Theatre that Just is

This was a play review I wrote back in college that I wrote before acquiring the software that permits me to properly edit my work. As such it required some editing of its own. I have to admit that this is rubbish but I, well, I just need to post something.

14^th March 2005

The Funny Thing

(A junior) College’s “A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” was everything I expected it to be. That is to say it was every thing I expect a college play to be like. I would not call it a professional quality production. It certainly was not something I would want to see again but I don’t feel that it was a waist of my time.

The show began with what had to be the worst case of over microphoning that I have ever laid ear on. I could hear the hissing of the speakers and the rise and fall of sound as technicians struggled to keep up with the weak vocal quality. This stopped being a problem as the show got going and there was some sound to cover the hiss.  However, the show remained very metallic and never allowed actors to build significant air speed. 

The lighting left nothing to be desired. There was only one lighting effect of note, being the light around the stage that flashed for a large mystical number. However, lighting does not always have a major roll to play in theatre. Sometimes lighting the show is all it needs to do. There were some effects using colored gels but then that is really less of an effect as the reality of light being sent at the stage is that it is all colored and only appears white because of the even nature of its distribution.

         

The set construction was centered around a known illusion stile depicting that the show is supposed to look staged. Despite the functional reality of the set, people appearing on the second story of every home, all the surfaces were flat painted wood. We are supposed to see the show as it is, a show, not a depiction of reality. If that were removed what we would have is a rather dark comedy about a slave fighting for his freedom and a man looking to take a slave as his wife. Either are not good premises for comedy as they are very dark. Would the foolishness of Hero, lusting after a woman that has never met him, be anything but sad if it were not for a constant reminder that this is just a show and nothing more? 

         

Directorially the show was well staged with movements that were very witty. In fact now that I think about it I may have enjoyed it more had I not been forced to listen to it. The caste was particularly well played. Characters had to interact with each other wile keeping in time with the movement of other actors. The references to American idol were over the top. I have to say that (the Director) may have been implying that the vocalists from that show suck in general but the effect was just not funny. Some of the other things were just lost on me. I’m not a fan of many of the modern shows to which he makes reference.

         

However, this is a play that lends itself far better to this style of theatre than many of the other works like this that I have seen. Take those little add-ins by the director. The language was such as to blend in easily with small added jokes about what was on television last week. I think one of the men should have had a wardrobe malfunction. Like the man in the white dress having his fake boob falling out and bouncing across the stage. That would have been funny. 

         

The makeup was, very made up, especially for older characters except for Hero’s father who looked as if he had none at all. I also have to say that it was thickly applied. Again this may be to add to the “staged” appearance but it was not totally universal and it didn’t appear to have any real distinction between who had it and who did not.

         

So there it is. It was a fun little show but nothing to write home about. There hasn’t been a show I really liked in a long time. So it’s possible that my standards are too high but then if I had the time for more theatre I would go to more theatre. So for them moment I will need to be content with theatre that just is.