The Next Call: LetterForms – New Work from Keith Auerbach

PYRO Gallery

Review by Keith Waits

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Keith Waits. All rights reserved.

After a period working in entirely abstract digital compositions, artist Keith Auerbach has reacquired the representational, after a fashion. There is a studied, analytical quality to his work currently on exhibit at PYRO Gallery. A sensitivity to human experience was a defining characteristic of his earlier Cartier-Bresson inspired photographs: a sense of humor and playfulness always a feature of his observational eye; but the abstract compositions that have overtaken his artistic sensibility still capture the psychological complexity of human understanding. 

Gutenberg Book, archival inkjet print, 2012.

Now the artist has dropped the camera altogether, at least for the time being. His source images are digital scans of manuscript pages from several sources, pages of music, a geometry text and, most notably, rare editions of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables dated 1860, and a 15th Century manuscript thought to have originated with the Medici family. Verbiage from the pages is visible and even at times legible, although the meaning of the text is limited to providing an identifier of the narrative contained therein. The viewer can discern the name of Hugo’s famous hero, “Jean Valjean,” but any theme or action in the narrative seems to be largely irrelevant to Mr. Auerbach’s intentions. He again uses the images as a basic supply with which to explore shape, movement and texture through digital constructions that use state-of-the-art technology to now conjure more traditional associations.

Gutenberg Book pages - 2 

Mr. Auerbach’s previous bodies of work were much more abstract and characterized by vivid color and organic shapes. Now he has reintroduced representational elements and, for the most part, restricted his color palette to a mostly monochromatic and analogous range of warm, natural tones that echo the aged patina of the pages. A few of the pieces share some of the amorphous shapes of the previous generation of digital abstracts, but the strongest work here takes a different direction. Instead of a riot of splattered, organic forms, the compositions are constructed from severely geometric shapes and repetitive structures. These range from the simple and elegant spirals of kinetic angles that result in the leg-like shapes of “Gut Dance,” to the almost overwhelmingly dense texture of “Gutenberg Book.” The latter image consists of scans of each end of the fragile volume – two similar but distinct visual components that are repeated in a format so tight that it creates visual layers of form and texture, fashioning an abstraction from the representational.

Les Miserables - The Derrick, archival inkjet print, 2012.

Dimensionality is largely absent, although the exhaustive layering of scans build up considerable depth, and at least one example, “Les Miserables–1,” is characterized by a 3-D effect, as if the pages had been “pinched” by a human hand to form bloom-like contours. A few pieces utilize the manipulated scans as elements on long, vertical paper that intentionally connote Japanese scrolls; and others organize the aforementioned shapes into overt facsimiles of Asian characters. Taken together with the visual quality of papyrus or rice paper emulated, perhaps unconsciously, by much of the work, the Asian elements join with Gutenberg (German) printing and Victor Hugo (French), and the connection to other cultures is complete.   

The range of format and compositional structures reveals the curiosity and enthusiasm for process that leads the artist in the development of this work, yet there is a variation in the impact through the course of viewing the large volume of work. All are fascinating, but the strongest among them are not merely exercises but mysterious and suggestive of things of which perhaps even the artist is not always cognizant. Like any good archeologist, Mr. Auerbach is excavating deeper understanding than the pleasures of form and texture.  

The overall impact is a merging of modern technology with a sensibility tied to the past. Not a nostalgia, rather something more archealogical, as if Mr. Auerbach’s playful approach to his digital manipulation has suddenly unearthed an ancient sarcophagus filled with knowledge of a civilization vanished from the earth’s face. The modern, digital voice speaks to the aged, decaying voice of the antique printed page.

   

The Next Call: LetterForms

February 21 - March 30, 2013

PYRO Gallery

909 East Market St.

Louisville, KY 40202

502-587-0106

www.pyrogalley.com

Thursday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m.

The Subtle Ministry of Theatre at St. Marks: A Conversation with J. R. Stuart

By Mary Margaret Sparks

Entire contents copyright 2013 by Mary Margaret Sparks, all rights reserved.

