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(10/04/02 4:24am)
The Brown County Play-house's production of I Hate Hamlet really hit home for this reviewer when its hero uttered that line. But it was one of the few times that it truly inspired a hearty guffaw. Paul Rudnick's back stage comedy follows in the tradition set down by classics such as "Lend Me a Tenor," "Moon over Buffalo," and "Noises Off." A few more plays like these with their small casts, elaborate and luxurious unit sets, and theatrical themes and they could create a new sub-genre of back-stage theatrical farces. So, while the show has a lot in common with its contemporaries, it does not create the same hilarity and frantic good time as the others. Instead of ribald physical humor to compliment the verbal witticisms, it simply relies on one-line quips. So obviously the main question is does the text create enough comic momentum to maintain itself for ninety minutes?\nWell the answer is basically yes and no. The troupe of incredibly professional actors assembled for this production are all up to the task of creating memorable and endearing characters, and they manage to find lightness in an often dull script. So, the script would be the "no" part of the answer.\nIn all honesty, Paul Rudnick definitely had a wonderful idea when he began to write. His play tells the story of a young light-weight television actor named Andrew Rally whose elderly immigrant agent got him a gig playing Hamlet for Shakespeare in the park in New York City. The only problem with his situation is that he hates the play Hamlet and fears the idea of tackling the title role that has confounded even the most experienced actor. Fortunately for him, during a botched séance with his realtor, Andrew summons the spirit of legendary actor John Barrymore whose old flat he currently occupies. The ghost has come to help him learn to trust himself as an actor, and trust Shakespeare's play so that he might succeed as the Melancholy Dane. \nIn paragraph form the idea reads quite well, but on stage, Rudnick seemed to run out of ideas for things that the characters could say and do. There are some wonderful exchanges between Rockland Mers, and Mark Bertram as Barrymore and Rally. It's a consistent treat throughout the play to see the old Master's reaction to some of the techniques which his young charge considers acting. \nThe energy surrounding this back and forth between them is not really generated by the text. It is simply Mr. Mers, and Mr. Bertram having an incredibly good time with the material they have been given. The same can be said about the rest of the cast. One of the most precious moments in the show occurs between Mers as Barrymore and Martha Jacobs as Lillian, Andrew's aged agent. Lillian once had an affair with Barrymore when both were involved in marital strife. She walks in on the ghost and Andrew and they both recognize each other from long ago. When Andrew leaves the two of them along they quietly dance and reminisce about long lost feelings and the things left unfinished in life.\nThe scene is touching because the actors make it work. Not a moment wrung false during the entire interlude. Throughout the play the fine ensemble does there best to work the tired and unnecessarily drawn-out script that Rudnick provided them with. There is not enough in the plot to maintain the audience's interest for the entire length of the show. As a one-act I Hate Hamlet would have been stronger and more focused. By forcing two acts upon it, it undermines the shows humor. Go see I Hate Hamlet if you enjoy warm and funny performances. If you want a well developed and incredibly memorable text, read… well, read Hamlet.
(09/27/02 5:24am)
John Barrymore is often remembered not only as being one of the greatest actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, but also as one of the most tragic. His career started with such classics as Grand Hotel, Dinner at Eight, and the silent version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. However towards the end of his life, the films he starred in floundered in quality and his career began to unravel. He died at the age of sixty leaving behind one fascinating piece of unfinished business. \nIn 1933 he filmed a test reel for a possible production of Hamlet starring himself in the title role. The scene in question was Act I, scene 5 of the play where the brooding Dane encounters a Ghost that claims to be his dead father. The scene was the only one ever filmed, leaving the project unfinished. Is it possible that, like Hamlet's father, John Barrymore could return from the grave to right that wrong?\nThe answer to this question lies in Paul Rudnick's comedic fantasy opening this weekend at the Brown County Playhouse. Rudnick tells the story of what happens when a young television actor named Andrew Rally living in Barrymore's old flat, gets cast as the lead in a production of Hamlet in the park being done in New York City. To any actor worth his snot this would seem like the dream role, but not for Rally who, as the title suggests, hates Hamlet.\nMartha Jacobs, who plays Lillian, said, the young actor's land lady who inadvertently conjures up the ghost of Barrymore, the show will be entertaining for those who know about the theater and those who do not. \n"It's a funny play that does have a heart. It's written with a great deal of humor, but also with affection for actors and acting." she said. "The characters are all theatrical types, larger than life. But there's a goodness in each of them that keeps them from being too-much-to-take."\nJacobs said she has no hard feelings for Shakespeare and in fact enjoys any opportunity she has to act out his plays.\n"I wish I had the opportunity to do more Shakespeare. Most actors feel as I do because Shakespeare is the ultimate test of an actor. He demands every skill and resource an actor has."\nSo what is the problem with Mr. Rally? Mark Bertram, the actor playing the role, said that its not that his character hates Hamlet, he simply fears playing the part. In fact Bertram himself would never want to take on the role. \nSo a play that on first appearance seems to loathe Shakespeare, in the end becomes about learning to face the bard head on. Young Andrew could be seen as the antithesis of his role. Hamlet's outlook on life at the opening of his play is dark. Then with the appearance of a ghost, he sinks deeper into the tragedy that awaits him. The hero of "I Hate Hamlet," has a more pleasant experience with his guide from the spirit world. \n"The show is basically about a guy facing his fears. In this case it is Hamlet," said Bertram.
(09/02/02 5:26am)
The works of Neil Simon have a charm about them that is hard to explain. You want to dismiss them for being simple and uncomplicated, yet he is a master of whimsy and charm. It is fitting that the beginning of his play "The Good Doctor," which concluded its run at the Brown County Playhouse on Saturday, opens with its writer narrator, played by Jonathan Molitor, lamenting the fact that his works are praised for being charming, but never ground-breaking. The narrator is meant to be a representation of Anton Chekhov, but one could easily argue that in this first monologue, Simon is trying to come to terms with his reputation as the author of feel-good-theater.\n"The Good Doctor" is based on various short stories by Anton Chekhov, which were transposed by Simon for the stage. The leading character finds his inspiration for a story in his meandering thoughts. He then starts to write the tale while acting it out with the other characters in the ensemble. The show is made-up of different episodes which have no connected plot. \nThis format requires each of the five actors in the ensemble to play a variety of different characters, and fortunately, they were very competent in the execution of this task. The standouts were David Alan Anderson of the Actors Equity Association and graduate student Allison Batty. Anderson, whose strong resonant voice and explosively expressive face gave life to his characters, stole nearly every scene in which he appeared. Batty, whose face was no less expressive, created several wonderfully pompous characters, each with a subtly different personality.\nIf one scene could be chosen as the best in terms of performances and sheer laugh-out-loud humor, it would have to be the one entitled "A Defenseless Creature." The scene began with a rousing musical number during which the players stumbled on stage. Mr. Anderson, a bank manager, hobbled ineptly around on crutches, and Ms. Batty, his assistant, flailed about trying to help him into his office. The assistant ushers in an elderly woman who has a problem, but it is not one that the bank is normally responsible for resolving. This "poor defenseless creature," played in a virtuoso comic manner by former graduate student Melissa Joy Nedell, uses every reason possible to force the people at the bank to give her what she wants. The timing, the performances and the strength of the text during this segment were well worth the price of admission.\nSince the performances were strong and most of the sketches were enjoyable and clever, where did it leave me? Strangely enough I keep going back to the opening statements by the Chekhov character. He laments that he will always be considered a good writer, but, not as good as Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. I can imagine years from now a new version of "The Good Doctor" where Neil Simon is the narrator and he laments that he will be remembered as a good playwright, but not as good as August Wilson or Arthur Miller. \nThis tantalizing possibility which Simon opens up for the audience left me strangely unsatisfied by the end. I wanted some resolution to this torment within Simon. Simon in his other plays has mastered the ability to create incredibly touching characters. When the audience is first presented with this narrator, there is a sense that this man is going to be one of those well loved Simon-types. Sadly, Simon decided to brush this aside in favor of a broader comic atmosphere. \nBy no means am I saying that the Good Doctor is a bad play or that it was a bad production. The directing by Lynne Perkins was solid and comfortable. The production values were top notch, and I left the theater with a broad smile. But I also left wanting more from Simon. I wanted more of his character. He had the opportunity to let us inside his mind. It felt like a missed opportunity. I guess "The Good Doctor" was just supposed to be what it was: Good fun.
