PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE -- Commonweal Theatre Company

playwright: Steve Martin
director: Zach Curtis
set designer: Kit Mayer
light designer: Jason Underferth
costume designer: Jeffrey D. Stoltz
cast: Jerome Yorke; David Hennessey; Laura Depta; Hal Cropp; Sarah Kathryn Hawkins; Scott Dixon; Eric Bunge; Tim Sailer; Michael Van Schoik

Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso meet in a bar and discuss genius and talent.  Both men are on the verge of the greatest works.

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Hmm.

The play itself doesn't strike me as powerful ... not in the way that I think it's trying be, but this production doesn't help it along and it's hard to separate one from the other.

The 'minor' characters were good.  Strong.  Seemed to have a clear idea of their characters and their characters' roles in the play.  But the two leads, Bunge and Cropp as Picasso and Einstein, missed the mark.

Cropp's Einstein seemed much too focused on his accent.  Sounds trite, but that's what I walked away with.  So thick and hard to understand that I was constantly hearing people all around me asking the people around them, "What did he say?"  It's nice to be authentic, but if it's a distraction it doesn't serve the play.

Beyond the accent, the character didn't strike me as a brilliant mind, but rather a kook who got lucky.  Perhaps that's what Martin had in mind with the script, but I think it lacks drama.

Bunge's Picasso came across a little lighter than air.  He seemed to float around the room as if he were slightly above it, rather than crashing through it.  It was not an effeminate characterization, but it was also not a masculine characterization.  It was tepid.

What both characters lacked was passion.

I've been fortunate to know consummate artists (friend Steven Arnold was the protegee of Salvador Dali and world renowned photographer) and brilliant scientists (I've worked with Carl Sagan) and one thing that they have in common, something that I think Martin was getting at with the play, is passion.

The truly brilliant people in any field have an absolute passion for their work, and that passion shows even more when they are on the verge of something new.  The creations come from within and it wells and builds before it comes out.

That's where these two characters should have been.  But they weren't.  And for me, it let the play down.

SPRING VOCAL CONCERT -- Rushford-Peterson High School

Rushford-Peterson Elementary & High School Choir
directors: Diana Poppe & Burton Svendsen

DALE KOR: High School Choir
   "What a Wonderful World"
   "A Whole New World"
   "The Shoop Shoop Song"

KINDERGARTEN:
   "I'm a Nut"
   "Down by the Bay"
   "Going on a Picnic"
   "Rain"

GRADES 1,2, 3:
   "I Need a Vacation"
   "Are We There Yet?"
   "Gone Fishin'"
   "Hit the Beach"
   "A Letter From Camp"
   "Way Out In Left Field"

GRADES 4&5:
   "Hodie!"
   "Shine on Me"
   "Bee! I'm Expecting You"
   "O, Colored Earth"
   "John Henry"

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Another delightful evening of strong voices from a small town's school.

SPRING CONERT featuring the Rushford-Peterson Senior High School Band -- Rushford-Peterson High School

A band performance of a small town high school featuring:

"Miracles!" -- Lane M. Powell
"Sicilienne" -- Peirrie Lantier
"We Will Remember" -- Gary Fagan
"Menuett" -- Friedrich Kuhlau
"AFTERBURN" -- Randall Standridge
"Allegro" -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
"Canon" -- Johann Pachelbel
"Pictures at an Exhibition" -- Modest Moussorgsky
"Drum Check" -- Elliot A. Del Borgo
"Where the Sun Breaks Through the Mist" -- Michael Sweeney
"Russian Sailor's Dance" -- Reinhold Gliere

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Once again this small town band impresses with their talent.

Particularly outstanding where Pachelbel's "Canon" performed by a saxophone quartet, and "Drum Check."  Certainly this band, with a slight over-abundance of percussionists should be able to perform a song titled "Drum Check" but the rhythms were tricky and the syncopation was challenging.  Fortunately they seemed to thrive on the challenge.


A very delightful evening.

ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND CONCERT -- Rushford-Peterson Middle School

A concert featuring first year 5th grade band students through 8th grade students, featuring:

5th Grade:

"African Dance Song" -- Douglas Bradley
"Bring On Da Band" -- Michael Sweeney
"Sakura ... traditional Japanese Folk Song" -- arr. Michael Story
"Overture" -- Peter Tschaikowsky

6th Grade:

"Rockero" -- Don Schaeffer
"An American Mosaic" -- arr. John Edmondson
"Hogan's Heroes March" -- Jerry Fielding, arr. John Edmondson
"Dixieland Dazzle" -- John Edmondson

7th and 8th Grade:

"Come Go With Me" -- C.E. Quick
"Pulsar (Concert March)" -- Eric Osterling
"Take Me Home Country Roads" -- Bill Danoff, John Denver
"We're Not Gonna Take It" -- D. Snider
"My Heart Will Go On" -- James Horner

6th, 7th and 8th Grade:

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" -- Hans Zimmer

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Another spectacular performance by a group of young students. These kids do an amazing job with some challenging pieces.

