Theatre

Fallen Stars that Still Shine

Behanding group
Opening night of A Behanding in Spokane, Philadelphia, April, 2012.
(l-r) Matt, Reuben, Pearce, Jamel, me, Joe; Amanda, who played the lone female role, is not pictured here.

All this week I have been thinking about how Tuesday 11/12 was the one year anniversary of former theatre colleague Reuben Mitchell dying from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. While I don’t feel I can offer as heartfelt a tribute as his friend wrote here, or as immediate a memory as someone else he knew wrote here, I did want to mention him here on my own blog.

What to say about Reuben, or rather, what not to say?

He was a kind and generous Greenville, North Carolina native who maintained a sense of good humor and congeniality in everything he did. When I mentioned that my mom and my cat and I had visited Greenville in late 2007 and were surprised by some late-night violence happening across the street from our hotel, he laughed it off, saying “oh, that happens every week!” – but he was proud of his Southern heritage.

Reuben lit up the stage for the Martin McDonaugh play we worked on, taking what could have been just a stereotypical part and turning it in to a full individual. He was dedicated to his craft as seen in his extensive professional training, studying in locations such as New Orleans and Toronto among others, followed by moving to Philadelphia to pursue a career. This training was also evident in his daily preparation for our performances, as he was almost always first at the venue (and I was genuinely concerned when he wasn’t), undertaking a rigorous 10-20 minute vocal warmup and brief physical warmup as well – even though he spent 2/3 of the show tied to a wall. He showed a sense of civility and fun in his interactions with everyone on the production team, while clearly understanding that the “play was the thing” and that was our focus. He was an incredible storyteller with a vividness to his tales I’ve rarely heard other people make use of.

Inevitably I look back at that production bittersweetly, with Reuben gone. At the time I was excited to work on a script by a favorite writer, Martin McDonagh, and am grateful to have had the opportunity. But I had to juggle the theatre work and a more 9-5 oriented job alongside commuting from Delaware to Philadelphia, thus limiting my social opportunities with the actors. Eventually I felt a natural ease when I was able to join in on the social time (as seen in the photo above from opening night), but it was not as much as I would have liked. And we can never re-create that same dynamic.

I only saw Reuben once more a month after the production closed; he’d been invited to return to the same theatre company we’d worked with for a fundraiser/festive evening , employing his subtle and uncanny Barack Obama impersonation skills to use in several skits. (Incidentally, the event got some official political humor by featuring Arlen Spector, who died a few months later in 2012, as the opening act.) Reuben jumped me with his characteristic enthusiasm as we waited for the show to begin, and we chatted briefly before he went onstage…

It was very clear (painfully now of course) that Reuben loved his motorcycle. He often appeared at our rehearsals and performances with it. While I’m not a motorcyclist myself, I think he and I shared a love of driving towards the unknown and engaging in some derring-do along the way; I recall energetically describing my favorite road in Marin County (Ridgecrest Boulevard) to him, while he replied with tales of curvaceous roads in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania that he’d gone out to explore one Sunday morning.

I hope Reuben knew how much he impacted others, and they cared about him. I’m sure I will always remember him.

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One day this week when I thought of Reuben, I also recalled another theatre-impacted tragedy out in the Bay Area. Summer Serafin, whom I never met nor saw onstage, but she did work with several people I knew in the Bay Area theatre scene, died in 2011 after an accidental fall from a fire escape in San Francisco. It is clear from a quick Google search of her name that she also made an impact on many individuals.

I don’t want to read too much into this – and it’s probably just a coincidence – but I noticed that Summer died on Reuben’s 30th birthday, while Reuben died one day before what would have been Summer’s 33rd birthday.

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Movies

YA on screen with Ender’s Game and How I Live Now

Both of my filmgoing ventures this week centered around young adult novels coming to the screen, in an unplanned coincidence. Unfortunately I can’t comment on these films’ efforts bringing their literary source material to the big screen, but it has raised my interest to seek out their original written forms, especially in the case of the latter film.