Christians and the Arts. Oftentimes a stigma is attached to churches that use the arts, mostly performing arts/theater, to reach out to the community. “They’ll just preach at me.” “They don’t accept me.” ‘It’s just going to be some kind of religious play anyway.” These thoughts are common and more often than not, true. Some churches do use theater to spread their “message.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind you; but such a didactic approach is not for everyone. If there is a place for religious productions, then there also is a place for churches reaching out through secular means. St. Marks United Church of Christ: Stage on Spring is an instructive example of the latter.

J. R. Stuart is a local director and actor who is a member of St. Marks United Church of Christ on Spring Street, located in downtown New Albany. Besides being a faculty member of the Arts Institute at Indiana University Southeast (IUS), he has been heavily involved in the Louisville/Southern Indiana theater scene since he moved here in 1990. He recently directed Arsenic and Old Lace at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis and will be directing Thrill Me for Pandora Productions in May. Stuart was great to talk with, and I could have just listened to him tell stories all day long. He first became involved with St. Marks in 2006 and mounted the first play for St. Mark’s: Stage on Spring, Mass Appeal, in 2010. The inaugural production ran ten performances and raised $5,000, all of which was donated to charity. This trend has continued, with each production raising money for the church’s charities, including the soup kitchen and clothes closet and also a small fund to support future productions, creating a self-sustaining program.

St. Marks is quite a diverse religious community that has been very supportive of Stuart’s creative endeavors. Church members attend, provide refreshments and help with publicity for the productions. The chapel where the productions are held is right at the front of the main entrance to the church and was mostly unused except for small weddings. Stuart knew immediately he could do something useful in the space. The intimate room has great acoustics and seating for 70 to 80. With the success of the theater series, this past year the church provided funds to renovate the room, adding stage lighting to help create a more authentic theater experience.

St. Marks puts on only one show a year due to the busy schedule of Stuart and others who work on the production. The year 2011 brought Ordinary People, while 2012’s production was Tuesdays with Morrie. All of the actors are volunteers from outside of the church, and most work regularly in professional and semi-professional theatre in Louisville and the surrounding area. Stuart often includes IUS students in the cast and crew, nurturing them and helping them to gain valuable experience working alongside the veteran performers.

Stuart carefully chooses material for the program; and although the plays are secular with no overt religious connections, they present specific morals and values to the audience. “It’s been a great way to bring works no one else is doing that have a real soul, a real purpose, behind them that say something about the human experience,” says Stuart. “Each production has been an amazing experience. The cast is invested, and they believe in the material and vision of the program. It makes it tricky to find the right script, though.”

 “Mass Appeal was chosen because I loved the script and it has a progressive theme. It asked the questions the Catholic Church is asking now. How do we really help the congregation instead of just doing what the authority wants you to do? The United Church of Christ has been the vanguard of churches in America. Before every service we say, ‘No matter who you are or where you are in life’s journey, you are welcome here,’ and we absolutely mean it.”

J.R. Stuart & Aaron Johnson in Mass Appeal.

“Ordinary People had a few GD’s in it and I wasn’t sure if I could get away with it. I asked around and the church supported the play. It’s an amazing story of one distressed boy dealing with the death of a brother and his relationship with his parents. It’s an amazing testament of how when you reach out in love you can change people’s lives. Of course everyone knows the film but the play isn’t done much.”

  

JR Stuart in Tuesdays with Morrie. 

“Tuesdays with Morrie says so many things that we all need reminded of: How to deal with the dying, how to appreciate each moment of life, how it’s risky to become friends with someone but the risks are so necessary and important. It’s worth it to invest in people and not things. We’ve had great responses to all of the productions, but this one was particularly profound. “

As a member of the church, Stuart does believe that the productions have a connection with a higher power. This subtle ministry does hope to bring people into the church without pressure, proselytizing and intimidation. The program fosters an open and accepting environment. “I’ve seen how a tiny mustard seed of faith can blossom and grow and have an impact far beyond whatever you dreamed. I see people coming together and relating.”

