Women and Wallace

Women and Wallace at Sundown Collaborative Theatre, my latest review for John Garcia's The Column -- published on Friday, February 5th, 2010 in The Column and on PegasusNews.com:

John Garcia's THE COLUMN- Friday February 5, 2010

www.thecolumnonline.com
www.thecolumnawards.org
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504595304
www.talkinbroadway.com
www.pegasusnews.com

THE COLUMN STAFF:

CHIEF SENIOR THEATER CRITIC: John Garcia

ASSOCIATE THEATER CRITICS:

Clyde Berry
Mary Clark
Cheryl Cory
Esther Coughey
Ray Gestaut
Richard Goulde
Lyle Huchton
Laurie Lindemeier
Samantha McChensney Franks
Mandy Rausch
Mark-Brian Sonna

*THE COLUMN: READ BY OVER 15,150 SUBSCRIBERS WORLDWIDE!*

WOMEN AND WALLACE-A play by Jonathan Marc Sherman
Sundown Collaborative Theatre

*REVIEWED 02-04-10 PERFORMANCE

REVIEWED BY Mandy Rausch
ASSOCIATE THEATER CRITIC for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

Directed by Cody Lucas
Assistant Director Morgan Hillan
Costume/Makeup Design by Candace Cockerham
Props Design by Cody Lucas and Tiffany Hillan
Scenic Artist Andrew K. Currey

CAST:

Wallace Kirkman…….....….Travis Stuebing
Mother/Psychiatrist….…..Samantha Labrada
Grandmother…………........…Whitnie Wood
Victoria/Wendy……......……Jenna Holley
Sarah/Lily………….......…….Danielle Trudeau
Nina…………………..........…..Vera Brumley

WOMEN AND WALLACE
REVIEWED BY Mandy Rausch
ASSOCIATE THEATER CRITIC for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

As we enter into the month of February, we find ourselves bombarded with accoutrements of "love" everywhere we look. "Show your love by buying her ______," the radio and television commercials tell us. Stores have set up blinding pink and red displays as you walk in, so as to make sure you can't miss the giant stuffed pink gorilla wearing a t-shirt that says "Wild Thing." It's enough to make a person sick.

Leave it to the innovative and edgy Sundown Collaborative Theatre, a grass-roots theatre company picking up a lot of steam in Denton, Texas, to take the cheesy Nicholas Sparks version of love and give it a swift kick in the rump. Love, ladies and gentleman, is nothing like The Notebook, and Sundown's first show of 2010, WOMEN AND WALLACE by Jonathan Marc Sherman, is here to show us just how difficult, heartbreaking, and sometimes agonizing finding love can be. But if you think this play is anti-love – think again.

With the clever use of a handful of set pieces (boxes and columns painted black) in the sparse, black box setting (the upstairs of a coffee shop); creative use of props and staging; a soundtrack of carefully picked tunes; and a great cast who isn't afraid of anything, WOMEN AND WALLACE shows us that, while the path towards finding love can be ugly and sometimes make us crazy, in the end the ugly and crazy journey can help us appreciate the destination so much more.

The story revolves around Wallace Kirkman at various stages of his life from second grade up until his college years. At six years old, Wallace comes home from school one day to find his mother has committed suicide. Because of this obviously traumatic incident, his relationships with women going forward are awkward, strained and usually doomed from the start. These relationships are presented in the form of vignettes, often narrated by Wallace himself through the use of his journal entries.

Travis Stuebing as Wallace gives a truly remarkable performance. He never leaves the stage, which is a feat in itself with this script. All his costume changes are done off to the side or as part of the action between scenes, and even at these times he remains in character and never loses focus. An actor could easily turn Wallace into an over the top and one-dimensional "traumatized male now hates women and is angry at the world" character, but Stuebing finds and presents all the layers of Wallace's personality and bares them to the audience with heart-breaking and poignant reality.

