All About the Sardines in UMD's Hilarious Noises Off
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
November 3, 2017
In Michael Frayn's farce Noises Off, the play within a play is aptly named Nothing On. Lloyd, the hapless director, just wants to get through the play once before they open the next evening. In a rehearsal where nothing goes right, props are lost, and a drunken actor is missing, he searches for some words of wisdom for his mostly clueless cast.
He tells them that all they need to know is "Getting the sardines on, getting the sardines off. That's farce. That's theater. That's life."
Indeed, UMD Theatre's rollicking production is filled with the running gag of countless plates of sardines that are invariably in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The show depicts a company of third rate actors performing in a tour of a naughty British sex farce. The action is set in a beautiful country manor, brilliantly designed by UMD student Joe Johnson.
Johnson had to not only have the set look gorgeous, he also had to design it to turn completely around for the second act when we see the shenanigans happening backstage, and then have it turn back again to the interior of the manor for the third act.
Do stay in the theater to watch one of the two intermissions. It's theatrical magic "exposed" as part of the evening's fun.
While the pacing is slow in act one, it is necessary to set up the exposition for acts two and three when the wheels really come off the comic wagon and pandemonium reigns supreme onstage and off.
Playing dual and sometimes triple roles, the actors have an acting mountain to climb. Add to that the physical challenges of the show, and the cast is really put to the test. UMD brought in professional stunt coordinator and UMD alumni, Mathias Anderson, to help the company successfully nail the physical "schtick."
Reese Britts (Frederick) channels Dick Van Dyke in his prime, all rubbery legged and loose limbed. Britts' falls, fainting spells and hilarious tackling of a big staircase with his pants around his ankles jumping two steps at a time, are some of the evening's best comic moments.
Amelia Barr, as his onstage wife, Belinda, is all stiff upper lip and British reserve, the lady of the manor. Barr delivers a mature and elegant performance, with every facial expression, comedic physicality and line delivery top notch.
Less convincing is Haley Methner who underplays the sexy blonde bombshell role. Sarah Dickson as the housekeeper Dotty, keeper of the sardines, starts off slowly, but builds to a wonderfully comic and physical peak in the insane goings on of the third act.
Theater folks who have done shows that have bordered on the unintentionally chaotic both onstage and off will commiserate with the beleaguered cast and crew. And the uninitiated who may wonder what life backstage looks like, get a behind-the-curtain view.
Director Kate Ufema and her talented troupe successfully mine the comic potential in the script, providing audiences with a hot farce on a cold early winter night.
Ethan Peterson
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 2nd
Watching Noises off is a great experience because of how different the play is set up. They go from having a director sitting in the audience to have the whole set flipped around and actors going back and forth from the set. The play depicts a theatre company starting out at dress rehearsal trying to get lines down to how there was drama behind the scenes and how the actors had to get around behind the stage and ending where the play is on its last legs, and showing how much the actors have changed from the dress rehearsal to the last showing.
The stage was set up as a Proscenium setting and the production threw in a twist of having actors come from the audience or from the doors the audience walked in from. This playing being very different from Antigone was much more enjoyable due to the fact there was a lot of comedy involved and a unique play showing. Also, the actors were their same character almost the whole time. But when drama behind the scenes makes actors not show up, other characters must take their role. At the end, there are three Selsdons and they all look nothing alike. This take on having actors take a role even though they look nothing like the original can be quite hilarious.
The actors were very good and one performer that stood out and always made the audience laugh was Selsdon. He was very good at getting around and doing things when the attention/ main-focus was on two other characters. For example, when the bottle would be placed somewhere from Selsdon and then the focus would go on other characters and if you noticed, Selsdon would always make his way towards the bottle. Another character that did things that were funny was Brooke. She would play dumb or focus on other things that weren’t at all important to the main part of the scene.
One character that did an outstanding job was Mrs. Clackett or Dotty. She was both funny and extremely good at what she was doing. You could feel the emotion she was trying to give off and when the play was on its “last leg” the way she just “gives up” on the play was truly remarkable. It was extremely believable the way she acted it out and it was hilarious at the same time.
Overall the play was extremely enjoyable and if you are looking for a play that has comedy and drama all over it then this is a good one for you to see.
Jason Fairbanks
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 8, 2017
On the 5th of November, the UMD Department of Theatre put on a performance of Noises Off. This performance had the audience laughing just a few minutes in, and was able to keep the audience laughing throughout. This performance was an absolute hit as the audience was feeding the actors and the actors used that to deliver some top notch comedy right back.
Noises off was originally written by Michael Frayn and is such a unique piece of work. This play is so unlike traditional theatre as some of the acting took place behind the audience that was near the stage. The director of Nothing On, Lloyd (Paul Icenogle), was in the seats to begin the performance. This was awesome to see as it was not expected and caught the audience off guard. Icenogle, in team with lighting designer Jon Brophy, did a great job of going unnoticed until he called on Dotty to remember what her lines were.
Director of this production of Noises Off was Kate Ufema. There was so much movement in Noises Off, so being able to get everyone where they need to be is not an easy task. Ufema did a fantastic job of getting the characters where they needed to be, when they needed to be there.
Scenic Designer Joe Johnson designed the scene in such a way that added a lot of comedic value to the play. One moment was when the characters Garry and Brooke ran past the window upstairs although Brooke was originally in a closet. The audience responded to this scene with a roar of laughter as the audience knew that should not have been able to happen.
Amelia Barr played the role of Belinda within this play, and did a great job of being a sort of mother figure to the other characters. Barr had to comfort the characters whenever they would mess up, or get yelled at. She was running all over the place trying to help everyone and was always the first one to help someone out. This had to be tiring as Barr was all over, and she was able to do so very nicely.
One major prop that stood out within this play was the axe during act two. Props coordinators Michaela Lochen and Will Rafferty chose a prop that was perfect to this production. The actors all running around swinging the axe was something that the audience loved. The bottles that were used were also perfect for this production as the bottles weren’t all that noticeable. Until the actor would pick it up, the bottle was unnoticed.
Overall, the production of Noises Off performed in the Marshall Performing Arts Center at UMD was a hit. The audience loved the comedy that they were given as they laughed all throughout the performance. Everyone involved in this performance made this show fun to watch, and made this show their own. Anyone looking for a comedy should look no further, as Noises Off is the play for them.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJenny Delage
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 9th, 2017
Wednesday, November 8th, Noises Off made the Marshall Performing Arts Center shake with laughter. Director Katie Ufema, along with her UMD student cast, seemed to execute a drama within a drama precisely and smoothly. One that has many miniscule props, tricky blocking, and two completely different sets. Although this seems like a set up for a train wreck, it was anything but.
This performance had the audience quickly laughing with the entrance of what looked like a crowd member. Paul Iconogle, playing Lloyd, director of "Nothing On", critically analyses the cast member of "Nothing On", Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson, who gives the crowd good reason to laugh with her confusion of the newspaper, the telephone, and the, always special, plate of sardines. Although Lloyd has his temper run high with Dotty, we see Poppy, the stage manager of "Noises On" get the real short end of the stick, having to fix all of the problems he finds. Poppy, played by Rachel Williams just exemplifies the stress of a stage manager and mother to a baby on-the-way in the way she held her clipboard tight to her chest and, more obviously, in the tears she shed. The sardines themselves were quite the riot to the crowd on this Wednesday night. The humor in the sardines was endless and the places they ended up were always surprising.
As the play continues, we are introduced to the ditsy, but beautiful Brooke, played by Haley Methner, and her lover Garry, played by Mitchell Dallman. These two gave us the most believable attraction to one another in "Nothing On" with flirtation and playful touching, even though Garry's love truly was with Dotty.
The next couple the crowd was introduced to might have been even more dysfunctional. Belinda, played by Amelia Barr, acted as the sweetest mother figure. Her place as mediator and shoulder to cry on was exactly what her just-broken-up-with, nosebleed prone, blood-hating counterpart Frederick, played by Reese Britts needed. This gentle couple showed the truest form of compassion when plugging themselves into everyone else's problems to take the blow. They had the crowd roaring with laughter every time Frederick felt an emotion strong enough to get a nosebleed. Amelia’s sweet manner and constant running to the others help and Reese’s willingness to bend over backward (or faintness) showed their true dedication to their roles in these plays.
Lastly, the one who took the show by storm was the one who never knew what was going on. Selsdon, played by Brendan Finn, had the crowd doubled over in laughter with his confusion and drunkenness. Brendan knew what he was doing with the gentle, yet biting voice. It seemed to match the personality of Selsdon perfectly. His staggering walk, wandering eyes, and running voice was a hit, especially when he took jabs at his other cast members through the medium of knobs.
This performance, "Noises Off", unlike "Nothing On", seems to get better with age. It felt like opening night with the energy that this cast kept up. The cohesiveness of the lighting and sound, the cast members, directors, stage managers, and costuming was spot on. The joy of a good laugh was enough to warm up one's mood on a cold winter night.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Danielson
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 10, 2017
The production Noises Off is a quirky British comedy that was recently performed by members of the UMD Theatre Department. While the play starts off a little slow with the first act, as the audience is shown what a final “dress rehearsal” is sometimes like, it slowly builds up speed as Act One transitions into Act Two. The comedic part of the play does not seem to be emphasized until the second act of the play when everything seems to go wrong. From all of the chaos between the actors to the chaos of the set of the play within the play, it is extremely impressive how the action was so fast without many errors or awkward spots. Kate Ufema has directed an impressive and difficult show that gives the audience an idea of just how bad theatre can go. It is usually harder to make deliberate mistakes like the ones in this production, which shows how well it was planned and performed.