Almost Maine is a romantic comedy in which two men and two women play a variety of different roles. It’s a series of vignettes that takes place in the dead of winter in middle of nowhere Maine. It takes place at exactly 9 p.m. when the Northern Lights hit. The Northern Lights do some kind of magic, and the relationships between these people shift. The play sneaks up on you and hits you over the head in surprising ways. There’s something very magical about it. Almost Maine will open April 5 and run through April 7 and then April 12 through 15.

To find out more about St. Marks United Church of Christ: Stage on Spring, you can check out their Facebook page called Stage on Spring. This grassroots effort has successfully brought in people from all over the Louisville and Southern Indiana community as well as provided great theater to the church members.  All productions are $10 (one of the best prices in town) and start at 8 p.m. 

Southeastern Theatre Conference Visits Louisville for First Time in Seventeen Years

Eric Booth & Particpants in the Teacher's Institute. Photo – Fund for the Arts.

By Kathi E. B. Ellis

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Kathi E. B. Ellis. All rights reserved

The last time the Southeastern Theatre Conference’s annual theatre conference was in Louisville was in 1996, and a blizzard welcomed theatre practitioners from the ten-state area that comprises SETC. This year, the snow was everywhere but Louisville. Although that led to delays, it did not prevent more than 4,000 theatre aficionados from descending on Louisville (some delayed) for the five-day, largest theatre gathering in the country.

The hub of the conference was the Galt House hotel, much expanded and improved since the last time SETC was in Louisville; and, with the growth of SETC in the intervening years, the conference sprawled beyond the hotel too. The regional High School Festival was at the Bomhard Theater at The Kentucky Center for the Arts, as were some dance sessions of the Music Theatre section. The Youth Performing Arts School hosted the Community Theatre Festival, and the Teacher Institute was housed at the unique Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School. Sessions featuring Actors Theatre of Louisville staff were held at their three-theatre complex on Main Street. And conference participants were also able to take in Humana Festival offerings at ATL and a Looking for Lilith Theatre production at the KCA.

Kicking off the convention was the day-long Teachers Institute on Wednesday, March 6, at which the renowned Eric Booth was the featured guest artist. He also did double duty, becoming the first opening night keynote speaker of SETC’s history. This session was scheduled immediately following the Disney-sponsored Presenter Reception at which convention-goers had greeted friends and colleagues only seen once a year, creating energy and excitement that flowed over into the adjacent session space for Mr. Booth’s brief presentation. Greeting attendees as “agents of artistic experience,” his high-energy presentation (delivered without notes) got the gathering off to a good start.

Attending the SETC convention can be overwhelming. In addition to the two one-act play festivals and teacher programming listed above, there is a fringe festival; auditions for college students and professionals seeking professional work; high school auditions for college; new play awards for professionals and students; a 24-hour play festival; student awards for history papers; workshops and presentations spanning pedagogy, production, and performance; a vendor area; a university/college fair; design labs; four keynote speakers; a lunch hosted by the ten member states; and an awards banquet to wind up the busy days on Saturday evening. And, of course, the informal networking and socializing that happens at all hours of the day and night in every nook and cranny of the convention hotel space.

A snapshot of the conference would have to include the busy registration and information hub housed on the second floor of the Galt House East. Located between session rooms and the display areas on this level, and session rooms above and below, here is where the majority of convention-goers passed by or sank thankfully into the few couches placed around to peruse the magazine-thick conference program or to catch up with new acquaintances or old friends. Auditions were housed in the Galt House West, leading to a completely different energy in that area of the hotel. 

The annual states’ lunch on Friday is a longtime tradition of SETC at which an interesting cross-section of attendees gathers:  winners of the student history paper, the high school new play competition, and the KEEP-Award high school students, together with their SETC sponsors; state theatre association representatives, presidents, and executive directors; SETC staff; and other convention-goers. Here in Louisville the lunch was held in the Rivue Restaurant, offering a panoramic view of the Ohio River, Louisville, and neighboring Southern Indiana – a vista hard to be matched at other convention venues. Typically, the mayor or county executive of whatever city SETC convenes addresses this gathering. Here Barbara Sexton Smith, CEO and President of the Fund for the Arts, the oldest unified arts fund in the country, addressed the hundred-odd lunch-goers. Ms. Sexton Smith is a great ambassador for the power of the arts and arts education and for the wealth of arts in the Louisville Metro area. On Friday she did not disappoint; with a tongue-in-cheek bow to how the Mayor would have addressed this arts-friendly crowd, she quickly had everyone in a ripple of laughter at the boosterism of any speech targeted to visitors, and equally quickly turned the room to appreciation of the history and richness of the arts in Louisville, particularly theatre, as always giving specific and meaningful examples relevant to the particular audience she addresses.

