Live Play Review One

Randi Herath October 19, 2013 Green Group/Drama Live Play Review This was an unimaginative title for
a play packed with drama, comedy, and music. However, the cast did impress the audience with their performance at the Bethesda Round House Theatre on October 18th, 2013. Melissa James Gibson, author of the play, moved the audience with each unpredictable scene. This explores the importance of taking things into ones own hands through a terrific display of somberness, comedy, and satire. The play opens with a scene in couple Marrell and Toms house, who being best friends with recently widowed Jane, attempt to break her out of her gloomy shell by relentlessly attempting to set her up with French doctor, Jean-Pierre. After a short introduction to the characters, Jane storms off mad and upset before being comforted by Tom who has other intentions for visiting her; after a heated conversation in which feelings are exchanged, Jane and Tom have sex. The relationship between Marrell, Tom, and Jane slowly deteriorates while their gay friend Alan, struggles to maintain order amongst all four of them. Right when things could not get worse, the truth is out and fighting ensues, resulting in broken hearts, harsh words, and isolation. But in the end, we learn the importance of self-reliance as Jane sits against a wall, reminiscing about the past, and contemplating the good things that can come to one, if only he/she tries to see the better side of life. Jane is the main character of this play and This takes the audience on a journey that shows just how damaged Jane is due to her husbands death. Left alone with a daughter who is oblivious to her mothers pain, Jane turns into an unhappy, tired, and uninspired poet. Alan, being the least serious but most wise companion of hers, tries his best to make her understand that she is not alone and that she cannot wait around for someone to fix things for her; and that she must be independent and strong on her own. After making an almost unforgivable mistake that might have cost her her friendships, Jane begins to realize that her time for sulking is over. And so the audience is left with a happy ending full of happy thoughts and optimism. Lise Bruneau plays Jane who is by far the most emotional character in This. Michael Glenn plays Alan who has over analyzed the meaning of life and understands more than he lets his friends believe. After Jane makes the unspeakable mistake of sleeping with her best friends husband, she takes comfort in knowing that Alan will be there for her, literally,
as a shoulder to cry on. In an obscure way, he reveals to the audience and to the oblivious Jane how his life has never been as easy as he has made it out to be; he has spent most of it trying to figure out what he is supposed to be doing and it has not been easy for him because of other peoples judgment. Lise Bruneau does an amazing job at controlling her characters emotions using both her body and voice. As an apparent fragile and emotionally unbalanced woman, the few scenes in which she erupts with anger belting out of mouth and shaking with rage leave the audience taken aback and reconsidering the sanity of Jane. Crossed arms, a hunched back, and pulling of hair are sure signs of the bad side to Jane; whereas the light tone, faint smile, and relaxed posture bring out the optimism and joy that Jane feels towards the end. Both actors do an impressive job of playing the roles of two such complex characters in This. The occasional song played on the piano and sung by talented Felicia Curry, who played Marrell, grasped the attention of the audience, leaving them craning to hear more of her nostalgic voice. Felicia Curry took matters into her own hands as she strove to display the pain and brokenness that Marrell felt due to the growing distance between Tom and her. Her deep, resonating voice almost made one close their eyes and picture the heartbreak she sang. At other times, the wordless music that ranged from slow lullabies to fast paced beats complemented the speed and intensity seen in several scenes in which all actors were present. The set, costume, and light designers had apparently worked hard to ensure that everything was perfect. James Kronzer, set designer had designed the melancholic and dreary walls that surrounded the several rooms in which the play took place. Under the dim light, lighting designer Daniel Maclean Wagner had wanted, the walls added to the sadness and longing the characters felt at times. However, when the lights were full on bright, the walls suddenly illuminated almost appeared to be glowing, as most of the characters were glowing red with anger towards the end. Costume designer Ivania Stack did a splendid job of using fashion reflect on each character, such as Alans mismatched shirt and pants, printed bowtie and orange cardigan that gave him the strong sense of recognizable individuality. Director Ryan Rilette has definitely outdone himself with the outstanding choices he has made on staging. Though one does not realize until later on, Rilette has all characters upstage and/or centered during scenes in which all actors are present on stage. Other scenes in which there is only one character on stage, such as Jane in the last scene, she was positioned upstage and to the right. Her position compared the vastness of stage left her clearly alone but due to the proximity of her and the audience, her stage presence was big and seen as strong.

Live Play Review One

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Live Play Review One

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Live Play Review One

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Randi Herath October 19, 2013 Green Group/Drama Live Play Review This was an unimaginative title for

You might also like