They have tackled non-original works before, most notably End Game by Samuel Beckett. And that was treated very well, so this venture into the work of Nobel winner Wole Soyinka was something I was looking forward to. After all, this was a company with the guts and the gall to do this play justice.
Let it be said that since viewing the play I read the review by Mr. Preston in the Strib. And I think he was unduly harsh. I do think that the play got off to a bad start, and if you are inclined to be turned off in the first five minutes of a production and are unwilling to let it redeem itself, then this is not a show you're going to enjoy or get anything out of. The ragtag group that starts the play off lacks chemistry and commitment to what they are doing. It makes the beginning, which is not nicely filled with exposition, as we are used to in more simple American theatrical experiences, hard to comprehen and hard to watch. However, as additional characters are added to the stage and story, the play hits stride and even those characters that were painfully rough at the beginning shape up into interesting viewing.
So, there are two players that I'd cite as catalysts for bringing the story into line and whipping the play into shape. First, is Clarence Wethern. From the time of his first entrance the play changes rhythm, and those who seemingly couldn't act before, suddenly got it together...even when he wasn't on stage. hence his catalytic effect.
Second was Heidi Berg, who initially isn't as strong in this show as I have seen her before, but once she has someone to play off, she shines. her determined character is one of the only ones who seems sane and moral. And it is carried off with conviction.
So, what is this play about? There's a good question! It is about far more than I can sum up in a tidy paragraph, but I'll get to the heart of the story, at any rate. The play is about a man who went to war as a doctor, but came back as a torturing, controlling part of the government. And he attained this rise to power by eating his fellow men, literally.
The plot revolves around his attempts to pull information from his unwilling father about how the senior member is able to manipulate the masses through religion. The older doctor is played by Ben Kreilkamp and once he finds his own rhythm, he is quite good, but not unlike his compatriots (made up of those folks from the beginning of the play), it takes him some time to hit stride.
This is a challenging work and teeters on the edge of realism and fantasy. And that realism that it does employ is based on a world that we in this country never really have to face. And so, it is a foreign experience to begin with.
If you are going to this show, and I suggest you do, you will have to first become accustomed to teh rhythm of what is happening on stage before you can really start to soak things in. After that, you'll want to take the time to think about what you saw and what it means. I'm pretty sure that it will mean different things to different people. I'm pretty sure that you will note know right away what to think of what you just saw. And yet, you will think about it a lot and will be affected by it a long time afterward. That's a rewarding theatre experience, and that's what this show gives.
A couple of other thigns of note...once on their roll, I did enjoy the performances of Ryan Grimes and Tera Kilbride. Derek Dirlam also had his really strong moments. I do really have to wonder what magic Mr. Wethern posesses that his presence so changed the chemistry of the play. These three turned it on and got going from Wethern's entrance onward.
Some random stuff:
It was apparently warm enough for the wasps to be out and about yesterday, but not warm enough for them to have energy to fly. There were about 5 of them crawling about on the cement landing outside my building when I went out for lunch. I decided to not step on them in a moment of buddhist influence on my view of wildlife. Although I did take a bit of perverse glee in the fact that at least one of them had been crushed by someone else by the time I'd returned later in the afternoon. 7,653 I'm thinking about signing up to help out as a server in Fringeville for a couple of shifts this year. The Fringe is currently looking for volunteers... you, too, can sign up...Click here I don't normally post random links for no good reason, but why not? After all, that would be random, right? Except, not really because it is planned out in advance and thoroughly debated in this exact post, right? Ah hell... here it is: A blog I enjoy Are you as Hooked On Facts as I am?: "In ancient England a person could not have sex unless you had consent of the King." -- I guess it paid to be on the good side of teh King. Could you imagine being King in that situation? I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that there are certain people who I would not want to know if they were having sex. I can think of at least 10 of my friends who I would never want to imagine as sexual animals. Yikes! Just go do it and don't tell me about it! I mean, asking my permission would force me to think about it. Yuck! It would make me very happy of the Bull Moose Party were still part of American Politics. Llama, llama, duck!
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