What's fun to note at a concert like this is the growth in talent.

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.

TALKING WITH... -- Valencia Academy Theatre

produced by Saint Mary's University of Minnesota School of the Arts
playwright: Jane Martin
director: Gary Diomandes
cast: students from Saint Mary's University
set designer: Tim Schmall
costume designer: Caitlin Murphy
lighting designer: Ben Jarrett

Eleven monologues by eleven different female characters.

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I will fully admit that I wasn't looking forward to an evening of eleven different monologues.  I expected it to be about as entertaining as an evening of clipping toe-nails.  I happily admit that I was wrong.  This was a splendid, well-performed, beautiful production.

The monologues themselves varied, creating a wonderful assortment.  Some of the performances were rather pedestrian but some were absolutely outstanding, keeping me tuned in to the entire evening.  The two strongest performances came from the character who was dressed as a character from the Oz books.  The costume was tremendously fabulous and the performance was appropriately edgy and touching.

(As a point of information...I no longer identify student performances in my blogs.)

But the most outstanding performance was the young lady in the monologue titled "Audition."  It was either the most brilliant piece of type-casting, or one of the best acting performances I've ever seen.  (I learned later, in speaking with the director, that this was not typical for the actress.)  Making the performance even more challenging, the actress had to deal with a live cat on the stage.  The combination of 'ditzy' and intensely wise was wonderfully played, leaving the audience to have to choose which one the character actually was.

The scenic and lighting elements were simple but effective.  Costuming was in line with the rest of the show (the Oz character costume was brilliant).

Overall...I'm glad to have gone, and it managed to force me to admit that my initial expectations were totally wrong.

Brilliant production.

2010 SECTION 1-A ONE-ACT PLAY FINALS -- Saint Mary's University

The top two winners of the various Sub-Sections compete for the ONE spot to perform at the State level.

Competing schools and their directors were:
Cannon Falls -- Joseph Burns
Kasson-Mantorville -- Melissa Ferris
Rushford-Peterson -- Forrest Musselman
Spring Grove -- Sarah J. Holland
St. Charles -- Theodore Derby
Stewartville -- Nick Johnson
Triton -- John Schreiber
Wabasha Kellog -- Cris Medina

Plays performed were:

"The Swimmer" by F. Xavier Hogan
"The Bald Soprano" by Eugene Ionesco
"All I Really Want to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"  by Robert Fulghum
"A Play With Words" by Peter Bloedel
"The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon" by Don Zolidis
"Deus Ex Machina" an original production
"Everyman in the Circus of Life" by Travis Tyre
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving


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A long day of high school drama.

I'd seen "The Swimmer" a couple of weekends earlier, and it hadn't improved much.  Some interesting concepts, but some strangely added sexual references did nothing for the play.

I love the play "The Bald Soprano" but this has to be the worst production I have ever seen.  Clumsy direction, sloppy set, challenging acting, and added lines not part of the original script.  Again, there was some interesting concept here, but I don't think it went far enough.

The production of "All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" was remarkably wonderful.  It could easily have gone over-board and gotten 'sappy,' but it didn't.  The direction was incredibly clean, with perfect transitions between scenes.

Like "The Swimmer,"  I had already seen "A Play With Words."  The larger stage environment didn't help this production.  It's jokes and jabs needed a more intimate setting.

"The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon" is gaining in popularity at high school play contests.  It allows for one or more really out-going students to shine.  Personally, I find it annoying.  This production was fair.  The one I saw one or two years ago was fantastic.

"Deus Ex Machina" was clearly the crowd favorite.  High energy and fast action really keeps the audience excited.  Story-wise it's ... well... "story?"

I'd also seen "Everyman in the Circus of Life" before.  I just don't like the play.  It's didactic and dull.  Given that, the cast did a fine job of moving through the morass of the dialog.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" had one of the nicest looks of the day, but the actual performance suffered from under-rehearsed acting and too much reliance on one boys 'evil' laugh.

