Oh, the joys of youth! Playing house, doctor, or cops n' robbers, and all without a care in the world. Or so one would think. However, given modern society's anesthetizing of our youth on television of questionable taste, with stories that often outstrip full comprehension of the young, it is actually no surprise the the Bay Street Theatre's latest trip through youthful imagination leaves us twisted, wasted, and cowering in the corner, afraid to laugh too hard.
Presented this past weekend, Noah Haidle's comedy Mr. Marmalade tells the story of a little girl named Lucy and her imaginary friend. However, this is no ordinary four-year-old. Instead of the happy-go-lucky we expect from this age group, Lucy is disturbingly aware. When one has to schedule times with one's imaginary friend, only to have him rush off to a meeting, one is not dealing with regular imagination here. And as Mr. Marmalade becomes more stressed, eventually becoming fully abusive (of both drugs and Lucy herself), the audience watches in fascination as child's play very quickly loses all charm. However, a testament to Mr. Haidle's optimism, Lucy is very much able to bounce back and, one hopes, achieve a level of normalcy in a dodge ball game.
Director Valerie Macaluso has truly accomplished something enjoyable here, managing to render the script afresh to a Savannah audience, despite the fact that a successful production of this same piece was mounted by Armstrong Atlantic State University about three years ago. Ms. Macaluso has led her cast in putting together a piece that is both fresh and coherent, an exciting and delightful accomplishment.
Al Gonzalez does well for himself in the title role, running the gamut from charming (almost but not-quite Fred Astaire) and urbane to a cocaine-snorting, abusive lunatic with an ease that tells of long practice. Also of note are John Macaluso's performance of Larry, where deadpan and matter-of-fact delivery render even beatings at the hands of and older brother humorous, and Travis Coles performance as Bradley, Mr. Marmalade's personal assistant, who breathes such a sigh of relief when all is said and done that one cannot help but believe that, despite the disturbing spectacle of the last ninety-five minutes, everything will indeed be ok. Chris Stanley and Kt Blackmon also take entertaining turns as anything from one-night-stands to waiters to cacti.
Perhaps most delightfully, kudos must be given to Brema Ebbing for costume design and Al Gonzalez for properties. To truly transport Mr. Marmalade, Bradley, and other imaginary friends form that other realm, a schema of roughly-drawn crayon is utilized to great effect, making things very clear in terms of what is "real" and what is "just pretend."
At the end of the day, it appears that the Bay Street Theatre has met the challenge registered by the reviewer of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and that is finding a successful voice while doing something other than parading Chris Blair about in high heels.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Show Must Go On...
Recently, the Connect Savannah published a pair of articles questioning the future of Savannah's theatre community.
The Final Curtain?
Stages of Grief
To say that these articles have rocked our community would be a fairly accurate description, and anybody who has not (and is capable thereof) can see this for themselves on the facebook discussion of Mr. Ryan McCurdy's status. Some 39 voices have chimed in, in various capacities, to lament these articles, dispute these articles, or simply to ask "what can be done?" So, even though venues may be lost, there appears to be some level of life in our community nonetheless.
Quite simply, because of the nearly compulsive nature of the dramatic arts, the show must go on. My mentor, Dr. John Hanners of Texas A&M, wrote perhaps the seminal work about 19th century entertainers. The title of his book is, It Was Play or Starve. And this is the attitude that is perhaps the most healthy. If we are to be thespians, if we are to work in the theatre, then we must do this, must support this. While the need for a day job will continue unless someone manages to hit the lottery, it must never be forgotten that the moment one gives up on doing shows... one has essentially left the theatre behind. Quite literally, the show must go on.
If we are to find some sort of sustainable model, we must do more than simply close ranks around ourselves. While we should most certainly do this, we also need the support of the wider community. However, thespians have little in terms of monetary resource, as a general rule. Yet if a way can be found to hit up those doctors, lawyers, and bank VPs that work downtown... for substantial support, then maybe a step forward can be made.
While I hate to sound like it is all about the Benjamins, monetary support could do much to help free up some time, as people might not need to hold down 40 hours a week in order to keep body and soul together.
I do not think we are in crisis, and this too shall pass. The question is one of sustainability.
The Final Curtain?
