One River Gives the St. Louis its Due
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
September 29, 2016
Lake Superior gets all the attention — splashy showoff that “she” is.
In their premiere performance of One River, playwright and UMD professor Tom Isbell and his strong 11-member ensemble celebrate that other body of water in our backyard by telling stories about the less glamorous, but also breathtakingly beautiful St. Louis River.
Isbell was inspired by the “One River, Many Stories” project, which challenged area journalists, writers, poets, historians and anyone else with a point of view to collect, write and present stories about life on the 192-mile St. Louis River.
An evening of vignettes, quotes and history, UMD Theatre’s original production includes shining moments of purposeful acting and impactful storytelling. Music is also used effectively throughout, both as underscore and to present some of the show’s themes.
The events kick into gear with the comic “One River Rap” relating the evolution of the project. The song ends with an homage to the musical “Hamilton,” complete with period costuming and iconic posing.
As a pair of amorous beavers on the banks of the river, Erica VonBank and Ryan Haff have a hilarious scene showing the semi-aquatic rodents’ awkward mating ritual. Their Canadian accents, the stuffed animal beavers perched atop their heads and their understated discussion about a “passionate” proposal make this a comic highlight.
Another comically effective scene relates, with silly props and purposefully overly dramatic action, the myths and legends surrounding the 1871 digging of the Duluth ship canal. This satirical take on the “war” with Superior over which city would have the most accessible port portrays how some of the animosity between the two halves of the Twin Ports “equation” originated.
In one of the show’s strongest character portrayals, Rebekah Meyer, as area ornithologist Laura Erickson, is both funny in her breathless amazement at the world of river birds and sweetly touching in her simple close encounter with a chickadee and in her sadness at the plight of the endangered piping plovers.
Sara Thomsen’s folk song, “Precious Water,” sung hauntingly by VonBank, relates one side of the agonizing conflict over copper-nickel mining and its potential for damage to both the river and the lake. Helping it from becoming too preachy, the scene shows the equally strongly held beliefs on the other side, including the positive economic impact of the mines and America’s ever-increasing need for copper.
As a new, never before produced work, not all of the pieces succeed as well as others, nor do some of the segues flow quite smoothly enough. The pieces about the geological history of the river, the history of Clough Island, and the recounting of the 2012 flood go on a bit too long, losing some of their impact.
This moving theater presentation, however, accomplishes what Isbell set out to do, blend a mosaic of many voices into one lyrical artistic whole, leaving the audience with the desire to go down to the oft-ignored river to see for themselves why it is such a glorious Northland treasure.
One River was something that I have never seen before. This show was premiered September 29th through October 8th, 2016 in the black box theater at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Director Tom Isbell came together with a crew of 11 to celebrate the history behind the beautiful St. Louis River by connecting a bunch of its past events and creating a knowledgeful but yet, entertaining night!
ReplyDeleteOne River was the first play I have ever seen in a black box theater and by the end of it, it made me crave for another one. Personally, first off, I think Tom Isbell made the perfect decision on the location of this performance. The black box theater fit perfect with the theme and atmosphere of the story. The closeness between the actors and the audience created more tension and a bigger connection than I feel like a different theatre would have create.
These actors and actresses did a fantastic job using the closeness between them and the audiences. They kept good clean eye contact and never seemed to miss a person. While telling their story, while telling the facts behind the stories, the eye contact they used seemed to keep the attention on them.
The performers of this performance not only mastered the eye contact, but they also mastered their lines. Not once did a slip up happen nor a stutter. They all had clear cut voices throughout the whole performance filling up the little empty spaces in the room. Some may have out powered others but it definitely did not take away anything.
Within these actors faces, there was always a slight smirk. They portrayed their love for acting into this performance. Every scene, the performers seemed to put their all into it and made sure that they were going to give off another great show that night. For example, Rebekah Meyer playing her role as Laura Finley not only told the story, but embraced it and showed it as if it was her own. This scene brought laughter and smiles to the audience as Meyer boasts her love for birds and reveals the feelings in her voice.
Believe it or not, there was a couple dull parts that may or may not could have been spead up. The transitions or closing lines could have ended a little quicker. Besides the transitions, the one other part that stood out to me was the scene of the flash flood. It took away some of the tension and strive for more. This scene just seemed to drag on a little more than it should have but besides it taking too long, it was definitely performed well.
Overall, the performance One River was directed, choreographed, and presented very well. I was never a big one into history but this performance caught my attention and kept it the whole time. This would definitely be a show I would recommend to people, it gives a history lesson with a little kick to it.
The greatest success of One River is the effectiveness of its lessons. Through excellence in writing, acting, and just good old fashioned storytelling, One River allows people of all backgrounds to discover what they are missing out on in their backyards. Tom Isabell and the crew behind this informative show shine a spotlight on the curious, beautiful, and historic St. Lewis river.
ReplyDeleteWhat really worked for One River was the functional and clever use of the set. The multiple moving wooden parts worked as platforms, chairs, tables, a make-shift car, and even canoes! The audience really got a kick out of the moving “canoes!” Having a set that can be manipulated to the whim of the director and actors as well as take advantage of a smaller space like the Dudley Experimental Theatre was brilliant. A great example of a functional yet aesthetically pleasing set!
One feature of the show that worked well was the scattering of poetry throughout the play. It gave the audience time to “refresh” before the next scene as well as re-centering the play on the river. Since the play does not follow a strict story line this transitional method was very effective. The variety of poetry, music, and comedic breaks greatly contributed the overall pace and feel of the show.
A fan favorite was Rebekah Meyer’s performance as quirky bird enthusiast Laura Erickson. Meyer’s performance was both humorous and impactful as she told Erickson’s story. This scene put the spotlight on birds and how they have been impacted by environmental changes. Meyer creates a great deal of sympathy and contagious love for the little birds we often ignore. I think just about everyone in the audience would like to go bird watching with Laura Erickson now!
The biggest take away: what do we want our future world to look like? To mine or not to mine is certainly the question. Kayla Peters gives a beautiful performance as the poet Sheila Packa that talks about this issue in Northeastern Minnesota and many like it. What is happening to the St. Louis river is happening all over the country and world. One River shows us that environmental issues are closer to us than we think and that action needs to be taken now to protect natural resources like the St. Louis River.
Isabell really succeeded at creating and putting on a play that not only educates the audience about the St. Lewis River, but creates the desire to go out and see what the big fuss is all about!
Ndina Minga
ReplyDeleteOne River
Even though the show was great and informative from the beginning until it ended, the people to be thanked for their commitment and work are the backstage people that helped make the production come alive.
People such as,Tom Isbell, the director, did a unique job directing this play and using the information he learned about the river to be presented in the show and its various occurrences throughout the years. Other than the director, some people who should also be thanked are Kia Lor, the scenic designer, and Brandin Stagg the costume designer. The way the scene was set up made the setting seem altogether and with each performance it went well and their costumes went with the scenes they were presenting.
Others to be thanked are Mark Harvey, the lighting designer and Ben Harvey, the sound designer. With the scenes that had more dramatic effect, the sound and lighting were spectacular because it made everything and everyone involved creatively used the materials to make the stage and stories seem more realistic.
The performers did a great job providing information towards the audience about the river and everything that had happened. Therefore, watching the performances made it feel like as if it was a classroom setting because of the information provided and history behind it. But it was also exciting to watch because of the different ways everything was presented.
By opening the play with the “One River Rap” really captured the audience’s attention because it seemed like the play would only consist of the actors telling the audience members information but the rap was something similar but different. Also, with the location of the play it suited well with the play because it gave the actors a chance to be engaged with the audience if they wanted.
Another thing that was greatly done was making it seem like it was not really a play but rather themselves playing themselves. Some parts when they talked it seemed like they would be going off script or making up words themselves but it would be something actually from the script. They did a really great job making it seem like they were not performing but instead telling stories of their past that way people watching seem engaged and interested.
Also, the performers creatively used the props to set things into action and their vocals were something that they used to make a scene seem more realistic. Like when they were on the “canoes” moving around by having other performers to push them all over stage.
The Wednesday, October 5th 2016 performance of One River put on by the UMD theater department was packed, not an empty seat in the house. The play isn’t one single story, but a compilation of many stories that each take place along the St. Louis River. It is special to Duluth due to the proximity to the St. Louis River, which often gets forgotten about in the shadow of Lake Superior.
ReplyDeleteThe director, Tom Isbell, did a great job of creating an original, entertaining play from an unfinished script, which made production even more difficult. Each story was captivating by itself, and the combination made the importance of the St. Louis River evident.
Since many of the scenes took place along side the river, Kia Lor, the scenic director faced the challenge of portraying such a vast body of water in a rather small space. With only a few large pieces that were moveable, she successfully created the feeling of sitting next to a river. Each scene was unique, even with very few pieces.
