The more performances I see as a reviewer, the more I ponder and study stagecraft. With many productions, I take away a concept or idea as to what makes a performance good, whether at the individual level or for an entire production.  With The Curtainbox Theatre’s Fool for Love, it’s a word: abandon.

Directed here by David Bonde, Fool for Love takes place in a desert motel.  A cowboy named Eddie (Eddie Staver III) returns to the motel to resume his romance with May (Kimberly Furness), a waitress.  The play takes us through the course of one night — a night filled with talking, arguing and the revelation of a tragedy at the heart of Eddie and May’s relationship.

Sam Shepard’s script is the weakest I’ve yet seen produced at The Curtainbox.  That’s not to say that it’s bad, but it is not as strong nor as compelling as Danny and the Deep Blue Sea or Glengarry Glen Ross.  It kind of plods along for a while, not really advancing the story to a strong enough degree to grasp my full interest.  Shepard takes twenty minutes or so to let us know little more than that Eddie wants to rekindle things with May, who is adverse to it. When it does pick up, when Eddie’s latest sex partner shows up with a vengeance, it really picks up and I understand why it was chosen by the theatre company.  There are surprising themes and situations that are memorable, even jarring.

Fortunately, the journey to the meat of the play is lead by competent, seasoned actors.  It is they who embody this evening’s definitive concept: abandon — mainly physical abandon.  Staver and Furness exert extreme energy on stage, holding nothing back as if their physical interactions are organic rather than planned.  That, too, describes Staver’s performance.  His lines flow as if he’s thinking and then speaking them for the first time, rather than reciting lines from a script.  Furness’s lines and the emotion behind them at times seems forced, but never when it really counted.  When she delivers the second half of Eddie’s story about their relationship, it is riveting, emotional and sincere.

It is Michael Kennedy as the Old Man, however, who I found to be the most, as my companion for the opening night performance put it, unrehearsed of the cast.  His physical choices, his laughter and his verbal delivery never seemed artificial nor pre-meditated.  This is an actor who knows how to create a character, abandoning his own personality’s limitations to become another person.

The Curtainbox’s production marks a return to the stage for Mike Schulz after almost five years away from acting, much of it spent reviewing others’ performances as the Reader’s Arts Editor.  His re-entry onto the local stage with some of the area’s strongest actors is a risky choice for Schulz, as he’s diving into the deep end, rather than wading back into the theatre waters.  Schulz portrays Martin, a simpleton with an interest in May.  Physically, Schulz has the simple man down.  The pacing of some of his lines, however, raises his character a bit above that of a man of lesser intelligence.  That makes him no less interesting to watch.  In fact, I found it best to watch him closely, observing his physical choices, which were sometimes stunning.

Also stunning is the set, designed by Joe Goodall.  He’s created a realistic scenic design mixed with elements of fantasy to match those written into the script (the character of the Old Man).   The motel room at the center of the action is meshed with desert stone columns (or tall trees.  I’m actually uncertain.) which partially fall at specific points during the play.  The rear of the stage is an almost surreal desert setting, with burlap and white, twisted limbs creating the illusion of a dry desolated landscape.

While Fool for Love may not be The Curtainbox’s strongest show, that’s only relative to its other performances and stronger scripts.  Still, once you get past the rather weak exposition to the point where the script finally gets going, you’re already enamored with the actors’ portrayals despite the slow pace.

For more information, call (563) 322-8504 or visit TheCurtainbox.com

Posted: January 26th, 2010 under Theater.
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 If ever there is a show that’s commonly staged, it is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  I’ve been part of two productions myself and can’t recall how many I’ve sat through others while in the audience.  Every time I hear of yet another production, I cringe.  And yet, much like my experience seeing Circa 21’s production, I sit through the entire show with a smile on my face and leave singing the songs.  That’s the sign of a good show.

Thankfully, director/choreographer Ann Nieman chose to change things up a bit for Circa’s production.  There’s the usual children’s choir, Pharoah as Elvis and the other commonly included elements of Joseph.  Circa’s show doesn’t feel like all of the other productions, though, which is refreshing.  It’s nice to see an all too familiar show in a different way, keeping it interesting and enjoyable.  This doesn’t feel like seeing Joseph yet again.  It feels like renewing a liking for a show that only gets tired because it’s so often produced.

One of those changes includes the way in which the children’s choir is used.  Circa’s is the first production I’ve seen in which the children don’t simply sit and sing their parts.  These kids are incorporated into scenes, becoming waving wheat in one scene (or was it stalks of corn?) and surrounding the jailed Joseph in another.  It’s not merely the inclusion of children to have them, but makes good use of their presence on stage.  This children’s choir makes sense!

