by Ron Kaehler, music by Albert Evans, lyrics by Evans and Kaehler -- tells the story of Eb Scrooge's [Matthew Givens] overnight change from mean-spirited miser to a benevolent and generous friend to all, with the intervention on his behalf of former business partner Jacob Marley who has enlisted the Ghosts of Christmases Past [Ashlee Lassiter], Present [Roger Humber], and Yet to Come [Timothy Rotkiewicz] to turn Scrooge around.
Setting this version in the 1950s in Marley County, USA, allows for some homespun local color and recognizable stereotypes; but in a number of twists from the original, Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchitt is now a single mother named Bobbie Jo Cratchitt [Chloe Prentice], who gets fired on Christmas Eve yet manages to keep the spirit of Christmas for the sake of her two children: Jane [Natalie Lantz] and Tim [Jack Walker]; Scrooge's kindly nephew Fred is now called Dwight [Steven Deloney], the beloved town drunk; and "Tiny Tim" doesn't get to proclaim "God bless us, every one".
The score is unremarkable, though there are a few moments to highlight action, theme, and character: "Angel Beside Me", "I Gave Myself a Bottle for Christmas", "Golden Idol", "Goodbye Old Dog", "Less is More", and "Life Goes to Show You" fit the bill. -- Megan Lofgren's excellent keyboard accompaniment sometimes overpowers the voices on stage.
The script is long on exposition that firmly establishes Scrooge's negative impact on the community, making much of the later hauntings feel somewhat rushed.
The production was beset with several problems during the rehearsal period, and a few last minute cast replacements made for some tentative performances. -- That notwithstanding, there are a few actors whose performances stood out: Ms. Lassiter [Lavinia and Christmas Past] and Ms. Prentice [Bobbie Jo and Belle] give solid interpretations of strong women whose time has come for recognition; and young Mr. Walker as Tim and Boy Eb gave each character distinct behaviors: if as the adage goes "half of acting is in reacting", Mr. Walker's demeanor was credible, and his in-the-moment reactions to his stage partners so natural that one could believe he was experiencing them for the first time. Bravo!
Scrooge, of course, gets most of our attention. Mr. Givens comes across as an utterly despicable tyrant at the start; he is heartless toward everyone, so his transformation is huge. And he allows the audience to track the changes at signal moments in his journey with the ghosts, even though we all know what's coming. Hats off to Mr. Givens for finding the humanity in the old miser that carries the audience to his ultimate giddy celebration of the true spirit of Christmas.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Monday, December 4, 2017
Faulkner: "Meet Me In St. Louis"
The Christmas Season is upon us with a number of productions across the River Region providing pleasant antidotes to the often mean-spirited and prurient broadcasts on reality television, in the news, and on social media. The latest -- one that hearkens back to an era of good manners, genuine family values and respect for all, a time when a chaste kiss could set romantic hearts aflutter -- is the Faulkner University Dinner Theatre's charming musical production of Meet Me In St. Louis.
Adapted from the 1944 film of the same name by Patrick Quentin, with music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blanc, Meet Me In St. Louis is playing to enthusiastic crowds under Angela Dickson's direction.
There's not much of a plot here; the Smith family get caught up in anticipating the opening of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Officially called the "Louisiana Purchase Exhibition", it was touted as "the greatest exhibition of them all" when it showcased many new inventions and products: electricity in the home, airplanes, automobiles for personal use, x-ray machines, a wireless telephone, incubators for newborns, Dr. Pepper, and even the statue of Vulcan that now stands in Birmingham. -- Though we take these accomplishments for granted today, the actors in this Faulkner production seem to genuinely get caught up in the moment, allowing audiences to share their excitement and feel good doing so.
Individuals in the family have some personal matters to attend to during the build up to the Fair's opening. -- Mr. and Mrs. Smith [ Chris and Kari Kelly] try to keep an orderly household, while their son Lou [Hunter Smith] prepares to go to college, youngest daughter Tootie [Sydney Jones] plays some pretty gruesome episodes for her dolls, daughter Agnes [Lucy Wilson] seeks attention from every quarter, and the older girls. Rose [Catherine Allbritten] and Esther [Brittney Johnston] find romance respectively with Warren [Colby Smith] and John [Brandtley McDonald]. Eccentric Grandpa [Mike DiLaura] and Irish cook Katie [Mattie Earls] round out the principal roles.
There are some predictable misunderstandings among them, all of which will be remedied by the end; and all accomplished through music for which Faulkner has enviable strengths.
A few novelty numbers punctuate the action: "A Touch of the Irish" is led by the strong voiced Ms. Earls; Tootie's "Under the Bamboo Tree" showcases Ms. Jones's talent; and Mr. Smith leads a flashy dance number, "The Banjo". -- The big production numbers "The Trolley Song" and "Meet Me In St. Louis" have a lot of energy and excellent harmonies.
