"Natural Selection" a Natural at IWU

When I saw Eric Coble's "Natural Selection" at the Humana Festival a few years ago, I was quite taken with it. I'm not sure if it was the Navajo mythology about the end of the world, the engaging actor (Jay Russell) who played the main character (Henry Carson, a hapless curator swept out of an Epcot-like "Culture Fiesta" and into a metaphorical as well as literal hurricane), or Kris Stone's huge, spectacular sets that sealed the deal, but whatever it was, I was happy to go along for the wild, wonderful ride that was "Natural Selection" in Louisville.

Yep. I called it a "wild, wonderful ride" in my original review.

So I was curious how Illinois Wesleyan's Theatre Department and director Allie Beckmann would fit Coble's oversized experience into the black box confines of the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre. The good news is that Beckmann had a strong vision that informed her entire production, and her message -- that technology and separation from nature are turning us into robots -- came across loud and clear, even without all the quotes that said exactly that in the program.

The message was telegraphed the first time Neil Stratman, playing our hero Henry, moved his arms or took a step. With peculiar straight-arm gestures and funny little shuffle-steps, this Henry moved like a Ken doll. Marlee Turim, who played Henry's wife, a character who blogs her entire life even as it's happening, was much the same.

In contrast, the maybe/maybe-not Navajo who throws Henry's life into chaos, played by Roz Prickel, was much more fluid and human. Aha! She represents life and the force of nature, while the Carsons are about being stuck in a plastic world of technology. Or, you know, Barbie's Dream House.

Not that Lindy Randall's scenic design was anything like Barbie's Dream House. Randall's sets were a whole lot smaller and less spiffy than Rose's design for the Actors Theatre of Louisville, of course. Randall used basic boxes and a few platforms to create playing spaces for the actors that were versatile enough to get the job done and prove that you don't need an actual helicopter to stage a battle in one. Coble's message about technology might've played even better with a little more of it on-stage, but still... It worked.

The best thing about this production may've been the humor. Even in a pared-down production, Coble's script came off funny and fresh, and IWU's undergrad actors found the laugh lines just fine.

Beckmann chose to make Zhao Martinez, the wily Navajo trickster in the center of the hurricane, a woman for this production. I'm not sure that is totally successful. Specifically, there's a scene where Henry should be a little jealous that Zhao is tangled up with his wife, plus some tension about who is and isn't a "real man" and Zhao's indentification with the Coyote of Navajo mythology, who has womanizing among his traits. None of those elements came across very well with Zhao as a woman. But it was an intriguing choice, at any rate.

Beckmann has also gone with a cast of nine, instead of the six she could've gotten away with, and she's changed the gender of a minor character. No worries there. The key here is that the play is still provocative and entertaining, and it may even send you out of the theater looking for information on Navajo mythology or changing how you think of theme parks and the virtual world. One can only hope.

Note: The poster which appears with this entry is not from Illinois Wesleyan's production of "Natural Selection."

World Premiere Dance/Music Event for Bloomington Artist Tony Rio

Artist Tony Rio is collaborating with Tim Veach, Artistic Director of the Columbus (Ohio) Dance Theatre, and Columbus-based composer Korine Fujiwara for a multi-media event combining "dancers + artists + musicians" to explore the "delicate and powerful dynamics of human hands."

This evening-length event will be performed at the Columbus Dance Theatre's Fisher Theatre on April 2nd and 3rd.

U of I Literary Festival March 15-17

The University of Illinois Creative Writing Program and Carr Reading Series are sponsoring an "Early Spring Literary Festival" March 15-17. It will include authors reading their own work as well as panel discussions on various topics of current interest within the publishing industry.

Participating authors include Eileen Favorite, recipient of two Illinois Arts Council Fellowships for poetry and prose; Bayo Ojikutu, an alumnus of the department of political science and the author of two novels, one of which received the Washington Prize for Fiction and the Great American Book Award; Jane Ciabattari, the president of the National Book Critics Circle; and English Department faculty member and author Audrey Petty.

Topics for discussion include “The Next Decade in Book Culture: The Rise of the E-book,” "Some Critical and Practical Issues in Translation Studies,” "The Art of the Book Review,” “The Truth of the Matter: On Creative Nonfiction and Literary Journalism,” “Independent Publishing" and “Where We’re At: Ninth Letter on Writing the Midwest.”

For more information and the schedule, see this article or visit the Carr Reading Series site.

Local Author Laurie Larsen Takes Home an Eppie Award!

Congratulations to Normal's own Laurie Larsen, who just won an Eppie Award, handed out March 6th in New Orleans at the Electronically Published Internet Connection (aka EPIC) Conference. Laurie won for her book, Preacher Man, published in January 2009 by Wild Rose Press. The Eppies are awarded to the best in electronically-published books of all genres, and Laurie's book was honored as the Best Metaphysical and Spiritual Romance of 2009.

Laurie's other titles include The Chronicles of Casey V, OR Mental Ramblings of the Most Awesome Summer of My Life, a Young Adult romance also from Wild Rose, published in July, 2009.

How Well Does "History of the American Film" Play in Urbana?