My choices for the competition:

1st place-- "All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"
2nd place-- "Deus Ex Machina"

the absolutely shocking and asinine result:

1st place-- "The Swimmer"
2nd place-- "The Bald Soprano"

Clearly the judges have little to no training in theatre.

ALMOST, MAINE -- Viterbo University

produced by: The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
presented by Viterbo University NexStar season
playwright: John Cariani
director: Laura Gordon
cast: Steve Haggard, Elizabeth Ledo, Gerard Neugent, Deborah Staples

In a remote, 'almost' town in Maine, residents find themselves falling in (and out) of love.

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Disappointing.

Really, there isn't much more to say about this.  Perhaps my expectations were too high, but really, I went in to this knowing nothing other than that it had been a prize winner and was supposed to be funny and touching.  What I found was not a play, but a series of vignettes that relied WAY too much on a punch-line which was often a physical, literal interpretation of a metaphorical saying ("waiting for the other shoe to drop" would be the most obvious).

Was it amusing?  Yeah, sort of.

Was it touching?  Yeah, sort of.

Was it memorable?  No.

Was it worth the $35 a seat?  No.

2010 SECTION I-A ONE-ACT PLAY FINALS -- Saint Mary's University

Eight high schools that took first and second places at a previous competition face off for the chance to perform at the State level.

Schools (and directors) participating were:
Cannon Falls -- Joseph Burns
Kasson-Mantorville -- Melissa Ferris
Rushford-Peterson -- Forrest Musselman
Spring Grove -- Sarah J. Holland
St. Charles -- Theodore Derby
Stewartville -- Nick Johnson
Triton -- John Schreider
Wabasha-Kellogg -- Cris Medina

Judges were:
Theresa Luther-Dolan
Pat Sween
Mike Tillmann

Plays performed:
The Swimmer by F. Xavier Hogan
The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
A Play With Words by Peter Bloedel
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
Deus Ex Machina -- original production
Everyman In The Circus of Life by Travis Tyre
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, dramatized by Kathryn Schultz Miller

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The Swimmer was an interesting theatrical piece -- part theatre of the absurd, part philosophical treatise.  It was performed well, but the direction seemed to meander.

The Bald Soprano.  This is a much too popular high school piece that has been done extremely well recently.  Unfortunately, this was NOT done well.  My kudos to the director for trying something new and for a unique theme to the production, but I felt that the acting was sub-par and the theme not carried through particularly well.

All I Really Need to Know... was a fabulous production.  The direction was impeccable and the acting above par.  Only one scene was slightly less than perfect as an actress was hard to hear.  However, you could have heard a pin drop in the packed theatre as everyone there was leaning forward to hear what she was saying -- that's how caught up the audience was with the production.

A Play With Words was unremarkable.

The Brothers Grimm... is another play that has been done a little too much lately.  This production was slightly above average, but still lacked a cohesive, group perfromance.

Deus Ex Machina was a clear audience favorite.  A cast full of energy that never seemed to stop.  The story was somewhat hackneyed and contrived, but it was well directed and performed.

Everyman in the Circus of Life ... oh, what to say.  This play is just dull.  It has nothing to do with the actors or the director...it's just full of talk with little action.  Why would anyone want to perform it?  A tough play for a talented cast to overcome.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was another, unremarkable play.  At least one actor seemed to be completely lost on stage.  I hope, for his sake, that he had just joined the cast as a replacement.

My rating:
I had this as a tie for first place between All I Need to Know... and Deus Ex Machina and I would have given the edge to All I Need to Know...  Third place would have been a tie between The Swimmer and Everyman... based solely on the acting.  All else gets ranked as fifth place.

Actual winners (good grief!):
1st place: The Swimmer
2nd place: The Bald Soprano

The fact that these two directors have won this competition for the past eight years has nothing to do with it, right?

DEUS EX MACHINA -- Rushford-Peterson High School

playwright: Forrest Musselman
director: Forresst Musselman

High school students rehearse a play in this farcical comedy.

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A wonderful, high-energy production that prominently features a Coke machine.

SUB-SECTION 1A ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL -- Rushford-Peterson High School Theatre

Five area high schools vie for the two positions that move on to the Sectional competition.

