Showing posts with label Rachel Finch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rachel Finch. Show all posts

Monday, August 8, 2016

Fringe Festival 2016: "The Real World Fringe Festival"

Day: 4

Show: 15


Category: Comedy

By: Trusty Paper Ship

Written by: Annie Scott Riley

Location: Mixed Blood Theatre

Summary: Like an episode of MTV's Real World franchise, except it's onstage instead of on TV, and it's at the Fringe Festival.

Highlights: Confession: I was a loyal viewer of The Real World back in the early days, before there even was such a thing as social media. But in this Real World, the housemates spend most of their time on their phones, worrying about their social media presence. This allows the creators to skewer not just reality TV, but also our larger obsession with social media. We meet the seven housemates (a disappointingly less diverse cast than the real Real World casts) in a series of vignettes, complete with "testimonials" Real World style. The cast (David Beukema, Sarah Broude, Stephen Frethem, Rachel (Finch) Postle, Marcia Svaleson, Rob Ward, and Katie Willer) is great and fully commits to their larger-than-life stereotypical characters. There are some amusing observations about the social media world and some clever fourth-wall-breaking and acknowledgement of being on a stage. I wasn't wowed by the show, but it was kinda fun.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

"Six Characters in Search of an Author" at Park Square Theatre

I first saw director and playwright Alan Berks' adaptation of the 1921 Italian play Six Characters in Search of an Author three years ago at Gremlin Theatre (one of the last shows in their space on University in St. Paul). I called it "a weird, trippy experience, one that's difficult to explain or make sense of. But it sure is fun to try." I was eager to take that trip again with a slightly revamped version of the show, featuring some of the original cast members and some new ones. It was fun to see it in a new space with some new additions, and with a little more preparation for what I was in for. It's still pretty weird and trippy, and still asks some intriguing questions about reality, fiction, and theater itself. What follows is what I wrote three years ago, but with some updates about this production.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

"Boeing Boeing" by Torch Theater at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage

Boeing Boeing is the perfect screwball comedy. Though this tale of an American playboy in Paris with three "air hostess" fiances was a hit in France, the English translation flopped on Broadway in 1965. But the revival over 40 years later was a hit and spurred a flood of regional productions around the country. Fortunately for Twin Cities theater-goers, Torch Theater chose it as one of it's 2015 shows at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage. With a stellar cast, spot on direction, and a swinging '60s vibe created by set, costumes, and music, it's practically perfect in every way (to quote that other big show). I can't remember the last time I laughed so much at the theater!

Bernard lives in a swanky apartment in Paris with his three international fiances, none of whom know about the other two. He tells his friend Robert, visiting from Wisconsin, that he's able to pull this off due to careful planning and paying attention to the time tables of the women's three airline employers, and of course with the begrudging help of his organized maid Berthe. Everything runs swimmingly and all parties are happy with the arrangement until a perfect storm of weather over the Atlantic and faster planes causes all three women to be in the apartment at the same time. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Bernard, Robert, and Berthe go to great lengths to keep the women apart for as long as they can, which results in lots of physical comedy and door slamming. It's like a shell game trying to keep track of who's in which room. But of course it can't go on forever, and the truth, or some version of it, eventually comes out.

Stacia Rice, Zach Curtis, and Sam Landman
(photo by Thomas Sandelands)
I can't decide who in this six-person cast is my favorite; they're each my favorite in different moments. Director Craig Johnson has set the perfect campy tone with precise comedic timing that the cast executes brilliantly. Sam Landman as Bernard is the picture of a cool and confident '60s playboy, until his perfect plan starts to fall apart and he becomes increasingly more desperate. As square Wisconsinite Robert, Zach Curtis* literally throws himself around the set in service of the comedy. Mo Perry's* expressions as put-upon maid Berthe are priceless; add to that her impeccable line delivery and she's quite the scene stealer. And the three air hostesses are all hilarious and fabulous. Stacia Rice (Torch's Artistic Director) is the master of the entrance, making Italian Gabriella's presence known with an arm flung elegantly over her head, her cape and gloves thrown down, commanding attention. As American Gloria, Rachel Finch is smart and confident, walking around the apartment doing exercises and eating her pancakes with ketchup. German Gretchen is embodied by Sara Richardson with her wide expressive eyes, her head cocked perfectly to the side in her short blond wig as she pauses for laughter, sweet one minute and sour the next.

