SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

Attended tonight the opening night of Shakespeare in Love presented by Theater South Carolina at Drayton Hall on the university campus. And what a delightful performance it was, far more professionally delivered than one would commonly expect from a company of students. What a marvelous and enjoyable show full of action and humor, and the only tragedy was that not more students and others attended (although there was a pretty good showing). I hope that the word goes out and many more are enticed to give the show a try. They will not be disappointed.

I am no theater critic, but I do love musicals and plays, and I would argue that if these actors were being graded on their performances not a single one would receive a poor grade from me. They were just wonder, the slips few and the deliveries most often well done. John Romanski did a masterful job as Shakespeare, and he was well matched with Olivia Hensley as Viola. I was impressed by Riley Lucas's Marlowe, Kayla Crumley's Queen Elizabeth (her part was way too little), and Sam Edelson's Ned Alleyn. I could actually include every performer (who often had multiple roles) and would fight a duel with anyone who claimed a single one of the cast fell short of the mark. The costumes were great, the set choreography amazing (I was surprised there were no major collisions), and the set perfect for what could have been a cumbersome mess. I have seen community theater that was not up to the standard these young actors and stage support delivered. It was my first experience at Drayton (as I have been several times to Longstreet and the Lab sites), and I hope to catch many more shows there.

AC FLORA'S LITTLE WOMEN (musical)

One of the more challenging productions for a high school theater department is the musical; the bigger Broadway-style shows are often a little easier on the ear because there are so many voices, and a little distance from the audience. It's not that students do poorly, but they often do not have enough range and experience to handle all of the songs. Occasionally there is a stellar singer amongst the actors, but seldom across the entire cast. Tonight, along with my younger son, I attended a smaller production of the musical Little Women, based on the Alcott novel (book by Allan Kee, music by Jason Howland, and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein) and directed by Samantha Elkins at A. C. Flora High School in Forest Acres. And despite the challenge before them, the cast did a really wonderful job.
I was truly impressed and entertained. This inaugural performance in their newly created intimate stage space (crafted from the school's theater classroom and declared the Black Box Theater) was simply a delight. I had not read the book nor seen the movie, and I now see why this is such a favored story, especially among girls (although I was aware of the story and surprising knew the basic outline, so perhaps somewhere in my forgettable past I must have come across it in some manner). I even teared up a bit. All the young actors did a credible job. I was particularly impressed with Patrick Rosenfeld, who stole the show when he finally appeared for an extended period and sang "How I Am." I was blown away and immediately sat up in my seat, smiling. John Cooper was energetic and funny as Laurie Laurence. The young ladies who played the March sisters (and, sadly, I am not sure who two of them were, so I won't identify any to be safe) did a nice job in their roles.
No doubt over time the department will smooth out the kinks (perhaps they need a little more room behind the curtains) with practice, and I hope they are encouraged enough by the enthusiastic turnout [I think they may have sold out every night] to continue putting on these smaller productions. There are many good plays requiring smaller casts that are perfect for this setup. I didn't much like sitting on those foldout metal chairs, but that is a minor complaint. Perhaps some temporary risers for the audience might make vision a bit easier for those in the back.
I am certainly looking forward to future shows.

AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'

Don't know why it took me so long, but I finally managed to attend a show at Trustus Theater in Columbia. And what an enjoyable time I had. The house was rocking for opening night for the musical Ain't MisBehavin', a raucous look at the music of Fats Waller and life in World War II-era Harlem, told through musical vignettes, basically (as there really isn't any story line). The performers (only five, not counting the band) filled the intimate theater with lively banter and song, and the crowd often responded joyfully. I loved the layout of the seat and the closeness almost everyone feels to the stage. Directed by Terrance Henderson, the talented singer/dancers (Devin Anderson, Avery Bateman, Katrina Blanding, Kendrick Marion, and Samuel McWhite) were expressive and fun, and connected with great rapport to the audience. Since I can't compare it to anything I've seen before, I thought the group did a wonderful job. The costuming and sets were good (although I wish they could find a better way to hide the audio equipment when women are wearing fancy dresses).  Really wonderful job with "Black and Blues." I had to explain a bit to the young student who sat nearby. I definitely want to attend more performances at Trustus.

FLIGHT

Attended tonight at Longstreet Theater an interesting play that blended elements of drama, dance, music, acrobatics, and model building. What, you say? Well, read on. The University of South Carolina's Department of Theater and Dance (cosponsored with Pacific Performance Project/East) presented Robyn Hunt's Flight, directed by Steven Pearson. Standing in for all heroic women aviators who struggled to touch the skies during the infancy of flight are two turn-of-the-century actresses who also are pilots, temporarily on leave from their day jobs as Paris actresses, as they assemble a plane that has been gifted by a generous benefactress so that they might make a long-distance flight to challenge male-dominated skies. They are part of an emerging feminist movement that seeks equality in suffrage, education, professional opportunity and to shed the restraints (such as clothing restrictions) that hold them back from acheivement, and that denies them their place in the historical record when they do great things. This strain is represented by the filmmaker Alisse, determined to capture the beauty and danger of the two female pilots' efforts. Rounding out the cast is Jean Luc, narrator and guide, and a fellow actor and friend, best known for his role as Peter Pan, Gerard. The playwright blended in elements from historical theater as the actors worked through their frustrations and fears. As the play unfolds the cast literally constructs a half-scale model of a plane on stage. Cudos to whomever made the airplane; it was simply beautiful and elegantly constructed in a  manner that allowed the actors to fit it together with style and grace. The plane is almost another character. The play was an interesting study in motion, almost oriental in its precision, and an amazing amount of practice must have been involved to choreograph the intricate dance of construction and storytelling.

