WFIU:

Scrooge Variations 12-15-2002	Playing the Bones 12-7-2002
Cinderella 12-6-2002	The Garden Party 11-23-2002
Saturday Night Fever 11-19-2002	The Tales of Hoffmann 11-16-2002
Les Liaisons Dangereuses 11-14-2002z	Trelawney of the "Wells" 11-7-2002
Kate Crackernuts 11-3-2002	Julius Caesar 10-26-2002
Moon for the Misbegotten 10-26-2002	A Doll's House 10-12-2002
Art 10-12-2002	Grease 10-2-2002
I Hate Hamlet 9-29-2002	Don Giovanni 9-28-2002
Schoolgirl Figure 9-22-2002	Born Yesterday 9-14-2002
Murder Among Friends 7-6-2002	Putting it Together 7-6-2002
Older Reviews

Review of “Scrooge Variations” at BPP
From 12/15/02, for 12/16 and 12/18
George Walker, WFIU

Playwright Eric Pfeffinger’s comic send up of Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” is at the Bloomington Playwrights Project in a show called “Scrooge Variations.” The show is in it’s third year and the productions offers some updating and a few new variations as well.
Once again it’s a funny sort of futuristic, bureaucratic, bungling organization that is desperately trying to patch one computer glitch onto another to bring off the story.
This year’s production directed by Danielle Bruce features some trenchant comments on recent developments in the business world. Scrooge and his erstwhile partner Marley discuss, with glee, a string of business coups that parallel recent scandals. “Scrooge Variations” also has a woman playing Scrooge.It was a bit jarring when she visited herself as a young boy. But she’s a very talented actress with a delightful accent and her Scrooge carried the show despite obvious inconsistencies.
Marley, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Be were all welcome guests for the audience. The cranky Scrooge was far less welcoming and definitely not awed. Scrooge gave Marley’s ghost a particularly hard time, going so far as to ask for five pieces of identification. The miser queried the Past at length about just which past she represented. Present had to deal with a Scrooge who simply wouldn’t pay attention. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be got off a little easier, but just a little.
The very funny variation on the Cratchitt Family in “Scrooge Variations” was that they were presented in a sort of “Father Knows Best” vintage TV show. In a variation on another Christmas story, O’Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” Scrooge sold his watch for a crutch cover for Tiny Tim and Tiny Tim sold his crutch for a watch fob for Scrooge.
The show ended in a little under ninety minutes and it seemed to soon as the entire cast sang a chorus of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
Eric Pfeffinger’s “Scrooge Variations “ at the Bloomington Playwrights Project plays this Friday and Saturday at eight and Sunday at two.
At the theatre for you, I’m George Walker.

Review of “Playing the Bones” at IUT
From 12-07-02, for 12-09 and 12-11
George Walker, WFIU

“Playing the Bones” by John Drago is in its premiere production at IU’s Wells-Metz Theatre. “Playing the Bones” is an intriguingly wrought play that dramatizes the self discovery of a young girl as she wrestles with a small community of living and dead souls to unravel the dark secrets of her own birth. Despite the darkness it’s a play that is optimistic about life. In “Playing the Bones,” anger, guilt and even vengeance all yield to forgiveness in the natural flow of life.
Jenny Bulla played the poor girl. Bulla’s “Girl” was a dehumanized, frightened and beaten down creature who doesn’t know where she came from and doesn’t even know her name. “Girl” is tyrannized over by Miss Marguerite, played with awsome force by Jamie Brown Acres. Miss Marguerite is a cruel manipulator. She’s a fake psychic and a thorough monster with a slightly psychotic mean streak of cruelty. “Girl” and Miss Marguerite were strongly portrayed, but the parts are a bit unrelenting. I sometimes wished that playwright Drago had worked a little more warmth or even humor into their parts.
In addition to “Girl,” Miss Marguerite preys on the broken down ex alcoholic and former miner, Mr. Priddy. Andrew Lebon had the difficult job of playing an aged and infirm man who is not very bright and even less assertive. Jason Lee appeared as the traveling man, Junie Buggy. As Junie Buggy, Lee gets to dispense a little comfort and some mysterious half pieces of advice. He also does some effective and delightfully intricate percussion playing on a pair of bones.
Along with the living characters of “Playing the Bones,” John Drago has a quartet of visions that enter the play either as a sort of Greek Chorus or as individuals. Nikolas Priest and Kelly Ann Bilski were the mysterious Man and Woman. John DeBoer was the hanged youth and Amalia Namoi Shifress was the Young Woman. The chorus declaimed their comments in verse. The identity of the individuals and the roles they played when alive were all part of the mystery surrounding girl.
The skillful direction of “Playing the Bones” was by faculty member Dale McFadden. In additon to workingwith a new play, he had a new staff as well. The scenic designer, costumer and lighting and sound-designer were all first year Master of Fine Arts candidates making their IU debuts.
Christopher Sinnott’s scenic design does a lovely job with Miss Marguerite’s front porch at one end of the Wells-Metz Theatre and Mr. Priddy’s shack at the other. In between there’s the expanse of a forest floor and a really neat little pool on one side. The backdrop behind Miss Marguerite’s porch is a lovely piece of fiber art that further offers the outline of her roof and chimney.
Dixon Reynolds’ costumes for “Playing the Bones” ranged from the simple but formal blacks and whites of the Visions to a nicely imagined and realized variety of garments for the leads. Girl appeared first in raggedy trousers and a blouse. Later she wore a simple blue patterned cotton dress. Miss Marguerite comes out on her porch in a pair of faded overalls with a blouse and an apron. Later for a visit to Mr. Priddy she was dressed out in a skirt, blouse and a variety of layers. Mr. Priddy’s shirt and especially his trousers looked as if they had years of hard wear and patching. The traveling Junie Buggy, first appeared as a man with all his possessions on his back. He wore boots, trousers, a coat, a hat and a pack that has various utensils hanging from various straps.
The lighting by CC Conn effectively accented the central characters and actions and lent mood an atmosphere. The musical selections were a nice variety from both the black and white traditions. I was happy that the sound of a gunshot during “Playing the Bones” came from the sound system, effectively echoing as a memory, instead of frightening me for the safety of my ears.
“Playing the Bones” turns out to have at its core, a mystery, but it’s a lot more than the standard whodunit. It’s a complex evolving and involving play that layer by layer peels back tissues of falsehood to reach a core of truth that can set the trapped characters, the living and the dead free.
The premiere production of John Drago’s “Playing the Bones” continues with performances at IU’s Wells-Metz Theatre through Saturday.
At the theatre for you, I’m George Walker.