On Monday I took in a showing of Ender’s Game, once again venturing over to the Quality 16. I found the film to be an entertaining throwback, in some ways, to a simpler time in moviegoing that was focused on the experience of the story and less about quick cuts and overblown visuals that seem to be widespread in typical fast-paced commercial fare these days. In his review, my friend Gabe noted a directorial flatness at times in this film, and I found in retrospect that I have to agree with that – scenes and the storyline were engaging, but didn’t pop in a directly relatable, immediate way. However, by the time the surprise ending appeared (suddenly, but not unpredictably, where the finale is staged in a “you know this must be the finale” style), I was appreciative that the film chose to close on a more philosophical and contemplative note than your typical adventure film. It was good to see now-senior actors Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley taking mentor-type roles with the younger actors, although Viola Davis felt underused as another leader figure. The younger actors were serviceable if not outstanding; I was the most surprised to see onetime young ingenue Abigail Breslin in an older teen role and definitely looking moved on from her Little Miss Sunshine days.

Time will tell if a follow up appears to Ender, likely determined by financial receipts of the film though the possibility is left wide open at the end of this initial movie.

This afternoon I ventured back to the State Theatre for How I Live Now, which I might have only heard about just last week but wanted to catch based on my love of British films and the fact that this was its last day showing at the State. On a side note, I learned on returning home that the film is available for iTunes instant streaming/downloading, which I still have never taken advantage of as I greatly prefer the in -the-theatre viewing experience…

This film made for a great pair with All Is Lost in mirroring intensity and drama of story! In contrast to Ender, there were consistent and vivid directorial and cinematographic touches that enlivened the material throughout the film. Not that it needed to be boosted, as it featured a (mostly) strong through line in the story, but those choices took it to another level. The director (Kevin MacDonald) and his work caught my eye a decade ago with Touching the Void, an extremely intense docudrama, and he later went on to film The Last King of Scotland, which I did not see.

The narrative was expertly carried by young actress Saoirse Ronan, whom I’ve found intriguing ever since seeing her break out in Atonement almost exactly six years ago. (I had the privilege of seeing that film in London in November 2007 shortly before it took the USA by storm.) In fact, some segments of this film could easily serve as a sequel to her role in Hanna two years ago, as Ronan (looking more adult and mature than ever) once again powers through the great unknown of open landscapes and absent parental figures. There was a similar and slightly odd parallel with young British actor Tom Holland, whom I saw in The Impossible earlier this year (released last year), who also found himself again in a  “searching for parents after a disaster” role, though with a few distinct twists.

How I Live Now benefitted from a compelling storyline – how would I/we react to society in a time of crisis, and how far might we go for those we love – that has admittedly been told before but seemed to find just enough quirks, alongside the aforementioned visual flourishes and a very present musical score, to keep it fresh. Some ambiguity is allowed in the conclusion here as well (as with Ender) although I’m sure it’s less likely the story would be picked up again later.

I feel that the adage of “the book is better than the movie” is probably still true with these two films, but found them both to be appealing works of cinema, and a good taster for me of a (YA to film) market I haven’t paid much attention to in recent years.

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Uncategorized

All is Not Lost for the film and the movie theatre

I have enjoyed a series of highly memorable films at Ann Arbor’s State Theater over the past six months and was saddened to see a recent article revealing that it may be transitioning out of film exhibition. While it is admittedly an older venue, there is a distinct retro and neighborhood charm to the place, and the marquee is downright iconic and beautiful. I also feel there is an obvious – though perhaps legally/logistically difficult – opportunity to bring the State back to its former glory by booting out the downstairs generic Urban Outfitters, which has MAINTAINED THE MAIN MOVIE SCREEN IT REPLACED, and reconfigure it back into a movie palace. But will that happen???

With these thoughts in mind I ventured to the State on Friday night to catch the new release All Is Lost. The film has drawn attention for its casting novelty of only featuring Robert Redford, and is the followup film from J.C. Chandor, who made a splash in 2011 with the drama Margin Call, one of my favorite films I saw that year.

This film does not disappoint and offers an at-times harrowing intensity seeing Redford brave against the elements of the Indian Ocean (actually filmed in Baja California and various other points in the Southern California/Northwest Mexico regions). Some might say it’s more of a filmed staged play, as there’s very little dialogue and Redford is (ably) forced to carry the narrative on his active shoulders. The 77 year old actor did not shy away from that challenge, as he willingly performed most if not all of his stunts according to published reports. I am rarely disappointed with films/narratives that offer a full spectrum human experience.

