The results of the Connect Savannah's poll of the Best of Savannah for 2008 are officially in, and we would like to thank the community for the support.
To begin, The Savannah Dramaturgy, was chosen as the runner up for best blog in the city. We would like to thank our readers for the support on this, and hope to improve our services to the theatrical community in order to claim the top spot from Creative Coast next year!
Further, congratulations go to Mr. Benjamin Wolfe, of Armstrong Atlantic State University, for his selection in the "Best Director" category. The competition this year was most certainly stiff, and as such Mr. Wolfe's accomplishment is significant. Word is that he will be teaching theatre to youngsters out on Hilton Head Island, and they will most certainly be well served.
Also up for honours is Ms. Faith Boles with the choice of "Best Actor." Her performances in Midnight Cry, Grease, and Pippin have established her as a strong talent and we hope to see her further. Also, a strong contender was Ryan McCurdy, who came in as runner-up.
But the most significant point is the choice of Shakespeare on Love/Savannah Shakespeare Festival as the "Best Local Theatre Production/Play" and runner up for "Best Festival thats Not St. Patrick's." This is a significant accomplishment, nearly topping two categories and giving the venerable Film Festival a run for its money. This is a real testament to the power and effectiveness of JinHi Soucey Rand's vision and execution that the Shakespeare Festival was able not only to draw together the majority of the city's theatrical community, but that an often complaicent city was willing to sit up and notice it.
And yet, most disturbingly of all, The Savannah Dramaturgy notes that the city's department of Cultural Affairs has not made provision for the continuation of this project. Though we, along with the rest of the world, are willing to admit that economic times are tough, now is not the time to abandon the single most significant theatrical events that our community has undertaken. It is somewhat disturbing to walk about the Cultural Affairs space and note the fairly extravagant level of support visual artists receive (the modern and spacious gallery, effective studio, etc.), along with the fact that visual artists are allowed to sell their work for profit. If I recall correctly, directors working for Cultural Affairs are not allowed to pay their actors. I would ask Eileen Baker and Debra Zumstein, the effective heads of the department overall, why this disparity exists, and why they have turned their backs on something as significant as the 22-year-old Savannah Shakespeare Festival.
We ask you, our readers, to support us and the theatrical community in getting this institution reinstated. Giving up an inch may lead to a dangerously slippery slope.
The Arts/Culture Results can be found here.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Antoinette who? How Does One Really Measure the Value of a Tony?
Recently, while flipping through a copy of ArtsJournal, I recently stumbled across an offering from the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Penned by their theatre critic Dominic Papatola, the article questioned the relative value of the Antoinette Perry (Tony) Awards outside of the North half of the Eastern Time Zone.
In essence, while there is something to be lauded in the idea of awarding the top-level of theatrical excellence, one should keep in mind that, generally speaking, we are only discussing the plays that appear in one section of the market in a single geographic location. The Antoinette Perry Awards, often thought of as setting the gold standard for theatrical excellence in the United States, is only applicable to Broadway productions. Broadway productions are only available in, you guessed it, New York City. While there is, admittedly, a Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre (in order to allow the American Theatre Wing to acknowledge quality theatres outside NYC) why is it that entire theatres outside of America's "Cultural Capital" are equated to single productions. Why is the Alliance Theatre considered upon the same level as Billy Elliot?
The continued dominance of the Tony Awards is symptomatic of the continued NYC-centric attitudes taken by the American Theatre today. Something that we here at The Savannah Dramaturgy would very much like to break. Along with Scott Walters at Theatre Ideas, we hearilty endorse the idea of moving theatre out of "Rome" and into "The Provinces."
Quite simply, there is absolutely no reason that Savannah cannot sustain quality theatre and the community that goes along with it. So perhaps it is time for a Savannah-based theatrical award, to recognize the best among our community. Quite simply, to echo Papatola, something might win a Tony, but people will go and see it when it travels, regardless. So lets start bringing some things home.
