A Midsummer Night's Dream

Slowly stripping steampunk Shakespeare. Visually, those four words are all you need to give you a clear idea of what was happening throughout the course of the play. The University of North Carolina Charlotte’s department of theatre had an outside-of-the-box approach to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The story starts in Athens with Hermia and her father Egeus who wants her to marry Demetrius, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena, happy to take Demetrius off Hermia’s hands is loveless and blames her childhood friend. After some debate Egeus takes the lovers to the Theseus, Duke of Athens and Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons (who are to be married) and demands his daughter marry Demetrius or be killed. Meanwhile a group of peasant people are rehearsing a play for the soon-to-be royal couple of Athens and the king and queen of the fairies (who aren’t married) are busy fighting over a changeling boy. Everyone seems to be pretty busy in their own little world until all the worlds collide in the forest and everyone is sent scrambling about fighting for the affection of someone new.

The first thing I noticed was playing area. In “Athens” it was a platform and a abstract structure, and the “forest” was an open area with a home-made “river” (which was actually more of a fountain) and two trees. The two areas were vastly different from each other so it was very easy to keep up with the changes as they happened, even though they were less than 50 feet apart. Also, the costumes, steampunk was not what I was expecting, but was overall a very appealing choice.

Character-wise I feel like the entire cast had a very good grasp of who their character(s) were. Everyone seemed to know their character really well and how the characters instinctively would act. The best example of this was James Shafer as Theseus, I feel like he had such a great grasp of his character that it seemed almost natural for him to act in the animalistic way he portrayed Theseus.

As a whole, the ensemble was very easy to watch and follow along with. Though, some of the acting was better than others, it was overall decently cast. The four lovers, generally the focal point of the play, were the weakest of the ensemble; the double-cast royalty were the strongest.

It was obvious to me that this production crew had definitely done their research. Everything fit really well together, all except for the cellphones. I was extremely distracted by the fact that they used modern technology to fit in with the rest of the play. It did not fit, in my opinion, and the use of it took me out of the feel of the play. I think this could have been done in a different way and still had the same effect. Though the characters that used the phones were more modern than the rest of the cast, I still feel that the phones were too modern for their dress.

Overall the production was very well done, and I would recommend anyone go see a show by the UNC Charlotte department of theatre. The show ran April 18-21 and April 26-May 1. For more information visit www.performances.uncc.edu

Yankee Tavern

This bizarre thriller is chocked full of conspiracy theories and crazy twists and turns, it will leave you asking all kinds of questions. I would definitely recommend going to see Yankee Tavern at Hickory Community Theatre's Fireman's Kitchen.

I have seen and worked with two of the actors before, and was highly impressed with the ensemble work I got to see performed on Saturday (April 2nd) night. They worked well with each other, and it was obvious that they were feeding off of each others energy for the show. I was impressed with the level of character work that was done with this show. Each of the characters was very believable. I loved Ray's character, how he was so spazzy but always seemed to know exactly what he was saying.

The only distraction I had was when Ray punched/kicked the jukebox and somehow cut his hand on it, I was able to see the blood and at one point he lifted his hand to his face and got blood on it. I was constantly aware of it, but obviously that was not something that could have been prepared for. The show as a whole was really well done.

I had a lot of unanswered questions that go with the text itself, but I don't see this as a bad thing. If anything, it made me think, therefore creating a more dynamic show overall.

Show Dates:
You DON'T want to miss this incredible show, you have several more chances.
Fridays (April 1, 8, 15, and 22) and Saturdays (April 2, 9, 16, and 23) at 8:00pm
Thursday April 7, 2011 at 7:30pm
Visit Hickory Community Theatre's website for ticket availability and information.

Noises Off

I have to admit, I have not laughed so hard in so long as I did at the Invitational Dress Rehearsal for Noises Off a The Green Room.

The Green Room Community Theatre presents "Noises Off." An extremely hysterical play about a troupe of actors who tour a British bedroom farce. What goes on backstage could possibly be more entertaining than the performance itself in this play within a play.

Though I only went to see the final dress rehearsal, this show could not have been funnier. My only complaint with the entire show is that the transition between Act II and Act III was too long, and I have a feeling that this little kink was worked out before opening night and it ran smoothly for the paying audiences.

The acting was phenomenal, I've seen many of the actors perform before, but there were a few new faces for me to enjoy. I thoroughly appreciated the effort and performances that each of the actors gave at even just the final dress rehearsal. If that is any indication of how the rest of the run will go, I would HIGHLY suggest you go and see it, PRONTO!