The “One River Rap” was very well performed, and provoked many laughs from the audience. Andy Frye, who is a UMD graduate, created modern choreography that was thoroughly practiced and executed flawlessly. The choreography matched the upbeat hip-hop style lyrics, that told the quick summary of the play.
Erica VonBank beautifully showcased both her singing and guitar playing talent in an emotional song about mining along the river. The lyrics of the song expressed the feelings of residents along the river, repeating, “we don’t want your mines”, due to the pollution that mines inevitably leave behind. The performance was a creative way to address a serious problem that is relevant today.
The poetry written by Shelia, recited by Kyliah Thompson, was moving, and another example of how the St. Louis River inspires artists across all mediums. Kayla Peters, who played Shelia, gave a performance full of emotion, providing the audience with the feeling of being next to the river alongside her. Shelia’s story was especially relatable, demonstrating how broad the reach of the river really is.
Another scene that especially stuck out was the recreation of the 2012 floods. The intensity of the actors as they ran around reporting the news and slamming newspapers on the stage effectively gave the feel of chaos felt during a large thunderstorm. The sound effects done by Ben Harvey intensified these feelings.
The entire cast and crew took on a large job when attempting to preform a play from an unfinished script, but everything was designed and executed very well. The audiences’ attention was captured the entire 90 minutes, while evoking deep thoughts about the importance of the St. Louis River. It is no surprise that the show sold out multiple times.
One River written by Tom Isbell was a truly clever show that put all of its effort into informing the audience of the important role of the St. Louis River. It was a show that told the audience to appreciate the nature around them, especially in a city that has such a rich history surrounding its nature. The performance of One River did its best to engage and entertain the audience around this idea; however no matter how engaging the actors and script were the topics covered came off as dry.
ReplyDeleteThe actors of One River used high amounts of energy and enthusiasm to get their points across to the audience making each scene ejected with a sense of interest and fun. This is especially true of Ryan Haff the actor who played Tom Isbell. Haff’s performance was fun to watch and easy to hear, Haff did an excellent job of projecting so that each word was easy to hear and understand. Haff also played a Beaver during mating season, which was one arguably of the funniest scenes in the show. Overall Haff’s performance was very well done.
By focusing on many different stories instead of just one, the show seemed to lack a main character that the audience could identify with. Although the show was fun and interesting to watch, it would have been nice to have a character that stayed constant. That being said, each new story was introduced and communicated in an interesting way. When Phil Hoelscher played a geologist and explained the formation of the St. Louis River, it had the potential to be a very boring scene. The topic discussed was a dry one, however the amazing thing about this show was that no matter how boring the topic the cast presented it in a way that made it interesting to watch. By having Hoelscher click through slides and subsequently “move” the glacier that consisted of the other actors, it made the scene hilarious and engaging. One of the best parts of the show was the ingenious ways that the actors communicated concepts and ideas.
The “One River Rap” Written by Tom Isbell and Andy Kust and choreographed by Andy Frye was a spontaneous burst into song creating a lighthearted atmosphere for the audience. This was an imaginative way to communicate ideas and was executed expertly by the cast. By changing up the way they presented information and keeping the actors engaging, Isbell made each new idea fun.
The set of the show was done in a simple yet interesting way, which really accented the idea of the play. By having each scene use minimal props and moveable set pieces the scenic designer Kia Lor did a great job of using what limited space she possessed. The fact that the show was shown in the black box gave Lor little room to work with, which she used to her advantage, each scene used the same set pieces however they were used in a completely different way. This idea enhanced the imaginative feel of the show and limited space.
Although this show focused on the St. Louis River, the river was not shown once in the show. What was interesting was that the river didn’t even need to be shown for the full impact of the river to be highly evident in the play. The sound designer Ben Harvey did an excellent job using noises of the river to communicate the feeling of it being there. The river didn’t need to be shown because by hearing the sounds of that area it took the audience there in their minds. This was an amazing idea that allowed the audience to use their own imagination to bring the ideas of the river alive in their minds.
Overall this show focused on highly important topics that could be dry at times, but the real ingenuity of the show was that they communicated a sense of imagination in every aspect of the play making even dry topics interesting. This show was engaging and imaginative in every aspect and it was a very entertaining night of theater.
One River was a forgettable performance that I hope to never have to encounter again. The main story of it all was unexcitable and hard to follow. The main concept of the show was to take a variety of stories about the St. Louis River and tell them in a theatrical way. If this show can be compared to anything it would be a science and historical documentary shown in class that the teacher claims to be fun but is actually just tolerable.
ReplyDeleteWith multiple stories attempted to be thrown together it becomes exceedingly hard to follow. The timeline is thrown off for example the main story goes from now to when the canal was first built then back to now then to the seventies. It was just all over the place. Only few of the many stories that were told were decent, and some in particular were not in the least bit entertaining! Also, a majority of the different stories and story as a whole was several facts about science that made one feel as though you are sitting in a science class that one simply dreads to attend.
Although the show was not a musical, there was two songs within the show. The first and major one being more of a hip hop song with the whole cast involved. That was the best song in the show even though the style of the song was strangely familiar to any song from the popular musical “Hamilton”. There was a choreographed dance to the song that was well put together and made good use of the staging. At one point of the song Lauren Hugh stood out with her outstanding vocals with her high solo over everyone in the cast. The other song in the show was meaningful and full of emotion with just a guitar and one voice making it even more intimate and powerful.
Regardless of the story, the actors were all very talented. With only eleven actors, each one contributed greatly to the different stories and story as a whole. One other highlight of the production was the excellent quality of the use of lighting and the way the stage was set up. The stage setup was very fascinating because it had the ability to transform multiple different ways throughout the performance.
One River constantly lost not only my attention during the performance but also many of those around me. With fact after fact being stated it was easy to doze in and out, especially for the guy who fell asleep next to me. This show has an interesting concept but unfortunately was not captured the right way and was probably never supposed to be made into a play. Overall, simply just do not waste your time and money on One River. Hopefully the next production to come from the University of Minnesota Duluth School of Fine Arts is worth going to.
On October 2nd, 2016 the UMD Theatre Department had a full house for the production of One River, an original piece of work written by Tom Isbell. This show about the stories of the St. Louis river was well put together and extraordinarily unique, most importantly in the way it was presented. Isbell could’ve easily shared his message about the St. Louis River through one dramatized story, with a beginning, middle, and end. However, he instead chose to jump from one story to another, covering numerous perspectives and sources and sharing multiple stories in the process. From the perspective of an audience member, this dramatically influenced the final production of the show because it proved the importance and significance of his message considering there was not just one, but several stories of people who supported conservation of the St. Louis river.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, another aspect of the show that noteworthy was its simplicity. One River demonstrated that a play does not need all the glitz and glamour of elaborate props and exquisite costumes to still be an incredible show. Even a simple set, like the one used in One River can make such a difference. Rarely do you come across a show that has the guts to go without these stereotypical necessities of a theatre production. Many assume that without them, a show will lose its excitement and energy. But this was not the case for the cast of One River. Using one other, the space around them, and a great deal of imagination, this cast of eleven still managed to tell their story with ease. In fact, for a show like this, the simplicity was genius on the director’s part. It helped the audience really focus their attention solely on the actors and the importance of their message rather than on background noise.
The tight-knit cast of this show did an incredible job collaborating with each other to collectively share the stories of the people who have been impacted most by the power of this river. Not only was the cast filled with incredible actors, but they were also impressive singers. Ryan Haff performed one on the most memorable numbers of the show, a song and rap about the St. Louis River in a style very similar to the popular new Broadway musical “Hamilton”. This song was accompanied by the rest of the cast’s supporting vocals and intricate dance moves. This high energy performance was well staged and helped to reveal the director’s motives behind the creation of this show. The second song, performed by Erica VonBank had an entirely different style but was amazing nonetheless. Although it didn’t have the same performance aspect of the first song, VonBanks’s vocals were strong, powerful, and moving. Not to mention, she provided her own instrumentals which was also quite impressive.
On a more critical note, while the staging, singing and acting were all terrific, the plot was a bit dry. Only a few of the stories actually told were engaging, while many others were primarily filled with long and dreary monologues. There is very little humor or drama and there is no real climax to the plot. It is, as the title implies, simply a historical reenactment of stories about a river. Additionally, the show tended to get confusing at times as each actor played multiple characters and their roles were constantly changing. However, in the show’s defense, these negatives don’t imply the show isn’t worth your time to see. One River does have an incredibly meaningful and empowering message for all who wish to hear it. Tom Isbell took a risk by creating this one of a kind show and he should undoubtedly be proud of the work he has accomplished. Through One River, he has certainly ignited a small spark that will spread a wildfire of stories about the St. Louis River to be carried on forever.
“One River, Many Stories.” isn’t just a title of a play produced by Tom Isbell in the Dudley Experimental Theatre at the University of Duluth-Minnesota, it is also a quote that is repeated throughout the whole play.