Schools participating, and their directors, were (all southeastern Minnesota):
Spring Grove -- Sarah J. Holland
Rushford-Peterson -- Forrest Musselman
Houston -- Amalie Niethammer
Mabel-Canton -- Lindsey Harman
Fillmore Central -- Jackie Whitacre

Plays competing were:

"The Real Inspector Hound" by Tom Stoppard
"Take Five" by Westley M. Pederson
"A Play With Words" by Peter Bloedel
"Deux Ex Machina" - an original production
"The Day Grandma Got Mad And Squashed the Tomatoes" by Bradley Hayward

Judges were: Kathy Keech, Mark Reisetter, David Stadum

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I enjoy going to see the high school one act plays.  I like seeing how young talent is nurtured and given an appreciation of the arts.

In general, we are not supposed to know which school is performing, and frankly, I can't remember, though at the time, I was aware of who was performing.

The first show of the day, Tom Stoppard's "The Real Inspector Hound," struggled.  Stoppard's humor is not always direct, and it takes a lot of attention to the script to capture it.  Stoppard is tough to produce at the high school level, and I don't think this school was up for the task..  Simple, basic acting and directing skills plagued the production.  Stumbling over lines, lack of focus, not staying in character.  More rehearsal time and more attention to detail would have helped, followed by a better understanding of what Stoppard was doing with his script.

"Take Five" by Westley M. Pederson is a commonly produced play in the high school one act competitions.  It takes place on a stage, presumably before a rehearsal, but ultimately during a performance.  Audience members come on stage and stage hands become actors.  Lots of wackiness and zany opportunities.  It is generally a crowd pleaser.  This school has some strong actors, and generally good direction, though perhaps a lack of consistency.  If the male lead actor is going act over-the-top, his 'wife' should be equally over-the-top.  Instead, she came across as very real.  Generally a good thing in any other circumstance.  The 'audience member' character brought the production down with a very laid-back, slow style that had no enegry.

I like the general idea of "A Play With Words" by Peter Bloedel, although it really was nothing more than 30 minutes of puns and plays on words.  The actors did a very good job, but the direction seemed lacking to me.  Why have one character deliver every pun out to the audience?  No one else acted in that style.  Good choices of costumes, except...why put 'The Creeps' in bright, day-glow colors?  Aren't they supposed to be 'creepy' and not fun?

"Deux Ex Machina" was a mixture of styles, poking fun at a lot of the types of plays that we generally see in the high school one acts.  It centers around a school that's rehearsing a show, but their theatre has been converted to a teacher's lounge, so they have to work around the soda machine and the occasional teacher on break.  Generally fun, it lacked a cohesive story, or even a cohesive idea.  Is it about these students wanting to rehearse a show?  Is it about product placement?  Is it about a pop machine going rogue?  Is it about none of these things?  The cast was high energy and fully committed to their parts, which was wonderful.

Bradley Hayward is a relative newcomer in the high school theatre circuit.  His "The Day Grandma Got Mad and Squashed the Tomatoes" was a new play to me, and sadly it was a bit weak.  Some of the jokes didn't quite carry, or seemed forced.  While the acting and directing weren't very strong, the script didn't help (unlike "Take Five" in which, the script carried the production).

If I were to judge this competition, I would have given first place to "Deux Ex Machina" with a tie for second place between ""Take Five" and "A Play With Words."  I think I would have given the edge to "A Play With Words" because the students had a more consistent acting presence, even though I might have enjoyed "Take Five" more.

Actual winners were:

1st Place: "Deux Ex Machina"
2nd Place: "A Play With Words"

THREE RIVERS ONE ACT CONFERENCE -- Wabasha-Kellogg High School

A prelude to the Minnesota High School League competition, with schools in the Three Rivers Conference competing with one act plays.

The Swimmer -- F. Xavier Hogan, St. Charles High School
Take Five -- Westley M. Pederson, Fillmore-Central high School
The Inventor's Daughter -- Eddie Cope & Carl L. Williams, Lewiston-Altura High School
The Loathsome Lady -- Jane Jeffries & Jim Jeffries, Kingsland High School
Deux Ex Machina -- Forrest Musselman, Rushford-Peterson High School
For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls -- Christopher Durang, Southland High School
Everyman in the Circus of Life -- Travis Tyre, Wabasha-Kellogg High School

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A very interesting mix of plays, with the usual variations of accomplishments.

The Swimmer was an interesting play, with some touches of theatre of the absurd.  it was well performed, though I felt, at times that there were too many occasions of sexual innuendo that weren't written in the script. It seemed to lack some focus.

Take Five is a commonly performed play at these high school competitions, and when done with some competency, will usually get quite a laugh.  Unfortunately this production lacked some cohesion and some of the actors seemed to have difficulty understanding their characters.