(08/29/02 5:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the curtain rises on another year at IU, it is time to look ahead to the exciting activities that await all students. Despite IU's reputation as a party school, IU is dedicated to the arts, which the Princeton Review recognized by naming the University one of the best theater schools.
The upcoming theater season is a promising one. The opportunities are not just limited to one theater company. Different venues throughout the community produce a number of shows during the year, and students are welcome to become involved in and attend all of them.
The IU Department of Theatre and Drama season offers a diverse slate of theatrical productions including classics such as "A Moon for the Misbegotten," the Greek comedy "Lysistrata," and Tennessee Williams's "A Streetcar Named Desire." More contemporary works include "Trelawny of the Wells," "ART," "This Is Our Youth," "Sweeney Todd," "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and an original play by Masters of Fine Arts playwright John Drago entitled "Playing the Bones."
For students interested in doing more than attending a show, but who also want to live and breathe theater, all productions put on by the department have open auditions. While some roles are pre-cast as thesis projects for third-year MFA students, anyone from any field of study can participate. Audition notices are posted on the bulletin board located backstage in the Theatre and Drama Center and on the department's Web site.
Students who enjoy the experience of seeing a new and exciting piece of theater at its premiere should check out the Bloomington Playwrights Project, 312 S. Washington St. The BPP is dedicated to producing new and daring productions by playwrights locally and across the country. The BPP also offers a wide variety of other events, such as comedy by "All Sorts of Trouble for the Boy in the Bubble," cabaret shows and all night charity events such as the "Performathon."
For a bit more money, theater-goers should check out the IU Auditorium. The building is located conveniently in the heart of campus. This season includes current Broadway hits "Saturday Night Fever," "Fosse" and "Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk" featuring original member, Savion Glover. Also coming are tours of old standards "Grease," "Cats," "The Music Man" and Rogers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella."
With all of these opportunities to see and participate in theater this year, it could put a pinch on the pocketbook of even the wealthiest enthusiast. It is possible to see most productions performed here in Bloomington and not have to pay a dime. All three venues mentioned above have opportunities to gain free admission to their shows.
The IU Auditorium regularly employs a small standing army of volunteer ushers who show patrons to their seats before the show and in return get to watch for free. The Department of Theatre and Drama will also give free tickets to students willing to perform one of two duties. The first is to usher a show, and the second is to hang promotional posters in designated sites around the city. The Bloomington Playwrights Project also gives free tickets to their ushers, and regularly posts on its Web site different volunteer activities that include free admission.
This list of the theater events going on around campus hardly represents all of the opportunities awaiting the student body this year. Not mentioned are productions by the IU Opera Theatre, the Bloomington Music Works, Detour Productions, Union Board and the many independent projects.
For more information on theater in Bloomington, visit:
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Watching the Brown County Playhouse's new production of Neil Simon's "Chapter Two" this weekend, I found myself all over the critical spectrum. \nExcept for a fine leading performance by Robert K. Johansen as George, it seemed as if the other members of the cast were trying to wring every moment of hysterical laughter they could out of the text. The comedy felt forced and Simon's witty banter was not servicing the characters; instead, it was alienating them from the audience. My expectations for the show had been high, and my fears of being disappointed were growing.\nThe show itself follows the lives of recently widowed George and recently divorced Jennie as they fall in and out and back in love. Secondary to the trials of Jenny and George are Leo and Faye, played by Bruce Burgun and Martha Jacobs, who are both looking for something to fill the void of their own sterile married lives. \nPerhaps the reason I was resistant to the production was because Simon's dialogue attempted to make these characters too funny too fast. Only George's humor, which was a defense mechanism, seemed like something the character would actually say.\nFortunately, as the production progressed, the actors seemed to ease into their characters. While Johansen managed to establish himself the second he stepped onstage, his counterpart Alissa Stamatis was a little harder to read. Her portrayal of Jennie was not especially complex. The audience knows that with her marriage over, Jennie would rather sit and read the classics, than think about ever finding another man. While all of this is interesting material, it is all drawn from the dialogue and not the performance. Contrarily, Johansen as George lets us know how deeply he loved his wife, Barbara, just by the look on his face when he first says her name.\nBut through a stroke of luck and plot manipulation, Jennie and George have a wonderfully sweet meeting over the phone, and the show finds its color. In an extraordinarily short amount of time George courts Jennie, they fall in love and get married. George and Jennie turn out to have a chemistry together that makes both characters glow. But the pain beneath the surface of George's character means a rough road ahead. If the first act made falling in love seem easy, then the second act shows just how hard love actually is. The play does not ask the audience to suspend their disbelief and accept impossible circumstances. Instead, it acknowledges them and shows how the characters worked through them.\nComplementary to the main plot are the trials of Leo and Faye as they try to bring new meaning to their married lives. Bruce Burgun as Leo, whose humor initially was abrasive and annoying, became endearing. His comedy was unforced and seemed to have a purpose. Instead of wishing he would leave and never come back, I became eager for his every appearance onstage. \n"Chapter Two" is a play of expectations. The characters are all driven and halted by where their expectations lead them. The audience has expectations as well from Neil Simon's text. Of course they expect it to be humorous, but they also want it to possess genuine human qualities. My hesitation to enjoy myself stemmed from the initial lack of humanity in the humor. But that hesitation quickly passed when the characters opened up to their humanity and allowed the audience to laugh with recognition instead of simply laughing at them. In the end, "Chapter Two" was an entirely likable and warm production. It was not brilliant or groundbreaking, but it found just the right note to play on the audience's expectations.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Do you know what makes me enjoy a performance no matter what? It is seeing the joy of performing on the players' faces. Even if a show is completely mediocre, as long as the actors look like they are having a fantastic time, I'm sold. \nI would not call the Bloomington Music Works production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" mediocre, but it does have its share of problems. But there is an energy which sparkles through this mostly youthful cast that sells the show.\nMost fans of musical theater are familiar with this jewel in Andrew Lloyd Webber's canon. Unlike his overly pretentious work of the late 1980s and early 1990s, "JCS" has a catchy score and thoughtful lyrics, which make it a real treat to watch. It also contains a few of the most tragic and touching characters in any of Webber's oeuvre. \nThe most important, of course, is Christ himself, whose struggle between humanity and divinity unfolds in the shadow of his impending doom. \nThere is also Mary Magdalene, whose quiet love for Jesus goes a bit beyond the spiritual and enters the realm of secular. Then there is poor Judas, who can never get past the inconsistencies of Jesus' being able to see him for who he truly is.\nThese three parts are the core of the show, and if the performers fail at them, then theoretically, the show will fail as well. \nSadly, only one performer lives up to her part; Mary Armstrong Rogers as Mary. With a strong singing voice and a soulful face, her performance embodies the pain and silent desperation Mary feels for Jesus. With a part such as Mary's, there is always the danger that it will degenerate into melodrama. Thankfully, Rogers never does.