In one moment, Wallace has the audience laughing (albeit a bit uncomfortably) in the reenactment of a dream, and in the very next moment he is poised at the edge of the stage (and likely at the edge of his own reason) pitifully crying out for want of his mother there with him. His facial expressions and total commitment to the character help him to take the audience along on Wallace's roller coaster ride through relationships. You'll laugh, you'll cry…and you'll probably cringe more than a few times. I cannot say enough good things about Travis Stuebing.

The women of Wallace's life are played by Samantha Labrada, Whitnie Wood, Jenna Holley and Danielle Trudeau. Labrada's characters have the fewest lines, but she still manages to say a lot as Wallace's mother and psychiatrist. Wood gets several laughs as the grandmother who seems to have a morbid obsession with framed photographs of people days before their deaths.

Holley and Trudeau each play two different love interests of Wallace's at various stages in his journey. Each relationship fails, but each also reinforces Wallace's idea that all women will eventually desert him. In addition to their named roles, this talented quartet acts as both a run crew changing around set pieces and handing Wallace his props as needed, as well as a miniature Greek chorus, aiding Wallace in the vignettes of his life and the transitions in between.

Vera Brumley plays Nina; the one woman who challenges all of Wallace's preconceived notions about women. It is entirely necessary that the character of Nina should stand out from the rest of the women in Wallace's life, so Brumley is dressed differently from the other girls in a very obvious way, and does not participate in any of the aforementioned action of the other four women. She gives a solid, mature performance, and it is no wonder that Wallace should eventually be stopped in his tracks by her.

One of the reasons (besides the talent of the actors of course) that this production is so effective is the script itself. It is funny and poignant without being pretentious at all. Any of the obvious references and symbols one might draw from the content are put into the script itself and addressed (i.e. Freud, Oedipus complexes, etc.) candidly.

The other reason is the team behind this production. Director Cody Lucas deserves high praise for his unique and fun (and often funny) staging and use of the female ensemble and the boxy set pieces.

There is constant action and entertainment even during the
scene changes and, while nobody is credited for the sound
design, I'm willing to venture a guess that he had a lot to
do with the soundtrack to this production, which I enjoyed very much.

In his Director's Notes, Lucas mentions that he felt an instant connection with Sherman's script the first time he read it. Lucas's understanding of the material is very clear in his directorial choices. Everything has a purpose, the action is fast-paced and energetic, and there seems to be symbolism ingrained in every piece of staging, every song choice, every movement made onstage.

The themes created and chosen by Lucas are carried throughout the design elements of the show. The oversized and cartoonish props made out of cardboard (designed by Tiffany Hillan and Lucas) seem indicative of the child in Wallace that remains prevalent in the years following his mother's death.

The costume and makeup design by Candace Cockerham is simple and effective: the members of the female ensemble wear all black when they are not playing a specific character, and pieces are added to these basic costumes as they take on the roles of specific women.

Nina's character, by contrast, is dressed primarily in white. She does wear black leggings, tying her in with the female ensemble, but with pink accessories that accentuate her sweetness and set her apart from all the rest. Wallace is dressed in jeans, but changes shirts to indicate the progression through his life and his mental state at the time – from cartoony pajamas at age six to a bare chest and jeans when he is at his most vulnerable.

Perhaps my very favorite element of the production, however, is the scenic artistry of Andrew K. Currey. I mentioned before that the set pieces are utilitarian blocks and columns painted black, but this is only upon first glance. As the vignettes of Wallace's life are presented and the scenery is shifted for each, snippets of color and bits of phrases are shown as these set pieces are turned at different times. One might think that these little bits of color and words shown in specific scenes are arbitrary, but I would put money on there being a purpose and reason for each piece shown at any given time. Lucas doesn't appear to have done anything accidentally in this production.

I won't give away the final statement and picture shown (it is much better in person anyway), but it truly is a beautiful piece of art punctuating Wallace's final realization in the last scene of the play.

I give major kudos to Sundown Collaborative Theatre for being, in this critic's opinion, the epitome of what an upstart theatre company should be. They choose edgy and thought-provoking material and present it in a creative and compelling manner on a low budget. This company knows exactly who they are and what they want to accomplish, and it seems they are doing just that.

