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Jennifer Feather Youngblood (The Jinn) and Jennifer Barlup (Jen) in MadLab's The Jinn by Kirk Lynn.

by Tahrea Maynard

Madlab Theatre and Gallery’s The Jinn by Kirk Lynn is surprising, delightful, and most of all strange. The plot is based around a married couple, Jen (Jennifer Barlup) and Jim (Andy Batt). At the beginning of the play, the audience is introduced to this couple’s mutual but almost hesitant desire for divorce. The one thing that holds back the process is a box of random items: a ceramic duck, a women’s volleyball trophy, a tape recorder, an umbrella, and a lamp. As Jen tells Jim, this box is all that’s left to sort and they must divide the items up between them- their final act as a couple. Each of the items in the box have added significance revealed throughout the play, pinpointing major events in the couple’s relationship. The first scene fades with the situation unresolved and the smashed duck on the floor, introducing the audience to the tension and frustration that has built up within the marriage.

Barlup and Batt admirably pull of this complex relationship of a husband and wife at the end of their respective ropes. Their onstage chemistry works for their roles, and both actors are believable as they progress through the show, expressing the complex dynamics of the relationship. The script takes a turn toward the supernatural when the lamp spews forth the Jinn ( Jennifer Feather Youngblood). Youngblood’s Jinn is nothing short of sassy, smart, and quick-witted. She delivers her lines with a great blend of sarcasm and intelligence and will be an audience favorite. The Jinn, a sort of genie, reveals to each character the good and the not so good of wishing, forcing both to obey her rules. For instance, the only wishes that can be granted are things that “someone else can give you,” cranking up the level of frustration for all involved. It also turns out that in this strange world everyone forgets their last encounter with the Jinn, so she must reiterate key information throughout. This last bizarre convention adds a sense of folding time and a wacky vibe to the play, as (for instance) the audience hears a joke about a married man snowed in with a woman’s volleyball team in Aspen again and again. The cast, under the keen team direction of Michelle Batt and Amanda Bauer, does well to present the trippy echoes in a way that manages to stay fresh with each scene.

The Jinn is joined in most of her scenes with her three Minions, Mary Sink, Pam Sanchez, Joyce Patrone. These three never speak but move during scenes, adding to the scene with subtle gestures and motions. These three also act as stage crew, moving tables and chair on and off. These three women add to the strange ambiance of the production, punctuating their mirrored movements with an African drum soundscape.

The Jinn also provides glimpses into the couple’s past and potential future. In the past, the audience sees Jennifer (Michelle Weiser) and James (Travis Horseman). Weiser is adorable as Jennifer, energetic and hopeful. She carries herself with a dose of growing desperation in her attempts to seduce Horseman’s James. Horseman also enhances the production with his adorable performance, working with Weiser to portray the younger couple. Tay Lane and Jim Azelvandre play Jenny and Jimmy, the older versions of Jen and Jim. Through their actions and words, Jenny and Jimmy take chance encounters with these counterparts to warn of what could be if the young folks aren’t careful. Lane and Azelvandre are endearing as an older couple. Azelvandre’s Jimmy is a typical older gentleman, grumpy yet likable.

Madlab’s technical team meets the unique challenges presented by the script. The set (another product of a team effort, this time by designers Andy Batt and Brendan Michna) is two separated, elevated platforms. On one sits a bed, signifying Jennifer’s bedroom where she attempts to seduce James. On the other is a makeshift love seat which turns out to be the sitting room of Jimmy and Jenny’s house. Each is complete with a blank screen that plays video clips throughout the production. Most of the time they represent windows, showing buildings across from Jennifer’s apartment and a bridge beyond Jimmy and Jenny’s yard. These two platforms are connected by a bridge. The entire set is adorned with colorful material giving it a Bollywood feel, adding to the lush and mysterious atmosphere of the production as it centers on the mysterious lamp and the mysterious Jinn. The lighting draws the eye to the appropriate place of action and enhances the feel of each scene along with the different shades of music played. The costumes are simple and modern day, and the design neatly ties together the Jennies with long skirts and their long hair pulled back in a clip. Though they do not resemble each other in mannerisms or face, Weiser, Barlup, and Lane are unmistakeably representing three different stages of one person’s life.

