Machinal - UMD Theatre

 

Woman Yearns to be Free in Expressionist Drama Machinal

Lawrance Bernabo
Duluth News Tribune 

March 6, 2020

6

A young woman arrives late (again) for work. Her boss talks to her, and when he puts his hand on her shoulder, her reaction is so visceral, you know more than her physical space is being violated.

 

Sophie Treadwell’s psychodrama Machinal plays at UMD’s Dudley Experimental Theatre the weekends before and after spring break.

 

This is a provocative play, confronting the audience with performances ranging from naturalistic to absurd that recalibrate characters with each episode, all progressing toward a tragic end.

 

The characters have names but are reduced in the program to simple archetypes. As Young Woman riding home on the subway, Madison Lang looks exactly like a beleaguered heroine from a German expressionist film by Murnau or Wiene.

 

Several episodes have Young Woman assaulted by voices in her head, and Lang has to use only her face and body through these extended sequences to express her inner turmoil.

 

The playwright suffered from anxiety and had been institutionalized, so behind the expressionist exaggerations of Young Woman’s crippling anxiety attacks, there is a cold, harsh reality.

 

Ian Wallin shades Husband’s words ever so slightly, conveying a malevolent entitlement. Anna Matthes’s Mother is stuck in perpetual nag mode, hearing but not listening to her daughter.

 

As soon as we see Eukariah Tabaka as First Man, his plaid flannel shirt and jeans signify he is different from the other characters, especially since he speaks like a human being.

 

The baker’s dozen ensemble play multiple supporting roles and help change the sets, marching through their paces with metronomic precision. Director William Payne, along with the cast and crew, make each of the nine episodes a unique combination of expressionist elements.

 

The opening episode is driven by the rhythms of the workplace: an adding machine, typewriter, switchboard and filing cabinet. Each worker’s costume is accented by a tie, vest, hem, or scarf covered in letters and numbers. Their harsh barking laughter signifies something darker than humor.

 

In stark contrast, another episode takes place in the dark, light provided momentarily by a struck match and then a dim streetlight. Projections on a distant back wall are used to establish a sense of place for most of the episodes or to present constantly shifting inky images that become almost recognizable at times.

 

Chris Harwood’s sound design is a critical component throughout the show, and the strategic selection of period songs is most obvious with “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” before the honeymoon episode.

 

The scenic design by Stella Vatnsdal is such that you really want to be sitting in the center or left of center, to be able to see everything that is happening down the corridor.

 

Treadwell wrote Machinal in 1928, and a literate audience of that time would have recognized Young Woman’s plight in the stories of Emma Bovary, Anna Karenina, and Edna Pontellier. Not surprisingly, Treadwell had a different endgame in mind.

 

The expressionist elements give Machinal its theatricality, but Young Woman’s story and Lang’s performance provide its dramatic weight as a tragic tale.

 

The Little Prince - UMD Theatre






The Little Prince Comes to Life on UMD Stage
 
Lawrance Bernabo
Duluth News Tribune
February 7, 2020 


“One sees clearly only with the heart.  What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

For her final play at UMD, director Ann Aiko Bergeron has selected the beloved story of The Little Prince.  The tale is a testament to the power and importance of imagination, and this production, which opened Thursday night, beautifully brings all that to life on stage.

As the wide-eyed Little Prince, Austin Becker cultivates one of those odd but interesting ways of speaking that makes a character instantly captivating, and sound both young and wise.  Jack Senske’s Aviator has to be the adult in the relationship for most of the play, but his closing lines are the night’s biggest emotional moment.

The performances are clearly calibrated for the young, and certainly the youngest audience members responded gleefully when the Little Prince traveled to other planets to meet an oddball quintet, all of whom are played by the tag-team of Zachariah Sterner and Liam Jeffrey.

Sterner finds three different ways to go big with the King, the Businessman and the Geographer, while Jeffrey gives the Conceited Man and the delightful Lamplighter decidedly different accents.