In essence, while there is something to be lauded in the idea of awarding the top-level of theatrical excellence, one should keep in mind that, generally speaking, we are only discussing the plays that appear in one section of the market in a single geographic location. The Antoinette Perry Awards, often thought of as setting the gold standard for theatrical excellence in the United States, is only applicable to Broadway productions. Broadway productions are only available in, you guessed it, New York City. While there is, admittedly, a Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre (in order to allow the American Theatre Wing to acknowledge quality theatres outside NYC) why is it that entire theatres outside of America's "Cultural Capital" are equated to single productions. Why is the Alliance Theatre considered upon the same level as Billy Elliot?
The continued dominance of the Tony Awards is symptomatic of the continued NYC-centric attitudes taken by the American Theatre today. Something that we here at The Savannah Dramaturgy would very much like to break. Along with Scott Walters at Theatre Ideas, we hearilty endorse the idea of moving theatre out of "Rome" and into "The Provinces."
Quite simply, there is absolutely no reason that Savannah cannot sustain quality theatre and the community that goes along with it. So perhaps it is time for a Savannah-based theatrical award, to recognize the best among our community. Quite simply, to echo Papatola, something might win a Tony, but people will go and see it when it travels, regardless. So lets start bringing some things home.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Pippin: Savannah Cultural Arts
It would be an accurate historian indeed who could pinpoint the precise date where Broadway began to turn from traditional, Golden Age-style musicals of Porter and Loesser to the shallow fair of rock operas and Andrew Lloyd Webber. However, it would seem that Pippin, the monumental battle between Stephen Schwartz and Bob Fosse that rivals even Stephen Sondheim in a level of convolution and managed to kill Irene Ryan, was concieved on that very day. Indeed, it seems that continual revisions to the piece have only continually weakened it. Though it is a perennial favourite in community theatre, this can only be because nobody would want it.
And, in many ways, Savannah Cultural Arts Theatre's production of the aforementioned piece is severely limited by a script that is so severely flawed. Regarding its recent revival at the Mark Taper Forum, The New York Times cites the need for a very real, very clear duality in the production of this show. Yet that duality, so essential to understanding a script that has placed all its cards on a single horse, seems to be severely missing from this production. As this is a play about putting on a show (theatre about theatre), the audience needs to see a clear depiction of when we are watching "Pippin: His Life and Times" (the show of the players) and that which is corollary to that. The chorus, or players, are utilized in such an inconsistent way that it is difficult to ascertain precisely what one is looking at in the grand scheme of things, despite some truly beautiful moments. As such, a lack of truly clear delineation and overarching vision combines with a deeply flawwed script. There is a level of surreality possible, but the need for solid craftsmanship becomes all the more pressing in this case.
Savannah Cultural Arts is also not helped in the least by the young man playing the title role of Pippin. Mr. Corey Green plays the role of the player's nightly sacrifice, and aspiringly great prince, with a voice mildly resembling a dialtone and seems to be unable to summon the energy to truly want to become great. There is either a real lack of certainty in this young man (out of which we here at The Savannah Dramaturgy pray he will grow) or he simply "phoned in" this performance to a level that should never be forgiven. In some ways, such an attitude is one of the most dangerous things facing a growing theatrical community, as our institutions largely must have the attitude of "Play or starve."
However, the show is a great deal of fun, particularly thanks to a number of bright points in the cast. Ina Williams, who last swept the community in the Savannah Shakespeare Festival's Shakespeare on Love, is delightful as Catherine, a foot-fetishist widow who has an estate to run and fills Pippin's days with meaningful toil and pregnant moments. Ms. Williams manages to go from gawky and awkward player (who forgets her eyelashes before her big entrance) to a beautified lover who provides a rock to save the soul of Pippin himself. Also worth mention is Gail Byrd in her rendition of Berthe, grandmother of Pippin. Gail, who has turned in effective performances in The Full Monty, 'night Mother, and Catch-22, gives the audience a truly warm depiction of a grandmother giving truly sage advice in the song "No Time At All." Ms. Byrd also manages to balance to prospect of acting at acting while also owning the stage like a seasoned starlet when it is time for the audience participation to end for her big solo.