Batt and Bauer present in The Jinn a wonderful production everyone should make an effort to see. While attending the show, be sure to admire Madlab’s neat new space at 227 North 3rd St in downtown Columbus. The Jinn runs from August 5th to the 28th. All shows are at 8 pm, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $15 and $10 for students and seniors, and $8 for Madlab Members. Check out http://madlab.net for more info and to purchase tickets.

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Tahrea Maynard has spent the majority of her life onstage, appearing on stages with such Central Ohio theatres as Roundtown Players and Rosebriar Shakespeare Co. She also teaches Musical Theatre classes with the Charmion Performing Arts Center in Circleville. Check out her blog here.

Director Wanted.

The Columbus Civic Theater is seeking a director for its November production of Home by Samm-Art Williams. Candidates must have an MFA in Directing or similar credentials and/or experience. Please send resume or CV to the Civic’s Artistic Director Richard Albert at richard@columbuscivic.org.

Auditions for Irish One-Acts.

The Columbus Civic Theater is holding auditions for their Irish One-Acts, three short plays, Cathleen Ni Houlihan, Spreading the News, and Riders to the Sea, at 2pm - 5pm Saturday, August 21st, and 6:30pm to 10:00pm Sunday, August 22nd at The Columbus Civic Theater, 3837 Indianola Avenue, Columbus, OH 43214. Please bring a recent headshot and resume, a short, prepared, modern monologue, and be prepared to read from the text. (Most libraries carry all three of the plays to be mounted.) C Austin Hill will be directing. Rehearsals begin the first week of September, with the show opening October 7th at the the Columbus Civic Theater, 3837 Indianola Avenue in Clintonville. All positions are paid. Actors doubling roles are probably necessary and should be expected. If you have questions for the director, please send an email directly to him at solsticetheatrecompany@gmail.com. The Civic’s phone number is 614.447.PLAY.

by Bob Weesner

Round Town Players has opened its newest production, All I Really Needed to Know I Learned from Being in a Bad Play. Now I ask you, if you are involved in theatre at all, how could you possibly resist a play with a title like that?

I couldn’t. So I trekked to Round Town Players Community Theatre in
Circleville to see their children’s theatre production of the play with that
title.

Children’s theatre?

Yup. I have a grudging respect for child performers. Talent is not at all determined by age. Younger performers have not yet fallen into really quirky habits yet, nor ego inclined toward divahood (although it’s developing quickly). Children are often observed as being cute and endearing. This is no accident and children are not stupid. They practice cute and endearing. It becomes a fine art.

Are we straight on that?

About twenty minutes before the play began, seemingly a thousand or so of the diminutive cast members started wandering through the audience, practicing those verbal tongue twisters used to improve the ability to speak clearly. After being acknowledged, they were largely ignored by those audience members intent on completing their own well-practiced monologues. The children - a well-trained army under the leadership of director Tahrea Maynard – regrouped and attacked from several directions at once. There was an interesting and not unpleasant cacophony of sound and movement. I mention this because it impressed me. What appeared to be random movement was not at all – this was precise organization and placement. General Eisenhower could have used Ms Maynard’s impressive talents during the invasion of Normandy.

The text of the play – when we got to it – surprised me just a bit. When someone says “children’s play” to me, in my mind I see urchins dressed like carrots and Indians, standing in straight lines, talking in monotones about things that are of absolutely no interest to anyone at all. This was not true of this presentation. Here was a playwright who knows all the possible failings that a theatrical production can face, and presents them from a jaded, funny, and very adult viewpoint.

There was one adult in the cast. (I define “adult” as someone taller, world-weary in appearance, and two or three people heavier than everyone else.) This poor soul is Robert Neal as the narrator, and from the very first he never stood a chance. He was out-charmed (and occasionally out-acted) by almost everyone who walked, skipped, crawled, or wiggled on stage.

The cast consisted of 20 performers. (It just seemed like thousands.) In addition to Robert Neal, I was quite comfortably pleased with the performances of Henry Laux, Allyson Withers, Connor Stonerock, Zoie Amey, Maryane Kimbler, Carley Derexon, Emily Allen, Rhiannon Hood, Mackenzie Beard, Cora Derexon, Tiffany Speakman, Jake Six, Cameron Aume, Kasey Derexson, and Abigail Blust.