But it is through the quieter songs that the characters become well defined and afford audiences the opportunity to connect with them. -- Ms. Kelly's explanation about knowing when one is in love in "You'll Hear a Bell" makes us listen attentively, and when she reprises it with Mr. Kelly in "You Are for Loving", we understand the depth of a solid marriage. -- Mr. Smith and Ms. Allbritton share a sincere moment in "A Raving Beauty".
The script is skewed to highlight the romance between Esther and John, and Ms. Johnston and Mr. McDonald deliver in spades. Their voices have never been better as the score matches their strengths. Ms. Johnston's dramatic rendering of "The Boy Next Door" is riveting, and when it is reprised with John in Act II, their partnership is ensured. The touching "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is done with simple purity. Their other duets -- "Over the Bannister" and "You Are for Loving" -- are told with such vocal assurance and clarity, and with such intensity of feeling, that the connection between these two actors holds our complete attention.
At the finale, the audience is invited to sing along; and they do. What a lovely way to end the evening on a note of friendship with characters we've known for only a couple of hours, but who seem like family.
Adapted from the 1944 film of the same name by Patrick Quentin, with music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blanc, Meet Me In St. Louis is playing to enthusiastic crowds under Angela Dickson's direction.
There's not much of a plot here; the Smith family get caught up in anticipating the opening of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Officially called the "Louisiana Purchase Exhibition", it was touted as "the greatest exhibition of them all" when it showcased many new inventions and products: electricity in the home, airplanes, automobiles for personal use, x-ray machines, a wireless telephone, incubators for newborns, Dr. Pepper, and even the statue of Vulcan that now stands in Birmingham. -- Though we take these accomplishments for granted today, the actors in this Faulkner production seem to genuinely get caught up in the moment, allowing audiences to share their excitement and feel good doing so.
Individuals in the family have some personal matters to attend to during the build up to the Fair's opening. -- Mr. and Mrs. Smith [ Chris and Kari Kelly] try to keep an orderly household, while their son Lou [Hunter Smith] prepares to go to college, youngest daughter Tootie [Sydney Jones] plays some pretty gruesome episodes for her dolls, daughter Agnes [Lucy Wilson] seeks attention from every quarter, and the older girls. Rose [Catherine Allbritten] and Esther [Brittney Johnston] find romance respectively with Warren [Colby Smith] and John [Brandtley McDonald]. Eccentric Grandpa [Mike DiLaura] and Irish cook Katie [Mattie Earls] round out the principal roles.
There are some predictable misunderstandings among them, all of which will be remedied by the end; and all accomplished through music for which Faulkner has enviable strengths.
A few novelty numbers punctuate the action: "A Touch of the Irish" is led by the strong voiced Ms. Earls; Tootie's "Under the Bamboo Tree" showcases Ms. Jones's talent; and Mr. Smith leads a flashy dance number, "The Banjo". -- The big production numbers "The Trolley Song" and "Meet Me In St. Louis" have a lot of energy and excellent harmonies.
But it is through the quieter songs that the characters become well defined and afford audiences the opportunity to connect with them. -- Ms. Kelly's explanation about knowing when one is in love in "You'll Hear a Bell" makes us listen attentively, and when she reprises it with Mr. Kelly in "You Are for Loving", we understand the depth of a solid marriage. -- Mr. Smith and Ms. Allbritton share a sincere moment in "A Raving Beauty".
The script is skewed to highlight the romance between Esther and John, and Ms. Johnston and Mr. McDonald deliver in spades. Their voices have never been better as the score matches their strengths. Ms. Johnston's dramatic rendering of "The Boy Next Door" is riveting, and when it is reprised with John in Act II, their partnership is ensured. The touching "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is done with simple purity. Their other duets -- "Over the Bannister" and "You Are for Loving" -- are told with such vocal assurance and clarity, and with such intensity of feeling, that the connection between these two actors holds our complete attention.
At the finale, the audience is invited to sing along; and they do. What a lovely way to end the evening on a note of friendship with characters we've known for only a couple of hours, but who seem like family.
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Cloverdale Playhouse: "Little Women"
Disclosure: the reviewer is a member of the Board of Directors of The Cloverdale Playhouse.
Louisa May Alcott's 1868-69 novel Little Women is on the boards at The Cloverdale Playhouse. Having had several film and stage versions, this new "trunk-show" adaptation is by Playhouse Artistic Director Sarah Walker Thornton. She does not attempt to cover the entire breadth of Alcott's novel; rather, Ms. Thornton's episodic structure narrows the focus to the immediate struggles of the March family's titular "little women" in Civil War Era America, covering some ten years. It is, by turns, a nostalgic coming of age story, a touching family drama, and an early appraisal of the emerging status of women yearning to be on a par with men.
