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by Danielle Filas

In some ways, Round Town Players’ production of Treasure Island shows the typical earmarks of most small town theatre offerings: it’s low on production value, but overflows with a sense of the community’s love and commitment to the play. Sometimes, though, these sort of family run theatres serve as breeding grounds for raw talent. And director Tahrea Maynard certainly unearths some diamond-in-the-rough young actors who make this play watchable, in spite of some pacing problems (Wednesday’s dress rehearsal clocked in at 160 minutes) and occasional lapses in focus from some of the youngest pirates. (And in defense of those cute young pirates with itchy knees and a case of the onstage yawns, the audience will most certainly forgive them!)

Proof that great actors can shine in even the smallest parts, young Faith Arni stands out in her scenes, even though she plays extra roles (a guest at the inn and a nameless pirate) that have no dialogue. Her characters’ inner thoughts and desires still come through crystal clear, thanks to Arni’s unshaken focus and active listening. Other small speaking roles showcase even more young talent. Jessica Rippetoe commands the stage as the cantankerous blind bully, Blind Pew. Kayla Theis dives into her pirate character, the ironically named George Merry, creating a dynamic and cruel foil to lead Flynn Shannon’s likeable character, young Jim.

Not all of the talent comes in the form of pre-teens, however. Ben Gunn, played by a lovable and energetic Tracy Kawasaki, breathes laughs and life into the top of the second act, enjoying a welcome return to put a tuneful cap on the end of the show. The few adult actors, in fact, dive into the play with a childlike enthusiasm that no doubt infects the child actors who dominate the cast.

Brandon Richardson’s Long John Silver, however, sparkles brightest in this Circleville treasure chest. When I first saw the infamous one-legged pirate lurch on stage , I thought Maynard had found a one-legged actor. In fact, Maynard told me, she had planned to fashion a fake wooden leg for Richardson, but the young 20 year old actor laughed, flipped his leg back, and asked, “Why don’t I just do this?” You really must see his physical performance to believe it, as Richardson leads his minions, fends off attacks, and even bounds up stairs. In addition to his acrobatics, he does a fine job of portraying a lovable bad guy character more than twice his age. Tri-cornered hats off to this young man! We will see him again, to be sure.

All in all, this imperfect but warm and radiant production will no doubt entertain and enchant Circleville audiences. Directors and casting directors from the region, however, may also want to attend in order to find fresh faces for future productions at larger venues. Aarrr! Thar be real talent in that thar town!

Round Town Players: Treasure Island
Performances: March 27, 28 April 3, 4 at 7:30pm
Sunday March 29 and April 5 at 2:30pm
Round Town Players Memorial Hall
165 E. Main Street
Circleville, OH 43113
for tickets, call: 1-740-474-5856
Adults…$8.00
Students…$5.00

* Danielle Filas serves as a contributing editor to Theatre Vault. She recently moved from Chicago and holds degrees from Northwestern University and Knox College. You can visit her personal blog by clicking here.

by Ali Liederman

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf stands as one America’s best written plays, so I eagerly awaited lights up for the Emerald City Players’ production directed by Douglas Whaley.  Seeing a favorite play often sets one up for major disappointment, and I feel glad to report that this production made for a pretty enjoyable evening of theatre.  Although not without flaws, Whaley presents a well-paced production that successfully mines Albee’s crisp dialogue to emphasize the comedy, thanks in great part to the show-stealing performance of Kasey Leah Vogel as Honey.

Vogel deftly makes the smallest of the four roles completely her own, remaining at all times natural and charming even as her character spirals into a miserable and confused drunken brandied stupor. Vogel’s carefully nuanced performance makes her inevitable break down in the second act touching and poignant, and she avoids the sometimes cartoonish broad strokes of her fellow performers.  While Amy Talbott (Martha) and John Newkirk (George) exhibit strong comedic presence and fantastic chemistry together, they come off as two dimensional at times, losing the real people at the heart of these bombastic characters.  I found myself wishing that Talbott would let Albee’s words do more of the work and not push so darned hard to pull faces and nod to the audience about the brassy wackiness of her character.  Newkirk plays with a bit less of a lead foot and hits George’s dry wit to perfection, but has the unfortunate actor habit of dropping the ends of his lines to the point where I sometimes missed my favorites.  “Whatever love wants” became, “Whatever love…”  Connor McClellan, does a fine job of playing individual moments, but taken as a whole, his Nick comes off as baffling and schizophrenic- slipping from nervous awkwardness to unbridled aggression with no underlying sense of what triggers his mood shifts and leaving the audience confused as to what makes his character tick.

Albee’s script, of course, is partly to blame.  As fantastic and iconic as it is, the play has become outdated in terms of its treatment of women: both Martha and Honey can only hope to find success and power through the success and power of their husbands.  In 2009, Martha would simply divorce George.  And as wonderfully delicious as the caustic wit battles between George and Martha are, this “be mean to your partner” game seems to be anachronistic as well.  Honey might today demand that Nick go to couple’s therapy.  Fortunately, Whaley’s tight pacing and smart blocking, emphasized by the clean lines of the uncredited set design and the sometimes harsh, sometimes ethereal lighting of Tim Dougherty help to overcome any shortcomings in this difficult and complex performance.  In the end, the talented cast does a fine job of tackling this tough script to keep the audience thoroughly engaged and entertained for the three hour run time.    And in the end, Albee’s somewhat outdated script still spotlights the unkind reality that human nature causes us to take refuge in our fantasies rather than face ugly truths.