Stages of Grief
To say that these articles have rocked our community would be a fairly accurate description, and anybody who has not (and is capable thereof) can see this for themselves on the facebook discussion of Mr. Ryan McCurdy's status. Some 39 voices have chimed in, in various capacities, to lament these articles, dispute these articles, or simply to ask "what can be done?" So, even though venues may be lost, there appears to be some level of life in our community nonetheless.
Quite simply, because of the nearly compulsive nature of the dramatic arts, the show must go on. My mentor, Dr. John Hanners of Texas A&M, wrote perhaps the seminal work about 19th century entertainers. The title of his book is, It Was Play or Starve. And this is the attitude that is perhaps the most healthy. If we are to be thespians, if we are to work in the theatre, then we must do this, must support this. While the need for a day job will continue unless someone manages to hit the lottery, it must never be forgotten that the moment one gives up on doing shows... one has essentially left the theatre behind. Quite literally, the show must go on.
If we are to find some sort of sustainable model, we must do more than simply close ranks around ourselves. While we should most certainly do this, we also need the support of the wider community. However, thespians have little in terms of monetary resource, as a general rule. Yet if a way can be found to hit up those doctors, lawyers, and bank VPs that work downtown... for substantial support, then maybe a step forward can be made.
While I hate to sound like it is all about the Benjamins, monetary support could do much to help free up some time, as people might not need to hold down 40 hours a week in order to keep body and soul together.
I do not think we are in crisis, and this too shall pass. The question is one of sustainability.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Diary of Anne Frank: Little Theatre of Savannah
Aristotle once wrote that "Poetry [read drama] was more philosophical than history." This is largely due to the fact that while good drama must, absolutely must, have a coherent storyline, whereas the historical record rests simply on the empirical record. Given these two divergent impulses, it is so rare to find truly effecting, historically-based drama. Either one recounts the epics of bygone days, or one winds up, like Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project, coming off as preachy.
However, none of this is a concern in terms of the Little Theatre of Savannah's Diary of Anne Frank, presented this fall of 2009 at the Freight Station Theatre. Director Benjamin Wolfe, along with his cast, has brought forth a piece of exquisite sentimentality and understanding that truly brings out the highest potential of community theatre. As we draw in individuals from a variety of backgrounds, as opposed to that monetized epithet "show folk," such a theatre is capable of great work built around a number of viewpoints.
Mr. Wolfe's creation gives an excellent view of life in the Annex for the Franks and Van Daans, who have gone into hiding to escape Nazi persecution. Though almost the entire cast remains onstage for the entirety of the play, they become neither distracting nor dead space. This is a significant accomplishment in a play that contains a high number of two-person scenes. Indeed, if one were to glance about the stage while Anne and Peter chat away in the loft, one will find Mrs. Van Daan knitting, Otto Frank reading a book, and Alfred Dussel enrobing to go to bed. It is a testament to Savannah's best director, and the discipline of his cast, that none of this is an actual distraction, but only adds to the living sense within the annex.
The cast, with it's variety of backgrounds and levels of training, have come together and met the challenge of this work with skill and sensitivity. Sean Carleton, as Peter Van Daan, gawkily demonstrates the effects that first love can have on a boy, while Nicole Pearlman as Anne Frank shows us a vital, energetic girl with a largely indomitable spirit. Also highly worth watching were Laura Mesmer as Petronella Van Daan, Eve Butler as Miep Gies, and Logan Padilla as Alfred Dussel.
Despite the delightful performances listed above, the performance of Jeryo Hannah, as Otto Frank, deserves a moment of special mention. Mr. Hannah depicts the sincere yet harassed benefactor and father of this wayward flock with a brightness of spirit and sincere concern that truly causes one's heart to reach towards him in comfort. If there are weaknesses, they are caulked over in order to keep this particular ship afloat. Though he might overindulge the emotion at the end, and the whole play becomes a diet of anchovies after the Nazis kick in the door, this can easily be understood.
At the end of the day, Little Theatre's Diary of Anne Frank demonstrates just how much community theatre, often maligned for lack of quality or meaning, is capable of. The set, designed by Megan Baptiste-Field, was both elegant and functional, keeping a cramped space outside of the realm of claustrophobia while maintaining the pressure on its contents.
As Mr. Wolfe writes in his director's note, there is a coming together as "one family" required of the theatre community in this city. With the recent fluxes experiences by a number of our performing arts companies, we may need to cling to one another all the tighter to fight a rising tide.