The scenery was created beautifully by Joe Johnson and used the proscenium part of the stage, which helped create a “fourth wall within a fourth wall.” The scenery also gave the “play within the play” the feeling of an older time period, while the “backstage” was created with modern times in mind. It was a very interesting contrast to see the older set turned around on wheels to reveal the “modern” backstage. It was obvious that there was a lot of thought put into the scenery and it was a very successful set. One of the most memorable parts of the scenery was watching it being moved around during the intermissions between acts, especially since scene changes are usually done behind closed curtains in a typical play.
All of the actors were spot on in their roles and all provided comedic elements to the play. Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson, was a unique character that Dickson seemed to capture the personality of. Her character goes from professional to sassy and comedic from the first act to the end and Dickson is able to show how she changes throughout the play. Paul Incenogle, who plays Lloyd, captures the typical frustrated director perfectly and his frustrations with the play and actors are understandable and comedic to the audience. Mitchell Dallman, who plays Garry, did a decent job of playing the character and is impressive with all of the hard falls that he takes throughout the play, however his character was not as memorable as others, such as Frederick and Belinda, played by Reese Britts and Amelia Barr.
Reese Britts and Amelia Barr have a great connection with each other’s character in the play and it makes their dynamic duo an audience favorite. Between Frederick’s nose bleeds and fainting spells to Belinda’s constant effort to calm everyone and everything these two create quite the opposite pair that work very well together, showing that opposites do attract. Rachel Williams as Poppy is a great choice in that she is able to portray the shy and nervous backstage manager perfectly. Haley Methner as Brooke is a decent choice in that she is able to play the “ditzy” character well, however, the character of Brooke seems to be an extra distraction that adds some comedic effect, but does not make the whole play. Thomas Henry, who plays Tim, is one of the funniest characters on the stage. He is able to show the many emotions that everyone feels in a production no matter their role, and he brings a strong comedic element to the overall production. Finally, Brendan Finn plays the character of Selsdon extremely well and is also one of the funniest and most memorable characters of the play.
Overall the play was a great performance and experience. It was executed well and it was impressive how the cast was able to work well with each other and the overall design of the entire production. Every part fit and created a memorable performance that theater goers will not forget anytime soon. Noises Off will definitely leave a lasting and fond memory for the UMD Theatre Department as well as the audience.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNoises off, was probably the most entertaining, quirky, and exciting play that the avid play go-er, or even the consumer thrill chaser could imagine.
ReplyDeleteIt is a play within a play, the play shows a theatre companies, struggle with producing a play and then the success of running a production of a play. This play was unlike any other play that was previously performed in the Duluth area, in before this year. The play was a build-up between the three acts, which showed the growth of the characters.
This play was a comedy, that provided plenty of laughs in the audience which was constant throughout the play, it was unintentionally to make you laugh which was even more impressive that the fans caught the Easter egg in some way thrown in by Director Katie Ufema having kind of a character (Brooke), who was basically the butt of the joke bringing even more comedy to the show.
This play was an absolute hit, one that should be applauded to the staff of UMD Theatre, one person who our class had the pleasure of meeting with Joe Johnson, who designed the set, one thing that stood out to me was the actor’s attention to detail for one scene when the phone rings, not to turn around and see and react to the sound of speaker in the wall but instead maintaining attention to the phone.
The show was so chaotic which provided practically no structure with many things going on throughout the play from the director shouting out orders from the audience to the actors running around in their skivvies, to providing structure, it was slowly coming along after the first act which had a sluggish pace to it, but progressively increased before mayhem hit in the 3rd act, which had roaring reactions from the crowd, as well as having the campus buzzing!
Michael Antone
Delete11-9-17 Show
Intro to Theatre
Anders Brown
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
11/12/17
Noises Off, performed by the UMD Department of Theatre, was a unique production that was executed well and fed off the energy of the audience. The play was directed by Kate Ufema, and it was very cohesive despite the play seeming very chaotic in nature. The play was very easy to follow, and delivered plenty of laughs as the actors showed off the whirlwind performance and production of Nothing On.
The play alternated between the characters performing the British sex farce called Nothing On, and behind the scenes on the set. Costume designer, Kelsie Bias, was effective in selective costumes that were easily distinguishable between the two aspects of the play. When the actors were “acting” in Nothing On, they were in slightly older clothes and the clothes were specific to their roles in the play. When they were off set, they actors’ clothes were more modern and casual. For example, Haley Methner’s character, Brooke, wore underwear most of Nothing On, and off stage she wore a fashionable coat and a dress.
Scenic designer, Joe Johnson, did an exquisite job of creating a set that could smoothly showcase the stage of the play Nothing On, and also behind the set. This was accomplished by having the background rotate 180 degrees. This was efficient for the sake of the production, but also was very realistic. When the set was turned around so the audience could see backstage and the play was being “performed” on the other side, this provided a very realistic view as the other side of the stage was very brightly lit to mimic the lights on the stage for Nothing On. This was a unique aspect of the show that was very effective.
Another unique convention by director Kate Ufema was the choice to have the director of Nothing On named Lloyd, played by Paul Icenogle, start the show sitting at a table in the audience section. He was in a section that did not contain any actual audience members, but was not noticed by much of the audience until he stopped the play to give his directorial advice. Again, this convention added to the realism of the performance by helping to solidify the illusion of a play being rehearsed on stage.
The actors of Noises off did an impressive job or playing their roles and being precise in their movements on stage. This play required very detailed blocking. The actors to move across the stage, up the stairs, down the stairs, and backstage many times during the show very quickly either by design or to provide comedic effect. The complex blocking is necessary for this show to be effective in its chaotic and comedic nature, and UMD’s actors deserve high praise in their ability to maintain breath to deliver their lines without hesitation.
Acting in Noises Off was very entertaining and complex. Belinda, played by Amelia Barr, was a character that helped make the play cohesive. She tended to the other characters in times of struggle and argument backstage, almost like a motherly figure. She was the one of the more serious characters in this wild comedy. On the other hand, the alcoholic and clueless Selsdon, played by Brenden Finn, provided doubled-over laughter throughout the audience with his repeated ill-timed entrances and soliloquy as he breaks into the home on the set of Nothing On.
In Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off” the play begins with the hilariously angered director Lloyd sitting among the audience “watching the play”. The show about a show illustrates a theater company the night before the first performance, the casts being completely unprepared and puzzled. Misunderstandings of missed cues, lines, and props leads to a very fustigated director.
ReplyDeleteThe proscenium style stage was thrown throw a twist by having the whole set on a turn table, allowing the audience the opportunity to experience all of what is normally hidden from our view point. Stage designer Joe Johnson did an amazing job of designing this unusually impressive and complicated set. The set itself was rather small, containing one room. However, this set size worked very well for the number of actors.
The play begins in a rather slow manner; however, this is needed to provide the base to a very hilarious production. Altogether through the three acts we see the same scene repeated three times. In act two the stage is flipped, allowing us to see the play from backstage and showing us the everyday relationships between the characters, the romantic relationships lead to rivalry, and lover arguments. Director Kate Ufema’s use of this technique helps to achieve her goal of a hilarious and inclusive production for his audience.
In the third act, much of the comedy comes from the change in characters, and off-stage conflict leading to onstage aggression and very witty scenes. This style of production helped to make a very inclusive feel to the play. By allowing the audience to see the “characters” everyday conflicts it makes it feel almost as if you’re close to the actors and have insight to their lives.
Due to this being a play within a pay, the actors must portray both their character in the show and their character in an everyday setting. Throughout the play the characters have to change from speaking as “themselves” or speaking as the “character” that they are playing, the actors of this play did an amazing job embodying each character and showing true emotion in their roles.
From the design elements to the direction of this play, altogether this was a hilariously wacky production. If you’re looking for a laugh, this play would be a great option for you.
Addie Jones
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 13th, 2017
Don’t forget the plate of sardines!
The performance Noises Off, directed by Kate Ufema had the audience laughing the evening away, and wondering what crazy thing was going to happen next. It was a unique performance where actors pretended to be actors and both on and off-stage perspectives were performed, along with the “director” of the play beginning the performance by sitting in the audience directing the “performers” which added a buzz of excitement to everyone.
Sitting in the crowd looking at the stage, it felt as if the audience were right in the Brent household with the rest of the performers. Scenic designer Joe Johnson did a marvelous job at creating a realistic two-story home consisting of a stairwell, lights, brick walls, a fireplace, and doors. These on-stage features helped distinguish that the audience was watching the “on-stage” perspective of the performance. The set then flips to the other side, the side that the audience usually doesn’t see. It shows all the props, mirrors, and “crew” of the show all at hard work. By flipping the set, the audience then knew it had changed to the “off-stage” perspective. Plays like these can be confusing, and the performers did a very nice job of eliminating the confusion, and maximizing the humor.
Sarah Dickson, who played Dotty did a fantastic job at going back and forth between her on-stage and off-stage personality and roles. For most of the other characters their on-stage personalities was very similar to their off, but Dickson showed the differences marvelously. On-stage she had to be very bubbly and humorous, and once she was off-stage she had to be more emotional but continue to be humorous and Dickson went above and beyond doing so. Her character was the first person that the audience was introduced to and she was a good set up for the rest of the play as she set the comedian tone to the play.
Another character that stood out immensely was Reese Britts, who played Frederick. His witty humor and remarkable facial, and body expressions stood out every time such as when he would faint, have goofy faces with his responses, or his little smirks towards the crowd every now and then. His off-stage actions were very similar to his on-stage, but it showed how genuine his humor was and created knee-slapping contributions to the performance.
Being a play within a play there’s a high risk for confusion, the director and actors did a tremendous job at eliminating confusion by making distinct changes that showed which perspective was being performed. They executed this through genuine humor and making a long performance quite enjoyable. The effort put into this play from the set, the props, to the wild acting was well shown and proven, and made Noises Off well worth the see.
