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| Leah Michelle Roberts is Millie in The Stranger and Ludlow Quinn. Photo – Theatre [502]. |
Written by Diana Grisanti and Steve Moulds
Directed by Amy Attaway
Review by Keith Waits
Entire contents copyright 2013 by Keith Waits, all rights reserved.
One third of the way though, a viewer might begin
to ponder when fatigue or redundancy might find its way into the 12 chapters of
The Stranger and Ludlow Quinn.
Chapter four moves us forward with equal parts invention and dramatic substance
as the balloon is kept well in the air.
When last we saw Bonnie Burke (Becca Willenbrink),
she and her new friend, Jill Dempkins (Alexandra Sweatt), had taken the magic
book, written many years before by Ludlow Quinn, to Murray (Douglas Scot
Sorenson), whose knowledge of magic clearly extends beyond hucksterism and the
$5 novelties sold in his shop. Now retreated to his back room, they begin to
explore the book's contents in earnest while the text is dramatized, in part,
by scenes of Ludlow (Eli Keel) and the mysterious stranger, here confirmed to be
Bonnie's grandmother, Millie (Leah Michelle Roberts).
The authors forego any formal synopsis or clever
devices such as the filmed segments used in the last two chapters, instead
folding some refresher into the text, as we discover more about Ludow and Millie's
relationship while being reminded of how it was established in chapter one. It
is a tidy way to bring in newcomers while nudging the action just a little
further. Ludlow Quinn's return is welcome, as I had feared we would lose sight
of him as the story remained in the present-day; but authors Diana Grisanti and
Steve Moulds are allowing enough fluidity in their narrative structure to move
in any direction they choose without seeming too random or arbitrary. For now,
these middle chapters seem occupied by a desire for less less action and more
depth for story and character.
So to answer the question, there is redundancy,
yes, mostly owing to the creative team's unique responsibility to the audience
in this format to somehow bring you up-to-date, but no signs of fatigue. The
energy of the playing helps matters, as the ensemble of recurring players seem
to relish the chance to return once a month to make their own discoveries about
what happens next in the mercurial tale of Ludlow, Millie, Bonnie and the
rest.
New chapters are
scheduled to arrive on First Fridays each month through April 2014 performed
at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are
welcome.
The Stranger and
Ludlow Quinn, Chapter Four: Trickster, Sorcerer, Oracle, Sage
September 6, 2013
Theatre [502]
at The Baron's Theatre
131
West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
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