Particular praise is reserved, however, for Faith Boles as the Leading Player. Ms. Boles turns in a performance that combines the best aspects of a snake-oil salesman and strolling minstrel into a tempting, sexy, and masterful player who is clearly capable of luring cull after cull to their willing damnation. By turns domineering over her unruly charges and beckoning Pippin with the prospect of lasting glory, Ms. Boles stands a good chance of becoming a perenneal favourite of the Savannah stages.
In essence, there is an emasculated and crippled script that needs intensive care in order to try and walk. Though there are bright points, other moments simply limp along through obscurity due to either lack of vision or Mr. Green's lack of enthusiasm. A great deal of fun, but a piece that essentially lives up to its reputation as benign and somewhat emasculated.
And, in many ways, Savannah Cultural Arts Theatre's production of the aforementioned piece is severely limited by a script that is so severely flawed. Regarding its recent revival at the Mark Taper Forum, The New York Times cites the need for a very real, very clear duality in the production of this show. Yet that duality, so essential to understanding a script that has placed all its cards on a single horse, seems to be severely missing from this production. As this is a play about putting on a show (theatre about theatre), the audience needs to see a clear depiction of when we are watching "Pippin: His Life and Times" (the show of the players) and that which is corollary to that. The chorus, or players, are utilized in such an inconsistent way that it is difficult to ascertain precisely what one is looking at in the grand scheme of things, despite some truly beautiful moments. As such, a lack of truly clear delineation and overarching vision combines with a deeply flawwed script. There is a level of surreality possible, but the need for solid craftsmanship becomes all the more pressing in this case.
Savannah Cultural Arts is also not helped in the least by the young man playing the title role of Pippin. Mr. Corey Green plays the role of the player's nightly sacrifice, and aspiringly great prince, with a voice mildly resembling a dialtone and seems to be unable to summon the energy to truly want to become great. There is either a real lack of certainty in this young man (out of which we here at The Savannah Dramaturgy pray he will grow) or he simply "phoned in" this performance to a level that should never be forgiven. In some ways, such an attitude is one of the most dangerous things facing a growing theatrical community, as our institutions largely must have the attitude of "Play or starve."
However, the show is a great deal of fun, particularly thanks to a number of bright points in the cast. Ina Williams, who last swept the community in the Savannah Shakespeare Festival's Shakespeare on Love, is delightful as Catherine, a foot-fetishist widow who has an estate to run and fills Pippin's days with meaningful toil and pregnant moments. Ms. Williams manages to go from gawky and awkward player (who forgets her eyelashes before her big entrance) to a beautified lover who provides a rock to save the soul of Pippin himself. Also worth mention is Gail Byrd in her rendition of Berthe, grandmother of Pippin. Gail, who has turned in effective performances in The Full Monty, 'night Mother, and Catch-22, gives the audience a truly warm depiction of a grandmother giving truly sage advice in the song "No Time At All." Ms. Byrd also manages to balance to prospect of acting at acting while also owning the stage like a seasoned starlet when it is time for the audience participation to end for her big solo.
Particular praise is reserved, however, for Faith Boles as the Leading Player. Ms. Boles turns in a performance that combines the best aspects of a snake-oil salesman and strolling minstrel into a tempting, sexy, and masterful player who is clearly capable of luring cull after cull to their willing damnation. By turns domineering over her unruly charges and beckoning Pippin with the prospect of lasting glory, Ms. Boles stands a good chance of becoming a perenneal favourite of the Savannah stages.
In essence, there is an emasculated and crippled script that needs intensive care in order to try and walk. Though there are bright points, other moments simply limp along through obscurity due to either lack of vision or Mr. Green's lack of enthusiasm. A great deal of fun, but a piece that essentially lives up to its reputation as benign and somewhat emasculated.
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