Played on J. Scott Grinstead's minimalist forced perspective architectural framework set, with an assortment of props pulled from a steamer trunk, a shadow-play curtain judiciously punctuating the story, with Temperance & Jason Grinstead, along with Danny Davidson-Cline's neutral period looking costumes that are frequently overlaid with vests, shawls, skirts, and hats to denote character changes and role-playing, and an on-stage three-piece band playing Greg Thornton's evocative score as well as a number of traditional melodies, simplicity is the key to Ms. Thornton's storytelling, allowing each new scene to describe a particular moment that contributes to the overall plot.
Her focus is on family, after all, and the love that binds them together and us to them. -- The family bond is apparent from the onset as the four adolescent girls entertain themselves by staging adventurous plays devised by Jo [Sarah Key], the tomboy protagonist who yearns for a writing career and freedom to exercise her wits as an equal to men. The girls' personalities often get in the way of a harmonious household, but their ever patient Marmee [Katie Pearson] offers sound advice and homespun wisdom to deflate any animosity among her daughters; and their servant Hannah [Teri Sweeney] bustles about.
Young Amy [Kacey Walton], a vain charmer in her blond curls, has a gift for art, though she can be vindictive when she doesn't get her way. Meg [Lauren Morgan] is the eldest daughter and also the most traditional, always aware of maintaining propriety. Beth [Valorie Roberts] is the gentle peacemaking one who never asks anything for herself.
It is a household without men; since Mr. March [Adam Shephard] is away at the war, the women are left to their own devices, and are financially beholden to their tyrannical Aunt March [Ms. Sweeney again]. -- But men are close by: wealthy next door neighbor Mr. Lawrence [also Mr. Shephard] befriends them when his young grandson Theodore "Laurie/Teddy" Lawrence [Matthew Klinger] gets to know the girls and becomes best friends with Jo. "Laurie" and his tutor, John Brooke [J. Scott Grinstead] endear themselves to the March women with kindly acts freely given to women living in genteel poverty, especially in times of distress for Mr. March and illness of the girls.
Most of the play's attention is given to Jo, whose independent spirit of adventure and curiosity feed her desire to become a famous writer; and we experience her growing maturity and that of the others in her realm through her perspective. -- Ms. Key holds our attention in every moment, whether she cajoles or comforts her sisters, or capitulates to Marmee's advice, or idolizes her father, or teases "Teddy", or falls in love with Friedrich Bhaer [Mr. Grinstead in this role also], a German professor she meets in New York where she goes to develop her writing skills, and whose gentle prompting of her talents helps give focus to her life, this is a credible performance in all its complexity.
The ensemble cast define their roles well and support one another generously. Special note ought to be given to Mr. Klinger and Mr. Grinstead: Mr. Klinger's effervescent depiction of Teddy's joie de vivre is contagious, especially in the games he plays with Jo; and his declarations of love are touching. Mr. Grinstead's portrayals of John Brooke and Professor Bhaer are quiet and intense; he appears so comfortable in the skins of each character, and his ability to generate a sincere connection to his acting partners [Ms. Morgan and Ms. Key] are the most sensitive and convincing in this production.
The two hour and twenty minute playing time could be shortened by more efficient shifting of the trunk and small bits of furniture, and lighting that frequently leaves much of the stage in semi-darkness could better showcase the depth of the set, but this version of Little Women emphasizes the importance of family and love for our fellow human beings in such a fashion that celebrates the simple values we ought to share every day.
Louisa May Alcott's 1868-69 novel Little Women is on the boards at The Cloverdale Playhouse. Having had several film and stage versions, this new "trunk-show" adaptation is by Playhouse Artistic Director Sarah Walker Thornton. She does not attempt to cover the entire breadth of Alcott's novel; rather, Ms. Thornton's episodic structure narrows the focus to the immediate struggles of the March family's titular "little women" in Civil War Era America, covering some ten years. It is, by turns, a nostalgic coming of age story, a touching family drama, and an early appraisal of the emerging status of women yearning to be on a par with men.
Played on J. Scott Grinstead's minimalist forced perspective architectural framework set, with an assortment of props pulled from a steamer trunk, a shadow-play curtain judiciously punctuating the story, with Temperance & Jason Grinstead, along with Danny Davidson-Cline's neutral period looking costumes that are frequently overlaid with vests, shawls, skirts, and hats to denote character changes and role-playing, and an on-stage three-piece band playing Greg Thornton's evocative score as well as a number of traditional melodies, simplicity is the key to Ms. Thornton's storytelling, allowing each new scene to describe a particular moment that contributes to the overall plot.
Her focus is on family, after all, and the love that binds them together and us to them. -- The family bond is apparent from the onset as the four adolescent girls entertain themselves by staging adventurous plays devised by Jo [Sarah Key], the tomboy protagonist who yearns for a writing career and freedom to exercise her wits as an equal to men. The girls' personalities often get in the way of a harmonious household, but their ever patient Marmee [Katie Pearson] offers sound advice and homespun wisdom to deflate any animosity among her daughters; and their servant Hannah [Teri Sweeney] bustles about.