ReplyDeleteTom Isbell had a very unique idea for this play. It wasn’t the typical play with a rising action into the climax and then the falling action. This play included several ideas and stories from actual real life people. This made you more interested because it wasn’t just facts or made up stories, they were the actual stories of real life people.
The Dudley Experimental Theatre was an excellent choice for this play. Being able to move the stage/props brought this play to life. It also created a lot of room for creativity. One part especially that stood out to me was when they were in the coffee shop having a conversation of about the idea of One River. It seemed very real because the conversation was the center of attention and then there were typical kids on cell phones in the background.
Being that this play was put on in a small setting. It seemed like the actors were talking to you personally instead of just saying a quote to a large audience.
One actor that stood out a lot to me was Luke Harger. Every part he had was done very well. One quote that I remembered from One River was “Without stories, there is no sense direction. And without a sense of direction, there are no stories.”. Luke said this as if he was the one that came up with at. It seemed like it came straight for him. Luke Harger is a very convincing actor.
One River kept your mind on the St. Louis river the whole time. The background sound of this play was very soothing reminded you of the great St. Louis river. You never once forgot what the play was about and it always stayed to the topic in a very interesting way. I enjoyed the actual life situations in this play.
Each time the set got moved there was always a background sound that came on and covered the actual noise being made which was cool. It almost seemed like you were living in a time travel situation for different events in the play.
The Duluth flood part was very interesting because they kept saying the up to date weather reports. It made you get a very real mental image of what was actually going on in Duluth. The thunder and lightning in the background also made it seem like you were actually there.
On the critique side of this review, it is a play about a river so there were some parts that dragged out simply because it was hard to include humor into this play. It didn’t make this play bad in any way, it’s just hard to include humor into a play that is in a sense a documentary about the St. Louis river and Duluth.
All in all, the play was written and produced very well. One River was a very original and unique idea. It was presented in a very fitting way and as an audience member, that made it very enjoyable to watch. It was a night well spent.
One River
ReplyDeleteDirected by Tom Isbell
Review by Christa Stimson
The St. Louis River is a place of nature, history, and stories. Tom Isbell, playwright, has attempted to compile numerous of these stories into one play; One River. The cast was rightfully chosen to play the roles of the storytellers to give the audience a different perspective on the river that has shaped Duluth and its people.
The message was delayed with the introduction of the “One River Rap.” The comical performance was both too cheesy and inappropriate for the audience to accurately understand what the intent of the play was. This humorous element was unpleasing and ineffective for the audience, especially because it was performed early in the play.
Other comedic elements, however, were effective and intriguing. The most humorous of the scenes happened to be when two beavers were portraying the mating season along the river. The comedy was both appropriate and informative as it gave insight to the audience as to how even something so small can have a large effect on the river and its sustainability.
The most mesmerizing performance was acted out by Sara Thomsen as she sang “Precious Water.” The rest of the cast gave insightful quotes about the mining that was to happen along the river that could hurt the ecosystem. The mood was wonderful as it kept that audience thinking about what side of the argument they would have been on if they were in that circumstance.
The scene that reminded the audience of the floods of 2012 was intriguing to say the least. Anyone that had not been in Duluth in 2012 would have been impressed with the sustainability and regrowth that the civilization along the St. Louis River has endured, and this scene truly showed the triumph. The intensity of the actors and the powerful audio made for a spectacular scene with exceptional information. The scene did, however, become a bit drawn out toward the end, but still kept the spirit of the room alive.
One great component of the show was the brief pauses filled with poetry and quotes. These pauses were given in between scenes in an effort to avoid awkward “stops” in the play. The use of poetry gave the audience something to think about in between stories and worked well with the flow of the performances.
The scenic designer, Kia Lor, truly showed creative and metaphoric skills with the simple scene of the show. The boxes were set up as tallest in the corner and shortest further out, which gave the stage both level differences and variety. The simple, yet elegant, stage could be metaphoric for how simple and elegant the river is. The lighting designer, Mark Harvey, should also be recognized with respect to the lighting of the stage. Both the stage setup and the lighting worked together to set the right mood for each and every scene.
One River, as a new and upcoming compilation of stories, showed the audience a side of the St. Louis River that they might not have seen before. The ratio of humorous to serious scenes was effective in keeping the audience interested in the history of life on the river. Although the play does have its weak points, it was very well written and executed.
Tom Isbell’s production of One River, performed at the Stage 2 Theater at UMD, united a group of local stories to highlight the importance of the St. Louis water basin. As the river plays a drastic role in the everyday lives of the audience, the backyard affect brings forth a new perspective to the large ecosystem that tends to be overlooked.
ReplyDelete“One River, Many Stories” is a project put together by local people in the community to commemorate the joys of the river and bring attention to the problems at hand. Stage 2’s eleven ensemble of actors and the people behind the scenes did an elaborate job of putting together a well-thought out show that presented the stories in a glorious way that told of the river’s familial history.
With the use of a movable set, the production was allowed a flexibility and a sense of creativity that enhanced the overall joy of the show. It was obvious that the actors were having fun moving around the set with each choreographed transition. When the actors were having fun, the notion to the audience having fun aided to the equation of a great atmosphere.
The center focus of telling the story in a story line helped show a personable connection with the river that so many people in community experience everyday. Each story captured a different point of view and a topic that many people could relate to.
Many great strategies were used to give the first time produced show a chance at success. Those successes were centered around the skills that the director and the actors used to bring so much personality into each act.
Each scene provided eye contact with the audience from the actors. The intimacy of eye contact put forth a sense of a small setting and gave an importance to what the actors were saying. All emotions of expression such as happiness, joy, fear, were so gloriously interwoven in the characters that it was truly an excitement to be apart of. Their expressions gave forth a feeling that the audience felt apart of the story to.
Monotonous information such as slow moving history of the river and the direction of where the show could have gone was detailed so explicitly and entertainingly through the One River Rap. The rap brought forth a contemporary feel that was captivating and comedic.
The actors did a great job at captivating and portraying the emotions of the characters within the story. For instance, the awkwardness of a beaver mating ritual, or the passion towards the birds of Northern Minnesota that Rebekah Meyer manifests so believingly, or the wake up call of the storm that tore through the area.
On a down note, the route the director took by having had the actor's race around and dramatically splurge out the news of the tragedy that had taken place was effective to a point. The fear and danger of the situation was perceived; however, the effect lost it’s appeal after about five minutes of the running and stomping.
The controversy behind the pros and cons to the sulfide mining established a list of questions that were in need of rhetorical answering. The production greatly analyzed the possibilities of the future and had captivating an insightful view of an ecosystem that provides so much to the daily lives of those that live around it.
The haunting song used to bring a sense of the danger of copper-nickel mining was effective and well received by the audience. With the song, the actors brought forth a sense of immediacy for the actions that need to take place for those that live around the area so that they can help change a potential future that could be harmful.
Overall, Tom Isbell’s production of One River was a wonderful concoction of joy, controversy, and mystery sewn together to create a movement within society. A plea for action, but also a story of family, history, and reinstated importance of a character that should never be forgotten. River, “we love you and we respect you.”
One River was a very unique and different play. Probably something I haven’t seen before ever. Tom Isbell’s play, “One River”, was a breath of fresh air. It came out on the 29th of September and went to October 8th at University of Minnesota Duluth’s very own black box theater. Tom Isbell gathered a cast of only 11 people and produced a play with an unfinished script. It was very impressive because they made the best of what they had and the product was satisfying.
ReplyDeleteOne River is a story about the St. Louis River but, the neat thing is about this story is that it is actually more like a compilation of stories in a timeline leading from past to present. It was a beautifully told story. You could really feel the connection the cast had with the stories in the play. They were very educated on who they were acting as and really brought them to life. It was crazy to think that what the actors were talking about were facts about the St. Louis River which made it seem that much better just being a “Duluth Native”. I guess you could say I learned a thing or two.
Besides the play having history and facts there was a lot humor in it too which kept you on your toes. There was a “Rap” that was hilarious and made a lot of people laugh and engage in what the actors were saying. There were also other jokes and funny sound effects the cast did that made you chuckle. I really enjoyed the comedy they snuck into the historical play.
One of the cast members that really stood out to me would be Kayla Peters, who played Sheila, and you could tell she was putting a lot of heart and emotion into her piece. The part where she was talking about her poem left the audience in awe of all the emotion she was putting in to it. The story of the river in her poem made you realize the river is a lot bigger and means a lot more to people. It was truly mesmerizing and she did a wonderful job.
The part of the play where they talked about the “Flood of 2012” in Duluth was a bit nostalgic. From someone who is from Duluth and experienced the flood, the scene made you feel like you were going through the heavy storms again which kind of made my heart race.