So, instead of going to see your run-of-the-mill, sappy romantic movie for Valentine's Day, take a walk on the cynical and realistic side and go see WOMEN AND WALLACE while you still can.

REVIEWED by Mandy Rausch
ASSOCIATE THEATRE CRITIC for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

___________________________________________
WOMEN AND WALLACE, February 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14
at the Hydrant Café, 208 W. Oak Street, Denton TX 76201.

Ticket prices $8-10; www.sundowntheatre.org for more info.

CHICAGO - Backstage: A Picture Essay

Since this blog is entitled "DFW Backstage," I thought I ought to do my part in making the name logical and take some backstage photos at last night's pick-up rehearsal/benefit performance! Enjoy!

My dressing room spot! Makeup and hair are done, I'm just killing time before they call "Places!" which is when I put on my microphone, costume, and lipstick. (Don't worry, I don't go onstage for a good 15 minutes or so after the show begins!)

Our wonderful dance captain, Whitney, leading warmups! This is a very dance-heavy show, so we spend quite a while warming up.

No final weekend of performances is complete without a cast party! Two of our cast members made flyers with all the pertinent information, and we made sure to let our orchestra members know the deets, too!

Three members of our OUTSTANDING orchestra always arrive early and get set up, go over some tricky passages, and generally heckle us as we warm up. :)

A great photo of "They Both Reached for the Gun" from my spectacular vantage point in the wings!

Very blue shot of one of our prop tables, and the fans used in "All I Care About is Love."

Very green shot of two of our sexy ensemble members, as well as all the spreadsheets with set change assignments, etc. on the wall in the stage left wings.

Assistant stage manager SarahAnn Sutter on headset Stage Left! She's amazing!

The other fabulous ASM, Olivia Norine on Stage Right headset!

Going over my lines and blocking again before I go onstage!! I'm terrified not to do this, because I've had very little time to let this show saturate my brain!

Who's that sexy "Mama?" It's me! I'm ready to go onstage!

This is the final weekend of performances, and it has been such a rockin' good time! I'm going to miss it, but I'll have Talking of Michelangelo to keep me busy for the two weeks after this show closes, so I'm never facing an excess of spare time, that's for sure!

OH and did I mention that Chicago is SOLD OUT? Well, it is! Wahoo! And you can read the review in The Column by clicking here or by clicking on the show poster in my sidebar ------->

Outside the Box

"Talking of Michelangelo" image (originally uploaded to FightBoy Theatre)

Due to the recent surge in some of my closest friends and colleagues encouraging me to step outside the box, leave my comfort zone, try something new, etc., last week I went to two auditions that pretty much scared the hell out of me. But, due to the strong desire to have something other than the two (wonderful!) Denton musical theatre companies on my resumé, I swallowed my fear and got my audition materials ready for the week.

The first audition was for a concert version of Show Boat at Lyric Stage in Irving, TX, which will not even begin rehearsals until January of 2010. Lyric is a highly respected company in this area, due to their diligence in producing beautiful productions with full, lush orchestras. The thought of working with a theatre of this caliber, especially after performing my last role to a recorded orchestra, was too wonderful to pass up. I don't have high expectations for this one, especially due to it being my first audition outside of community theatre, well,....ever. I just wanted to feel as though I did my best and gave a good audition. I think that I achieved that. The jury is still out on casting, as far as I know, but overall I'm pleased with the experience and am very glad that I got my first audition for an equity theatre out of the way. It will only get easier, right?

The second audition was for a straight play, which I have not done since high school. I won't even tell you how many years ago that was, but suffice it to say, I'm a little rusty and anxious when there is no big musical number (or several) for me to fall back on! The play is called Talking of Michelangelo, and it is an original work by FightBoy Theatre founder (and friend of mine) Joshua Scott Hancock. This audition was so much more intense - but relaxed at the same time - than most musical theatre auditions, and I really had to step outside my comfort zone a few times. It was incredibly fun - and liberating! - and the eclectic group of talented people that showed up to auditions made me feel very comfortable, and not quite as vulnerable as I was afraid of feeling.