Young Amy [Kacey Walton], a vain charmer in her blond curls, has a gift for art, though she can be vindictive when she doesn't get her way. Meg [Lauren Morgan] is the eldest daughter and also the most traditional, always aware of maintaining propriety. Beth [Valorie Roberts] is the gentle peacemaking one who never asks anything for herself.
It is a household without men; since Mr. March [Adam Shephard] is away at the war, the women are left to their own devices, and are financially beholden to their tyrannical Aunt March [Ms. Sweeney again]. -- But men are close by: wealthy next door neighbor Mr. Lawrence [also Mr. Shephard] befriends them when his young grandson Theodore "Laurie/Teddy" Lawrence [Matthew Klinger] gets to know the girls and becomes best friends with Jo. "Laurie" and his tutor, John Brooke [J. Scott Grinstead] endear themselves to the March women with kindly acts freely given to women living in genteel poverty, especially in times of distress for Mr. March and illness of the girls.
Most of the play's attention is given to Jo, whose independent spirit of adventure and curiosity feed her desire to become a famous writer; and we experience her growing maturity and that of the others in her realm through her perspective. -- Ms. Key holds our attention in every moment, whether she cajoles or comforts her sisters, or capitulates to Marmee's advice, or idolizes her father, or teases "Teddy", or falls in love with Friedrich Bhaer [Mr. Grinstead in this role also], a German professor she meets in New York where she goes to develop her writing skills, and whose gentle prompting of her talents helps give focus to her life, this is a credible performance in all its complexity.
The ensemble cast define their roles well and support one another generously. Special note ought to be given to Mr. Klinger and Mr. Grinstead: Mr. Klinger's effervescent depiction of Teddy's joie de vivre is contagious, especially in the games he plays with Jo; and his declarations of love are touching. Mr. Grinstead's portrayals of John Brooke and Professor Bhaer are quiet and intense; he appears so comfortable in the skins of each character, and his ability to generate a sincere connection to his acting partners [Ms. Morgan and Ms. Key] are the most sensitive and convincing in this production.
The two hour and twenty minute playing time could be shortened by more efficient shifting of the trunk and small bits of furniture, and lighting that frequently leaves much of the stage in semi-darkness could better showcase the depth of the set, but this version of Little Women emphasizes the importance of family and love for our fellow human beings in such a fashion that celebrates the simple values we ought to share every day.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Wetumpka Depot: "A Christmas Story"
"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" -- Everyone from his Mother, to his teacher, to schoolyard friends, and yes -- even to Santa Claus, has this rejoinder to Ralphie's passionate request for a BB-gun at Christmas: not an ordinary BB-gun, but a "Red Ryder carbine action 200 shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time". Sound familiar?
Jean Shepherd's story, made into a popular film in 1983 and a stage version by Philip Grecian in 2000, is now on stage at the Wetumpka Depot, directed by Kristy Meanor. A Christmas Story has become a staple for the Christmas Season, appealing to audiences with its nostalgia for a simpler time and its cast of characters who live out the reminiscences of an adult Ralph fondly remembering his childhood.
Except for Lee Bridges who plays the grown up Ralph, the Depot has two sets of actors playing alternately the other 10 named roles and 5 ensemble members. And it is he who holds the production together, serving as narrator, commentator, and occasional participant in minor roles throughout the two hour evening's entertainment. -- Mr. Bridges is an excellent guide through the telling of his childhood self's quest for the aforementioned BB-gun, and he delivers his lines with a wry sense of humor in his assessments both of himself and of his family, schoolmates, teacher, and the local bully; even the unseen Santa and next door neighbors, the Bumpus family and their 785 dogs who target Ralphie's father -- the "Old Man" -- yet bother no one else.
Yes, they're all there (in Cast A on opening night): Mother [Samantha Inman] who in Ralph's memory serves meat loaf and red cabbage every dinnertime, has a wealth of knowledge of trivia, and who can be stubborn and protective of her children when it matters most; younger brother Randy [Clay Edwards] who plays with his food, hides in unlikely places, and "has to go wee-wee" at the most inconvenient times; and, of course the "Old Man" [Brad Sinclair] an inept household handyman whose "vast catalogue of invective" is demonstrated frequently with cleverly disguised would-be obscenities, and is obsessed with mail-in contests and thrilled to win "a major prize" -- a garish leg lamp.
There's Miss Shields [Susan Montgomery], the disciplinary teacher; school friends Schwartz [Adien (sp?) Glass] and Flick [Jackson Moscona] whose tongue gets frozen to a flagpole when he is triple-dog-dared to do so; and the town bully Scut Farcus [Jackson Dean], who will get his deserved comeuppance at the hands of Ralphie; and brainy Helen [Zoe Zink] and flirty Esther Jane [Abigail Roark].
