Amelia Reynolds - Page 3

Modern adaptations of traditional texts are common, but mod adaptations of traditional texts are quite rare. Seattle Public Theater's 'The Liar' puts a 60s twist on a 17th-century farce, and it works.

Something's wrong when a tertiary character with no name upstages your main character. Sometimes it can make a production more memorable, but in Theatre Schmeater's current production of 'My Man Godfrey', the nameless mediator embraced the melodrama of the production and went over the top deliciously. This person, Danny Herter, set the bar very high for the level of pomp and circumstance that some of the flighty aristocrats just did not match. Granted, the bulk of the cast did a good job making the characters into caricatures--Sarah Karnes' whiney Irene Bullock; Lantz Wagner as the mooching eccentric, Carlo; and Teri Lazzara's ditzy Angelica Bullock, to name a few (more on that later)--but I wish director Doug Staley pointed to Danny Herter, with his Martin Short as the Mad Hatter voice, and encouraged the less flamboyant members of the cast to peacock a bit more in this tale of scatterbrained socialites.

Who am I to judge how anyone processes the political climate? Well, when it's theatre, technically, it's my job. Nonetheless, I understand why Keira McDonald and Erin Stewart put on their two-woman sketch comedy, 'Happy Hour', now performing at 18th and Union as a part of their 'Oddballs and Misfits' series (along with 'Oroboro', among others). These two performers set out to process their feelings on the day of the inauguration through impersonations (Kate Mullgrew, Shelley Winters); multiple scenes in doctors' offices with circumstances so ridiculous, you'd hope they'd be satirical; and a rap about Susan B. Anthony. From the clear-as-day reading from a script in the wings, to the faulty mics, to the rudimentary PowerPoint as background graphics, the collective felt (though full of heart) a little thrown-together. Some sketches outshined others, and although the production felt effortful and honest, 'Happy Hour' felt a touch unpolished.

Conceptual productions are tricky because you have to find that balance of being cerebral and being entertaining, especially when you market yourself as a comedy. As apart of 18th and Union's 'Oddballs and Misfits' series, Human spark plug K. Brian Neel's 'Oroboro' is a one-man acid nightmare that shows off his performing skills, but the show gets too wrapped up in being conceptual to be funny.

Behold, a rare gem, a piece of art that combines two vastly different disciplines: theater, and math. Ironically, what makes David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize winning play, 'Proof' so entertaining isn't so much the math, but the chemistry between the characters. Get out your pens and pencils, students, because Strawberry Theatre Workshop's harmonious performances are noteworthy.

It's easy to feel skeptical when young Sara Porkalob steps onto Cafe Nordo's stage and claims to be celebrating her sixtieth birthday. But with her effortless 'still-got-it' physicality and chutzpa, Porkalob became a believably spry sixty-years-young Madame Dragon. In her latest iteration of her one-woman show 'The Dragon Lady'--Porkalob's tribute to her gangster grandma--'Madame Dragon's 60th Birthday' is an expansive and immersive tribute that tells Maria Porkalob's (aka Madame Dragon) stories of sex, murder and motherhood through spoken word, music, and food. This is not just dinner theatre. This is a party.

It's that time of the year again! Theatre Schmeater's 'Twilight Zone: Live!' celebrates its 24th birthday with three culturally pertinent episode adaptations. As a first timer with high expectations, the first few moments seeing my beloved Twilight Zone in color were jarring. This passes. In this perfect homage that clearly expresses reverence with just the right sprinkling of poking-fun, 'Twilight Zone: Live!' is a cozy, kooky production that continues to be as timeless as infinity.

We get to be children again! Laugh at the fart jokes! Stare with wonder at the choreography! Giggle at the man playing an uptight Nanny! ArtsWest extends its hand, beckoning audience members to use their imagination in their delightful production of 'Peter and the Starcatcher.'