Mo Perry and Sara Richardson
(photo by Thomas Sandelands)
Since the characters come from different countries they all speak in accents, but they're not meant to be realistic. They're the delightfully exaggerated accents of comedy - French, German, Italian - even American Gloria speaks with a tony East Coast accent, and Wisconsinite Robert sounds decidedly Midwestern (read Stacia's thoughts on the accents in this article in the Pioneer Press). Every aspect of the show is over the top, yet somehow you still seem to care about these characters and want to see them end up happy.

Eli Schlatter's set design looks like something out of a '60s sitcom: clean lines, bar stools, black leather furniture, a globe bar, corded phone, and a bright orange bean bag that gets much use. Katherine B. Kohl has created mod faux stewardess uniforms that are to die for, complete with matching hats, coats, gloves, shoes, and what looks like authentic vintage bags from TWA, Alitalia, and Lufthansa. The music playing before the show and during intermission is the icing on the cake, perfectly completing the cohesive '60 theme of the show.

Staging a play from the '60s about a man with three fiances during Women's History Month could be a mistake, but somehow it doesn't seem sexist. It's clear that the women have the upper hands in this polygamous relationship, and they all get what they want in the end. It seems that Bernard really does care for them all, even if he is lying to and manipulating them. And in the '60s, "air hostess" was one of the few careers open to women that allowed them to be independent and travel the world; these women are no pushovers.

Boeing Boeing is a hilarious broad comedy, perfectly executed by the Torch Theater team. If you're looking for a good laugh, go see it between now and April 4 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).


*It's worth noting that Mo Perry and Zach Curtis are doing double duty; they're concurrently appearing as Mrs. and Mr. Capulet in Romeo and Juliet at Park Square Theatre, which is mostly performed during the daytime for students. So it's logistically quite possible, but also probably creates a bit of whiplash going from the great romantic tragedy to this high comedy. On second thought, that probably makes it easier.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

Monday, March 4, 2013

"Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Alan Berks & Company at the Gremlin Theatre

I must confess, I'm a reality show junkie. But only the good ones - competition shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, Project RunwayTop Chef (congratulations Kristen!), American Idol, and Dancing with the Stars (my pick for the new season - Dorothy Hamill and Tristan!). I love these shows, but I'm very aware that they're a heightened and manipulated version of "reality." So when Alan Berks & Company's Six Characters in Search of an Author started out as a clever spoof of a reality show, I was in familiar territory. But soon the play took an unexpected turn into something much darker and deeper, a surreal exploration of reality vs. fiction and the creative process. Not what I was expecting, but a fascinating ride.

Director Alan Berks and his talented company of actors have created a new adaptation of the 1921 Italian play of the same name, in which six people appear during the rehearsal of a play, saying they're characters from an unfinished story, searching for a new author. In this version, the play rehearsal has been replaced by a reality show called The Maze, in which contestants live in a mansion, searching for a key that will lead them to the hidden treasure (a show I might watch). Three contestants remain, with convenient reality show labels (and bearing the actors' real names) - the jerk Sam (Landman, so brilliant in Thom Pain a few months ago), the flirt Rachel (Finch, the highlight of Theatre in the Round's recent Rabbit Hole), and the dude Michael (Terell Brown, a standout in Theatre Coup d'Etat's Angels in America last summer). Along with the weary cameraman Joe (Weiner, who ably handles the camera as we view the footage live) and hotshot young producer Bryan (Porter*), they settle in for another day of trying to make something interesting happen. And boy, does it.

