Photo Credit: Lone Tree Arts Center |
Playwright:
Michael Frayn.
Venue: Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons
Street, Lone Tree, CO 80124
Company: Co-produced by Lone Tree Arts Center
and Starkey Theatrix
Date of Performance: Wednesday, January 30,
2013
Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (includes one 10
minute one 5 minute intermission)
Although I’ve seen a lot of
theater over the years, I’ve never been backstage at a dress rehearsal hours
before the opening performance. Of
course, I’ve never seen how sausage is made either. The difference is that sausage making is not fun to watch,
while the dress rehearsal in Noises Off
is hilarious. I think I can say,
without spoiling any of the fun, that Noises
Off successfully demonstrates how a production can go off the rails and
descend into insanity and hilarity.
A “play within a play,” Noises Off is a complex, layered,
frenetic script offering substantial challenges to the director (Nick Sugar)
and the cast. The actors are
playing dual roles here, first as “actors” and second as the characters they
portray in “Nothing On,” a play that
is always near collapse both on and offstage.
Photo credit: Lone Tree Arts Center |
Sugar has assembled an
experienced and talented cast that is more than equal to the challenges. Precise comedic timing is an essential
element for Noises Off, and the cast
is consistently amazing for hitting their marks at exactly the right time. Michael Bouchard (“Garry”) Anna Gibson
(“Brooke) Evan Marquez (“Freddie”) and Lauren Bahlman (“Belinda”) are the
center of gravity around which the other characters orbit. Their timing, gestures, facial
expressions, and delivery sell the action and entertain the audience at every
turn.
Anna Gibson (“Brooke”)
stands out here as an airheaded actress who doesn’t realize she’s
unintentionally hysterical. She is
not just endearingly ditzy, but she also heats up the stage with her costume
(which appears to be lingerie from Fredericks of Hollywood). She never seems
to notice that she is usually the only one onstage in underwear, and acts as if
it’s all perfectly normal. At one
point, in fact, she offers to take it all off (she doesn’t), as if that would
somehow solve some problems.
Evan Marquez (“Freddie”) has
mastered physical comedy, and even manages to climb a flight of stairs with his
pants around his ankles. (His Union Jack boxers are a hoot.) His facial gestures are deliciously exaggerated
as he reacts with what appears to be genuine surprise at the developments.
The first act drags a
little, but it’s essential to setting up the chaos of the second act. There is a lot of physical comedy here…so
much so that it’s exhausting just watching the actors.
If I have a quibble with the
production, it’s that the program does not credit the set designer. Presumably, the credit goes to both the
Lone Tree Arts Center and to Starkey Theatrix. The 360 degree set is striking in its functionality and
detail. It sits on a turntable,
and can display both the onstage action and the backstage chaos. The set here is as important as the
characters; I think the designer deserves a mention in the program. In any event, a tip of my hat to whoever was responsible for putting that set together.
I had a great time watching
this performance. Noises Off is engaging, charming,
entertaining, and hilarious. It definitely
gets my recommendation. However, it’s
a pretty short run (through February 10), so if you’re interested, you need to
book tickets soon.
NOTES:
This show runs through
February 10, 2013. Noises Off may not be appropriate for
young children due to some vulgar language in the first act.
If you haven’t been to the
Lone Tree Arts Center (west of I-25 at Lincoln), you haven’t seen one of the
newest and finest theaters in the area. The Main Stage Theater seats nearly 500, but feels much more
intimate. It’s a great venue, and
the line up of coming attractions is impressive.
Director:
Nick Sugar
Lighting Designer: Jacob Welch
Producers: Starkey Theatrix & Lone Tree Arts
Center
Costume Designer: Linda Morkin
Cast:
Trina Magness, Michael Bouchard, Evan Marquez. Photo credit: LTAC |
Dotty: Trina Magness
Brooke: Anna Gibson
Garry: Michael Bouchard
Poppy: Rachel Bouchard
Belinda: Lauren Bahlman
Freddie: Evan Marquez
Selsdon: Ron Welch
Tim: Scott Cahoon
Lloyd: Kurt Brighton
I believe they didn't credit the set designer because this is the exact same set that was used in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival production last summer. I suspect Starkey Productions just bought it from them.
ReplyDeleteTodd:
ReplyDeleteThat would definitely explain it.
Bill