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Theatre

Finally learned the Reasons to Be Pretty, but LaBute has lost his allure

Two weeks ago I traveled to Ferndale’s Ringwald Theatre to catch a production of Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty, with a triple goal of finally seeing LaBute’s 2009 play, examining my current impressions of Mr. LaBute’s work — which once fascinated me so much that I directed one of his plays – and met him briefly in person here, and seeing how I currently feel about driving ____ distance in the name of the theatre, which was a frequent activity in my Bay Area life – and well chronicled in the earlier days of this blog. Since my impression of the play was ultimately mixed, and I had various life activities come up in the intervening two weeks, I delayed a post on the experience. UNTIL NOW. (last two words said in hyper-dramatic movie trailer voice.)

The play serves as the conclusion to LaBute’s trilogy about obsession with physical appearance, and I think that was where I found my primary problem. The characters in this play could be easily exchanged with those in the other two, and this one follows an identical template of: primary, sensitive guy plus secondary more abrasive guy paired with primary, mostly abrasive woman plus secondary more sensitive woman. (actually, the women’s roles are reversed in the middle play, Fat Pig, which I found to be the most compelling of the three.)

I didn’t feel like LaBute was saying anything new in this script, and frankly was surprised that initial reviews (one example is seen here) called the play kindler and gentler than his earlier work. I’m not sure if the energetic but low-tech production (little emphasis on set and lighting effects, primary focus on characterization) contributed to this impression. The featured actors were clearly committed and had an easygoing charm, with two of the actors an offstage real-life couple. But the final impression was a bit too “eh…” for my taste, and I don’t know if I’ll be drawn to additional LaBute works.

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One-Two Punch: An Iliad & The Counselor

I seem to be gradually re-gaining my frequent theatregoer routine, which is definitely a positive development. For some reason my filmgoing routine has been in overdrive these last several months, often seeing 2 films per week – I ought to have chronicled them more immediately but might try to do a reverse chronological list before the year is out.

I returned to the local Performance Network Theatre a few nights ago to catch An Iliad, their season opener that will be closing this weekend. I found the show to be the most impressive one I’ve seen there yet, and while I’ve only been to 3 or 4 productions there so far, it was a welcome reminder to pay attention to what the company has to offer, as my previous impressions had been more mixed.

This Iliad was a one-man show, and the narrative traced the familiar mythological story, adding some contemporary touches towards the conclusion. I found actor John Manfredi’s performance to be consistently engaging, even though individual moments tend to stand out more in my reflections on the play than the piece as a whole. There were many intriguing uses of set and light design that seemed to be some of the most versatile I had seen on stage in a long while. For example, the stage appeared to be sparsely illuminated by a series of search lights, but those same lights came on and off at very specific times throughout the narrative. Sound design also added a perceptive layer through use of a record player, recorded music and many individual LPs on stage that banded together for a late plot point. And I can’t forget the set as a whole, which used the entirety of PNT’s wide rectangular space to its maximum advantage.

Yesterday I ventured over to the Quality 16 (definitely the oddest named cinema I’ve ever been a regular patron of) to catch new release The Counselor. In retrospect I’m not sure why I rushed out to see this film, but suspect a glitzy advertising campaign and good memory of seeing previous New Mexico/Texas-based Cormac McCarthy (and Javier Bardem) film No Country for Old Men might have contributed to the “want to see” effect. Unfortunately this did not live up to the strong standards of No Country.

McCarthy’s first film script sees him exploring familiar bleak themes of life and death in an arid and lonely landscape. Unfortunately character motivation remains vague throughout the film, and the layered plot is never completely nor clearly unfolded. The featured actors fare inconsistently, and I felt particularly disappointed to see Penelope Cruz regressing to a glorified supportive girlfriend part that might have been more common for her earlier in her career. On the other hand, Cameron Diaz turns in a scenery-chewing performance in multiple ways, though looking noticeably older on-screen – I realize I haven’t chosen to see a new release of hers since The Box in 2009, which only drew me in because it was filmed in my home region of Massachusetts. Of the three primary men in the film, Javier Bardem fares the best, again playing up character eccentricities (a similar approach was seen in Skyfall last year) to create a memorable screen presence.

