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Posts tagged ‘theater’

Dec 10

Arts Runoff: A MILLION TINY DEATHS

Arts Runoff is a Middblog series of performance reviews, originally written by JP Allen ’11. Ele Woods ’11.5 is going to take over the series for now!

Tonight at 8:00

Summary: Emily Rosencrantz and Kelsey Ferguson’s senior 700 project. A collection of scenes that deal with weirdly sexual and disturbing images and topics. A lot of before play, foreplay.

Good: One of the most visually beautiful shows I have seen in the Hepburn Zoo. Gorgeous costumes, great lights, music and an awesome set (a great use of the hotdog style!).  It looked like a group of very talented designers had a lot of fun executing a very cohesive artistic vision. We got to see a lot of different characters very quickly. Emily Rosencrantz was great as a bitchy Queen and an Irish freedom fighter. I was totally captivated by Gillian Durkee and Christina Fox in any scene from ‘Crossing’.  The whole show had a strong viewpoint and I was certainly moved to something.  If you will excuse the cultural reference, A Million Tiny Deaths would make an awesome music video for any one of Rihanna’s darker songs.

Bad: The show was twisted. This is not a terrible thing, but because it was so dark, I felt like some of the really interesting scenes that were a little softer got lost. Also there is a limit to how many incest and rape scenes I want to see in one night. I missed a good portion of the show because a lot of things were played on the floor and couldn’t see with all the people in front of me on the bleachers. If you go tonight, try to sit in at least the second row.

Broad: I left the show last night pretty bothered. I didn’t know how to really write this review because I was certain that although I liked the performances and I loved the atmosphere, the content was just too much for too long.

In retrospect, I can only give my compliments to Kelsey Ferguson and Emily Rosencrantz. They were bold. They were not afraid to push the limits of what their 700 could be: an entirely unique and individual creation.  They had a clear viewpoint and while I am not entirely sure what the message was, I am sure everyone left the zoo feeling the same way. They supported their choices %200 and they got a reaction from the crowd.  A Million Tiny Deaths was cohesive, tight, and something you never really see at Middlebury.

Contextual Rating:  The last show is tonight at 8PM in The Hepburn Zoo.

 If you already have something planned this afternoon/ evening…

…have fun.  See a different show next week.


…do it.  See this show.

…put it off.  See A Million Tiny Deaths. 


.
…skip it. See this show.

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Nov 19

Arts Runoff: THE ART OF SUCCESS

See the Art of Sucess today at 2PM and 8PM

Arts Runoff is a Middblog series of performance reviews, originally written by JP Allen ’11. Ele Woods ’11.5 is going to take over the series for now!

Summary: A look at censorship, sexuality and artistry with a rock n’ roll feel.  Nick Dear writes a smart and bawdy comedy that follows what happens when a famous— if not somewhat pedestrian— artist, William Hogarth, captures the portrait of a murderess in her last few days on earth.  Hogarth’s series of paintings “A Harlot’s Progress” forces a discussion of government benefaction vs. creative liberty and the artist’s duty to society vs. his backer.  Feminism, or rather, what it means to be various kinds of a man’s whore in 1730’s London, is also discussed. Poop jokes, dick  jokes and the audience eating out (of) Lindsey Messmore’s hand.

Good:  It was historically interesting and politically relevant. It was raunchy and it was wild.  Many of the actors seemed like they were having a fun time onstage. Christo Grabowski was great, as always. His accent was clear and consistent and he performed his role with poise and humor.  Max Hoffman, despite being such a young actor, has good timing, a strong stage presence and a comforting ease with his character. Izzy Shill, so beautifully transformed, was extremely convincing and did a great job in the kind of part we theater go-ers don’t often get to see her play.  She made big choices for her role and the results were impressive. The costumes were beautiful and appropriately extravagant. The makeup was awesome. Jule Emerson, Marcia Provoncha, Hannah Rommer, and student seamstresses had a scandalously fun reinterpretation of the 18th century.  Richard Romagnoli and the faculty design team have some great technical surprises up their sleeves that I don’t want to spoil, but will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.

Bad: The top of the show seemed to lack a little energy and I wished more of the actors had been having more fun with such an awesome play.  One doesn’t often get to romp around in bustiers and tight riding pants. Some could have afforded to take a few more risks. I found most of the accents difficult to understand. I know that accents as a rule can be hard, but many actors were lacking diction and volume. I mean, British actors can still understand each other through their accents right?

Broad: There were big risks taken by the director and the playwright that were dropped by some of the cast. However, the confidence and kink that seasoned theater majors Lindsey Messmore and Grabowksi brought to their one scene together, alone, made the play worth watching.  It was enjoyable and it wasn’t too long of a show. I laughed and I cringed, but not as much as I should have or wanted to.

Contextual Rating:  There are two more shows today! If you already have something planned this afternoon/ evening…

…do it, and see this show if you can.

