Feast of Plays, 3-26-2010

Fight Boy Theatre’s Feast of Plays at Art6 in Denton, Texas
Reviewed Performance on 03/26/10
by Laura L. Watson

Fight Boy Theatre’s Feast of Plays at Art6 in Denton is a collection of world premiere one act plays by Denton playwrights all of which left me wanting more, More MORE!!! I was AMAZED at what can be done by 3 local playwrights, an old house turned into a coffee shop turned into a theatre and about $100. Feast of Plays proves that good writing and truthful emotions are all anyone needs to tell a good story well.

The play that opened the evening, Walking Alone written and directed by Joshua Baker, was by far the weakest of the three, but even long after it ended, it left me mulling over the questions it raised. Tyler has refused to “dance with death” for 400 years. His new lover, Sarah, is faced with a terminal, slowly degenerative illness. Will she dance with death now, later or never? What would any of us choose?

The Frog Prince by Jordan Scott followed the 15 minute intermission and was directed by Fight Boy Theatre’s Artistic Director Joshua Scott Hancock. Though a fairytale we are all familiar with, it was really the play within a play about an acting company in the year 1905. It is a hilarious commentary on a troupe’s life on the road mixed in with the childlike glee and imagination of a much beloved fairy tale.

Brilliantly closing out the evening after a second intermission was Half Empty by Melanie Welch. Ann and Valerie were best friends, “soul mates,” when they were 13, and are reunited during the college years. The tale of their special bond and how it shaped the rest of their lives and relationships is both gut wrenching and poignant. Above all, it is a story that anyone who has had a ‘forever friend’ can relate to.

All three plays combined to give the audience a delightful taste of what can be done when the focus is on good writing and not big budgets or an extravagant venue.

The major problem with Walking Alone was Baker’s inexperience as both a writer and a director. With no bios provided in the program, I am assuming inexperience is the culprit and that the raw talent evident in the storyline simply needs to be developed into a fully well told story. Throughout the script, heavy emotions were blankly stated in the dialogue (“I feel scared,” “I’m in shock”) rather than shown in the blocking or even just on the actor’s faces. I also question what disease takes 50 years to rot the brain, doesn’t damage the body and has symptoms that begin in the early 20s. I needed a medical fact check, but also, if this disease does exist, I want to donate money to find a cure. Baker’s blocking created beautiful pictures, though the actors were obviously uncomfortable touching each other. The audience was on both sides of the Art6 living room/indoor theatre space. I sat on the house right and had a wonderful view in a very comfortable chair. I wondered, though, about the sightlines on the opposite side in the less than stellar seating. Art6 is a venue that challenges even the most experienced and creative director. For example, Death’s appearance 2/3 of the way into the story was as good as the venue, the talent and the budget allowed. I am sure the original vision was a production with trap doors, a mechanical lift and massive amounts of stage smoke. Instead, it came across as anti-climatic and cheap. The only solution I can offer would be to plant her in the audience and use some simple lighting to illuminate her as needed. Anything other than a huge black curtain in the corner that she steps through would be better. Baker and his audiences would greatly benefit from his obtaining a mentor or joining a playwright’s group to continue the development of this potential filled script.

The cast of three, given what they had to work with, was visually appealing together, though this was their only strong suit. The mis-casting may have been inexperience rearing its ugly head again or the lack of a talent pool (though THAT is hard to believe), but regardless, it is ultimately up to the director to guide his actors on a journey that gives the audience the full revelation of the character. Jonathan Adams as Tyler, Dara Prati as Sarah and Lauren Shanks as Death seemed to be struggling with nerves and a lack of confidence in their ability to deliver. There was an emotional disconnect between the actors and the text to the point it felt more like a recitation or, at best, a staged reading that grated on the nerves of the audience who, despite the poor performance, were drawn to the characters and the storyline. Prati had to carry the bulk of the emotional burden and stopped just short of believable. Adam’s shifty eyes and locked body made him at first seem as one with an explosive secret, an energy barely contained, but when it came time for the character to be fully released, he locked down more and the performance became robotic. Shanks is striking on stage, tall and dark with a glint of mischief in her eyes. With one look, we all knew who she was and why no one- except Tyler- had ever resisted the urge to dance with her. Then, she opened her mouth and her passé, laze fare performance ruined Death’s purpose in the story. I won’t give away the ending- Sarah’s decision- but it was sloppy and uncertain. I needed clearer choices and organic blocking. A longer, more focused rehearsal time with an experienced director may have solved many of these problems.