However, none of this is a concern in terms of the Little Theatre of Savannah's Diary of Anne Frank, presented this fall of 2009 at the Freight Station Theatre. Director Benjamin Wolfe, along with his cast, has brought forth a piece of exquisite sentimentality and understanding that truly brings out the highest potential of community theatre. As we draw in individuals from a variety of backgrounds, as opposed to that monetized epithet "show folk," such a theatre is capable of great work built around a number of viewpoints.
Mr. Wolfe's creation gives an excellent view of life in the Annex for the Franks and Van Daans, who have gone into hiding to escape Nazi persecution. Though almost the entire cast remains onstage for the entirety of the play, they become neither distracting nor dead space. This is a significant accomplishment in a play that contains a high number of two-person scenes. Indeed, if one were to glance about the stage while Anne and Peter chat away in the loft, one will find Mrs. Van Daan knitting, Otto Frank reading a book, and Alfred Dussel enrobing to go to bed. It is a testament to Savannah's best director, and the discipline of his cast, that none of this is an actual distraction, but only adds to the living sense within the annex.
The cast, with it's variety of backgrounds and levels of training, have come together and met the challenge of this work with skill and sensitivity. Sean Carleton, as Peter Van Daan, gawkily demonstrates the effects that first love can have on a boy, while Nicole Pearlman as Anne Frank shows us a vital, energetic girl with a largely indomitable spirit. Also highly worth watching were Laura Mesmer as Petronella Van Daan, Eve Butler as Miep Gies, and Logan Padilla as Alfred Dussel.
Despite the delightful performances listed above, the performance of Jeryo Hannah, as Otto Frank, deserves a moment of special mention. Mr. Hannah depicts the sincere yet harassed benefactor and father of this wayward flock with a brightness of spirit and sincere concern that truly causes one's heart to reach towards him in comfort. If there are weaknesses, they are caulked over in order to keep this particular ship afloat. Though he might overindulge the emotion at the end, and the whole play becomes a diet of anchovies after the Nazis kick in the door, this can easily be understood.
At the end of the day, Little Theatre's Diary of Anne Frank demonstrates just how much community theatre, often maligned for lack of quality or meaning, is capable of. The set, designed by Megan Baptiste-Field, was both elegant and functional, keeping a cramped space outside of the realm of claustrophobia while maintaining the pressure on its contents.
As Mr. Wolfe writes in his director's note, there is a coming together as "one family" required of the theatre community in this city. With the recent fluxes experiences by a number of our performing arts companies, we may need to cling to one another all the tighter to fight a rising tide.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
To Kill a Mockingbird: Savannah Cultural Arts
To Kill a Mockingbird, adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel from the novel by Harper Lee, is a fairly ubiquitous story. Most of the people walking into the theatre knew that they would be witness to Atticus Finch defending Tom Robinson, an African-American man falsely accused of raping a white woman, as seen through the eyes of his children. What many audiences were not expecting as they walked into The Cultural Arts SPACE Theatre, however, was an immersive theatrical experience that would take the story off the page and directly into their laps.
The production, directed by Ellie Pyle, managed to take the hyper-stylized stage play and continue it into the staging. The set for the show, which was brilliantly designed by Amanda Drescher, utilizes every entrance into the theatre at some point at another, and even the doors to the storage space underneath the tech booth were transformed into Arthur "Boo" Radley's house. Even the porches of the Finch and Atkinson houses quickly transformed into a full courtroom set, allowing the production to flow steadily between the two major settings of the story. The costume design by Chann Givens captured the feel of the 1930's without stooping to the normal "aging" process that so many costumes from the period undergo, as if dust from the attic comes pressed into the clothing when it is purchased. The lighting design by Ryan McCurdy ably highlights the nuances of the other design elements, and it also manages to follow the main focus of each scene without being distracting.
Bill DeYoung, who played Atticus Finch, managed to find the calm strength that is so very integral to the iconic figure he was tasked with playing. As Tom Robinson, Stanley M. Simmons managed to portray the innocence of his character with an absolute minimum of posturing and indicating. Most impressive was Bailey Keith, who played Jean Marie "Scout" Finch. While the other two child actors in the show, Matthew Sparks and Charlie Ippolito, playing Jeremy Finch and Charles Baker "Dill" Harris respectively, gave good performances, Ms. Keith simply performed beyond her years. Indeed, I think that many actors twice her age could learn a thing or two from watching her perform. The supporting cast also performed their roles admirably: As Maudie Atkinson, the neighbor-turned-narrator in this version of the script, Cameron Ippolito kept the story moving at the necessary pace, and Eric Kildow, playing Judge Taylor, ruled the court room so realistically that I almost believed that Bob Ewell (Gabriel Ricard) would actually be thrown in jail for contempt.