Review of “Cinderella” Bloomington MusicWorks
From 12-06-02, for 12-09 and 12-11
George Walker, WFIU

Bloomington MusicWorks is presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” in an enthusiastically performed, solidly musical, nicely staged and warmly witty production at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. The stage direction is by Kevin Sweeny with choreography by Katy Quigley. Conductor Sue Hartin and producer Brian Samarzea are the music directors. Costuming help comes from the Monroe County Civic Theatre.
Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote “Cinderella” for a live television production starring Julie Andrews in 1957. It was an unquestioned triumph but couldn’t be reshown. “Cinderella” was done on tape in 1965 with Leslie Ann Warren and that version received an annual network showing for nearly a decade.
. Opening night saw Heather Nicole Winter doing a winning performance as Cinderella with strong support from her prince, Nathan Richie. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s setting allows for some flexibility in the presentation. Winter was a bit feistier than most Cinderellas and Richie’s Prince was a bit more sensitive. Chris Curtis was a hit dramatically and vocally as the Fairy Godmother. Detra Carter presided as the Wicked Stepmother. Mandy Kramer and Galia Arad were audience favorites as the Step Sisters. They were nicely mismatched as a pair of serious and very funny sibling rivals. Jeffrey Magee was very funny as the kingdom’s down to earth and somewhat reluctant King. Tina Marie Sowders was his longsuffering wife. Emily Hodges was the Herald of the events.
One of Bloomington MusicWorks’ strengths is the wide talent pool that it attracts and its commitment to both using and developing talent. There were community stage veterans, IU and high school students and a solid representation from the middle and elementary schools. Many of the roles in”Cinderella” are double cast. The production boasts a full fifteen-member orchestra with brass, strings, woodwinds and percussion. From downbeat to final curtain, including an intermission, it runs only an hour and forty minutes.“Cinderella” is a show with some special appeals for audiences of all ages. It’s a solid, venerable story with some romance, some thoughtful moments and, in this production, a lot of broad humor.
Bloomington MusicWorks production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” plays this Friday and Saturday at seven-thirty and Sunday at three in the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre.
At the theatre for you, I’m George Walker.

Review of "The Garden Party" by Vaclav Havel at the Waldron
From 11/23/02, for 11/ 25 and 11/27
George Walker, WFIU

In Czechloslovakia of the 1960s optimism about the eventual socialist utopia was the official philosophy and socialist realism was the accepted literary approach. Vaclav Havel's absurdist play "The Garden Party" was a full frontal attack on both. Liminal Spaces in cooperation with the Bloomington Area Arts Council are presenting the play in the intimate Rose Firebay of the John Waldron Arts Center in a production directed by Don Johnson. Saturday night's audience was treated to an insightful post show talk by Professor Bronislava Volkova.
In Western Europe, absurdism was deeply pessimistic. In plays like AWaiting for Godot' or "The Bald Soprano" the empty meaninglessness of life was not the result of any specific cause. Things were hopless, there was no thing to be fixed. In Czechloslavakia absurdism was a tool of rebellion. In Vaclav Havel's "The Garden Party" from 1963 the play had the wildly off kilter absurdist balance of the comic and the pathetic, but there was a twist. The Czech playwright wrote it and even more the Czech audience saw it, as a trenchant critique of Stalinism.
The dialogue is a mad series of mangled folk sayings, cobbled together lines from different poems that don't go together and scraps of socialist slogans and political pamphlets. John Mercer as a concerned father counsels: "Why stick your nose into the hedge when you know the robin dances alone." His wife, Peggy Tirey, is always asking about time and bells that she expects, which never ring, while bells that she doesn't expect do ring. Heather Christian as an attractively peppy, but emptily energetic official says that she's not like the old phrasemongers. She's a young one with a sense of humor. Her trenchant comment is that "Nothing foreign is human to me."
The lovelies, Lindsey Baumgartner and Allison Wardell, play a couple of minor officials who are at their happiest when mindlessly stamping different documents. Their chief concern is the choice of dance floor A or C as sites for the garden party's "self entertainment with aids to amusement." Bob Baird is the befuddled titular director, the "Skipper." He dutifully surrenders his clothes to the operations of segment AA" as he hopes for the quick arrival of the results from operation AC" in vain expectation that this will lead to the more efficient completion of operation AB." John O'Brien plays the dutiful son, a sort of bland "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" character. His character succeeds by simply parroting back the phrases that people offer. The height of this political Tower of Babel in "The Garden Party" is reached with the shadowy Bureaus of Liquidation and Inauguration. The possibility of liquidating inaugurating liquidating inaugurating liquidation is close to the end of the discussion.
From time to time Abby Rock appears as a foxy messenger with lines that flow in contradiction with only poetic connections. The only character in "The Garden Party" who never talks is the family's black sheep and potential bourgeois intellectual played by Mathew Zaradich. Zaradich never says a word and although he doesn't rise in the empty political or social realm of "The Garden Party," he does get the foxy messenger.

Characters in "The Garden Party" exist only in what they say. There is a lot of dialogue and much of it is nonsensical. In addition the interweaving of speeches are complex. It seems inevitable that there will be some memory slips and timing problems. Realizing the humor of this piece, and absurdism especially in the optimistic service of satire can be very funny, is a tricky business. The production directed by Don Johnson often succeeds and overall gives us a great opportunity to view this window into a critique of world that no longer exists, but whose excesses in the form of logic and rationalism based on bogus premises are always with us.
The Bloomington Area Arts Council and Liminal Spaces production of Vaclav Havel's "The Garden Party" at the John Waldron Arts Center plays Fridays and Saturdays at eight and Sundays at two through December seventh.

Review of "Saturday Night Fever" at the IU Auditorium
From 11-19-02, for 11-20
George Walker, WFIU

The musical "Saturday Night Fever" opened a two-performance-run at the IU Auditorium last night. The plot of the musical... boy meets girl, boy dances with girl, boy falls in love with girl... is based on the film and loosely arranged around a selection of songs made popular by the Bee Gees. "Stayin' Alive," "Boogie Shoes," More Than a Woman," "It's My Neighborhood" and, yes "Disco Duck" all appeared. If you liked these, but didn't care for the falsetto sounds of the Gibb brothers, the musical offers a chance to hear the songs in the baritone range. If you liked the high sound of the originals, well the women of the show don't show the same dramatic strain but they do carry the high notes.
Ryan Ashley is the production's dancing fool and Brooklyn loser Tony Manero. Ashley sang well and danced up a storm, but his attempts at sexiness seemed put on and he did most of the show with just a couple of facial expressions. Dena Digiacinto was the girl Tony dumped when a better dancer came along. Her big solo was "If I Can't Have You." Jennifer Mrozik was that better dancer and Tony's partner for the big disco contest. John Almanza and Angel Reed played the hot Puerto Rican couple who actually invested their dancing with some passion and edge. Darren Lorenzo was the disco dj and outrageous dance hustler. The supporting cast all played their parts well and there was one dancer who caught my eye whenever she was on stage. I don't know her name, but she's the one in red at the beginning and in the black sequins with the halter top in the last scenes
The musical "Saturday Night Fever" does have a story line, but it is at its best in the ensemble and dance pieces. Most times when the stage cleared for a solo the energy level of the show dropped substantially. The dance numbers whether in couples or ensembles were true to the angular and even jerky style of disco and simply brimmed with energy. The sets and lighting were inventive and effective. A large talented cast and just a six piece orchestra did a remarkable job of recreating the Bee Gees pulse and sound.
"Saturday Night Fever" at the IU Auditorium has its final performance this evening at eight.