There are a few minor sight gag choices of which I absolutely did not like.  For instance, there’s a sight gag on the line “threw him in a pit.”  The female ensemble enters at that point dressed as a Nascar pit crew and pretend to change Joseph’s tires.  It’s quite a stretch and a lot of effort put into well made costumes for such a lame joke.

Other than the pit crew gag, there’s not much else to dislike about Circa 21’s Joseph.  The actors playing the brothers are so individually talented, I’m certain I missed some hilarious physical movement choices watching one while not seeing another.  While Tom Walljasper plays Pharaoh too subdued for my taste (I mean, he’s Elvis!  He should be the grandest character of the show and Walljasper, at least on the Saturday performance I attended, chooses to play it at a more realistic level than at a showstopping one.), the cast seems to be having fun with the show, infecting the audience with a similar feeling.  This is a production that isn’t as much about the biblical story as it is about the smile-inducing, toe-tapping, humor of the songs and performance.

That said, Gregory Hiatt’s costume, particularly for the brothers, are too good for the material.  He’s outfitted the brothers in very colorful, Middle Eastern with a touch of Asian styled garments.  While Joseph’s coat may be technicolor, the brother’s clothes are psychedelic.  They’re gorgeous and fun to see, but they take away from the point of the technicolor dreamcoat.  Joseph’s coat represents Jacob’s favoritism of him over his brothers.  With the brothers equally colorfully dressed, the coat’s significance is diminished.  In fact, there were a few of the brothers’ costumes I would’ve chosen over Joseph’s coat, even though Joseph’s coat is an impressive styling of colors and patterns.  I can’t quite call this a fault, though.  It may be wrong for the material, but it’s oh so good aesthetically.  (Hiatt’s ensembles for Potiphar and his wife are also perhaps the most stunning I’ve seen in a production of Joseph.)

It’s really hard to go wrong with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  I think you could have the cast stand still and simply sing the songs and the audience would still be delighted.  Circa’s cast, however, does not stand still.  They’re colorfully dressed and seemingly having a blast playing up the fun of the show, which makes for a night of theater that’ll have you singing all the way home.

For more information, go to Circa21.com

Posted: January 26th, 2010 under Theater.
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Attending the theatre is typically a form of escapism, a chance to get lost in the magic of the staging and performances. And then there’s Moon Over Buffalo, one of those shows that doesn’t just let you escape into it, but lets you in on the antics of what’s going on off stage.  It’s a show about actors and their messed up, dramatic lives.

Central to Moon Over Buffalo are George and Charlotte Hay, two actors who have yet to enjoy the fame which they believe they so richly deserve.  Relegated to repertory theater in Buffalo, New York, they’re left performing either Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac or Noel Coward’s Private Lives.  While many an actor would consider it an honor to be part of either play, the problem here is that the productions are in Buffalo.  As one character puts it, if it didn’t have an animal for a name it would have nothing going for it.  It is not, however, these plays which we are privy to enjoying.  Instead, the focus is on the actors’ off stage lives, which are filled with slapstick, mistaken identity and a chance to star in Frank Capra’s The Twilight of the Scarlet Pimpernel, the ultimate goal of the Hays.

With it’s so-so script populated by writer Ken Ludwig’s obvious punchlines and barely chuckle-worthy gags, Moon Over Buffalo could easily be a mediocre production, garnering more groans than laughs.  In this case, however, director Jeff Shields pulled together a cast capable of strengthening the humor with a mixture of overly grand and nicely subtle performances.  James Bleecker and Cari Downing (Harrison Hilltop Theatre’s Brad and Janet in The Rocky Horror Show) combine sincere portrayals with moments of over the top physical humor that remains within the realm of believability.  Pat Flaherty and Maggie Woolley, though cast in the smallest roles, are arguably the strongest actors in this production; Flaherty brings a subdued, awkwardness in his creation of a simple, intentionally boring character.  Woolley holds nothing back as she wails and screams across the stage.  Diane Greenwood and Patti Flaherty play it appropriately big, setting off waves of laughter through the audience. On opening night, Flaherty drew laughs so loud, I missed several lines of dialogue.

And then there’s Paul Workman.  Every role I’ve seen him bring to life offers a peek at his acting strengths, but leaves me anxious to see him in a meatier, more substantial part, knowing he is a big actor in all too often small roles.  The same can be said of Workman’s Howard in Moon Over Buffalo.  It’s a part he handles quite well, but there’s something seemingly greater underneath his performance that I can’t wait to see unleashed in a much more interesting character.