Noises Off
ReplyDeleteShawna Spiry
November 13th, 2017
The UMD theatre department’s production of Noises Off directed by Kate Ufema was filled with excitement, laughter and misplacement of a plate of sardines. It had the audience drawn in from the start and didn’t let them go until the final curtain call. This play within a play presented characters of different backgrounds, status, and jobs but all somehow came together. Then as the fourth wall of the play within the play, Nothing On, burst as the “director” came on stage from the audience, the audience members felt a sense of inclusion as if they were in on the performance.
As soon as the lights when up on the two floor Brent house, the audience was hooked. The stage, designed by Joe Johnson, had an effortless take on a complicated set with rotating set pieces, many doors, and useable staircases. The small details from the sconces on the walls or painted wood floors help transport the audience into the 1980s and in the lives of these actors.
Once the character of Mrs. Clackette/Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson, came on stage the energy of the show was immediately introduced. Dickson gave to the audience lightness and warmth. She was also able to seamlessly flip from Mrs. Clackette to Dotty in a way that the audience could always follow.
The character of the burglar/Selsdon, played by Brendan Finn, had a strong ability to fill open space. Even when he didn’t talk, the audience was drawn to him. His small choices to play with the faucets on the stairs or give small looks to other characters did not go unnoticed. Finn gave relatability to the show through his seemingly odd character.
Lastly, the character of the company manager/Tim, played by Thomas Henry, gave realness to the show. Henry gave the audience a father figure to look for and relate to. He was stern yet loving toward his actors. Henry managed to balance these traits well and move the storyline along with small gestures as well as his lines.
Overall, all of the members of the cast and crew did a wonderful job of handling the hard task of showing a play within a play. It was always clear when Noises Off was showing or Nothing On was. To show that difference, the smart choice by the lighting designer, Jon Brophy, of using a yellow color palette in the first act and a blue one in the second helped a lot. The easy understanding and relatable plot of this show made it a delight to see and well worth the tummy ache from laughing so hard.
Jordan King
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 8th,2017
Noises Off was an amazing comedy. The actors were able to keep the audience laughing the whole time, in which they fed off the audience, making the play more engaging. The purpose of the play was to entertain and that goal was definitely achieved.
Right away it was interesting how Kate Ufema the director, had Paul Icenogle who played Lloyd sitting with the audience. It was very realistic in the way that the director would be off stage giving advice to the actors as they go through technical rehearsal. This immediately allowed the audience to give into idea that they were watching a play of a play.
Joe Johnson the scene designer, planned out the scene design well thought out since it looked very realistic, especially from the backstage view. It was smart to put the lights in the back to shine through representing the lights “on stage”. It was also funny they way it was set up in order for the audience to see the other actors through the upstairs bedroom. This caused tons of laughter. He also did a good job with having the stage look like an old british home, and then was able to make it look like a more modern backstage for the play within the play. During intermission the scene was changed in front of the audience, which was interesting, since normally it is done behind a closed curtain. It was impressive to watch it change to backstage, because they were able to move the set so quickly for how big of set they had. This set was a success, it worked very well with this play
The actors had to play multiple roles. These roles included their part in the play and their characters offset. Each of them incorporated different personalities, body languages, and costume design. Costumes for the actors who were “on stage” seemed to be older and then for the actors “off stage” they were more modernized. Each character of the play held their own unique personality. Such as Belinda, who had an overwhelming sense of responsibility to make sure all was in order. It was clear that she cared for everyone in the play and took on a role as a motherly figure, meanwhile, accurately portraying her other character proficiently. Another actress would be Poppy, who successfully demonstrated the stresses it takes to be a stage manager, although it was amplified in particular, being excessively hectic. The two characters, Frederick and Selsdon provided the humor. Such as whenever Frederick would have a nosebleed and almost begin to faint or when Selsdon would act drunk and confused with his poor timing. Selsdon was one of the more memorable characters with his obnoxious and hilarious behavior. A prop that also aided in the humor was the doors not working and the sardines constantly being a problem.
There was so much chaos, but somehow the actors still did a great job of not messing up lines or slowing down pace of the play. This being said, Noises Off was definitely worth it.
Alex Bandt
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 8th
Noises Off is an incredibly entertaining theatrical production, and a non stop laugh. The play takes place somewhere in the United Kingdom, and is about a theatre company going through the process of rehearsing and performing a show named Nothing On. Essentially, it’s a play about a play. The first act of the show allows the audience to see the chaos that ensues during the final day of rehearsal before opening night. After the first few difficulties are out of the way, you get to see how the play Nothing On is supposed to look like.
Going into the second act, the crew for Noises Off, flipped the set around. Instead of seeing the front of the set, the audience gets to see the actors moving around in the backstage, and all the shenanigans that tend to happen.
During the third and final act, the play transitions to one of the final performances. And the actors are tired of each other. They’re forgetting their lines, messing up their cues, and forgetting/ adding props. It’s a hysterical turn from what you got to see in act one.
The cast for the actual production of Noises Off was fantastic. Every single actor added something unique to the play. There are a few that I really want to highlight their performance.
Sarah Dickson (playing Dotty), started off as a very chaotic character, turned very cynical by the end of the performance. There was one very minor character break on her end, but there isn’t much you can blame her for. At the very end of the play, Dotty slams the phone receiver down. It just so happens that part of the phone broke off there. That made her a little smiley, but it is what it is. However, her cynicism and tenderness provide the play with a very realistic character.
Haley Methner (Brooke) plays a spotty character, that doesn’t quite understand everything that’s going on. She acts as though all the blocking and lines cannot be changed, even when all the actors are falling apart. Such as going for a handshake with a character who isn’t in that position, or saying lines that don’t fit the play contextually anymore. It was all very convincing.
The set that the actors got to engage themselves in was beautifully made. With Joe Johnson at the wheel, the set ended up feeling like an episode of Scooby Doo. With every character opening and closing these doors, constantly missing each other, and coming out later; was hysterical. Very well made set. A continuation on the set design, the lighting was just as fantastic. With such an intricate set, trying to get every single spot lit up can be a challenge. But. Jon Brophy did a fantastic job at providing the actors with a bright space to perform.
Thomas Bruchu
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 13th
On November 8th, the UMD Department of Theatre put on the most unique of plays. Directed by Kate Ufema, "Noises Off" was a creative performance that included the production of "Nothing On". Ufema made it simple to follow along and understand the play.
The acting in the was absolutely on point. The audience was laughing within the first five minutes of the play and did not stop until it was over. The actors ability to switch plays and remember all their lines and parts was incredible. The production was thorough and the actors clearly worked hard to make the production a success. It almost seemed as if they were just doing random things, but in reality they were following a complex script. Belinda, played by Amelia Barr, acted as a motherly figure. On the other hand, Selson, played by Brenden Flinn, was an alcoholic who happened to have the worst timing of all time. He added so much humor to the play as he always came in at the completely wrong time and had the audience dying of laughter.
As great as those two characters were, Fredrick, played by Reese Britts, made the play the success it was. He has remarkable facial and body expressions and just about every time he spoke or even moved he had the crowd laughing. When he fainted or made goofy faces he brought a real sense of humor to the play.
As the audience took their spots in the theatre, they felt as if they were in the Brent household. Joe Johnson, the scenic designer, did a great job in making a two story home for the actors in which the audience felt like they were watching a reality tv show. The on-stage features such as the stairwell, coach, phone, fireplace, all the different doors, and the window contributed to a real feeling play.
Flipping the set at the intermission was a crazy way to display behind the scenes and the on-stage performance. The amount of confusion seen on the audience faces at first was high, but then the director along with the actors made it clear what was going on. This made it such a unique play because it was a play inside of a play. It might be thought that this could cause confusion between the actors but somehow they were able to overcome the confusion and twist it into a comedy.
Overall the play was a hilarious success. The execution was on point. The team work shown the actors was clearly displayed. "Noises Off" will go down as one of the best comedy's UMD Theatre has ever seen. The production will be remembered for a great number of years to come.
The biggest fans of live theatre are finally given the opportunity to witness a production through the eyes of the cast and crew. Certain production of beloved shows are heartwarming and fun but not Noises Off, this amazingly hilarious production requires the most high level of focus with multiple things going on throughout the entire stage. This cast of UMD students had the audience convinced they were sitting in front of Broadway stage never missing one of their many ques or one of their countless lines in and out of their fictional characters.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how many productions this audience has seen they would be lying if they said they were not impressed by this amazing cast. There truly is no star with the talent and laughs evenly spread throughout this small cast. Sarah Dickson had the entire audience convinced she was at least in her mid 60’s with a perfect voice and an amazing use of her movements to portray a struggling actress struggling to stay in character. Actors like Paul Icenogle and Mitchell Dallman did an amazing job at using perfect timing and never falling out of character. This entire cast had near perfect chemistry convincing the audience they had been performing together for years.
Kate Ufema the director of this production put together a performance like no other. The amount of blocking put into this show is more than almost any other production. The entire second act could almost be considered a dance with these actors put into the perfect places on stage and the audience owes a thank you to director Kate Ufema for making her vision an amazing show.
Scenic designer Joe Johnson built an outstanding set that’s beauty can only be topped by it’s amazing practical use. Audience members were amazed to see cast members running throughout this set and even more amazed to see it spun around for act two.
Audience members leave this production with a new standard for any future productions they will go seeing with the University of Minnesota Duluth setting the bar high. Noises Off was a performed masterpiece and every audience member lucky enough to see it will not forget it anytime soon. It’s truly impossible to give credit to one single person within this team and it is rare for an audience to see a show put together so perfectly.
Joey Edwards
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 2, 2017
Opening night for Noises Off at the University of Minnesota Duluth, in their Marshall Performing Arts Center. It was easy to feel the excitement and joy in lobby that this play was about to enlighten the audience with. Noises Off was a great play, it had so many elements of the theatre that excited and intrigued the audience. The different ways that the production crew was able to set up the stage and change things from scene to scene. The actors were stellar, they were very prepared for these roles and gave their performance their all. It was a thrilling roller coaster of a play from the first act to the closing scene. At first it was interesting to see an actor in the seats not ten feet from the closest audience member, to see what was going on during one of the performances behind scenes.