Meet the Cast:
Donna Dell as Dotty Otley / Mrs. Clackett
Daniel Breuer as Garry Lejeune / Roger Tramplemain
Elise Yaussy as Brooke Ashton / Vicki
David Townsend as Frederick Fellowes / Philip Brent
Meredyth Neilly as Belinda Blair / Flavia Brent
John Hogan as Selsdon Mowbray / Burglar
William Morgan as Lloyd Dallas
Ingrid Keller as Poppy Norton-Taylor
Remus Irvin as Tim Allgood

Ticket Information:
Fridays (April 1, 8, and 15) and Saturdays (April 2, 9, and 16) at 8pm
and Sundays (April 3, 10, and 17) at 3pm
Call the Box Office at 828-464-6128 or visit The Green Room's website for ticket info.

LR's One Act Play Festival

Cast Lists:

Gorgons, by Don Nigro
A comedy directed by Carolina Albertelli

Mildred – Kelsey Perry

Ruth – Amber Ellis

Mr. Placebo, by Isabel Wright
An adult drama directed by Corey Cavenaugh

Howie - Cameron Chandler

Tariq - Jeffrey Marks

Jude - Dan Jones

Silas - Brian Mulligan

Ben - Brendan Chaney

Frank - Robert Ferguson

The Case of the Crushed Petunias, by Tennessee Williams
A joyful comedy-fantasy directed by Katelyn Crawford

Dorothy Simple – Caitlynn Miller

Officer – Hannah Highsmith Cloninger

Young Man – Cameron Neckers

Mrs. Dull – Hannah Kistler

For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, by Christopher Durang
A Comedy directed by Amber Ellis

Amanda – Delene Huggins

Lawrence – Isaac Gambrelli

Tom – Cameron Neckers

Ginny – Amanda Parmelee

Armed Robbery for Dummies by Paul R. Roman
A comedy directed by Liz Lord

Frank – Micah Krey

George – Brendan Chaney

Billy – Leah Staton

Corpse – Caroline Albertelli

Minnesota Moon, by John Olive
A dramedy directed by D.R. Peek

Allen –Isaac Gambrelli

Larry – Will McSwain

Variations on the Death of Trotsky, by David Ives
An absurdist comedy with tragic elements directed by Cody Watson

Trotsky – Mark Shell

Mrs. Trotsky – Molly Leonard

Ramon – Will McSwain

Performances:

Wednesday (4/13) Starting at 7:30pm:

The Case of the Crushed Petunias

Variations on the Death of Trotsky

Armed Robbery for Dummies

Minnesota Moon

Thursday (4/14) Starting at 7:30pm:

For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls

Gorgons

Mr. Placebo

Friday (4/15) Starting at 7:30pm:

The Case of the Crushed Petunias

Variations on the Death of Trotsky

Armed Robbery for Dummies

Minnesota Moon

Saturday (4/16) Starting at 7:30pm:

For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls

Gorgons

Mr. Placebo

Sunday (4/17) Starting at 2:30pm:

The Case of the Crushed Petunias

Variations on the Death of Trotsky

For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls

Minnesota Moon

Proof

The Pulitzer Prize winning drama, Proof by David Auburn, will be performed by the LR Playmakers next week.

The discovery of a mysterious proof, the memory of her crazy father, and the possibility of love overwhelm a struggling woman and push her to her limits. This play follows Catherine, Hal, Claire and Robert through four years of ups and downs, of triumph and meltdowns, and of hope and surrender.

This play is probably most well-known because of the 2005 movie starring Jake Gyllenhal, Hope Davis, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Anthony Hopkins.

Comprised of four seniors, the LR Playmakers production features Katelyn Crawford (-Me-Theatre and Communications double-major) as Catherine, Brendan Chaney (International relations major) as Robert-her father, Cody Watson (Theatre major) as Hal-Robert's student, and Leah Staton (English Education major) as Claire, Catherine's sister.

This show contains strong language and adult content and is not suitable for children. It will be held in the PE Monroe Auditorium on the Lenoir-Rhyne Campus.

Proof runs:
February 23 - 26 at 7:30 PM (Wednesday-Saturday)
February 27 at 2:30 PM (Sunday)

View LR's Theatre webpage for ticket prices and availability.

One-Act Play Festival

In a small auditorium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University wait seven eager students. They are anxiously waiting to see their vision and hard work performed in front of them.

These same seven students will have worked through an entire semester directing a one act play of their choosing. Starting at the beginning of the Spring Semester with auditions and working through until April the students will get to work with their peers, not as a fellow actor or technician, but as their director.

Each of these seven students is in the Directing II class taught by Mia Self. As a final project each student had to pick a one-act play, cast, direct, and design that play then have it performed in the festival as the fourth show of the L-R Playmakers season.

This festival will begin on April 13^th and run through April 17^th. Though, the seven plays will not be announced until January, each of the seven directors is working hard to find the one-act that is just right for them. “This will be a very rewarding experience for these students. Seeing your work acted out on stage is always a proud moment,” said Mia Self, Directing II professor. Since each of the directors has their own sense of style in the way they direct, there will be a variety of shows to see, come April.