The way the laughter passed from the kids to the adults reminded me of in “Neverland” when J.M. Barrie plants the orphans in the opening night audience of “Peter Pan.”  Of course, the second half of The Little Prince enters philosophical territory way over the heads of the kids.

Jeffrey also plays a pivotal role as the Fox, who is able to teach the Little Prince more than all the silly grownups combined.  Daysha Ramsey plays the vain Rose that is the object of the Little Prince’s affection, and then returns as the Snake, who certainly seems very serpent-like.

The rest of the cast consists of an eight-person “Environsemble,” who morph from stars in the night sky to the Aviator’s airplane to a field of rippling wheat.  They are the dancing wind, the Little Prince’s opponents in a game of whack-a-baobab, a well in the desert, an echo, a mirror, a wall of cacklin’ roses, and even a scorpion.  The common denominator is Bergeron turning the story into a more compelling theatrical experience.

The gorgeous scenic design by Ashley Wereley is complemented by the colorful costumes of the Environsemble.  The projections designed by Ben Harvey charmingly let us see the Aviator’s artwork throughout the evening.

The choice of characters cut by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar in adapting the novella is crucial.  By abandoning some of the more ambiguous elements, this script actually heightens the allegorical nature of Saint-Exupéry’s work.

One of the reasons those who love The Little Prince return to the story time and time again is that as you continue to grow up, new meanings are revealed in the telling of the tale.  This production helps make that visible to the eyes of its audience.

An Enemy of the People - UMD Theatre

UMD Stages Brilliant Adaptation of Ibsen Classic
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
November 8, 2019





“Democracy is questionable if citizens do not know how to act rationally, morally, and environmentally.” — Dr. Yearn Hong Choi, from the playbill for An Enemy of the People.

As relevant today as it was when playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote it in 1882, UMD’s production of An Enemy of the People reverberates with issues ripped from the headlines: political corruption, moral bankruptcy, environmental crises, the role of the whistleblower and the need for a free press.

The star of the show is UMD professor Tom Isbell’s scintillating new adaptation, down from five acts to one taut 85-minute act, performed without an intermission. Some characters, scenes and plot elements are left out or altered, and the roles that the women play are now more integral, making the script laser-focused and as contemporary as the latest Tweet or evening news broadcast.

Filled with catch phrases and references to today’s political climate, the script still beats with the heart of Ibsen’s original themes. Isbell’s dynamic direction includes intricate movements in scenic designer Katie Cornish’s “boxing ring” set that gives space for different locales, eventually evolving into a “courtroom.”

Ibsen, the Shakespeare of Norway, tells the story of Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Addison Sim), a medical officer for the town’s major industry, a spa. Alarmed when he discovers that the spa’s water source has been contaminated by the tannery, Stockmann makes his explosive findings public.

His whistleblowing puts him in direct conflict with his brother, Peter Stockmann (Patrick Timmons), the town’s mayor and the spa’s board president. To fix the water issues would require closing the spa for two years, spending huge amounts of money, and disrupting the economy and the livelihoods of the town’s residents.

Sim and Timmons have some strong moments in their arguments about what happened originally to cause the problems, and, more significantly, what should or shouldn’t be done to fix them. While, at times the two actors could build to a bit more spark and passion, they represent well their opposite corners, one brother unwilling to accept an “inconvenient truth” and the other willing to go along with the status quo, with the health of the spa visitors be damned.

The evening’s strongest acting moments come from Rachel Williams as Petra Stockmann, the doctor’s daughter. Starting out as a funny, witty, sarcastic college student, Williams becomes the most impassioned advocate for her father. When she waves the fraudulent permit that knowingly allowed the location of the spa’s pipes in the first place, it becomes a banner, and her speech an anthem in the show’s climactic scene.

A crushing “afterword” includes a litany of the events surrounding Flint, Michigan’s water catastrophe and the dismantling of the EPA and regulations that will inevitably cause more disasters.
This production is a compelling cautionary tale of an impending ecological holocaust that requires the conscience, decency and activism of more than just Ibsen’s “strongest man … able to stand alone” but the collective voices and actions of governments, leaders and awakened populations around the globe.







