THE FROGS Opens Tonight at Eureka College Theatre

Are you ready for some amphibian action? The classical Greek comedy The Frogs opens tonight at 7:30 pm at Pritchard Theatre on the campus of Eureka College. The original involves a journey to the Underworld and a verbal duel between playwrights Euripides and Aeschylus, but director Holly Rocke and her cast are making it look and sound a bit different for Eureka. Rocke characterized the production as "eclectic, zany and pretty to look at" when I asked her to sum it up in seven words or less.

The pretty part comes from some over-the-top wigs and puppets, as well as a set that looks like a big pool of water even if it isn't really wet. Some pictures have been shared on the Eureka College Theatre Facebook page that show off the wiggy stuff nicely.

Rocke's cast includes Anna Dabrowski as Pluto, Belle Grober as Dionysus, Hannah Lane as Xanthais, Kelli Robison as Aeschylus, Kevin Wickart as Euripides, Prabhu Venkataraman as Heracles, Hattie Standridge as a snake charmer and member of the chorus, and Ashleigh Feger as a ribbon twirler and member of the chorus. Wickart appears in the far left in the image below, with a sort of red mohawk wig. Ought to be entertaining to find out what that's all about!

 Tickets are $5, and they are available by calling the box office at 309-467-6363 or emailing boxoffice@eureka.edu

Tonight's performance begins at 7:30, and the doors open at 7 pm. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are also scheduled for 7:30 pm, with a Sunday matinee on March 2nd at 2 pm.

You can check out the event page for more info.

Eureka College's "Birds" Take Flight

I'll be honest -- when I first thought about reviewing Eureka College's "The Birds," I was thinking it'd be the parody version of the Alfred Hitchcock movie that's been done on stage in Chicago. I was really looking forward to seeing how they dropped all those birds on their actors' heads.

It only occurred to me that it was more likely to be the Greek comedy a few days ago. Even though Aristophanes was going for political and philosophical humor and Hitchcock was going for horror, they do have their central fowl in common, and there is pecking and attacking of humans in both. But that's pretty much where they part ways.

Aristophanes (AKA "The Father of Comedy") wrote his "Birds" in about 414 BC to lampoon Athenian society. In the play, two Athenians frustrated by the rules and regulations and financial obligations of their lives set out on a journey to reach the kingdom of the birds far above their heads. They're looking for a place with no debt, no taxes, just the joy of being free. In other words, they're kind of like the teabaggers of Ancient Greece.

After some difficulty, they get to meet the King of the Birds himself, and the wilier of the two, Pithetearus, comes up with a plan to elevate the birds, so long pawns of humans down below and gods up above, to the ultimate status -- rulers of the universe. He (or she, in the Eureka College production) proposes that they build a bird city to block the gods' access to earth as well as demanding a share of their tribute from the humans below.

Things go swimmingly until certain unwelcome folks from Athens pop up. Once again, Pithetearus comes to the rescue, convincing the birds to round up and dispose of the grabby Athenian poet, prophet, lawyer, tax agent and real estate developer before they can ruin the new city of Cloudcuckooland, too. And then they have to face off with the gods themselves, who are not pleased to have their airspace cut off.

This style of ancient comedy isn't easy for today's actors or audiences, but guest director Mark Baer does his best to make it all seem current and fresh, and costume designer Linda Schuerman deserves special mention for the bright and varied array of capes and ponchos and headgear that makes up the bird outfits, from the king (a crowned Hoopoe) to a red-winged blackbird, a pink flamingo and a toucan that looks like Groucho Marx.

Becky Collins and Cat Davis are the Athenian ne’er-do-wells (called “slackers” in the program) who put the whole plot into motion, and they’re both as energetic and fizzy as they need to be. Others in the cast who make an impression are Blisse Stanford and Chris Funk as mouthy (beaky?) birds, Justin O. Stewart and Betsy Snobeck as pesky troublemakers from Athens, and Jacob Coombs and Jason Hasty as amusingly quirky Olympians.

“The Birds” is played for fun, and it works pretty darn well, considering it’s 2400 years old and most of its cast is hovering around 20. Catch it while you can -- "The Birds" continues at Eureka College's Pritchard Theatre through February 28th.

Cast:
Becky Collins, Cat Davis, Hilary Schneider, Kerri Rae Hinman, Erin Cochran, Erica Lawver, Sable VanDermay-Kirkham, Hillary Thomas, Blisse Stanford, Chris Funk, Kelly Beaty, Jacob Coombs, Jason Hasty, Sami Hubbard, Betsy Snobeck, Justin O. Stewart.

Production Staff:
Director: Mark Baer
Assistant Director: Nicole Zare
Set Designer: Kenneth Johnson
Lighting Designer: Grace Maberg
Costume Designer: Linda Schuerman