An actor that was very good was a one Selsdon, he was the comedic character of this play. He was not one of one in that element each character was able to bring some sort of comedy to the play, but Selsdon specifically was hysterical. Selsdon was played by Brendan Finn, he had a tough draw with this role but I believe he gave a great performance. Finn had to be a character with large history in theatre, but as well a drunk who could care less about the performance. While at the same time of all of this, he had to actually give a performance. Finn was able to execute all of the responsibilities of his character, and responsibilities of his own as an actor in this performance.
Dotty was an old maid of the manor that the play was taking place in, she very much enjoyed her sardines and did not enjoy work. Dotty was the first character that the cast go introduced to, she was a very unique character. With an interesting accent, Dotty was played by Sarah Dickson. Throughout the play Dotty gets very emotional behind scenes, and she still performs very well insight of that. Dickson had to feel sadness and still give a good performance, which she did. Every time she came out howling about her sardines in brought the theatre alive, she was a very funny character as was Selsdon. The difference between the two characters is Dotty seemed to be the clue that brought the whole play together, and that was put on Dickson to give that kind of leader performance, and she pulled it off, she pulled it off in good fashion.
Noises Off was a different play from most others, there were characters coming onto stage from behind the audience. As well characters sitting in the crowd, not intended to be seen as an audience member but as a director. But it was still interesting to see this kind of play, and it would definitely be something worth seeing twice.
Noises Off
ReplyDeleteAliy Heitman
November 11, 2017
The production of Noises Off, directed by Kate Ufema, immersed the audience with laughter into an atmosphere of theatre creation last Wednesday night. In the Mainstage Theatre of the Marshall Performing Arts Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the spectators were invited into the process of a dress rehearsal, opening night, and the last performance in one comical sitting.
Through the chaos of directing and performing a play, as well as the dynamic relationships between the characters, the audience was provided a comical look behind the scenes of a rocky production called Nothing On. Although Act II appeared chaotic and seemed unclear of where the audience should focus at times, the actors’ ability to change from scene to scene remained impressive.
The performers had incredible ability to not only recite the lines quickly and accurately, but also maintain convincing British accents throughout the performance. From Dotty’s (Sarah Dickson) opening lines with sardines to the final lines of the last show of Nothing On, the cast stayed in character with accents that did not waiver.
Not only was the acting of the characters believable, Kelsie Bias’s costumes and Lauren Jauert and Addison Sim’s makeup, supplemented the credibility. The makeup and costumes of Dickson’s character Dotty, and Brendan Finn’s character Selsdon, was ideal for an aged appearance. The students’ appeared to the be much older than college age through convincing makeup.
Another design element that added to the effectiveness of the production was Jon Brophy’s lighting. The lighting design created an authentic look during Act II that appeared as if the audience was truly backstage while viewing the other “audience”.
The sizable scenic changes between acts entailed for a complete reversal of the set in just minutes. Joe Johnson’s scenic design providing an exceptional aspect to the convincingness of the performance. In regards to the utilization of props, a humorous aspect was added through various items such as, multiple plates of sardines, a broken phone, a wielding axe, lost contact lenses, and branches being thrown.
The creation of the comedy, Noises Off, appeared to be attempting to achieve entertainment of the audience through laughter and joy, in addition to enlightening the crowd of what may occur behind the scenes of stressful theatrical production.
Emilie Sebion
ReplyDeleteTheatre
11/15/2017
In Michael Frayn's production "Noises Off" there is a play within that play called "Nothing On." Lloyd Dallas (Paul Icenogle), the director of “Nothing On”, who wanted to run through the play before the first opening gets angered when everything gets misplaced and a drunk (Selsdon) actor gets lost. Lloyd was able to make the audience go crazy with laughter when he explains life as," Getting the sardines on, getting the sardines off. That's a farce. That's theater. That's life." The crowd went crazy over the sardines.
Lloyd also had a wonderful voice complexion. Deep and pure, his voice echoed through the audience. When he first was sitting in the crowd and spoke, the audience was surprised and amazed that someone from the audience was speaking. The way he was able to blend into the audience, but then also convince the audience that he was apart of the performance was impressive.
Joe Johnston, scenic designer, designed a wonderful old, country style setting, with every door meaning something special to the actors, like the bedroom, kitchen, office, hallway, bathroom. The set was also on wheels so it was able to be spun around to see the back side of the set. This allowed them to start the second act behind the scenes to see what is really going on.
Costume designer Kelsie Bias did a spectacular job with fitting the costumes into the time period and the location of the play. With “Noises Off” being placed in an old country style home, in the 1980’s, the costumes matched with each character's role in the performance. Like how Haley Methner played Brooke and was wearing a sexy outfit to portray her character's attitude. Whereas Amelia Barr played Belinda and wore a modest white dress with a neck scarf, showing that her character is elegant and mature.
Sarah Dickson played Dotty (Mrs. Clackett) outstandingly. In particular she was able to make her accent believable for the audience. She was able to cut from playing “Nothing On” to responding to Lloyd in “Nothing On” when she forgot the sardines or to hang up the phone before she left the scene. Her facial expression and gestures fit her emotion and how her character was feeling.
Brendan Finn played Selsdon, a believable drunk, lost man. He played his character as best as someone could. Taking an eye off the main performers, Finn was on the stairs waiting to mention he was stealing something because that is what he was doing in the play “Nothing On.” He was waiting till they started the scene again and while he was waiting he was still in character sitting, talking to himself and replying back which really made the audience laugh. His facial expression mimicked the way his character should be acting, drunk and dumb trying to rob a house that has people in it.
Each character during the production had to be two characters and be able to switch on and off from each one. Each character did a smooth transition between characters. They were believable to the audience. The production was a play within a play but the cast did an excellent job of telling both stories simultaneously.
Overall the performance was well performed, well acted and well loved. The comic part of “Nothing On” gave everyone a laugh.
Noises Off, written by Michael Frayn in 1982, was brought back to life in the Marshall Performing Arts Center at UMD. Kate Ufema was the director of the show. It was clear that she worked closely with her team of designers and coordinators to put on a marvelous rendition of the original play. Every component that went into the show, from the lighting to the sound effects, was incredible. However, there were two aspects of the performance that left a lasting impression on viewers -the stage design and costumes.
ReplyDeleteUfema decided to present Noises Off on a proscenium stage. This gave Joe Johnson, the scenic designer, a space to work with that could emphasize realistic scenery as well as a strong central focus on what was happening on stage. The set he built was unique. It definitely blew a lot of people away when the entire display was turned around. The front scene was extremely detailed. The fireplace in the corner of the stage looked like it was made of textured brick. The large downstairs window was comprised of many small panes of “glass.” To make the doors look like they opened up to different rooms in the house, a piece of fabric was put behind the doors to give the space depth. The backstage looked exactly like what the audience would expect a backstage to look. The walls weren’t painted and the stairs were not carpeted. It was designed to be practical for the actors to get into and out of the scenes. Seeing the play from both sides was definitely memorable.
Kelsie Bias, the costume designer, did a remarkable job creating clothes that reflected each character’s personality. The outfits that stood out the most were the females’. Brooke, played by Haley Methner, wore lingerie for a majority of the show. It was frilly and a soft pink color, which matched her bubbly and dingy nature. Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson, was dressed in a maid’s outfit. It was composed of many layers and appeared to be a little raggedy. This was symbolic for the tiring job of a servant. Belinda, who was played by Amelia Barr, had an outfit that resembled her mother-like disposition. She wore a slender white dress that went past her knees and covered her arms. She also had on a scarf. She looked well-put together, which people often associate with responsibility and maturity.
From the rotating set to the creativity of the costumes, Noises Off was amazing. The director, coordinators, designers, and actors all deserve some recognition for the high-quality show that was put on. All the elements of the play really came together to entertain the audience by providing a night full of wonder and excitement.
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ReplyDeleteThe play Noises Off bring human drama onstage while using stage drama for juxtaposition. The director conveys a stark contrast between the characters in the play and those who the characters portray in the show. Both the interactions with the characters and the characters within the play are filled with slapstick humor and love problems, both groups have suspicion of people cheating as well as sneaking around.This was achieved by showing the play the characters were participating in being interrupted by the characters themselves and their real world drama in act one, then in act two having the real world drama of the characters interrupting the play and in act three the blending of the two worlds colliding and falling apart.
ReplyDeleteThe play ask the question “does art imitate life or does life imitate art,” by including the overly exaggerated violence that blurs the line between reality and cartoon like violence, the juxtaposition of the characters in the play in love with the conflict of love amongst the actors, and the meta aspect of the play having a play within itself.
The set design was able to capture the duality throughout the production by rotating and showing the back stage as well as having the set for the play the characters were meant to be part of. The space also utilized a section near the audience to have a moment of connection between the audience that is usually done with a thrust stage by having an actor close to the seating area of the audience and another actor enter from the audience, but utilized a perineum theater space that captured the feel of theatrics and conveyed the meta aspect of the play within the play.
The slapstick nature of the performance coupled with the clever dialogue captured the playful mood as well as the character driven drama. The physicality of some of the stunts performed was similar to cartoon violence. Mitchell Dallman exaggerates the stunt of falling down the stairs to the point of absurdity which added to the meta aspect of the play blurring the lines between what
was part of the show and what was happening to the characters.
The play captures the question “does art imitate life or does life imitate art,” while providing clever dialogue and slapstick humor that contrast each other as well as the characters in the play and their characters within the play’s play. The stage work added to the elements of the play in terms of theme and setting and the acting continued the theme of blurring lines between art and reality with over the top performances.