Noah Henninger plays Ralphie. This young actor turns in an effective characterization that shows Ralphie's frustrations with every thwarted attempt to get the BB-gun as his one and only wished for Christmas present. He shines especially in Ralphie's frequent fantasies where he defends his family from desperadoes, or melodramatically pretends to be blind, or anticipates a rapturous response to his teacher's writing assignment, or expects Santa to grant his wish. -- Ralphie is persistent, and it ultimately pays off. Well done, Mr. Henninger.
There are a lot of laughs in store for the Depot's audiences here; and yet, there is an important message as well. While we reminisce with the grown up Ralph about a gentler time, we also get caught up in the familiar domestic catastrophes and can identify with most any of the cast of characters. Perhaps it is good to remember that we get through these things because "we have each other and love" -- Not a bad message for the Christmas Season.
Jean Shepherd's story, made into a popular film in 1983 and a stage version by Philip Grecian in 2000, is now on stage at the Wetumpka Depot, directed by Kristy Meanor. A Christmas Story has become a staple for the Christmas Season, appealing to audiences with its nostalgia for a simpler time and its cast of characters who live out the reminiscences of an adult Ralph fondly remembering his childhood.
Except for Lee Bridges who plays the grown up Ralph, the Depot has two sets of actors playing alternately the other 10 named roles and 5 ensemble members. And it is he who holds the production together, serving as narrator, commentator, and occasional participant in minor roles throughout the two hour evening's entertainment. -- Mr. Bridges is an excellent guide through the telling of his childhood self's quest for the aforementioned BB-gun, and he delivers his lines with a wry sense of humor in his assessments both of himself and of his family, schoolmates, teacher, and the local bully; even the unseen Santa and next door neighbors, the Bumpus family and their 785 dogs who target Ralphie's father -- the "Old Man" -- yet bother no one else.
Yes, they're all there (in Cast A on opening night): Mother [Samantha Inman] who in Ralph's memory serves meat loaf and red cabbage every dinnertime, has a wealth of knowledge of trivia, and who can be stubborn and protective of her children when it matters most; younger brother Randy [Clay Edwards] who plays with his food, hides in unlikely places, and "has to go wee-wee" at the most inconvenient times; and, of course the "Old Man" [Brad Sinclair] an inept household handyman whose "vast catalogue of invective" is demonstrated frequently with cleverly disguised would-be obscenities, and is obsessed with mail-in contests and thrilled to win "a major prize" -- a garish leg lamp.
There's Miss Shields [Susan Montgomery], the disciplinary teacher; school friends Schwartz [Adien (sp?) Glass] and Flick [Jackson Moscona] whose tongue gets frozen to a flagpole when he is triple-dog-dared to do so; and the town bully Scut Farcus [Jackson Dean], who will get his deserved comeuppance at the hands of Ralphie; and brainy Helen [Zoe Zink] and flirty Esther Jane [Abigail Roark].
Noah Henninger plays Ralphie. This young actor turns in an effective characterization that shows Ralphie's frustrations with every thwarted attempt to get the BB-gun as his one and only wished for Christmas present. He shines especially in Ralphie's frequent fantasies where he defends his family from desperadoes, or melodramatically pretends to be blind, or anticipates a rapturous response to his teacher's writing assignment, or expects Santa to grant his wish. -- Ralphie is persistent, and it ultimately pays off. Well done, Mr. Henninger.
There are a lot of laughs in store for the Depot's audiences here; and yet, there is an important message as well. While we reminisce with the grown up Ralph about a gentler time, we also get caught up in the familiar domestic catastrophes and can identify with most any of the cast of characters. Perhaps it is good to remember that we get through these things because "we have each other and love" -- Not a bad message for the Christmas Season.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
ASF: "A Christmas Carol"
It's official. The Christmas theatre season is underway with the opening of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's perennial treat: A Christmas Carol. [There are several others underway at community and university theatres across the River Region...stay tuned.]
The Charles Dickens classic stars Rodney Clark as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge whose miraculous transformation happens over the course of one enchanted night in the company of the Ghosts of Christmas Past [Lilly Wilton], Present [James Bowen], and Future [Woodrow Proctor]. Instigated by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley [Brik Berkes], Scrooge goes on a journey that allows him to reflect on the mistakes of his past, the reality of his present situation, and the indeterminate future which he alone can redeem through compassion and generosity.
The story is narrated by Charles Dickens himself [David Schmittou], an amateur magician with several sleight if hand tricks on display, who also takes on a number of supporting roles in the story. In fact, virtually every actor other than Mr. Clark plays a number of roles, so that the 25-strong ensemble appears to be much larger.