Seventeen high schools from the ten-state area converged on the Bomhard Theater for two full days of performance. Both Owensboro High School and the Youth Performing Arts School here represented Kentucky in Louisville. Owensboro’s production of Lindsay Price’s Among Friends and Other Clutter won the overall Best Play Award, and their director Carolyn Greer won Best Director. Students from both schools were also recognized for their work, with nominations to the “All-Star” cast award, for which notable performances from many of the seventeen competing schools were recognized.

Louisville and Kentucky were well represented at all levels of the SETC convention. Saturday morning at the Fringe Festival was all about Kentucky, with performances of both Silas House’s new play This Is My Heart for You by Berea College, and Louisville-based Pandora Productions’ remount of their LGBTQ Youth Project. Both these productions are testament to the power of theatre to bring stories to life and lift up voices that are traditionally not heard. The legacy of UofL’s African American Theatre Program was palpable as alums of the program, now teaching in the Southeast, led several sessions about pedagogy and training for the black actor. Looking for Lilith led a devising workshop; Kentucky artists led sessions about one-person shows, creating original work, dialect for stage, and working with differently-abled theatre artists, to name just a few.

By Sunday morning, the Galt House was stripped of all evidence of a theatre conference in attendance: gone were the lighting and sound instruments from the design labs, gone were the elaborate displays in the vendor area, gone was the dais plat forming for the fringe and 24-hour play festivals. The only sign of the four-day extravaganza were weary members of the SETC staff, board, and committees that do the work of putting together the annual conference, gathering to discuss the business of the organization, and already making plans for SETC 2014 in Mobile, Alabama.

Savage Rose Brings a Rare Production of "The Rover" and the First Woman Playwright

Leah Roberts as Lucetta and Brian Hinds as
Blunt in The Rover.  Photo by Harlan Taylor.

The Rover

By Aphra Behn
Directed by Tad Chitwood

A review by Kate Barry

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.

This weekend, there was a celebration happening in the Highlands where men chased women without fully considering the circumstances and brash decisions were made without thinking about how it would affect the rest of their lives. No, I’m not talking about the patrons of Irish Row who simultaneously drank green beer while watching some basketball game. I’m referring to The Rover, produced by Savage Rose Classical Theater Company.

Written by Aphra Behn, who is considered to be the first female playwright in history, this play takes place throughout the indulgent Carnivale season in Italy. In modern times, think of it as Spring Break on the Jersey Shore. Willmore is the rover, played by Jeremy Sapp, who skips the romance in his pursuit of any and all women and concentrates on adding the notches to his proverbial bedpost. Sapp is charming and swoon-worthy, yet I despised him as he juggled two women without a care in the world. Well played for a character compared to the likes of Casanova. After all, as he says early in the play, “Love and mirth are my business.” And what good would a man be on a conquest for women by himself? Willmore is accompanied by men who equally seek female companionship. As Belville, Neill Robertson provides a tame performance of a man who struggles to win the hand of the woman he loves. Brian Hinds plays the foolish Ned Blunt, who mistakes flirtation for love and reacts witlessly as he decides to gain revenge on another woman. His side story of a man wronged by a gang of thieves supplies much of the play's humor as well as the content pertaining to sexual dominance.

