Category: Theater

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The Lake Country Players present Thornton Wilder’s Our Town

It seems incredible that we are celebrating the 85th Anniversary of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town this year. And if you care to join in the celebration, I suggest you attend the Lake Country Players presentation (ticket info is here). Our Town plays directly to the strengths of the Lake Country Players…who work in what I consider a jewel box theater and they always emphasize the text and the characters in their presentations…while working with minimal props and sets. Exactly the prescription that Wilder sets out for his play.

Lake Country Players cast of Our Town, photo courtesy of Lake Country Players, James Baker, Jr photographer

But that minimal approach doesn’t mean that LCP has skimped in casting what is a significantly large cast for a regional theater group. Just the opposite, they have gathered a full cast of amazing actors who clearly inhabit their roles and we are never in doubt about who they are or what they mean to our story. An incredible group!

And once again, LCP has helped us identify and identify with the characters via costuming that clearly places us in the rural United States just after the turn of the 20th Century. How Sarah Jo Martens pulled that off while also starring as Emily is just phenomenal. And kudos also go to producer Nancy Hurd who also took on the challenging task of hair design…everyone had the perfect coif for circa 1901!

And when you have a old chestnut of a play like Our Town, sometimes directors or theater groups like to play around a bit. Sometimes modernizing the text or moving the era that it was originally written for. To LCP’s credit they did neither and the play and this presentation are all the better for it…because yes…just as written this plays into the ensemble’s strengths! So sure, some of the language is dated and some of the concepts aren’t necessarily contemporary…but all of the pathos and humanity clearly comes to the fore…and none of the humor got lost.

Brian Maxwell as George Gibbs and Sarah Jo Martens as Emily Webb and center, Dick Natrop as the preacher, photo courtesy of Lake Country Players, James Baker, Jr photographer

On the other hand, LCP did push the envelope a bit with some of their casting. As director Sandra Renick states in the Director’s Note:

We have brought together a remarkably gifted cast, showcasing a beautiful tapestry of backgrounds that encompass diverse body types, ethnicities, abilities, and ages. This deliberate choice underscores our shared bond as individuals…

And LCP and Renick took another bold leap into exploring mental health and bullying and gossip in a small community in the character of choir director, Simon Stimson. Not a surprising exploration given their previous explorations in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time. Again from Renick’s Director’s Note:

Take notice of the subtle murmurs of gossip surrounding Simon, as thy unveil the concealed elements that potentially contributed to his struggles with alcoholism, isolation, and ultimately, his tragic choice.

Talen Marshall as Simon Stimson, photo courtesy of Lake Country Players, James Baker, Jr photographer

And LCP’s Simon Stimson, Talen Marshall, brings the anguish and angst and isolation to the stage very effectively. We don’t quite understand at first but after Act Three, we are in full understanding.

Brian Maxwell as George Gibbs and Sarah Jo Martens as Emily Webb, photo courtesy of Lake Country Players, James Baker, Jr photographer

Of course, the focal character in Our Town is Emily Webb, immaculately played by Sarah Jo Martens. From the exuberance of youth into her budding romance with George Gibbs and on to their inevitable marriage, Martens exhibits each state just so perfectly. And Brian Maxwell is George Gibbs here. It takes him a bit to see the romance in Emily’s eyes but when he does he doesn’t quite understand her initial reticence when he starts to make his move. Maxell gives us the required naivity and boyish wonder…and it broke my heart when he had to forgo baseball…which most of us of a certain coming of age in the 20th Century had to do.

Also solid in their roles, are the respective parents, Paula Nordwig as Mrs. Gibbs, Mack Bates as Dr. Gibbs, Dave Somerscales as Mr. Webb, and Angelique Tober as Mrs. Webb. Strict at times, playful at others, then doting, and everlastingly proud…the perfect parents!

