DanceWorks 2021 - UMD Theatre

  

UMD's Dance Works 2021 Brings Variety of Dances to Stage

Kelly Sue Coyle,

Duluth News Tribune 

December 4, 2021

Matthew Wagner, Dance Works 2021 artistic director and assistant professor of dance and musical theater, showcases a blend of faculty, student, and community works to an arts-starved audience coming off a year-and-a-half-long sabbatical.

The performance opened with a quintessential parody of a ballet class, choreographed by LilaAnn Coates White. This piece was presented in three parts scattered throughout the show. Standout Erin Clark had lovely technique. Clark consistently used good turnout (external rotation of the hips), stretched well through the legs, and demonstrated fluid motion.

"The Big Scare in the Big Easy," choreographed by Willa Gulstrand, another parody, was reminiscent of the 1970’s cartoon Scooby Doo. Lighting designer Braden Kowalski did an excellent job bringing bold vintage geometric shapes to the backdrop that framed the dancers well.

An interesting piece, "Hotel California," choreographed by Bettie Schultz, had some very nice choreographic elements. The corps began in two rows semi-silhouette by stage-left side lighting. With most dancers in black, the one woman in red stood out nicely by contrast. This piece had some lovely port de bras (carriage of the arms) while filling the space well. Although I can see why Schultz chose the acoustic guitar introduction version of the music, the live recording with audience noises was distracting to the piece itself.

The upbeat "Go Big or Go Home," choreographed by Jaclyn Nessett, was a lot of fun to watch. The dancers had good energy on stage, but at times seemed to be waiting for the music. Lighting designer Andrew Norfolk almost used his lighting as a percussive support which helped the stage come alive.

"Day by Day" was the strongest tap piece of the show, choreographed by Danielle Mattson and Matthew Wagner. Mattson, who performed "Day by Day" with clear strong sounds, kept excellent time with her quick riffs and pullbacks. "Exile" by Kylee Berude was by far the cleanest and best-executed choreographic work. The movement contained both axial and locomotor movement, good use of space and relationship of dancers, and even energy. Overall, an excellent piece.

The 218 Dance Project dancers stole the show. The pint-sized dancers executed a lyrical piece that blew my socks off. With the choreographic genius of Courtney LaPlante, the stretchy little dancers jumped, twisted, and turned with artistry beyond their years.

By and large, this was an enjoyable show that highlighted faculty, student, and guest artists' work. The costumes and lighting throughout helped to highlight the narrative and created mood. The show provided a nice variety of ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and tap. However, all speaking parts were very difficult to hear and an insert with the guest performers' and choreographers' names was missing.

Maxa, the Maddest Woman in the World - UMD Theatre

 UMD’s Maxa Has Its Flaws, But Delivers the Big Moment 

Lawrance Bernabo 

Duluth News Tribune 

October 15, 2021

The one thing Duluth theater needs to power up to the next level are original works. University of Minnesota Duluth contributes to that endeavor with the world premiere of Maxa, the Maddest Woman in the World.  The new horror musical takes a bumpy road to a powerful payoff delivered by the two actresses playing the title role. 

With book and lyrics by Mika Kauffman and music by Thomas Jacobsen, and codirected by William Payne and Naomi Brecht, Maxa is inspired by the life of Paula Maxa.  Ultimately, the creators are more interested in Paula, as a rape survivor, than in Maxa, the actress who died 10,000 times in myriad horrible ways at Paris’ Grand Guignol Theater. 

The scenic design by Curtis Phillips and Sam Keran uses lights and projections to create a gorgeous crimson symphony of gothic shadows looming over a blood-soaked stage. 

Act 1 has Laura Carlson’s Older Paula looking back on the life of Younger Paula (Mikayla Payne), who seems distracted by the future that she apparently wants (“Wicked”). 

Her subsequent rape is briefly represented in silhouette, which calculatedly undercuts its devastating impact. The trauma is repressed/ forgotten during the rest of the act as Younger Paula first takes over the stage and then the entire theater at the Grand Guignol. 

Act 2 becomes a psychological nightmare setting up Older Paula for “The Game,” where Maxa will “die for the last time.” The biggest thing Maxa has going for besides its look is its cathartic climax delivered by Carlson and Payne in the emotionally wrenching “Despite It All.” 

Jacobsen has pulse-pounding base lines in “The Maddest Woman in the World” and “No Limits, No Rules,” and Patrick Colvin’s band sounded great. But a lot of Kauffman’s lyrics were lost at crucial times because of sound issues. You are struck more by the moments their music creates for the characters and the story than the music itself. 

There is a degree of disappointment about the level of gore at the Grand Guignol because after all the buildup about “The Strangest Showhouse in the World,” you want to see effects several cuts above the “Haunted Irvin.” 

As Georges, Trevor Hendrix plays a pivotal role in the production of the jarring fast-forwarding to his relationship with Paula (“Lovely”). But in both “Georges’ Goodbye” and “I Never Told You,” Hendrix convinces us his love for her is real. 

Maddie Schafer’s lilting voice is used to good effect as Paula’s Mother in “Let Me Hold You” and the “Finale.” Ben Knowlton’s histrionics as the mad doctor were spot on for a Grand Guignol performance, as was the intensity Kelly Solberg brought to “House of Pain.” Jake Mathey has fun as Camille the campy but creepy M.C. of the Grand Guignol. 

Because it is a world premiere, the audience does not know when songs end so they can clap, like they should have at the end of Carlson’s poignant “Scream Into Silence.” Also, it is annoying there are so many students in the audience — presumably theater majors — incapable of seeing the characters because they insist on giggling at their classmates. 