Taking advantage and exhibiting control of women as the inferior sex is a prominent theme throughout the play. Aphra Behn has written female parts that are both “quality” and “whores.” Scholars would argue that this play is sexist toward women; if referring to the female characters desperately seeking men to fulfill their lives or else be thrown into a life of solitude as nuns, or the handful of rape scenes, then yes I would agree. I noticed that my fellow audience members grew a little uncomfortable as the damsel in distress Florinda, played by Sarah East, squirmed and cried out for help as Blunt mounts her in revenge. But these conquests are not just physical actions, as Hellena and Angellica Bianca, Julane Havens and Karina Strange are equally victims as well.

Havens and Strange equally played women on different sides of the same coin. As Hellena, Havens displays the strength and independence of a woman from this millennium in her portrayal as a “novice nun.” With her life planned for her and marriage not an option, matched against Sapp’s dashing Willmore, she is stubborn yet ultimately defenseless with matters of the heart. As Angellica, Strange seems to be the only woman to not be affected by the rover’s charms, until she falls victim and lets her seemingly bullet-proof self-confidence shatter with heartbreak while she approaches the rover with a gun.

Savage Rose Classical Theater Company will be performing this play in repertory with the Shakespearean comedy Taming of the Shrew until the end of the March. Not only is pairing the well-known Bard play with the lesser-known play by Aphra Behn a good idea because they are equally witty and clever, but also these plays are fables about the relationships between gender and their inconsistencies and inequalities.

The Rover

March 15-30 (in repertory with The Taming of the Shrew)

Savage Rose Classic Theatre Company

Nancy Niles Sexton Stage at Walden Theater

1125 Payne Street

Louisville, KY 40205

502-599-3011

Savagerose.org

Hijinks and Sly Humor in Savage Rose’s Taming of the Shrew

Kelly Moore as Kate and Ryan Watson as Grumio in
The Taming of the Shrew. Photo by Harlan Taylor.

The Taming of the Shrew

By William Shakespeare

Directed by J. Barrett Cooper

Review by Rachel White

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Rachel White. All rights reserved.

Savage Rose’s production of TheTaming of the Shrew opened at Walden Theatre this weekend and is running in rep with The Rover. It’s really funny, and a little raunchy at times, but overall a quality production.

In case you don’t know the story, it’s set in 14th century Italy, where the brutish Petruchio (Tony Pike) schemes to marry the shrewish Katharina (Kelly Moore). His wager is that he can “tame” her into submission. Meanwhile, other suitors scheme to marry Katharina’s younger sister, Bianca, who cannot marry until her shrewish sister is wed first.

As director J. Barrett Cooper points out in the program, The Taming of the Shrew is tricky because of the misogynistic themes. There is something about the idea that a woman should submit to a man that doesn’t sit well with modern audiences. There is also the brutal way in which Petruchio sets out to tame Kate that makes it even more difficult. The director does well to confront these issues honestly, and without trying to make the work something that it is not, or denying some of the inherent misogyny that is so much a part of the world of the play. 

Tony Pike as Petruchio makes some strong choices as an actor, which helps soften some of the more uncomfortable aspects of the show. He forgoes playing Petruchio as overly clever, or vicious, but more like a blowhard. He is someone who, like Kate, is headstrong, bawdy, and over-the-top. He is also competitive, but when he realizes he has pushed Kate too far, he eases off and comforts her. That’s the key, I think, and where the choice is a little more textured. Petruchio doesn’t stop tormenting Kate because she’s submitted, but because he finally empathizes with her and wants her to be happy. The submission then becomes part of Kate’s choice to make the marriage work. Pike takes it all the way, playing Petruchio as a complete brute, but also a likeable one. You get the feeling that deep down he doesn’t really intend to be such an ass.  

There is strong chemistry between Petruchio and Katharina, and Kelly Moore is a good and worthy sparring partner for Pike. They find a way to suggest that underneath the fighting the two really like each other and the submission dominance starts to seem almost like a flirtation. This doesn’t update any of those old ideas, but it does make them more palatable and familiar. The other good choice is that Kate doesn’t lose her spirit; she remains strong, proud but not combative, and the play becomes more about her growth and refinement rather than her break down.   

Cooper also added the Christopher Sly ending, which makes the story come full circle. It leaves us with Christopher Sly (Monte Priddy) being chased out by his own shrewish wife. It might be that the discomfort that the play elicits along with the truthful humor about men and women is what actually keeps the play fresh and present and raises it above your everyday farce.