Two better known in the 90’s Latino actors (John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez) appeared in cameo roles, making me wonder what they’ve been up to the last several years. And the technical makeup of the film impressed me, but that’s not a surprise coming from the skilled hands of veteran filmmaker Ridley Scott.

Next up on my film list is clandestine Disney documentary Escape from Tomorrow, playing a very limited engagement at the Michigan Theater this week.

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Circle Mirror Transformation – transforms?

Last Friday night, I finally saw Circle Mirror Transformation, a play by Annie Baker, with my own eyes. This production was also my first time inside Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown Concert House, a venue that seemed to have some esteem and local renown – and was charmingly intimate inside (and walking distance from my new apartment).

I remain very impressed with Baker’s writing, and am eager to see her most recent piece, The Flick, produced somewhere as it begins to make the regional rounds. I will always remember her quote in a Boston Globe interview that her theatrical universe town of Shirley, Vermont, is “a cross between Amherst, Massachusetts, Putney, Vermont, and Bolinas, California” since I know two of those three towns very well and have a passing acquaintance with the other one.

The production had some nice moments, but suffered, in my opinion, from an overly leisurely running time. The story unfolded for two hours and five minutes, but when I looked up other productions, they had told the same tale in as much as 25 fewer minutes. I got a bad feeling when a non-verbal prologue became … prolonged, and that reminded me of how I often depend on the play – or any piece of entertainment, really – to hook me in (or keep my interest high) within the first 5-10 minutes of the show.

I was intrigued by several scenes in the play containing exercises I’d come across in my drama therapy coursework of 2009-11, with one scene featuring verbatim an infamous game known as “I Want It… You Can’t Have It”. Much of the plot seemed intended to be drama therapy in fictional action and more than just theatre games. 

Did Baker intend for it to be that way? A Google search tells me that she did.

I wish I’d seen this play earlier! I may write more about that revelatory experience of seeing DT in action again.

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In a World… where comedy is rooted in reality

I was very pleased that the Michigan Theater belatedly brought the movie In A World.. to Ann Arbor. Something about this movie stood out to me when I became aware of it over the summer. I’m not sure if it was the striking image of Lake Bell prepping a voceover that serves as the film’s poster, something about a news article or publicity item I read, or something else entirely, but I wanted to see it, and even considered making a trip to Royal Oak specifically to see it at the Landmark – but then I learned it was on the calendar at the Michigan.

Versatile actress Lake Bell served as writer, director and star for this film, clearly putting much thought and heart into the project. Bell has an appealingly everyday screen presence, though this was perhaps enhanced by a dowdy wardrobe and several “aw, shucks” character choices. I think what made this film stand out to me was her choice to root the comedy in a very real situation, which is something I feel like films don’t often dare to choose.

In this case the plot revolved around the trials and tribulations of making it in the voiceover industry, which is something I’ve had some observational – but not direct – experience of over the years. Bell confronts the reality (and it is a reality) of no women ever voicing movie trailers – and decides to do something about it. With the help of some friends and colleagues. And … her father. Sort of. Who is also a bigshot in the industry and has his own networks and goals. 

The film cast a light on the (occasionally narcissistic) competitiveness of the performing arts industry – and actually acknowledged that trait! I give Bell big props for being willing to go there with her work while finding a resolution to the storyline. She also poked some fun at Los Angeles culture – and made me miss it (though I will be back there, briefly, in February.) I’m not sure her plot really needed several dramatic interludes that felt like padding in the wider scheme of the film, but she led the character arc to a suitable and thoughtful conclusion. Her script was peppered with extensive witticisms and frequent industry in-jokes that I appreciated.

I’m sure this film will stand out on my year-end list.

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Theatre

Lots of local theatre viewing options

I’m disappointed to note the scarcity of my recent theatre viewing; the days of chronicling shows regularly on this blog seem to be a distant memory.

HOWEVER, The Ann Arbor News reminds me that there are, in fact, multiple options for show viewing in this area right now. Several are titles I’ve seen before (Company, Thom Pain…) though they admittedly might be fun to re-visit. There’s also newer material (An Illiad) that could be just as enjoyable.