Alice in Wonderland - UMD Theatre

 

Down the Rabbit Hole on the Glensheen Grounds

Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
September 14, 2021

Glensheen’s beautiful grounds were transformed into a magical playground for the University of Minnesota Duluth Theatre’s immersive performance of Alice in Wonderland on Monday. With patio-style string lights and other colored lighting throughout the property, the beautiful trees, and the site’s natural and man-made nooks, crannies, hollows and elevations, the overall visual effect was stunning.

Director Jenna Soleo-Shanks’ concept of having the audience follow Alice “down the rabbit hole” and on the path to the sites of various vignettes from the story was inventive. Unfortunately, the actual execution was, at times, much less successful.

Being so immediate to Lake Superior’s crashing waves was wonderfully atmospheric but added to the difficulty of hearing the unmiked actors. The cast’s relative position to the audience in some places, and blocking that didn’t open them up enough, also caused the audience to miss some of the dialogue.

And while the lights were gorgeous and added dramatically to the ambiance, the actor’s faces were often unlit, causing some of their facial expressions to be lost.

In one instance, audience focus was jarringly split between a smaller scene and, in another location, dialogue, lighting and even an explosion.

Costuming was a mixed bag. Alice’s powder-blue dress, with its twinkling lighted skirt, was absolutely charming. The Mad Hatter’s colorful coat and top hat, and the Red Queen’s elaborate dress and conical hairdo were on point. Some of the other costumes, however, looked like pulled-together pieces from the costume shop that lacked a cohesive concept.

While their performances were enthusiastic and energetic, the cast’s level of acting was uneven. With some diction and projection issues and lack of creative characterization, some of the dazzle of author Lewis Carroll’s imaginative menagerie was lost.

Straight out of Disney casting and with a pitch-perfect voice, Thressa Schultz embodies Alice from the top of her blond head down to her Mary Jane shoes. As the Mad Hatter, Zac Pollitt is appropriately frenetic, and as the Queen of Hearts, Mackenzie Ammon has just the right gravitas and bluster.

I highly recommend audience members bring their own flashlights to help light the irregularly surfaced path. More ushers and the pixie/floral ensemble could also have used additional flashlights to illuminate where people were walking.

If UMD had decided to do a few matinees, younger kids could have come and would not have been afraid of the show’s spookier elements in the dark of night. The show is recommended for ages 10 and over.

Bravo to UMD for tackling a challenging project and venue, and the risks of an outdoor performance in Duluth in the fall. Luckily, on opening night, the theatrical gods were kind, and the rain held out until the very end.

Audience members are advised that they will be continually standing, walking on uneven paths and navigating over stone slab stairs. People are advised to wear appropriate footwear for a walk, and to dress according to current weather conditions. Masks are required.

bare - UMD Theatre

Masked Actors Bare Their Emotions in UMD’s Pop Opera

Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
April 30, 2021

Socially distanced onstage and masked, the company in UMD’s bare had to find new ways to employ their craft, since only their eyes were visible, and they could neither touch or even get too close to their fellow actors.

Kudos to Thomas Jacobsen, director and music director, and choreographer Matthew Wagner, for helping their cast members find new ways to express themselves, with their acting and dance stylized with lyrical grace and symbolic movement to fit the restrictions of staying true to COVID protocols.
Evoking moments of the musicals Spring Awakening and the more comic Do Black Patent Shoes Really Reflect Up?, bare explores some familiar themes of gay love, parental conflicts, bullying, drugs, and suicide, with the intriguing overlay of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare’s classic tale of young, doomed love dovetails with the stories of the musical’s Catholic high school students in rehearsal for the play.  Even some of Shakespeare’s lines are incorporated cleverly in the lyrics of some of the songs.

Telling the story of a hidden love, also doomed, between two boys Peter (Jake Nelson) and Jason (Christopher Hoffman) is the heart of the story.  Trying to keep their love secret from their fellow students, their parents, a priest, and the watchful eye of Sister Chantelle, is a high wire act that is destined to fail.

Nelson and Hoffman are spot on in their portrayals of the geeky, shy and innocent Peter, and Jason, the gregarious, swaggering jock who has girls following in his wake.  Both their songs together and their solos are gorgeously sung with emotion and poignancy.  Both used their expressive eyes as a meaningful part of their journey throughout the show.

Jenessa Iverson as Ivy, the girl who comes between the two boys, shows how even the prettiest girl in school may have real depth and be more than just the “portrait” people see in her.  Iverson used body language and her beautiful voice to bring Ivy to heart-wrenching life.

Daylen Moore, playing Nadia, Jason’s twin sister, was the standout of the show, with her mature and commanding voice coming through crystal clear, even from behind her mask.  Whether in her comic lamentations or soul-searching ballads, she was vocally and emotionally rock solid.

At times, however, for particularly some of the supporting players, the masks did interfere with clarity.  Using subtitles in the exclusively streamed performance may have helped audiences with lyrics in a show that was probably new to most.  The full company harmonies were still, however, absolutely stunning in several spots throughout the production.

I couldn’t stop thinking, though, as I watched the show on my computer at home, how much I would have loved to see it again with a live audience inside Marshall Performing Arts Center and a COVID-free world outside.

I wanted to see the actors’ faces reflecting the unbounded joys and crushing heartaches of young love, to hear their voices unmuffled, and to be a part of the enthusiastic applause and standing ovation that they would have so richly deserved.