Corey Todalen
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 11, 2017
If you manage to be able to maintain your breath when you first sit down in Marshall Performing Arts Center and take in the jaw-dropping set of Noises Off, you wouldn’t be able to keep it for long. The masterful comedic chops of UMD’s Theater Department would leave you in hysterics, breathless. The organic crescendo from slapstick amusement to a horrifying descent into the theatrical maelstrom kept the audience on closing night at the edge of their seats the entire performance, undoubtedly ending their successful run on a positive note.
One couldn’t watch the play without a certain ounce of morbid curiosity and fear for the safety (and sanity) of the actors involved, each and every step and line was expertly blocked and rehearsed (unlike “Nothing On”) and managed to prevent theatrical chaos from turning into genuine chaos. Miraculously at times, no one seemed to break character or face actual injury; although one of the benefits of such a chaotic play is that any errors by the ensemble seem purposeful and the turmoil that unfolds in Act III could have easily been improvisation and the audience would be none-the-wiser.
The performances on stage were masterful and it was obvious that not only was there a strong foundation with each of the actors, but that as the run went on, they only grew in their understanding of the emotional complexities of each of the characters and their ability to concoct believable slapstick in an era where physical comedy is often undermined by wit, or more often, offence. The energy in the theater was palpable and both the audience and the actors fed off the fun that both parties were having. While one could nitpick about accent slip-ups, mainly by Dotty, individual actors who were not as strong when compared to others, and slightly off errors that could very well be part of the director’s artistic vision, the overall performance was incredible.
The complexities of props, set and stage, and a cast and crew of eccentric characters and talented thespians of Noises Off came together in an enjoyable, “can’t catch my breath, I’m laughing so hard” performance that was undoubtedly the crowning achievement of hundreds of hours of hard work that should make the entire theater community of Duluth and UMD proud.
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ReplyDelete“Noises Off” directed by Kate Ufema at UMD’s Marshall Performing Arts Center ran a beautiful comedy show for her audiences that exposed a sex parody play filled with lots of comedy.
ReplyDeleteIt’s the night before opening, and the actors are having trouble focusing. An amazing play within a play with clever dialogues that delivers laughter after laughter filled with joy and excitement.
“Noises Off” triggers the audiences with giggles not even 15 minutes into the play. Director Lloyd, played by (Paul lcenogle) is trying to get his cast through a tough technical dress rehearsal, but actors keep interrupting their rehearsal with questions. For the first seen in “Noises Off” we happen to cross the housekeeper of the house, Dotty (Saraah Dickson) who is trying her best to enjoy sardines relaxing herself on the couch, but cannot keep her lines straight whatsoever. Sarah was great showing her enthusiasm as a little old lady with great energy.
We than have Garry (Mitchell Dallman) and his woman Brooke (Haley Methner) who wants a romance privacy and ask Dotty if she can keep it quit. Mitchell and Haley were phenomenal to watch because the role character fit them so well. As for Haley, she was wonderful with her humor of awkwardness behaviors in the play.
Frederick (Reese Britts) and his wife Belinda (Amelia Barr) arrive to escape tax fraud charges against them. Reese was tuned in as he impressed the audiences with laughter. Amelia acted well as the mother figure for all the cast crew rehearsing.
As the play continues the laughter is increasing as mistakes with identities, lost plates of sardines, and extreme loud sounds of slamming doors.
Kate did an outstanding job in both directing and dialect coaching. She brought the art and the creativity out of those actors to entertain her audiences. It was impressing to see the actors use their unique British accent characterize into their character.
Kelsi Bias was amazing with costumes. Her idea of creating the 1980s look was beautifully done to allow the audience to tune in that this look came from the 80s along with the hairstyles, make-up, and shoes.
Overall, Kate did a marvelous work putting the play together for her audiences. A play that was an absolute hit that brought tears of laughter and nothing more. If I could recommend a play in a cold winter night, I would suggest “Noises Off” to warm up their belly with laughter.
Noises Off
ReplyDeleteCaleece Myhre
November 15, 2017
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s production of Noises Off written by Michael Frayn comically showcases the idea of a play inside a play. It was apparent that each aspect of the production from costumes to staging was thoughtfully planned and correlated very well with the overall 1970’s setting. The three-act play showed the behind the scenes relationships of the cast members which was presented clearly by the theatre departments’ phenomenal cast.
The entire cast did such an amazing job of portraying the Nothing On character but also making sure that the backstage character was just as recognizable to the audience. Dotty, played by Sara Dickson, was a corky housemaid that always was forgetting the sardines! Sara did a remarkable job bringing the most out of this comedic character but adding her own twists onto the stage. Selsdon, portrayed by Brendan Finn, was the most comical part of the whole production. Selsdon was a delusional drunk unaware of what and where he was most of the time, but Brendan added so much more to the character which paid off. I remember laughing so hard in one of the scenes where Selsdon wasn’t directing involved in the dialogue but was seen talking to the two fossettes in his hand. This was a couple examples of how well the cast did at making sure the audience was constantly laughing and engaged in the play which can be somewhat challenging in the Marshall Performing Center because it is so big.
The double set stage made the contrast between the backstage area and the Nothing On set easy to differentiate from. The 1970’s house structure was very realistic and made the audience feel like it was something you would have seen in your parents’ old picture albums. The staircase added the idea of having different areas for different actors while staying in the same frame. The backstage area gave the audience to see how the Nothing On stage functioned and allowed the actors to have enough space to run around attacking each other with axes.
The costume designer, Kelsie Bias, did an excellent job of bringing the comedy of the dialogue into costumes. The best example was with Brooke, played by Haley Methner, and her underwear costume. Brooke was a dizzy actress who did only what was scripted and that showed in her costume because it fit her personality well.
The entirety of the cast and crew of Noises Off put so much into the production and it paid off. I wish I could have watched this again because I was laughing for 3 hours straight!
Collin Nordman
ReplyDeleteNoises off was a gut busting performance. This comedic performance had the audience laughing in a matter of moments. The performance was designed very interestingly with parts of the performance being performed off stage and in the audience. Paul Icenogle did an excellent job slipping in unnoticed until it was his time to shine. Paul’s part of the performance being in the audience would’ve never had been possible without the expert lighting done by Jon Brophy. The lighting lit up the side perfectly. His Lighting was bright enough to see the performance while still keeping the audience in the dark.
Not only was the lighting well done, but Kate Ufema did an amazing job directing this performance. There was a lot of moving parts in this performance that had to be executed at the right time and they were all done very well. The biggest moving part of all was the set designed by Joe Johnson. The set was beautifully done and it was extremely impressive that it could be spun around for each act. The stage crew did a nice job of efficiently spinning the set to get back to the production. Ufema’s decision to allow us to watch the set spin was a great choice. It made it extremely easy to know exactly what part of the set was what, because the whole thing was visible at all times. This was extremely helpful for visualizing the back side of the second act.
The actors took full advantage of the nicely made set and put on an awesome performance. Throughout the whole production there were parts of the play when everyone was on stage and it was quiet. The actors did extremely well in these lulls in the action. Each actor in the background did a nice job with their expressions and actions. The crowd would laugh at one then let their eyes wander across the stage to each actor laughing each time.
The one scene that was performed extremely well was when the actors were fighting over the ax. Without a single word said, the facial expressions the actors made is what made the part extremely comical. The ax was a good choice by Ufema. It is dangerous but also big enough to be able to fight a wrestle over, plus the bigger size lets the audience clearly see who has control over the ax.
Over all, the play accomplished the comedic relief that it strived for. The production kept the audience laughing the entire time. the The actors did a great job, the set was stunning, and the directing was fabulous. Noise’s off Performed by the University of Minnesota Duluth theater was a huge success.
UMD Theatre’s production of Noises Off was a play (Nothing On) within a play. Like a heavy locomotive rolling down a hill, it built up momentum to an inevitable crash ending. By the final act, there was so much going on that it was easy for some bits to fall through the cracks, though there were no shortcomings by any means.
ReplyDeleteFrom Brendan Finn’s boisterous Selsdon, to the more subtle comedy of Haley Methner’s Brooke, the audience had plenty to keep them entertained and laughing throughout.
The acts executed so well by the performers were tied together with the beautiful scenic design done by Joe Johnson. The audience was able to see both the front and “backstage” of the set when it was turned around for the final acts. Lighting designer Jon Brophy executed realistic brightness coming through the “front” of the stage to the “back” of the stage when it was flipped.
Paul Icenogle’s character of Lloyd, the director, starts off the show giving instructions to the actors onstage from among the audience. The seating area was also utilized in the performance when Selsdon made his entrance down an aisle of the auditorium.
This integrated aspect of the play, as well as the alternation between onstage/backstage, created a firsthand dynamic between the spectators and performers. It was easy to get caught up in the drama between characters and develop an appreciation for each individual role. This was a difficult speciality to have in a play with actors playing both their onstage and offstage characters.
One actress who stood out in particular was Sarah Dickson. She gracefully transitioned from the character of Mrs. Clackett in Nothing On, to flustered Dotty backstage.
Brooke playing Vicki had a more understated role in the comedic action when she continued playing her part exactly despite everything going wrong and not making sense given the context.
Another striking performance was Reese Britt’s part of Fredrick Fellowes/Philip Brent. His antics onstage, aided by professional stunt coordinator Mathias Anderson, were a highlight of the ongoing comedy in the play.
All in all, Noises Off was an enjoyable and entertaining night achieved by everyone who had a part in its production.
Noises Off, a captivating comedy performed by the UMD Theatre Program and directed by Kate Ufema, is a bifold, in that a play entitled Nothing On, occurs within another play, Noises Off. The audience gains an interesting perspective as to what actually goes on during final rehearsals and crunch time. In the duration of this final rehearsal, the audience is ridiculously entertained due to the fact that nothing is going right, props are lost, conflict arises, and a drunk actor keeps going missing. The production consists of basically nothing going right, as well as countless spots in the script to laugh at.