Though it was a performance worthy of a refund and painful to sit through, I have thought the most about Walking Alone since that night. The concept of physically being able to dance with death or reject her seductive ways is philosophically intriguing, and the question of one’s own mortality is never tiresome. If I were Sarah, would I choose to be seduced by death now- on my terms, face death later but hope for a cure or would I be able to resist the temptation for all time? Each audience member had their own answer with their own reasons which speaks to the universal appeal of this script.

In all the areas Walking Alone faltered, The Frog Prince excelled. From the choreographed transition of the set between the first play to the second, done in character and to music, to the retelling of a beloved classic in a new way that prompted self reflection and more than a few belly laughs, Scott and Hancock proved they are a duo to keep an eye on for future masterpieces. Hancock made excellent use of the space, believably presenting it as the found space of a traveling acting troupe. The precise choreography of the entire cast throughout the performance was by far the most impressive I have seen in a long time at any theatre. I never once lost interest or let my mind wander away from how this troupe was going to tell this story with their blatant lack of resources (and focus)- though creativity was definitely not lacking. Each actor in the troupe had a distinct look, walk and voice which differed from the characters they assumed within the fairytale. Hannah Black as the fairytale’s narrator (and troupe’s self appointed leader) stole the show with her commanding voice, engaging eye contact and grounded stage presence. Ben Cloatier as the Frog- identified as such by the oversized plush stuffed frog tied to his head- and much sought after troupe bachelor was delightfully boyish yet creepy, evoking the same feelings most women get when they view a slimy frog. Prati as the two faced Princess redeemed herself with her excellent comedic timing and cheeky flirtations. Adams made a reappearance in the minor role of Faithful Henry and was again stiff, robotic and disconnected from the lines and story he was trying so hard to portray. Shanks appeared briefly as the Queen mother. Hancock’s detailed movement direction and flamboyant costuming failed to overcome her lack luster line delivery whereas a strong, powerful woman seemed to be called for. The simple, thrift store found costumes successfully identified both fairytale character and troupe personality dynamic for each actor. Other than the questionable casting of the minor roles, the only negative was that it was too short. I wanted More! I want to see this play again, but extended into a full two acts with more characters, more commentary/parody and a longer performance of the fairytale to tie it all together. The places this play could take an audience are truly only limited by the imagination of the writer and/or director.

I was left breathless and speechless when Half Empty ended. In shaking hands with the cast and crew, the only immediate feedback I was able to offer to Director Caleb J. Creel, Prati (as Ann), and Black (as Valerie) was “bloody brilliant!” The sole changes I would make would be to flush out the story into a full length play. When the play is done completely, I want the revelation of the sexual relationship to be delayed, and build up to it first with the friendship that started it all. I want more dialogue about these happy, innocent memories along with accompanying flashbacks. This will be juxtaposed to the heavy present process of their current relationship. I also want more background story, especially about why they last saw each other 6 years ago, but it MUST come to light slowly- NO BIG EXPOSÉ. Let the history and the current story be revealed simultaneously as the girls reconnect. It would be very easy, and tempting, to transfer the script entirely into a film, but I feel this would be a mistake. It is so much more powerful as a multi-media stage presentation. Even the living room of Art6 was the perfect setting for Ann’s apartment. The entrances and exits flowed as if the space was built with this story in mind. The use of a projector and pre-recorded video for the flashbacks to their childhood worked seamlessly with the present moment stage production. Even the placement of the projector over the couch between the two women gave the illusion of a shared memory that the audience was privy to. The videos were extremely short, no longer than ten seconds, like how a memory really flashes through your mind when in conversation or from a simple touch. Though of a low budget quality and amateur direction, the videos’ simplicity were effective and were overall well executed by cinematic director Bryan Patrick. The actresses excelled in both stage and screen performances. Prati struggled a bit again. I ached for her to have true emotions rather than showing the emotion she thought she should have. I also wanted her to take time with these emotions and really savor them. At the end, she makes a huge decision that the audience sees coming. I wanted to see the regret for this decision before she confessed what she did with regret. A longer script with more time to arch to this point would probably help. Black, having just 30 minutes before dazzled me with her comedy, turned around and delivered a stellar dramatic performance. It was complete with inner turmoil, anguish and denial of her past which leads to a heartbreaking end. Even if the relationship with your best friend wasn’t sexual- or if the situation with your first love was under different circumstances- we can all relate to the pain when “forever together” promises are broken.

On a lighthearted note, it would have been nice if Fight Boy Theatre included bios in the spell checked program for me to read while I savored every bite of my slice of Art6 cheesecake. It alone was worth every penny… and every calorie.

Feast of Plays continues at Art6 Coffee House and Theatre (424 Bryan StreetDenton, TX 76201) Friday-Sunday, April 2-4. The $10 tickets are available by calling 817.675.5674, emailing fightboytheatre@gmail.com or they can be purchased at the door.