Written by Joe Tracz and directed by Trevor Maher, Phenomenon of Decline was performed by the Carriage House Theatre September 10 – 13 and 17 – 19. Having never attended a Carriage House Theatre production I was excited to see the performance venue after hearing about it for years but never finding the time to see it. You see, Carriage House Theatre does not perform in a traditional performance space, rather an old carriage house tucked behind an average looking house in an average looking neighborhood on the south side of Ann Arbor.
After parking on a side street near Washtenaw Dairy, I walked two blocks to 541 Third St, up someone’s driveway and into their backyard. There I was greeted by a woman in a heavy coat who took my donation (Carriage House admission is handled on a donation only basis stating “we like money, but we like having people see theatre more!” on their website), handed me a program and opened the door to the carriage house.
For a theater the Carriage House is small. Seating is limited to a single row around three of the perimeter walls allowing for 20 – 30 patrons per showing. When I arrived the majority of seats were full but I snagged an open seat near the entrance of the Carriage House – little did I know this would be a mistake that I would pay for as the cold night air rushed in with every entrance and exit of the actors.
As an actor, it is easy for me to spot the merits and flaws of those performing on stage and to ignore the contributions of a director in a production – however – in this production Trevor Maher’s contributions were impossible to ignore. The play was a perfect choice for the venue and was only enhanced by a floor specially designed to leak water when certain floorboards were stepped on. There were numerous motifs present throughout the play shown only through physical movement, yet while these action were plentiful never were they forced or a distraction from the momentum of the play.
Forrest Heijkal and Katie Parzych were the clear standouts in the five-person cast. Each displayed a huge dramatic range and never once acknowledged or neglected the audience inches away.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the play the costuming of the three sisters was confusing and disappointing. Olivia, a successful therapist, appeared more disheveled throughout the entire show than Randolph, her brother who had been living in a bog detached from society for a year. Lenora, the party girl who is rarely sober, wore a black sequined top, skinny blue jeans and flip flops – clothing choices which would not stand out at school but would seem woefully under dressed at any club on a Friday night. Misty, the free spirit “hippie” again was dressed in a very mainstream anticlimactic manner that gave the audience no insight into her or her character.
While the Carriage House Theater season is now over, I would highly recommend this company for those who are in Ann Arbor during the summer. Often low budget theater provides a mediocre experience with shoddy production value yet strong acting. However, Carriage House Theater breaks this trend producing a polished product all in someone’s backyard. My only advice: Bring a sweater and do not sit right next to the door.