Review of "The Tales of Hoffmann" at the IU Opera
From 11-16-02, for 11-18 and 11-20
George Walker, WFIU

The IU Opera Theatre's production of Jacques Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffmann" is a musical and visual feast. On Saturday, Imre Pallo led a musical and assured performance that both moved the drama along and at the same time left plenty of room for the music. Offenbach's score offers plenty of opportunities for the orchestra to shine. I especially enjoyed the work of flutist Janelie Janovich, oboist Holly Somers and harpist Megan Stout.
From the initial scene of Hoffmann with the rowdy students in the tavern through the decadence of Giulietta's boudoir, Vincent Liotta's work and the actors' skill shown as each character in the chorus, along with the leads, was an engaged and personable figure. The theatrical lighting of Allen White and Michael Schwandt, especially in the tavern scenes made the characters look like figures in a period painting and the use of spot lights to focus our attention on particular characters was almost a drama in itself.
Quincy Roberts had the dual role of the much put upon tavern owner Luther and later the sympathetically lorn father of a doomed singer. Chris Carducci and Bryon Grohman were the energetic leaders of the students who torment him.
Guest tenor Michael Hayes played the demanding central part of the poet Hoffmann with steady skill and a strong voice. Hyounsoo Sohn as Hoffmann's muse was both amusing and delightful in her trouser role as a young student. In Saturday's cast Christopher Burchett played all four of Hoffmann's nemesises with good singing and some pretty maniacal laughs. Neil Darling handled the parts of a bribable servant, a mechanical assistant, a deaf servant and a vicious dwarf with good humor.
In "Tales of Hoffmann" the libretto has the real poet Hoffmann as the main character in three of his stories. Hoffmann tells the tavern chorus of of three of his loves. Kelly Holst sang the part of the robot doll Olympia and delighted the audience with her comic but accurate mechanical flights of coloratura. Chandra Eggert was moving as the love who simply sings herself to death. Laura Vlasak Nolen presided as Giulietta the courtesan who is Hoffmann's most humiliating failure.
"The Tales of Hoffmann" is a long, but varied and satisfying evening of musical theatre.
The IU Opera Theatre's production plays this Friday and Saturday nights.

Review of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" at the Waldron
From 11/14/02, for 11/15
George Walker, WFIU

Christopher Hampton's plot within a plot tragi-comedy Les Liaisons Dangereuses is at the John Waldron Arts Center. The production directed by Amanda Renee Baker makes imaginative use of an open set where characters can watch one another from a variety of angles and even slide from one scene and time into another. Art Director Jennifer Deal has augmented the action of the real actors with projections on five big screens above the stage. Music director Kyle McIntosh and Sean Fear played keyboard, guitar and a variety of percussion effects to accent the action.
Breshaun-Birene Joyner and Daniel Petrie were the play's plotting Marquise and Vicomte. Stephanie Dodge and Angie Hickman were their victims in a complicated set of social revenges through seduction. Annie Vowell and Judy Blackburn were the society matrons. Bobby Hackett was the Vicomte's ultra flexible servant. Anthony Stratton played the Marquies's stoney faced major-domo. Emily Goodson was an ornamental plaything. Nathan Relken as a young lover played a combination of Tybalt from Romeo and Juliett and Horatio from Hamlet.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a dark play of sexual politics set in a time when women were at a distinct disadvantage is the battle of the sexes. The Marquise is an enigmatic creature a bit like the scorpion of the fable who stings simply because it is her nature. Breshaun-Birene Joyner as the Marquise is a formidable figure on stage, but I wished for a little more range and perhaps even a display of some vulnerability to fill out her character. Stephanie Dodge managed to do the transformation from frightened innocent to eagerly complicitous companion nicely. Angie Hickman was resolute in her resistance and then sadly pathetic in defeat. The Vicomte is a spider caught in his own web and Daniel J. Petrie managed the emotional ups and downs of his character with good flow. The script does offer some brittle wit with some well thought out laughs, though Thursday night's audience laughed out loud at only a few of the clever jibes.
Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses plays tonight and Saturday night at eight at the John Waldron Arts Center.

Review of Pinero's Trelawney of the "Wells"
From 11-07-02, for 11-11 and 11-13
George Walker, WFIU

There are some play titles that are so memorable that once you hear them, you're stuck with them for life. "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds" is one and so Trelawney of the "Wells" by Arthur Pinero. For years I have been carrying this title around with me. In my mind, "Trelawney" was an aged English gentleman and the "Wells" were some kind of spah. Rising from ignorance is one of my favorite pastimes and the IU Theatre production directed by Howard Jensen permits me the pleasure.
Trelawney is English, but a young actress of the mid Victorian period and the "Wells" is short for the Sadler Wells Theatre. In Pinero's gentle comedy, Rose Trelawney played dewily by Allison Batty, is torn between the life with her fellow gypsies in the theatre or life with the high born love of her life, the shy, repressed Arthur Gower, played by Darby Cicci.
"Trelawney…" opens with the setting of a table for a farewell party for Rose. Clay Sanderson and Kate Braun were doing the honors. The accents used in "Trelawney" range from low class to upper class and even Irish thrown in for good measure. I'm not sure which one Clay Sanderson was using, but I really wished for supertitles.
The party with Rose's theatre family assembles with a rare collection of theatre gypsies. Mike Mauloff and Carmen Meyers played the elders along Josh Gaboian as the company's serious actor, Coryell Barlow as a spirted fellow trouper, Brad Fletcher as the aspiring revolutionary playwright, Abby Mueller as an actress who is returning to flaunt success with a new company and Brian Levin as the company cut up and funny man.
From here Rose and Arthur whisk off to his family home which is presided over by a rigid grand-father, huffed and puffed about by David Muller and an equally rigid aunt, played with icy composure by Lyndsey Anderson. Throughout "Trelawney…" the costumes of Rebecca Jarrell are very much a part of the action. The would-be-playwright is threadbare, the funny man looks like an organ grinder who's lost his monkey, the stiff aunt's gown makes it look as if she is wearing a barred cage. Characters in this show are indeed what they wear.
"Trelawney…" has too large a cast to allow me to mention everyone. I do need to add Matt Isler who plays an amusing and very Irish stage manager.
I saw an early performance of "Trelawney…" and some of the pacing wasn't working. Scenes hadn't quite jelled and some of the sure fire gags in the show hadn't been worked out. The plot developed slowly in the middle acts and then the foregone conclusion of the finale simply came too quickly to have much impact. However, "Trelawney…" has remained in the repertoire for more than a hundred years. The IU production has real strengths to build on and I expect that the show will play in as the week goes on.
The IU Theatre production of Arthur Pinero's gentle, back stage comedy Trelawney of the "Wells" plays each evening this week.