And then there were those performers that professional actors truly hate. No amount of education, experience, or sheer number of years on stage can stand a prayer against the squeaky innocence and cuteness of performers like Katie Warner, Jessica Minney, Ally Roberts, and Hannah Mogan. In the end, I was pleased but not surprised with the production of All I Really Need to Know I Learned By Being In A Bad Play at Round Town Players Community Theatre. If I’ve learned anything here, it’s that the only significant difference between a play with children and a play with adults is the height of the performers and the supposed maturity of the audiences. The play runs runs August 6, 7, 13, 14 at 7:30 pm and August 8, 15 at 2:30 pm at 165 1/2 E. Main St in Circleville, OH. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults. Check out the company’s Facebook event page and fan page for more information.

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For most of his career, Bob was employed as a television director, working for stations from Los Angeles to Columbus. During this same time period he wrote and directed plays for theatres all over the Midwest. For several years he was the drama critic for the Spectator newspaper chain and for channel 6 here in Columbus. Bob has won numerous awards, including two Emmy awards, A Freedom’s foundation award, and two recent awards from the National Writers Digest Playwriting Competition.

TAPA Columbus announces auditions for its upcoming production of The Dixie Swim Club by Jones, Hope and Wooten on Sunday, August 8 at 7pm; Callbacks on Wednesday,August 11 at 7pm at 501 W. Schrock Rd. Ste. 107, Westerville, OH 43081 (4 story brick bldg at corner of Schrockand Cooper Rd.)

Roles are being offered for 5 women, ages 40-65.

Call Director Char Anderson at 614-446-7909 or visit the Facebook page here.

Available Light Theatre announces auditions for its 2010-11 Season
Auditions will be held Monday, August 23 7:00pm-9:00pm and Wednesday, August 25 6:00pm-8:00pm at the Vern Riffe Center, 77 South High Street 4th Floor, Columbus, OH

Audition for 3 shows:

• “The Life and Death of Richard the Third” William Shakespeare’s text cut, pasted, and directed by Matt Slaybaugh. Performances: November 11-20, 2010. Most rehearsals will be in the evening, Sundays-Thursdays, beginning October 1. NOTE: The lead role of Richard III has already been cast.
• “Hum” By Sebastian Hawkes Orr, directed by Eleni Papaleonardos Something wicked this way comes. A letter from a long-forgotten ex-girlfriend, a monster in the backyard, a math lesson, and a road trip to the Ohio Caverns twist and turn into a stunning drama about searching for meaning in the face of terror. Performances: February 10-19, 2011. Most rehearsals will be in the evening, Sundays-Thursdays, beginning January 3.
• “Skyscrapers of the Midwest” From the Graphic Novel by Joshua Cotter, adapted and directed by Matt Slaybaugh Performances: April 7-23, 2011. Most rehearsals will be in the evening, Sundays-Thursdays, beginning March 1.

Limited to 2 minutes per person and must include. - one classical monologue - one contemporary monologue. Please provide a headshot and resumé if you have them.

If you are called-back for “Richard the Third” you will be notified by email no later than Monday, August 30 and asked to attend a callback session at a later date. Callbacks for the other shows will be held as the rehearsal schedule warrants.

Please sign-up online. More info about out 2010-11 season here

SIGN-UP ONLINE HERE: For more info: avltheatre@gmail.com

by Douglas Whaley

This charming musical has long been a favorite of mine, and I went to the Evolution Theatre Company’s final performance of Boy Meets Boy with high hopes. The musical, with its tuneful score, clever lyrics, and deliberately corny book (Billy Solly wrote the music and lyrics, and collaborated on the book with Donald Ward) is certainly up there on the stage at the Riffe Center, and it is a true production of the now 35 year-old show. For the most part it’s well sung, acted, and staged. I took two young gay friends and they had a good time.

But anyone sitting in the audience, including them, sees problems with the show. Postponing that, let’s start with the show’s good qualities.