ReplyDeleteThe show tells the story of a group of mediocre actors preparing to tour a British sex farce set in a country house, extraordinarily designed by UMD student, Joe Johnson. Johnson innovatively created a set that agreed with all three acts of the play, as well as make sense to the audience. Johnson devised a double sided set, one side being the manor and the other the backstage of the set. The first and third acts took place on the manor side of the set, and the second act took place backstage. To add to the neat dual dynamic called the set of Noises Off, during both intermissions audience members had the opportunity to watch the shift crew change the scenery from act to act.
Despite the slow pace of the first act, audience members will never run out of a character or an action to laugh at. One character was especially prominent, in that you could always laugh at her or her behavior. This character was named Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson in Noises Off, and played Mrs. Clackett in Nothing On. Dotty is the maid or housekeeper of the manor, and stands out from the rest of the cast when it comes to personality, clothing, hairstyle, makeup, and everything else. Dotty, or Mrs. Clackett, is notorious for forgetting or misplacing props on the stage, such as the newspaper, the phone, and the infamous plate of sardines. Dotty mistakenly botches the act of getting the plate of sardines on and off the stage due to the fact that the producer of Nothing On, Lloyd, repeatedly tells Dotty “Getting the sardines on, getting the sardines off. That’s farce. That’s theater. That’s life.” The plate of sardines then becomes an inside joke for both Noises Off and Nothing On, and the audience is mildly amused by the complications regarding the lousy plate of sardines.
There are few plays that require their cast and crew to stick as close to the script as Michael Frayn’s Noises Off does. The British comedy, which requires a great deal of precision and thought, ironically depicts a play slowly falling apart. While wildly farcical, many of the scenarios played out are relatable to anyone who’s had experience in the theatre. However, prior work in theater is not a prerequisite for enjoying UMD’s recent production of Frayn’s outrageous comedy.
ReplyDeleteOverall the company did an amazing job with such a tricky show. As a relatively small production, Noises Off demands each actor to be on top of their game in order to switch back and forth between their character and their character’s character. UMD’s company was able to accomplish this throughout almost the entire performance.
The first act was used as a foundation for the other two acts. It started out slightly slowly, which cause a bit of confusion. However, this could believably be a reflection of each character's’ mood as well. Despite starting out a slower pace, things quickly picked up and several gags were offered up early on to allow the audience a peek at the hilarity to come. Act two started out at a much faster pace, and only increased from there. Because the second act takes place backstage is has little dialogue, act two relies heavily on pantomiming and blocking. Under the excellent direction of Kate Ufema, each actor is forced to be extremely deliberate in their actions. The result of such precision was comedic gold. Full of slammed doors and incidents involving a cactus, the second act had audience members laughing at each and every turn. The third act took this hilarity even further, showing the production completely falling apart. Each time a character seems to be veering back on track, something even more disastrous happens to throw the whole show off again. Ironically, this demands a great deal of calculation from each actor, which pays off in an uproarious way. Act three is easily the most entertaining, albeit cringeworthy, in the production.
Individually each actor pulled their weight accordingly to create a polished performance. Sarah Dickson, who played Mrs. Clackett onstage and Dotty backstage, was able to switch between the characters with apparent ease. Dickson was able to showcase her comedic props particularly well in the final act, when she was shown as a hybrid of the two. Amelia Barr’s switch between Belinda and Flavia, while much more subtle, had an impressive elegance to it. In contrast, Reese Britts’ Frederick perfectly embodied the image the lovable buffoon and proved himself a crowd favorite. While all of the central characters were excellent, perhaps the most enjoyable performance was that of the ancient Selsdon, played by Brenden Flinn. Walking a fine line between intoxicated and simply senile, Selson could often be seen in the background of a scene conversing with faucets or solving some sort of impossible equation, making Flinn’s performance both subtle and outrageous.
One of the most challenging technical aspects of any production of Noises Off is flipping the set. UMD was able to find a fairly innovative solution to this obstacles by allowing two parts of the set to come off and by anchoring the main portion to the ground so that it rotated with ease. While there seemed to be a bit of an issue with microphones at the beginning of the second act, all other technical aspects of the show came across flawlessly.
While Noises Off is certainly an endeavor for any company, UMD’s company was able to pull it off with humor, heart and of course, sardines.
Noises Off
ReplyDeleteNate Larson
November 10th, 2017
Noises Off, directed by Kate Ufema and performed by members of the UMD Department of Theatre, had the audience laughing from beginning to end. The play revolves around the rehearsal and performance of another play, “Nothing On,” and the show begins in an unusual way that drew the audience’s attention. The director of “Nothing On,” Lloyd, played by Paul Icenogle, is seated next to the audience, watching the rehearsal of his play and reacting to the poor performance of his actors. The rest of the play is as hilariously unpredictable and chaotic as its beginning.
Scenic Designer Joe Johnson did a spectacular job of creating a visually pleasing home environment for the acts where the audience was viewing the “onstage” portions of Nothing On. His set also flipped around completely and the “backstage” acts used the same structure that rotated 180 degrees. This really helped the audience understand what was going on in the “backstage” act because they knew what the actors were doing and where they were when they couldn’t be seen on the opposite side of the set. Lighting Designer Jon Brophy also did a great job of illuminating the side of the stage opposite of the audience so that it appeared as a real backstage would. The audience could look through the backstage set and it would appear like there was a lit stage on the other side.
The props in this play provide a lot of the comedic value, and Props Coordinators Michaela Lochen and Will Rafferty did a great job. From the phone cord that gets wrapped around the entire set to the many antics involving the bags, boxes, and plates of sardines that the Nothing On actors struggle with, the props seemed to add more value to the play in Noises Off than they do in most plays.
The Director, Kate Ufema, was also the Dialect Coach for the actors in Noises Off. She did a great job with all of the actors in ensuring that their British accents weren’t phony. All of the actors had accents that were believable and didn’t leave the audience distracted by their authenticity.
Each character added their own comedic value to the play, and many of the characters were played exceptionally well. Selsdon, played by Brendan Finn, and Frederick, played by Reese Britts, were performed exceptionally well. Finn’s boneheaded comments and backstage shenanigans kept the audience laughing every time he did anything. Britts provided one of the highlights of the show when he gracefully leapt up the stairs of the set with his pants around his ankles as the entire crowd almost died of laughter. All of the actors were very comical in their own roles and their interactions as a group were even funnier.
Kate Ufema and the UMD Department of Theatre’s goal was to put on an entertaining rendition of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off. Overall, I feel that they did more than enough to achieve that goal. The performance was engaging and hilarious throughout. The actors, director, and everyone else behind the scenes did their jobs very well. This performance was certainly worthwhile for the UMD Department of Theatre.
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ReplyDeleteTori Stacken
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
20 November 2017
UMD’s production of Noises Off took the audience’s breath away. While starting slow, Noises Off picked up steam quickly and had the audience roaring by the second and third acts. Director Kate Ufema’s excellent cast and vision of the show had the audience chuckling in utter delight.
Part of what made this show so memorable was the work done by stunt coordinator Mathias Anderson. The show required a lot of physical comedy, and bringing in a professional like Anderson had a big payoff. The audience was in awe of the stunts being pulled on the stage.
Reese Britts’s Frederick was hilarious. His physicality with the well-meaning, quirky character was an absolute delight for the audience, as was his ability to jump up the staircase with his pants around his ankles. Britts was simply stellar.
Amelia Barr also gave a wonderful performance as the caring mediator Belinda --Frederick’s onstage wife. Her line delivery and exaggerated facial expressions were wonderful and fitting for her character. The level of professionalism and sympathy Barr gives Belinda slowly begins to deteriorate as Nothing On becomes more and more out of control, ultimately leading to a fight with Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson.
Dickson’s Dotty took the audience on a wild ride. Starting early and switching between Dotty and Dotty’s Mrs. Clackett, Dickson ensured that they knew who she was playing. Through facial expressions and actions, she turned Dotty into a wonderfully crazy actor seeking revenge on her beau Garry (Mitchell Dallman), in the second act. Dickson finishes strong, showing a Dotty who has given up hope on her show. She did very good work.
Brendan Finn gave a remarkable performance as Selsdon. Whether he was reciting his lines in an overly theatrical style or having a conversation with two faucets, Selsdon was on track to be a crowd favorite. With his character’s shenanigans, Finn had the audience in stitches each time he stepped onstage.
The set itself was breathtaking. The moment a person saw the set, their jaw would drop. This is thanks to scenic designer Joe Johnson. In addition to the set of the fictional show Nothing On, Johnson designed an accurate backstage for the second act. The interior of the “house” for the first and third act was incredibly detailed, making the audience giddy with excitement before the show even started.
Through the actors, the set, and the stunts, Noises Off simply stunned those who saw it. Leaving the theatre, one could tell the audience had a great time with this farce, and it certainly was a show they will never forget.
Noises off was a wonderful comedic play put on by The University of Minnesota Duluth’s theatre department. Kate Ufema directed this gut busting comedy, and put on a show that was really enjoyable to watch. A play within a play, that showed all of the mishaps that can go wrong on stage and behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteThe set was quite extravagant and gave the look of a real home. Even during the second act, it was interesting to see the approach on the look of the backstage part of the set. It was neat that extra sections were added to give it a more “official” backstage look. Joe Johnson did a great job of making the sets not only aesthetically pleasing, but also very functional, as there was a lot going on up on the set as the play went on.
The costumes helped set this play back in time. Kelsie Bias was able to fit the characters with outfits that really helped the formation of the characters. One could tell the intended personality of a character, before they even spoke a word.
Sara Dickson, played Dotty in this production and she was quite the character to watch. Dickson was the first character to appear on stage and she opened the show ready to go. Her energy gradually grew throughout the play, and by the end she had facial expressions that could kill. It was fun to watch her character change as the show progressed.
Another actor who provided a great deal of comedic relief, would have been Reese Britts. Britts played the character Fredrickson. His actions throughout the entire performance were hilarious. Britts jumping around on stage with his pants at his ankles and constantly fainting from the sight of blood would have been enough to crack anyone up. His comedic approach with his character was beautifully done and the audience couldn’t get enough.