I ended up getting cast as an ensemble role in the play, and our first rehearsal/read-through is this evening. This will be a very short and intense rehearsal process - the show opens on October 21st - and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Finally, I'd like to say congratulations to another of Denton's indie theatre companies, Sundown Collaborative Theatre. They opened Nina Raine's Rabbit this past weekend and have been receiving great reviews so far, both from my colleague Gina Robertson of The Column as well as Mark Lowry from Theater Jones. I hope to catch a performance this weekend, and I encourage you to do the same and support the indie theatres!

The Answer to a Repeated Question

After a relatively short (for me anyway) hiatus from all most things theatre, things have been picking up a bit more momentum lately. I reviewed two shows last week, and the reviews are up online: My Way can be found here, and Funny Girl here. I also have two auditions this week that could not be more different from one another–one is for a musical at an equity theatre (my first audition for equity…aaaaaaand vomit) and the other is for an original play (yes! Play!) written and directed by a good friend.

When I was talking to someone about my busy recent schedule, that person asked me, “How long do you think you’ll be able to perform and be a critic?” I believe my response was a shrug and, “Dunno. As long as I can do both, I guess.”

Here’s the thing–I love doing both. I love being onstage and performing, and I honestly cannot go to a musical performance without aching a little bit on the inside as I sit in the audience thinking “When, DEAR GOD WHEN, can I do this again?” Those of you who are also performers know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s intangible, really. I can’t answer why I love doing it, just like I can’t answer why I continue to do it even when I’m exhausted, frustrated, stressed, etc. It’s just…because.

And on the other hand, I love being, even in my very small, insignificant way, a theatre resource for people. If a review I write convinces someone to go see the show, even just out of curiosity or to see if what I said about the sets/costumes/actors’ performances is really true, that’s fantastic. If one of my Facebook friends clicks on a link to an article or a link to a YouTube performance of something particularly fierce, that’s excellent! If six people read and enjoy this blog, that’s great, too! It also broadens my own horizons. Reviewing gives me an opportunity despite the financial limitations of being…ahem…a twenty-something newlywed to go see shows all over the Metroplex and, who knows, maybe even farther some day. Plus, as someone who has always enjoyed writing and blogging, I’m getting the added professional benefit of having my reviews published in such widely read online publications such as The Column and PegasusNews.com.

However, I know what this person meant by asking me that question. Eventually, despite my intentions and my desire to write with tact and objectivity, I’m bound to someday get on the wrong side of an actor, a director, a choreographer, a producer…you get the idea…and it could very well affect whether or not I’m cast in some places. And that’s fair – it’s their prerogative! My career aspirations are not to make a living on the stage; if they were, I’d stop reviewing now and focus on performing only. My goals are to just keep doing what I’m doing for as long as someone lets me do it. I want to perform as often as my schedule, my day job, my home life will allow – and not necessarily in that order. And I want to continue seeing the myriad high-quality theatrical productions that Dallas/Fort Worth and its surrounding suburbs have to offer.

I also want a million dollars, a new car, and maybe just one pair of Jimmy Choo mary janes…so if someone could get on that for me, I’d be much obliged. :-)

Quick Update

I logged into Blogger this morning and found that I have more followers of this blog now for a grand total of ::drumroll, please::.......SIX! Woo hoo! Hey, you've got to start somewhere, right? I'm just thrilled that anyone stops by here, adds me to their Google Reader, etc. Welcome!

So, I'm enjoying my time without a show right now, believe it or not! I've had time to make dinner plans with friends, catch up on my poor, desperately neglected house, spend time with the puppy, do some leisure reading (in the past couple of weeks I've finished The Time Traveler's Wife and Son of a Witch), and think about upcoming auditions/projects with a much clearer head than I do while in the prep for another show.

My husband is working very hard preparing the role of Billy Flynn with MTD's Chicago, which I hope you will all try to see. Click here for more information on that one. You can safely assume you'll see me, no matter which evening you decide to attend!

