Author: Alexandria Strother

All My Sons by Arthur Miller will be presented by the University of Michigan’s Department of Theatre & Drama this weekend in the Arthur Miller Theatre on North Campus. Arthur Miller was a prominent figure in twentieth-century American Theatre writing numerous plays including Death of a Salesman, The Crucible and A View from the Bridge.

All My Sons was inspired by true events and follows the story of Joe Keller, a businessman who sold defective airplane parts to the government during World War Two. As a result of these defective parts, 21 American pilots lost their lives and Joe’s neighbor/business partner was sent to jail while Joe was exonerated for the crime. This scandal is a common topic of neighborhood gossip, but Chris, Joe’s youngest son, is determined to move on with his life by marrying Annie. Yet, Chris’ mother Kate cannot let go of the past – defiantly believing that her eldest son Larry, a solider MIA presumed dead  and Annie’s sweetheart before his disappearance, is alive.

Remaining Performances: October 16, 17 at 8pm, October 18 at 2pm

General Admission by Floor $28 • Students $12 with ID

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.

Saturday evening the Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow started more than a few minutes late – but for good reason.  April 8^th marked David DiChiera’s 80^th birthday, and as founder and artistic director of Michigan Opera Theatre, DiChiera brought opera to Detroit in 1971 helping to begin the rebirth of a city torn apart by riots in the 1960s. So before the curtain was raised, Ron Raines led the audience in a rendition of Happy Birthday after Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan called DiChiera “a visionary who helped transform Detroit” and DiChiera’s grandchildren wheeled out a birthday cake complete with a lighted candle waiting to be blown out.

The celebration continued as the curtain was raised, revealing the party that is taking place at the beginning of the opera. The set, designed by Utah Opera, and the costuming was consistently a highlight of the show. In the first act a large ballroom was built with white drops glowing a light pink framing the stage and a grand staircase. Principles and choristers were all dressed in crisp white and black creating a uniform visual picture, but at times making the principles blend in a little too well. When a man entered stage left during the opening number in a bright red vest I assumed he must be a man of significant dramatic importance as my eyes were immediately drawn toward the red among a sea of white. Alas, he was a non-singing, non-speaking extra playing a butler and wearing a distracting vest which, in hindsight, seems much better suited for the burlesque scene of the third act.

Some were concerned that following her substantial work with heavy Wagnerian repertoire Deborah Voight would struggle in a lighter role with its share of coloratura. However, her performance Saturday night put any and all doubts to rest. Her coloratura did not come as easy as recordings of Joan Sutherland or Beverly Sills in the role but her superb acting expunged any flaws one may have found with her performance vocal. Regal and charming while always mischievous, Voight stole the heart of each and every audience member.

Performing along side Voigt were Roger Honeywell (Prince Danilo), Richard Suart (Baron Mirko Zeta), Amanda Squirieri (Valencienne) and Aaron Blake (Camille) who all gave strong performances. Honeywell, a tenor, struggled to project some of the lower notes that the role of Prince Danilo required but marvelously soared through the higher passages. Suart sang well with strong diction, but his monologue at the beginning of the second act was lost without a single hard consonant. Squirieri and Blake proved a remarkable pair and I was at a loss for which of the performances I preferred musically or dramatically. Squirieri masterfully sang through the difficult passaggio sections and Blake’s voice resonated throughout the theatre with impressive clarity.

The production that director Kelly Robinson and conductor Gerald Steichen presented Saturday night was a testament to all that David DiChiera has done for opera and for Detroit. A fun, yet touching piece, The Merry Widow had me dancing in my seat and wondering what MOT will do next.

Thursday began the 2 weekend run of Iphigenia at Aulis by Euripides presented by the University of Michigan Theatre Department. Written over 2,400 years ago, I was initially concerned that the play’s language would be difficult to understand and that the subject matter would be unrelatable to our modern age. However, within minutes my ears adjusted to the language, which was far less foreign than Shakespeare, and was drawn into a play which subtly stated its relevance through modern prop weaponry and costuming.

As the play begins, the Greek troops have become stuck at Aulis, impatiently waiting for the winds to change so that they may sack Troy and return Helen to her rightful husband. Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek troops, has been told that he must sacrifice his daughter to the goddess Artemis in order to change the winds. Using the false pretense of a marriage to Achilles, he summons his daughter to Aulis and to her death.

Blair Price (Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon) commanded a powerful presence on stage and was the clear standout of the cast. From her first entrance, where she portrayed the dutiful wife and excited mother of the bride, to the final tableau of the piece Price became Clytemnestra and at no times allowed her true self to show. Her most powerful performance was during her daughter’s, Iphigenia (Anaztasia Zavitsanos), monologue. As Iphigenia accepted her fate as a human sacrifice, Price’s eyes darted across the theater while her body remained completely still except for her deep panting breaths. The panic which appeared on her face was genuine, not merely an actress playing “panicked”. As her eyes darted across the theatre the slow realization was made that there was no escape from the situation. Again, this transition from panic to despair was not forced, rather the natural progression of emotion as she realized the gravity of the situation. Her tears, red eyes and runny nose sacrificed beauty for realistic portrayal of desperation and grief and as her daughter was murdered by her father’s hand, her shriek left a haunting silence in the auditorium.

The Greek Chorus transitioned between their function as an ethereal chorus and mortal women with surprising ease. These transitions were assisted by dance like movement choreography that drastically changed their bodies’ shapes from a natural resting position to a contorted position, clearly showing that these were not mortal beings subscribing to human behavioral norms.

Director Malcolm Tulip in collaboration with Costume Designer Kayleigh Laymon gave this production a modern twist by outfitting the Greek soldiers not in tunics but in camouflage pants and green fitted t-shirts with hand guns and rifles rather than swords. These updates made the piece feel more modern but a no times felt awkward as there were no direct references to a prop gun as a sword etc.

Overall this was a solid production with a clear artistic vision that felt appropriate and natural throughout the entire piece. Performances will continue April 9 – 12 at the Arthur Miller Theatre.

This weekend the University of Michigan Theatre Department will present Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides. Written between 408 and 406 BC, Iphigenia in Aulis was the last play written by Euripides before his death in 406 BC.

The play begins as the Greek fleet is trapped at Aulis. Due to unfavorable winds, the Greek troops impatiently wait to sack Troy and return Helen to her rightful husband. Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek troops, has been told that he must sacrifice his daughter to the goddess Artemis in order to change the winds and using the false pretense of a marriage to Achilles, he summons his daughter to Aulis and to her death.

Tickets are $10 for students, $28 general admission.

Performances at the Arthur Miller Theatre in the Walgreen Drama Center on:

April 2 and 9 at 7:30

April 3, 4, 10, and 11 at 8:00

April 5 and 12 at 2:00

 

 

 

This weekend soprano Deborah Voigt will take the stage in Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of The Merry Widow in the lead role. This performance will be the first of four performances which Debroah Voigt will give in Detroit. Praised by the New York Times for her rhythmic accuracy and technical prowess, Deborah Voigt’s musicianship is unquestionable and reason enough to attend – regardless of the sure-to-be impressive sets, costumes and MOT orchestra and chorus.

Performances are:

Saturday April 11 at 7:30

Wednesday April 15 at 7:30

Saturday April 18 at 7:30

Sunday April 19 at 2:30

All performances will be at the Detroit Opera House in Detroit, MI.

Tickets beginning at $40.

Run Time: 2.5 hours.