The shows got a little slow toward the end, but for the most part it stayed sharp. The cast of oddball characters and the commitment of the actors kept it moving. Tony Prince as Gremio was very funny, and the very idea that he would take Bianca home was slightly unsettling. There are some good gags in there; Savage Rose seems to have a propensity for the offbeat. The text got muddled in a couple of the group scenes, and there was one scene in which Biondello (Marie Claire Natalie) did speed through information without taking a breath in between. It was a fun gag in theory, but the text got so garbled I felt like I was missing important information. The cast is strong, and they know their Shakespeare, tackling the text with skill and sly humor.

The Taming of the Shrew

March 15-30, 2013 (in repertory with The Rover)

Savage Rose Classical Theater Company

Nancy Niles Sexton Stage at Walden Theatre
1123 Payne Street

Louisville, KY 40204

TICKETS MAY BE RESERVED NOW!!!
CALL 502-599-3011

www.Savagerose.org

The Puzzlement of Gnit Eventually Rewards a Patient Audience

Dan Waller and Kate Eastwood Norris in Gnit.
Photo by Kathy R. Preher.

Gnit

By Will Eno

Directed by Les Waters

 

Review by Keith Waits

Copyright 2013 by Keith Waits. All rights reserved.

Gnit is explicitly a modern, absurdist update of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, but it also reminded me of Candide, and perhaps Will Eno is touching on the entire history of literary characters embarked on a wandering odyssey in search of self. It is a funny and hugely enjoyable comedy that will still leave some audience members scratching their heads.

The opening scene between Peter Gnit (Dan Waller) and his ailing mother (Linda Kimbrough) establishes a unique tone and singular rhythms in the dialogue that is sharp in its observations yet so quirky and offbeat as to distance the audience somewhat from the action onstage. Peter’s episodic journey through life, as in Ibsen, is filled with curious and unfortunate choices that render the character so firmly eccentric that the audience can rarely identify with him. He steals a bride, marries and then abandons another woman, Solvay (Hannah Bos), is robbed and briefly institutionalized, experiencing such travails with a profoundly disaffected attitude that can, one suppose, be accepted as an uncorrupted innocence.

Along the way, he encounters a host of other quirkily funny people who do make connections with the audience in small yet important ways. Particularly good effect is derived from a character named “Town,” and as played by the dexterous Danny Wolohan, the device of one actor speaking as if 2, 3, or, if my ears did not deceive me, 4 people was an inventive idea that was just one of the ways that the viewer is kept slightly off-balance. The role’s name is a good indicator of what is happening, yet the impact is as if we are witnessing an escaped mental patient greet the protagonist instead of the nod to Ibsen’s extensive roster of characters.

Peter’s Mother is played by Linda Kimbrough with a tart and quick wit, and one could sense the audience warming to her more than her remote son, yet Kate Eastwood Norris’s work in the utility position of Stranger 2 was also a supple and winning tour de force of comic genius. The range of personages she embodies is considerable, but her talents are more than up to the task. Kris King’s fine work as Stranger 1 notwithstanding, Ms. Norris, in her second Humana appearance, stole almost every scene she was in. Hannah Bos was an appealing Solvay, among a few other parts, although the role did not give her the same showcase as her work in last year’s The Ver**on Play. As Peter, Dan Waller brought an intelligent yet wistful reading to the somewhat vacuous protagonist. This is a role that, if executed correctly, is thankless in that very few will appreciate the delicacy of the actor’s work, in no small part because he is easily overshadowed by the more obvious physical and verbal humor of the other characters. Peter is by definition a less-defined character; something more of an enigmatic guide into the narrative that, while less picaresque than its inspiration, is still filled with plenty of incident and changing locale.

The scenic design by Antje Ellerman is a clever mix of boxy set pieces and projections that anchor the material in its Scandinavian origins, while Connie Furr-Soloman’s costumes reinforced the concept while interjecting helpful details for character.