the cast and crew of The Maze
The six characters drop in from a story all their own, fully formed, aching to complete their story but forever stuck within it. There's a stern father (John Middleton), a grieving mother (Colleen Barrett), a neglected son (Max Wojtanowicz*), a rebellious stepdaughter (ShaVunda Horsley), and two young children (creepily represented by white garden statues). To say they're a dysfunctional family is an understatement. They tell their story in pieces, each one interrupting and contradicting the others. Producer Bryan begins to think there's a story here, and agrees to tell it on The Maze. He gets his contestants to act out the scenes, in the house and via confessional (that reality show staple). But the characters are not happy with this depiction, and insist on telling their story to it's final and terrible conclusion.

The use of video in this play is unlike anything I've seen on stage. We see the action play out from the production room in the house, full of cameras, monitors, and wires, with just a bit of the actual house visible through the glass door in the back wall. Two monitors show live feed of the kitchen and entry way, just on the other side of that wall. Another monitor shows either taped footage of other areas of the house (bedrooms, hallways, the pool) or live feed from the camera as Joe films what's going on right in front of us. It's a lot to take in, you're never quite sure where to look, but it shows the audience several different perspectives of what's happening, and adds another layer to that reality/truth conundrum.

Six Characters is a weird, trippy experience, one that's difficult to explain or make sense of. But it sure is fun to try. What is reality? What is fiction? And what lies in between? (Reality shows, and maybe theater too.) It's a really clever new adaptation of a classic play. The cast is so talented (the reality show cast so natural, the "characters" appropriately dramatic) that it's fun to watch them play; the only problem is it's impossible to watch all of them at the same time. Add in the innovative use of video, and you have a unique and entertaining evening at the theater. The Six Characters continue searching for an author at Gremlin Theatre** through March 24. (Discount tickets available on Goldstar.com.)



*I was quite tickled when I realized that this play brings together two Cliffs from Cabaret - Bryan from the recent BCT production, and Max from Frank Theatre's production two years ago.
**Gremlin Theatre is losing their current space on University in St. Paul, and are looking for a new space. They will produce one last show there in June. I'll be sad to see it go. It's a nice space (that also hosted Fringe Festival shows) in an easy location with free parking. But I've really come to appreciate the Gremlin's work, so I'll follow them wherever they go.

Monday, January 14, 2013

"Rabbit Hole" at Theatre in the Round

Theatre in the Round is celebrating their 500th mainstage production with the 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole. It's a feat unmatched by any other theater in town, and this play is a great choice for this milestone event. Rabbit Hole is a really well-written contemporary play with just five (onstage) characters, who talk the way real people talk. The play depicts an unthinkable but unfortunately real situation - a family trying to cope with grief after the accidental death of a child. It's pretty intense, but fortunately there are some lighter humorous moments that break up the intensity, just like in life. From the cast to the direction to the set, Theatre in the Round does a fine job with this difficult work.

The story begins eight months after the death of 4-year-old Danny. Grieving parents Becca (Elena Gianetti) and Howie (Ron Ravensborg) are dealing with the tragedy in different ways (she wants to move out of the house to avoid reminders, he repeatedly watches videos of their son), and are having a hard time meeting in the middle. Becca's sister Izzy (Rachel Finch, the standout in the cast with her completely natural acting) is her polar opposite and tries to distract everyone with her colorful life. Adding some much need comic relief is their mother Nat (Linda Sue Anderson, who's a hoot), with her crazy theories about "the Kennedy curse" and other rants. The delicate family balance is disturbed when the young man responsible for the accident appears (the appealing Kenny Martin II). This feels like a very real family dealing with a very real problem, struggling, sometimes failing, but continuing to be there for each other.

