'New World Rhapsody'

The Reva Shiner Full-Length Play Award-winning production "New World Rhapsody" packed the house Friday during its run at the Bloomington Playwrights Project theater, 312 S. Washington St. The crew had to add another row of folding chairs just to accommodate the incoming audience.\n"New World Rhapsody" is a coming-of-age story about a boy who grows up in the exotic Far East and sees his American home as a strange, new land, ripe for exploration. Playwright Adam Kraar admits the story is not autobiographical, but he writes that it was inspired by his experiences of returning to America after spending many years overseas.\nThe play tells the story of Lenny Kenowitz (played by IU sophomore Jerry McClure), who is trying to make a home in the harsh streets of New York City after spending his own childhood in India. He struggles with maintaining a relationship with the vibrant artist Naomi Gold, portrayed by IU freshman Nicole Bruce, while helping to launch her career as a sculptor. He makes frequent visits to his mother's upstate asylum and his father's apartment, now shared with his Asian soon-to-be wife. "New World Rhapsody" depicts a melting pot of cultures and ideologies, played out by a cast of talented actors and actresses.\nSenior Carol Enoch gave a stunning performance as the hauntingly sad and mildly insane mother, Elsa Kenowitz. And Phil Kasper and Caitlin Burke played well off each other as Lenny's father and soon-to-be stepmother, reveling in idiosyncrasies of their characters. The multi-purpose roles filled by the young talent of Emily Radke and North High School junior Winston Fiore rounded out the cast with delightful character acting and a variety of realistic accents.\nThe small shadowbox theater provided an intimate setting for the production. The backdrop, a jumble of the harsh lines of big city high-rises and the graceful sweep of Indian towers, provided yet another visual emphasis on the mixing of cultures. And as the story progressed, windows looking out upon New York City were opened, letting the light of the Statue of Liberty shine in on the cast, an artistic touch that brought the message home once again.\nWhile the rousing rendition of "This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land" at the conclusion of the play was a novel idea, the production could have gone without it. But the play as a whole granted audiences a glimpse of both Liberty's generous opportunities and her demanding prerequisites -- from the eyes of one not yet numb to her charms. \n"New World Rhapsody" reintroduces its viewers to America and reminds them not to stop dreaming for a better life.\n"New World Rhapsody" will continue through April 14, showing at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.