Chuck Mee Challenge - June 27
Picasso at the Lapin Agile - Arts Equity - Closes July 8
Romeo and Juliet - Portland Actors Ensemble
Singin' in the Rain - Broadway Rose - Closes July 15
Super Project Lab - Portland Center Stage - June 29, 30
Trial By Error - The Tuesday Group - June 29, July 1
Wonder of the World - Integrity Productions - Closes July 1
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Focusing on the Portland, Oregon theatre scene in precisely 50-word increments. followspot@hotmail.com
17 comments:
WONDER OF THE WORLD....
I liked it so much I saw it twice. Very well written. Performers were wonderful. I had to laugh at moments when I maybe should have been feeling sad. Great use of limited stage space. I would hope that Integrity looks for other shows by the same writer. Job well done... VIVIAN!
I saw the Chuck Mee Challenge last night. While the concept was admirable, the fact that the whole evening was THREE HOURS without an intermission made me grumpy and uncharitable by the end, especially since the litany of short scenes would have benefited from some breathing room in the middle. I would also suggest putting a limitation of ten minutes on each piece in the future, and choosing less of them.
Bright spots: Philip Cuomo’s absurd, pointed melodrama; Linda Austin's floating head on the TV; Kristan Seemel's participatory wild west show; the pissy fairy godmother and her baffled charge (though I was baffled as to why the godmother switched from a british to a southern accent halfway through) and the lights going down on defunkt’s cactus just as he’s about to speak. Spots I could have done without: the scowly druids breathing and chanting for twenty minutes; the longwinded ballerina and her astrologer; the talky courtship of a hobo and a spazzed out bag lady.
In general, there was a dogged wackiness to the proceedings that would have benefited from a lighter touch. I found myself squirming restlessly during moments that were supposed to be crazy and hilarious. Again, though: I probably would have enjoyed things more had it not been THREE HOURS LONG.
Sheila -- You will undoubtedly see more of this playwright's work, although it may be more challenging for Integrity to get the rights, because he just won the Pulitzer for "Rabbit Hole," which I saw in Ashland in April and will be done by ART this coming February. I know other local theaters have done his work recently -- "Kimberly Akimbo" at the Portland Conservatory comes to mind.
"Wonder of the World" is a delightful and charming show. Sort of a realistic farce. Perky, plucky, oddball fun. Closes this weekend, so try to catch it.
I, too, saw the Chuck Mee Challenge. The one I saw was mysteriously 30 minutes shorter than the one Anonymous saw. Yes, a tad too long, but keep in mind that they had no idea how it would all come out since the directors were given free rein to create whatever they wanted out of the original scripts, and the powers-that-be had no idea how it would all come together until they all came together for the first time 3 days before opening. Sure, some limitations might be advisable if this concept is ever done again ("Chapter 3," Francesca?) but it was an amazing piece of theatre.
That's exactly why I'm suggesting they impose some limits next time around to keep it enjoyable. Even if the pieces are all brilliant, more than an hour and a half of them is too much to take in. Which is why if there's a chapter 3 (and I hope there is) I think more limits and structure are crucial. I'm not saying this to make anyone feel bad: kudos to everyone involved, it's a great experiment and I wouldn't go to the trouble to critique it if I didn't see some potential.
What about that show at Arts Equity?
RE: Chuck Mee Challenge... I would suggest a name change since it has little to do with Mee at this point...and a third party producer to help with the structure/arrangement. I had a good time but was confuse by the order of scripts. People stood up to leave after everyone sang happy trails, which felt like the natural end of the show...but then there was another scene. Well intentioned, but in need of better direction.
SINGING IN THE RAIN at the BROADWAY ROSE THEATRE in Tigard closes today and played it's entire run to SOLD OUT houses.
I suppose the reason that there is NOTHING mentioned here about it is beacause you probably couldn't get a ticket!!
Seriously though - what is up? Singin' in the rain sells out its entre run, gets raves from the O and WW, and doesn't even rate a mention in your "might miss" section? Any reason?
Simple mistake.
I intended to see it, but did not reserve ticket early enough and it was sold out.
Sounded like a great show.
Have to reserve way ahead at Broadway Rose.
I added it now to the list above, so please comment on it.
I hear Portland Actors Ensemble's "Romeo and Juliet" isn't sold out yet (that's a joke; it's free, of course), though it's only running three weeks. This coming weekend's the last. How 'bout adding it to the list?
R&J is close to sold out, we've had around 200+ people and if you come late it's hard to hear from the back of the audience. I recommend getting there about 7:15-7:30 to get a good seat. If you want the really good seats (and get a good view of the fights restaged in the fountain) you may need to come before 7:00.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor showing of ROMEO & JULIET, at Lovejoy Fountain, in a joint production by Blue Monkey and Portland Actors Ensemble. The cast is strong, and production design more-or-less consistant. John Monteverde has directed for the groundlings a few times too many--how many times CAN Peter grab his "sword"--but over-the-top lewdness plays well out-of-doors.
Stand-outs include Cameron Peart (Juliet), Romeo (Matt Miller), Michael Streeter--from whom I'm stealing, when I get to play Capulet (Capulet), Joanna Burgess (the nurse), and Brian Allard (Friar Lawrence). The Balcony scene was particularly lovely, Cameron Peart and Matt Miller playing it with flexibility, wit, and insight.
Quibbles: the cast needs not only to project but also open up to the audience more often so they can be heard, and some bits of staging are closed visually, e.g., Juliet needs to place Tybalt's ghost in the house rather out stage right, in the fountain. Cues need to be picked up after intermission; the naturalistic pauses are draining tension out of some key moments. Lovejoy Fountain is a gorgeous setting for R&J, but it's a tough space to work effectively.
A fun and refreshing night in the park. I really had a great time."
Yes, yes, JAW was wonderful and all. But what about the other productions that are running? Hamlet, produced by Quintessence, has been running for two weeks and hasn't an entry in FollowSpot, not even in "Might Miss" category. Other shows are in similar straits.
No, I'm not associated with any of the omitted productions.
Also, would it be possible to reformat the home page? Personally, I'm much more interested in easily finding the Recent Comments section than the Weekly Interview section.
Here's another vote for making recent comments the most easily found section.
Thanks for the feedback.
I'm hoping the current layout without JAW sidebar works for you.
On the coverage issue, I would encourage all shows to please include me on your email press release list. This will help ensure I don't miss things.
followspot @ hotmail dot com
Admittedly, the last few weeks with JAW have been busy, and now I am out of town for a month.
To expand coverage for Portland's ever-expanding theater scene, I will soon be looking for new followspot contributors. Like the scene itself, fs will benefit from a diversity of voices. It's too big a job for just one person.
If you see a lot of shows and would like to contribute 50 word reviews, stay tuned for a "call for collaborators" post soon.
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