When a play is done in a theater with a thrust stage the set is not hidden behind a curtain when the audience enters. For patrons who arrive and are seated when the house is first opened, this allows them 30 minutes to sit and judge the quality of the set, and by association, the show. Redwood Curtain’s first scene takes place deep in the woods of a redwood forest in northern California. To recreate a forest on stage is a formidable task, let alone to create one which can stand up to 30 minutes worth of critique. Vincent Mountain accomplished this task with a naturalistic flare for spectacle which left the audience in awe as they entered. Melding the thrust of the stage with the forest set by allowing a light layer of mulching to extend onto the thrust, the audience was able to accept the thrust as a natural extension of the forest, although the thrust was void of any set pieces.
The show opens with Gina cornering a Vietnam veteran in the woods trying to gain information about her father. Gina is a 17-year old half-Vietnamese girl adopted in infancy by a couple made rich by logging. Gina has become a piano prodigy touring the world, recording with a solo CD with Sony and accepted to Julliard on a full ride scholarship for the following year. Yet, Gina is prepared to give up music in order to follow Vietnamese tradition and “follow in the footsteps of her father”. In order to do this she must determine who her biological father is using her nymph abilities and speaking to the veterans who avoid human interaction behind the redwood curtain. I was not a huge fan of Rainbow Dickenson’s portrayal of Gina. Her character seemed to starkly change with each scene leading to a lack of character continuity throughout the show. Given Gina’s back story the character is extremely multifaceted and comprised of contrasting parts making it extremely difficult to play. Yet, the character which was presented showed the contrasting sides of Gina in isolation in each scene without allowing the multiple dimensions of the character to shine through making Gina feel flat and one dimensional. I see Gina as a Luna Lovegood type: intelligent, yet in a fog like mental state which believes in magical creatures regardless of her more practical side. This would have allowed for Gina to make her nymph and magic references without feeling contrived and given her more depth in her other scenes.
Alex Leydenfrost’s character of Lyman was aptly played as dejected and removed from society making him difficult to relate with through out the play. This made his final monologue that much more powerful as he tells Gina of his time in Vietnam and the men which he served with. Lyman’s dog, Bitch, was represented via a 5 second sound clip which was run on loop for as long as barking was required. The extensive looping of the sound was distracting from Lyman’s performance as the sound was clearly repeated numerous times during a particularly long barking sequence, resulting in the barking becoming unbelievable and reminding the audience that they were not in the woods, rather, a theater in Chelsea.
Michelle Mountain’s portrayal of Gina’s aunt Geneva was the most natural and engaging with a consistent energy level throughout the show. Her presence in many of the scenes kept the pace of the show at a comfortable speed while allowing apt time for her character development. The strength in her character choices were apparent and each movement which she made came from a clear thought process in line with these choices.
Overall, the strongest aspect of the show was the set. Before the show began I turned to my sister (my companion for the evening) and told her that even if the actors never came on stage seeing the set was worth the 20 minute drive to Chelsea. Wilson’s story added to the beauty of the set and was entertaining to watch. Being unable to emotionally connect with two of the three characters for the majority of the show prevented the show from being able to move me emotionally. However, with a short run time (1.5 hours without an intermission), good pacing, and incredible set I was engaged and entertained the entire time.
Redwood Curtain runs through March 15 at the Purple Rose Theatre.
