A Comedy of Calamitous Proportions

It’s the actor’s nightmare come to life and put on full display.  Join a sub-sub-subpar acting troupe as they flail and flop their way through a rehearsal and a couple of performances of the farce, Nothing On, in Noises Off! currently playing at Lofte Community Theatre.

Michael Frayn’s farce within a farce has often been called the funniest play ever written.  I find it hard to disagree with that statement as it has all the elements which make for great hilarity:  slamming doors, breakneck pace, mistaken situations, and over the top characters.  This play is also one of the most technically difficult plays ever written as most of the script’s pages are split in two (half dialogue/half stage directions) and its second act is mostly a silent film brought to life as it is sight gag placed upon sight gag with nary a bit of dialogue outside of the show in the show.  In fact, the play’s lone weakness is that it fails to complete the story arcs of the “real” people that get set up during the story.

Kevin Colbert has a real flair for comedy.  He truly understands bits and beats and his direction especially shines in the nearly silent second act when countless sight gags and moments battle for your attention. The jokes are executed with military precision and are so funny, even Buster Keaton would crack a smile.  Colbert’s staging is right on the money as Act I feels like an exhausting late night tech rehearsal that we actors know so well while Act II gives a farcical, yet surprisingly truthful look at what actors do while waiting for their cues and Act III is the legendary actor’s nightmare where everything that can go wrong does.  Colbert also has some nice meta moments such as showing a supposedly botched scene change when Act II segues into Act III and malfunctions such as actors being on the wrong side of the curtain when it closes.  Colbert has also crafted sterling performances from his actors, creating well defined and unique characters.

This play is an ensemble in the truest sense of the word.  There is no leading role.  The weight of this show is evenly distributed on the shoulders of each cast member who all get moments in the spotlight as their personal relationships shift and fray resulting in the riotous dismantling of their performances.

This review would form a novella if I waxed poetic on every cast member, but golden performances are given by one and all.  Nathan Wilson is a riot as the put upon set designer/understudy/gofer who is always either a half step behind or ahead of the others depending on the crisis.  Adam Kovar is a master of physical comedy as the hot-tempered Garry Lejeune with falls so believable I actually thought he had hurt himself on a few occasions.  Anne Pope is a steady hand as the troupe’s most level headed performer, Belinda Blair, who is overly optimistic and a bit of a gossip.  Alyssa Rosecrans is hysterical as the stupider than a brick, Brooke Ashton, who constantly loses her contact lenses, meditates and practices yoga when stressed out, and obliviously continues with her role despite it not making sense as things fall apart around her.  Deanna Walz is hilarious as the actor/producer who can never remember her stage actions and lights the fire that is Act II with her relationship troubles with Garry.  Natalie McGovern is wonderful as the stage manager/understudy, Poppy, whose sweetness is matched only by her poor acting.

I was particularly taken in by Jon Kruse’s interpretation of Selsdon Mowbray.  Kruse underplays the role beautifully and I envision his Selsdon as a once capable actor who has been betrayed by age and his addiction to the bottle.  Kruse is very convincing as the nearly deaf thespian who can’t remember his lines and can’t recite them properly when prompted and never met a bottle of booze he didn’t like.

Mick Kovar spins some theatrical gossamer with his take on Frederick Fellowes.  Kovar’s Fellowes is a likable guy, but, man, he can also get on your nerves in a hurry as his obtuseness about motivations and plot prevent him from simply acting.  Kovar is a hoot as the hapless sad sack who spontaneously bleeds from the nose when violence occurs or at the sight of blood.  He is an impressive physical comic in his own right as he gets tangled in sheets and waddles around with his pants around his ankles.

