“Excessive” Production of “Lysistrata” Is “Riotously Funny Show”

Lysistrata

By Aristophanes

Directed by Julane Havens

Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley

Entire contents are copyright © 2012, Craig Nolan Highley.  All rights reserved.

The Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company has carved its own niche in the Louisville theater community by producing classic theatre in a format accessible to modern audiences. Like any company, they’ve had their hits and misses. But for the most part, they have earned a well-deserved respect for their contribution to the arts. Your appreciation for any given production by the company will largely depend on your taste in the material and your tolerance for the indulgences by each show’s director.

That is definitely the case with their latest offering, Aristophanes’ nearly 2,500-year-old sex comedy, Lysistrata. Buoyed by a strong cast and great production values, it is a riotously funny show if you can get past some truly excessive ideas by its director.

It’s a fairly straightforward plot. Fed up with the mess their husbands are making of their lives and lifestyles during the Peloponnesian War, the women of several ancient Greek city states, under the leadership of the title character, vow to deny sex to their husbands until all war is ended. This obviously doesn’t go over well with the men, and a new battle is waged – a war between the sexes.

The opening scene promises an evening of truly great theater as Lysistrata (Lauren Argo) confides her plans with her dear friend Calonice (Natalie Fields), and continues on with the arrival of the other women. This version of Aristophanes’ classic (by an unaccredited translator) cleverly combines modern slang and profanity with the original text, elevating the humor and keeping it comprehensible to an audience unused to the flowery speech of Greek theater.

Then the men arrive, and the show takes a sharp left turn into the absurd from which it never quite comes back.

Of the production’s many over-the-top sexual sight gags, the one that quickly becomes tiresome is the one that pervades the evening. Every male character sports a gigantic, misshapen, purple-headed papier-mâché penis. This is riotously funny the first time you see it, but after a few minutes it becomes distracting, and then just complete overkill as every male actor appears that way every time he walks onstage. I’m not sure what director Julane Havens was going for here, as the only comparable reference in Aristophanes’ original text comes late in the play, when two of the male characters sport a “burden” (a noticeable bulge in their pants – the playwright didn’t even use the term “erection”). It just seems to be the lowest type of humor you’d expect to see aimed at undiscriminating 13-year-old boys.

Similarly, late in the play the character of Women’s Chorus Leader (Nick Smith) appears as a drag queen. It’s a clever idea, but Havens again takes it a step too far: the drag performer is still sporting one of those gigantic prosthetic penises. Why? It’s a blatant grab for big laughs where it isn’t necessary, doesn’t make sense, and seems to be ripped off of the climax of every Hurricane Summers performance at Connections; only this time the climax is the whole performance.  Smith is a seasoned drag performer and plays the role well, and it’s a shame to see any of these performers upstaged by pointless (and by this point in the show, no longer funny) sight gags.

Excessive indulgences aside, however, the show still manages to entertain. While I do wish Havens would have trusted the text and the performances of her fantastic cast to bring out the inherent bawdiness of Aristophanes’ script without descending into John Waters territory, the small audience in attendance with me was quite obviously entertained. And with good reason:  the cast boasted some truly outstanding performances by everyone involved.

As Lysistrata, Argo totally immerses herself in the character and never takes this strong-willed woman over the top. Fields likewise imbues Calonice with a realism that is both funny and well timed; this is a character I want to be friends and dish with! While I wish Ryan Watson, as the Men’s Chorus Leader, would dial back the hysterics just a notch, he was completely believable as a blue-balled husband desperate for the conflict to end. And probably the most believable performance of the evening was by Zach Burrell as Cinesias, a young man pleading for his wife to end the conflict and make love to him. His plight was so funny and pitiable he almost pulled focus away from the giant phallus strapped to his groin (sorry to go there again, but those damned papier-mâché penises were that distracting).

The rest of the cast was also very strong, with some nice moments by the likes of Casandre Medel, Meg Caudill and Brian West, among others.

