Some business first:
I need to formalize a policy on comments. I don’t want to, but I need to. As I said before, if the readers wish to comment, they have the right to do so anonymously or with a name. They can say what they want about me, my analysis or my writing. They can call me names. And they have. And I will approve the comments for posting. If a reader takes issue with another reader’s comment, I believe in a free market of philosophies and ideas, and will also publish those. When the comments become personal attacks on another reader, I have to draw the line and require that the person use their name. And not just a first name, as it turns out.
If you look back at the comments on the last post, you’ll see that someone named Karl posted a retort to Craig Gustafson’s comment concerning a sold-out performance. And, had I read it closer, I would have seen that Karl’s arguments, while having some rhetorical and philosophical validity, became an ambush on Craig near the end. I received the email telling me that Karl had commented while I was driving home last night, and a quick look (yes, I’m a bad boy) showed that there was a link associated with his name, so thinking the bases were covered, I hit the “publish” button. Then Craig responded while I was grocery shopping, and knowing him, I just published it. Finally, somewhere in the dairy section, I thought of Craig again and looked closer and realized I needed to do something. I sat in the parking lot and dashed off a quick comment. When I actually looked at Karl’s link, I found it was to deathclock.com. By the way, I put my information in it, and it told me I had zero seconds to live and should have died in 2008. WOO-HOO...I win!!! So, the rule is: “If it gets personal between readers, then real names have to be used.” I’m sure someone will have an issue with that, but you can’t please everyone. And, it’s my pool, so my rules. And no peeing.
The sad part in all this is that Craig has asked to be removed from the mailing list that I use when I send out notices about a new post. And that’s the only time I send anything. If people are getting more than that, please let me know. I don’t send out anything about comments being published. Just the initial review. To paraphrase Craig, who I've known for 35 to 40 years, “How many more anonymous pinheads (or the same one, multiply, probably) am I supposed to deal with?...Has nothing to do with what you write.” Sad.
On to the mini-reviews...
Yellow Face: I saw this Silk Road Project production last Thursday, and really enjoyed it. I have since discovered that it is an equity show, so it falls outside the breadth of my criticism. I will say that it is well written, acted and paced. There is a wonderful ensemble of actors playing multiple roles that brings this mash-up of autobiography and fantasy to life. It does get sluggish and preachy midway through the second act, but everything pulls together nicely at the end. It closes this Sunday. If you have an opportunity to get downtown to see anything, this is a good one to see. Look for discounts on GoldStar or Hot Tix or wherever. For more info, go to srtp.org.
ART: This production is part of the 4th Annual Walkabout Theater On Your Feet. It only runs three Saturdays in July, the last one being 7/30/11. Go here for more info and call to get on the list for one of the theatre tours. It’s like a pub-crawl for theatre, and well worth the $15. Besides seeing a good show performed in three parts at three different venues by three different theatre companies, you also get a nice t-shirt, some yummy pastry at a coffee shop, some exercise walking through downtown Elgin and a chocolate malt at Al’s Café while you fill out a comment card at the end of the tour. I was intrigued by the concept of seeing three different interpretations of the characters within a 2-hour period. Even more interesting: as the show progresses, the group of actors get younger. As a theatre geek, I found the experience wonderful, and well worth the price of admission.
I need to make a disclosure: I played the role of Marc in a production of this play in 2004. I’m very familiar with the script. My favorite line is Marc saying, "The older I get, the more offensive I hope to become." It was foreshadowing. This version has been sanitized of any f-bombs. If you don't know the play, you can find information here.
I found the approach of each group to be unique, but not always successful. The first “act” was presented by Janus Theatre Company, directed by Sean Hargadon, and played at Villa Verone, an Italian restaurant in downtown Elgin. The characters of Marc, Serge and Yvan are played (in order) by Brian Rabinowitz, Steve Macarus and Chris Bibby. Each did a nice job of establishing a character and playing their moments. The direction used the venue space well and was well-paced. And as a whole, I liked it. But they never overcame what I think is an inherent problem in the script/story: It's hard to accept that these three men are actually friends. There is nothing in the script that would make you believe it, and as the scene went on, I never felt that these three cared about each other. Not bad...but I wanted more.
The second "act" was performed at the Elgin Art Showcase and presented by The Guild Theatre. The usual suspects were played (in order) by David Schaplowsky, Paul Sprecher and Scott Mills, directed by Dan Scott. Unfortunately, these were the least compelling performances of these characters. If the Janus group had a hard time overcoming the script weakness, the Guild cadre ignored it. The whole scene played too low key, with no sense of energy, and lost moments of comedy. Mills brought some life to it with his entrance, and then lost that momentum through his long monologue, disrupting the flow with ill-timed pauses. Everyone seemed detached from the other, and it didn't play as an ensemble. Add to that the terrible acoustics (everything sounds like it's in a cave), and the terrible use of natural light. At some point, someone should tell them that putting the "white" painting in front of a window adds the shadow of the frame's cross-bars and ruins the effect. The irony is it happens during a scene where they talk about where the painting should go in the apartment. I laughed for the wrong reason.
The third act turned out to be the best. Presented by Nothing Special Productions, in Ravenheart Cafe, the cast (in order) is Joe Bianco, Kurt Proepper and Scott Sawa directed by Mikey Laird. There was so much energy to the scene, especially coming from the droning of the scene before it, that it was compelling and attention-grabbing. It was exciting to watch these three very talented actors. And they did overcome the flaw. I believed they were friends. The looks that passed between the three spoke volumes about how much they cared. It was a great ending to the concept piece. And after that, a chocolate malt at Al's Cafe. How can you resist?
Your last chance is tomorrow 7/30. I made my reservation last Saturday via the phone at 11am and got a spot on the first tour at 1pm. Give them a call at 847-841-1713.
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