She wasn’t the only talented one of the cast either. They were all very talented and great singers too! I even found myself tapping my foot to the beat of their songs. It is pretty remarkable that 11 cast members put together a play that was unfinished but, seemed flawless. The background noises and the little details that were put in the play like the background and props. You can tell they put a lot of hard work and effort into it so it made sense it sold out every single showing.
This play was very entertaining and wasn’t boring at all. It kept my attention and the attention of others. This is coming from a guy who hardly watches plays and will now be attending a lot more all thanks to Tom Isbell and his very talented cast.
Marcus McKeever
ReplyDeleteOne River
The extraordinarily forgettable play one River, written by Tom Isbell is a dull collaboration of stories from the one river many stories project. One River is made up of many stories seemingly thrown together at random. The play’s good actors and success at comedy is drowned out by a lack of a cohesive story. This difficult to follow play is for a select audience only.
The play tells many stories about the St. Luis river. The stories change at random and are very dull at times. It is easy to lose track of what’s going on, then find that the scene is over and a different scene and story is taking place. It seems as if most of these stories don’t seem to lead anywhere and so it become almost meaningless to pay attention to. Perhaps more interesting scenery could help spark the imagination into “seeing” the St. Louis river in ones’ mind.
Some historical stories are told about the St. Louis river throughout this play. Unfortunately, without prior knowledge of the region it is difficult to follow and this makes it hard to care. Fortunately, at some points the redeeming qualities arise. The story of how the channel was dug by “Duluthians” had great humor. The three tales told grew more outlandish then the last as they went from people digging the channel to the use of dynamite, all of these hilarious tales where a treat to watch.
Another redeeming quality is the great performance of the actors. They were very energetic and knew their parts well. The energy buzzing as the flood scene unfolded was powerful. Hearing all the newspapers thud at once was a very interesting way of creating a thunderous sound. Unfortunately hearing the thud again and again made it much less impactful. Even worse all the attention given to every centimeter that the water rose really dragged the scene on. This caused even the most powerful scene in One River to falter.
This play was a forgettable play with some moderately interesting parts surrounded by dull stories. The actors did well and the comedy at points was spot on and funny, but there is little else to this play. When the lights rose and the play was over It seemed even with all the stories there was little comprehension of what was trying to be said. This play seems to be mostly geared towards enthusiastic nature lovers and people who have a knowledge of the history of Duluth, or else something may feel missing.
The play One River directed by Tom Isbell was an engaging and educational performance captivating the audience with hilarious skits and great singing, while also talking about the history and background of the St. Louis River. Before the play even began, the audience was thrown into the atmosphere of the great outdoors with the sounds of birds chirping and running water. Considering the small space that they had in the Dudley Theater they were really able to make the most of it and transformed it into a stunning set. They had bright blue and purple on the floor representing the river, and moveable black boxes that they were able to move very quickly into whatever set they needed. On the walls of the theater they had cutouts of trees showing the forest, and the lighting was adjusted perfectly depending on the time of day that it was for the particular skit they were doing at the time. The main idea of the play One River was the idea of “One river many stories” as the actors said, which means that the play is about the St. Louis River but there isn't one central story. Instead, they focused on the river itself and told different stories about the St. Louis River some of them from the past and some from the current day.
ReplyDeleteOverall this idea of “one river many stories” is a very interesting idea, although there were times in the play where it felt disjointed and confusing mostly due to not having a single main plot, and instead switching between a multitude of small plots. The main reason for the play feeling detached is due to the huge variation between stories that were told in the play. Yes, it's true that having this huge variation made the play really interesting it was hard to keep up with the plays quick ending of stories and quick starting’s of the next story. However, due to there being so many different types of stories it made the play really interesting to watch. For example, the opening hook of the show they were talking about how the play One River came to be, and they started rapping about the process of making the play and what it would be about. This was exceptional; the singing of all the actors was fantastic and it gave a brief summary directly to the audience about what the play was about, how it came to be, and what they should expect from the show. Another benefit to Isbell choosing such a wide variety of stories is that we are able to see how the St. Louis River affected people throughout its history. For example, in the play they had a story about the making of the channel in Duluth that was trying to be stopped, all the was to modern day environmentalists that went to the beginning of the St. Louis to get a better perspective of the river they lived so close to. Such a wide variety helped give the audience a greater perspective on the history of the St. Louis River.
In conclusion, the play One River at times felt confusing and disjointed from itself, but the overall experience was both engaging and educational. It was able to show the audience the history of the St. Louis River hundreds of years ago to the present day, also while engaging us with funny skits and great music numbers.
One River, directed by UMD’s very own Tom Isbell was most definitely a unique performance. Isbell’s choice to stage this production in the Dudley Experimental Theatre worked very well, as his innovative team of designers put together a beautifully simple set that was put to great use. The few rolling wooden set pieces involved for the duration of the show displayed interesting levels between actors at all times and the use of the corner stage set up in the black box allowed for a superb view of the action from all vantage points. The transformative use of these platforms was impressive as actors used them in a new arrangement in seemingly every scene.
ReplyDeleteThough One River was jam packed with information about the experiences of many different local writers and outdoorsy folks, it droned on for much too long and was quite boring. These individual tales all sharing a common theme, the St. Louis River, were just not interesting enough to keep an audience’s attention for a full 90 minutes. Isbell clearly tried his best to insert comedic bits here and there throughout the script, but they just did not flow properly with the overall serious and educational feel of the show. Instead they appeared to be very cheesy and forced. For example, the One River Rap written by Tom Isbell and Andy Kust did not belong in this sort of show at all. It was difficult to determine what sort of show this was with all of these confusing curve balls of musical numbers being thrown in that distracted from the main points Isbell was trying to get across.
One River’s company of actors, however, were superb. They delivered every line with unwavering confidence and their voices were strong, clear and full of passion. It was very obvious that these actors were truly enjoying themselves throughout the performance and that is what made this play bearable. Even though they had been given a script that was less than amusing, these actors pulled it together and gave the best performance they possibly could have. A memorable scene was one in which Erica VonBank sang a haunting refrain of local singer songwriter Sara Thompsen’s “Precious Water”, delivering the untold truths of mining near bodies of water. The audience was silent as they listened intently to her powerful words.
While basing a play on the One River Many Stories project may have initially sounded like a brilliant idea, it did not result in a very captivating final product. People go to the theatre to be entertained and enlightened. One River was simply too dry to be either of those things. Overall it was a dull script that really did not translate well on stage. Many would agree that the One River Many Stories project is an important concept, as it deals with some very real issues our community and natural world faces these days, however those ideas stretched out over ninety minutes and thrown in with corny jokes and dance numbers did not make for an exceptionally appealing show. This proved to be a project that Isbell and his team had put a lot of effort into. The performers and designers involved were all clearly very talented, it was just that the subject matter Isbell chose should never have been a play.
“One River, Many Stories” produced by Tom Isbell, gives a unique twist to the concept of storytelling. By using a compilation of stories centered around the St. Louis River written by local poets, journalists, and writers, this production connects both young and old of those affected by the St. Louis River. It provides the audience with a sense of yearning to explore more of the river and to assist in preserving it for years to come.
ReplyDeleteThe way that the set was designed, the cast is able to turn tables into canoes and a pile of wooden crates into a moving car. During the whole performance, the eleven cast members never fail to make you feel as though they’re just an old friend sitting down for coffee with you. The lighting and sound were phenomenal, especially in the scene that described the heavy flooding in the area a few years ago.
Changing characters almost every scene is definitely a challenge, but the cast manages to connect to each character with passion. Throughout the entire production, the love that the cast had for acting was extremely prevalent, especially when Rebekah Meyer is portraying Laura Erickson. The love that this character has with birds is nothing short of passionate. One of the lessons behind this show, which is to preserve this body of water as well as this earth, is shown by explaining how her favorite bird, is now endangered.
But the most powerful scene of the whole show, is when the cast was discussing both the pros and cons of mining, paired with a beautifully haunting song sung by Erica VonBank. It leaves the audience with a sense of “What can I do to help?” and “How can we stop this?”
Overall, this new play gives the audience a twist on storytelling while also describing the rich history of the St. Louis River, which for many, Is right in their backyard.
-Allysa Marrall
ReplyDelete“One river many stories,” by Thomas Isbell, was a mosaic of stories, told in a documentary format. The educational aspects were what stood out the most. The rap and little music in the performance, was similar to a popular musical “Hamilton.” The only negative parts in the play, was how difficult it was to figure out the character’s names, as too much stories were all placed in a small time frame.
The most creative aspects would have to be the choreography produced by Andy Frye, and the costumes by the designer BrandIn Stagg. The costume design made the experience more intimate, because of how it fit with the historical aspects of the play. The choreography was phenomenal because of how it attracted the audience, and how it made the information given a fun learning experience, unlike a lecture in a classroom setting.