It’s Stephen Baldridge, however, who pushes Playcrafters’ production into must see territory.  With a solid cast of actors behind him, Baldridge is still able to stand out with his perfectly overscaled performance.  (He is, after all, playing a mediocre actor who over estimates his own talent.)  From his loud voice, to his enunciation, to his physical demeanor and movement, Baldridge’s performance is perfectly suited to the role of George Hay and a true crowd pleaser.

Playcrafters’ set, designed by Rich Riggelman, is simpler than the bombastic performances of the actors, but no less interesting.  The thrust stage is split in two, with upstage being back stage and downstage being the stage of the theater in which the characters perform.  Add lighting by Donna Weeks and sound by the director and Moon Over Buffalo has its full complement of elements contributing nicely to the overall production.

Moon Over Buffalo could’ve been a passable production.  Fortunately, it’s so well cast, this is a Playcrafters’ production that’s not to miss, specially for Stephen Baldridge’s performance.  That’s not to say he’s the only the only actor worth watching.  This is a solid cast, capable of rising about the weaknesses of the script to deliver a night filled with laughter.

For more information, call (309)762-0330 or visit Playcrafters.com.

Posted: January 18th, 2010 under Theater.
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This year, Playcrafters Barn Theatre hopes to get you into the holiday spirit with “Papa’s Angels: A Christmas Story”.  Originally a made for TV movie based on the book of the same name, the play follows a year in the life of the Jenkins family.  Early on, Mrs. Jenkins dies, leaving Mr. Jenkins stripped of all music and joy and five children to parent alone.  Wallowing in his sadness, he proves an unfit father, unwilling to invest much time in the lives of his children and making poor parenting choices that strip them of the joys of growing up, including Christmas.  But, being a Christmas story, the spirit of the season is a lesson learned by the closing curtain.

The script is a very dark one, hardly an uplifting holiday ride.  It possess an emotional depth somewhat lost on those behind Playcrafters’ production of the material and, therefore, lost on the audience.  At one point, Mr. Jenkins once and for all shoots down the hope his children still hold for the possibility of a Jenkins family Christmas.  It’s an emotionally abusive act that would very well negatively impact any child, but the audience laughed.  I don’t think it was out of cruelty, however.  Instead, I think the response was born out of the audience’s expectation of a happy Christmas story.  And that’s why a performance that floats emotionally above the dark depths of the script could be considered a blessing.

Part of the reason the production is not as dark as the script calls for is that the children cast are having so much fun on stage.  Their vibrant, often adorable performances are all too smile inducing to allow the weight of the material to fully fall upon the audience.  From Sydney Crumbleholme’s exhuberant portrayal of the mute eldest child, to Alyssa Castro’s happily bossy tomboy to Laila Haley’s attention grabbing, adorably dramatic youngest child, it is a delight to watch these young actors perform, interact and pretty much just play on stage.  It is these young actors, which also includes Andrew Hall and Katie Moore in equally vibrant performances, that instill a joy that’s not quite so prevalent in the script, but is a welcome lift to solidify the holiday spirit of the piece.

As for the script, I often wondered if it played better in a video format.  There are events that are too abrupt, from the mother’s death to the son’s development of a stutter, to allow for an emotional connection to their implications.  I was pulled out of the performance several times by the sudden revelation of something that wasn’t conveyed on stage, but instead was suddenly a part of the play.  I tend to think a video production of the script would allow for observation of these transitions that are not directly in the script, but could be conveyed through visual performances.

Still, there are some truly beautiful moments in Playcrafters’ production, starting right after the proverbial opening curtain when Morgan Williams performs a song on violin.  It’s a truly impressive performance from a young woman who has such excellent pitch at such a young age.

John Weigandt adds several beautiful moments while playing guitar and singing the songs his character wrote for his wife.  His ability is of little surprise to anyone who’s enjoyed his work with Quad City Musical Guild, most recently as Horton in Seussical.

Paul Workman and Dustin Oliver also offer solid, impressive performances, proving their worth as actors, even in small roles.

While there are beautiful moments, there are also a few cringe-worthy ones, mostly due to technical mistakes on the night which I attended the show.  From a music track seemingly played too early, and allowed to continue to play while Weigandt was singing, to a sudden, awkward and not too quickly corrected dip to black in the middle of dialogue, the technical aspects of the production could use some clean-up.  As could some of the actors, whom it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on their lines.  Some stumbled a bit on opening night, sometimes to distraction.

This weekend is your final chance to catch “Papa’s Angels: A Christmas Story” at Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline.  Performances are November 13^th and 14^th at 7:30 p.m. and November 15^th at 3:00 p.m.  Tickets are $10, available by reservation at (309) 762-0330 or through the theater’s website, playcrafters.com.