The "in the round" stage looks like a real (but very neat, which is understandable given who lives there) contemporary home, complete with kitchen, dining room, living room, and a child's bedroom that looks as if he never left (set design by Peter W. Mitchell). I have a strange fascination with watching people perform real-life mundane tasks on stage, like folding laundry and washing dishes, and there's plenty of that here in this lifelike home. One of the things I love about Theatre in the Round is that you get to walk right through the set to get to your seats, which makes it seem even more real. The nature of an "in the round" theater provides an interesting staging problem, but thanks to the direction by David Coral, I never felt like I was missing out on anything, even if a character's back was to me. During the effective scene transitions, the lights dim but don't go out, as evocative and appropriate music plays. We see the characters progress from one room/scene to another, in what are not throwaway moments but rather add to building the characters.

Rabbit Hole is playing weekends now through February 3. If you haven't seen any of the previous 499 productions at Theatre in the Round, number 500 is a good place to start.


Elena Gianetti and Ron Ravensborg
as grieving parents Becca and Howie

Monday, October 3, 2011

"reasons to be pretty" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at the Guthrie Studio

I'm not sure what's going on, but I've seen several plays recently about angry people yelling at and being violent with each other.  First was the story of battling brothers in True West, then the intersecting stories of gay men in the 1950s and today in The Pride, and now Neil LaBute's tale of two troubled couples - reasons to be pretty.  Don't get me wrong, they're all brilliant plays beautifully staged and acted, but it's a lot to take in in a short time!

The play opens with an argument between Steph and Greg.  Steph is offended and betrayed by something that Greg said about her - that she has a "regular" face in comparison to a pretty girl.  A small thing, but with huge consequences.  Steph can't stand to be with someone who she thinks doesn't like the way she looks, as much as Greg tries to convince her that it's not true.  So she leaves him, after four years of being together.  The other couple in the play are their friends and Greg's co-workers, Kent and Carly.  They seem to be happily married on the surface, but as the play goes on we begin to see just how much of a jerk Kent is.  Which makes Greg's slightly offensive comment seem entirely forgivable.

Thinking back, I don't think that the two women ever shared a scene together, which is interesting because their relationship is the strongest and most healthy.  But their conversations take place outside of the play, and we only see the alternately friendly and contentious relationships between the other pairs - Greg and Steph, Greg and Kent, Greg and Carly, Kent and Carly.  There's a lot of talking in this play, and it sounds the way real people talk, complete with swearing and talking over each other, inappropriate statements and humor.  But there's also some action, as Greg and Kent's relationship comes to a violent end after Kent says something unforgivable about Steph.

Ivey's "emerging artist" Anna Sundberg is believable and relatable as Steph, whose sense of hurt and betrayal is completely understandable (even if I wanted her to forgive Greg).  By the end of the play, Joseph Bombard's Greg turns out to be a sweet, smart, nice guy and a good friend, despite his flaws and the fact that it was his blunder that started the whole mess.  You really empathize with him through all the ugliness, and we're left with a little bit of hope that his life will get better.  Andrew Sass has a little bit too much fun as the creep Kent who's cheating on his pregnant wife and has absolutely no guilt about it.  As has happened a few times recently, I felt the urge to boo him at the curtain call because his character is so unlikeable!  Rachel Finch is sweet and strong and vulnerable as the wronged woman Carly, who knows there's something going on but doesn't want to admit it.  The cast plays and fights together very well in the various combinations of characters.

reasons to be pretty is an interesting reflection on appearance and beauty.  Something that we really can't get away from in this culture, as much as we might like to think we're above it.  This play seems to present more reasons NOT to be pretty, as being pretty causes all sorts of problems.  Or rather, people's reactions to and expectations of beauty.

I love the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie Theater.  It introduces me to theater companies I never would have heard of otherwise.  Such as Walking Shadow Theatre Company, which I will now be keeping on my radar.  Once again I caught this show just as it was closing (sorry!).  But the rest of their season looks interesting - I do love an Oscar Wilde play!  And as much as I've enjoyed seeing these heavy plays in the last week or so, after all this drama, anger, and violence, I'm really ready for a light-hearted musical comedy.