\nPatrick Schuette and Mark McLaughlin, who play Jesus and Judas, respectively, also never degenerate into melodrama -- however, they never really create any drama with their performances, either. Schuette's Jesus never seems like the charismatic leader we all know he should be, and McLaughlin's Judas simply stews when he should boil. \nBoth performers are vocally fit for their roles, though -- in fact, McLaughlin has an amazingly rich voice with a strong presence. The problem is both McLaughlin and Schuette subscribe to the method of acting which relies more on hand gestures to emote than actual emotions.\nThese quibbles aside, the rest of the cast shines. The Priests, Pilate, King Herod, Simon, Peter, the apostles and the "apostlettes" all appear to be having a blast with their parts. Their performances are joyful and provide a rich atmosphere to fill the emotional gaps left by the two leads. Numbers such as "What's the Buzz," "Simon Zealotes" and "The Last Supper" work because the chorus throw themselves completely into their performances.\nMuch of this energy and exuberance can be attributed to the choreography by Matt Wisely. The dance numbers are not particularly complex, but they are fun to watch. The cast is always smiling while doing the steps and having a good time. \nAll this joyful singing and dancing culminates in Judas' final number and the title song, "Superstar." This number symbolizes the ensemble nature of the production, and the reason for its success. McLaughlin's beautiful voice carries the song with gusto and the orchestra plays the pop-rock score with absolute enthusiasm. The chorus dance and sing their hearts out to Wisely's choreography, which moves the cast around so much that at some point every single person has a chance to strut their stuff at the front of the stage. \nNo one onstage is more important than anyone else, and no one seems to mind. They are all just extremely happy to be performing for the audience. By the end, I was grateful to have them there as well.\n"Jesus Christ Superstar" is playing at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., at 8 p.m. Oct. 17-20. To reserve tickets, call TIS Music Shop at 339-1428.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Every year, an Academy Award is given to the best short subject feature film. Unfortunately, the average movie-goer rarely has an opportunity to see any of the acclaimed short dramas, documentaries and animated films. \nIn 1998, the best short feature was awarded to a film called "Visas and Virtue," which had its premier in Indiana. Before winning the academy award "Visas and Virtue" won the Jimmy Stewart Crystal Heart award at the 1997 Heartland Film Festival, established in 1991. The festival is held every fall in Indianapolis and other locations in central Indiana to single out well-made films that focus on positive and inspiring examples of the human spirit.\nFrom Oct. 17-27, films will be screened that represent these ideals. But do not expect a conservative and syrupy, feel-good schedule of films, as the festival is not meant to be manipulative or cheesy. "Our festival is about showcasing films that artistically explore the human journey," Heartland president Jeff Sparks says.\nIn the past, Sparks says, films from "Dead Man Walking" to "Babe" were celebrated at Heartland; the mainstream studio films are a small part of the festival. The festivals's core is the independent features screenings. Filmmakers from all over the world are invited to submit entries to a panel of judges. The Crystal Heart committee, made up of past festival winners, selects the films to be presented. To encourage these independent filmmakers to participate, cash prizes are awarded to winners to finance future films of the same artistic quality.\nJames Naremore, film studies professor, says he believes Heartland is a great way for independent regional filmmakers to display unconventional work.\n"Film festivals are a way for filmmakers to get outside of Hollywood," Naremore says.\nHeartland tries to set itself apart from other festivals. While events such as the Sundance and Toronto film festivals have been infiltrated by the Hollywood mainstream so that aspiring young filmmakers focus more on networking and selling their films to distributors, Angelo Pizzo, the screenwriter and producer of "Hoosiers" and "Rudy," says Heartland exists to encourage the artistry of film. \n"There's nothing like it, and quite frankly," he says, "I don't think there's anything better, than Heartland."\nPizzo, an alumnus, is a longtime participant in the festival. His films have been showcased in the past and he also lends his expertise to the educational aspects of the event. In three days at Franklin College, Anderson University and Butler University filmmakers, educators and critics will hold three educational series on filmmaking. These audience participation events will cover the topics of criticism, film production and screenwriting. \n"It's not a lecture, because that's too much like school," Pizzo says. "Instead, it's a time for the participants to see the actual filmmaking process."\nWhile other people will be learning about film at the festival, one of its contestants will actually take time off of school to present his work. Fort Wayne resident and University of Southern California freshman Nathan Gotsch will attend the festival as a contestant and presenter. His short documentary, "A Change of Plans," is currently the talk of the festival.\nGotsch is proud of all he has accomplished but says, "This is just the first step hopefully. There is still a lot to learn."\nHeartland discovered his film after it won best Video Art entry and best in show at the Project XL scholarship contest. The film is an interview with Gotsch's close friend, Kenneth Loechner, who as a Ball State freshman discovered he had a terminal brain tumor. Sparks describes the short film as "A very significant piece of work."\nHe is the first high school filmmaker to be included in the festival, and Sparks says it may possibly inspire a new category of exhibition for young artists in future years. \nThough Gotsch has already learned much about the film industry through his experience, he says that making a documentary feature and making it successful is a challenge. \n"In most movies, people are looking for a fictional escape from their lives," Gotsch says. "Documentaries are real, and people can't hide from how real they are."\nBut Pizzo says that is what makes the Heartland Film festival so important -- it creates a public forum for people to deal with real issues. \n"It's important because it supports filmmakers with sensibilities, aesthetics and tastes that make positive, important films," Pizzo says. "Its spirit has real support for the art."\nThe Heartland Film Festival will be handing out its millionth dollar in revenue to support the art of filmmaking this year. Also, a new attraction has been added to the festival, where critics from across the country have picked inspiring films to be exhibited. These films, such as "Schindler's List," "Glory," "Hoosiers," "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Shawshank Redemption," exemplify the qualities that Heartland looks for in a film. \n"Their intentions are the best," Pizzo says. "To inspire"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
There is a scene in the Detour Production of Sam Shepard's "Buried Child" that will stay with me forever. Beautiful young Shelly is left alone in a house full of misfits when Bradley, in a foul mood, thumps into the room on his wooden leg. After the shock of finding Shelly in his parents' house, he verbally accosts her and forces her to sit down on a milking stool. \n"Open your mouth," he commands.\nShe does, and he sticks his first two fingers into her mouth. Upon removing them he smirks and says. "Now stay right where you are."\nAfter this disgusting display, the lights go down for what seemed like an eternity, giving the audience time to stew on what just happened in the claustrophobic performance space of the John Waldron Arts Center.\nDirector Joe Gaines creates many such disturbing scenes in his production of "Buried Child." Set on a dead Illinois farm owned by a nearly dead elderly couple, it tells the story of a family with dark secrets that have torn its members apart from the inside out. \nDodge, the family patriarch who used to rule with an iron fist, now spends his days wasting away on the sofa drinking sour mash and chain smoking. His wife, Halie, constantly nags him about his health, but spends most of her time out courting the local priest. Their sons include a former all-American,Tilden, whose mind has come undone, the deceased Ansel, who was the family martyr, and Bradley, whose handicap always made him the family scapegoat.\nTheir lives of misery and solitude are interrupted by the appearance of Shelly and Vince from Los Angeles. Vince is Tilden's long-lost son who has decided to get back in touch with his roots. Upon arriving at the house, he is shocked to find that neither his father nor his grandfather remember him. From there, the play explores not just the struggle to find one's place within a family, but the burden which having that place might bring.