The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - UMD Theatre

UMD’s Putnam Bee is spelled h-y-s-t-e-r-i-c-a-l
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
October 4, 2019

Can you spell phylactery or crepuscle? How about Weltanschauung, omphaloskepsis or staphylococcus? Hmmm … maybe you are not smarter than a sixth-grader.

Audiences at Thursday’s opening night performance of UMD’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee belly-laughed their way through the spelling, singing, dancing and middle-school antics of the six bee finalists and the four audience volunteers.

The Tony Award Winning musical features composer William Finn’s catchy score. UMD’s talented (and appropriately costumed) five-piece band is led by conductor Thomas Jacobsen.

Creating the adorable sextet of neurotic spellers, the six terrific actors at the heart of the show each have a chance to shine in their vocal numbers and with their distinctive character development and quirky personalities.

The egotistical William Barfée (Brendan Finn) uses his hysterical “magic foot” to help him spell out the words on the floor as he labors to deal with both his mucus membrane disorder and his peanut allergy.

Poor Chip Tolentino (Ben Knowlton) has to deal not only with the ridiculously impossible spelling list, but also an unfortunate and embarrassing physical “manifestation” inspired by a cute girl in the audience.

Logainne Schwartzandgrunenierre (Maddie Schafer) with her adorable lisp and fervent mini-manifestos does everything she can to make her two gay dads proud of her as she stomps her way through the competition.

One of the strongest singers in the show is Brett Burggraff, who also creates a funny Leaf Coneybear who finds his inspiration in timely trances that make the correct spelling just magically pop out of his mouth.

Playing Marcy Park, the anal-retentive “Miss Perfect,” Miranda Neuhaus had one of the evening’s vocal highlights in her “I Speak Six Languages” song. Neuhaus showed her physical humor as well, demonstrating some of the myriad things Marcy could do to perfection while still convincingly belting the song.

“The I Love You Song” gives Anna Matthes, playing the painfully shy and quiet Olive Ostrovsky, a chance to show her full, rich and beautiful voice, with echoes of “Spring Awakening” and the song “Mama Who Bore Me” coming through in a few spots.

Playing the three lead adults in the show, Hayley Rosenthal, Jack Senske and Nick Wright all had great fun with their roles as the grown-ups trying to keep the bee on track and often failing miserably.
Even the audience volunteers had some humorous moments trying to stay in the competition. Not sure, though, how much coaching they had, and if one of the four, the last volunteer standing, was a “ringer” who was part of the show.

Director Jenna Soloe-Shanks keeps the festivities on a crisp pace in this hour-and-40-minute production, performed without an intermission.

39 Steps - UMD Stage 2

Sister Act - UMD Theatre

It's All About Those Rockin' Nuns in UMD's Sister Act
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
April 19, 2019

Can I get a "Hallelujah" and a "Glory Be"? The sisters of the Queen of Angels Cathedral are rockin' the house at UMD in the musical Sister Act, directed by William Payne.

Based on the 1992 film comedy with Whoopi Goldberg, the musical is set in Philadelphia in the 1970s. A down-and-out singer named Deloris Van Cartier (Tolu Ekisola) fancies herself as the Donna Summer disco queen of South Philly.

When she witnesses a murder committed by her boyfriend, Curtis (Nic Reynolds), she is forced into an unlikely witness protection program in the convent at the Queen of Angels.

Deloris takes over their most discordant and ear-splitting nuns' choir and whips the sisters into a soulful group of disco-dancing backup singers who provide a space for her to showcase her talents and theirs.

While Ekisola has the comedic skills and stage presence to create a vivid character, her voice is a bit thin, especially in the early going. The show starts slowly with her two opening numbers lacking enough vocal punch. She does, however, build throughout the evening and finds her musical legs much more in Act II.

The early scenes with Curtis and his motley band of three stooges also don't create enough spark to do more than just get the plot rolling.

It is when the action switches to the convent, and we meet the funny, sweet and talented chorus of nuns, that the show starts building up steam. The jubilant 12-member group is filled with standout singers and wonderful character actresses.

