What a fun night! Atlanta always does very well with these! 10p.m. on a Saturday night with the writers, then at some point the directors come in, then they choose their actors, and they rehearse, they tech - and a show at 8p.m. Sunday night, ending at 10p.m. Wow. Talk about your stress! But always something any professional can do!
"The Auction" by Nick Boretz and Sandra Sparks was kinda cute. It didn't have enough meat to keep it going and keep everyone interested as to what would happen next, but it was funny in its own right with Amanda Cucher as Linda, and Sarah Craig and auctionees at an auction Auctioneered by Aaron Gotlieb. Very impressed with Mr. Gotlieb: heard his name around but never saw him on stage.
"Art and Hope" - It was touching that the older sister, played by Judith L. Beasley, was paying for the younger sister's, played by Jaymee Vowell, wedding. Geoffrey M. Brown played the finacee, a lot younger than both of them. I wanted Judith to look up more when she was in the scene and we never got to see the facial expressions. Other than that, pretty decent.
'The Reality of Mother" - This could happen to anyone: crazy parent, sold the house, parent has to move. Very good twist though to find out sister Connie, played by Minnie Tee, is actually Joe's mom, played by Adam Archer. Was very impressed with Mr. Vince Canias who played Ben: nice voice and very good stance on stage.
"Peace in the Family" - Absolutely my favorite of the evening! Hysterical cat and dog conversation!! Go James Walsh and Brandon Lee on their collaboration of this piece! I would love to see the whole one-act play! They used a lot of dialogue that we, the pet owners, often think our pets would use when we're not in the room. It's just Hysterical! Well-done and well-played!
"Smothered and Covered" - What an excellent idea! Wedding morning, at IHOP, find out your dad is the server, and it's just too funny! Most notably is Daniel Burnley as Dwight, the server/father that left. Great thinking, Curt Shannon and Pamela Turner on this one! I'd love to see the whole thing!
"Remaking Elaine" - It was an interesting idea as a man is trying to fall in love with his ex-wife in another woman. His daughter and the ex-wife, Elaine, are the only two that see it's crazy. Especially since Elaine, played by Black Actress, Barbara Washington (dreads and all), makes the best lines to Stacy Sheets (playing Jaelyn, the fiancee?), as Stacy is White with short hair. Elaine's line: "She even looks like me!"
"The Untimely Passing of Sniffy Sherbert" - This might have gone a wee bit farther than it needed, but bending on the side of Monty Python. Teresa Harris played Delores Cul-de-Sac, who killed Sniffy Sherbert, the beloved cat of Ethan Scott who played Frank Sherbert. It was sad, it was cute, it was funny, but maybe a bit much for a mystery.
Oh yeah - and only Theater people would start singing scene-change music. Go the Turtles for that wonderful song that we all chanted: "When you're near me, baby the skies will be blue..."
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
"The Mousetrap"
Now, I like a good sleuth-style show. "The Mousetrap" is one I've stage managed in my past and I still enjoy it.
Button Theatre presented 'The Mousetrap" by Agatha Crhistie and I have to give props to Red Clay THeatre, where this was performed:
My God! What a gorgeous space and house!!! The seating was fantastic, the seats were comfortable, it wasn't too terribly hot or cold, the lighting was situated and hung perfectly, the lobby wasn't too small, nor too big - just lovely! The bathroom situation for the patrons is about the same as it is at 14th Street Playhouse: not enough stalls for the women. But hey, it is what it is.
My immediate props to Lighting Designer, Kelly Knowlton, for working well with Set Designer, Christopher Dills. Nicely done! The set was amazing and the attention to detail was superb. The lighting complimented the space very well, even helping with the darkness outside the windows to depict the winter and nighttime. My prayers to the crew for replacing the panel on the desk that came off in second act. SuperGlue, anyone?
Clint Horne, the Costume Designer, gets my praise on the dresses and suits. Very stylish, very classy, very fitting for every character. But Clint always does good work.
Caitlin Bruggeman played Mollie Ralston. Absolutely wonderful! Her performance was believable, was charming when it needed to be, and suspicious when the play called for it. She kept her British accent the entire show! Never faultered! Well done!
Mrs. Boyle, played very well by Parks Stamper, was a character the audience wished for dead and got their wish by the end of Act 1. Very well done by Ms. Stamper to be a character that played a very "negative Nancy" to the crew that resided in the Manor.