Somewhere I imagine Kermit the Frog is pointing at Lloyd Dallas and laughing his head off as he handles his Muppets far better than Dallas manages his.  Neal Herring gives his Dallas a certain air of superiority because he seems more concerned with directing Richard III than he does about getting Nothing On off the ground.  He’s also a bit of a cad as he sleeps with a couple members of the cast and crew.  However, he’s also a shrewd master of diplomacy as he knows how to navigate the relationships and shortcomings of his actors even if the massive stress of doing so causes him to force a grin so tense I thought his teeth would shatter.

Kevin Colbert and Don Larew at Scenographics team up to design the massive great room of a mansion with a circular couch at the center and 8 doors and a set of windows suitable for slamming and frenetic entrances and exits.  Tim Sorenson’s sounds enhance the comedy especially with the delayed window breaking cues of the third act when too many actors try to play the same part.  Janet Sorenson’s costumes are realistic and natural.

Act I could have used a snappier pace, but I believe it was slowed by a quieter audience not giving the cast the needed fuel.  But once the pantomime started in Act II. . .whoa Nellie!!!  The cast just poured gasoline on the fire and their energy and animation would have lit Las Vegas and it didn’t wane until the final curtain fell.

There’s no depth to this show.  It’s just an unbridled, free for all of fun.  A viewing of this show will take care of your ab exercises for a week, so get a ticket and ready yourself to howl yourself hoarse.

Noises Off! runs at Lofte Community Theatre through October 30. Showtimes are Thurs-Sat at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets cost $24 and can be purchased at www.lofte.org or by calling the box office at 402-234-2553. Lofte Community Theatre is located at 15841 Manley Road in Manley, NE.

A Love Cursed

Out of tragedy is born love.  And out of that love arises another tragedy. . .and a bit of hope.  Come discover the story of the Tin Woodsman of Oz before he became the Tin Woodsman in the Strangemen Theatre Company’s production of The Woodsman by James Ortiz with music by Edward W. Hardy and lyrics by Claire Karpen.  It is currently playing at the Blue Barn Theatre.

The hardest thing about writing an article is coming up with a good conclusion.  This time, it’s a piece of cake.  Go see this show.

OK, now let’s get to that analytical stuff.

I knew I was going to see something different when I saw this show, but what I didn’t know was just how good it was going to be.  Ortiz has written a sensational tale about the pre-metal life of the Tin Woodsman.  It’s sweet.  It’s moving.  It’s even a little spooky at times and you’ll likely shed a tear or two before it’s all through.  For the purists, the transformation to the Tin Woodsman is very faithful to L Frank Baum’s description from the original Oz novels.  For those thinking of bringing kids, it means it’s a little grim, but not overly violent.

Ortiz draws from a wide variety of performance styles such as straight dialogue, pantomime, puppetry, and musical.  Outside of a prologue, a song, and a rare word here and there, this show is done with no dialogue and I think that’s where its real power lies.  The actors have to tell a highly nuanced tale with naught but facial expressions, body language, and little expostulations of sound.  The result is a production that ranks as one of my favorite shows of the season.

James Ortiz and Claire Karpen co-direct this singular tale and their control and execution of the story is like watching a master painter create a masterpiece from scratch.  Finding beats in dialogue is tricky enough, but finding beats without the spoken word is another beast all together and the two directors expertly strike each and every one without effort.  Under their coaching, the performers “tell” this story with crystal clear expressions and body language that let me “read” this story just as easily as I read novels.  Their direction combined with movement direction from William Gallacher creates a story that really invokes all of your senses.  You can almost smell the campfire, hear the pounding of a panicked heart, and feel the texture of a warm hand on a body that no longer has sensation.

The ensemble is a critical part of this production as they literally become the world.  They are the trees of the forest.  Their whistles are the songs of birds.  Their snaps are the pop of a fire.  Their slaps are the blows of an ax.  They also play a variety of supporting parts and I was especially impressed by the work of Barry Carman and Stephanie Jacobson as Pa and Ma Chopper as they tell an excellent story about their courtship and their life together complete with posture changes to signify their aging.  I was also floored by the work of Michael Burns, Caulene Hudson, and Be Louis with their puppetry of the Wicked Witch of the East.  Their skilled manipulations made the Witch seem like an otherworldly force of nature and a truly vile villain.