Dick Natrop as the Stage Manager, photo courtesy of Lake Country Players, James Baker, Jr photographer

And though the trajectory story throughout the play is Emily’s…this presentation of the play wouldn’t have been the joy that it is, without Dick Natrop as the stage manager. He’s just the natural for this role…easily moving about the stage…ever present…ever aware. He tells us the back stories while knowing the future and never being uncomfortable with his role or his knowledge. And he is just as aware of our presence as we are of his…Natrop brings Wilder’s convention in breaking down the fourth wall to a very natural reality. For me this was the performance of note!

Brian Maxwell as George Gibbs and Sarah Jo Martens as Emily Webb, photo courtesy of Lake Country Players, James Baker, Jr photographer

Editor’s note 7/11/2023. One thought that I forgot to include in the original response. Given the intimate nature of the theater space, with the stage manager talking directly to us, although we are creatures of our own time and space, we are truly made to feel a part of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, and it becomes, OUR TOWN too.

Our Town continues for one more weekend…July 13th through July 16h 2023. Again ticket info here!

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The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time at Lake Country Playhouse!

The Lake Country Players are blessed with an intimate jewel-box theater in downtown Hartland. I probably would never have encountered them if my friend Kimberly Laberge hadn’t invited me out to witness her presentation of Cabaret! You can read my response here. So I have been following them since but haven’t been able to get out to the land of my youth to take in another performance…until now!

And then came that fateful email announcing the run of: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time…the longest title of the season of course made me; curious. But then the intriguing synopsis of the play had me hooked. And I’ll share that with you first:

THE STORY: 15-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain: He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched, and he distrusts strangers. Now it is 7 minutes after midnight, and Christopher stands beside his neighbor’s dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a garden fork. Finding himself under suspicion, Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington, and he carefully records each fact of the crime. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a thrilling journey that upturns his world.

Yes, that’s exactly what it is…but this will not prepare you for the amazing journey you will be provided by the story nor the amazing theater you about to experience via Director James Baker, Jr. and The Lake Country Players. The play itself is an adaptation for the stage by Simon Stephens from the novel by Mark Haddon. The book itself has been banned a number of times, mostly for harsh language and adult conversations. The LCP recommends their presentation for those 13 and older.

Christopher, Wellington, and a Police Officer: courtesy of the Lake Country Players

Once in our seats, we have a prologue from the director, who gives us a bit of background on the story and the play. This little introduction is very helpful and sets the mood for what we are about to see. And then there’s the proviso that LCP is presenting the script as written which includes the warning about the harsh language…and then the perennial warning to turn off our cell phones.

Our protagonist is Christopher Boone, a young man of incredible math skills and deductive talents but challenged in ways most of us can’t comprehend. He will clearly exhibit his skills and sensitivities throughout the play. We initially find him huddled over Wellington, a dog belonging to the family neighbor, Mrs. Shears. Christopher is clearly distraught and isn’t ready for the journey he is about to embark on when Mrs. Shears finds him in her yard with her dead pet.

Christopher and Siobhan: courtesy of the Lake Country Players

Adam Frontera is Christopher Boone, and he proves to be an accomplished actor in an incredibly challenging role for a young man. He maintains his persona…something our 21st Century audience will label as Asperger’s Syndrome or on the spectrum. But Frontera is able to maintain the gestures, gait, facial expressions, deliberate concentration, and verbal idiosyncrasies and cadence that we tend to identify with similar young people. Really amazing given the number of lines and different actions the scenes require and the fact that Frontera in almost always on stage during the two hour play.

Christopher: courtesy of the Lake Country Players

Frontera brings us along on his journey. He makes sure that we can’t feel anything but empathy for his situation. He works the text to bring out the bits of humor and elicits subtle moments of laughter. And we certainly are made to feel those moments of sadness that bring a tear and then later those moments of accomplishment that bring that other type of tear. I was moved far far beyond my expectations. I hope we see Frontera on stage again soon.