…put it off and see ART OF SUCCESS
…skip it. SEE THIS SHOW

Playing at Seeler Studio Theatre in the CFA 2:00PM and 8:00PM today. Tickets are $6 for students. If they are sold out, the Seeler Theater holds enough seats to let in a few people off the wait list, so get there a half hour early to try to get in.


Oct 29

1 Comment

Arts Runoff: BIG LOVE

Meghan Leathers '13.5 and Forrest Carroll '14.5 in Big Love

Arts Runoff is a Middblog series of performance reviews, originally written by JP Allen ’11. We’ll do our best to continue his thoughtful, thorough, and timely work!

Summary: A super weird remix of Aeschylus’s The Suppliants written by journalist/historian/activist/playwright Charles Mee//Big Love is about 50 Greek sisters who flee to Italy from arranged marriages to their Americans cousins. When the grooms find them, the fifty brides, led by ultra-feminist Thyona, decide together to marry their husbands, seduce them on the first night of their marriage, and then murder them.  All fifty wives carry out the plan (WARNING: there is a castration in this scene), except for protagonist Lydia who falls in love with her husband and can’t bring herself to kill him.//The play is full of political statements about gender roles and inequality, rape, and domestic abuse, but it actually is a comedy and an extremely funny show. Read more

Oct 14

Arts Runoff: LOVE SONG

Arts Runoff is a Middblog series of performance reviews, originally written by JP Allen ’11. We’ll do our best to continue his thoughtful, thorough, and timely work!

Summary: Written by Middlebury graduate John Kolvenbach ’88, Love Song is an “off-kilter” comedy centered around four characters: playful  Harry; his high-strung wife, Joan; her quirky brother, Beane; and his mysterious girlfriend, Molly. The characters interact in different pairings and occasionally as threes, but never all together for reasons made clear in the play’s final scenes. In this production, 10 actors (for nine of  whom  Love Song is a first performance at Midd), take turns playing these four characters.

About the First Year Show: “ The Theater Department selects actors, a stage manager and an assistant to the director from a large group of freshmen and sophomore-feb hopefuls, then pairs them with a director who’s a recent alum.” (thanks, JP)

Good: Some great performances by newcomers. Standouts included Charlotte Michaelcheck ’15 who opened the show as a hysterical, totally-but-not-annoyingly neurotic Joan, and Adam Milano ’15 who starred alongside her as Harry. He seemed to genuinely love pushing her buttons. Chelsea Melone ’15 was a stellar Joan as well. // Transitions:  switching roles posed a challenge, but the cast made them work with momentary mirroring and the use of a single prop to transfer from one actor to the next.

Bad: As with most shows on opening night, there were a few minor line flubs. I expect the show will only get better as the weekend goes on. // Having different actors play the same role is risky; there were times when I felt like the Mollys were a little too dissimilar. Overall, though, the cast navigated the roles well.

Contextual Rating: If you have something important to do this weekend,
…do it, and see this show if you can.
…put it off and see Love Song. Bring the parents, why don’t ya?!
…skip it. SEE THIS SHOW.

“Love Song” in the Hepburn Zoo.  Three more shows: Friday at 8:00 and 10:30, Saturday at 8:00. Tickets $4.

Apr 16

ARTS Runoff: Low Level Panic

issues of voice and disempowerment raised through daily life

Summary: Clare McIntyre’s Low Level Panic chronicles the lives of three tenants in an English boarding house. Using three women as the vehicle, McIntyre raises questions about gender, sexuality, violence and fear. This production was the senior work of Ele Woods, Jessica Spar (Acting), and Lindsey Messmore (Directing)

Good: Innovative/provocative set design, which began with Ele Woods ’11 sitting alone on stage submerged in a bubble bath. // A dynamic script delivered with just the right level of wit, despair, and sass from all three actors, which made the dialogue especially interesting to observe // Imaginative directing from Lindsey Messmore ’11, which transformed a single setting (a bathroom) into a street-side rape scene (powerfully acted by Jessica Spar ’11), a private bedroom, and a party (a particularly strong moment found Ele Woods ’11 silently washing her face alone).  // A hilariously supportive turn made by Sarah Lusche ’13, who provided a solid foil for Jessica Spar ’11 and Ele Woods ’11.

Bad: I felt as though some of the monologues were a bit lacking in depth. Some were especially effective (a discussion of sexuality by Ele Woods ’11 and a rape scene by Jessica Spar ’11) but most fell emotionally flat for me. The most poignant and revealing moments for me were found in the exchanges of dialogue between the three women, so when we departed from that, I found my mind wandering. Also, the accents were not always consistent, which made it difficult to remain situated in the setting/time period.

Broad: Low Level Panic was a delight, not only in its rich humor, but also in in the issues it raised. Though the text itself remained, primarily, surface-y and didn’t offer the audience tons of new insights, it was a pleasure to see three extremely talented ladies entertain and perform for an hour and a half.

Contextual rating: If you have something important to do this weekend,
-…do it, and see this show if you can.
-…put it off and see this show.
-…skip it and see this show.

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