Although the set was not as intimate, due to it being made out of cardboard, it served the purpose for the actors switching characters on every scene. It was versatile, and did not make the performance awkward, as the actors were moving around the set. The set stood out most in the flood scene. The sound effects of the water flooding, produced by Ben Harvey, was phenomenal. Even though, the set was not as realistic, the sound effects, and how dramatic the actors were in the flood scene, kept it engaging.
The small stage made it easier for the lighting, done by Mark Harvey. The lighting made the performance easy to follow because of how it fit with the transition of every scene, because of the no down time given, the lighting was essential for transitions, and to make it clear what scene was being done, while keeping the audience engaged. It also highlighted the performers, as they were switching from scene to scene. The most prominent scene, could be the beginning scene, as it draws attention to the narrators.
Overall, it was an interesting concept to present as in a play, but because of the mashup of characters, and little time, it turned the experience into an intimate confusing one. The talent that the people behind the production, and actors made the performance engaging. However it was hard to follow up with the story and facts, because of how rushed it felt, if the performance was given more time, instead of 90 mins, the performance could have been more easily to follow, and would have been phenomenal.
Tom Isbell’s One River is certainly a unique production. Vignette plays are not new by any measure, but One River gives the audience a good twist on that idea. The St. Louis river, that body of water that ties so many people together, is put on display in One River. The play illustrates the importance of the river, both environmentally and emotionally. All in all, One River provides an informative yet entertaining night for all!
ReplyDeleteThe greatest accomplishment of the show has got to be the casting. A massive congratulations is in order for the 11 actors and actresses that are a part of this show. Performing this show takes a tremendous amount of talent and versatility on their part, and every single one of them executed their roles flawlessly. These are some very high caliber actors who certainly be in higher places in the near future.
For some, One River was the first show they experienced in a “black box” theater, and the play certainly sets a good example for experimental theater. The space is perfect for conveying the message and intimacy of the play; these characteristics would have been lost or heavily dampened if the play was performed in a more traditional space. The small space allows the actors to become more connected to the audience, which provides an unforgettable night for all of the theater-goers. Keeping in touch with the idea of experimental theater, the small and basic set of wooden platforms and boxes leaves plenty of room for creative acting. The set was used to create a coffee shop, a classroom, and even a set of kayaks. All of these elements contribute to an excellent night of experimental theater.
One River blows tradition out of the water (no pun intended?). For example, the organization of the show. At first, the “play inside of a play” concept seems confusing and unappealing, almost like a cheap illusionist’s gag. However, as the play goes on, the organization becomes much clearer and much more enjoyable. Humans are creatures of habit, and we aren’t always ready to accept anything that we’re not used to. Perhaps if people can put that aside, which hopefully all theater enthusiasts should be able to do, plays such as One River will be thoroughly enjoyable.
Overall, One River is a very well done performance. The idea of performing this show would be incredibly daunting for the cast, however, all the pieces fell into place and this beautiful, thought-provoking show was created. Hopefully, every single person left the theater thinking about how the river has affected them, or perhaps what they can do to help the environment. But it’s a concrete fact that after the show, everyone prayed that tomorrow’s coffee run would include a flash mob song and dance number.
-Matthew Skansberg
“An evening of theatre” is what Tom Isbell and his team provided to audiences with his play One River, from september 29th to october 8th. Every ticket was sold except a single.
ReplyDeleteOne River provided a new insight on the local lack of care for the St. Louis River. The ample amount of history behind the St. Louis River was beautifully highlighted through the native american importance, the many lives it's touched, and the severity of needing to take better care of it.
The end point of how we need to appreciate the river better and how it was communicated made certain pieces feel rather unnecessary. One would much rather watch the combined about 40-60 minutes moments full of song and meaning without the extra fluff of which felt to be about 30 minutes worth. Fluff including introducing the characters and how the play came to be a play/ a play within a play, all of which could have been put into the program.
A large portion of One River was unconventional in its method of sending its message to the audience and individual aspects of simplicity with in the production as a whole. Isbell chose to use only eleven actors that played multiple characters; Simple. Isbell chose to keep one set, unchanging background; Simple.
He combined elements from different platforms of storytelling including the style of documentary. The stories that were told to combine into one large story or picture was rather uniquely told and daringly strayed from the typical safe storytelling structure.
However going out on a limb and straying from “safe” has its positives and negatives. The abnormal style in which One River was performed was for a select audience to comprehend. There were times where the changing scenes within the same set combined with the changing of characters within the same actor was hard to follow and took away from the entertainment. It also took an audience member out of the “world” that a play is supposed to make inescapable. The combination of documentary, play, and musical may have been trying to do too much.
What reeled the troubled portion of the audience back in was the energy of the cast. In a single example, the scene recapping the floods was captivating due to the anxious and tense expressions radiated from actor to audience. Ryan Haff did quite a good job in making his presence known every time he stepped on stage. His varry change in depth of voice carried well in a way that was attention grabbing but not yelling at the audience constantly.
The production of One River was a unique one. There were many aspects of this play which grabbed your attention and kept it for a long time. It was a little confusing at first, but once the actual play started it all made a lot more sense.
ReplyDeleteThe director, Tom Isbell, and his staff did a outstanding job at using their imagination on many parts of this play. One great example was during “One River Rap.” The choreography was simply amazing. That song was catchy. The actors got into the song and that was part of what made it catchy. The random and controlled sporadic movement was what made this scene work. I also loved how this scene ended with some simple humor. The next couple scenes also had a simple but complex feel to it. There was many things going on but the actors were able to keep it under control.
One of the best scenes in the entire play was the glacier scene. It was another good use of props which made this scene humorous. Every actor bought into this scene and that is what made this scene work. One the best parts of this scene is how the people playing the glaciers reacted to the commands of the scientist. The synchronization between all of the people playing the glaciers was comical.
Another memorable scene was the building of the canal. This scene was amusing in almost the same way the glacier scene was funny.. It was simple but the way the actors played this scene out was hilarious. The idea for the crane being played by two people on a table was great. They also did a excellent job in showing two parts of the myth and showing what possibly happened. It was extraordinarily silly when they detonated the TNT because they made it seem as if TNT had actually gone of close to you. The actor’s reaction was comical during this.
Explaining the new projects that could possibly happen near Duluth was also a strong part of this play. It showed acceptable reasons for building mines and valuable reasons for not building mines. The one great argument they had for building the mines was the obvious, the jobs it would create. After showing this part of the debate they also showed all of the negative effects this can have on the environment. This part of the play was controversial as in there was no clear side to choose and that is what made it amusing.
The end of the play did a marvelous job of bringing all of the stories told by other people together. It had an excellent message but it seemed like many of the actors without lines did not believe this. I did not see a whole lot of reacting to what the people saying lines. This is one of the harder things to portray as an actor and it is just one thing that could make this play better. It did not have that much of an effect on the play because everything else was amazing. Even though everyone in the audience is from Duluth this play does a marvelous job of explaining the past, present, and future.
One River
ReplyDeleteDirected by Tom Isbell
Review by Sarah Adkins
One River is a self described “night of theatre” that tells the stories surrounding the St. Louis river. Written and directed by Tom Isbell, it is the culmination of many interviews and quite a bit of research surrounding the St. Louis River and the effect it has on the lives of those surrounding it. Somehow, Tom Isbell managed to wrap these different stories and messages together in a way that was engaging for the audience, as well as fascinating from a technical stand point, to create this unusual piece of theatre. The first element to be noticed though, as it is in many plays, is the set.
The set of the play, done by scenic designer Kia Lor, is simple; a few wooden platforms, blue splattered floor, a few scenery panels, and some tree silhouettes are the pieces that make up the entire play. While the crowd enters, the overhead lights are on, and the set design borderlines on overly minimalistic. However, once the real lights come on, thanks to the work of lighting designer Mark Harvey, it all changes. The set panels, that were previously a mere cloudy grey, are suddenly transformed into a northern sky, the colors striking, and the mood changing entirely. In addition to this, the sounds that are typically found near any river, (birds, the rushing water, crackling branches, etc.) can be heard with increasing volume thanks to Ben Harvey who is credited with sound design in this production. Immediately, the entire mood of the room is changed, and what was before a few wooden boxes and panels, is now a calm wood near the river’s edge.
The set, lighting, and sound, though wonderful, are not the only elements of importance in this production. The actors, who all turned out to have a very likeable stage presence, gave a lively and engaging performance. One of the best lines in the show came from Ryan Hoff, a comedic line that commented on the casting choice of Tom Isbell’s character in the play. Multiple times, bits of poetry were recited during the performance, and the live readings by nearly every actor were beautifully spoken. The actors knew when to put on a serious face while also knowing when to play up the comedy, keeping the play at a good pace that engaged the audience without overwhelming it.
One River is a well done, and very interesting, “night of theatre”. It is engaging, informative, funny, and somehow emotional all at the same time. From the cast working behind the scenes to those on the stage it is clear that a lot of love and hard work has been put in this play. It isn’t the typical performance to see for a classic theatre buff, but it is worth it all the same. With an open mind, and a willingness to learn, this is a great play to see for just about anyone.