So yes this story is built around Christopher’s point(s) of view. And Director Baker has solidly built a stage world that provides us with that. Besides Frontera, the stage is full of other actors, many of whom play multiple roles in multiple settings. And at times the action can be a little confusing but; welcome to Christopher’s world. But if you get lost, the back wall has a projected label to tell us the setting we are currently experiencing. And there between Baker’s staging and Frontera’s performance, even I began to distrust and question the actions and motives of the adults in the play. Well, except one.

Jen Anderson plays Christopher’s teacher, Siobhan, who seems to be the only adult that he really trusts. And she seems a calming force in his life and provides support and encouragement throughout the play. But sometimes I wasn’t sure if her presence was in real time or Christopher’s memory…but it didn’t matter…it worked for him. Anderson clearly exhibited the empathy that the role required.

Christopher and his parents: courtesy of the Lake Country Players

The other two major characters are Christopher’s parents. There is a disturbed family dynamic here that I am not going to go into but it is a driving force in Christopher’s growth. Zackery Henke is Ed, Christopher’s father and his parental guardian through much of the play. And Leysa Miner is Judy, Christopher’s mother. Their relationship is fraught with issues and their relationships to Christopher are distinctly different and can suddenly change with the situation.

Christopher and Siobhan: courtesy of the Lake Country Players

But back to Wellington. Christopher takes on finding his killer as a ‘project’. And that starts to open doors that many adults would like to keep closed. And then, in what appears to be the first willful action of his own, Christopher continues his investigation despite his father’s direct order to stop and several other adults’ admonitions to listen to his father. But that one willful step leads to another and another until he finds the complete story and discovers the murderer and discovers something of himself. And he finally asks one penultimate question of Siobhan which goes unanswered. And I am still trying to figure out whether her cautious silence and pensive look are a positive or negative reaction.

Most of the cast! : courtesy of the Lake Country Players

This is an incredible play. This is an incredible staging. I didn’t expect to find either when I took my seat in the playhouse. The topics too are difficult but they need to be discussed on stage and Baker and the Lake Country Players should be applauded for taking this on. And audiences should take up the risk and challenge as well and see this play in Hartland.

The play runs through May 26, 2023 at Lake Country Playhouse, 221 East Capitol Drive Hartland, WI, 53029. Click here for more information and ticket availability!

P.S. You might want to bone up on your prime numbers before attending!

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First Stage’s Contribution to World Premiere Wisconsin: The Gracious Sisters

The Gracious Sisters is written by Alice Austen and described as a free adaptation of The Eumenides by Aeschylus. And I can’t believe I spelled both of those Greek names correctly the first time without looking them up (thank you Corliss Phillabaum). And the Gracious Sisters is part of the World Premiere Wisconsin event playing across state stages this spring.

Now, back to that free adaptation note. Yes, the story for the most part is true to Aeschylus and there are gods and mortals and murder and mayhem and all of the requisite attributes of a Greek Tragedy. And at first, great I don’t have to worry about ‘spoiler alerts’ because the original story resides pretty much in the public domain. From Aeschylus through Rick Riordan, the Greeks are alive and well. But that free adaptation: how do I work the modern elements into my review without spoiling something. Well fortunately First Stage beat me to it with their very clear and concise story synopsis. So let me quote!

When archaeological intern Alice falls down an ancient Greek rabbit hole, she discovers the aftermath of a violent murder, with the goddesses of vengeance, or “Furies,” chasing down the accused to exact bloody retribution. Athena, the goddess of wisdom (and war), persuades the Furies that the accused should have a fair trial before a jury. When the jury is divided in a split decision, all must come to terms with the balance of a desire for vengeance, and the need for grace.

Angel Rivera, Silver Anderson, Hazel Dye, and Rose Campbell in THE GRACIOUS SISTERS. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

So we take a classic story and bring it forward to the 21st Century for all of us 13 and older to enjoy…with ancient plot and contemporary subtext. Subtext!! Where did I hear that before?