The beauty of Anna Jordan’s performance as Nimmee made me want to weep.  She has an absolutely phenomenal physicality that makes for great pantomime.  You can feel and see the fear in her tense body whenever the Witch is around.  Her selling of the routine physical abuse dealt to her by the Witch is spot on.  The slow opening of her heart to Nick Chopper is wondrous to behold.  And a bit where she and Nick try to subtly cozy up to each other by a fire is sweet and funny.

Matthew Olsen’s portrayal of Nick Chopper (the flesh and blood version of the Tin Woodsman) is equally powerful.  His love for his family is palpable and it was a joy watching his childish antics as he grew up especially as he learns to fight from his father and properly wield an ax.  His courage is inspiring as he battles a forest monster to protect Nimmee.  And his anguish is haunting as he slowly loses his human nature.

Never before have I seen a show where light was so crucial to its telling and Jamie Roderick’s work is of superior quality.  His lighting is so atmospheric as he takes you to the depths of a pitch black forest with just a wisp of sunlight peeking through to the magical charges of Nick Chopper’s amulet to the dankness of the Witch’s lair.  Jenny Pool’s costumes had a nice old fashioned flair of a long forgotten time.  The set was pretty much bare bones though I thought the tree branches hanging about the theatre and the old fashioned lights set above the stage (and a bit out into the seating area) was a very nice touch.  And the violin score provided by Samantha Perkins was heavenly especially with the haunting song of the Tin Woodsman at the end.

This is storytelling at its finest.  It’s an achingly beautiful and well told love story guaranteed to melt the coldest of hearts.  At the risk of repeating myself, go see this show.

The Woodsman plays at the Blue Barn Theatre through June 16.  Showtimes are Thurs-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 6pm.  On June 9, there will be an additional 2pm matinee and Jun 16 will have only a 2pm matinee.  Tickets are $35 ($30 for seniors) and can be obtained at www.bluebarn.org or by calling at 402-345-1576.  The Blue Barn Theatre is located at 1106 S 10^th St in Omaha, NE.

Cotton Patch is Fun, but Flawed

It’s the Gospel of Matthew told Southern style.  This is Cotton Patch Gospel by Tom Key & Russel Treyz with music by Harry Chapin and inspired by a novel from Clarence Jordan.  This musical will have your feet tapping, your hands clapping, and your fingers snapping throughout the night and is currently playing at the Howmet Playhouse.

This musical has long been a personal favorite of mine, though I imagine many have not heard of it.  It was a big hit when it first came out in 1982 and even netted a Los Angeles Dramalogue nomination for Best Actor for Tom Key (who also co-wrote the script).  From an epic score by Harry Chapin to the vibrant, colorful characters created by Key and Treyz, Cotton Patch Gospel has all of the elements for a hit show.  I had long hoped for the opportunity to see this play and when I discovered it would be produced at the Howmet Playhouse, I drove 16 ½ hours to see it live.

No, that was not a misprint.

I drove 16 ½ hours to watch this show and it was well worth the drive.  Backed by a powerful quartet of musicians, the 5 person cast, under the direction of Debra Freeberg, provided a very entertaining night of theatre.  Ms Freeburg is to be complimented for some very creative and inventive directing, though there were beats that could have been delved into more deeply.  She also coached solid to excellent performances from her cast.  I was also intrigued by the use of a small cast.  Tom Key wrote the play so it could be performed as a one man show or a full scale production, but this is the first time I have seen a small cast used and that decision worked very well indeed.

Steven Barre was one of the two standout performers of the night.  Barre has a good sense of body language and voice as he easily switched between the humble, but harried, Joe (Jesus’ stepfather), the arrogant and dangerous, Governor Herod, and the conflicted Jud, who ultimately betrays Jesus.  Barre is a very animated actor and his energy and enthusiasm added greatly to his work which was a treat for the eyes and ears.  My only criticism is that Barre’s take on John the Baptizer was too restrained and he needs to let loose and go full force with the zealous preacher.

