Tag: Drama

REVIEW: Captive Barbies

Phillip Wachowiak

I will be honest: the last Basement Arts performance on North Campus left me with a lukewarm feeling. When I sat down in the familiar theater seats in the Walgreen Drama Center, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Believe me when I tell you: GO SEE THIS PLAY.

captive barbiesThe advertisement is fairly representative of what you’re getting yourself into–it’s flamboyant, outrageous, and there is not hint of the opposite sex from start to finish. We begin with Lee, a gay prostitute who escapes from a cop (Larry) once he forces Larry to confront his closeted past and present. From there we watch a relationship between Mitchell and Darrell explode as a love triangle involving Larry is involved.

I won’t spoil anything, but the story gets juicy without being convoluted.

Captive Barbies is a black comedy. Make no mistake, this is indeed one of the darkest comedies you will encounter. The only similarity I can think of off the top of my head is Little Miss Sunshine, with the way it threatens death and suicide, juxtaposed with the pain of rejection.

Yet the play is simultaneously hilarious and genuine. I was pleasantly surprised–or shocked–to watch such well-developed characters. Although Mike (the Pimp) was the weakest portrayal, each of the men involved was relatable in some way.The play does a superb job of portraying each character to maximize the emotions the audience feels at the climax.

Even better, Captive Barbies is easily quotable. Whereas quoting 50 Shades of Grey is done as a joke, quotes from Captive Barbies feels more like a commentary on life. The phrase “Differing realities” becomes a synonym for “lies” and Lee’s delusional adoption of various degrees from distinguished universities is very Blue Jasmine-esque.

This is a fantastic play. Not only is the writing and directing on point, but the acting as well. If you get a chance to see this before spring break, I would highly recommend the trek up to North Campus.

 

 

Preview: The Skeleton Twins

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What: The Skeleton Twins

Where: The Michigan Theater

When: Opens Friday 26 September

How Much: $8 for students and veterans, $10 general admission

 

Starring Kristen Wiig (SNL, Brides Maids), Bill Hader (SNL), Ty Burrell (Modern Family) and Luke Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde).

The Skeleton Twins is about the reuniting of estranged twins Maggie (Wiig) and Milo (Hader) who are each struggling in their individual lives. Together they trace back to where things went so wrong for each of them and realize that repairing their relationship with one another could provide the solution to fixing everything.

1 hour, 33 minutes, rated R.

 

REVIEW: Romeo and Juliet

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In their new studio production, the Department of Musical Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s most well known tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Set in Verona, the play follows Romeo and Juliet, two young lovers from feuding families. Through a serious of rash actions and unfortunate misunderstandings, the lovers’ lives come to a tragic end, which ultimately reconciles the two families.

Performed in the intimate Arthur Miller Theatre with a minimal set, almost no props, and very basic costumes, this was an interesting production that seemed to want to focus on the raw emotion and drama in the play. The simplicity of the production worked well in that in allowed the audience to engage with the language of the play and the portrayals of the characters. However, it also caused some aspects of the performance to feel out of place, and sometimes a bit awkward, such as the use of physical swords in the final scenes since swords were not otherwise used in the production.

Another interesting aspect of the production was the casting choices. This production had actors playing roles of the opposite gender, with females playing the traditionally male roles of Mercutio, Benvolio, and the Friar, as well as a male playing the role of Juliet’s nurse. While this was sometimes confusing, especially at the beginning, it ultimately worked well, and brought out aspects of the characters that may not always be seen. In addition, the use of the cast within the production was also an interesting choice. While it is normal to have parts doubled, this production used the entire cast as the chorus. While it was nice that everyone was included, having all of the actors run on stage in the dark and crouch under a bright light while speaking in monotone unison was ultimately off-putting.

Although most of the cast performed well, one of the best aspects of the performance was Cameron Jones’ exuberant and sassy, but always caring, portrayal of Juliet’s nurse. Although not one of the lead roles, Jones shined in every scene he was in, captured the audience’s attention and affection, and brought humor and lightness to an otherwise emotionally tense and tragic play. As he strutted across the stage in his long black dress and apron wittily addressing other characters, he fully engaged the audience who laughed, smiled, and applauded all of his scenes.

Overall, this was a somewhat unusual production that had some great moments. While there was some awkwardness, the minimalistic set and costumes highlighted the emotions in the play and allowed the focus to be more on the actors and the scenes they were creating.