Geoffrey Sherman's adaptation has been featured a number of times at ASF, each iteration with its own stamp. Nancy Rominger directs this year, and has re-distributed some of the actors' roles, tweaked several moments, and scaled down the text to play in under two hours including an intermission. The deliberate exposition in Act I is important to establish plot, theme, and character; but later on, much of the action seems rushed, important moments flashing by so quickly they barely register. Yet, it is still a visual delight with Elizabeth Novak's glorious costumes and Paul Wonsek's Victorian inspired sets, complete with their own magic -- pyrotechnics, moving parts, trap doors and smoke -- all in the service of Scrooge's reclamation from self-imposed isolation from the rest of mankind to a man who intends to keep Christmas in his heart every day of the year. Audiences get caught up in ASF's adroit mixture of story and spectacle, novelty songs and traditional Christmas carols under Joel Jones's musical direction.
When we first see him, Mr. Clarks' Scrooge is so earnestly nasty that we see he has a long way to go. He berates his hard-working clerk Bob Cratchitt [Billy Sharpe] and threatens to fire him on Christmas Eve; dismisses the Charity Man's [James Bowen] request for a donation to help the poor, suggesting that the prisons and workhouses meet their needs and that "if they would rather die" than go there they should do it and "decrease the surplus population"; and derides his nephew Fred's [Seth Andrew Bridges] undaunted good humor and well intentioned Christmas greetings with a resounding "Bah, humbug!" on the Christmas Season. -- His words will come back on him with a vengeance later.
Once Marley sets things in motion with a warning that without the intervention of the other three ghosts he has no chance of avoiding Marley's fate of wandering the world in pain, Scrooge is on his way, unwillingly at first. -- Some events in his past can not be remedied. While his love for Belle [Noelia Antweiler] has been replaced by his love of money, and the generosity of his first employer Mr. Fezziwig [Mr. Schmittou] and Mrs. Fezziwig [Fredena J. Williams] can never be repaid, Scrooge's guilt weighs heavily.
But two persistent issues cry out for resolution: to be reconciled with his nephew, and to help Bob Cratchitt with a living wage to support Mrs. Cratchitt [Jacqueline Petroccia] and their family and provide the means to find a cure for Cratchitt's crippled son Tiny Tim [Matthew Cramer on opening night].
The ghosts have shown Scrooge his past and present, and he has been moved to change but does not know how. He fears the Ghost of Christmas Future more than the others; when he is shown the results of his behavior, and receives no answer to whether these are things that "will be or might be", he awakens on Christmas morning a changed man. -- Mr. Clark's irrepressible giddiness and delight in a world of new possibilities is infectious. He makes good on his desire to help the Cratchitt family and is reunited with Fred.
With a full heart shared with the ASF audience, Scrooge is a reclaimed man carrying Tiny Tim on his shoulders; as the boy exclaims "God bless us, every one!" we can't help but leave the theatre with our own full hearts and concern for our fellows.
The Charles Dickens classic stars Rodney Clark as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge whose miraculous transformation happens over the course of one enchanted night in the company of the Ghosts of Christmas Past [Lilly Wilton], Present [James Bowen], and Future [Woodrow Proctor]. Instigated by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley [Brik Berkes], Scrooge goes on a journey that allows him to reflect on the mistakes of his past, the reality of his present situation, and the indeterminate future which he alone can redeem through compassion and generosity.
The story is narrated by Charles Dickens himself [David Schmittou], an amateur magician with several sleight if hand tricks on display, who also takes on a number of supporting roles in the story. In fact, virtually every actor other than Mr. Clark plays a number of roles, so that the 25-strong ensemble appears to be much larger.
Geoffrey Sherman's adaptation has been featured a number of times at ASF, each iteration with its own stamp. Nancy Rominger directs this year, and has re-distributed some of the actors' roles, tweaked several moments, and scaled down the text to play in under two hours including an intermission. The deliberate exposition in Act I is important to establish plot, theme, and character; but later on, much of the action seems rushed, important moments flashing by so quickly they barely register. Yet, it is still a visual delight with Elizabeth Novak's glorious costumes and Paul Wonsek's Victorian inspired sets, complete with their own magic -- pyrotechnics, moving parts, trap doors and smoke -- all in the service of Scrooge's reclamation from self-imposed isolation from the rest of mankind to a man who intends to keep Christmas in his heart every day of the year. Audiences get caught up in ASF's adroit mixture of story and spectacle, novelty songs and traditional Christmas carols under Joel Jones's musical direction.