Barre also has a wonderful 2^nd tenor singing voice which was capable of subtle and rich nuances.  From the cold-blooded gloating of Herod’s arranging the murder of innocent children (I Did It) to the sad Joe wondering why Jesus won’t see him (You Are Still My Boy) to a jubilant Apostle (Jubilation), Barre proved himself to be a well rounded performer and a great asset for the show.

Brianna June Clark was the other standout performer of the night.  Ms June Clark had a beautiful, clear soprano singing voice and she knows how to find the emotional beats of a song.  From a soulful, haunting number from a mother who cannot accept the death of her child (Mama is Here) to a wistful dream that Jesus wasn’t dead (One More Tomorrow), Ms June Clark knocked one musical pitch after another out of the park.

She was also just as adept on the acting side of things.  Ms June Clark has an incredible presence and excellent facial expressions along with a good sense of improv.  Whether she was the slightly befuddled Andy, the menacing Governor Pilate, or the Virgin Mary, Ms June Clark was, quite simply, an utter delight.  She also had the funniest moment of the night with her audible nausea at the sight of the victim when Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.

I wish the show had more than a one weekend run as I sensed a great deal of potential in the performances of Alex Cooke and Annie Bulthuis which could be realized with a longer run.  Both gave solid performances, but they needed a bit of fine tuning.

Both (and the rest of the cast at various points) needed to project more and talk louder to overcome the nearly black box nature of the theatre’s acoustics.  They also need to slow down their delivery a bit and focus a bit more on the beats and nuances of their dialogue.  A lot of humorous lines and dramatic moments didn’t get the emphasis they needed due to their rushing the lines.  I understand that the entire rehearsal process only lasted two weeks which isn’t enough time to get into the grit and gristle of a script.  So they deserve kudos for the solid foundation they developed with their limited preparation time.

Ms Bulthuis has a skillful alto voice which she put to good use in numbers such as “Love the Lord Your God” and “We Gotta Get Organized”.  She also has one of the most expressive faces I have ever seen.  With a slight cock of her eyebrow or a tiny purse of her lips, I was able to follow the thoughts of Ms Bulthuis’ characters without her uttering a single word.  I also thought her interpretation of Rock as slightly less than intelligent to be a very fine and funny bit of acting.

Cooke’s 2^nd tenor voice also demonstrated a knack for subtle shades of emotion.  His primary role was that of Jesus and his portrayal of Jesus’ fears and sadness at his imminent lynching in “Goin’ to Atlanta” was not only spot on, but had me shedding a few tears as well.

Though he has no lines, Tim Todd does have a good grasp of pantomime which allowed him to tell his own story and kept him involved in each moment of the show.

There were a few technical flaws during the night.  There was some wicked feedback coming from a speaker at a few points and the actors’ microphones were either failing or their volume was constantly adjusted throughout the show.

Musical Director, Karen Burek, and her Band (Josh Bourdon, Alex Johnson, David Russell, and Lare Williams) do superior work with their stellar musicianship and flawless playing.  Tom Klonowski’s light design was award worthy and Jessica Reilly’s bare bones set was a thing of beauty.

In spite of a few flaws which I believe could be easily overcome with a longer run, Cotton Patch Gospel was an inspiring, moving, and entertaining night of theatre and I want to thank the cast and crew of this show for making my epic journey to see it a worthwhile one.

Cotton Patch Gospel has one final performance on Saturday, August 8 at 7:30pm.  Tickets range from $16 to $20 and can be obtained in person at the Box Office or by calling them at 231-894-2540 one hour before showtime.  They can also be obtained at their website, www.howmetplayhouse.org.  The Howmet Playhouse is located at 304 S Mears Ave in Whitehall, MI.