This review ran originally in the Champaign News-Gazette on March 7, 2010.

Just in time for the Oscars, the U of I Department of Theatre brings us Christopher Durang’s “A History of the American Film,” a zany, kicky look at how the movies have informed our lives.

There are no real characters or plot in this frantic little play, as Durang goes for archetypes instead, sending ingénue Loretta (named for Loretta Young), tough guy Jimmy (a Cagney type), aw-shucks Hank (based on Henry Fonda) and bad girl Bette (for Bette Davis) spinning through a whirlwind of Hollywood genres and clichés. His script includes riffs on Warner Brothers’ hardboiled crime dramas, a Busby Berkeley musical, screwball comedy like “My Man Godfrey,” “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Citizen Kane,” “Casablanca,” some basic 50s atomic-bomb sci fi, “Psycho,” and eventually “Forrest Gump.”

There’s even a little song and dance, just to keep things moving and create the proper cinematic feel. So we have “Shanty Town Romance” instead of “As Time Goes By,” and “We’re in a Salad” instead of “We’re in the Money.”

Tom Mitchell seems to have cast actors who could sing rather than people who resemble the movie archetypes Durang has set down, which may be a problem for those who know their movies well. It’s just a little unsettling when this Loretta (Neala Barron) is closer to an Eve Arden or Alexis Smith than a standard Hollywood ingénue, while Eve (Lena Dansdill) actually looks a bit like Bette Davis, and Bette (Amanda Cabrera) is more the Norma Shearer type. Go figure.

Still, there’s good energy throughout the cast, and Barron and her frequent scene partner, Marty Scanlon, who plays Jimmy, sound great on their “Shanty Town” anthem. Jonathan Butler-Duplessis is also in fine voice, and he has fun with a string of ethnic stereotypes, from the black maid and piano player to Indian chief and Japanese butler, all of whom illustrate just how rotten the movies were to minorities.

Others of note include Christopher Sheard, who is properly folksy for Hank in the first half, and then pretty darn good when his character takes a “Psycho” turn after intermission; Dansdill, peppy and fun as various wise-cracking blondes reminiscent of Joan Blondell and Ginger Rogers; and Cabrera, who is consistently funny as bad, bad Bette.

There is actually a method to all the madness – Durang seems to be pretty clearly commenting on how we all use movies as our Fantasyland when the news is bad, times are tough or we can’t face reality. I’m not sure that point really comes across in this particular production, although things get so grim by the time Hollywood hits the 60s that I may be underestimating the audience and their perceptions.

Jack Magaw’s scenic design looks nifty, framing a mostly bare black stage with telescoping proscenium arches and then adding drops and set pieces as needed, while Jessica John’s costumes are striking, moving from black and white to pale green for the Salad girls and bright scarlet for Bette when she rolls into a Marilyn phase.

I found D.M. Wood’s aggressive lighting design less successful, mostly because it was often hard to see people’s faces, and Doc Davis’ sound design came off a bit too loud for my taste.

If you are a movie-lover, I have a feeling you will be happy to ignore the deep shadows and blaring music and follow along with the ending prayer. Say it with me: Our Father, Who Art in Heaven, Give Us This Doris Day…

My Clandestine Affair with "Shakespeare in Love"

I intended to write a proper review of "Shakespeare in Love," which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1999, as a way of celebrating this Academy Award week.

But then a funny thing happened. I watched it again. And I found myself falling in love with "Shakespeare in Love" all over again, to the point where I was dreading writing about it, because I didn't want to share it. I just wanted to luxuriate in this affair for awhile, private and secret and special, and keep the rest of the world outside.

So I'm not going to write a proper review. I'm going to luxuriate instead.

On paper, "Shakespeare in Love" was perfect for me from the beginning. It's got Shakespeare, of course, which definitely pulls me in, and even better, he's shown as a young, impetuous, passionate playwright, spilling over with words even as he's blocked. He's also shown, you know, writing his own plays, so that's a bonus.

Plus Tom Stoppard, another brilliant writer, worked on the script. Stoppard and Marc Norman, the guy who had the idea in the first place, have never said who wrote what, but I choose to believe that everything I love the most in this clever, giddy, achingly romantic movie is Stoppard's work. So sue me. When you're in love, you get to be crazy like that.

And then there's Joseph Fiennes, who is pretty clever and achingly romantic himself. I hope Will Shakespeare was really like Joseph Fiennes. Wouldn't that be lovely? Millions of people have fallen in love with Shakespeare's words, as his characters came alive on the page or on the stage. But Joseph Fiennes and his ink-stained fingers bring it to a whole different level. Okay, fine. It's down a few levels, away from lofty ideas and right down to the earthy, the real, the sexual. I don't care. It works for me. Joseph Fiennes works for me.

I'm not a big fan of Gwyneth Paltrow in general, but she looks beautiful (her hair alone deserved the Oscar) and she has good chemistry with Mr. Fiennes. (Plus, you know, she's way better than Julia Roberts, who was apparently the go-to girl when the script first surfaced ten years earlier. Let us take a moment to give thanks that Julia Roberts and Daniel Day Lewis didn't work out. Because that would've broken my heart.)