Ali Liederman has been an actor and director for over 15 years and currently teaches writing.

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Unfortunately, this production has recently closed.  Be sure to check out the next performance by Emerald City Players.  

Cliffhanger

By: James Yaffe

Directed by: Linda Sopp

Performances:  April 24 - May 9, 2009

Emerald City Players
6799 Dublin Center Dr
P.O. Box 309
Dublin, OH  43017
614-470-1525

Both our reviewers agree that Raconteur Theatre’s Isaac I am proves worth seeing!

This production runs through March 14 at Madlab’s theatre (105 N. Grant Ave). Shows are Thursdays-Saturdays at8pm and Sundays at 2pm.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students/seniors. For more information, visit http://raconteurtheatre.com

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Suckered Not Succored: Isaac I Am Explores the Seedier Side of Cyberspace   by Mimi Nende Photo by Sam Blythe   Isaac, I am takes Raconteur Theatre’s audience on an emotional roller coaster ride through cyberspace. Mary Steelsmith’s play takes place in chat rooms, instant messages, message boards and sometimes “real” life. Steelsmith explores the fuzzy space encompassing the fantasy and reality that exist in both worlds. Excellent use is made of costumes (Jill C. Hartley), scenic design (Michael Brewer), lighting (Andy Batt), sound and projected computer graphics (Andrew Hartley) to create a space where we watch Angela, played by Lorelei Moore, navigate her way through each of the murky and confusing worlds.  Director, Mary-Aileen St. Cyr makes good use of all the tools at her disposal to lead us capably through the story’s twists and turns.  St. Cyr and the cast are perhaps a little too good at taking us through Steelsmith’s drama. Initially we are lead to believe that we’re in for a witty and humorous romance. As the plot thickens, the playwright pummels the audience with such serious and sensitive topics as child molestation, the loss of children, suicide, and the depths of human need for recognition and connectedness. There comes a point where even the comic relief isn’t enough to make us forgive Steelsmith for our being suckered rather than succored. The first act is entertaining, but as the second act opens, we begin to find ourselves confronted with an allegorical dance number (choreographed by Bronwynn Hopton) that communicates Angela’s difficulty juggling all her online relationships. Unfortunately, the humorous tee shirts on the ensemble don’t compensate for the distracting choreography and scene-stealing performance of ensemble member Caliph Scott. In spite of this, the cast makes us, like Angela, love each of them. Derek McGrath as Ben is a charmingly nerdy security camera salesman. Stephen Woolsey, as Isaac, gains our sympathy and trust as the overwrought father. Zachary Elgin Lape gives us a delightfully innocent Josh.  Sela R. Williams is impressive in her portrayal of Katie. Suzanne Laird is flexible and credible as she moves from amusing ensemble characters to the dramatic role of Roseanne and back again. The players in the ensemble adopt various roles easily and believably. While adults are concerned with the safety of young people in cyberspace, this cautionary tale is too mature for most children. Adults and teens will find “Isaac, I am” worth seeing and discussing.   Mimi Ninde has been involved in many aspects of the theater for more than thirty five years. She has worked with high school, community and professional theaters from Mansfield, Ohio to  New York, New York. This season she has done costume and scene design as well as acting for Bread and Circus Theater Company

Isaac I am: From ROTFL to OMG  by Tahrea Maynard Photo by Sam Blythe Audiences will go from ROTFL to OMG watching Raconteur Theatre Company’s regional premiere of Isaac, I am by Mary Steelsmith.  The story centers on Angela (Lorelei Moore) as she embarks on an online relationship with the seemingly goofy and adoring Ben (Derek McGrath).  Ben, for unknown reasons, becomes quite persistent to meet Angela in “real life.”  Angela finds herself, also for reasons unknown, hiding behind the “rules” of their relationship.  Continuing to find friendship via cyberspace, though, Angela becomes a part of a darker story when she comes into contact with a young man, Josh (Zachary Elgin Lape), his father Isaac ( Stephen Woosley), and younger sister Katie ( Sela R. Williams).  No one should be surprised if they find themselves desperately wanting to send Angela an IM, warning her of the obvious twists with which she finds herself presented, whether hilarious or ominous.  Conflicts, twists, and humor cause Angela (and the audience) to ask, “How much do we really know about the ‘friends’ on our buddy lists?”     The set, designed by Michael Brewer, simple and ingenious, contrasts the complexity of the plot. Angela smoothly transitions from sitting at her computer to crossing the stage and “entering” the chat rooms through string curtains in order to continue each virtual conversation. The ensemble (Suzanne Laird, Caliph Scott, Angela Cutrell, Anna Wang, Ric Shoemaker, Bryanne E. Bornstein) add the right touch of emotion to best fit every scene, taking turns as the various chat room personalities.  In spite of wandering feet and constant, distracting movement, high school student Sela R. Williams did exceptionally well as the sweet and innocent Katie.  Unfortunately, this production of “Isaac, I am,” includes several moments of slight upstaging. In these moments, certain cast members seem to almost painfully crane their necks in order to have a proper conversation. This production, however, is a great show, and feeds any theatre go-er’s need for drama, tears, mystery, and the occasional LOL.             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 blogs here and here.

Small theatre company is looking for a Business Manager to oversee fundraising, grants writing, and community outreach. The Business Manager will play an important role in the expansion and growth of the company, working closely with the Board of Trustees, The Artistic Director, and the President of the Board. Quarterly stipend with potential for commission based on performance. Please email resume and contact information to email address: hkeith8019@aol.com no later than March 18th.