Well, it's that time of year again - fall play season! This year, I'm directing my first show at CCHS which has me very excited, but I know it'll be a lot of work! With that in mind, I've put together a list of my top five favorite shows! Enjoy!
5. "You Can't Take It With You" by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
One of the funniest ensemble shows you can find is "You Can't Take It With You". A large enough cast to accommodate even the largest of theatre programs, this show has big heart and even bigger laughs. I was first introduced to this show in the fall of 2003 when we did it up at Olivet. I played Boris Kolenkhov, the Russian ballet teacher, and had a great deal of fun with everyone in the cast. Sure, it's a bit preachy and moralistic... but, written at the height of the Great Depression, how could it afford not to be?
The great story of an eccentric family with a young daughter who's madly in love with the son of a wealthy, uptight businessman, "You Can't Take It With You" follows the Sycamore family through their daughter Alice's courtship with an insane cast of characters like something out of sheer insanity! A family with so many varied interests - ballet, playwrighting, xylophoning, masks, fireworks, candies, printing, painting, snakes, and well, too many other things to name - can all become lost in the shuffle at times, but the play remains humorous, despite some obvious dating of the events and happenings.
4. "The Boys Next Door" by Tom Griffin
When I tell them I've played a mentally retarded man, most people always seem to wonder how I did it without offending people. But, played with honesty (thanks, Prof. Cohagan!), the part of Norman Bulansky became heartfelt and sincere. In fact, this play has more heart than any I've ever seen and, after performing it at ONU in the fall of 2004, it became an immediate favorite. Not many people know of it outside of theatre people, but I always feel I have a connection with those few individuals. Like we've stumbled on something great that the rest of the world is happily oblivious of. Check this show out, if you get the opportunity.
Entering the world of four mentally retarded men, "The Boys Next Door" is humorous in its honesty of their portrayal. Centering on their burnt-out social worker, Jack, "Boys" takes us into the lives of Arnold (an OCD man with a penchant for the dramatic), Norman (a loveable mentally retarded man who loves donuts and his girlfriend Sheila), Lucien (a severely retarded black man who can't read, but loves Spider-Man), and Barry (a marginal schizophrenic who pretends to be a golf pro). Taking the audience to unbelievably high feel-good moments to tear-inducing sadness and back to raucous laughter seems all at once natural and cathartic. Easily, one of the best shows I've ever done!
3. "The Curious Savage" by John Patrick
The only show I've ever done twice, "The Curious Savage" stands apart as one of the funniest shows I've ever done (and also as one of the most fun). My first trip was in the spring of '03 at Olivet where I played a violin-playing statistician-turned-mental patient. The second was in the summer of '05 when I played the overbearing senator whose step-mother had been locked in an institution. Both times, I had such unbelievable fun that when the time came to choose my first show to direct at CCHS, I couldn't think of a better show to put on.
Tracing the life of an eccentric elderly woman who has been committed to an institution by her stepchildren after the death of her husband, "The Curious Savage" draws a fine line between those whom society deems 'insane' and 'dangerous' and society itself. The real trick, however, is that it does so with a charm and wit that is seldom seen in the theatre anymore. The characters it portrays are well-rounded, funny, and, probably most importantly, honest. I find myself relating to the "wicked" stepchildren, while at the same time loving the "guests" for their charm and sincerity.
2. "12 Angry Men" by Reginald Rose
Though I've never done the play, I've been a fan of Rose's "12 Angry Men" for quite a long time. When given the opportunity to see the Broadway touring company last spring, I leapt at the chance and was surely not disappointed. Rose creates a fantastic sense of drama that continues to be heightened throughout the show as these men compete with the heat and with each other. The show deals with the nature of truth and the power of a single dissenting voice. This is a show I would love to either be in or direct some day... though I'm not sure if either is a real likelihood at this point, unfortunately.
The story of a jury trying a murder case, Reginald Rose creates tension, animosity, and drama... and shoves it all into a cramped jury room. As the verdicts of 'guilty' resound around the room, only Juror #8 has the audacity to offer a plea of 'not guilty'. From there, the action begins as he slowly convinces every man in the jury room over to his point of view. As powerful as it is uncomfortable, "12 Angry Men" stands as a true triumph of theatre.
1. "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett
This one falls amongst the most classic stories in theatre. Certainly one of the most popular of the 'absurdist' style (though probably not falling into that grouping itself), Beckett painted "Godot" around two imbecilic 'heroes' who have become theatrical legends. Vladmir and Estragon (or Didi and Gogo, respectively) are constantly waiting for the titular Godot but never seen to be able to remember exactly where they are or why. Playing with the philosophies of existensialism, "Godot" is often intentionally contradictory, leaving the audience as confused as the main characters. Fun additions are the bombastic Pozzo and the ironically-named Lucky, who torment Didi and Gogo (though not maliciously).
I first read this show in college, but saw it performed in the spring of 2007 at Olivet, directed by my good friend Matt McMahan. Expertly performed with perfect humor and appropriate amounts of despair, I was quite impressed with the production. I quickly found my own copy of the script and read it once every couple of years or so. This is the play that opened me up to the world of Beckett, so I'm incredibly thankful for that as well.
Honorable mentions: "Death of a Salesman" (Miller), "The Bald Soprano" (Ionesco), "A Doll's House" (Ibsen), "Tartuffe" (Moliere), "War to End All Wars" (Gebby), "Boy Kissing" (McMahan)
Note: I didn't include Shakespeare or musicals intentionally. That's another top five for another Friday.
My incredibly talented cast! They were absolutely amazing!
The Scotts (Scott & Kelsey) and the Stephens (Bethany a.k.a. 'Danger' and I)
As promised, the (in)famous picture of me demolishing the turkey leg
Batman, guarding my computer (along with 'Iron' Spidey)
Mmm... sushi... (note the octopus on the tray in the background - tasty!)
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