The Directing II class is a continuation of Directing I which is held during the fall semester every other year. In the second portion of the year-long class, students are able to take the knowledge they learned throughout the first half and directly apply it to a project they have full control of. The class is comprised of seven seniors in various majors, four of whom are theatre majors.

What makes this play festival so unique is because L-R has not done anything like this in several years. Though festivals like this one happen all the time at various different schools and theater groups, this is special for the L-R Directing II class because for most of them it is their first time directing something this big.

These one act plays give the students the chance to experience what it is like to direct on their own, giving them a mini real-world experience. Each one-act will be between 20 and 45 minutes in length and the plays will rotate throughout the four days. “I’m hoping to get a rotation that will allow no more than three plays each night, with each of the shows performing at least twice,” said Mia Self who teaches the Directing II class.

“I love this play, and am really glad I get to work with the first act, which is pretty much a full play within itself,” said Liz Lord who will be directing the first act of “DeathTrap”. Liz is the one of the seven students who has settled on a play they want to direct. Amber Ellis D.R. Peek and Cody Watson are directing comedies, while Caroline Albertelli is looking into happier plays about love and romance. Corey Cavenaugh is hoping to find a play that is more dramatic in style, while Liz Lord’s play is a combination of all of the styles.

Auditions for these plays will be a little different than other auditions at L-R. The seven directors will sit in the room, already knowing what days and times they have the rehearsal space for. Each of the actors will have to come with their schedules in hand, that way scheduling conflicts can rule out certain actors for the directors before the audition even begins. All of the actors will take turns reading scenes from each of the plays so the directors have the chance to hear the actors read and get a sense of how they move on stage. After the initial auditions are over the directors will make a list of who, out of the people who auditioned, they want for their one-act; then the directors get to fight over who gets which actors for their play.

The Directing II students will have over half a semester to work with their one-acts, which includes time with and without the actors. They have that time to create the set, sound effects, lighting and blocking. That period of time is slightly longer than the usual rehearsal period for a show at L-R.

It is very possible that some actors get cast in more than just one play, and some of the directors are even going to audition for the other one-acts. Casting is primarily decided based on availability and the number of actors that audition. Audition dates have not been decided upon yet, but will be advertised and posted when the date approaches.

Liz Lord, senior Psychology and Sociology major said, “Directing is something I’ve always been drawn to, I’m glad I got the opportunity to do it before I graduated.”

The Glass Menagerie

Opening night of the The Glass Menagerie was an incredible success. The Green Room's first performance in their new black box theatre space was sold out and a few extra chairs were added to accommodate the overflow.

Tennessee William's widely read play, The Glass Menagerie, has many suggested interpretations. It is a story told by Tom, brother of the sickly and shy Laura, and son of the "charming" and overzealous Amanda. In the story you also meet two other characters; Jim-Laura's 'gentleman caller', and Mr. Wingfield-Amanda's husband who is referenced to many times throughout the play though you never see him except in the ever-present picture in the house. Amanda desperately wants to find Laura a husband to take care of her. Laura would be perfectly content just sitting all day cleaning and arranging her glass animals that her mother calls her Glass Menagerie.

I was surprised when I walked into the space. I've never seen a black-box theatre production before so I was not expecting such a small stage area. It was set up so you had to walk across the 'stage' to get to the seats on the one side. It was more like a thrust stage in that respect. The set was interesting, very minimal and well-used. The use of side entrances was a clever way of establishing different ways of the house you could enter from. I like how using the house left door was used as a back balcony exit from the house, and the way the lighting was used to show it was outdoors.

Overall I really enjoyed the show. I have seen two of the actors in quite a few productions now, most of them being comedies, so seeing them in such serious roles was a great change of pace. The whole cast was great. I had a strong distaste for Jim, the character not the actor. I'd never read Jim that sleazy before, but seeing him portrayed like that made much more sense.

I would strongly suggest you check out this show, BUT call ahead of time and reserve your tickets since the theatre only holds 96.

You have the opportunity to catch this show next weekend;
January 28 and 29 at 8pm
January 30 at 3pm

View The Green Room's website for ticket prices and availability.

She Loves Me

Only one more weekend left for this tooth-achingly sweet musical. The play was written by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.

You may have seen the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan film, You've Got Mail, or the James Stewart/Margaret Sullivan film The Shop Around The Corner, well this musical is based off the same play Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo

The show is centered around perfume shop employees Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash who are constantly at odds with each other. Each has a pen pal they had been writing to that they found in a Lonely-Hearts Ad, and have been slowly falling in love with one another, little do they know that they are each others pen pal.
Visit Musical Theatre International's website for more information.

This show is absolutely adorable, and very funny. My advice: Be prepared to smile!
The final show dates are:
Thursday Dec. 16 at 7:30pm
Friday & Saturday Dec. 17 & 18 at 8:00pm
Sunday Dec 19 at 2:30pm
View the Hickory Community Theatre's website for ticket prices and availability.