Miranda Neuhaus, as the shy postulant Sister Mary Robert, has one of the evening's most soaring vocal moments in the plaintive "The Life I Never Led."

The other strongest voice in the company is Cally Stanich, as the beleaguered and sarcastic Mother Superior. Her opening number, "Here Within These Walls," is breathtaking, and her Act II "I Haven't Got a Prayer" highlights both her comedic style and her powerhouse voice.

Reese Britts, as the timid cop Eddie and Deloris' love interest, makes the most of his cute solo, "I Could Be That Guy." The ever-reliable character actor, Simon VanVactor-Lee, charms as Monsignor O' Hara, who finds his inner groove and soul brother kinship with the church's new choral stylings.

Because of some clunky, lumbering scene changes, the show's pacing seems labored at times. One shift in the middle of the Mother Superior's opening solo (by a set crew member in backstage black shirt and pants) was particularly intrusive.

While Curtis Phillips' set was serviceable, it lacked what could have been a much more Gothic and grandiose church where much of the action takes place.

The seven-piece band, under the direction of Thomas Jacobsen, was solid throughout and balanced well with the singers.

By show's end, the company with their rousing finale, "Spread the Love Around," and their big energy curtain call, "Raise Your Voice," had the audience clapping and dancing in the aisles.

Time's Up - UMD Theatre

UMD's Time's Up is Mystical and Mesmerizing
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth  News Tribune
March 8, 2019

With a mostly barely stage and only a couple pieces of scaffolding, a table, a few remnants of fabric and some scattered gold pieces of paper, 10 UMD actors bring to devastating life a 10th century play by the medieval poetess and playwright Hrotsvit of Gandersheim.

Director Jenna Soleo-Shanks, a theatrical historian and medievalist, adapted the ancient text, The Conversion of the Harlot Thais, bringing a complex and imaginative vision to the production.

Time's Up is not an easy show to watch or at times to understand completely. Early on, an ensemble member says, "I'm so confused," and "This is pretty heavy stuff." The deep philosophical "lecture" that opens the performance makes it difficult for the audience to get their bearings of time and place.

Yet, it seems part of the intention to keep the audience uncomfortable, unsure and off balance with this slim plot of legendary courtesan Thais, and Paphnutius, the man obsessed with her, who feels compelled to rescue her from her sinful life.

Blending beautiful moments of lyrical movement with jarring angles and stylized poses, Rebecca Katz Harwood's masterful choreography is a significant part of the storytelling and establishment of the different groups of characters.

Using a mix of everything from Gregorian style chants to modern instrumental jazz, guest composer and music supervisor Andy Kust enhances the dramatic action with his witty musical motifs.

Jon Brophy's lighting is another significant theatrical element, opening with abrupt shifts of darkness and light as the cast moves into different tableaux. Brophy's use of color, isolation and movement is critical to the show's success.

As the narration of Paphnutius tells, "There is a woman, a shameless woman ..." whose beauty is legendary as "the flame of the world." Sarah Dickson, compelling as Thais, lures the audience into her shadowy world. Her dramatic arc from the arrogant, elegant harlot, queen of her domain, to the completely broken and increasingly mad prisoner locked away in her small, filthy convent cell, is the show's core.

Patrick Timmons, as Paphnutius, also travels an arc to madness as his character's "intervention" not only destroys the life of Thais but his own as well. Despite his youthfulness and "baby face," Timmons gives a mature performance in the less showy role.

The ensemble plays a variety of parts from the "locals" who have their West Side Story Jets vibe on, and later pay their creepy homage to The Handmaid's Tale. At times humorous and other times menacing, the ensemble members help to advance the story with song, dance and their panoply of characters.

In a recent interview, Soleo-Shanks said that the play is about how women have lived and found their way in the world over the centuries, noting how that dominant dramatic theme has not changed from the early Greeks to modern day.

This dark play gives us pause to decide who is the sinner and who is the sinned against and how control over another person, in any kind of physical or psychological bondage, can crush the human spirit.