Props must also be given to the costume design by Shana Lincoln, the lighting and sound design by J. Barrett Cooper, and the set by Havens and Alec Volz. It all comes together to create beautiful visuals. And my earlier complaints aside, I would be doing director Havens a disservice not to mention that she has elicited a series of remarkable performances from her cast and keeps the proceedings moving at a brisk pace that keeps the comedy front and center.

Again, your appreciation for this production will really depend on your tolerance for cheap sex jokes and a few gross-out moments. But it’s still a fun show and deserves an audience. Check it out!

Lysistrata

Starring Polina Abramov, Lauren Argo, Melinda Beck, Zach Burrell, Meg Caudill, Hallie Kirk Dizdarevic, Natalie Fields, Kate Holland, Casandre Medel, Ben Park, Ainsley Peace, Emily Pike, Tony Pike, Monty Priddy, Tony Prince, Mike Slaton, Nick Smith, Sabrina Spalding, Ryan Watson and Brian West.

December 6 - 15

The Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company

The MeX Theatre, The Kentucky Center

501 West Main Street

Louisville, KY 40202

502-584-7777

http://new.savagerosetheatre.com

On the SoFA: State of Fine Art

By Mary Margaret Sparks

Entire contents are copyright © 2012 Mary Margaret Sparks. All rights reserved. 

Being a Georgetown College Alumnus, I love going back to my alma mater to touch base with my professors and see the new students’ work. When I heard about On the SoFA, I was intrigued by the idea of the exhibition and was curious to see what students around the state were creating. In my own experience as an art student, I experienced how disconnected and insulated art departments can sometimes be. It wasn’t until I was living in Louisville that I met other graduates from other schools and began to form relationships with young artists outside of Georgetown College. On the SoFA has helped to breach the barrier between art departments and has brought current undergraduate art students together from a variety of fields. 

On the SoFA: State of Fine Art is an exhibition showcasing one to two works of art by undergraduate visual art students nominated by art faculty from several of Kentucky’s post-secondary education institutions. [taken from exhibition gallery guide] The exhibition features a variety of work including film, textiles, printmaking, painting, glass, woodworking and more.  

Jay Ludden installation at SoFA. Photo by Mary Margaret Sparks.

The overall exhibition makes a strong impression. Many of the works were reminiscent of something I would see in a gallery on East Market Street in downtown Louisville.  As I looked around the room, I immediately noticed an on-site installation by artist Jay Ludden from Lindsey Wilson College consisting of a fleet of paper boats made from maps of Ohio. The boats prevent the viewer from getting to the wall of empty envelopes where each envelope reads ‘Open me first.’ The work is a thought-provoking representation of the relationship between people and their communities.

“I’m interested in exploring what makes spaces unique, both in terms of culture and environment as well as the common threads that connect people and communities here on the Earth we all share.” [from Jay Ludden’s artist statement]

Faville Donahue, From Callow to Callused.
Photo by Mary Margaret Sparks.

So much high-quality work was present in this exhibition that I wish I could write about all of it. A few works did stand out to me though, and I think they are worth noting. “From Callow to Callused” by Faville Donahue (University of Kentucky) is a leather-and-steel sculpture representing the heart in nine stages. The hearts appear patched together to form built-up layers and scarring and serve as a metaphor for the nine months of pregnancy.

“There are many things that happen over a lifetime that can change the condition of the heart. There can be a softening or a hardening; these evolutions may not be permanent, and a heart can even oscillate between the two depending on with whom or what the emotion is entwined.” [from Faville Donahue’s artist statement]

“Born” by University of Louisville Philip Rodriguez is a blown-glass sculpture focusing on conditions of the human mind. “Underbelly” by Jenni Dickens (Western Kentucky University) represents “…the disconnect between our minds and physical selves” [taken from artist’s statement], while Morehead State University Cecily Howard’s work explores the realms of imagination through printmaking. Her “China colle” shows a young girl in a dark fantastical world surrounded by small creatures, or minions. The slightly eerie aspect of the work reinforces the dark imagery we often imagine ourselves. The narrative of a young girl looks back to childhood and the vast imagination that children express.