\nSome of the roles are played powerfully by the actors. As Dodge, Mark G. McIntyre plays the former tyrant as a man who has forgotten he used to be a monster that destroyed everything that stood in his way. Years of drinking, smoking and living a generally unhealthy lifestyle have robbed the old man of his power. McIntyre plays Dodge's ancient age powerfully. Not a moment went by when I did not believe that he actually was an ailing man in his eighties.\nMike Price as Bradley embodies the man's ignorant evil. His character has suffered through the horrors of his father's aggression, and now bears a grudge as large as the wooden leg he stands on. \nWhen he was young, his father would amuse himself and others by throwing the leg out onto the lawn and making Bradley fetch it. \nNow, with his father old and infirm and his brothers either dead or emotionally unbalanced, he has a new-found power over them. Price embodies the ruthlessness of Bradley's nature to frightening effect. At the end of both the first and second acts, Bradley commands the stage as the lights go out, leaving the audience uneasy in the darkness before the intermission lights come up.\nAnother strong performance comes from Stephanie Harrison, who plays Shelly, the outsider who breaks down the barriers of the family's structure. Harrison does this with a graceful and intelligent portrayal. She does not play Shelly as the typical West-Coast airhead, but brings real depth and emotion to her performance.\n"Buried Child" is a drama in which the people are more important than lessons or themes. The performances in the show remind us of that because the performers have made their characters into real people, for the most part. This, if nothing else, makes "Buried Child" worthwhile.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Some plays invite intimacy with the audience, like a big friendly bear hug for the soul. They invite the audience it the house for a visit and tell them a story as if everyone in the theater were old friends. MFA playwright Angeline Larimer's thesis show, "Fish in the Desert," now playing in T300, is one such show.\nUpon entering the performance space prior to the show, the audience is greeted by the ingratiating organist and one-man-Beatles-cover-band, Willy -- senior Duncan Teater, who is also an IDS columnist.\nWilly spends the downtime before the production starts warming up the audience with Beatles trivia, sing-alongs and get-to-know-you sessions. While Willy sings, Graciela the waitress -- junior Eliza Hart -- serves drinks and hustles the audience for tips.\nThis kind of gimmicky opening can be dangerous, because if the performers aren't completely charming, it will not work. Being so close to the audience, the actors must make an effort to bond with those in the bleachers.\nLuckily, Teater and Hart are warm performers, and the audience at the Saturday matinee seemed to really enjoy them. If you don't believe me, just check the number of twenties that were stuffed into their respective tip jars.\nWith an opening such as this, "Fish in the Desert" is a perfect choice for the T300 space. It tells the story of a group of people from varying backgrounds whose lives converge on a local Tucson restaurant called "The Cow Palace." Through the kinds of twists and turns that playwrights Gilbert and Sullivan would have relished in, the heroes find happiness in the most bizarre circumstances.\nLarimer has produced a smart script, and the dialogue is appropriately silly for the show. The characters seem to be a cross between Shakespeare and a Tex Avery cartoon. With a framework such as this, the responsibility of bringing the show to life lies in the hands of the performers and director. Thankfully, that is exactly what they do.\nAfter the pre-show performance by Teater and Hart, the plot gets moving. With the best of intentions, Graciela's fiance Diego, played with lustful fervor by sophomore Brian Levin, has gotten involved in the botched sale of a bag of peyote.\nThis infuriates Graciela, who demands that it be thrown out. Diego convinces her that if he can sell it they will have enough money to get married. She finally concedes, and Diego goes back to the kitchen to cook for the customers who are beginning to arrive.\nThere are also two elderly people played by junior AJ Heston and continuing studies student Kate Braun, who argue about whether they should have salt on their margaritas. Their granddaughter, played by senior Wendy Gaunt, announces that she plans to enter the convent.\nIf that were not enough, Jojo Earp the cactus king -- graduate student Jonathen Molitor -- and his estranged conservationist son Wyatt -- freshman Darby Cicci -- are also eating at the "Cow Palace."\nWhere the plot goes should be fairly obvious, since there is a bag of hallucinogens precariously lying around the kitchen. But silly plot twists are not all this show is about. It is about how the characters interact.\nThe scenes between Diego and Graciela are sweet and funny, starting the show off strong. Even Jojo Earp, the womanizing, cactus-poaching father of Wyatt, inspires sympathy when things don't go well for him in the end.\nSome of the praise for the success of the characters should go to the director -- graduate student Steve Decker -- whose light and airy interpretation of Larimer's text draws the audience into the show.\nAnd scenic designer -- graduate student Jared H. Porter -- turns the Cow Palace into an exaggerated version of familiar neighborhood bar and grills, which remarkably turns into an appropriately cartoon-like desert landscape for act two.\nAll of this familiarity, warmth and charm make "Fish in the Desert" a wonderful end of the semester treat for anyone who likes to smile.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The students and faculty of the Department of Theatre and Drama have been waiting a long time for the opening of the new Theatre/Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. Since the ground breaking ceremony Oct. 16, 1998, department members have been tantalized by the prospect of new classrooms, offices, scene shops, costume shops and most importantly, two beautiful new theaters. They have waited patiently as the chaotic bangs, crashes and pops of construction have interrupted their classes and rehearsals.\nNow all of the waiting has paid off. Even before the official opening, classes, rehearsals and the construction of shows have already begun within this pristine new facility. One director, Associate Professor Bruce Burgun, has the privilege of directing the first production in the new facility: Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy, "Much Ado about Nothing."\n"It is one of Shakespeare's most spectacular celebrations of love, wit, humanity and disguise," Burgun said.\nSince being appointed to IU in 1990 as an associate professor of acting and directing, Burgun has been vigorously involved in Bloomington theatre. Besides directing for the IU main stage, he has also directed and performed for The Bloomington Playwrights Project and The Brown County Playhouse. This summer he directed the Brown County Playhouse production of "One for the Pot," while rehearsing his role as Leo Schneider in their next production, "Chapter Two."\nThis level of dedication to the theatre is what makes Burgun one of the most popular professors in the Department of Theatre and Drama, students said. Junior Nick Cacciola, who plays Claudio in "Much Ado About Nothing," said he was unable to get a spot in Professor Burgun's Shakespearean acting class because of its popularity. But Cacciola did add that the opportunity to work with Burgun on the main stage compensates for not having him in the classroom.\nWhen speaking with the IDS last year about his production of "Translations," Burgun said, "(The biggest reward was) watching the actors grow. Observing them seizing the opportunity granted [to] them. Making the characters, circumstances and relationships real and personal to them.\n"Working to overcome their initial preconceptions to achieve a wonderfully human something that is far beyond their mental abilities to imagine," he said. "That hasn't been easy, but that is why I teach and create theatre at this level."\nIt is for that level of commitment that Professor Burgun was awarded the 2001 Student Choice Award for Outstanding Faculty. \nCacciola said that what makes Burgun such an effective director is that he focuses on all aspects of directing. \n"He keeps changing his insights, giving actors a lot to work with, focusing on the full picture of the stage," Cacciola said.\nTo keep the picture constantly moving on the set of "Much Ado About Nothing," Burgun has come up with a unique setting for the show. \n"One of the main challenges when directing a classical piece is to help the audience recognize themselves in the play and identify with the action," Burgun said. "Consequently, I've attempted to place the context of the play in a more 'recognizable' period."\nGeoff Wilson, one of Burgun's MFA students and an actor in two of his productions, said he feels this will bring the audience closer to the classic play.\n"I think he's created a real world that's sort of whole and unique," Wilson said.\nThis recognizable period is turn of the century America. The show will feature the male heroes returning from the Spanish-American War to celebrate the rousing American victory.\nAdapting the show to this time period while staying faithful to the text has been a joy for Burgun. \n"It is a splendid play, rich in language, with unforgettable characters such as Benedick, Beatrice, and Dogberry -- and is one of Shakespeare's most plot driven plays," Burgun said.\nBut as with many things, Burgun has found that current events have deeply affected his production. \n"Little did I know, when devising this concept last winter, that terror of war, danger lurking in our midst and patriotism at its highest point in my lifetime should break out in our current America," Burgun said. "Consequently, the play and our production have taken on added unforeseen depth, dimension and meaning"