The Inventor's Daughter was a new play to me, but also lacked some focus -- kids saying lines without seeming to know why.

The year of comedy, apparently ... The Loathsome Lady seemed to be a comedy of the King Arthur era.  This production, unfortunately, was flat.

The new play, Deux Ex Machina, was the most polished play of the day.  Well rehearsed with non-stop action and humor, this play was the hit of the day, and well deserving of being the winner.

Durang is always an interesting choice for high school as he seems a bit mature most of the time, and For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls was an interesting piece ... full of dry humor and some subtleties that the kids actually seemed to understand.  Still, it was a piece strange enough to leave us wondering just what the heck it was all about.

Wabasha-Kellogg tends to do some very unusual and theatrical pieces, and Everyman in the Circus of Life was no exception.  This was full of theatricality and some lofty introspection.  What it didn't have was pace or energy.

These days of play competitions are long days, but I enjoy the efforts.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS: WINTER CONCERT -- Rushford-peterson Middle School and High School Bands

A band concert featuring Middle School and High School bands.

6th Grade:

"Frosty the Snowman" -- J. Edmonson
"Jingle Bells" -- A. Balent
"Timpatico" -- J. Kinyon
"Brother Two" -- J. Kinyon

7th & 8th Grade:

"Torero!" -- M. Williams
"March Rock" -- C. Tyler
"Away in a Manger" -- A. Balent
"The First noel" -- L. Norred
"Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" -- C.P. Herfurth

High School Band:

"Christmas Declaration" -- Robert W. Smith
"A Jammin' Caribbean Christmas" -- arr. Chris Sharp
     "The Virgin Mary Has a Baby Boy"
     "Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella"
     "Go, Tell It on the Mountain"
"White Christmas" -- arr. John Moss
"A Carol Triptych" -- Pierre La Plante
     "Silent Night"
     "We Three Kings"
     "Sing We Now (sic) of Christmas"

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An absolutely FANTASTIC concert!

As one would imagine, the bands got better with the years of experience.  The high school band absolutely wow-ed the crowd.

A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL -- Commedia Beauregard

Director: Sasha Walloch
Playwright: Christopher O. Kidder & Sasha Walloch
Translators (to Klingon): Laura Thurston, Bill Hedrick, Chris Lipscombe & Christopher O. Kidder
Based on the book by Charles Dickens

This is the familiar Dickens story, with Scrooge a Klingon with no honor. The spirits visit him to show him the true Klingon way.

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It is possible that this is the nerdiest thing I've ever done. ...But perhaps not.

When I heard about this production and read some of the synopses, I was very intrigued, and so grabbed a friend who also happens to like theatre and Star Trek and off we went.

I knew we were in for a nerdy evening when we walked in to the theatre lobby and I saw the ticket-taker dressed as if he'd just come from a Star Trek (TNG) convention. The ushers were also dressed in their full Klingon (also TNG) regalia (one as a Star Fleet officer and one as a Klingon warrior).

My over-all impression of the show is: I like the idea. I like the performances. But it felt like a skit that was being performed at a Star Trek convention (yes, I've been to more than one).

With a running time that barely reached an hour (and yes, there was an intermission half way through), it could easily have been done in one sitting. It definitely relied on a prior knowledge of A Christmas Carol (but who doesn't have that?).

The performances were quite good. Michael Ooms as SQuja' was occasionally a bit over the top, but generally quite likeable. Brian Watson-Jones as vreD was delightful, and of course, how can you go wrong with any show that includes an Orion Woman?

What I didn't enjoy about the show was the inside jokes. Those little comments tossed in to get a laugh or snort from the dedicated Star Trek fans. I am likely to chuckle as much as the next Trekker, but I did feel that rather than adding to the show, it brought it down a notch -- hence the feeling that it was a skit rather than a play. A 'for-instance' would be the Vulcan commenting on the production and saying a word in Klingon and then having that word translated on the screen and we find that it means "red shirt" ... which of course gets a laugh from the Trekkers because we know that it means someone is doomed. But was it necessary? Did it further the story? No.

I liked the idea of the Vulcan narrator and that the performance was being put on by a troupe of Klingon actors. Certainly it didn't need this, but it seemed like a nice touch to creating a reality. But I go back to the 'jokes' then that took the 'reality' of the piece away.

If I were to see it again, I would hope that they have the opportunity to expand on the story. Treat it like a real work of literature, rather than a Star Trek quirk (pun intended).

