Two Girls

By Grace Lisandrelli

Two Girls, a play written and performed as a one-woman show by Gabrielle Maisles, chronicles the lives of two young women growing up in South Africa during the turbulent apartheid era. One of the girls, Lindiwe, rallies alongside her fellow black South Africans for equality among the races. Corinne, a young Jewish girl whose family employs Lindiwe’s mother, supports the anti-apartheid cause as well, aspiring to one day fix South Africa’s many issues. Following Nelson Mandela’s election as President of the “new” South Africa in April 1994, Corinne, Lindiwe and many other South Africans believe the battle for justice has been won. They soon face the sobering reality, however, that several of the country’s problems would persist long after Mandela’s inauguration, including the AIDS epidemic and soaring unemployment rates. Lindiwe eventually marries a South African revolutionary and bears a daughter. Corinne marries a physician and has a daughter and son. Corinne and her family later emigrate to Boston at the height of another momentous political situation – the 2008 presidential race between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. Lindiwe accompanies Corinne and her family to Boston in order to earn a college degree and money to support her unemployed husband and daughter back home. Corinne and Lindiwe find themselves engaged in the revolutionary spirit of the U.S. election and promoting change, once again, in a country that so desperately needs it.

I was surprised to find one actress playing not only Corinne and Lindiwe but also every other character in the play. I commend Gabrielle Maisels’s efforts in memorizing an incredible amount of dialogue and commanding the stage with great ease. Other than Maisels’s impeccable performance, however, I found the storyline difficult to follow. The transition between characters was muddled and it was challenging to decipher the heavily South African accented dialogue.

While Two Girls has a great deal of potential, it sadly fails to deliver due to the limitations of being portrayed by a sole performer.

Schedule and ticket information here.

The Addams Family

By Grace Lisandrelli

The delightfully dismal The Addams Family has returned as a musical.

Gomez and Morticia’s daughter, Wednesday, has fallen in love with Lucas Bieneke, an all-American boy from Ohio. Wednesday forsakes her affiliation with all things grim and gruesome in favor of a positive approach to life, much to her family’s dismay. When Lucas’ parents arrive for dinner, Wednesday begs her family to act “nor­mal” for just one night. Lucas asks the same of his parents, two rather conservative Midwesterners. Hilarity ensues when these polar­ized families spend the evening together, posing an interesting question: what, exactly, is “normal”?
The Addams Family is irresistibly funny, full of clever one-liners that had the audience laughing out loud. The script did have an overabundance of modern political jokes, though, which fell flat and affected the show’s equilibrium.

The strong bond among the members of The Addams Family is clear. The cast interacted naturally with one another, which made them appear very much like a real family.

The Addams Family is a fun relic for fans of this “creepy, kooky, spooky” but loveable family.

TICKETS: $41.50 student rush • Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W. 46th St.

Lessons Learned

by Grace Lisandrelli

During regularly scheduled meetings called Plogger Bootcamps, teen ploggers learn of the latest occurrences at TDF, hone their writing skills, and exchange ideas about effective plogging. At the most recent Plogger Bootcamp, the ploggers had the pleasure of meeting with TDF Online Content Editor and fellow critic, Mark Blankenship. In initiating a discussion, Mark posed a simple question: Why did you want to become a plogger? Some said they wanted to broaden their theater repertoire, while others sought a medium in which to fuse their love of theater and writing.

One plogger’s answer in particular has remained with me since that meeting. This plogger relayed her experience as an artist and the sort of criticism she receives from her peers. A person would approach her drawing, for example, and negatively comment on the size of her subject’s sketched hand. When the plogger would ask the critic to elaborate on his or her criticism, the critic offered neither a detailed explanation nor a route by which to correct the problem. Many people, particularly critics, are quick to disparage but few can clearly articulate the reasons behind their critique.

Mark presented a method to avoid this pitfall in the form of three questions, which he uses as a framework for all his reviews:

• What was the artist trying to accomplish? – Critics should look beyond the art’s exterior and search for the message being portrayed.
• Did the artist accomplish his/her goal? – Once the art’s meaning has been deciphered, the critic should determine whether the artist has successfully communicated his/her message to the audience.
• Was the subject matter worth exploring? – After answering the first two questions, the critic must question if the overall theme has any bearing on society.