When we first see him, Mr. Clarks' Scrooge is so earnestly nasty that we see he has a long way to go. He berates his hard-working clerk Bob Cratchitt [Billy Sharpe] and threatens to fire him on Christmas Eve; dismisses the Charity Man's [James Bowen] request for a donation to help the poor, suggesting that the prisons and workhouses meet their needs and that "if they would rather die" than go there they should do it and "decrease the surplus population"; and derides his nephew Fred's [Seth Andrew Bridges] undaunted good humor and well intentioned Christmas greetings with a resounding "Bah, humbug!" on the Christmas Season. -- His words will come back on him with a vengeance later.
Once Marley sets things in motion with a warning that without the intervention of the other three ghosts he has no chance of avoiding Marley's fate of wandering the world in pain, Scrooge is on his way, unwillingly at first. -- Some events in his past can not be remedied. While his love for Belle [Noelia Antweiler] has been replaced by his love of money, and the generosity of his first employer Mr. Fezziwig [Mr. Schmittou] and Mrs. Fezziwig [Fredena J. Williams] can never be repaid, Scrooge's guilt weighs heavily.
But two persistent issues cry out for resolution: to be reconciled with his nephew, and to help Bob Cratchitt with a living wage to support Mrs. Cratchitt [Jacqueline Petroccia] and their family and provide the means to find a cure for Cratchitt's crippled son Tiny Tim [Matthew Cramer on opening night].
The ghosts have shown Scrooge his past and present, and he has been moved to change but does not know how. He fears the Ghost of Christmas Future more than the others; when he is shown the results of his behavior, and receives no answer to whether these are things that "will be or might be", he awakens on Christmas morning a changed man. -- Mr. Clark's irrepressible giddiness and delight in a world of new possibilities is infectious. He makes good on his desire to help the Cratchitt family and is reunited with Fred.
With a full heart shared with the ASF audience, Scrooge is a reclaimed man carrying Tiny Tim on his shoulders; as the boy exclaims "God bless us, every one!" we can't help but leave the theatre with our own full hearts and concern for our fellows.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Theatre AUM: "Woyzeck"
Each performance of German playwright Georg Buchner's Woyzeck at Theatre AUM was unique. -- Left unfinished at his death in 1837 at age 24, Buchner's episodic fragments have since then been arranged and re-arranged and "finished" by a long catalogue of admirers.
In an adaptation by Nicholas Rudall, who encourages directors to arrange the scenes in any way so as "to make their own dramatic coherence", director Val Winkelman has her audiences draw numbers out of a hat to determine that performance's randomly arranged sequence of scenes. -- This arbitrary choice removes any director's guiding principle and with mixed results; so actors must signal the essential plot and thematic issues on the fly, and audiences are left to their own devices to piece together the story as best they can. -- Combining this with Elise Sottile's first-rate circus-themed set, costumes, and make-up designs reminiscent of German expressionism and Fellini-esque baroque manipulation of the political and social worlds, there's a lot to suss out in this version of Woyzeck. -- Everyone has to pay strict attention. There are rewards for doing so.
More concerned with social conditions, the financial and moral divide between the rich and poor, exploitation of the less fortunate members of society that leads to suffering and madness, than with character development and human relationships, Ms. Winkelman's twelve ensemble actors serve Buchner's ideas well.
Led by Kodi Robertson in the title role of a poor young soldier who lives with Marie [Brittany Vallely] and their illegitimate child, who earns extra cash doing menial jobs for the exploitative Captain [Michael Breen], and is a guinea pig participant in medical/psychological experiments run by the Doctor [Kate Saylor] who puts him on a diet solely of peas that causes him much dismay, the cards are stacked against him. -- When Marie has an affair with the Drum Major [Tony George], and Woyzeck is on the brink of a mental breakdown after experiencing several apocalyptic visions, he stabs Marie to death near a pond and tries to clean the blood from his hands.
Woyzeck has been thoroughly dehumanized by his social superiors; but Buchner never finished the play, so there is no satisfying resolution. Despite this, Woyzeck has never been out of fashion, allowing virtually any culture to view it as a reflection of the world they live in. The play has been lauded for close to 200 years and has influenced many playwrights since its composition.
Theatre AUM's production is challenging, frustrating, entertaining, and provocative, all in the best traditions of educational theatre that exposes AUM students and their audiences alike to some of the most important plays in world theatre.
In an adaptation by Nicholas Rudall, who encourages directors to arrange the scenes in any way so as "to make their own dramatic coherence", director Val Winkelman has her audiences draw numbers out of a hat to determine that performance's randomly arranged sequence of scenes. -- This arbitrary choice removes any director's guiding principle and with mixed results; so actors must signal the essential plot and thematic issues on the fly, and audiences are left to their own devices to piece together the story as best they can. -- Combining this with Elise Sottile's first-rate circus-themed set, costumes, and make-up designs reminiscent of German expressionism and Fellini-esque baroque manipulation of the political and social worlds, there's a lot to suss out in this version of Woyzeck. -- Everyone has to pay strict attention. There are rewards for doing so.