My favorite parts of the show ... the beaming effect, and the fact that the Ghost of Klingon Christmas Past was dressed as the old style Klingon (from the Original Series -- pre head-ridge).

Bottom line. I'm glad I went, but I'd like to see it become something more.

EAST SIDE STORY -- Theatre du Mississippi

playwright: Lynn Nankivil
director: Daniel Munson
sets: Shari Schuh & Erica Thibodeaux
costumes: Cynthia Jennings
lights: Fluffy Blake
sound: Daryl lanz

Winona, Minnesota, 1918.  Two teenagers want to be together, but their families are from counties which are now at war. 

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Held at the Masonic Lodge in Winona, this play features some of the beautiful scenic drops that have been featured in the "Drops & Drama" productions.  The art is fantastic, and their condition is 'fair.'

The play also featured two rotating houses.  The design was simple but effective.  The 'balcony' scene elicited a chuckle from the audience who were probably not expecting 'Juliet' to appear in the upstairs window of her house.

The costumes seemed fine.  Nothing stood out as inappropriate or too wild.

The lighting was quite attractive.  I've seen Fluffy Bake's work before and it's always been a notch above the rest.

The story seemed ... non-compelling.  I'm not sure whose story was being told.  Of all the characters and stories, the most intriguing was that of 'Josephine' and hers was incomplete.  The difference between the fathers and their 'showdown' at the end of the first half was strong, but it didn't develop or go anywhere (and ended too neatly at the dance).

The performances all seemed quite strong, particularly for a community theatre-type performance.  A remarkable assortment of talent.

A fun show, worth seeing.

DOGSBREATH DEVEREAUX, THE DASTARDLY DOCTOR, OR NURSES! FOILED AGAIN!! -- R-P Drama Club

playwright: Billy St. John
director: Forrest Musselman

A melodrama/farce about a doctor trying to get rich.

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A rather typical farce from a high school.  A little over-acting, lots of wackiness and plenty of fun.

Not a classic, but not intended to be.  Just fun for the sake of fun.

LOVE SONG -- Winona State University

playwright: John Kolvenbach
director: Siobhan Bremer
scenic & lighting design: Peggy Sannerud
costume design: Ruby Oian
cast: Ethan Jensen, Molly Daun, Justin Atkinson, Samantha Heaver, Corrin Carlson

A woman tries to find the love she had with her husband, while her brother finds love in a most unusual place.

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I found the actual script for this piece rather pathetic. There is no real dramatic conflict and the changes in the characters come about rapidly, without any real build. And while I am not offended by 'strong' language, I did find the "f"-word to be used much more than was necessary. I understand that it's supposed to be 'real' language, but it felt forced, not real. Perhaps this was, in part, the actors' uncomfortability with the language, but I do think it's primarily the writing.

The character of "Molly" was much too indistinct. While it's part of who she is (indistinct), she created more confusion than she prompted discussion. Joan and Harry's relationship never seemed clear enough to follow and neither was really likeable enough to care about. Only Beane seemed worthy of following.

I 'get' the concept of why this is called "Love Song," but still, it seems weak. A real stretch.

I thought the set was nice and the costumes appropriate. The best actor was probably the waitress. She just seemed honest in the role and didn't try to create something that wasn't there. Beane was my next favorite. He did seem to understand who the character was and worked well within the framework that the playwright had given him.

Overall, this was not a play I would choose to see again.

MOVIES & MUSIC -- Rushford-Peterson Senior High Band

Rushford-Peterson High School Theatre

An assortment of band music with a movie theme.

"Jazz It Up!" -- arr. Victor Lopez
     "Sing Sing Sing" - Louis Prima
     "It Don't mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing)" - Duke Ellington
     "La Suerte de los Tontos" - Juan Ricardo Cascales
     "The Jazz Police" - Gordon Goodwin
"Bella's Lullaby" -- arr. Edward lee
Selections from The Rolling Stongs -- arr. Michael Story
     "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
     "Get Off of My Cloud"
     "Ruby Tuesday"
     "Paint It Blck"
     "I Can't Get no Satisfaction"
"JAI HO" -- arr. Michael Brown
"COLDPLAY ON STAGE" -- arr. Michael Brown
     "Clocks"
     "Lost!"
     "Viva La Vida"
"THE DARK KNIGHT" -- arr. Douglas Wagner
"Taylor Swift In Concert" -- arr. Michael Brown

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Some exciting music, moderately well played. 

It's early in the school season and it seems that nearly half the band is made up of freshmen, so it wasn't the highest quality, but still a fun program.