REVIEW: Royal Shakespeare Company: Richard II

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David Tennant as Richard II   (photo courtesy of The Daily Mail)

 

In his first production as artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, director Gregory Doran presented a expertly crafted and wonderfully mesmerizing production of Richard II. Set in its own time period, this production details the downfall of King Richard II, a vain and somewhat villainous king who bases his power on divine right. Through the use of a simple stage design, lighting, and beautifully sung music, this production felt as if it were in a church, which heightened the religious undertones of the play. King Richard’s assumed god-like authority was further highlighted through the costuming choices, most notably his long mane of hair, white or light colored flowing robes, and the ever present cross around his neck.

The simplicity of the stage design and prop choices allowed the audience to focus on what was really important in the production–Shakespeare’s diction and the spectacular acting of the ensemble. David Tennant’s portrayal of Richard plays up Richard’s powerful and vain nature with a gold manicure and a sense of haughtiness. The real strength of Tennant’s performance, however, is the emotion he pulls out of the character. In one of his best moments on stage, Tennant forces everyone to sit on the ground with him and, as he pulls his knees to his chest and rocks with grief, tell the sad stories of the deaths of kings. Showing Richard’s vulnerability in the moment he realizes his power as king is gone allows Tennant to succeed in attracting the audience’s sympathy for a king who throughout the play is seen as wasteful and abusive of his power.

Although Tennant drew a lot of the attention, in no way was this production a solo act. With Nigel Lindsay’s portrayal of Bolingbroke as an intense and powerful man who is not afraid to mock and scorn Richard’s theatricality, Oliver Ford Davies’s emotional and somewhat comedic portrayal of the Duke of York, a man torn between two loyalties, and Michael Pennington’s portrayal of John of Gaunt as a dying man enraged with Richard’s actions, the entire ensemble worked together to create a production that was nothing short of fantastic.

There will be another broadcast of the play December 11th at 7pm at the Michigan Theater. I highly recommend it to anyone with any interest in Shakespeare.

REVIEW: The Comedy of Errors

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Set during Mardi Gras in the 1960s, the School of Music, Theatre, & Dance presents an interestingly humorous production of William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. Like so many of Shakespeare’s comedies, The Comedy of Errors is full of mistaken identity, entertaining situations, and nearly tragic events. As a father faces death for arriving in Ephesus to search for his twin sons (both named Antipholus), both of the twins and their twin servants (both named Dromio) unwittingly wreak havoc as they are constantly mistaken for each other.

Full of the slapstick and running gags, this production’s strength was the physical and nonverbal humor. From a martini glass that keeps getting bigger to a duke constantly finding new ways to stay hidden, the best moment was the over the top chase sequence in which a sequence of characters bike by on progressively smaller bikes. At the center of the slapstick humor were the two Dromios (Ben Blackman, Elliot Cruz) who where frequently being hit with bright yellow hats and rubber fish, punched in the stomach, and kicked in the butt. Although that took up a lot of their time on stage, Blackman and Cruz played up the humor with witty lines, dancing, and rapping, which were playful and entertaining.

While this production was appropriately comical and well acted, it had some struggles with the verbal humor. Since this is thought to be Shakespeare’s first comedy, his hallmark wordplay and wit is less pronounced than in the later comedies, which is why most productions play up the physical humor. In this production, however, some of Shakespeare’s most famous lines from, interestingly enough, histories and tragedies including Macbeth, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet were added in an attempt to heighten the verbal humor and wit. Although it was an interesting idea, for the most part it fell flat and made the play feel less like Shakespeare and more like an awkward tribute.

Overall, this production was unique and entertaining. The Mardi Gras setting worked well and the cast gave admirable performances. Although the additions to the play sometimes felt awkward and out of the place, when the existing humor was played up, the production was wonderfully engaging.

 

 

PREVIEW: Royal Shakespeare Company: Richard II

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David Tennant in Richard II

WHO: Royal Shakespeare Company featuring David Tennant

WHAT: Willam Shakespeare’s Richard II

WHERE: The Michigan Theater

WHEN: Sunday 12/8 at 7pm, Wednesday 12/11 at 7pm

COST: $12 for students, tickets available online or at the Michigan League Box Office

David Tennant (of Doctor Who fame) returns to the stage in the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Richard II. This is a cinema broadcast from the RSC stage in England where the production is currently running. Given Tennant’s quality acting and his previous success with Shakespeare, this is sure to be a fantastic production.

For more information, visit this website