Tom Isbell’s One River is a play inspired by the “One River, Many Stories” project about the St. Louis River. The project challenged local journalist, writers, historians, and anyone else with a tale to tell to come together and write about the amazing river. The play itself focuses on just a handful of these stories and captures both the history, science, and whimsy that surrounds the river itself.
ReplyDeleteThe 11-member cast does an excellent job in their roles. It was stated early on in the play that they were not necessarily trying to become these people, but rather focus on their stories and ideas and bring them to life. A successful venture, and one that worked well for this play. The river, after all, is the star of this play brought to life by the cast and it was evident they kept that in mind.
The play also does an excellent jo of balancing humor with the sometimes serious messages being delivered. A favorite of the show definitely had to be the “One River Rap,” which become a bit of a nod at the musical “Hamilton.” The song tells the evolution of the play and how the project came about, and also does an excellent job of capturing the audience. It was loud, it was bright, it was funny, and it was a good kick off into the play.
The part centering around Kristina Bourne and her family trip to the St. Louis river was also very enjoyable. The humor brought by Luke Harger and Rebekah Meyer in their adaptations of Bourne’s children, as well as the beaver courting piece, were a welcome balance to the oftentimes more serious messaged given throughout the play.
Of course some pieces were not as successful as others. The scene focusing on the 2012 flooding in Duluth seemed a bit long and overwhelming, and some of the more historical and information heavy pieces came off either a bit rushed or a bit too drawn out.
All in all, though, Isbell created an engaging and encompassing piece that gathered the voices and ideas of many different people to try and capture the story of the amazing St. Louis river.
Mother nature will always face the consequential issue of being set aside for last by the corrupt individuals of this world. Yet, on select nights of late September and early October, the University of Minnesota Duluth’s theater department made a stand in nature’s favor! One River, directed and adaptively written by Tom Isbell, represented the distinct bond between Mother Nature, in the form of the St. Louis River, and the environmentalists of Duluth Minnesota’s current and historical periods. Even though One River had much to offer, a couple noteworthy elements of this play were its approach to keeping the audience engaged through comedy and its ability to counteract negativity through lighting.
ReplyDeleteNot one play will ever be successful without a strong audience-performer relationship, an element that only continued to grow as the first half of One River elapsed. Tom Isbell’s cast was able to produce this precious phenomenon through the inner workings of comedy. Not many people could forget the slightly dilated pupils of a wide-eyed male beaver as it attempted to make contact with a female beaver through simple, sensitive actions; an act successfully carried out by the one and only Ryan Haff (the male beaver). As a beaver, Haff had the major role of entertaining the audience through humor, while at the same time keeping everyone in check with the lesson on trout and soil deposits.
It may have been surprising to some folks to figure out that comedic acts did not fully saturate the performance. Instead, much of the humor became extinct as controversial issues such as sulfide mining and the business of Tony Hayward made a presence; this came to the advantage of Tom Isbell! Wes Anderson, the actor portraying Tony Hayward, did a terrific job of impersonating the cockiness of a corrupt businessman through his confident walk across stage. Anderson’s introduction contained confidence, a serious but stuck-up facial expression, and a notorious reputation reeking the devastation of “BP Oil Spill.” With an actor portraying a character of such qualities, the fun and joy might have been sucked out of the imaginations of all audience members; as a result, One River provided a unique simulated situation of what life is like with a sick Mother Nature. Thus, revealing that life on earth cannot thrive in the presence of toxins.
The simulated events of a sick Mother Nature through the robbery of her health (represented by comedy) was effective. Despite its impact, perhaps Tom Isbell would be willing to produce more techniques in pushing the audience to be engaged, because without comedy, much of the play became pure fact. While not all audience members may have lost interest, a fair number just might have due to the sudden change in tone. Such a shift in the overall atmosphere is why other theater elements, such as lighting, are needed in performances.
Mark Harvey, One River’s lighting designer, indirectly acted as a convenient light at the end of the tunnel. When One River seemed to be taking an emotional turn for the worse, there were always the symbolic shades of light, such as the color orange, reminding everyone that, “This Too Shall Pass.” Before the play even began, many of the overhead lights were emitting shades of blue, a color meant for keeping individuals psychologically calm; giving the audience a sense that it is not worth getting aggravated or depressed, but to keep cool and remain open minded. Harvey, therefore, did a stupendous job in symbolically explaining to audiences that while times may get rather dark, the light is always present! A person just needs get it together and find the light source; only then will the right direction be revealed. In connection with “One River’s” stories, humans had not learned this yet; if they had, the infinite threat to mother nature would not have been an issue. Due to One Rivers teachings and Harvey’s symbolism though, it can be realized that a solution is still out there.
Kaleab Asfaw
ReplyDeleteOne river review
The play one river is focuses on different topics like Lake Superior which is one of the largest great lakes, Minnesota being popular for having 10,000 lakes is also lucky enough to share the greatest freshwater lake in the world with Ontario Canada, Wisconsin and Michigan. The play goes over different topics but starts with saint louis’ river which runs into Lake Superior. This play being an original created by Tom Isabell who did an awesome job with this play because of the way the actors were able to connect with the audience by making eye contact and by talking about a topic which the audience could relate to by being from the local area.
What I really liked was the one river rap which gave me a different perspective because it stood out to me and others, I haven’t seen many theater plays but this caught many people attention because the people who came with me thought the play was just about them talking about the different rivers and expected it to be boring and not as captivating.
The play had historical involvement with what happened in the “war” over which city would have the path in superior which I didn’t know much about. I looked it up and it actually happened which made me realize that I actually really learned something new just by attending the play. The different problems faced in that time makes a significant change to our present time, which made it interesting to learn that there was a war over the lake which probably made a significant change to our present day.
One river was an interesting play to watch as captivating as it was I do feel like there was still much missing from it. The actors did an amazing job but they also did give the audience way too much attention. They should in my opinion stay within the stage most of the time instead of looking and trying to make contact which everyone.
The props used really gave a good visual perspective of what the scene was, but they did lack to stand out because; why work on a prop if it’s just going to be their having no effect on what the actor is talking about.
Overall the play was good it captivated the audience, the director did a good job in having the actors do their part and I would definitely recommend this play, because it’s a topic everyone knows about which makes it desirable to attend.
At first impression, the name One River ought to give people many different expectations (hopefully something with a river was somewhere along their train of thought). Some others heard the term “One River, Many Stories”. Now that gives a little more context doesn’t it? Maybe this doesn’t apply to everybody but the first thing that may pop into mind could be a book of short stories with a little fantasy thrown in--tall tales that took place around St. Louis River that are wonderfully choreographed into a single performance. Hopping bears, fang-toothed fish, or vegetarian wolves or whatever it may be. Just throwing out some ideas here.
ReplyDeleteInstead what actually took place was pretty off compared to this notion. When one thinks of stories and theater, it usually means fiction. One River turned out to pretty much be a documentary. But, that’s not a bad thing, but it was a surprise for sure. Documentaries don’t have to be boring though, which is what One River lives up to.
Some people are used to plays that start off with some kind of prologue or sometimes a conflict that later results in a long flashback that led up to that point. That seems like the norm in a lot of stories. One River wasn’t afraid to break the fourth wall quite fast. In fact, they completely torn down all the walls at some areas. They didn’t care whether they were talking to each other or the audience and sometimes it was difficult to tell if they were breaking character or if that’s what their character was truly supposed to be. It was quite entertaining until they stared into the eyes of their audience. Or victims if that’s a better way of saying it. It was intimidating but exciting!
Then came the rap. It was from absolutely nowhere but for some odd feeling, seemed completely appropriate. Why start off making it seem like a dull, serious documentary? It set the mood in a way in which they may have expected. People laughed and smiled and that’s exactly what they wanted to see. The performers smiled back and it was truly genuine. Tom Isbell was incredibly creative since rap lyrics are no walk in the park. And everybody did a great job singing and dancing. It was very well choreographed.
Later in the play, it was hard to keep up with the stories. There were so many people to remember, and just on the context alone, it was hard to grasp who the actors/actresses were representing at times. The stories themselves were interesting, thought-provoking, and emotional. But, it was easy to get lost as stories transitioned to one another.
The balance of the stories was wonderful, however. The comedic skits that followed with a more serious one kept the audience engaged in the story as the gears kept switching. The act where they were describing how Duluth was built was absolute hilarity, but then soon after, they discussed the issue of mining. The song that was sung in the background by the guitarist, Erica, was inspirational. A need of importance flood the room. This mining issue is a huge deal. But in contrast, it was greatly appreciated that Tom decided to discuss the benefits of mining such as maintaining employment and progressing modern technology. Tom didn’t take a route that showed absolute bias and that should be praised.