"My Way" cast, L-R Brynne Huffman, R. Bradford Smith, Claire Moore, Silas Moores. Photo by Jan Toms, originally uploaded to Pegausnews.com

Kristin Dausch will play Fanny Brice in Lyric Stage's Funny Girl. Picture originally uploaded to Pegasusnews.com

In reviewing news, I have a couple coming up this week...back-to-back, actually, so it will be a weekend of writing for me! The first one is on Thursday night (tomorrow!), and it's a musical tribute to Frank Sinatra entitled My Way. The second is on Friday night, when I will be reviewing Lyric Stage's production of Funny Girl. I am very much looking forward to both of these productions!

Other than that (oh, is that all??), there are a few auditions coming down the pipe that I've got my eyes on, including a straight play (gasp!), and potentially becoming a Local Correspondent for a fantastic new web site that is getting the finishing touches put on it this month called The Opera Insider. Kala and her mom, Carol, started the web site together, and this is a quick excerpt from their "Why We Are" page:

Now, through The Opera Insider, there exists a virtual venue for a local,regional, and international, cutting-edge, focused,intimate,opera-loving, opera-perpetuating community. We don’t and won’t compete with anyone. Opera company websites, sites that provide performance information, even websites that do some of what we do exist; we know that. We invite them to grow and thrive with us, link to us, work with us, and we’ll work with them. Opera bloggers, critics, patrons, singers, technicians, everyone from in front of and behind the curtain, we invite you to join us to create something unique, supportive, and inspiring. We invite you to join with us and become an opera insider.

Cool, huh?? Kala contacted me through Twitter (if you're not following me, start now!) and I'm very excited for what this web site will do for the operatic community - both on and offstage.

So that's it! That's what's been going on around my life lately. I'm really trying to increase following on this blog, so let me know what you'd like to see on this blog, topics you find interesting (related to the performance arts, preferably), etc. Thanks!

The Wait is Over!

Remember when I posted about having exciting news?? I can finally share it with everyone!

I am VERY happy and proud to say that I am now one of the Associate Theatre Critics (ATCs) for The Column by John Garcia!

I will not be posting any of my reviews here on the blog, in accordance with John's rules. However, once they are published in the Column and on Pegasus News' web site, I will post a link.

I am very excited and grateful for such an amazing opportunity to get out and see more live theatre while simultaneously stretching my writing muscles and facing the challenges that come with critiquing my peers while maintaining objectivity.

I've set a very organic mission statement for myself (nothing set in stone, nothing even written down) that I will never, for any reason, completely trash a show. I can see no valid point in people who are mean and nasty just for entertainment's sake (though, it can only entertain them personally...it certainly isn't entertaining to the reviewees!) and, as a sometimes-performer myself, I see no point in being hateful and acerbic to those people who, just like me, are trying to do what they love. I will strive to make any and all criticism constructive, and to balance negative/critical comments with positive ones as well.

I'm very much looking forward to my first assignment, and I'm thrilled to be associated with a local staple such as The Column!

The Reviews are In

Well, put another script on the shelf for posterity. Crazy For You closed on May 10th after what I feel was a VERY successful run. We sold out the entire second weekend of performances, which is a huge step in the right direction for MTD, and I could not be more proud of this show. The cast, the production team, the crew -- everyone and I mean everyone worked their asses off on this show, and we all were boo-hooing on the last performance. Not just because it was the last performance, but because we truly all formed an emotional bond that I can't describe to anyone who hasn't been a part of such a process. I'm blessed to have known and worked with ALL of them, and my thanks go out to each and every new relationship I formed within this production process.

That being said, the reviews are in, and prove that everyone does in fact have their own opinion and that you can't please everyone! This one was written and posted by John Garcia of The Column, a weekly email group that began as a source for Dallas/Ft. Worth theatre-lovers and has expanded to more than 12,000 subscribers. This one was written by a couple of new reviewers who are just starting their "business" as it were and only have a couple of reviews up.