Words truly cannot do Ghost Light Theatricals' 'The Big Bad' justice. The best analogy I can conjure: a feminist circus where the clowns rip their hearts out in solidarity. It's no surprise that this little gem won the 2016 Battle of the Bards. Directed by Eddie DeHais, the collective DangerSwitch! conceived and created this ten-course meal of theatrical storytelling, using dance, puppetry, clowning, shadow play, and varying physical styles to unpack the female experience.

Quarter-life crisis is the new midlife crisis, and the characters in The Annex Theatre's 'The Lost Girls' are suffering. What's the point of spending so much on a college education in the liberal arts only to work at a summer camp and move back in with your parents? On top of the expectations of the modern woman, the expectations of the modern post-grad woman are grim.

The Annex Theatre advertises their current production 'Unexpected Wilderness' to be a 'farcical romp'. I saw Jaryl Draper's show at The Annex, and I beg to differ. A farce is a madcap comedy where characters find themselves in extreme, exaggerated, ridiculous situations, and hilarity ensues. A ridiculous situation does not feel ridiculous if it's already been done dozens of times, in dozens of ways. Yes, this play uniquely showcases Bigfoot as a character, but beyond that, all the hijinks among those interacting with Bigfoot in the woods are painfully predictable, making 'Unexpected Wilderness' feel more like a formulaic sitcom.

In the opening scene of 'The Pride,' we immediately understand two things about the men on stage: they are British, and they are uncomfortable. It's 1958. Oliver says hello to Philip. The conversation is taught, small, and as light-hearted as two people 'with nothing in common' can muster. In this middle-class London home, it is not what these polite people say to one another, but what they don't say--or, perhaps, can't say--that drives Alexi Kaye Campbell's sentimental split-period piece. When Philip's wife says she feels something in the room, the light bulb in your head goes off, and the tension makes sense.

C.S. Lewis' 1950 fantasy novel, 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' has withstood the test of time, delighting generations of children and adults, religious and non-religious alike in book, film, and theatre form. Adrian Mitchell's musical adaptation of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' now performs at the Seattle Children's Theatre with a narrative faithfully streamlined from the original text. That very faithfulness certainly has its pro's with those familiar with the Christian allegory, but cramming every moment from the book into a two-hour musical made the story feel rushed. This is one aesthetically dazzling production that, as the adult, may require some explaining to the kids after the show.

Henrik Ibsen's lesser-known drama 'Ghosts' should be just as prolific as 'A Doll's House.' This 19th-century societal criticism is one to check off your classical theater bucket list, and Richard Eyre's masterful adaptation at ArtsWest is impressively close to the original. On top of casting two theatrical powerhouses--Suzanna Bouchard and Noah Racey--ArtsWest's current production is one that would make Ibsen himself stand and applaud.

What do you get when you cross a science fiction slavery parable with a game of charades? You get Forward Flux's production, 'The Wedding Gift' by Chisa Hutchinson.

There lies an insidious nature beneath excessive indulgence, and three college students' summer break perfectly captures how dark too much fun can get in 'The Summer House'.

Dear Readers, Can you imagine reading your diary from when you were 16-years-old out loud, in front of an audience? Now, can you imagine doing it not for laughs, but to recreate those precious, documented moments with emotional integrity? Superimposing emotion over words such as 'My mom just does not understand me,' in a way that feels both authentic and serious is close to impossible, even when the content of the writing is much graver. This was Book-It's noble challenge in its latest production of 'A Tale for the Time Being' as 16-year-old Nao recites the words of her found diary.

Alice Childress' 'Wedding Band' is an important show-but can feel a bit academic. It isn't overwritten with clever gags or attention-grabbing circumstances, and while this can make the play feel slow, the creative skill of the cast and crew elevates the production.

It makes sense that Strawberry Theater Workshop would put on a production of Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros' right now. Ionesco's allegorical post-WWII production was far from ambiguous when it came to political stance. Directed by Jess K. Smith, this modern adaptation both soared and, at times stumbled from its approach to cultural relevancy.

There are dozens of different ways to tell a story, and budding production team amador/stokes may have used all of them in their vibrant, surreal production "DUELS", currently playing at 12th Avenue Arts.