The opening reception featured a panel discussion that included Becky Alley from the Lexington Art League, Peter Morrin from the University of Louisville and Charla Reed from the Kentucky Arts Council. The participants spoke about opportunities for the artists, encouraging them to get involved through volunteering and submitting their work for exhibitions. Awards were then given to Seth Ernest from Asbury College for 2D art, James Webb from Eastern Kentucky for 3D art, and James Webb from Eastern Kentucky University for best overall.

James Webb, Crackle Teapot. Photograph by Darrell Kincer.

Afterwards, James Webb from Eastern Kentucky University spoke to several of us about his work “Scrumptiously Nostalgic,” a crackle ceramic teapot small and delicate in appearance but completely functional. Webb explained that he is fascinated by textures, and close inspection of the piece prompted particular appreciation for his meticulous attention to detail.

It was encouraging to see most of the participating student artists as well as many art professors in attendance at the opening. I was further heartened to see the students talking with one another about their work. This exhibition fostered a much-needed atmosphere of creativity and communication among art departments as well as memorable work by emerging artists. On the SoFA is a must-see for anyone interested in the future of Kentucky art.

In 2011, Georgetown College hosted State of Drawing (SOD) featuring works by faculty from post-secondary institutions in Kentucky. For 2012, art department faculty from post-secondary institutions nominated one or two students for On the SoFA. In 2013, Georgetown College will host State of Sculpture (SOS), featuring artwork by faculty from post-secondary institutions.

Represented institutions included Asbury College, Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College, Eastern Kentucky University, Georgetown College Lindsey Wilson College, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of the Cumberlands, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Western Kentucky University.

November 30, 2012–January 4, 2013

Georgetown College

Anne Wright Wilson Fine Arts Gallery

For more information, contact Laura Stewart:

Laura.stewart@georgetowncollege.edu

www.georgetowncollege.edu/galleries

James Webb Crackle Teapot photograph courtesy of Darrell Kincer.

Other photographs courtesy of Mary Margaret Sparks.

Three Louisville Arts Companies to Receive NEA Grants

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced today that Kentucky Opera (KO) and Actors Theatre of Louisville (ATL) are two of 832 non-profit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. KO is recommended for a $12,500 grant to support the Composer Workshop featuring Paul Moravec and Terry Teachout’s world premiere of The Kings Man and its companion work, Danse Russe; and ATL for a $50,000 grant in support of its 37th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Kentucky Opera’s Composer Workshop program was started in February 2009 with award-winning composer Jake Heggie and in partnership with the University of Louisville School of Music (UofLSM) and the Music Academy of St. Francis in the Fields (MA). Subsequent composer residencies included Daron Hagen with his New York Stories and Ben Moore’s Enemies: A Love Story. As envisioned, the Composer Workshop promotes the development of new opera works by giving composers access to young singers and musicians from the partner groups. Composer Ben Moore says, “It’s an invaluable benefit for any opera composer to see their work realized at various stages of development. The opportunities for that are rare, however, because of the talent and resources opera requires.” The KO Studio Artists and students from UofL SM and MA also benefit by working and developing relationships with living composers.

KY Opera Executive Director David Roth.

KO’s General Director David Roth says, “We have received national attention for the Composer Workshop by building a useful tool for composers, while we have increased the validity of our Studio Artist Program for developing young opera artists. The ultimate goal for both programs is to leverage each into the presentation of these new works as fully staged productions through our Contemporary Opera Series, which we launched this season with Benjamin Britten’s The Prodigal Son. This NEA Art Works grant will enable us to achieve that goal.”

Actors Theatre Artistic Director Les Waters.

“Actors Theatre is proud to be the recipient of this grant, and we are delighted to have our continued commitment to the American playwright and the development of new work recognized by the National Endowment of the Arts,” said Actors Theatre’s Artistic Director Les Waters.  

Recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious new play festivals and attracting audiences of up to 40,000 each year, Actors Theatre has grown the Humana Festival from a trailblazing theatre event into one of the most important showcases of new work in the country. It boasts a legacy of having introduced more than 400 plays into the American theatre repertoire and remains a vital platform for launching new plays and playwrights to the national stage with an impressive track record of numerous subsequent productions. The 37th Humana Festival will run February 27 – April 7, 2013 and will feature fully-produced world premieres by Jeff Augustin, Mallery Avidon, Will Eno, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Sam Marks; a suite of three one-act plays by Rinne Groff, Lucas Hnath and Anne Washburn commissioned by Actors Theatre and performed by the Acting Apprentice Company; and an evening of ten-minute plays featuring a new play by Sarah Ruhl, among others yet to be announced.

