When I first read about Kitchen Witches ( a comedy written by Caroline Smith), I cringed. The synopsis sounded cheap and unoriginal. It said something like a cross between Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer. This lowered my expectations. Yet, I trekked over to Stillwater's Town & Gown Theatre to watch their performance and support a friend in the show.
The lights came up on a polished set; designed to look like the studio of a cooking show. It was bright, clean, and solid. For theatre in the round, it was perfect. We, the theatre audience became the studio audience. It truly had the television studio vibe. Everything from the color scheme to the layout was effective.
The play begins with host, Dolly Biddle (played by Linda Thrasher), hosting her cooking show. Her son, Stephen, is the television producer (Nicholas Sumpter). Thrasher came across rather unfocused in her role as the eccentric mother/hostess. It was as if she were given no direction. Her eye contact and delivery were so casual that it felt as if she were working out blocking and dialogue in her head as she went along. Her acting was distracting and hard to swallow.
However, Nicholas Sumpter did a fine job as her over-worked son. I have seen Nicholas in quite a few productions before, and am not always accepting of his acting choices. This was one of his best performances, though. He was lively and diverse not only in his delivery but also in his responses to the other actors. Playing something of a "straight man" with humorous moments, I thought he connected with the character and thus, connected the audience to the play.
One thing I appreciated was the pacing of the show. Areas that could have served as sluggish were carried by the acting. Especially when it came to new-comer, Leigh Murray, who played Isobel Sheets (Dolly's rival), the play got an extra jump start. She was alive and quick on stage. Her "tender moment" with Sumpter proved to be one of my favorite scenes.
Laughs were abundant throughout the show. Even the non-speaking role of the cameraman/assistant, played by Cody Whittenburg, garnered more than his fair share of successful comedic moments. There was no arguing that this show entertained the crowd. Technically, I would have wished for more for the character of Dolly, but director Cindy Sheets whipped up a delightful comedy.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Once Upon A Matress - Gaslight Theatre
The first and foremost reason for attending the Gaslight production of the musical comedy, Once Upon A Mattress, was to support local teen talent. Yes, this was a teen production. As one who lives for honesty, I am going to say what most people think; teen shows are either a suprising hit or a major miss. So, snuggle up with your laptop and join on this magical review of Once Upon A Mattress. For the sake of time, I will mention the highlights.
Once Upon A Mattress is the re-telling of the classic Princess and The Pea, with amped up comical tones. Queen Aggravain has declared that no one in her kingdom shall marry, until her son, Prince Dauntless, finds a wife. Yet, the Queen has decided in her mind that no one is good enough and puts all potentials through a series of ridiculous tests designed to make them fail. Her plan to keep her son single was rocked by the arrival of Fred, a princess from the swamps. Fred's raw personality and uninhibited nature threatens the Queen. Let us take a look at the top performances.
The show opened with the Minstrel (Sarah Swanner) singing the story of The Princess and The Pea. It is said that the opening number of a good show will give an overview of things to come. Not only was Swanner's voice clear and strong, but her performance was immediately friendly and inviting. Despite her age, mic problems, and not having a set or props to rely on, she was able to pull of the opening solo with pitch-perfect precision and confidence. It's nice to have one of the highlights open the show. She was consistently spot-on throughout the entire show.
Sydnee Graves was appropriately cast as the Queen. She was strong, regal, and gave hints of attitude without forgetting that she was royalty. By her acting alone, I believed that she was the mother figure. There were moments where she shined and the show became something more than one would expect.
Another worthwhile character was brought to life by Ryan Fowler, who played King Sextimus. The King lost his voice due to a curse, so he is a character that relies on being expressive. In addition, he has a wandering eye for the women in the castle (matched only by his wandering hand). In a musical such as this, you want to like all of the characters; even the less than honorable ones. Fowler was not only likeable, he was charming. His facial reactions to his co-stars were perfect and clearly delivered his "non-verbal dialogue". If I had a complaint, it was that they did nothing to make him look a little older. When the show opened, I thought he was the Prince's brother.
One of the top female voices belonged to Katelyn Moore, who played Lady Larken. I would not be suprised to find that she had training. There seemed to be an issue of volume, but again that could be due to technical faults. She also deserves kudos for solid acting. Remaining in character, Moore showed little reservation in interacting with her fellow actors. It was a beautiful performance.
Finally, I would have to turn the final spotlight on Dane Krause, the Queen's Wizard. He was a burst of energy that came across effortless. What I enjoyed most his sense of balance in acting. There were many opportunities for Krause to go overboard in an effort to force a laugh, but instead he was genuine and warm. He had one final climatic joke at the end that was over-the-top (he dressed as a bird who was meant to lull the princess to sleep, but squawked out such tunes as "Super Mario Theme" and "Macarena"). I usually despise those sorts of desperate attempts for a laugh, but Krause was so unbelievably committed to the joke (without breaking character) that it payed off as one of the top humorous moments.