And there’s what appears to be a college-based theatre company in Detroit that is offering adventurous programming I’d like to check out. I guess there are options after all.

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Theatre

Sigh/The Art of the Job Posting

While I am happy to have chosen to stay here in the Ann Arbor region at the present moment, I felt a pang of nostalgia for my more freelance/footloose oriented days after reading these two immediate vacancy job postings. (Direct references to companies have been removed.)

_________________________________

A company not in Michigan is looking for a full-time, emerging arts administration professional to fill the role of Managing Director. The company is part of an extensive creative community nationwide, and has a strong presence in the (local) theater scene. Our year-round programs support both playwrights and the development of new plays, and we’re looking for someone who is interested in helping us to fulfill our mission.

The Managing Director will manage the production and administrative side of the organization, which includes:

– Producing company events.

– Managing office systems including database management, computer systems, communication systems, equipment contracts and insurance renewals.

– Managing the financial systems such as overseeing the bookkeeping, budget and cash flow

– Working to develop a marketing strategy and implementation.

– Hiring systems and data management involved with contracts, job descriptions and advertising.

The perfect candidate has experience in marketing and communications, finance and bookkeeping, grant writing and submissions and producing events, and is energetic, creative and extremely well organized. Personnel management would be a plus.

The company is looking to fill this position immediately. This is a full-time, salaried position.

____________________

Another company not in Michigan seeks a full-time experienced production manager starting as soon as possible. The company produces six mainstage and three children’s theater shows a season. The company also manages a black box theater that is located in the same building.

Responsibilities:

General production management duties include, but are not limited to:

Manage and co-create the production budget.

Create all production calendars.

Hire all design and management teams.

Facilitate production meetings and coordinate communication between all design staff. Oversee and supervise all company technical staff as well as recruit volunteers.

Qualifications:

Strong leadership abilities to team build, listen, and manage people.

Must have an artistic eye. Design experience a plus.

Experience creating and managing budgets.

Ability to read and interpret technical theater drawings.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Strong work ethic. This position has a flexible schedule that will require nights and weekends.

Computer skills with knowledge of Google Docs.

A passion for theater and how it can enrich a community.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter by email to the artistic director at the e-mail listed in this posting.

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Theatre

A Truly Theatrical Experience

I was very pleased to be in the audience last night to catch one performance of the short run – just 4 performances – of the British theatre company Complicite’s visit to Ann Arbor. This was a return engagement to this company for me, as I saw a previous (and also Japanese themed work) of theirs in 2004 in London, plus another more classically themed piece that year, and had the good fortune of working with an early troupe member in a physical theatre class that fall.

I’m also interested to note that this performance is a long running hit of sorts for Complicite, having first been seen in 2009 and (presumably, based on the photos) featuring most of the same actors in the current run. Ann Arbor is one of only three US stops for this tour.

The show itself was classic Complicite, using light, sound, bold imagery and subtle movement (and many other things) to tell the story of Shun-kin, a privleged Japanese woman who becomes entangled with her student, Sasuke, in multiple ways. I don’t want to spell the basic plot out further, except to note that it was inspired by a Japanese folktale and bookended, in a way, by contemporary scenes featuring a female narrator recounting the story for a radio broadcast. The modern angle could have been used just as a framing device, but instead it recurred throughout the story, most intriguingly taking center stage at what would be an intermission point – but there was no intermission and the story went right on.

Complicite is known for their technical virtuosity and this production was no slouch in that department. However, at times I questioned the decision to have subtitles displayed right alongside the staging of the performance. It’s true that there was no other way to handle it, where the actors spoke in Japanese, but the decision forced me to divide my attention between the acting onstage and the subtitles of the story displayed on both sides and above the stage area. A bolder (but unlikely) choice would have been to have no subtitles displayed at all and force the audience member to engage with the production through other senses.

I’m losing my train of thought, so should probably stop here, but in concluson, this was one of the most memorable theatre productions I’ve seen in the last couple of years, simply by engaging with style and energy into an unusual story that held me riveted with attention and impressed with the level of detailed storytelling it was happy to unspool for a deserving audience.

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