Well, when Alice meets Clytemnestra, she refers to her as a ghost…which appalls Clytemnestra who then screams SPIRIT because “Spirit has subtext”. And subtext indeed but it isn’t exclusive to our wronged ghost, but subtext rules the play, the characters, and the scenes. Subtext links us to the ancient Greeks!

Silver Anderson, Hazel Dye, Rose Campbell, Angel Rivera, and Zachary Nowacek in THE GRACIOUS SISTERS. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Angel Rivera plays our Alice in wonderland, who at first is confused by her new found surroundings, but quickly comes to grip with the characters and situations as she brings her knowledge of Greek mythology to bear…and she puts some of the Greek characters, both mortal and divine, ill at ease by her knowledge of their pasts and futures. Rivera is enchanting here and emphatically plays a character beyond their years. And Alice, by happenstance and misunderstanding, bonds with the Furies who are bedeviling Orestes near to death…and Rivera clearly enjoys the character’s swing from outsider to instigator!

Angel Rivera, John Eash-Scott in THE GRACIOUS SISTERS. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And the Furies are played to the hilt…swirling sprites, threatening goblins, glib orators, determined vigilantes, and a right nice Greek Chorus. Out Furies are Silver Anderson as Tisiphone, Rose Campbell as Alecto, and Hazel Dye as Megaera. These young actors worked tightly as a troupe through their hauntings and dances. The choreography for three free spirits working in unison can get pretty tricky at times. And they make a wonderful chorus and the music here is just right and they bring it to our ears with style (and amazing voices)!

Cast in THE GRACIOUS SISTERS. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And we have two major gods here. Zachary Nowacek brings us a regal and imperial Apollo, sure of his power and of his place in the Greek pantheon. And Terynn Erby-Walker as Athena, reigns over Athens with a certain combination of regal pomp and grace. And she reigned over the final scenes as a statue in her temple as turmoil was breaking out all around her feet. Quite an amazing ability to remain still. But then Erby-Walker came to life and ruled over the fate of Orestes with a clear certainty and vigor. And earlier in the play Erby-Walker also gave us the messenger god, Hermes, with just the right bit of impishness and devotion.

But other than Alice, you could picture these other characters as supporting roles because our central theme is Orestes murder of his mother Clytemnestra. Both mortals, they are essentially play things of the gods but still feel their own agency. Orestes is played by John Eash-Scott, who gives us the full gamut from fearful supplicant to boastful antagonist in just the right amounts and at just the right times. And the ghost, yikes, the spirit of Clytemnestra is Elena Marking. Marking gives us all of the anguish of an unsettled spirit and the bitterness of a wronged spouse and mother. And her hauntings of the periphery provides the right amount of spooky presence until Marking brings Clytemnestra to life in the spoken and ensemble bits.

Terynn Erby-Walker, Hazel Dye, Rose Campbell, Silver Anderson, and Angel Rivera in THE GRACIOUS SISTERS. First Stage, 2023. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And Reiley Fitzsimmons plays two roles…separate…but…related: Pythia, an oracle to Apollo, and Esme, the court reporter during the trial, after her role of oracle has ended. Both characters are mortals and bring some comic relief to the proceedings. And Fitzsimmons last part, as the court reporter, not only brings a bit of humor but feels the closet to a contemporary of the 21st Century other than Alice.

And Austen’s text brings out a few questions about the gods…how did they wield all of that power while being so capricious and contrary in their actions? That might keep me up at night.

The Gracious Sisters is a presentation of The Young Company and it is amazing how effectively they present some pretty serious adult themes and plays. And I think the Gracious Sisters is a fine fine example of that! And director Matt Daniels really brought out superb acting from these young people…in roles that may not be that familiar to them.

One bit of a spoiler maybe, but something I wouldn’t want to miss. Get there a few minutes early…the cast does a silent walk through the stage in costume and character…and you will get a feel for the characters that you are about to meet at curtain!

The Gracious Sisters continues through May 21, 2023 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Theater and is recommended for families with children 13 and older.

Some extra credit reading: The Playbill!