No matter what, though, nothing will take away from my experience and my views on a wonderful, exhausting, emotional, and rewarding experience.

Now. What's next?

I'm going to be assistant stage managing Denton Community Theatre's production of Don't Dress for Dinner, which is a play opening the first weekend in June, and there's a chance I'll be auditioning for a new adaptation/collaboration piece with a smaller theatre in Denton that same weekend. I'll try to be better at keeping everyone posted. I know, I've been bad...but work + two shows back-to-back = one stressed out and tired and BUSY lady! Summer will be a lot more laid back. :)

P.S. those beautiful photos above were taken by my friend and Very Favorite Photographer, Lynn Michelle when I invited her to be my guest at our preview performance. She rules...as usual.

Review: Carousel at Denton Community Theatre

Pictured: Keith Warren as Billy Bigelow; Sarah Geist as Julie Jordan. (Photo by Phillip Lamb)

DISCLAIMER: This review is unsolicited, and written solely for the purpose of the DFW Backstage Blog and its readers. It is not to be re-posted or published without the permission of the author.

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a phrase beginning with “In this economy…” over the past several months, my own economic crisis would be sufficiently erased. Everywhere you look, people and businesses are trying to find ways to cut corners as a way to cut costs, yet still maintain the quality of their life (or their product, as the case may be). The local arts communities are no exception. Many local theatre groups have changed their productions mid-season, lowered ticket prices, offered discounts and, in the worst of cases, shut down due to reduced numbers in the audience affecting their ability to meet the costs involved in mounting a full-scale theatrical production.

However, Denton Community Theatre (DCT) did not shy away from its plans to produce Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical Carousel this month. Rather than spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on elaborate sets and costumes, director Sharon Veselic and her production team simply took a different approach in deciding to present the musical in “grand concert style,” opting for a full orchestra (necessary for a lush R&H score) onstage with the actors and a simple, innovative set design consisting of various levels and ramps that surround the musicians. By using the talents of Dallas-based Phillip Lamb, who specializes in creating corporate videos, the creative team implemented technology, in the form of projections, to bring the small New England town to life onstage.

Overall, I think the venture was a successful one. The opening “Carousel Waltz” featured brightly colored images of a carnival projected onto a screen at the back of the theatre, while the carousel (complete with revolving horses!) was projected onto a smaller, custom-built scrim placed in front of the back screen. The images were original, and very eye-catching. However, as the show progressed, I admit I became distracted by some of the projections, as they varied between brightly colored, painted images and photographs of actual seaside communities. I personally would have preferred a consistency in the choice of projections.

I had issues with some of the choices made by the lighting designer and musical director of this production. At times, the actors’ faces were completely hidden in darkness or low lighting, while an unoccupied area of the stage was extremely well-lit in contrast. During the ballet on the beach in Act II, there was no follow spot on Louise, and at times she was dancing in the darkest corners of the stage. As a musical purist, I cringed a bit when the “Carousel Waltz” was shortened, when the reprise of “June is Bustin’ Out All Over” was cut from the end of Act II, and when Nettie’s beautiful solo “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was turned into a full chorus number a few measures in. The onstage orchestra did a fine job of not standing out during the performance, visually, but I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle at one point when I saw all of them holding their ears, ruining the surprise of the gunshot that was fired thirty seconds later.

I applaud DCT for taking an innovative approach to such a classic musical, though and, in doing so, allowing the talent of the performers onstage to shine without the distractions of moving sets, scores of props, and over-the-top costumes. The audience is able to focus on the actor’s voices singing what I believe to be some of the most beautiful and well-known songs in the American musical theatre repertoire. In an age where rock or “jukebox” musicals are all the rage, songs such as “Soliloquy,” “If I Loved You,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” feel like a breath of fresh air. They also require a tremendous vocal ability and this cast handles them ably for the most part.

I am not a fan of the book for this show, due in large part to one of the underlying themes of the show, which is domestic violence. Some of the lines spoken by Julie Jordan have my inner “Women’s Libber” screaming in protest. However, this cast does a nice job of making the characters realistic, rather than stereotypical.