(04/22/02 4:51am)
I really had no idea what to expect walking into the Bloomington Playwrights Project presentation of Jennifer Bradley's one-woman-cabaret, "Vintage Blonde." I'd never been to a real cabaret. \nUnderage girls strutting their stuff in lingerie wasn't exactly the spectacular flim-flam I expected from the show. The closest I've ever been to real cabaret theater was when my tour bus flew by the Moulin Rouge in Paris over spring break. So with "Vintage Blonde" I was definitely going into a show raw, untouched by prior experience.\n"Vintage Blonde" is part of the BPP's "Cabaret Nouveau" series, produced by Candace Decker, the company manager of the BPP. An active performer of cabaret herself, Decker uses this series to bring seasoned performers of the craft to Bloomington from all over the country.\nBradley, who hails from Chicago, is the series' latest performer and has performed in "Hamlet: The Melancholy Musical" and "Shannon Doherty shoots a Porno: A Shockumentary," in which she played Tori Spelling. \nBradley trained in musical theater at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she was interested in big band and jazz music. Her performance this weekend tells the story of her decision to get into show business, her life as an aspiring actress and her love of Betty Hutton, one of the big stars at Paramount Pictures during the days of the old Hollywood studio system. \nHer monologues and speeches about her life are used primarily as segues into the songs she performs. This one-woman show is not about anything in particular. It simply provides what all good cabaret theater should: good music, good people and good times. \nSet against a blue backdrop in the BPP theater, Bradley sang songs by Rogers and Hart, Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser. For someone as young as myself, the songs were not immediately familiar, but somewhere deep in my mind I knew I had heard them before. And having taken the Communication and Culture Department's Hollywood history class was helpful.\nI will, however, most certainly connect the songs with Bradley forever because her performance was consistently warm and charming.\nOccasionally joined by Decker, Bradley's songs were always lively and sung with gusto. One special treat was "Hello, Hello," a song Bradley's friend Eric Lane Barnes wrote about her life as a "musical theater whore" -- a phrase he coined because she will play any role, take off any amount of clothing and assume any position for a role. Other gems included "The Lady is a Tramp" and "I got the Sun in the Morning."\nThe show would have benefited from a more casual setting -- perhaps someplace with a few tables, a bar, a grand piano and smoke swirling around little candles that flicker on red checked tablecloths. Even though that scene was not possible in the BPP's limited space, libations, as Bradley called them, were offered courtesy of the Oliver Winery. They were served to guests entirely on the honor system, and in case my mother is reading: Yes, Mom, I honored the system.\nBradley closed the show with a hilarious Swedish language version of the ABBA hit "Fernando." Before performing the song, Bradley told how as a young girl she had virtually stalked the lead singer of ABBA, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, on the phone and how the obsession has lingered into her adult years. \nIt is fitting that she chose to sing "Fernando." It is the only one of ABBA's mega hits that is not featured in the new musical "Mamma Mia," for which Bradley was not cast after relating her ABBA-stalking tale to the producers at her callback. \nThe success of "Vintage Blonde," has wet my theater palette for the many "Cabaret Nouveaus" to come. If future performers have the zeal and heart that Bradley brought to her performance, they will surely be treasures. Anyone who enjoys a casual evening of silliness and song will certainly enjoy this new series at the BPP.
(04/17/02 4:03am)
As a young girl, Margaret Cho always wanted to perform. In her book, "I'm the One that I Want," she writes that she would smile and show off for people on buses because she had learned that if you made someone happy, candy was sure to follow. But if they didn't smile back, tough luck finding candy.\nSadly, growing up in the '70s did not provide her with many Asian role models in the entertainment industry. During her lecture Monday night at the IU Auditorium, she said if she wanted to get parts in Hollywood at that time she would have had to settle for playing an extra in Mash or a hooker. And yes, the phrase, "me love you long time," was used.\nTherein lies the brilliance of Cho's comedy. She is not afraid to take on a preconception that the public might have about an issue and turn it on its ear. Throughout her lecture and the following question-and-answer session, she tore down many ethnic and sexual stereotypes that exist in our society. Speaking in honor of The National Day of Silence and Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Cho voiced her beliefs for the audience, taking on powerful topics that often brought a hush to the crowd, and then humanizing them with her razor-sharp wit.\nAt an early age she felt inadequate. Her father once told her to work on her personality because her looks would not take her far. She told the audience about how her parents constantly made her feel misunderstood as a child and she lashed out by defying their beliefs. She touts herself as the only Korean American to ever fail out of high school with a 0.6 GPA. She even ribbed a young Asian girl sitting in the front row for taking notes at the lecture. But it was not a racial slam; she was simply poking fun at the way American society has grouped Asians together as a whole.\nFighting racism is one of Cho's biggest concerns. \n"When someone makes a comment about race, there is no defense," she said. "It is the utter rejection of what holds a person together." \nWhile she does not often face racism head-on, there was an undercurrent in her lecture about being considered different from the start of her career. It frustrated her that Asians were not present in the entertainment industry. She remarked that the old '70s television program "Kung Fu" should have actually been called, "Um, That Guy's not Chinese."\nShe also told the audience about how she wasn't allowed on "Star Search" when she was first beginning her career. Instead she had to appear on "Star Search International," or as she called it, "Ghetto Star Search."\nEven today, as a successful entertainer, she faces unintentionally asinine questions. During an interview after the Sept. 11 attacks, a reporter asked her what it was like to be a part of the "Axis of Evil," to which she replied, "I'm a fucking American goddamnit!"\nCho is also a big proponent of women's rights -- most importantly a woman's right to feel comfortable with who she is as a person. She detailed when she was given her own television show on ABC network and executives allowed her to play herself on the series, as long as she lost 30 pounds before it began filming. This Hollywood-induced eating disorder lingered for four years after the show's cancellation. She spiraled into alcoholism and depression trying to live up to the standards imposed on her by society. Today having recovered, she now gives a voice to the millions of women who feel belittled by society for not living up to the impossible standards of beauty it sets.\nCho not only rallies for the rights of her own sex, but she also stands by her friends. A self-designated, "fag hag," Cho is very vocal in promoting the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens. \n"A Government that would deny a gay man the right to bridal registry is a fascist one," she said. \nDuring the question-and-answer section of the lecture, Cho praised a young lesbian woman who is raising a child with her partner and the gay couple that they brought it into the world with. \n"A family should be created entirely by choice, by people who love one another," she said.\nOf herself, Cho said, "I'm not gay. I'm not straight. I'm just slutty. Where's my parade?"\nThe brilliance of Cho's lecture was in the way she connected with her audience. She embraces her Asian heritage, she is a patriotic American citizen and is, above all, a very funny woman. The diverse crowd of young, old, gay, lesbian, straight, black, white and Asian people embraced her harsh yet sunny evaluation of the world. As she said, if she can serve as the bridge of understanding between San Francisco leather queens and old Korean people, what can't she do?