Tim, played by Thomas Henry, was the overworked and severely sleep deprived handyman who at times during the play was also forced into acting, during the performance of Nothing On. He was just one of those characters you could have empathy with and an understanding for. Although Henry’s character was a relatable one, his struggles were still funny and he portrayed Tim’s struggled in a way that the audience could really appreciate.
Brendan Finn played the role of Selsdon. Finn’s portrayal of Selsdon was amazing. As soon as he appeared in the show, he had this ability to capture the audience and to make them laugh, sometimes just by being oblivious to what was going on around him. Finn was able to make himself come across as being a senile old man who had a bit of a drinking problem, yet was still cared for by the rest of his “cast” members during the numerous takes on a single scene of Nothing On. Saying Seldon was a crowd favorite would be an understatement. Leaving the theatre people talked about that crazy old man who captured the heart of the audience members because of his innocently good attitude that he had no matter what was thrown his way.
The effort and time put in by the cast and crew was most certainly noticeable and it really showed through on the night of the performance. Overall, this door slamming comedy was a great way to end the night.
Sean Flaherty
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
11/8/2017
On wednesday, November 8th, the UMD theater production of Noises Off was shown at the Marshall Performing Arts Center. The play is a comical play that has a unique take to original productions, because of its play within a play format. Directed by Kate Ufema, Her and the UMD student cast do a great job of keeping the audience entertained with goofy acts and complete organized chaos.
The play design by Joe Johnson and director Kate Ufema, is designed for the comtion. The multitude of doors and the ability to flip the whole set from act two gives this both of these people a round of applause for creativity and creating something that truly gave the audience knee slapping comedy consistently throughout the whole play.
The play is started off with a late night dress rehearsal where the audience is introduced to Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson, Dotty is a forgetful maid that has the audience laughing right away with her unique and interesting way of always forgetting the “SARDINES”. This play is different from other normal plays because right from the start different characters are announced from all areas of the theater. Llyod (Paul Icenogle), Poppy (Rachel Williams), TIm (Thomas Henry), and especially Selsdon (Brendan Finn) all are part of this feature of the play and periodically pop out from anywhere in the theater to give the crowd a pleasant and funny surprise.
A very comical performance by Reese Britts, who plays Fredricks, gave an amazing performance. His corky character with his jumping personality and the constant nausea to the sight of violence had the audience rolling on the floor. This mixed with Brooke played by Haley Methner, the “typical blonde” personality. She would remain to the script regardless of what went wrong around her.Brooke was a big part of all the comtion because her acting helped the audience know where they were in the storyline.
Overall this play was fantastic! If you're looking for a play where you want to get a good laugh and enjoy a casual night out with good entertainment the play “Noises Off” directed by Kate Ufema will meet this criteria pefectly.
On November 2nd, the UMD theatre opened Noises Off, in the Marshall performing arts center. Noises Off, which was written by Michael Frayn and directed by Kate Ufema, is a play about a play and the people who make up a certain theatre company in England. The play follows the production of the play Nothing On and the series of events that follow the failing show.
ReplyDeleteAt first, it was hard to tell what the show was about and what the actors were trying to accomplish while on stage. Once Lloyd, Paul Icenogle, stopped the rehearsal that was happening it became clearer that this was supposed to be a comedic play. Paul portrayed a stressed director very well, especially with the voice inflections that he did while scolding Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson, or Poppy, played by Rachel Williams, on their lines or other tasks that they were supposed to be doing. The other actors also portrayed their roles extremely well. The actor who played Brooke, Haley Methner, was so good at playing the stark character that Brooke is that it was hard to tell she was acting. Another aspect of the play that you could hardly notice was cues with light and sound. The transition between each of the light cues were unnoticeable. Sound was the same in the sense that when sound effects or music were played you were unable to notice a cue for it to go off.
The main purpose of this show was to make the audience laugh and show us the results of a failing theatre company. The play was set in the 1980’s and everything from the costumes to the furniture in the house helped the audience understand that. From the burnt orange couch to the old telephone. From a personal standpoint I think that the show was incredible and was well worth it. The show was a great way to get some relief from the stress of school and provided the entire audience with a good laugh. Ms. Ufema did an exceptional job at taking the script and making it come to life with the actors. Everything from the specific placing of the plates of sardines to the running around backstage during act two, the entire show was hilarious and meticulously planned out. Ms. Ufema also did an amazing job at teaching the actors to have an authentic English accent that added to the realism of the play.
Noises Off
ReplyDeleteKayce Kosanda
November 9th
Noises Off directed by Kate Ufema, was a British comedy that made the audience laugh from beginning to end. It was performed by UMD students and they fed off the energy and laughter of the audience. The play was chaotic and entertaining to watch and brought a smile to everyone’s face.
In the beginning of the play the stage was set up nicely, with an old British house and having the phone ring to give the audience anticipation about who was going to come out and how the play was going to start. Having Lloyd (Paul Iconogle) in the audience portraying the directed of Nothing On, really brought the feel of a play inside a play, and that critiquing them throughout the dress rehearsal.
The set was nicely put together and also brought the feel of a play within a play when in the second act they turned the structure around and the audience got to see “behind the stage”. When the act was backstage there was a faint background noise of audience as if there were people watching the play on the other side. This made it seem very realistic and really sold to the audience that they were performing to another crowd.
This play was comical in many different ways but it seemed to just get funnier with each act. The first act when they perform in front of an audience it seems to go smoothly, but still had humorous parts in it. The second act brought more ciaos and brought more laughter and enjoyment to the audience. With the third act, there was barely a time throughout the act that the audience wasn’t laughing, anything and everything was going wrong and the play was turning into a disaster.
The casting of Noises off was really good and was fun to watch up on stage really embody their characters. They all brought humor in their own way and seemed to be having fun on stage which made the audience have more fun watching them.
Overall Noises Off can be defined with two words, hilarious and chaotic, with each scene getting funnier and funnier the audiences stomach will hurt from all the laughing. This play will definitely leave anyone with a smile on their face.
Mimi Huynh
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
16 November 2017
This November, UMD Theater staffs have put on a very well directed and performed play called Noises Off . The play was a British comedic play written in the 1970s by Michael Frayn. Noises Off showed the contrast of the actors’ lives both on and off stage. One of the main goals of the play was to bring laughter to the audiences. With the work of Kate Ufema, the director, The show has definitely achieved its goals.
The entire show was very well put together from performers, costumes to lighting and sound effects. However, the one thing that have gotten people’s attention and impression was the stage design. With the stage design, the place was able to be changed from front stage to back stage without much effort. The stage scene changed from the scene of an old English house with very nice details such as the chandelier, the fireplace and the telephone to the back stage where actors run around try to put on a show.
The original Noises Off play was written and directed in England 1970s. To be able to recall the real time period and location, costume designer Kelsie Bias has chosen out the perfect costumes and make up for the performers. The costumes showed the elegance and grace of the women in that time period. It also showed the knowledgeable and classy of the men in suits.
Noises Off started with a slower pace and it got faster throughout the entire play. In the first act, the performers were on stage putting on the final dress rehearsal for their director Lloyd (Paul Icenogle). They used the real proscenium stage as their rehearsal stage. The director, Lloyd blended in with the audiences as he was giving the actors directions from down stage. The characters was having a hard time with rehearsal and made a lot of mistakes. The first act showed the chaos in the final dress rehearsal. However, the chaos had really brought laughter to the audiences.
The second act had a faster pace than the first act. After the dress rehearsal, the actors had to put on a real show. This is when we audiences were brought behind the scene and started getting into more details about each actors’ lives behind the scene. This act has really shown the conflict between the actors, especially between Dotty (Sarah Dickson), Garry (Mitchell Dallman) and Frederick (Reese Britts). Because of the love both Garry and Frederick have for Dotty, they didn’t get along back stage. The play got really chaotic when Frederick tried to fight Garry while others actors were trying to stop them. It was impressive how the actors can remember the lines for both front and back stage. The actors really did a wonderful job to bring laughter to the audiences.
Third act was the most chaotic but hilarious one out of the three acts. The actors gave up on trying and totally did different things from each other. It probably was the most quirky performance ever! The audiences definitely had good laughs after the third act.
The play wrapped up with a lot of memorable moments and laughter. The audiences walked away with lots and lots of energy and memories. UMD had definitely did an awesome job with this play.
Pawel Waszczuk
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 2, 2017
Noises Off opened on November 2, 2017 at the UMD Marshall Performing Arts Center. There seemed to be an enormous amount of effort put into the production because the play was executed with precision and it appeared that the crowd enjoyed themselves very much. Though the play is three hours long and the first act is set up so that it creates a basis for the plot and climax of the story it looked like the audience and the actors really appreciated the full experience of the production.
The play itself lays out a great challenge due to the fact that it is a play within a play. The play on the first level goes through three acts while the underlying play is never completed, only the first act is seen by the audience. This may create a confusion which the characters, costume designers and set designers of the production must explain through their particular and specific roles. It looked as if these specific sections of the production faculty did an exceptional job of making sure there was the least amount of confusion for the audience.
The scenic designer, Joe Johnson, constructed a set that seemed to be extremely thorough and it looked like it helped the audience really understand where and when specific acts took place. During the first and third act the set was turned so that the front faced the audience and they saw the play within a play which was Nothing On. To show this the set seemed to have extreme detail and looked like it portrayed an interior of a house in the 1980’s. This allowed the audience understand that the actors are acting in the second play. During the second act the set was turned so that the audience saw the back of the set to the play Nothing On. This side seemed to be constructed in a crude fashion and had separate additions which looked like the exterior to a dressing room and a door that exits to the general public lobby. It seemed that Joe did a great job with this switch because it looked as if the audience had no problem with understanding that the second act was all about the main story which is set in present times. The set seemed to play a crucial role in setting a place for the actors to tell the story of the play.