And there are tons of other lovely actors to enjoy as they breeze by, with Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Simon Callow, Martin Clunes, Antony Sher, Rupert Everett and even Ben Affleck, of all people, each playing a pivotal role. One of my favorite performances comes from an actor named Mark Williams, who plays a stuttering tailor who wants his turn on the stage, showing us (as does Tom Wilkinson) just how each of the players is smitten by the magic and mystery of the theater.

Don't forget Colin Firth as the wrong man, practically twirling his mustache. Or Imelda Staunton and her real-life husband, Jim Clark, playing the real and stage versions of Juliet's nurse. (Clever touch, that one.) And, of course, Dame Judi Dench as what may be the best Queen Elizabeth ever.

So here I am, wishing once again I could time travel. This time I'd choose Shakespeare's world, just for a few hours. Long enough to see "Hamlet," maybe. Or the "Twelfth Night" we see Will starting to write at the end of the movie. I suspect the real one wouldn't be as much like Joseph Fiennes as I'd hoped. So it's probably better to watch the movie again, instead. It's just so hard to leave that world when the movie ends. Can't I stay awhile longer?

March Marches On

My top pick this month is the quirky little Eric Coble play coming up at Illinois Wesleyan. I was one of the few theater critics who totally loved "Natural Selection" when it was produced at the Humana Festival a few years ago. It's not an easy play, about the end of the world played out at a theme park very much like Epcot Center, with a hapless curator trying to collect an actual Navajo to put on exhibit. As I recall, it had a huge set and scenic effects in Louisville, with a sort of Jetsons apartment, a helicopter and canyons and then a looming glass structure that was cracking and leaking from all the apocalyptic weather conditions. How will IWU create that kind of atmosphere? I don't know, but I'd love to find out. "Natural Selection" will be performed March 8-11 at Wesleyan's E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre.

For a different kind of quirky, look no further than the second "Rhinoceros" of the season, playing March 24-27 at ISU's Westhoff Theatre. I was supposed to review the first one, over in Urbana, but the flu kept me away from this absurdist comedy about the perils of conformity. I'm not going to miss this one, I promise.

Community Players is going with "Play It Again, Sam," the Woody Allen comedy about a schlemiel who brings the ghost of Humphrey Bogart alive to advise him on matters romantic. Thom Rakestraw plays the Woody role, while Kevin Wickart tries on Bogie's trenchcoat for size. Look for that one March 5-20.

There are three very different, very intriguing options at U of I's Krannert Center for the Performing Arts this month. First up -- something called "Abraham Inc.," featuring David Krakauer, Fred Wesley, and Socalled, AKA the Klezmer King, a funk pioneer, and the smoothest Yiddish-rapping mix master around, according to the press release. That's TOMORROW NIGHT only.

Then we've got Christopher Durang's "History of the American Film," a goofy mix of old Hollywood stereotypes and icons, all mashed together with music and over the top... Toppings. It should be funny, frothy, silly and lighter than air. Will U of I's theater department pull it off? I'll let you know after opening night, March 4, at Krannert's Colwell Playhouse.

My third choice is the Maly Drama Theatre/Theatre of Europe production of "Uncle Vanya" (presented in Russian with English subtitles) coming to Krannert's Tryon Festival Theatre on March 12th and 13th. My Russian is beyond rusty, but I'd still like to see Chekhov's play done with an authentic Russian feel.

I'm not sure what to make of "The Velvet Rut," James Sill's strange drama about a man in trouble who runs into into a strangely helpful (or maybe just strange) boy scout. Joi Hoffsommer directs Gary Ambler and Maxwell Tomaszewski through the play's odd camping trip to nowhere with a passel of performances from March 4th through 20th.

If you're a Rentaholic, your fave show is on stage from the CUTC (Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company) at the historic Virginia Theater March 11 to 13, while "Father of the Bride" fans can look to Parkland Theatre in Champaign March 3-14 for wedding-related fun.

I have to be honest -- nothing at the Normal Theatre is flipping my switches this month, which is kind of disappointing, it being Oscar season and all. Oh well. If you like the gowns and glam and you're intrigued by the fact that there are ten Best Pic noms this year, don't miss the big show itself on March 7th. I was going to pick "The Hurt Locker," Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, but then there was an email scandal about "Hurt Locker," and I just don't care about "Avatar," so maybe I'll go with "Up in the Air" as the surprise choice. Fingers crossed for "Up in the Air."

Some things coming up in this blog: I'll review one or two of my favorite Best Picture winners as well as a movie or two about famous queens for Women's History Month. I will also be looking at the film version of "Finian's Rainbow" in time for St. Patrick's Day, and compare it to the newly released "Finian's" revival cast recording from PS Classics. Sneak peek: The score is gorgeous and Cheyenne Jackson and Kate Baldwin are to die for. Pick up your own copy and share your thoughts on or around St. Paddy's Day.

And if you're finishing off your schedule of what to see in March, don't forget that "Southern Comforts" is still playing at Heartland Theatre through March 7th. I posted a review of that a few weeks ago, so you can check in the archives to read more about it.

Mix in March Madness (that's high school basketball in my household) and it's a pretty packed month, isn't it?