The show was not without it's problems, however. There were times when the pacing of the show's dialog got a little sluggish, which is a sad tendency in dramas that depict the Great Depression era. A larger problem, however, was that there were times when actors simply could not be heard. While some of this can be blamed on an irregular stage set-up, it simply comes down to the actors needing to work on proper vocal production. But for the most part, the show clips along at a good pace, and the parts that are essential are heard on a consistent basis, so these are really minor concerns.
In lieu of the normal cast biographies, the production's program featured what it called "Perspectives" from each cast member and the director. Reading through them, one sees everything from George Santayana's famous quote "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it" to a mother's joy in performing on the same stage as her son. Each perspective is different, and yet these 17 people came together and formed a single production, which was put on with the expressed goal of bringing about dialog on a very important issue in Savannah. To me, this is the core of what a "Community" Theatre should be. It would be very nice indeed to see more shows with this central idea put forth in the Savannah Area. Recently, Mr. Eric Kildow wrote an article that included my favorite exclamation: "Support Local Awesome!" This production is awesome. It was produced with the Savannah area and its residents in mind at every step of the way. And judging by the sold out crowd opening night, people are supporting it. I sincerely hope that you are among those people.
The production, directed by Ellie Pyle, managed to take the hyper-stylized stage play and continue it into the staging. The set for the show, which was brilliantly designed by Amanda Drescher, utilizes every entrance into the theatre at some point at another, and even the doors to the storage space underneath the tech booth were transformed into Arthur "Boo" Radley's house. Even the porches of the Finch and Atkinson houses quickly transformed into a full courtroom set, allowing the production to flow steadily between the two major settings of the story. The costume design by Chann Givens captured the feel of the 1930's without stooping to the normal "aging" process that so many costumes from the period undergo, as if dust from the attic comes pressed into the clothing when it is purchased. The lighting design by Ryan McCurdy ably highlights the nuances of the other design elements, and it also manages to follow the main focus of each scene without being distracting.
Bill DeYoung, who played Atticus Finch, managed to find the calm strength that is so very integral to the iconic figure he was tasked with playing. As Tom Robinson, Stanley M. Simmons managed to portray the innocence of his character with an absolute minimum of posturing and indicating. Most impressive was Bailey Keith, who played Jean Marie "Scout" Finch. While the other two child actors in the show, Matthew Sparks and Charlie Ippolito, playing Jeremy Finch and Charles Baker "Dill" Harris respectively, gave good performances, Ms. Keith simply performed beyond her years. Indeed, I think that many actors twice her age could learn a thing or two from watching her perform. The supporting cast also performed their roles admirably: As Maudie Atkinson, the neighbor-turned-narrator in this version of the script, Cameron Ippolito kept the story moving at the necessary pace, and Eric Kildow, playing Judge Taylor, ruled the court room so realistically that I almost believed that Bob Ewell (Gabriel Ricard) would actually be thrown in jail for contempt.
The show was not without it's problems, however. There were times when the pacing of the show's dialog got a little sluggish, which is a sad tendency in dramas that depict the Great Depression era. A larger problem, however, was that there were times when actors simply could not be heard. While some of this can be blamed on an irregular stage set-up, it simply comes down to the actors needing to work on proper vocal production. But for the most part, the show clips along at a good pace, and the parts that are essential are heard on a consistent basis, so these are really minor concerns.
In lieu of the normal cast biographies, the production's program featured what it called "Perspectives" from each cast member and the director. Reading through them, one sees everything from George Santayana's famous quote "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it" to a mother's joy in performing on the same stage as her son. Each perspective is different, and yet these 17 people came together and formed a single production, which was put on with the expressed goal of bringing about dialog on a very important issue in Savannah. To me, this is the core of what a "Community" Theatre should be. It would be very nice indeed to see more shows with this central idea put forth in the Savannah Area. Recently, Mr. Eric Kildow wrote an article that included my favorite exclamation: "Support Local Awesome!" This production is awesome. It was produced with the Savannah area and its residents in mind at every step of the way. And judging by the sold out crowd opening night, people are supporting it. I sincerely hope that you are among those people.
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