The costume designers Kelsi Bias and Patsy Button, for Noises Off and Nothing On respectively, seemed to put in great detail into the portrayal of the appropriate time eras in the corresponding stories. It appeared as if Kelsie put a great emphasis on making the costumes for the Noises Off portion of the production to be bland and a lot simpler than the costumes made by Patsy. The jeans and sweatshirts designed by Kelsi made the vivid costumes by Patsy stand out and seemed to form a helpful appeal gradient between the two plays. It looked as if the designs of the costumes helped the audience distinguish the differences between the two time periods of the two plot lines in the play.
With numerous actors in the production the actor that played the character that the audience seemed to relate to the most was Reese Britts. Reese seemed to have put an extraordinary amount of work into his preparation for the production because his acting seemed flawless and it looked like it made the audience laugh out loud after every line and move he had. Reese played three different characters. In Noises off he played Frederick Fellows and in Nothing On he played Phillip Brent and the Sheikh. This extraordinary combination of roles seemed to suit Reese well and he appeared to be one of the audience’s favorites.
Overall the production of Noises Off by the UMD theater in the Marshall Performing Arts Center seemed to be something worthwhile of the efforts and time put in by the various sections of the theater and the audience. The show seemed to be successful and to entertain a great variation of audience members. The UMD theater put on an extraordinary show that really shows the great appreciation and talent that the Duluth community has for the fine arts.
Valerie Bombard
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
November 10th, 2017
A play within a play, performed at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, was an entertaining series of unfortunate events. Directed by Kate Ufema, the scenery was completely flipped to different times between the three lengthy acts. The play began a bit slow, but paid off once the comedic aspects kicked in during the second act.
The scenery contained many doors, leading to various rooms and exits, which creates quite the roar of laughter from the audience once things go wrong in the actor’s attempt at a show to a pretend audience, due to a window that exposes the characters running back and forth.
The play began with Dotty, played by Sarah Dickson, playing a role significantly older than her real life age, and executed it effortlessly. Her convincing role struggled with the ever so entertaining plates of sardines and the long, tangled telephone cord.
One of the hilarious on stage couples was played by actors Haley Methner and Mitchell Dallman. Haley playing Brooke in the performance, stuck to the role when everyone else was seemingly messing up and ruining the show. Although it was intentional, and the audience loved it, everything was ending in disaster.
Brooke however, continued to play her role, word for word, which emphasised how her role as a character was quite ditsy. This caused a roar of laughter from the audience, as disaster struck elsewhere.
As if they weren’t comedic enough, actors Amelia Barr and Reese Britts joined in the show. Reese played the role of Frederick, who gets himself into some sticky situations involving sardines and tax returns.
Overall, the performance of Noises Off was far more successful than their attempt at “Nothing On”, although both left the audience entertained and satisfied. It was truly a hilarious performance.
Foster Johnson
ReplyDeleteNoises off review
Noises off directed by Kate Ufema was an elaborate well staged farce that left the audience laughing. With the plot of a play within a play, the combined efforts of the cast and crew led to an outstanding production. The actors displayed their talents beautifully, while the set and lighting backed up their performance. The farcical nature of the production highlighted the characters funny personality quirks.
The well-executed personality traits, combined with extensive, perfect blocking led to the success of the production. The director Kate Ufema and scenic designer Joe Johnson did an excellent job with the layout of the house to lead to maximum laughs. The well staged blocking was perfectly executed, having the differing actors go into and out of the doors at specific moments was the cherry on top for this already funny production.
Brooke played by Haley Methner was a shining figure with her motherly portrayal. She expertly crafted her character throughout the production, and was the order in the sea of chaos that the other characters created.
The scenic designer, Joe Johnson did an excellent job crafting the set to be dynamic and beautiful set. For the second act, the set was completely turned around revealing a backstage area where the actors played. This was a complex task that was very tasteful, elegant and helped create the setting very well.
The special effects helped create the world for the actors. Christopher Harwood did an amazing job as the sound designer. One particular sound cue of note was of the effect of the phone ringing. The phone rang in the beginning of the production and worked perfectly. However, in the 3rd act, after destroying the phone, and carrying it off stage, in the mini play, there is still a cue for the phone to ring. This was funny as even though there was no phone, it was still ringing, helping to create the off-beat nature of the production of the mini play.
One shining moment of the play was the falling down the stairs stunt. The stunt coordinator, Mathias Anderson did an excellent job of coordinating the fall of Garry played by Mitchell Dallman. It was laughable and believable, and was a great addition to the production. All in all, this production was very funny and well executed.
Kaleab Asfaw
ReplyDeleteNoises Off
The play Noises off at UMD was a mixture of sarcastic and humorous, the audience enjoyed the jokes which often was understood by the majority, but some had instances where there was a punchline or a scene where the audience was supposed to laugh but had no emotion to what just occurred in the play.
The play had many characters which gave the play a certain amount of ambiance, because of the wide range of personality which was a huge part in adding humor to the play. One of the characters who did a great job was selsdon who used his attitude to captivate the audience by talking and acting with his co cast in disagreement. The audience loved this character because of his rugged and abstract style of communication.
The set was done well by having different sides reflecting the mood and emotion behind each scene, and this was done well by the lights which changed depending on the situation of the character emotion or actions. The surrounding of the stage was done well by having it look extraordinary by having two different aspects which interpreted the play differently. The stage was well done and was easy to transition during the intermission of the play.
The play was changing or evolving from different angles, the play being within a play gave it a different tone, than most plays. This made it difficult for the actors, because they are playing two characters which honestly isn't very easy. The actors did a outstanding job acting and impersonating two different characters.
One thing that stood out was the scene from backstage this gave the play a in depth perspective, because you got to see the personal life of the characters on stage within the play. Even if this isn't the real perspective of the actual actor; it helps give the audience an understanding of how things are set and produced in theater.
The play was well orchestrated, the actors did great job by being able to play two roles and still have the energy to really act out their parts.
Noises Off
ReplyDeleteAaron Spah
November 18, 2017
The UMD Theatre production of “Noises Off” directed by Kate Ufema had the audience laughing from the beginning to the end. “Noises Off” is a play about a play going terribly wrong, people aren’t bringing the sardines off when they are supposed to. And all of the actors are feuding against each other.
This play was set in two different scenes the first and third act are set in an old house with many doors, and a big stair case going up the left side of the set. The other scene was a look at backstage, so they took the original scene and separated it into three parts. Then they spun the middle around and added black walls to make it look like its backstage.
One thing I liked about this play was that the actors were going into the audience or started in the audience. For example, the director Lloyd who was played by Paul Icenogle, was sitting in a seat watching them rehearse and criticize them when they messed up which was quiet a bit. Another time a actor went through the audience is when Lloyd sends Tim who is played by Thomas Henry to go get something so he walked out of the theatre.
In this play there were two couples Garry and Brooke played by Mitchell Dallman and Haley Methner, and Belinda and Fredrick played by Amelia Barr and Reese Britts. Brooke is kind of an air head, and she doesn’t really pay attention. Haley Methner does a really good job at doing this like when she stops paying attention she’s kind of on her own world. She also would say all of her lines exactly when they were supposed to be said but the play is being messed up so it doesn’t make sense. Amelia Barr did a good job with Belinda. Her character seemed much more professional than any other female role. Reese Britts was very funny as Freddy, like whenever he would see blood he would faint. Mitchell Dallman did good with Garry, and did a very good job of falling down those stairs and not actually hurting himself.
Sarah Dickson played the role of Dotty who was also played a housekeeper who just couldn’t seem to get the scenes right, but she was also very funny. Rachel Williams played Poppy who was a stage manager who is having the directors baby, and he is not very nice to her and made her cry many times. The last character is my favorite and that would be Selsdon played by Brendan Finn. He was a drunk who would hide booze around the set. He wasn’t the smartest person but he was hilarious.
The Mainstage theatre at UMD presented its rendition of “Noises Off” that left the crowd nearly crying with laughter and on the edge of their seats until the final curtain call. Created by Michael Frayn and directed by Kate Ufema, this play within a play demonstrates difficult blocking, a glimpse into some of the many things that can go wrong with a show, and a spontaneous plate of sardines.
ReplyDeleteThe magic of this production started right away, when lighting designer Jon Brophy shone a light down on the character of Lloyd, played by Paul Icenogle, who had been mistaken as just another audience member until he established himself as the director for the play “Nothing On”. This launched the onset of technical skill on behalf of both those behind the scenes and those on the stage. The lighting and sound cues were all spot on, and the actors knew what to say, as well as what they were supposed to not do or say correctly.
The set of the production that was created by Joe Johnson only added to the wonder, with the initial side of the stage being an older style piece full of functioning doors and stairs, with the complete set rotating the show the more modern side representing the backstage of “Nothing On”. The dual sided set also added a comedic element, such as when the character of Brooke and Gary, played by Haley Methner and Mitchell Dallman, rand across the back side of the window, even though the door Brooke had just left through was supposed to be a closet.
The show used minimal props, which helped emphasize the chaos that was ensuing onstage. For example, the bottle that Selson, played by Brendan Finn, kept going after went completely unnoticed until he would reach for it. This was the intention, as the props were mainly unnoticed until they were being used, therefore keeping the attention on the actors. The costuming done by Kelsie Bias also contributed to the play within a play aspect, with older costumes done for when the characters were onstage, and more modern pieces for when they were off. An example of the dramatic difference between the two sets of costumes was demonstrated through the character of Brooke, where for the majority of her time on the set of “Nothing On” she wore undergarments, while whenever she was off set she was in a dress and penny coat.
All in all, UMD’s production of “Noises Off” was a tumultuous performance that left each audience member on the edge of their seats and asking themselves what could possibly go wrong next. This play within a play challenged traditional concepts and invoked a deep, resounding sadness when the show was done.