(04/15/02 4:29am)
I must admit, I am probably not the person to write a thoughtful, unbiased review of "Parade." Why, you might ask? Because I adore the show with every fiber of my being. I love it. I love the way the music gets under your skin and brings goose bumps to the surface. I love the message and the passion that went into the storytelling. The show is so wonderful because it is so real. So obviously there is no way I could not recommend this, the final production of the Department of Theatre and Drama's 2001-2002 season.\nSometimes being as infatuated with a show as I am with "Parade" can be a dangerous thing for a musical theater-lover such as myself. But having high expectations and knowing the show by heart was not at all detrimental to my enjoyment of this wonderful new production of "Parade."\nDirector George Pinney and his cast have moved me in a way that IU theater rarely does. I cared about the characters -- every single one of them. Alfred Uhry's book creates vivid and complex embodiments of historical figures. They have all the gifts, flaws and woes that any member of the audience could identify with and very few of the stereotypes that often saturate musical theater.\nSet in Atlanta at the turn of the 20th century, "Parade" tells the story of the murder of a young southern girl, Mary Phagan (played by junior Sara Dobbs) and the faulty conviction of her northern Jewish employer, Leo Frank (played by senior John Armstrong). The innocent Mr. Frank is railroaded by prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (played by junior Heath Calvert), who simply wants a conviction that will make the headlines.\n"Parade" manages to tell this story without the morality plays and broad lessons one might expect from a historical parable. In two-and-a-half hours it manages to thoughtfully consider turn of the century relations between the North and South, between Christians and Jews and between blacks and whites.\nSome of these issues come up in the musical numbers. In the ensemble song, "Real Big News," the people of Atlanta discuss the fact that Leo Frank, the "shifty" and "untrustworthy" Jew from Brooklyn, grows wealthy running a factory where little girls fasten erasers to pencils. Then there is the song, "A Rumblin' and a Rollin'," where the local black residents note the fuss the northerners are making over the wrongful conviction of the Leo Frank. They point out that young black men hang from trees all the time for no good reason and that if a little black girl had been attacked no one would have noticed.\nThe cast brings these songs to life with heartfelt gusto. As an ensemble play with many important supporting characters, the show works on all levels. Especially strong are Armstrong as Leo and junior Kate Lindsey as his wife, Lucille. Initially, the two are portrayed as selfish, spoiled aristocrats whose day-to-day worries are vacuous and shallow. But as their perfect world is shattered and they are taken away from each other, they begin to grow as individuals and eventually gain the sympathy of the audience.\nThe way Armstrong and Lindsey portray this transformation is beautiful and touching. Their final duet, at which point they have fallen back in love, is one of the show's highlights.\nPinney, the choreographer as well as director, is surely responsible for this high level of graceful narrative development. The themes and plot details are carefully delivered to the audience in a thoughtful manner and are never heavy-handed. The musical direction is also on target. Jason Robert Brown's complex score seems to glide off the stage on a breeze thanks to masters student and musical director Vince Lee.\nThe design elements of the show are just right as well. The costume, scenic and lighting designs, by Robbie Stanton, Jared H. Porter and Robert A. Shakespeare, achieve the right amount of emotional impact without becoming a distraction from the story.\nIt is rare to find a musical that packs this much emotional punch without being manipulative. Those expecting the traditional song-and-dance, happy ending that most musical theater fare provides should brace themselves. "Parade" asks a lot from its audience emotionally. But for those who are up to the task, what "Parade" delivers is well worth it.
(02/26/02 4:22am)
Watching Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" in the new Ruth N. Halls Theatre was much like reading the play from the text -- it started out slow. There was some confusion because I was not certain yet how I should feel about the characters. In fact, the first time I read the play for a class, I didn't even make it through the first act because I got bored with the material. When I revisited the play later, I realized where the show's magic lies. \nIt slowly takes you over. The characters' lives get under your skin. Your mind connects with Willy, Biff, Linda, and the rest. By the time the final confrontation comes along, you are so emotionally involved that even if you know the resolution you are hooked. Anyone who does not get misty during the finale has to be made of stone.\nHoward Jensen, director of the Theatre and Drama department, said the production does a fine job of making these characters approachable while retaining their symbolism. Without many exceptions, his cast is smart enough to handle the material. But the key to their success is the genuine humanity they bring to their roles. \nGraduate student Eric Anderson, in his thesis role as Willy Loman, creates an incredibly tired salesman. He has the look of an aged Bill Clinton, which is somewhat appropriate for the well-meaning yet deeply flawed Willy. His voice is gruff, his walk is stilted and his back is hunched. Even when he has flashbacks to his younger days, he never appears any younger. His fantasies are an attempt to escape from his failures, but because he never gets younger in them, it is apparent that he never truly gets away.\nGraduate students Carmen Rae Meyers, Jonathan Molitor, and senior Blake Bowen portray the rest of the Loman family effectively. They take on the roles of Linda, Biff, and Happy, respectively. \nMeyers and Molitor are incredibly adept, bringing passion and honesty to their roles. Meyers chooses not to play Linda as a strong and independent housewife or a meek mild mannered homemaker. Instead her performance falls somewhere in the middle, creating an intelligent well-rounded character who deeply loves her husband and tries desperately to keep him from falling apart.\nOf the Loman boys, Molitor is the stronger of the two, because his Biff seems more complete as a person. \nAt times, Bowen's Happy seems to be mugging and over-acting for the audience. However as the play progresses, it gradually becomes appropriate for the character. In the end, Happy falls apart at the seams and its obvious the over-acting and mugging were simply part of the character. During the finale, Bowen tears the facades down and Happy has to be his true self briefly, which Bowen portrays quite effectively.\nThe show also boasts an incredibly impressive supporting cast. The standouts have extremely small parts but they are very important.\nPatricia Dozer as Willy's mistress is so natural and unforced in her mannerisms that it seems obvious for Willy to have an affair with her while on the road. She has none of the barriers that he has put up around his family members and he can enjoy the unrestrained passion that he would not find at home.\nAlso effective in small roles are junior Andrew Lebon as Willy's boss and senior Dane A. Bolinger as his brother. Both actors bring concrete personalities to their characters. \nBolinger's portrayal of Uncle Ben is condescending and scheming, something that Willy envies. Willy's boss, Howard, treats Willy in this same way and it proves to be his undoing. \nGraduate student Mark Frederic Smith's scenic design must also be acknowledged as part of the production's success. His design resembles a cathedral where Willy worships at the alter of the "American Dream." We see the spired roof of the Loman house which is dwarfed on all sides by apartment buildings that have been built around it. At one point, the Loman's house existed in a world of grass and trees, which could have been a fertile ground to raise the perfect American family. However time has proved that it takes more that good looks, personality and talk to be a success. Progress has overtaken the Lomans and Smith's sets are symbolic of this.\nAll in all, this production of "Death of a Salesman" was a success. However, one thing was nearly fatal to my enjoyment of the show and that was the behavior of the audience. It seems that since the University has built a new theater for the department, people believe that talking in full voice during the show and leaving their cell phones on will not be disruptive to the actors and other audience members. They are very much mistaken and I hope that this disturbance was just a fluke. \nJust in case, next time I attend a performance, I am bringing a squirt gun with me and will fire it in the direction of any superfluous noises I hear. You have been warned.