Keith Warren as Billy Bigelow does a fine job of making the audience sympathetic toward him, even as we cringe and groan when he raises his voice or grabs Julie’s arm. Many actors will just play the character as a heartless bastard, but Mr. Warren brings an endearing quality to Billy, most notably in the scenes where Billy and Julie are alone together. Vocally, he masters the role. The “Soliloquy” at the end of Act I is quite possibly one of the most challenging pieces of music in the male repertoire. Operatic singers have even struggled with it. Mr. Warren’s tenor voice, which surprised me as I’m used to hearing the role sung by a baritone, soars in the higher notes and brings a warmth and brightness to the lower sections without pushing to reach them.

Sarah Geist, a recent Column Award winner, brings a quiet strength to the role of Julie Jordan. She is understated without appearing weak, and is markedly different from all of the other characters in the show, some of whom are so larger than life that they are almost caricatures. She steadfastly stands by Billy even when told by her friends and family that she should leave him if he hits her. Ms. Geist’s lovely and clear soprano voice is unaffected which is, again, a nice change from some of the pop musicals currently on the market.

Shane Strawbridge and Erika Ostermiller are charming as Enoch Snow and Carrie Pipperidge, respectively. The relationship between these two characters is vastly different from the relationship between Julie and Billy, and these two actors provide a good comic balance to the more serious tones of the scenes with Julie and Billy.

Two of the standout acting performances came from Desiree Fultz as Mrs. Mullin and Daylon Walton as Jigger Craigin. By comparison, these roles are small and could easily be forgotten about or overshadowed by the larger roles. Ms. Fultz and Mr. Walton, however, prove that there are no small parts – only small actors. Ms. Fultz plays the owner of the carousel with a restrained intensity, causing the audience to wonder how far she would go to keep Billy close to her. Mr. Walton is hilarious as the miscreant Jigger Craigin. He takes a character with no visible redeeming qualities and makes him funny and even likeable (if not a little sleazy), and his New England accent is spot on.

Overall, the production is consistent and solid. I think DCT did a fine job of paving the road for new and innovative ways of presenting standards in the canon of musical theatre in Denton, and that future productions done in the same vein will be successful and impressive. The production runs for one more weekend, and encourage you to go and see for yourself.

Details:
Denton Community Theatre presents Carousel by Rodgers & Hammerstein

Location: The Campus Theatre in Historic Downtown Denton
214 W Hickory Street
Denton, TX
(940) 382-1915

Performance Dates & Times:
Mar. 27, 28 & Apr. 2,3,4 at 7:30 pm
Mar. 28, 29 & Apr. 4,5 at 2:00 pm

Ticket Info:
Adults $18.00
Seniors (62 and over) $16.00
Students $10.00

A Feminine Ending - WaterTower Theatre

Photo: Chad Halbrook and Jessica Wiggers in A Feminine Ending by Sarah Treem (photo by Mike Wang)

Disclaimer: I wrote this review on February 8, 2009, after a performance on the same date. This review is unsolicited.

Amanda Blue (played by Jessica Wiggers) tells us in the opening lines of A Feminine Ending that, "For anyone who cares to know or knows enough to care," there are gender roles in music - masculine and feminine. A feminine ending is characterized by a musical phrase or movement ending on an "unstressed, or weak cadence." She goes on to muse about how clearly gender roles are asserted not only in music or in language, but also in life and in the choices one makes or the expectations he or she is supposed to meet.

An aspiring composer, Amanda must put her dreams on hold as she works a less than fulfilling day job to support her "almost famous" fiancé, Jack Handel (Chad Halbrook) as a means to reach the extraordinary life he has promised they will have some day. As Jack rises in his quest for fame, Amanda becomes increasingly discontent with her life, a problem that is exacerbated by a frantic phone call from her mother Kim (Cindy Beall), imploring Amanda to come home to New Hampshire for the weekend. It turns out that Kim has, once again, decided to assert herself and leave her husband David (Jerry Crow). As Amanda's frustration level rises and she decides to go back to New York, she runs into The One That Got Away, her high school boyfriend Billy (Dan Forsythe).

