HARVEY -- Fountain City Players

script: Mary Chase
director: Judee Brone
cast: Jessica Hosch, Karen Dulak, Carew Halleck, Beth Halleck, Lindsay Maus, Jamie Bautch, Rowdy Whitman, Tegan Blank, Jackie Beck, Ann Kohner
set, light, sound design: Jason Passow

The classic invisible rabbit comedy as performed by a small town community theatre.

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It seems rather odd that I've now seen Harvey twice in the last few months when I hadn't seen the play in such a long time before-hand.

The play is such that it is difficult to not do well.  It is written in such a way that it is going to be funny, and any actor even slightly competent will be funny talking to an invisible rabbit.

While the production values are typical for small community theatre, this production did well.  There were some interesting, unique aspects to the set which made it easy to change-over to a different set, and the actors did a fine job in all roles.

Particularly charming was Carew Halleck as Elwood P. Dowd.  He had a true, natural talent which made it seem as though he wasn't acting.  His conversations with Harvey were perfectly conversational and he treated all the other characters on stage as charmingly and calmly as he possibly could.

The direction was somewhat lacking, with characters wandering the stage and not looking as though they quite understood why they were moving or standing at any given time.

A fun production.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL -- Saint Mary's University School of the Arts

playwright: William Shakespeare
director: Judy Myers
scenic designer: Kit Mayer
costume designer: Janis Martin
lighting designer: Kirstin "Fluffy" Blake

One of Shakespeare's "problem" plays that, in the end, is not so all-well as it reunites an ill-suited couple.

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I'm always wary to attend a Shakespeare production, and doubly so when it's performed at a college.  Unfortunately, this production did nothing to allay my concerns.

The students worked admirably on a tough show, but there seemed to be no actor who could combine strong acting with the ability to know what they were talking about.  Either they knew what they were saying but were completely wooden or they had great flair and acting style but spoke as if they had no clue as to what they were saying.

One of the problems with college Shakespeare is that there are so many actors needed that it's unlikely that anyone can get a full cast of multi-talented actors.  While the leads might have a good grasp on what they are doing, the supporting actors, which so often drive the plot from one scene to another in Shakespeare, simply can't handle the work.

The best energy in the entire show was the curtain call, when the actors came out and danced and sang Beyonce's "Single Ladies".  Where was this energy during the play?  This is a sure sign that the cast simply did not know what they were doing on stage -- didn't understand the lines, didn't understand the motivations.

I've seen a few productions at this school and this, sadly, is one of my least favorites.

THE WIZARD OF OZ -- Triton High School

based on the book by L. Frank Baum
with Music and Lyrics of the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
background music by Herbert Stothart
director: John Schreiber
music director: Nan Winsell
designer: John Schreiber
choreography: Kim Jensch

The magical, fantasy story of a young girl who visits a new land (Oz) and meets wonderful friends and horrific enemies along the way.

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This was a slightly above-average high school production of a familiar musical.  In typical fashion, some students rose to the challenge and gave wonderful performances (the leads) and some seemed to be there because it was expected of them.

I was delighted to see in the program that the Jitterbug scene was going to be in this production, though it didn't live up too well to my expectations.  The students lacked a sense of believability and commitment to the scene.

My favorite portion of the performance was the scene in which the bridge rotated so that the wayfareres couldn't get across.  It was fun, funny, and well performed.

Overall, a delightful evening.