Everything on the stage is done with great enthusiasm, and lots of talent is on display. The two leads are Eric McKeever as Casey O’Brien, a playboy/reporter who falls in love with an ugly duckling English nobleman, Guy Rose, played by Daniel Christian. Their love affair is what the opening chorus calls “an old cliché again” (boy meets/loses/wins boy), set in an improbable 1936 where marriage between men is accepted without question. These two performers are both terrific, and their strong singing and acting (and even chemistry) keeps the show above water. The show’s director Mark Phillips Schwamberger doubles as an actor, playing Andrew, Casey’s best friend, and he’s quite a talent too, having the only consistent English accent in a show that calls for lots of them. Adrian Helser, who plays two different English characters, doesn’t even try. Ms. Helser is charming and can sing, but never takes over the stage the way one of her roles, Josephine La Rose, must do in Act Two, particularly in the song “It’s a Dolly.”

That brings us to Scott Risner as the villain Clarence Cutler. He’s a most frustrating performer to watch. Quite visibly nervous at the start, his timing was off, and I thought we were about to witness a disaster. But then Mr. Risner calmed down and was very funny as he diabolically manipulated the plot, and the audience loved him. Alas, when singing alone, he simply couldn’t do it, which was painful to watch, and he wisely ended up talking his way through much of his two big numbers. Interestingly, he could sing fine when in a duet with others, so it appeared to be a matter of self-confidence. His big second act solo, “Clarence’s Turn” was a train wreck, with parts omitted (I assume intentionally), and, at its end, was turned into a duet so that the ending could actually be sung.

The chorus members, all of whom had minor solo parts, were uneven, with the women faring better than the men. All could sing, but when the six of them sang together it rarely blended into a consistent sound. The dancing was nothing to brag about, though not embarrassing either. The lighting by Jason Banks was excellent, and the costumes by Mary McMullen were period-perfect, although she seemed to think that all the men of the thirties wore suit pants that sagged alarmingly at the ankles like the skin of a shar pei at rest. The sets were almost non-existent, even in the big nightclub scene, and that distracted from the charm the show usually carries.  The musical direction by Kelly Winner was proficient, and I assume she was the energetic pianist who ably accompanied the musical numbers.

Mr. Schwamberger’s direction was quite good, but, perhaps because he was on stage as an actor, little annoying things went unattended to. For example, when the heroes sang a sprightly duet about their mutual love of scouting, only one of them could do the Boy Scout salute correctly. Or, at the very end, a nice tableaux of the gay couple on a wedding cake was marred by their having to a battle a large hanging valentine which mysteriously obscured their faces unless they awkwardly leaned around it.

If this version of Boy Meets Boy had been a local community theater production it would have been deemed a great success. But as a professional performance it couldn’t be given that label by anyone who saw it, even someone who enjoyed it as much as I did. Evolution’s next production, The Goat: or Who Is Sylviahas been canceled as the company goes through the process of restructuring Evolution will return next season with two to three productions to be announced. For more information, call 614-256-1223  or 614-256-1223.

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Douglas Whaley is an Ohio State University Law Professor who went back to doing theater in 2004 when he retired from full-time teaching. In his youth he did a great deal of theater, and since retiring has acted in numerous shows (playing the leads in “King Lear” at Rosebriar Shakespeare’s 2008 production, and “The Man Who Came to Dinner” and “Deathtrap” at Little Theatre Off Broadway), and directed three plays (”The Curious Savage” at LTOB, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at Emerald City Players, and “Closure” at Curtain Players). He is the author of a novel called “Imaginary Friend” and, since having had a heart transplant in November of 2009 (!), he has maintained a very popular blog.

Auditions for Zinniaphobic, an independent production are being set up by appointment only.

Currently casting for a short original comedic play under 10 minutes that will have two afternoon performances at the Corner Cone 10 Minute Play Festival in Yellow Springs, OH (It’s about an hour away, and I can drive.) It’s an unpaid gig, but I’ll probably buy you ice cream

• Middle aged caucasian man- the quintessential hen-pecked husband;
• Middle aged caucasian woman- shrewish, grasping wife;
• Mid to late 20s caucasian man- full of hopes and dreams, trying to break out of the prepackaged life his mother has planned for him;
• Mid to late 20s african-american woman- hippy earth mother but not ditzy

Rehearsals will be here in Columbus. Since it’s a quick play,… the rehearsal schedule will be light

The show will run for 2 afternoon shows on Saturday, August 14.

Message Sarah Senff through Facebook if you’re interested and to can schedule a reading.