Review of Kate Crackernuts by Sheila Callaghan at the BPP
From 11-03-02, for 11-04 and 11-06
George Walker, WFIU

Kate Crackernuts at the Bloomington Playwrights Project is Sheila Callaghan's wild, quirky, funny tale of quest and conquest directed by Richard Perez and Phil Kasper. Kate played by the redoubtable Nicole Bruce is out to solve the philosophical quandary or being and becoming. She also has to save a cursed prince played by Mathew Kirkham. And as if this weren't enough she has to rescue her sister, played by Shelley Engel, from life with a sheep's head.
Callaghan sets her play in the disjointed and disconnected rave culture. A good bit of the music for Kate Crackernuts is jarringly empty techno-pop. The play's silent chorus is an energetic group of dancers and acrobats. These sparkle people, are led by the prince's evil seductress, the sensuous silver haired succubus, Miss Prima, played very enticingly by Danielle Bruce. Miss Prima's side-kick of sorts was an, a bit too knowledgeable baby played by Kevin Roach.
Mathew Kirkham as the snared prince has a part that though sympathetic, is mostly the pathos of grunts, groans and shakes. Amber Nash was the prince's compassionate voice. In addition, she did some lovely singing. Bob Risher played both the prince's wildly gardening mother and his much meeker and more supportive father.
Shelley Engel was Kate's sister Anne. Anne has been cursed for her vanity by having her head replaced with that of a sheep. And wouldn't ewe just guess, knowing playwright Callaghan's sense of humor, that Anne's sheepish appearance is what snags the affection of the prince's magnetic male brother, Ralph, played by Brent Burcroff. Irony abounds when Anne's true head is restored and Ralph nearly takes it on the lamb.
Kate Crackernuts is a organized loosely and episodically, quite an appropriate form for a quest. Naturally Kate finds help from strange sources.
She visits a famous seer only to find him sitting on the toilet clutching a dead blackbird. That was only the beginning of the fun. The audience laughed heartily as Kris Lee did a very funny sendup of a whacked out sort of mini-Merlin.
Another source of enlightenment was Allen Burnett playing a sheep who thinks that he has lost his head. This sheep has wonderful long connected bravura speeches that Burnett delivered with great wit and warmth as he circled the studio space on roller blades, a skate board, a scooter and a bicycle. Burnett's visits were a hit and he received a couple of ovations.
Following a moldy magician and a loquacious headless sheep, Kate has to get help from a stiff, bossy, club door guard played to bored officious perfection by Jennifer Moeller.
Kate Crackernuts has an almost an Into the Woods sort of ending when we get to see the happy ever after and then have it quickly replaced by a satisfying but grimmer finale.
Kate Crackernuts is funny, it's also a little risque, and a bit touching. In an interview playwright Sheila Callaghan accuses herself of sometimes being word drunk and having to get the play sobered up. Fortunately, it isn't too sober to have a good time.

Review of Julius Caesar at the IU Opera Theatre
From 10-26-02, for 10-29 and 10-31
George Walker, WFIU

The IU Opera Theatre is presenting a creatively staged, dramatically involving and gorgeously sung production of George Frederic Handel's Julius Caesar. Handel's Caesar is the Roman Emperor and conqueror of Egypt.
Designer Robert O'Hearn has placed the drama in costumes and settings that echo the movie version of Frank Herbert's Dune. However, it is definitely an Egyptian Dune. The set filled with pyramids. Some are plain and some have eyes. There are giant walls of polished granite, gossamer curtains and fairy tale cascades of flower petals. On the backdrop there are shadow projections of a giant cat and of a massive sphinx.
Guest director Stefano Vizioli has plenty of interesting action. There is some that is simply appropriate and efficient stage business and a great deal that helps to further the drama and our insights into the characters. The IU production proves that Handel operas aren't unwieldy static affairs that simply offer opportunities for fancily ornamented arias. In fact one of the hallmarks of the opera is the growth and change of the principals.
Saturday evening's cast offered the fine singing of Brandon Mayberry, initially simply a resolute and commanding Caesar, and later a man who could be touched by love and moved by compassion. Mayberry ably seconded by Chris Gobles. Rebecca Ball was Egypt's Queen Cleopatra. In her singing and acting Ball aptly showed a woman who at first is the bitchiest of queens and sisters but gradually grows to a fuller and more mature person. Michael Mentzel sang well and was quite the cut-up as Cleopatra's confidant.
Andrew Darling played the Egyptian General Achilla. Darling carried off the role of a man who is by turns merely dutiful, then lustful and finally supportive of the right. Achilla's King was Cleopatra's brother the scheming Ptolomy. Nathan Baer sang well and was hateful in a rainbow of ways.
Everyone that I've mentioned from IU's Julius Caesarsang very well. But for me the two standouts, even above these were Hannah Penn and the much put upon Cornelia and Michael Match as her son Sesto. Penn has a lovely mezzo voice that is true, full and wonderfully warm and expressive. Michael Match is the only counter-tenor in either cast of this year's production. The other parts that Handel wrote for counter tenors or castrati's are taken an octave down by regular male voices.
A male singer who works in a woman's range is not part of our serious contemporary dramatic conventions. An early solo vengeance aria by a man singing soprano seemed initially laughable, but Match's artistry and the range of his voice won me over. His duet with Penn at the end of the first act was a miracle of harmonic richness and dynamic give and take.
Conductor David Effron led the production with an emphasis on pace, rhythm and energy that didn't slight any of the voluptuous beauty of the vocal or instrumental portions.

The IU Opera Theatre's production of Handel's Julius Caesar plays this Friday and Saturday nights. This is a hallmark production that in coming years people will be talking about and looking back to fondly.