Additionally, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) announced that the Louisville-based Council on Developmental Disabilities has received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to fund an innovative new art show next year.

The grant, part of the Challenge America Fast-Track program, will go toward the production of The Striped Show, a group exhibition that will include works created by artists with disabilities. The theme of the show is diversity.

“The arts are a powerful driver of economic activity in Louisville, and they contribute immensely to our cultural growth,” Congressman Yarmuth said. “I am proud to support the efforts of the Council on Development Disabilities, and I will continue working to ensure federal recognition of the arts and their ability to broaden understanding in our community and society.”

The Striped Show will open at the Weber Gallery in April. The gallery is a program of the Council on Developmental Disabilities. Exhibitions are collaborations that showcase professional artists and artists with disabilities. But The Striped Show goes a step further, with artists, artworks and the audience participating in a coordinated demonstration of diversity.

In March 2012, the NEA received 1,509 eligible applications for Art Works requesting more than $74 million in funding. The 832 recommended NEA grants total $22.3 million, span 13 artistic disciplines and fields, and focus primarily on the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing works for the benefit of American audiences. Applications were reviewed by panels of outside experts convened by NEA staff, and each project was judged on its artistic excellence and artistic merit.

Original Holiday Production from Pandora Is “A Hell of A Lot of Fun”

Velma & Louise’s Holiday Balls

By Jim Hesselman

Directed by Michael J. Drury & Jim Hesselman

Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley

Entire contents are copyright © 2012, Craig Nolan Highley.  All rights reserved.

Original plays are a hit-and-miss affair in the Louisville area, especially when they are full-length productions. Even the best ones seem to have moments when the dialogue falls flat, a joke lands with a thud, or a subplot seems to go nowhere. I think it’s because, unlike the big shows that end up on Broadway or other major venues, these plays don’t get workshopped for years before their grand opening.  An original play in Louisville is lucky to get six weeks of rehearsal between the moment the playwright turns in his final draft and opening night.

I’m delighted to say that Pandora’s latest offering, Jim Hesselman’s Thelma & Louise’s Holiday Balls, has managed to avoid that pitfall for the most part, simply by being so ridiculously over-the-top that you don’t have time to consider its shortcomings. It has a fun concept at its center and a cast of skilled performers who keep the jokes coming so fast and furious that even when one bombs, the next one makes you forget it. The result is a show that, while not perfect, is a hell of a lot of fun.

Its setup is a bit cliché, but it works.  The two title characters, a pair of Bible-thumping church ladies, put on a public-access cable Christmas show every year. This year, unfortunately, their studio has flooded and they are forced to find another venue. One of the ladies has a gay nephew (and, of course, they have no clue about his sexuality) who puts on an annual live cabaret Christmas show at a local nightclub. After some coaxing (and with no clue that it is a gay club), the two convince the nephew to combine the shows for the cable broadcast. This, of course, leads to a lot of misunderstandings and pratfalls among the lively skits and musical numbers that follow.

It’s a credit to Hesselman’s writing that he has created a gay-themed show that doesn’t rely on vulgarity and sex to entertain, making this a surprisingly family-friendly piece (something very rare in gay-themed theater). There were several children in the audience during the performance I attended, and I can honestly say there was really nothing in the show that seemed inappropriate for them.

It’s also an interesting contrast to the only other Hesselman-penned show I’ve seen – the faith-based Christmas jukebox musical SING HALLELUJAH! – in a production at the Derby Dinner Playhouse five years ago. Both shows use existing songs to propel their yuletide storylines; but they take such vastly different views on faith during the holidays that it’s amazing they were written by the same man. Obviously, this is one local playwright to keep an eye on.

