Stylish Shows

I know it’s not my normal blogging day, but I feel compelled to write.  I had the privilege to see previews of two amazing shows this week: Cabaret presented by MUSKET and Trumpets and Raspberries, a University Production.  What struck me the most about both of these productions was how stylistically innovative and complete they were.

Remember, I was watching tech rehearsals, so at this stage in the game, the look of the show wasn’t even 100% complete, but I was amazed by what I saw.  Both shows possessed distinct styles, from movement to costumes to scenery to lights.  I don’t want to say that it’s rare to have such a fully immersive theatrical experience, but in a way it is.  I think that these shows specifically struck me because they were set in wildly imaginative and different worlds: Cabaret in 1930s Berlin and Trumpets in 1960s Italy.

The directors of each of these shows had very clear concepts, and that was evident in the final product.  These are not safe directors.  Malcolm Tulip, a professor, and Roman Micevic, a senior directing major, each have very individualized styles.  I could watch Trumpets and say, “Oh, this is a very Malcolm show.”  When I tell that to people in the department, they nod their heads and understand, but what makes Malcolm such an effective director is that “Malcolm style” is something you recognize when you see.  It is not predictable or by the numbers; it is almost the unpredictability that makes it Malcolm.

Hats off to the designers of these shows.  I would name them all, but since I don’t possess programs, I would be to worried to leave someone out.  They not only perfected their vision in the show, but made that vision mesh with the other members of the team.   I can’t imagine what Cabaret would look like if the Emcee’s make-up and the harsh white spotlight weren’t working together.  Trumpets would be a completely different experience if the props and costumes weren’t both willing to take a step into the absurd together.

Both of these shows took steps outside of realism, a tricky thing to do in American theatre, and the final products are stunning.  Theatre is about taking risks, going for broke, thinking outside the box.  These two shows, which could not be more different– one comes out of the commedia delle’arte tradition, while the other stems from expressionist cabaret– have inspired me to be fearless.  What is most incredible is that by moving beyond the bounds of contemporary realism, their themes resonated with today’s culture for me more than many shows I have seen that are based in everyday life.  I left the theatre amazed by the visual but also touched by the emotional and tugged by the cerebral.  I know that this is a crazy time in the semester, but I hope that if you have time this weekend, you will let yourself get lost in these fantastical enchanting worlds for  just a few hours.