THE UNRAVELING
Ann Noble and Ensemble Photo Austin Crowley
Conceived and Directed by Katharine Noon, Ghost Road invites us to take Homer's epic poem The Odyssey: splash in current culture with on line gaming while Circe is up to old tricks with Odysseus on the controller and up comes a 'pop culture' take on an old, old story. So much fun!
Susan ( Powerful Ann Noble) is a hard line college professor bent on awakening students to the foundations of learning the classics. It ain't easy.. toss in an on line romance between Felix (Kelvin Morales) and Penelope (Camila
Rozo) as they scrimmage with one old video game and then a new one and the stage is set. Attempting to expand on the narrative is not easy. However, Ghost Road's ensemble creation presents an amazing and funny and poignant piece of Theatre that pretty much defies description. The actors are all spot on. the wonderful set by David Offner is expensive and almost constantly in motion to reveal one spectacular effect after another.. Okay.. some are a little corny..but still. great.. The wide stage of the Broadwater mostly works for this deliberately ensemble piece. Christine Breihan and Adam Dlugolecki's choreography is intricate. The final effect including movement and technology is Pure Magic!
For folks who recall the Cohen Brothers' "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"? references to some of the challenges that Odysseus conquers will find the 'video game' version familiar..
I love to be invited to participate in this kind of energy. To the producer's credit!! There s No Curtain Speech. the audience enters. We absorb the set.. Circe's impressive loom dominates stage left.. Is Circe weaving the story? There's a chronoloy involvng an 'incideent' that remains a mystery.
The fully engaged dedication of every member of the ensemble works to create wonderful special effects.
Subtle harmonies from the women of the chorus (Christine Breihan, Liz Eldridge & Raven Pinkston) and the well coordinated efforts of the entire ensemble: all are impressive.
For students who waded through The Golden Bough and The Odyssey or saw the Cohen Brothers' film.. it will be a blast.
For others, , it's Theatre with a Big T!
Parking for the theatre can be a challenge.. and the sidewalks up Lillian Way toward Santa Monica Boulevard are literally very dangerous. Come early and have a care.
It's so much fun to join an enthusiastic audience, wide eyed at innovative and evocative Theatre. It is, at once:
Phantasmagorical and Fun!
Cast
Ann Noble: Susan,
Kelvin Morales: Felix,
Camila Rozo: Pen
Christine Breihan
Liz Eldridge
Raven Pinkston
Ronnie Clark
Sika Lonner
Brian Weir
Movement Direction by Christine Breihan and Adam Dlugolecki
Lighting Design by Brandon Baruch
Scenic Design by David Offner
Sound Design by Cricket Myers
Costume Design by Adriana Lambarri
Prop Design by Cate Chapman
Puppet Designer Emory Royston
Associate Puppet Designer Jack Pullman
Technical Direction by Brad Bentz
Stage Management by Sam Pribyl
Produced by Mark Seldis, with assistance from Jen Kays
Music Production & Sound Engineering by Scott Cornish
Devised in workshop by Christine Breihan, Ronnie Clark, Liz Eldridge, Jen Kays, Sika Lonner, Kelvin Morales, Katharine Noon, Raven Pinkerton, Camila Rozo, Mark Seldis, and Brian Weir
Sat March 8 8pm OPENING
No comments:
Post a Comment