Major Metcalf, played by Bob Smith, was very believeable with the slight exception of the British accent that kept fading to a more American sound. But wow - well done on the costumes on him!
For Miss Casewell, played by Erin Leigh Bushko, the only problem was the cigarette: granted, most theaters do not permit live fire, but she kept puffing on it too often. In natural smoking, one doesn't puff on a cig that often. It was almost every other line. Best example would be any woman playing Sally in "Cabaret" - every actress that has played her has done a great job in mimicking the breaks in smoking a cig. Other than that, Miss Bushko did a great job being suspicious as well in this show.
Mr. Paracicini, played by Barry Hopkins, was a character I wanted dead at the get-go. A French accent for a man with an Italian last name? I wasn't buying it. Perhaps it's because I know the show, but come on - "non-discript" should not be immediately distinct. If he had combined a good bit of French and maybe two other dialects, that might have worked.
And Sgt. Trotter, played by John Stephen King, was right on point: kept his accent, kept his mannerisms and did a wonderful job of making everyone think everyone else was suspect. My props to Mr. King, not only for his eerie name, but to his performance.
In Act I.2, when Miss Casewell turned on the radio, there issued forth a really Asian or Indian sound from the radio cue. It was awful. I understand it was to chase Mrs. Boyle out of the room, but...ugh! Something more up-beat of the time would have been more appropriate. And leveling it out totally at some point would have been better, too.
All in all a good night at the theatre. I look forward to many more shows at the Red Clay's gorgeous theater!
Button Theatre presented 'The Mousetrap" by Agatha Crhistie and I have to give props to Red Clay THeatre, where this was performed:
My God! What a gorgeous space and house!!! The seating was fantastic, the seats were comfortable, it wasn't too terribly hot or cold, the lighting was situated and hung perfectly, the lobby wasn't too small, nor too big - just lovely! The bathroom situation for the patrons is about the same as it is at 14th Street Playhouse: not enough stalls for the women. But hey, it is what it is.
My immediate props to Lighting Designer, Kelly Knowlton, for working well with Set Designer, Christopher Dills. Nicely done! The set was amazing and the attention to detail was superb. The lighting complimented the space very well, even helping with the darkness outside the windows to depict the winter and nighttime. My prayers to the crew for replacing the panel on the desk that came off in second act. SuperGlue, anyone?
Clint Horne, the Costume Designer, gets my praise on the dresses and suits. Very stylish, very classy, very fitting for every character. But Clint always does good work.
Caitlin Bruggeman played Mollie Ralston. Absolutely wonderful! Her performance was believable, was charming when it needed to be, and suspicious when the play called for it. She kept her British accent the entire show! Never faultered! Well done!
Mrs. Boyle, played very well by Parks Stamper, was a character the audience wished for dead and got their wish by the end of Act 1. Very well done by Ms. Stamper to be a character that played a very "negative Nancy" to the crew that resided in the Manor.
Major Metcalf, played by Bob Smith, was very believeable with the slight exception of the British accent that kept fading to a more American sound. But wow - well done on the costumes on him!
For Miss Casewell, played by Erin Leigh Bushko, the only problem was the cigarette: granted, most theaters do not permit live fire, but she kept puffing on it too often. In natural smoking, one doesn't puff on a cig that often. It was almost every other line. Best example would be any woman playing Sally in "Cabaret" - every actress that has played her has done a great job in mimicking the breaks in smoking a cig. Other than that, Miss Bushko did a great job being suspicious as well in this show.
Mr. Paracicini, played by Barry Hopkins, was a character I wanted dead at the get-go. A French accent for a man with an Italian last name? I wasn't buying it. Perhaps it's because I know the show, but come on - "non-discript" should not be immediately distinct. If he had combined a good bit of French and maybe two other dialects, that might have worked.
And Sgt. Trotter, played by John Stephen King, was right on point: kept his accent, kept his mannerisms and did a wonderful job of making everyone think everyone else was suspect. My props to Mr. King, not only for his eerie name, but to his performance.
In Act I.2, when Miss Casewell turned on the radio, there issued forth a really Asian or Indian sound from the radio cue. It was awful. I understand it was to chase Mrs. Boyle out of the room, but...ugh! Something more up-beat of the time would have been more appropriate. And leveling it out totally at some point would have been better, too.
All in all a good night at the theatre. I look forward to many more shows at the Red Clay's gorgeous theater!
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