Throughout the course of Sarah Treem's beautifully written script, Amanda finds herself in a position in which she must evaluate her career, her impending marriage, her role as a daughter, and finally make a decision as to whether or not she wants to continue putting the needs of others before her own dreams and aspirations.

As the costume designer as well as in her directorial debut, Emily Scott Banks shines. The actors clearly understand the relationships between their characters, and they move and interact with a purpose and an ease and comfort that makes them heartbreakingly realistic. Her costume design is simple, but wonderfully symbolic. Amanda's scarves in the first act, while stylish and attractive, seem to represent the choke-hold that is placed upon her by her fear of going out on a limb and rejecting conventions. Jack's outfits change by scene, and are almost comically trendy: an intentionally weathered pair of jeans, a retro-western shirt with pearl snaps, and a foam-front cap placed on top of sexy, tousled hair.

The technical aspects of this production are flawless. Leann Ellis's lighting design coupled with sound designer Emily Young's choices of songs and musical interludes brought goosebumps to my arms at times. There are beautiful and intricate gobos used to indicate falling snow, a blooming tree, an apple orchard, all of which subtly enhance what might otherwise be long and tedious monologues within the script. Set designer Clare Floyd-DeVries creates a beautiful, simplistic set that is functional as well as eye-catching. What appears at first to be a simple wooden set later showcases a hidden bed (which doubles as a couch in the scenes taking place in Amanda's New Hampshire home) or an end table. The walls of the studio theatre are draped with flowing curtains of chiffon, giving a soft and feminine feeling that is not lost in its symbolism.

The major kudos of this production, however, must go to the actors. There is not a weak moment in this production. Chad Halbrook, a gorgeous man who is not shy about showing off his body, plays Jack flawlessly. The character of Jack lends itself to being easily played as a shallow, wannabe rock star, but Halbrook gives Jack more depth than that, and creates some tender moments with Amanda as easily as he makes the audience laugh. Cindy Beall and Jerry Crow are equal parts funny and poignant as Amanda's estranged parents. Beall gives a powerful performance as a housewife who, after 30 years of burying her passions in order to be a dutiful wife and mother, finally decides to follow her own dreams. Crow makes a grand impression in his little stage time as Amanda's father, a man who has likely had the same routine for 30 years, and is truly stunned that his wife would leave him, after what we are led to believe have been several threats over the course of their marriage.

As Amanda's high school boyfriend Billy, Dan Forsythe brings an entirely different dynamic to the cast. He is simple, kind, and lacks pretention. While at first he appears to be a bit of a goofball, we discover with Amanda that he is intelligent and well-spoken, and Amanda's rekindled attraction to him in the apple orchard is understandable and believable. My only issue with Forsythe's performance is his choice of dialect, which unfortunately emphasizes the "goofball" aspect a bit too much at times. I was unsure if this was a character choice or an attempt at a New England accent. Nevertheless, his portrayal of Billy is endearing and lovely.

The standout performer in this cast is Jessica Wiggers as Amanda. She rarely leaves the stage, and she stays connected to the character at all times. When she breaks the proverbial "fourth wall" and addresses the audience directly, it is natural and conversational, and she moves back into her interactions with other characters seamlessly and effortlessly. She even deadpans some of her pantomimed actions to the audience ("I'm back in New York now...and this is the door to my apartment") humorously, but without taking them out of the moment or distracting from the emotional environment she's created in a previous scene. She's wonderfully real, and any person in the audience should be able to empathize with at least one, if not several, of the stops along Amanda's journey to find and "trust a woman's voice in a man's world."

The play runs through February 13, 2009 at the WaterTower Theatre in Addison, Texas. The studio theatre is small and tickets will likely sell out quickly, so run - don't walk - to the website or to the nearest phone, and buy your tickets now for this beautiful and thought-provoking piece of theatre. You will be glad you did.