Intermission chatter revealed more than a few patrons found the first act off-putting, despite the easy yet smart humor. Faith was restored as the second act delivers enough narrative satisfaction to help assuage such fears. Still, it is interesting to note that the Beckett-like qualities of the play could still puzzle people who were just moments before laughing without abandon. As absurdist theatre goes, Gnit might be one of the most accessible pieces you are likely to come across; enjoyable enough if you can only be patient and realize that Mr. Eno is not worried about serving up a warm and fuzzy hero for the audience to cozy up to. If that were to be his mission, he would have chosen a different inspiration. This sort of rich and challenging writing is what the Humana Festival has always been about, and Louisville audiences are overdue for an introduction to one of the more important contemporary playwrights in American theatre.

Gnit

Part of the 37th Humana Festival of New American Plays

March 15 – April 7, 2013

Actors Theatre of Louisville

Bingham Theatre

316 West Main Street

Louisville, KY 40202

(502) 584-1205

www.actorstheatre.org

Louisville Repertory Company Delivers Quality Production of Sartre Classic

Casandre Elyse Medel and Silvio Wolf Busch in No Exit.
Photo – Louisville Repertory Company.

No Exit

By Jean-Paul Sartre

Directed by Darren McGee

Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley

Entire contents are copyright © 2013, Craig Nolan Highley. All rights reserved.

Sartre’s No Exit is an undisputed classic, possibly the definition of existentialist theater. With its themes of being and nothingness, of phenomenological ontology and consciousness, it raises questions of self that have been debated for millennia and provides no easy answers.

In the Louisville Repertory Company’s current staging of the show at the Bard’s Town, the questions are raised again with a flourish; it’s a solid production of a play that dares to make you think.

It tells the tale of three souls in Hell:  not Dante’s vision of fire, destruction, and torture, but a more subtle and therefore more brutal torment. Three people are forced to spend eternity locked in a room with each other. And as the play’s most famous quotation states: Hell is other people.

An unassuming (though smartly dressed) valet (Bryce Woodward) brings three damned souls, one by one, into a sitting room styled in the French Imperial manner. First is Cradeau (Silvio Wolf Busch), an adulterous World War II army deserter. Next comes Inez (Michelle Chalmers), a lesbian postal clerk. Lastly we meet Estelle (Casandre Elyse Medel), a high-society woman.

As the story progresses, each of the three tell conflicting stories of how they arrived in Hell; initially they lie to each other but eventually the truth comes out as their predicament becomes ever more precarious. Allegiances are formed and broken; sexual tension comes to the fore and gets beaten back down, leading to an inevitable but ominous conclusion.

It’s not a story that will be to everyone’s taste, but if you can get through a rather flat first sequence, it’s a show that becomes more riveting as it goes along. First-time director Darren McGee has encouraged his strong cast to find the humor in their hopeless situation, generating some laughs I was not expecting but yet felt completely justified in the telling.

Busch turns in a strong turn as Cradeau. As the character’s story unfolds and we learn more about his background, he keeps us firmly sympathizing even as we have less and less reasons to like him. Chalmers also creates an empathetic portrayal as Inez, probably the character with the most integrity despite the crimes she has committed. And finally, Medel oozes sex appeal while combining it with a fragility that makes her character, arguably the villain of the piece, completely believable.

On the technical side, McGee has done some really nice work with his lighting design, especially considering the limited resources available at the Bard’s Town, and his set (designed with Stacey Catron, Sean Childress and Michael Roberts) is realistic and nicely evokes the style of the period.

The show does suffer from a slow start, and the very talky nature of the script causes it to drag in places. But honestly, once I got into it, I was captivated. LRC has another solid production to be proud of, and The Bard’s Town has another prime example of the quality of work being performed there. Give it a look!

Starring Silvio Wolf Busch, Michelle Chalmers, Casandre Elyse Medel and Bryce Woodward.

No Exit

March 14-23, 2013 @7:30 p.m.

The Bard’s Town

1801 Bardstown Road

Louisville, KY 40205

502-749-5275

Tickets: $15 cash or $16 credit card; $10 students and groups

Buy online at www.lourep.org, or reserve seats at 812-987-7965