Review of Eugene O'Neil's "Moon for the Misbegotten"
From 10-26-02, for 10-28 and 10-30
George Walker, WFIU

Eugene O'Neil's "Moon for the Misbegotten" opened this past weekend in IU's Wells-Metz Theatre. Steve Decker is the director for this intimate and intricate play about the love, guilt and redemption in the web of life's energy and endurance.
The Hogans are poor Irish farmers barely making it on a rented piece of poor farm land in Connecticut. The father, widower Phil Hogan, played by Chris Nelson, has driven off two of his sons with the hard life and his hard ways. The older two left and are a policeman and a bar tender. At the play's beginning the youngest, played by David Sheehan, is leaving for the priesthood. The only child tough enough to endure and even enjoy the hard life and energetic combat is the daughter Josie, played by Sheila Regan.
Chris Nelson and Sheila Regan are quite a pair as the father and daughter of the Hogans. They are Irish eloquent and combative to the core. With each dishing it out as well as they take it. In one scene, they gang up on Mathew Zaradich, starchily playing the local wealthy uppity-up. The Hogans totally overwhelm and befuddle him in a set of speeches and by play that would make the Marx Brothers heads swim.
James Tyrone, played by Ira Amyx, is a family friend. Jamie is sitting it out in the country waiting for a much needed legacy to be probated. He's a third rate actor, and a second rate chaser after whores. He's also a first rate drunk, but a heck of an eloquent one. Jamie is guilt ridden about his own love for his mother. O'Neil has a fine time with the schemes within schemes of the wily Hogans to unfold a fascinating plot that opens up and salves this wound.
"Moon for the Misbegotten" has some wonderful language in it. The Hogan's combative banter is full blooded, often very funny and eloquent. Sheila Regan and Chris Nelson did a fine job. However, especially for Ira Amyx's Jamie, O'Neil sometimes, and only sometimes, stretches the speeches into soliloquies that are just too long.
In a single wild night under that moon, the drunken Jamie talks himself out. Josie at first thinking that romantic love or even just physical love may be the bond between them realizes that her role is to be his Madonna, the all-forgiving virgin mother. In the morning Jamie's mind has forgotten the night, but his spirit remembers and is lightened Josie takes her pride in this as it redeems her own life and its meaning as well.
The IU production is nicely mounted and presented. Design is by Andrew Elliott. Everyone does a more than credible job. Sheila Regan, whether she is ready to bare-knuckle it, to give as good as she gets in a verbal duel or to range in woman hood from a shy insecure girl to a compassionate and full motherly figure simply glows.
The IU Theatre's production of Eugene O'Neil's "Moon for the Misbegotten" plays through Saturday.

Review of “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen BAAC/Detour
From 10-12-02, for 10-15 and 10-17
George Walker, WFIU

Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” in a Detour production directed by Terence Hartnett is the latest feature in the Bloomington Area Arts Council’s Performance Series at the Waldron.
“A Doll’s House” is one of the touchstone plays of modern theatre history. One commentator wrote that when at the play’s end, the young wife Nora abandons her husband and children, “the door slam shook all of Europe.” Terence Hartnett’s direction, is clearly deeply thought through and well executed the production features some outstanding acting.. The choice to place the play in the conservative America of the 1950s doesn’t add to the play, but it doesn’t detract either.
In “A Doll’s House” Ibsen was introducing radically new themes, but he was both using and fighting the traditional neatness of the “well made play.”The play was part of Ibsen’s own learning about how to dramatize his themes and it shows. The overall structure is a bit mechanical. The tying up of all the loose ends seems contrived. The play is slower to develop than the drama we’ve become used to. “A Doll’s House” is a classic but it is an Oldsmobile not a Corvette.
Stephanie Harrison did a fine job with the daunting role of Nora, the young wife. Nora begins as the doll of “A Doll’s House,” her husband’s skylark, squirrel and fritter. Nora next must desperately use all of her resources to prevent the revelations that will destroy the house. By the final act Nora has to ready herself for the end. She’s a woman who’s own life and character seem meaningless.
Mike Price does more with Nora’s husband Torvald than I had imagined possible. His Torvald is a stuffed shirt and he does treat Nora as his silly doll child. But Price actually finds some almost boyish enthusiasm in Torvald’s love for Nora. At the same time his Torvald is so certain of his role, so sure in his masculine power that as the inevitable sequence of events hurries to disaster the irony builds right along with it. Torvald is no Oedipus Rex, but Price comes close to making Torvald a tragic figure.
The supporting cast was very strong. Joe Gaines was gentile, warm and sad as the family friend Dr. Rank. Kris Lee oozed ratlike malice as the money lender Nils Krogstad. Amanda Scherle was totally believable as Nora’s old friend, battered by a hard life. Scherle almost pulled off the quick change from opponent of Krogstad to missionary for him that Ibsen forces on her character. Cameron Butler and Ryan Butler played the children. They were audience favorites as Ivan professionally delivered his lines and Ryan delightedly jumped when he could instead of walking.
Director and designer Terence Hartnett kept us continually aware of the distance between his characters. Torvald’s study and Nora’s kitchen are on opposite sides of the stage. Frequently they talk to one another across this space. In a couple of dramatic speeches to Norah she was close to the speaker but steadfastly looking away. Characters do come to intimate distances face to face, but these scenes simply accent and remind us of how far apart they usually are. The key moment in any production of “A Doll’s House” is how Nora leaves her home. Sometimes the door slams on an angry Norah, sometimes even on a joyful one. The Detour Productions’ Nora was determined, serious and perhaps a little frightened. She left quietly.
“A Doll’s House” at the Waldron, is a serious, committed, artistically vibrant, piece of theatre. It’s great to have an opportunity to see a classic in a fine live production.
. The Detour/BAAC production of “A Doll’s House” at the John Waldron Arts Center plays Fridays and Saturdays at eight and Sundays at two through October twenty-sixth.
At the theatre for you, I’m George Walker.

Review of ‘Art” by Yamina Raza at the IUT
From 10-12-02, for 10-14 and 10-16
George Walker, WFIU

Playwright Yasmina Reza’s international hit “Art” opened at the IU Theatre’s Wells-Metz Theatre in a production directed by Murray McGibbon.
Yasmina Reza had a friend who spent a very hefty sum of money for an all-white painting. The purchase so baffled his friends that they began to wonder about him and about their relations with him.
Reza went on from this incident to write a play in which three friends grapple with this sort of aberration. The three, Marc an aeronautical engineer, Yvan newly launched on a career in stationary, and Serge, the dermatologists who’s spent forty thousand dollars on the painting.
In “Art” the characters talk, interact and deliver interior monologues directly to the audience.. Jonathan Molitor as Marc, is the most outspokenly critical and even suspicious about the purchase of the painting. Jose Antonio Garcia, as Yvan, tries to be ingratiatingly supportive, but does eventually break down in laughter. Sam Wooten, as Serge the art lover, is by turns proud of his purchase, baffled by his friends’ responses and very angry with them.
Throughout the IU production all three actors did a fine job with these difficult extended parts. Molitor and Wooten had most of the high drama and playwright Reza throws in a little homoerotic tension for spice. Antonio Garcia had the low comedy part and did a masterful job. His wound up, non-stop-monologue about the problems of his upcoming wedding drew the sort of applause that you hear at a jazz concert after a masterful solo.
The classy, sparse modern set is new faculty member Robert J. Bovard’s first design for IU. Robert Graham handled both the subtle general lighting for “Art” and the isolated dramatic moments as well.
“Art” is a well handled piece of light entertainment on the subject of friendship. It’s really more of an intimate cabaret piece than what we usually expect in a stage play. The general feel of the show is definitely European. Frankly, it’s interesting to just watch three guys spend two hours together without ever talking about sports, sex, or drinking. “Art” doesn’t pretend to expose any great depth or high moral purpose. It’s an involving, sometimes fascinating, chance to spend time and get to know three pretty interesting guys.
“Art” at the IU Theatre plays each evening this week through Saturday.
At the theatre for you, I’m George Walker