The actors were all very good and the presentation smooth. The production could have benefitted from a better sound system or individual mikes. Often words and lines were lost or confusing, even out of the mouths of the senior actors Eric Bultman (Jean Luc) and Robyn Hunt (Alisse). Clearly these two had a positive chemistry. Lenne Klingaman (Madeline) was strong in her role, and most often was the most-clear speaker. Jessi Noel (Sophie) was good, but a bit soft spoken, and I struggled at times to understand what she was saying. Will Shuler (Gerard) rounded out the cast and did a nice job, especially with the piano and accordian. Sadly these plays have so few performances, which seems unfortunate in light of the tremendous work that went into crafting the props and preparing the actors. I especially liked the hanging chari used to represent flight simulation. I bet Bultman and Klingaman never got as great a workout ever in a production. I don't know how many young actors got to participate and learn from this performance, but the actors and crew were a credit to the university.

MISS SAIGON

I am not sure the musical Miss Saigon is the best choice for most community theater groups, especially in relatively small southern cities. It would be good for university groups and professional units, but I am unconvinced it is the greatest choice for local theater. I acknowledge that these actors do it for their love of performing and in the case of the cast of Columbia's Town Theater, they put a lot of energy and effort into their presentation and you could see that most were enjoying themselves on stage. Nevertheless it was at times difficult to get into their characters when many were miscast (through no fault of their own, I am sure). Obviously there is a limited pool of young Asian actors in Columbia and there is only so much one can do with costuming, and you have to work with the actors who want to be in the cast. Do not assume, however, that I am being critical of the job they did, because that is not the case. I felt they were great. But when you think of a Vietnamese strip club, you kind of expect younger, Asian faces (and bodies) in the room, and the same goes for the soldiers. And when Vietcong commandos appear, they really shouldn't look like Americans. Although the female lead was lovely and sang well, perhaps they could have provided her some spray-on tan and jet-black wig, and made her look more Vietnamese. Just saying. Yes, I know there are obvious contraints to realism that a local theater troupe can do, with limitations in budget and manpower, so those who choose the schedule should be a little more careful picking shows.

That being said, I thought the cast did a very good job with the material and I enjoyed their presentation. The second half was way better than the first. "Bui Doi" and "The American Dream" were delightful and strong numbers. "Fall of Saigon" was a complicated scene, but they pulled it off rather well, and the helicopter was great. Will Moreau was quite good and funny as the Engineer, though at times it was hard to understand him. Perhaps that was because of the sound system, and he was not the only actor with this problem at times. Lanny Spires did a good job as Chris; for some reason I would have liked a deeper voice, however. I think he would be great in Rent though. Parker Bynum was very good for a young actor, and he was one of the few who really seemed to have a presence. Shelby Sessler did a good job in the lead role, as did Karly Minacapelli as Ellen. Luke Young stole his scenes (especially when he yawned), but isn't that always the case with the cute youngster cast members. Overall I think everyone did a pretty good job .

It has been a long time since I was in Town Theater, and they have fixed the place up. The chairs were a little uncomfortable (and I heard that from a few people around me). I thought I was going to have more leg room when I got a front-row ticket, but I didn't account for the temporary orchestra pit. I wish they could have adjusted their lights a bit, because they shone right in my eyes. But it is the first time I have attended theater with live music, and that was interesting (I kept imagining that this is the way it used to be). It is a small and cozy place (I would feel a little better if there was an exit on the right side as well).

Bravo to the cast.  I definitely will try to attend shows there in the future, and also at some of the other local playhouses.  Plenty of time to catch performances because they will be doing this show until 26 May.

THEATER TIME

Took the boys tonight to see 12 Angry Jurors, a laboratory play presented by the University of South Carolina Theater Department. Based upon the Reginald Rose teleplay, the performers did a very good job and the crowd seemd pleased with the effort. Both boys were well entertained and enjoyed it; they said they would be interested in seeing more plays. Presented in the cozy Benson Theater (in a former public school purchased by the university) that I never knew existed---with perhaps seventy-five seats, the showing was sold out. Glad someone at work suggested that I show up right at 730 to get tickets. We were lucky and had seats in the front row; I could easily have touched the actors. Overall they performed well, with the expected small gaffes and less-than-smooth pacing of amateurs, but the missteps were tiny and easily overlooked when considering the entire production. The set was simple, but perfect. The only thing rang wrong to me was their calling a swithblade a "switch knife," though that may have been more common during the 40's or 50s. I was told that the department puts on a lot of plays, many of them for free. I will be checking out their website more often. Bravo!