As for the cast, there was not a weak performer in the lot. As Velma and Louise, Alex Craig and Jason Cooper are quite convincing in old-lady drag (although Cooper does seem to hide his masculinity a bit better), and they both have a lot of great moments. Robbie Lewis and Patrick Brophy are just precious as the nephew and his boyfriend/business partner, respectively; and C. C. Winters (a nom de plume of one of Pandora’s major players) is a riot (and nearly unrecognizable) as drag queen Candy Cane. And in smaller supporting roles, Trent Everett Byers, Susan Crocker and Richie Goff have some great moments.

I was going to make some mention of a few of the show’s flaws, but after reviewing them it seemed like splitting hairs. I had a great time experiencing this production, and I’m sure you will too.

Velma & Louise’s Holiday Balls

Starring Patrick Brophy, Trent Everett Byers, Jason Cooper, Alex Craig, Susan Crocker, Richie Goff, Janelle-Renee Hunnicutt, Robbie Lewis, Eric Sharp, C. C. Winters and Julie Zielinski-Gabis.

November 29 & 30 at 7:30 p.m.

December 1, 6, 7 & 8 at 7:30 p.m.

December 2 & 9 at 5:30 p.m.

December 8 at 2 p.m.

Pandora Productions

at The Henry Clay Theatre

604 S. Third Street

Louisville, Kentucky

(502) 585-5306

www.pandoraprods.org/

Murder and Larceny Spice Up Christmas at WhoDunnit

Morgan Younge & Tom Staudenheimer in A Well-Timed Christmas Murder.
Photo courtesy of WhoDunnit Murder Mystery Theatre.

A Well-Timed Christmas Murder!

Written by A.S. Waterman

Directed by Niles Welch

Reviewed by Keith Waits.

Entire contents are copyright © 2012 Keith Waits. All rights reserved. 

A Well-Timed Christmas Murder may be set during Christmas 1934, but it eschews the trappings of the holiday season (there is one poinsettia onstage) in favor of a sturdy, character-driven mystery plot. The halls are not decked and the air is not filled with carols. Rather, mystery and intrigue are the order of the day. While other local stages are populated by all manner of Christmas décor, it is refreshing to find a show that wears its holiday connection lightly.

A wealthy, ailing scoundrel named Rocky Barton (John Lina exuding a slick, faux-patrician air) has summoned family and friends to determine who amongst them, if any, deserve to inherit his fortune: the dizzy wife prone to malapropisms (Ann Waterman); the down-on-his luck brother whose failing pig farm was foreclosed by Rocky’s bank (James Wolford Hardin); or drunken ne’er-do-well son Lawrence (Craig Nolan Highley). There is also a sister-in-law (Beth Oliges) and niece (Makayla Staudenheimer), as well as two characters whose connections to the proceedings are suitably mysterious, Marco McGuire (Tom Staudenheimer) and Sal Wilcox (Morgan Younge) and both of whom seem untrustworthy and accustomed to the seamier side of life.

Before too long there is, of course, a murder to complicate matters and secrets begin to be revealed. Almost nothing is as it seems in this tricky script filled with plot twists and resonant with a sub-text that echoes current economic woes without belaboring the idea enough to distract from the entertainment.

The ensemble work well together, yet there is also “a butler” who narrates the action and is (mercifully) removed from serious consideration as a suspect so as to avoid the oldest cliché in the genre. He is presented by Robert Thompson in an elegant and intelligent manner that makes him stand out among the otherwise motley crew of characters.

WhoDunnit continues to maintain an ambitious edge to their scripts that pushes the boundaries of format and storytelling in small but worthwhile ways while always delivering a quality entertainment.

Editor’s Note: WhoDunnit roles are double-cast to accommodate their particular schedule, and some actors mentioned here may not be appearing when you attend.

A Well-Timed Christmas Murder

Saturdays, November 17-December 15

Fridays, December 7-21

Seating at 6:30 / Show starts at 7:00

Special brunch performance on December 9

WhoDunnit Murder Mystery Theatre

Performing at the Hyatt Downtown

320 West Jefferson Street

Louisville, KY 40202

http://www.whodunnitky.com/