Review of "Grease" at the IU Auditorium
From 10-02-02, for 10-03-02 @ 0905 and 1105
George Walker, WFIU

"Grease" is at the IU Auditorium in a spirited production that is at its best when the energy is up and everyone is moving. Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey created "Grease" as a parody out of their high school memories of the fifties as they looked back on it from the seventies. It's been forty years since those gritty early Chicago and Off-Broadway productions that seemed to firmly place the show somewhere in South Jersey. In the show at the Auditorium things have become a little more homogenized, a little more generic, and the guitar licks are up to date. But the songs, the plot and stock characters are given their due, and when the actors get moving that things heat up.
Danny played by Jamey Isenor and Sandy played by Hanna-Liina Vosa have had a tender and pretty innocent summer romance. They end up at inner-city Rydell High School together. Danny is back with his buddies and plays the cool tough guy crushing the sweetness. By the way both leads are a long way from their own high school experiences. Jamey Isenor is from a small town in Minnesota and Hanna-Liina Vosa is from Estonia.
Arthur J. M. Callahan played the part of the irrepressible DJ, Vince Fontaine. Callahan handles many of the "Grease's" transitions. Before the show began, he warmed up the audience with some singing along, a few hand gestures and even a good-natured dance contest. The winner, chosen by the audience's applause, was a three-year old young lady, partnered by her father. All the cast members did a good job keeping their characters separate and interesting. I especially enjoyed Jacqueline Colmer as the commanding yet vulnerable Betty Rizzo.
As the plot of "Grease" goes on we are treated to a number of songs, that by now are as familiar as the genuine hits from the 50s. The singing was good and the energy level was high for "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightning," "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee," and "Beauty School Dropout." At the climax of "Grease," Danny gets his head on a little straighter. Sandy loosens up and everything ends happily with "We Go Together."
"Grease" at the IU Auditorium has its final performance tonight at eight.
You can see this and other WFIU theatre, film and opera reviews on our web site at WFIU dot Indiana dot edu.
At the theatre for you, I'm George Walker.

Review of "I Hate Hamlet" at Brown County
From 09-29-03, for 10-01 and 10-03

Paul Rudnick's comedy "I Hate Hamlet" directed by Bill Kincaid at the Brown County Playhouse offers an evening of involving drama and smart fun.
A Hollywood television actor played with engaging boyishness by Mark Bertram, has won the part of Hamlet for a performance in New York's Central Park. The TV actor's credits include his role as a doctor on a canceled series and commercials for "Trail Burst Clusters" breakfast and snack food. At on point the actor admits that "Trail Burst…" tasted like chocolate covered sawdust and had more fat calories than lard.
The actor's rental agent, played in quintessential New York style by Diane Kondrat, sells him on an apartment that was the sanctuary of the great actor John Barrymore. Things really heat up when Rockland Mers shows up as the ghost of Barrymore in an appropriately stage commanding performance. He's there to coach Bertram for his Hamlet.
The TV actor is far from confident about playing the "melancholy Dane." Barrymore alternately criticizes and encourages him. There's verbal and physical sparring with an exciting extended sword fight choreographed by George Pinney. One of the magical moments of the evening was Mers reciting Hamlet's charge to the players
Encouraging the actor are his girlfriend played with a slightly put-on dewy innocence by Lauren Morris Bertram and his agent played with graceful dignity by Martha Jacobs. On the other side are his cynical producer played with energy by Nicholas Amdor. Amdor is always contrasting the small monetary rewards of art in the theatre with the huge money available for fame on television. I think it was Amdor who said that Shakespeare was, "algebra on stage."
At intermission, I heard a lady next to me saying, "I just love all the jokes, but there are so many I can't remember any of them." I remember quite a few, but it would take at least a second visit to the production to fully enjoy the richness of the dialog.
"I Hate Hamlet" at the Brown County Playhouse plays Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at eight through October twenty-sixth.

Review of Don Giovanni at the IU Opera
From 09-28-02, for 09-30 and 10-02

The IU Opera Theatre opens their "Opera with a Vengeance" season with Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte's "Don Giovanni. The opera's serious moments are about seduction, murder and revenge. The Don fails in what may have been a seduction or an early form of date rape. He kills the lady's father in a duel over her honor. Then the Don is hunted down by a whole quartet of revengers. There's the wronged lady, her prospective groom, a second lady who's been loved and left, and even the graveyard statue of the dead father. All this sounds pretty grim, but "Don Giovanni" is an opera that respects its comedy as much as its tragedy. There's a lot rough comedy with the Don's quarrelsome servant, a pert peasant girl and a foolish jealous husband.
Rachel Holland was regal as Donna Anna, the lady who first fought off the Don and then pursued him. Jacob Sentgeorge played Don Octavio, her ever-loyal-fiancee and partner in the chase. Michelle Auslander sang the part of Donna Elvira, the most persistent in the chase after the Don. Mozart has given both of his Donnas ample places to really show off some vocal fireworks and each did it in an exciting fashion.
Robert Samels played Don Giovanni's difficult servant Leporello with good singing and a nice feel for the character as both a radically uppity underling and a figure of comedy. After preying on two members of the upper class. The Don sets his sights lower and preys on the pert peasant girl Zerlina sung by Erin Kelley. That she's about to be married to Masetto, Jonathan Stinson, doesn't phase the Don Giovanni a bit. Kelley sung well and balanced the faithful and the adventurous sides of her character. At a pivotal point the serious and the comic characters of "Don Giovanni" come together at a ball. Mozart wrote music for three stage bands, playing: a minuet, a contredanse and a Landler all at the same time. It's a nice piece of musical drama and the IU production brought it off neatly.
Timothy Kuhn was Don Giovanni. He acted well and used a wide variety of dramatic and intimate vocal approaches to the part. The orchestra was very cooperative when Kuhn used quieter parts of his voice. Throughout the opera, the recitatives were accompanied by a piano. Often this is played on a harpsichord and it imitates a mandolin for one of the Don's love songs. IU had a real mandolin played from the pit by Bret Hoag.
Guest conductor Mark Gibson led the performance. In the overture, the orchestra sounded a little under prepared. The sound was thin, attacks weren't solid and neither the dramatic sweep nor the lush sweetness of the music were fully realized. However as the performance went on, things came together nicely. At the curtain, in a welcome gesture, the Opera Theatre raised the pit enough for the audience to both see and solidly applaud the orchestra
In the climactic scene of "Don Giovanni" the statue of Donna Anna's murdered father appears to drag the Don down to hell. Jonathan Huckle had the vocal heft and presence that the key part demands. Perhaps Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte were a little nervous about leaving the ending with the still audaciously defiant Don's death. Maybe Mozart simply had more music in his mind. At any rate, following the dramatic end, he wrote a piece for everyone left moralizing the tale. It can seem like a fifth wheel, but the IU production directed by Vincent Liotta, smoothly moved to it with a bit of interjected dialogue.