More concerned with social conditions, the financial and moral divide between the rich and poor, exploitation of the less fortunate members of society that leads to suffering and madness, than with character development and human relationships, Ms. Winkelman's twelve ensemble actors serve Buchner's ideas well.
Led by Kodi Robertson in the title role of a poor young soldier who lives with Marie [Brittany Vallely] and their illegitimate child, who earns extra cash doing menial jobs for the exploitative Captain [Michael Breen], and is a guinea pig participant in medical/psychological experiments run by the Doctor [Kate Saylor] who puts him on a diet solely of peas that causes him much dismay, the cards are stacked against him. -- When Marie has an affair with the Drum Major [Tony George], and Woyzeck is on the brink of a mental breakdown after experiencing several apocalyptic visions, he stabs Marie to death near a pond and tries to clean the blood from his hands.
Woyzeck has been thoroughly dehumanized by his social superiors; but Buchner never finished the play, so there is no satisfying resolution. Despite this, Woyzeck has never been out of fashion, allowing virtually any culture to view it as a reflection of the world they live in. The play has been lauded for close to 200 years and has influenced many playwrights since its composition.
Theatre AUM's production is challenging, frustrating, entertaining, and provocative, all in the best traditions of educational theatre that exposes AUM students and their audiences alike to some of the most important plays in world theatre.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Cloverdale Playhouse: "Whales and Souls"
Disclosure: the reviewer is a member of the Board of Directors of The Cloverdale Playhouse.
Chris Roe -- an alumnus of the UofA/ASF Graduate Acting Company -- returned to Montgomery last week for an all-too-short run of Whales and Souls as part of The Cloverdale Playhouse's new "underground experience".
A hit in the New York Fringe Festival, Andrew Kramer's one-hour one-man play is subtitled "An adult fable" that fits into the Playhouse's stated aim here of showcasing "new and exciting plays...to explore off-beat avant-garde" works that reach "our community hungry for new edgier works".
Performed on the outdoor Courtyard Stage on two successive chilly nights that enhanced the atmosphere of Whales and Souls [a collaboration with "Sexy Dirt Productions" in New York], the minimal props and evocative screen projections highlighted Mr. Roe's expressive interpretations of seven distinct characters; starting as its narrator [a Parks and Rec guide], he weaves a mesmerizing tale of a family and community caught up in the impact of corporate greed that pollutes both the local lake and the lifeblood of its residents. He plays all the parts with subtle changes of voice and posture so effortlessly that we never doubt who is speaking.
With literary nods to Greek and Shakespearean tragedy and to Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, and with several Gothic elements that include a "forbidden love", a "medicine woman/witch", and a "creature" that emerges from the lake to issue warnings of death and destruction to the neighborhood if they don't curb the corporate takeover, Mr. Roe's manner conscripts his audiences to take heed to the seriousness of the play's themes of greed and vanity and passion that often interfere with ecological and moral ideals.
Director Matt Renskers [another UofA/ASF alum] has Mr. Roe embody each of the characters so completely that we understand their motives and relationships as they develop. The performance is impressive, fluid, expressive, and chilling, as we get more and more involved with the fate of the lakeside community as well as with our own.
Chris Roe -- an alumnus of the UofA/ASF Graduate Acting Company -- returned to Montgomery last week for an all-too-short run of Whales and Souls as part of The Cloverdale Playhouse's new "underground experience".
A hit in the New York Fringe Festival, Andrew Kramer's one-hour one-man play is subtitled "An adult fable" that fits into the Playhouse's stated aim here of showcasing "new and exciting plays...to explore off-beat avant-garde" works that reach "our community hungry for new edgier works".
Performed on the outdoor Courtyard Stage on two successive chilly nights that enhanced the atmosphere of Whales and Souls [a collaboration with "Sexy Dirt Productions" in New York], the minimal props and evocative screen projections highlighted Mr. Roe's expressive interpretations of seven distinct characters; starting as its narrator [a Parks and Rec guide], he weaves a mesmerizing tale of a family and community caught up in the impact of corporate greed that pollutes both the local lake and the lifeblood of its residents. He plays all the parts with subtle changes of voice and posture so effortlessly that we never doubt who is speaking.
With literary nods to Greek and Shakespearean tragedy and to Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, and with several Gothic elements that include a "forbidden love", a "medicine woman/witch", and a "creature" that emerges from the lake to issue warnings of death and destruction to the neighborhood if they don't curb the corporate takeover, Mr. Roe's manner conscripts his audiences to take heed to the seriousness of the play's themes of greed and vanity and passion that often interfere with ecological and moral ideals.
Director Matt Renskers [another UofA/ASF alum] has Mr. Roe embody each of the characters so completely that we understand their motives and relationships as they develop. The performance is impressive, fluid, expressive, and chilling, as we get more and more involved with the fate of the lakeside community as well as with our own.
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