One River is a fun, light, but motivational documentary play that doesn’t go easy on the audience with pressing issues. It’s a breath of fresh air. Tom did a great job captivating the audience with his fun intro, but also made it educational not just in history, but in politics and more modern day issues. The stories at times felt fast-paced and hard to follow, but they make up for it by keeping the audience on their toes. One River, Many Stories overall did a fantastic job in capturing the livelihood that surrounded the St. Louis River, and it definitely is a recommended play to go see.
One River, Many Stories premiered from September 29th through October 8th 2016 in the Dudley Experimental Theatre, otherwise known as the Black Box, at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Writer and director, Tom Isbell wanted to capture the deep hidden stories of Duluth that many people have overlooked or don’t know about.
ReplyDeleteOne River was inspired by the “One River, Many Stories” project in Duluth, which questioned local journalists, artists and others to collect stories about the hidden secrets of the St. Louis River. The reason that this river was the main focus of the play is because the river is often overshadowed by the famous Lake Superior, which is most likely the body of water people will think of when hearing Duluth. The play started off with comedic rap describing the project in detail and continued throughout with many different vignettes relating to Duluth, the St. Louis River and the stories people in town had to share. One River is unique in the fact that it didn’t derive from one person’s or a few peoples’ ideas but rather the whole community who put their heads together with a common focal point.
Throughout the play, many different techniques were used to keep the interest flowing. Music was a big part of the play as many of the episodic scenes were presented in a musical form starting with the opening One River Rap. Many of the actors played interchangeable parts throughout the story, changing costumes, if needed, between each vignette. The poetic lines that were recited were thoughtful and performed with so much passion that could be seen in the eyes of the actors and actresses. They also did an amazing job of controlling their emotions in different environments such as the rains storm scene towards the end of the play. The terror and fear in their eyes can be seen as they read the news forecast throughout the day and as the storm progresses to a dangerous degree.
Taking into consideration the small space the play was performed at, it was very intriguing how scenic director Kia Lor was able to use the small space to portray such a large body of water. It definitely was not an easy task given the fact that there were just a few pieces to move around and rearrange in a tight space but as the name implies, this play was the ultimate experiment. The set was very intricate yet simple with tree silhouettes that surrounded the background and a few wooden pieces that were moved around for different scenes. Lighting was settle throughout the show, changing between scenes to portray the different moods. The costumes used was very straight forward, the most comedic one being the beaver costumes.
All in all, One River is worth the watch, especially if Duluth is not a place of familiarity to an audience. It was informative, hilarious and a bit emotional that leaves you on the edge of your seat. The play really puts in perspective how important the St. Louis River is and the many stories behind the very few people who have a great appreciation towards this great Duluth landmark.
The iconic lift bridge in Canal Park pays reverence to Duluth, but then again other canals do too. Like a mighty river, One River by UMD professor and playwright Tom Isbell displays and pays reverence to another icon in Duluth’s own backyard, The St. Louis River.
ReplyDelete“Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you”, a river quote by Wendell Berry, may be an underlying theme within One River that inspires and challenges audience members downstage while being entertained with a evening of theatre from a robust 11 member cast ‘upstage’. “She” stretches a mere 192 miles. The St Louis River attracts many with her beauty from nature enthusiasts to the nature curious. The One River many stories contributes and pays homage to Native American caretaker Sharron Day, which is acted out by Lauren Hugh, reminding us that only a portion of the water we have left on earth is available for human consumption. This scene portrays that Sharron Day seems to know much of the river’s intimate beauty by her long river walks. The combination of the lighting design makes for an intimate experience during this chilling scene with traditional Native American music.
Geology is in session, and in a scene which seems to last a bit too long and be dramatically overplayed, Phil Hoelscher depicts UMD professor Tim Holst. Wes Anderson nonetheless saves the scene with some cheesy humor reminding us of our Wisconsin neighbors.
Both entertaining and lighthearted, costume designer Brandon Stagg pulls off highly comedic beaver costumes, played by Ryan Haff and Erica VonBank. Upstage we are reminded by Lucinda Johnson played by Kyliah Thompson of the challenges trout are being faced with due to beavers. These obstinate beavers leave with nothing more than ‘beaver’ on their minds all while displaying a light touch of an Ole and Lena kind of love and accent. They aren’t known as busy as a beaver, by just standing around.
The river attracts many poets, writers, journalists, and even songwriters. Sara Thomsen’s “Precious Water” preformed by cast member Erica Vonbank speaks volumes to the audience on the struggle copper-nickel mining may have on the future, defiling both ‘a river’ and ‘a lake’. The irony that there are two sides to every coin displays both sides of this issue that may disrupt Northern Minnesota’s way of life if not handled properly for a period of 200 years, and another 500 years. The cast pulls out there phones and reminds those careful enough to notice that what is happening may be going unnoticed.
One River, tells the audience don’t fight the current, use it. The new theatrical production has some fighting and has some using the night of theatre with an unsteady flow. The reminder of the 2012 flood is overplayed, and the suggestion of Dr. Ruth in one scene adds an ‘unsophisticated touch’. One final river quote by AA Milne reminds the audience, “rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
At first I thought that One River was going to be really boring, and talk only about the history, but when you watched the play it was actually really interesting. If you look at the play in how it was structured it was structured really well. It was funny but then throughout the play it started to become heartbreaking, and you could just see it within their eyes, voice, and body language. It had the combination of stories that went together to get to the climatic part of the play which was the storm.
ReplyDeleteWithin the play and through the actors it was funny, heartbreakingly sad, majestic, and fun. It was interesting in how they captivated the audiences attention with it. Because one could feel the emotions resonating off of them. The actors had pretty good control of themselves in acting.
The space that they used too, to portray Duluth it was awesome, because the space was so small but was able to still tell the story they needed too.
-Anisa Yang
The St. Louis River that flow into Lake Superior is often undermined. In The play One River Tom Isabell, the Director of the play, does a magnificent job of telling the audience a series of short stories to show the importance of the St. Louis River. Isabell pieced together multiple stories, each from a different perspective but all of them tied together with the St. Louis River at their core.
ReplyDeleteIsabell chose to direct his play in a black box stage which allowed him to adapt the stage with the changing stories throughout the play. The black box stage allowed for a variety of combinations of arrangement and the cast were able to move the set when needed and they were able to do so with ease. Isabell utilized this space to the utmost, using moving rectangular platforms as canoes and small wooden crates as seats in a car. Using simple props such as those Isabell was able to ignite the audience’s creativity, allowing them to fill in the missing details of the props and scenery.
It was not only in the stage set up that Isabell utilized but also the play itself. To get started he had to pick written pieces out from a few journalists. Each journalist wrote about the St. Louis River and each of them focused on different aspects of the river. Isabell also casted a group of UMD students to represent the actual writers of each story, the cast consisted of eleven students and it was clear to see that the cast members had conformed into their characters. They showed professionalism by interacting with the crowd, using eye contact to communicate and when they speaking with emotion in their voice.
Isabell decided to start his play with a scene where the cast members played themselves and were trying to come up with ideas for the play itself. In a sense the beginning of the play was also the beginning of the production process. This type of opening was interesting because is not done often but it did give the audience a good sense of where the play was heading.
Isabell wanted to showcase the St. Louis River with the stories he had chosen and one story in particular had many great examples of just how great the river is. Laura Erickson, a journalist and bird enthusiast, which was played by Rebekah Meyer, did a great job at showing the audience how abundant with life the river is. In this segment of the play Erickson, who was played by Meyer, goes for walks along the St. Louis River to bird watch. During her walks she would hear and see birds of all sorts, she then realizes that the St. Louis River is providing these birds with such a lush habitat to live in and that it must be maintained.
Another story that is centered on sulfide mining high lights the economic and environmental aspects that the St. Louis River provides. This segment of the play mentions the creation of jobs through sulfide mining, but in return the landscape will be changed drastically. The mining also excrete harmful chemicals into the waters of the St. Louis River, which is then expelled into Lake Superior and these chemicals will have dire consequences to the ecosystem in the water.
With topics and issues regarding the river the cast provided the audience with a scene of the 2012 flood which was dramatic and intense. The way that the newspaper was thrown into the ground simultaneously by the cast made a very intimidating sound, it was as if thunder was roaring through the room. This scene reminded the audience just how powerful nature is and how it can impact people just as much as people impact nature.
The play One River provided great entertainment and was an unexpectedly joyous learning experience. It had both comedy and drama, and was worth watching. There were some parts of the play that were a bit slow and drawn out but the overall play was executed nicely. It highlighted many of the amazing impacts that the St. Louis River had to the people living by it. The audience could also very much so relate to the short stories in the play making the audience want to experience the beauty of this river themselves.