(11/08/01 5:11am)
The University Theatre's production of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" is nothing less than spectacular. It is very rare when all the elements of a production come together in perfect harmony, but in "Waiting for Godot" they do. \nThose familiar with Beckett's masterpiece are aware of its bewildering text in which nothing and everything seems to happen at once. Its two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, sit at a crossroads during the entire play, waiting for the appearance of the mysterious Godot, who will save them from their horrible lives. They deal with the waiting through various distractions, which always end with them plunked right back into their monotonous and seemingly meaningless existences.\nI will not even try to explain what any of this means. I don't have an English degree, nor the clairvoyant capability to know exactly what Mr. Beckett was thinking when he wrote the piece. But, I can say that every emotion inside me was touched by the production. All of my senses were engaged. I left the theater with no more insight into the meaning of existence than when I entered, but I did leave completely satisfied.\nThe performances in the show are right on target. Graduate student Ira Amyx as Vladimir, or Didi, is appropriately self-assured and completely lacking in confidence at the same time. Graduate student Geoff Wilson as Estragon, or Gogo, plays Helplessness and Defiance alternately with a sad sweetness that was quite human. Lesser actors would have played the parts as straight comedy, but there is a sensitivity and caring in these performances that make them wonderful. Wilson and Amyx seem to love and despise their characters at the same time. It shows an incredible investment of their own selves into the parts, which is incredibly brave and very effective.\nDidi and Gogo are not entirely alone during the show. They receive a visit from Pozzo and his manservant Lucky halfway through both acts of the play. Played by graduate student Sheila Cecelia Regan and senior Arian Moayed, respectively, these characters provide a small distraction for the two tramps. Pozzo is seemingly full of confidence and swagger, ordering poor Lucky about, but he too is lost in the play. Unless his intention is clear for doing a task, he cannot do it and becomes afraid. Then there is Lucky, who seems to be the only character in the show that knows where he belongs, what he is doing, and where he will be in the future. Moayed plays the part with such fierce intensity that when Lucky finally speaks, the audience is on the edge of their seats, and stay with him throughout Lucky's long protracted 'thought.'\nWhile the performances are wonderful, they also benefit from the sure handed direction of associate professor Dale McFadden. His concept for the show is unique and absolutely breathtaking. There is a surreal quality to the world which Didi and Gogo occupy. They speak in tones which imply a great amount of terror within the characters, creating an uneasy feeling of dread. It may be because they think there is no Godot and he will never arrive, but we are never told.\nMcFadden's staging of the play gives the characters a great freedom to move about and play in their surroundings -- however, they also are never able to escape them. So, while the show feels open and airy, it also feels very claustrophobic and dangerous.\nWorking with his scenic designer, associate professor Wes Peters and graduate students Robert Graham, the lighting designer, and costume designer Rebecca S. Jarrell, McFadden is able to create a whole world for the characters. The set resembles something out of Salvador Dali or M.C. Escher. The most wonderful thing about the show's technical aspects are the way they celebrate the University Theatre itself. Sadly, after this performance the Theater Department will be moving their program to the new Ruth N. Halls Theatre, and the University Theatre will be retired. \nWith this in mind, McFadden and company have given the theater a starring role in the production, leaving the backstage areas open for the audience to see, and putting the beautiful wall murals to clever use. It serves as a wonderful farewell to a space that has served the department so well for so long.\nOne thing that saddened me during the show was the number of empty seats in the theater. This is an important production, but due to the nature of the material, some casual theatergoers may shy away from "Waiting for Godot." I will admit it is a difficult show to take in, but the results are completely worth the time it takes. These performers and artists have given the audience a wonderful gift, and I challenge the entire University community to accept it. They will not be disappointed.
(10/26/01 4:36am)
If "Noises Off" was the IU Theatre & Drama Department's jovial answer to the uneasy feelings shared by many Americans in this time of crisis, their latest production, "God's Country," is a more sober answer to the Sept. 11 attacks. \n"God's Country" is a docu-drama exploring the events that led to the assassination by a white supremacist of left-wing radio personality Alan Berg, powerfully played by graduate student José Antonio Garcia.\nThe program says the play takes place between 1983 and 1990 in various locations around the northwest part of the country.\nThe play's structure has no linear timeline and the events portrayed occur out of order, making the play hard to follow. Sometimes the events are acted out, and other times they are related through trial testimony and more abstract means.\nBut playwright Steven Dietz never writes a superfluous scene. Every episode has its place, explaining an event or a state of mind.\nTo mount such a complex and powerful production requires strong direction. Director Rick Fonté, a graduate student, does his best to tie the show together, floundering occasionally. There are times when the show is mesmerizing. At the end of the first act, the players engage in an Aryan Nation induction ritual. Watching a Klansman, a racist preacher and an Aryan minister all shout their diatribes as new members are 'knighted' into the order is eerie and effective.\nOther scenes fall incredibly flat. Many involve the leader of the supremacy group, Robert Matthews, played by sophomore Matthew Ryan Zaradich.\nIt becomes obvious that Fonté and Zaradich try to make the character seem like an everyday person to infer "these people are everywhere." Sadly Matthews' white supremacy seems more like a hobby than a way of life, never moving the audience to feel anything. No sympathy and no hatred, just apathy.\nBut Matthews is the character with the least amount of time onstage. The rest of the time, the ensemble tells the story, and many of the actors inspire emotion. Seniors Jeff Radue, Stuart Ritter and Peter Gerharz, sophomore Christina Marie Pumariega, freshman Mike Mauloff and graduate student Chris Nelson all handle their roles as lawyers, Aryans, skinheads, and murderers in a straightforward manner, with chilling effects. They do not appear to be IU students playing evil ignorant cowards. Instead they become those cowards.\nOther actors seem to mock the characters they portray. It seems inappropriate in a show such as "God's Country." While there are lighter moments in the production, they are there for a reason; but sometimes a serious moment would cause chuckles from the audience at inappropriate times, because a cast member was mocking the character instead of playing it straight.\nOther elements of the production take the audience out of the show, and plop them right back into reality. One is the T300 Theater itself.\nWhile scenic designer Mark Frederic Smith, a graduate student, did what he could with the space he was given, creating a versatile and atmospheric set, there are times when the show feels like it's going to explode into the theater's cramped quarters. \nThe seating consists of a thrust arrangement where actors are able to walk amongst the audience and stare them down. While potentially dramatically effective, there is a lighting problem involved. Whenever an actor ventures into the thrust area, lighting designer Laura Dowling, a graduate student, is forced to bring the houselights up, reminding the audience they are at the theater and thereby taking away from the realism. The flat white lighting in the scenes provides no atmosphere and lessens the effectiveness of the show. Instead, a more shadowy scheme would have been appropriate.\nSadly, "God's Country" left me dwelling more on what it could have been, rather than what it was. The show carries an important lesson on why fanatics do the things they do. The people represented in the play committed atrocious acts because they were filled with religious fervor, not unlike the men who flew airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Unfortunately, fervor is exactly what this production was missing.