Posted: November 12th, 2009 under Theater.
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It took just one performance, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, for me to fall in love with The Curtainbox Theatre Company.  It could be the company’s lack of fear of exceptional writing laced with mature themes.  It could be the quality of the production.  Or, it could because I adore co-founding member Kim Furness so much.  Or, it could be a combination of all of these and then some.

The Curtainbox is currently running Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet’s most honored play.  And, it deserves it.  By that I mean the play deserves the accolades.  And, The Curtainbox deserves to take on such an intense, well-written, funny, exceptional piece of theater.

Glengarry Glen Ross centers around a real estate agency with new orders to increase sales or people are getting pink slips.  In order to avoid the unemployment line, the salesmen must sell something.  In order to sell something, they need leads.  But, they can only get the good leads if they sell something.  With such a daunting task, a couple of them plot to break in to the office and steal the leads to sell them to a rival company.

The strongest piece of The Curtainbox Theatre’s production is unarguably its pacing.  This ensemble cast, under the obviously capable direction of David Bonde, has the pacing down to a “T”, which adds even more punch to Mamet’s clever script.  The words could hold up to a lesser performance as notable.  But, this is not a lesser performance, adding punch to the way Mamet plays with words and creating an altogether exciting, riveting and laugh-inducing experience.

The cast’s pacing is the star of this production, but only because it has a capable supporting cast.

And I have to mention to opening scene of each act, each of which include no dialogue, but an appropriate song to add a bit of silliness to the scene on stage to giddily amusing affect.  These scenes alone are worth the price of admission.

A warning, though.  Don’t let the girl in the pigtails taking tickets at the front door fool you.  Her youthfulness is not representative of the mature themes of this show.  Mamet is known for his sometimes vulgar language.  And, there’s plenty of it in this play.  That’s not to dissuade you from going.  I absolutely think you should go to experience such exceptional theater.  Just leave any children with a single digit to their age with a babysitter.

Glengarry Glen Ross runs September 18-19, 22 and 24-26 at 7:30 p.m. and September 20 and 27 at 3:00 p.m. at the Village Theatre in the Village of East Davenport.  Tickets are $15 and can be reserved by calling The Curtainbox Ticket Line at (563) 650-8121 or by emailing your reservation request to reservations@thecurtainbox.com.  Or, if you’re lucky and there are any left, they can be purchased at the door.

Posted: September 18th, 2009 under Theater.
Comments: 1

Harrison Hilltop Theatre’s current undertaking is Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize winning masterwork “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”  The show takes place during the course of one day — from morning to midnight.   It centers around a family of four living in Connecticut in 1912.  And, it doesn’t take long to realize this family enjoys a drop or two of whiskey.  In fact, substance abuse seems to be at the center of their dysfunction.For Harrison Hilltop’s production, Ray Gabica takes on the role of James Tyrone, Senior — classically trained actor and father to the family, who’s also often accused of being a penny pincher.

Posted: August 21st, 2009 under Theater.
Comments: 1

The show is one big story, made up of several Seuss favorites   They’re all tied together by the Cat in the Hat, who serves as sort of our emcee for the evening.He’s causing mischief for JoJo, by way of Whoville, Horton and the Circus McGurkus, to name a few.

It’s a cute show with its main misgivings, in my opinion, being the songs that do not draw their lyrics from the works of Dr. Seuss.  They seem out of place and, lacking the Seussian language and with loftier lyrical ideas, are a bit hard to follow.  But, they don’t pull down the entire show.

Once again, Music Guild shines through its costumes — particularly of those protraying animals, but not directly dressed as animals themselves.  For example, Horton has no trunk, but is dressed in layers of gray with a pink necktie and pink shoelaces.

The actor in that ensemble, John Weigandt, is also well cast, with his gentile - humpty-hum approach — as are many of the main characters.  Emily Baker is fantastic as JoJo — pitch perfect and with such a range of acting skill for such a young person.  Eric Reyes is delightfully sly as the Cat in the Hat.

But it’s Jenny Winn’s Gertrude McFuzz who really impressed me. It helps that she has my favorite Seuss story.  But, also that she’s perfectly cartoonish and full of comical energy in the role.

And, I have to mention the set, particularly Who-ville, which pops out of the side of the stage unexpectedly in such a fun, dramatic way.Seussical runs August 7-9 and 13-16, with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Prospect Park Auditorium in Moline.  Tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for children, available by reservation by calling (309) 762-6610.  For more information, check out Quad City Music Guild.

