A Year at the Theater - Things Start Looking Up

Well, the quality of the productions is really beginning to improve. It could be because my expectations are adjusting, based on what I've experienced and my new-found knowledge of the venues. Or, more realistically, it could be because I'm in a lucky streak.

I started out this week with the best fringe production I've seen to date - Hunters Gatherers, produced by the Washington Ensemble Theatre. First, it's great to be able to go to a theater where you're not fighting over parking (and free is pretty damn good, too!).

An Apartment in San Francisco circa 2005

Hunter Gatherers is about four people/two couples who met in high school and now meet once a year for dinner. They are clearly mismatched in their marriages, putting lie to the myth about opposites attracting.

The core character of the play is Pam, played by Montana von Fliss. She is so good, she holds the chaos together. Chaos is brought to the production by Richard (Patrick Allcorn) and Wendy (Hannah Victoria Franklin) who dominate the action through their over-the-top performances as a couple of primitive, lustful, physical folks who apparently have no joy in life but sensual ones.

Although Richard and Wendy drive the action, it's Pam who holds it all together and keeps things from going out of control ... sort of. You'll have to take it in yourselves, because I'm not into spoiling things. But, the bottom line is that it is very funny and reminded me of a chaotic / zany 60's romantic comedy.

About as interesting as the show itself

On Thursday night I went to the Seattle Center to see the Seattle Shakespeare Company's production of Electra. One of the trends I began to understand with this classic play is that theater, unlike film for the most part, demands that you stretch to fully appreciate what you're seeing. In large part, that is because the small budgets give producers much more flexibility in deciding what to produce than film.

Now, the problem I have with Electra is the same problem I have will all "classic" theater (and, I lump Shakespeare into this category), is that, unless directed and acted exceptionally well it comes across much too ... much. Electra was no different. Are we really expected to believe that Electra is so much more overwhelmed by grief than any of us by the death of a loved one? Yet, the grief is violent and loud. And, obnoxious.

The best classical theater I've ever seen, of course, is the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford and the Oregon Shakespeare Company in Ashland. The key to these great performances is restraint, and that's not what we get in Electra. Frankly, it takes a extremely practiced pro to let Shakespeare (or Sophocles, for that matter) roll off the tongue in a conversational manner. And, when done that way, it really is poetry.

Electra comes steamrolling out at you. That has the effect, for me at least, of deadening my senses. Really, how long can you be in a state of panic? I'm not sure how well Marya Sea Kaminski (Electra) can act, but, this rank amateur just couldn't stay awake. Her manic performance was matched by the other actors, so I suspect the fault lie with the director, Sheila Daniels.

Smell-a-rama!!!

Finally, the set in the one-woman play The Belle of Amherstconsists of actual antiques. Walking into this pocket-sized theater (Stone Soup Theatre Downstage), one can't help but be overwhelmed with the decaying smell of the set. It set the tone perfectly for what was simply the best performance I've seen so far this year.

Maria Glanz portrays Emily Dickinson in this William Luce play about the poet's life. The script beautifully blends Dickinson's poetry with her recollections of her life. The blend is seamless, and Ms. Glanz outstanding performance is captivating. I started out sleepy, thinking to myself, oh no, here comes another Electra, but Ms. Glanz gripped my thoughts and shook the cobwebs away.

Now, the trend I spoke of earlier - that theater makes you stretch - became evident here. I definitely found myself enthralled with Dickinson's poetry. Rather than being stretched, though, here I felt as though I have been inspired to dig deeper into the poet's work.

I love outstanding acting, and Ms. Glanz delivered. The rest of my weekend should continue the recent upswing in production values. Tonight, I'm taking in Two by Pinter by the Shadows and Light Theatre, a new company focusing primarily on the works of Pinter. It's a little fringe produced at ACT on their smaller Bullitt Stage. Tomorrow afternoon will be spent at the Odd Duck Studio watchingMr. Angelo. Don't have a clue what it's supposed to be about, but it seems interesting, and has gotten good reviews.

Shalom.