(10/18/01 4:00am)
Every year, an Academy Award is given to the best short subject feature film. Unfortunately, the average movie-goer rarely has an opportunity to see any of the acclaimed short dramas, documentaries and animated films. \nIn 1998, the best short feature was awarded to a film called "Visas and Virtue," which had its premier in Indiana. Before winning the academy award "Visas and Virtue" won the Jimmy Stewart Crystal Heart award at the 1997 Heartland Film Festival, established in 1991. The festival is held every fall in Indianapolis and other locations in central Indiana to single out well-made films that focus on positive and inspiring examples of the human spirit.\nFrom Oct. 17-27, films will be screened that represent these ideals. But do not expect a conservative and syrupy, feel-good schedule of films, as the festival is not meant to be manipulative or cheesy. "Our festival is about showcasing films that artistically explore the human journey," Heartland president Jeff Sparks says.\nIn the past, Sparks says, films from "Dead Man Walking" to "Babe" were celebrated at Heartland; the mainstream studio films are a small part of the festival. The festivals's core is the independent features screenings. Filmmakers from all over the world are invited to submit entries to a panel of judges. The Crystal Heart committee, made up of past festival winners, selects the films to be presented. To encourage these independent filmmakers to participate, cash prizes are awarded to winners to finance future films of the same artistic quality.\nJames Naremore, film studies professor, says he believes Heartland is a great way for independent regional filmmakers to display unconventional work.\n"Film festivals are a way for filmmakers to get outside of Hollywood," Naremore says.\nHeartland tries to set itself apart from other festivals. While events such as the Sundance and Toronto film festivals have been infiltrated by the Hollywood mainstream so that aspiring young filmmakers focus more on networking and selling their films to distributors, Angelo Pizzo, the screenwriter and producer of "Hoosiers" and "Rudy," says Heartland exists to encourage the artistry of film. \n"There's nothing like it, and quite frankly," he says, "I don't think there's anything better, than Heartland."\nPizzo, an alumnus, is a longtime participant in the festival. His films have been showcased in the past and he also lends his expertise to the educational aspects of the event. In three days at Franklin College, Anderson University and Butler University filmmakers, educators and critics will hold three educational series on filmmaking. These audience participation events will cover the topics of criticism, film production and screenwriting. \n"It's not a lecture, because that's too much like school," Pizzo says. "Instead, it's a time for the participants to see the actual filmmaking process."\nWhile other people will be learning about film at the festival, one of its contestants will actually take time off of school to present his work. Fort Wayne resident and University of Southern California freshman Nathan Gotsch will attend the festival as a contestant and presenter. His short documentary, "A Change of Plans," is currently the talk of the festival.\nGotsch is proud of all he has accomplished but says, "This is just the first step hopefully. There is still a lot to learn."\nHeartland discovered his film after it won best Video Art entry and best in show at the Project XL scholarship contest. The film is an interview with Gotsch's close friend, Kenneth Loechner, who as a Ball State freshman discovered he had a terminal brain tumor. Sparks describes the short film as "A very significant piece of work."\nHe is the first high school filmmaker to be included in the festival, and Sparks says it may possibly inspire a new category of exhibition for young artists in future years. \nThough Gotsch has already learned much about the film industry through his experience, he says that making a documentary feature and making it successful is a challenge. \n"In most movies, people are looking for a fictional escape from their lives," Gotsch says. "Documentaries are real, and people can't hide from how real they are."\nBut Pizzo says that is what makes the Heartland Film festival so important -- it creates a public forum for people to deal with real issues. \n"It's important because it supports filmmakers with sensibilities, aesthetics and tastes that make positive, important films," Pizzo says. "Its spirit has real support for the art."\nThe Heartland Film Festival will be handing out its millionth dollar in revenue to support the art of filmmaking this year. Also, a new attraction has been added to the festival, where critics from across the country have picked inspiring films to be exhibited. These films, such as "Schindler's List," "Glory," "Hoosiers," "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Shawshank Redemption," exemplify the qualities that Heartland looks for in a film. \n"Their intentions are the best," Pizzo says. "To inspire"
(10/10/01 3:56am)
The University Theater opens its final season in its current location with a wonderful production of "Noises Off," directed by Murray McGibbon. In the wake of national tragedy, McGibbon delivers a classic sex farce that will surely pull many Hoosiers out of the doldrums. \n"Noises Off" has long been a staple production of high schools, colleges and repertory theaters, and it's not hard to understand why. As a classic sex farce, the show shines with memorable innuendos and mistaken identities that will titillate the juvenile sensibilities in all of us. \nBut what makes the show even more enjoyable is that it takes place during a performance of another farce called "Nothing On." The show's characters are actors whose lives have become the farce which they are playing.\nIt is hard to isolate what makes this current production of "Noises Off" so effective. The performances are a great place to start. As Lloyd Dallas, the director of the play within the play, graduate student Erik Anderson takes command of his role with flamboyant gusto. Lloyd is as swaggering, self-absorbed and sexually ambiguous as possible without falling into the realm of caricature. His stage managers, Tim and Poppy, played by senior Bradley M. Fletcher and freshman Tenaya Irene Hurst, convey a believable amount of the manic desperation that many stage managers might feel when faced with a doomed production.\nThen there are the actors playing the cast of the play-within-a-play "Nothing On," who have the daunting challenge of creating onstage and offstage personas for their characters. \nAll the actors do competent jobs of this, but the standout was graduate student Coryell Barlow, who instantly changes from theater diva Dotty Otley into the housekeeper Mrs. Clackett with hilarious speed. If you watch carefully in the third act, when "Nothing On" is falling to pieces, you can see Barlow change from old Mrs. Clackett to Dotty and back again as the show progressively gets worse.\nAnother notable performance comes from senior Blake Bowen as Selsdon Mowbray, who plays the old burglar in the play-within-the-play. This lovable old drunk is a constant source of humor and Bowen plays him well. When parts of the show become too tense and dramatic, Selsdon will deliver a one-liner that brings the show back down to earth where it belongs and gets the audience chuckling again. \nThere is one other major player that must be perfectly portrayed for "Noises Off" to be a success. That player is the set. "Noises Off" takes place in two locations. In the first and third acts, the action takes place in a 1970s British country house, which is actually the set of the play "Nothing On." \nThen in the second act, the set is turned around to reveal the backstage area of "Nothing On" during a performance. With eight doors, a window, and a staircase leading up to a second floor hallway, the set becomes a frequent source of comedy for the actors and a daunting task for the scenic designer, graduate student Namok Bae. But Bae's set has a cartoonish flair which adds to the fun of the production.\nThe show's second act is a fine example of choreographed chaos. The backstage drama during "Nothing On" creates a farcical ballet in which shoe-laces are tied together, axes are swung about, bottles are broken over actors' heads and a cactus is shoved into the last place anyone would ever want a cactus. All this chaos requires perfect timing and coordination. My hat goes off to McGibbon and his movement coach Robert Johansen for pulling it off in a way that the audience never gets lost in the action.\nSo there you have it. "Noises Off" is one funny show that deserves to be seen by the entire IU community. Hard work and long hours obviously went into this production which flows together with a sense of ease, providing just what it is supposed to, a silly good time. \nNow more than ever, that's what people could use.