Review of "Schoolgirl Figure" at the BPP
From 09-22-02, for 09-23 and 09-25
George Walker, WFIU

"Schoolgirl Figure" at the Bloomington Playwrights Project is Wendy MacLoed's social comedy about eating disorders. As I prepared for, I went to a large drugstore and planted myself in the middle of the aisle that contained diet medications and supplements. It was a long aisle. There were dozens of different bottles claiming to ensure painless and rapid weight loss. There were vitamin combinations, stimulating combinations and much, much more. Any market economist could have told me that we are obsessed with weight. MacLoed has set out to make a funny play by lampooning eating disorders at their most critical point of attack, young women.
In "Schoolgirl Figure" there's a weird school-wide competition going on among the girls. The dim bulb resident hunk, Brad played by Brad Fletcher, is the prize of the woman who is the skinniest in school. The competition is so fierce that "Schoolgirl Figure" begins as Brad's third-girl-friend-in-a -row, Monique played by Tanaya Hurst, is dying of malnutrition. What's worse two other girls are already working on whittling themselves down to be the next in line.
The fierce competition is between tall, lean Renee, played by Lyndsey Anderson and shorter, blond and pretty lean as well, Jeanine played by Kim Chapman. Renee is the darker, smarter and wittier of the two, but sunny Jeanine is written with just a touch of the comic blond dumbness. The women are divided into two camps. There are the anorexics who don't eat and worship Karen Carpenter. There are the bulemics, who eat but purge and worship Lady Di. Anne Acker plays Renee's side kick, Patty. Patty is a bulemic, but not very good at it.
"Schoolgirl Figure" is long on talk especially between the hard Renee and the softer but compliant Patty. MacLoed is a witty and insightful writer and comments like, "calories are the dark side of food," "She's not much of a threat as a bulemic, She has a lazy gag reflex," and "Hunger is no excuse for eating," came in a steady stream. The shallowness of the sad drive to be thin takes a pretty solid pounding.
The set by Mark Frederic Smith is simple, but gracefully conceived and executed. It's all in dark pink with blue highlights and a yellow band neatly wrapping the package.
Rick Fonte handled the responsibility of both directing and composing the sounds and music for "Schoolgirl Figure."
You can see this and other WFIU theatre, film and opera reviews on our web site at WFIU dot Indiana dot edu.
Wendy Macloed's "Schoolgirl Figure" is a humorous look at eating disorders that doesn't blink at the seriousness of the issue. It plays at the Bloomington Playwrights Project this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at eight and Sunday at two.
At the theatre for you, I'm George Walker

Review of " Born Yesterday" at the Waldron
From 09-14-02, for 09-16 and 09-18
George Walker, WFIU

Garson Kanin's "Born Yesterday" at the John Waldron Arts Center is a comic patriotic Pygmalion paen of the civic education of worldly innocent with some pretty solid serious moments.
Harry Brock, a crude loudmouthed business man with Senator Norval Hedges in his pocket and Ed Devery a formerly fine lawyer as his lackey has a problem. His former chorus girl girl friend, Billie Dawn, is a little to rough around the edges to gracefully swim the Washington, D.C. waters. Now Harry, played with a nicely turned one note crudity by Eduardo Torres, believes that money, enough money and he's got lots of it, will solve any problem.
In "Born Yesterday," Harry hires Paul Verral, an idealistic young journalist to coach Billie. Jeremy Fisher as Paul, was a delight to watch as his optimism underlayed by intelligence and knowledge simply sparkled. Paul's pupil, Billie Dawn played by Carrie Owen, doesn't stop with the smoothing of her edges. Sparked by Paul's tutoring and the developing love between teacher and star pupil, she simply outgrows Harry and with Paul's help turns the financial tables on him. Carrie Owen carried the transformation of Billie credibly, but I missed the usual transition from Brooklynese to more standard speech that's frequently a hallmark of the part.
The set of "Born Yesterday" is supposed to reflect a suite in New York's swankiest hotel, circa 1947. This is a tall order for any theatre group and especially for one on a budget. There was nicely done color harmony and arrangement to the room with a number of touches that were just right.
The Capraesque ending of "Born Yesterday" can seem overly simple and naïve. I don't think many of us believe that selfishness is the root of all society's problems. However in the last scene of Billie and Paul triumpf, it certainly seems true and right.
Throughout "Born Yesterday" Steven Heise, as Ed Devery, the lacky lawyer did a masterful job with the sad alcoholic decline of his character. Frank Buzcolich as the kept Senator did a fine job as the big dog brought to heel by money. Angie Hickman as the Senator's proper wife, Jeremy Fisher as the stolid maid, Erin Pritchard as three different hotel functionaries and Spencer Hutchinson as Harry's much put upon and dutiful cousin all performed well.
"Born Yesterday" is Megan Anderson's first venture as a director. It's really neat that Bloomington can make this sort of experience available to a young talented person and that she brought it off so well.
You can see this and other WFIU theatre, film and opera reviews on our web site at WFIU dot Indiana dot edu.
"Born Yesterday" in the Rose Firebay of the Waldron Arts Center plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday at eight and Sunday at two.
At the theatre for you, I'm George Walker.