I found these questions thought-provoking and capable of leading a critic to uncover multiple dimensions of a work of art. They will prove a useful tool as I write my next review.

The 39 Steps

by Grace Lisandrelli

Broadway’s The 39 Steps is an action-packed tale of suspense, love and adventure adapted from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film. Englishman Richard Hannay, bored with life, is falsely accused of murdering the beautiful and mysterious Annabella Smith. Prior to her demise, Smith warns Hannay of the shadowy 39 Steps and its threat to the world, but fails to identify precisely what the 39 Steps are. She does, however, leave behind clues that lead to the answer. Running from the law and ever further towards the 39 Steps, Hannay finds himself in one absurd predicament after another.

The show’s dialogue and its delivery were crisp and funny. The four actors played many distinct characters. The two actors who played the most roles were Jeffery Kuhn and Arnie Burton. They did a superb job with the wide range of characters — men, women, old, young, flirtatious, dastardly.

The 39 Steps is a must-see performance, particularly if you are looking for some good laughs to last all evening. And then some.

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $26.50 student rush • Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 W. 44th St.

Alchemist of Light

by Grace Lisandrelli

Alchemist of Light follows the true story of cinematic special effects pioneer Georges Méliès, and his wife, Jehanne, and their struggles in 1914 France at the onset of World War I. When Méliès faces eviction from his cinema due to low attendance, he makes plans to produce his fantastical moving pictures in America. While departing the theater one day to meet an American movie mogul, Méliès receives two unwelcome guests: Leon, a cynical pickpocket with a tortured soul, and his reluctant accomplice, Otto, a German exchange student forced to hide his identity amidst the anti-German tumult. Fortunately, four additional people, each from a very different walk of life, wander simultaneously into the theater.

What follows is an onstage depiction of the conflict between reality and fantasy. As Méliès attempts to convince his audience of his onscreen magic, he contemplates whether providing an escape from the harsh realities of life benefits society or simply gives people false hope. Ultimately, the play poses a question for its viewers: in times of universal suffering, is it best to remain grounded in reality, or can fantasy serve as a crucial means to transcend suffering?

The use of Méliès’s actual cinematographic works and the vaudevillian background music in this production transport the viewer to the very beginnings of the film industry. The character development is exceptional. Tom Lock in particular gives a spellbinding performance as Leon the pickpocket. His carnal emotionality leaves one on their edge of their seat waiting for his next movement.

Alchemist of Light will appeal to theatergoers of all ages, as it has a little something for everyone: comedy, passion, drama, enchanting technological and musical features, and even a mermaid! I highly recommend it!

http://proseandcontent.com/

M: An Adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth with Three Actors

by Grace Lisandrelli

M: An Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth with Three Actors was simple, yet effective. Macbeth tells the story of the valiant Scottish title soldier who encounters three ghoulish women with incredible prophetic abilities. These women share their predictions with Macbeth, the most astounding of which involves Macbeth becoming King of Scotland. When Macbeth writes to his beloved wife about the prophecy, she devises a malevolent plan to murder the reigning King Duncan and presses her husband until he finally concedes to do the deed. The play follows Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s psychological breakdowns as they spiral further out of control to ensure that he remains King.

This particular edited version of Macbeth, clocking in at one hour and 15 minutes, has only three actors, which stems from the concept of the three ghoulish women. I applaud these three actors first and foremost for taking on the daunting task of playing multiple characters, especially since Macbeth has an unusual number of minor characters.

One very outstanding characteristic of the set was the omnipresence of standing puppets to represent the women. They were appealing to the eye as well a clever device to help the audience distinguish the women from the other characters. Another subtle yet notable feature of the play concerned the murder scenes. When a character was slain, the murderer would pull a long piece of red ribbon from the “wound” to symbolize blood. I thought it was an artful, almost poetic touch to such an intense storyline. The sound effects and lighting, simulating nature, gave the play a very earthy vibe, adding to the raw energy surrounding the production.

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, I wholeheartedly recommend this adaptation of Macbeth. I would even call it a “portable play” – a production that could easily travel to different locations, particularly high schools. I would envision this play being well received by other high school students.

http://rjmscenicdesign.googlepages.com/mtheplay