A couple of honorable mentions should go to Patrick Yarbrough (Jester) and Evan Chermack (Prince Dauntless). Yarbrough had a strong voice and his solo ("Very Soft Shoes") was a wonderful moment that aside from being touching, showed he could control volume and energy to match the lyrics. Chermack carried his role with (dare I say) adorable infection. His simple portrayal was a nice contrast to the other characters.
The set was very appropriate; a two-tiered structure of a castle. It was not terribly complicated in regards to paint-work, but when we are talking fairy-tales you need little else. The design itself provided all the neccessary components to create great pictures.
The choreography (especially during "An Opening For a Princess") was well-rehearsed and in some ways, rather ambitious. It was obvious that they worked diligently to get movement down, not just during the musical numbers, but general stage-blocking was the cleanest I've seen in a teen show. They moved with purpose and confidence and I never witnessed anyone "guessing" what to do next.
Ginny Shipley successfully directed this top-notch show, and should be proud of the results. Sure, there were a few stereotypical flaws here and there, but the good FAR outshined any criticisms I may have. It was a clean show, overflowing with talent. If I were the Queen (no jokes now), I would thoroughly approve.
Once Upon A Mattress is the re-telling of the classic Princess and The Pea, with amped up comical tones. Queen Aggravain has declared that no one in her kingdom shall marry, until her son, Prince Dauntless, finds a wife. Yet, the Queen has decided in her mind that no one is good enough and puts all potentials through a series of ridiculous tests designed to make them fail. Her plan to keep her son single was rocked by the arrival of Fred, a princess from the swamps. Fred's raw personality and uninhibited nature threatens the Queen. Let us take a look at the top performances.
The show opened with the Minstrel (Sarah Swanner) singing the story of The Princess and The Pea. It is said that the opening number of a good show will give an overview of things to come. Not only was Swanner's voice clear and strong, but her performance was immediately friendly and inviting. Despite her age, mic problems, and not having a set or props to rely on, she was able to pull of the opening solo with pitch-perfect precision and confidence. It's nice to have one of the highlights open the show. She was consistently spot-on throughout the entire show.
Sydnee Graves was appropriately cast as the Queen. She was strong, regal, and gave hints of attitude without forgetting that she was royalty. By her acting alone, I believed that she was the mother figure. There were moments where she shined and the show became something more than one would expect.
Another worthwhile character was brought to life by Ryan Fowler, who played King Sextimus. The King lost his voice due to a curse, so he is a character that relies on being expressive. In addition, he has a wandering eye for the women in the castle (matched only by his wandering hand). In a musical such as this, you want to like all of the characters; even the less than honorable ones. Fowler was not only likeable, he was charming. His facial reactions to his co-stars were perfect and clearly delivered his "non-verbal dialogue". If I had a complaint, it was that they did nothing to make him look a little older. When the show opened, I thought he was the Prince's brother.
One of the top female voices belonged to Katelyn Moore, who played Lady Larken. I would not be suprised to find that she had training. There seemed to be an issue of volume, but again that could be due to technical faults. She also deserves kudos for solid acting. Remaining in character, Moore showed little reservation in interacting with her fellow actors. It was a beautiful performance.
Finally, I would have to turn the final spotlight on Dane Krause, the Queen's Wizard. He was a burst of energy that came across effortless. What I enjoyed most his sense of balance in acting. There were many opportunities for Krause to go overboard in an effort to force a laugh, but instead he was genuine and warm. He had one final climatic joke at the end that was over-the-top (he dressed as a bird who was meant to lull the princess to sleep, but squawked out such tunes as "Super Mario Theme" and "Macarena"). I usually despise those sorts of desperate attempts for a laugh, but Krause was so unbelievably committed to the joke (without breaking character) that it payed off as one of the top humorous moments.
A couple of honorable mentions should go to Patrick Yarbrough (Jester) and Evan Chermack (Prince Dauntless). Yarbrough had a strong voice and his solo ("Very Soft Shoes") was a wonderful moment that aside from being touching, showed he could control volume and energy to match the lyrics. Chermack carried his role with (dare I say) adorable infection. His simple portrayal was a nice contrast to the other characters.
The set was very appropriate; a two-tiered structure of a castle. It was not terribly complicated in regards to paint-work, but when we are talking fairy-tales you need little else. The design itself provided all the neccessary components to create great pictures.
The choreography (especially during "An Opening For a Princess") was well-rehearsed and in some ways, rather ambitious. It was obvious that they worked diligently to get movement down, not just during the musical numbers, but general stage-blocking was the cleanest I've seen in a teen show. They moved with purpose and confidence and I never witnessed anyone "guessing" what to do next.
Ginny Shipley successfully directed this top-notch show, and should be proud of the results. Sure, there were a few stereotypical flaws here and there, but the good FAR outshined any criticisms I may have. It was a clean show, overflowing with talent. If I were the Queen (no jokes now), I would thoroughly approve.
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