Review of "Die Fledermaus" at the IU Opera Theatre
From 07-28-02, for 07-29 and 07-31
George Walker, WFIU

Johann Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" opened this past weekend at the IU Musical Arts Center in a production expertly conducted by guest Ted Taylor. The orchestra, the singers, and David Higgins' applause-drawing sets were all displayed to good advantage.
The action of "Die Fledermaus" moves from a little illicit domestic infidelity to a full scale intrigue in the midst of a court ball and finally, and appropriately enough, to jail. The staging by IU alum Thor Steingraber milks every imaginable laugh out of the fun-filled show. Under Steingraber's direction, the IU Opera Theatre can really be proud of its acting. The show is full of nuanced performances that flow with the characterizations.
Sunday afternoon, Kinga Skretkowicz was plenty saucy as the maid. She turned heads with her actress audition piece. Chandra Egger's singing and acting as Rosalinda, the wronged wife, dominated her scenes and she made a fine show as a Hungarian with "Die Fledermaus"'s tzardas. Michael Deleget filled the part of the duped husband Eisenstein with charm. Howard Swyers sang strongly as Dr. Falke, the master plotter of the operetta. Laura Vlasak Nolen handled the trouser role of the bored party-giving Prince Orlovsky with strong speaking and even more powerful singing. "Die Fledermaus" was sung in English. When I missed a line or two, I felt a little guilty, but found myself wishing it were in German and I had the supertitles to fall back on.
"Die Fledermaus" gets to the jail in the third act. It's here that the most outrageous comedy of the operetta occurs. Erik Friedman did a good job as the hungover warden Frank, but the best laughs came from the jailer Frosh. Veteran audiences are always wondering about how this non-singing role will be handled. Mathew Holzfeind surprised me by playing Frosh as an Irishman, and pleased me as a very funny Irishman. There were many good gags in the jailer's part, but my favorite was the section where Frosh was so drunk that he became convinced that one of the flies he swatted had the voice of the operatic tenor played by David Ray.
It's also in the jail scene that all the plots and the characters get sorted out."Die Fledermaus" is a delightful tuneful piece of entertainment. At the IU Opera all the characters and the audience left happily satisfied.
You can see this and other WFIU opera, film and theatre reviews on our web site at WFIU dot Indiana dot edu.
The IU Opera Theatre's production of Johann Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" plays this Friday and Saturday at eight.
At the opera for you, I'm George Walker.

"Murder Among Friends" Brown County Playhouse
From 07-11-02, for 07-12 and 07-16
George Walker, WFIU

Bob Barry's "Murder Among Friends" at the Brown County Playhouse is a funny murder mystery, mystery. I didn't stutter there, there's enough twists in this show that 'mystery' needs to be said twice. My theatre partner and I enjoyed most of the intermission trying to guess who was going to do what to whom and even who, who was.
Actor Wolf Sherrill made a welcome return appearance as Palmer, the slightly fading, but still wolfish aging actor. Palmer want his wealthy wife Angela, played by Coryell Barlow, to leave their own boringly domestic farce for the company of angels. Angela, wants Palmer to make a similar career move. Palmer's agent, Ted, played by Jonathan Molitor wants...well, I'd better not reveal too much. All the leads acquitted themselves with aplomb. Director Dale McFadden's overall sense of high style prevailed and was nicely realized in his blocking and direction.
Of the supporting players, I particularly enjoyed the heft that Chris Nelson brought to the character of Marshall the producer. Melissa Joy Nedell, as his wife Gert, cut a classy figure, but was a little inconsistent from speech to speech. She's still working on the focus of her character. The character of Larry, and he's another one that I'd better not tell you too much about, is a difficult one. Dane Bolinger brought good energy to opening night, but needs to let his speeches breath a little more for easy understanding.
"Murder Among Friends" is set in a fancy New York duplex. Chib Gratz's set for the show really had the polish and uncomfortable gloss of just such a place. From the hard bare walls to the furniture that looked more like pieces for the Museum of Modern Art than things you'd want to sit on,and the actual art work, the place looked terrific. The show's overall impact was substantially supported by the rich costumes of Amanda K. Bailey.
The sound design went along with the mood and even got a laugh of its own with selections from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and the exquisite Blossom Dearie.
"Murder Among Friends" is engaging without being too taxing, funny without being too uproarious and classy without being off putting. It's just the sort of entertainment for a summer night.
You can see this and other WFIU theatre, film and opera reviews on our web site at WFIU dot Indiana dot edu.
The Brown County Theatre production of "Murder Among Friends" plays Wednesdays through Sundays through August fourth.
At the theatre for you, I'm George Walker.

Review of “Putting It Together” at the IU Opera Theatre
From 07-06-02, for 07-08 and 07-10
George Walker, WFIU

The IU Opera Theatre took on a terrific challenge in producing Stephen Sondheim’s song collection, “Putting It Together.” Stage Director Vincent Liotta wisely observes that it is “not a musical play, but more than just a revue.” And he’s backed up his observation with a very nicely staged production that dramatizes the Sondheim vignettes drawn from more than fifty years of work in the theatre. Characterizations and style were right up to the mark throughout. Robert O’Hearn’s nicely simple set followed the action with a colorful backdrop that ranged from the blue of the blues to the red of passion.. Musical Director Michael Barrett led the on stage duo piano, percussion and bass ensemble.

The main trouble with “Putting It Together” at IU is that the Sondheim pieces were designed for those cramped little Broadway theatres and they frequently got lost in the spacious domain of the Musical Arts Center. My tickets were for middle orchestra seats in the fourteenth row. I couldn’t hear a great deal of what was being sung in the first act and moved up to the empty third row for the second. Hearing was much better, but I had difficulty in reading the song titles as they were flashed on a screen high above the stage. It may be that following the opening, adjustments will be made but for Saturday my guess was that mid -seventh row was the best compromise

The cast is listed in a nicely apolitical alphabetical order, but the program offers no song credits. So sorting out individuals for credit is a problem. Sondheim’s music and the spirit of his pieces present some real demands for artists of any age. I’m happy to say that the cast handled both the characterizations and the music itself with great control. I can single out Trent Casey for an athletic and vocal tour de force of “I Could Drive a Person Crazy” and Melissa Korzec for a mesmerizing job on “I’m Not Getting Married.” Since it was more of a revue than a play, I did wish for a little more direct contact between the actors and the audience, but that may simply be beyond the scope of this production.With the complexity of Sondheim’s interweaving of his songs, especially in the first act, I can see why a fully detailed program was impossible. But perhaps a list of the major pieces with their artists could be added for this coming weekend’s performances.

Throughout his career Sondheim’s music and lyrics have been on the edge and adult. Although a little soft romance slips in from time to time in “Putting It Together,” it’s mostly about unhappy people either in or out of relationships. It’s a world of big city, country club, fancy, rich people. Although discontented, they act and sing pretty dramatically about it in a lot of creative ways.

You can see this and other WFIU theatre, film and opera reviews on our web site at WFIU dot Indiana dot edu.
“Putting It Together” plays this Friday and Saturday nights at the IU Opera Theatre. The production is worthy of a fuller house than last Saturday night.

At the theatre for you, I’m George Walker.

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