Posted: August 7th, 2009 under Theater.
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 If you’re a local theater fan, you most likely know about the demise of what was once my favorite local theater, The Green Room Theatre.  This weekend, The Green Room is sort of re-incarnated thanks to one of its owners, Tysan Danner.  He now runs The Phoenix Theatre Company, setting up shop with a host of other local companies in the Village Theatre in the Village of East Davenport.

Performances are July 31 through August 1 and August 6-8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Theatre in the Village of East Davenport.  Tickets are $15.  For more information, check out the theaters website – thephoenixtheatrecompany.com

Posted: July 31st, 2009 under Theater.
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I like Harrison Hilltop Theatre.  I like the location (parking issues aside).  I like the space.  And, I’ve been impressed with almost all of their productions.  And so, as Harrison expressed excitement about its first anniversary production, I wanted to like “tick, tick… BOOM!!!”, too.  Perhaps my raised expectations were part of the problem.

“tick, tick… BOOM!!!” follows Rent composer Jonathon Larson as he prepares for the workshop of his musical “Superbia” –  a futuristic take on Orwell’s “1984″ and Larson hopes it’ll reshape Broadway with its rock inspired score.  The auto-biographical show (tick, tick… BOOM!!!, not Superbia) was written by Larson as a one-man show, but reworked for a cast of three after Larson’s death.  Unfortunately, it feels like it’s a musical for musical’s sake.

In my opinion, Jonathon Larson was not a great composer.  Sure, Rent enjoys tremendous success and popularity.  But, I don’t think that’s due to the strength of composition of the songs themselves.  I think as a whole, the feeling of the shows lifts the songs beyond their mediocrity. They’re just not all that well composed. But, the ones in “tick, tick… BOOM!!!” are even worse!  There are some clever turns of phrase, but the melodies and harmonies are too simplistic and weak.  It makes “tick, tick… BOOM!!!” seem pieced together as a show about Jonathon Larson, so we have to pepper it with his songs.  There’s seemingly little regard for whether or not the songs are any good and even less for whether or not they actually advance the story, which they do not.  While I enjoyed the book, finding the dialogue truly interesting, with the storyline holding my attention, I felt like I was enduring the songs simply to get back to the story.

But, that’s the show.  As for Harrison’s production, I think Adam Lewis well cast.  His usual quirkiness is toned down, but not absent, making for a likeable Larson.  He’s simply endearing, which makes it easy to overlook some pitch problems throughout the course of the show. Tracy Pelzer-Timm and Michael Crowe are also amusing, but mainly in their secondary characters.  That’s not to say their performances as their main characters are bad.  They’re adequate, at least.  But, they each make use of fun accents and quirks for some of the more minor characters they portray, making them stand out.  Unfortunately, they too suffer pitch problems throughout the show, which didn’t help with the fact I already didn’t like the songs.  (And I find this odd, because I know Pelzer-Timm can sing, so I’m unsure of the reason for her pitch problems.)

Posted: July 24th, 2009 under Theater.
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if you’re having trouble thinking lovely thoughts these days — circa 21 may be able to help you out.  Peter Pan isn’t only full of them, but the fun you’ll have will push any unlovely thoughts right out of your head.

We know the story.  Wendy catches Peter Pan looking for his lost shadow in the nursery.  She sews it on for him, after which he teacher her and her brothers, Michael and John, to fly.  They’re soon off to Never Neverland — where they battle indians and pirates.In all honesty, I’ve not had so much fun at Circa since I started reviewing local theater.   The story may be inspired by a children’s story, but that doesn’t mean the musical is only for children.  On the contrary, I couldn’t help but feel like a child at heart as I joined the Darling children’s adventure.  At no moment did I stop and think I was watching a musical meant for children.  I didn’t have a moment to stop and even think it, I was enjoying the production so much!

And then there’s the flying.  I have to admit, I expected it to be kind of annoying.  Whoop dee doo, they’re flying.  It was anything but.  The moment Peter flies through the window, my excitement flew, too.  The flying actually heightens the fun of the performance.  And, it may just be my penchant, but I watched closely for any mishaps, like tangled wires or actors banging into the set, which I also would’ve found really fun.  That anticipation helped increase the fun level, although there were no mishaps.I tend to be tougher on Circa, since the Dinner Playhouse is the predominant professional theater in town.  Productions should be at a higher level than all community theater in the area.  That’s not always the case (perhaps because some local community theater productions rise about community theater, themselves.).  But, Circa 21’s Peter Pan truly is an evening of pure joy, one that I cannot reccommend enough.

Peter Pan runs through August 29th at Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island.  You’ll find ticket information at Circa21.com.

Posted: July 9th, 2009 under Theater.
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