Ben Merrill
ReplyDeleteProfessor Harvey
Intro To Theatre 001
One River Review:
One River, produced by Tom Isbell, is a production being performed for the first time ever. Mixing the play styles of Documentary and Storytelling to portray the beautiful story of the St. Louis River. One of the things that really made the production “pop” was the lighting and sound. The feeling you get when you walk into the theatre with the music playing and the deep blues being thrown across the stage scenery made you feel like you were walking up the river St. Louis river at night right as the sun goes down. Another thing that was interesting about this show was the use of the characters. Having only 11 characters playing multiple roles shows off the true talent of these actors. The flexibility and adaptability of these 11 actors really made me feel the true essence of the story and the passion behind the story.
The One River Many Stories Project was a great way to bring the community together and help them raise awareness to what we are doing to our non-renewable resources. Along with the project, portraying the story into a play was another great way to show people what we are doing to out lakes and rivers and allow to self realize and think about what we do everyday and what we can do to help.
Another good point to add is the audience proximity to the stage. This was a great way to connect with the audience and help make the production more personable. With being so close to the actors, you can make a personal connection with one or more and that allows their point to become more personal to you. Although there were few songs in the play, they added a personal touch to the production that made you feel at home with the content they were portraying.
An important topic to talk about is the layout of the show. Although the play seemed to be episodic, the characters in each scene were not the same. Being interesting and all, this was very confusing and made it very hard to tell the characters apart. It was very hard to remember the character name and their importance to the show. This made it difficult for the audience to connect with a “main character” that was portrayed through out the entire show. If their were a main character that was in each scene either narrating or on the side telling the story, it would allow us to connect with him or her and making that person comical would add an awesome touch to this play.
Being a Duluthian, this was an eye opening experience that allowed me to open my view towards helping the river and to research more about the sulfide mining. It helps you realize the importance of the river and gives you ideas on what you can do to help prevent the river from being tainted for good. This play had a great story and a great main topic, but I wish it had been easier to follow through out the whole production.
The director, Tom Isbell, did a great job of creating an original, entertaining play from an unfinished script, which made production even more difficult. Each story was captivating by itself, and the combination made the importance of the St. Louis River evident. Through excellence in writing, acting, and just good old fashioned storytelling, One River allows people of all backgrounds to discover what they are missing out on in their backyards What really worked for One River was the functional and clever use of the set. The multiple moving wooden parts worked as platforms, chairs, tables, a make-shift car, and even canoes! The performers did a great job providing information towards the audience about the river and everything that had happened. Therefore, watching the performances made it feel like as if it was a classroom setting because of the information provided and history behind it. But it was also exciting to watch because of the different ways everything was presented.
ReplyDeleteThe balance of the stories was wonderful, however. The comedic skits that followed with a more serious one kept the audience engaged in the story as the gears kept switching. A favorite of the show definitely had to be the “One River Rap,” The song tells the evolution of the play and how the project came about, and also does an excellent job of capturing the audience. It was loud, it was bright, it was funny, and it was a good kick off into the play.
Another scene that especially stuck out was the recreation of the 2012 floods. The intensity of the actors as they ran around reporting the news and slamming newspapers on the stage effectively gave the feel of chaos felt during a large thunderstorm. The sound effects done by Ben Harvey intensified these feelings.
Later in the play, it was hard to keep up with the stories. There were so many people to remember, and just on the context alone, it was hard to grasp who the actors/actresses were representing at times. The stories themselves were interesting, thought-provoking, and emotional. But, it was easy to get lost as stories transitioned to one another.
Overall the play was good it captivated the audience, the director did a good job in having the actors do their part and I would definitely recommend this play, because it’s a topic everyone knows about which makes it desirable to attend.
Tom Isbell’s One River was an interesting take on a very niche topic. The play was created as a result of the “One River, Many Stories” project that brought together people from all sorts of professions to write about a certain river. The show was different compared to most plays as it was a docudrama, meaning it was a coalition of separate, contradictory viewpoints on a single issue. In the case of One River, these viewpoints referred to the St. Louis River. The lighting, sound, and scenic directors all appeared to merge and produce the most impressive aspects of the show.
ReplyDeleteThe scenic director, Kia Lor, provided a set that attempted to place the audience into the St. Louis River. Lor accomplished this by utilizing a combination of tables and risers to suit the needs of the play. The small set allowed the actors to customize the set to fit the script without prolonged scene changes. An example was the canoe scene, wherein Luke Harger patrolled the river on a table with a paddle. Additionally Lor had trees around the entire stage, placing the audience into the wilderness.
The sound and lighting excelled by immersing the audience with sights and sounds related to the river. The sound director, Ben Harvey, and the light director, Mark Harvey, worked in tandem to try to completely enamor the audience with the sounds and lights produced. The atmosphere of the stage was calming and immersing the audience as soon as they walked into the stage, with dim blue lighting and the sounds of waves and bird songs. Their work was most noticeable during the big flood scene. The scene was frightening, due in large part to the stunning sound and lighting effects. There was the sound of rain and rolling thunder, which was enhanced by the flashes of lightning. The disorder and chaos came to an abrupt ending, which was introduced by a warm glow of light accompanied by more birds singing, letting the audience off the wild ride.
The costumes in the play contributed to luring the audience into the location of the St. Louis River, and also provided a comedic effect. During one scene, Brandin Stagg, the costume designer, had two actors wear coonskin hats with beaver stuffed animals sown to the top of their hats. The hilarious design, along with Ryan Haff and Rebekah Meyer’s gut busting performance, had the audience in tears. Contrasting to that scene was the birdwatcher scene. In this example, Meyer portrayed a birdwatching enthusiast. Her costume was that exactly of a birdwatcher, which further lured the audience into the illusion of actually being at the river with the actors.
Isbell and the designers created a charming performance that educated the viewers about the incredible are surrounding the river. The opposing perspectives, and mix of comedy and drama contributed to making One River a very entertaining and enjoyable performance.
One River
ReplyDeleteBY Misrak Teka
The show “One River” was an outstanding performance that was packed with important environmental issue that concerned the St. Louis river watershed in Duluth, Minnesota. The play was presented by the University of Minnesota Duluth Dudley experimental theater. The play was well written and directed by the universities own Professor Tom Isbell.
The writer attempt to portray the issue of environmental pollution and provide information was accomplished successfully. The show very an orthodox because it did not follow a traditional plot and did not have an exact climax like traditional plays. Despite the un orthodox play write, the flow of the show was smooth. The way the director Isbell put the pieces together made the show refreshing and surprising. This is because for the audience listening to a pome and then watching people dance made the play captivating and unpredictable. The way it was written and directed and performed was very appropriate due to its content. The historical background of the river and everyone’s story portrayed would have been hard and extensively long to present in a traditional play. Thus, the poems, the music, the comedy and even the dances made the play a remarkable educational evening effortlessly.
The audience were captivated and at times surprised by the talent of each actor. The play was beautifully presented by 11 actors in ranges from immersive vocal performance to very talented and comical individuals who made the emotions shift easily. Because each actor had an actual person they were representing they all played their characters very believably. The characters were challenging each person to think about the message the play was presenting.
Each character had story and district and concerning information that supplemented the purpose of their existence on the show. The pomes covered the emotions and responsibilities of each person to explore outside of their environmental surroundings. The stories forced the audience to create a personal relation to the issue of the St. Louis River. They created the sense of felling that problem is not only for people around the river and its area. The show highlighted that it's a global issue and everybody’s problem.
The play achieved its goal of guiding the audience to imagine the planets future will always be their responsibilities as permanent residence. One important factor that might have assisted audiences in preparing to watch the show was to do a little research. The play jumps from one time to another and that might be create some confusion. However, the play was more than worth attending and very inspirational and educational for people that did not know about the issue presented.
One River, written by Tom Isbell, was created in tandem with local Duluth artists and journalists project “One River, Many Stories”. The project contained many stories from varying sources, such as UMD faculty, newspaper journalists, and local artists. The project focused on the St. Louis River and the plethora of stories that the river inspires.
ReplyDeleteIsbell’s original play focused on only some of the stories that had been shared within the project. Through-out the play, there were episodic scenes dedicated to a different contributors perspective of the river. The small cast called for each person to have at least two different personas creating the need for flexibility from scene to scene. The actors had the difficult duty of making their portrayals of each real person as real and true to the person as possible. Kayla Peters’ portrayal of poet Sheila Packa was particularly moving with her solemn demeanor when discussing the potential destruction of the St. Louis River.
The set was minimal with a few moveable set pieces that would help transform each scene into various locations, such as hiking trails, the UMD coffee shop, and the site of the lift bridge construction. The lighting remainder constant with slight changes from scene to scene until late into the play, with the story of the Duluth Flood. The actors synchronized movements along with the track of thunder and rain created a dark and terrifying retelling of the tragic flood.
One River was inspiring and true to the heart of Duluth. It was sad, hilarious and empowering. The play create a sense of urgency to help keep the St. Louis River in existence.