Page 24 - the NOISE June 2014

The BARd ReVels AneW The cast of Theatrikos’ Much Ado About Nothing prepares for opening sToRy by ClaiR aNNa Rose
This JUNe iN TheaTRe
night at the Doris Harper-White Community Playhouse.
PhoTos by ReNe R. Rivas
RoM-CoM FRoM TiMes oF old
This June Theatrikos presents shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Virginia Brown and Linda Sutera. In the play Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into a “lover’s trap,” meanwhile Don John sets the stage for deception, caus- ing Claudio to jilt Hero at the alter after leading him to believe she was untrue. Gossip, rumor, deception and eavesdropping
— known components of shakespeare’s style are rampant. This writer had the opportunity to be a fly on the wall dur-
ing dress rehearsal. walking into the theater felt like being catapulted back in time to another place — the set is elab- orately formed giving the effect of being in sicily of old: a courtyard of Leonato’s estate, a balcony overlooks the garden with benches, potted plants, vines climbing a trellis, a statue of cupid, that merry trickster, and stairs leading up through an arched entrance to the villa.
suitable to the hijinks that take place throughout the play, the set has small nooks for eavesdropping, windows for peep- ing and archways for the players to pop in and out of — per- fect since throughout the first act of the play Beatrice and Benedick (played by Adrienne Bischoff and Nick Rabe) are trying to “inconspicuously” listen in on their friends’ and fami- lies’ conversations about their fabricated love for each other
— at times getting stuck in the foliage or tangled in scenery. The cast is made up of some new faces and familiar ones. It’s impressive to see some of the same actors who played
very serious roles in dramas past now racing, hiding, and falling over themselves — using physical comedy to further punctuate the bard’s punch lines.
The play’s directors first worked together as co-directors in Theatrikos’ production of It’s a Wonderful Life in 2008. “we en- joyed the process so much, we continued to do it,” Ms. sutera tells me. “we have co-directed seven plays so far, three of them shakespearean comedies. we’re good friends with sim- ilar sensibilities, especially when it comes to theater, we both enjoy the collaborative process inherent in live theater. we can divide responsibilities, which helps with time manage- ment, and having two sets of eyes on all aspects of a produc- tion helps with problem solving and attention to detail.”
not only will audience members witness an authentic shake- speare play, but the cast has created a “Green Pre-show” as well. This play will entertain the audience before the feature produc- tion, while giving them a chance to become accustomed to the elizabethan language that is used throughout the play.
Ms. sutera tells me more about the cast. “Included in this group are several musicians and visual artists,” she says. “In addition to our cast, we have an equally gifted backstage crew working tirelessly on set construction, props, cos- tumes, lighting, set decoration, mask making...
“william shakespeare is known as the greatest dramatist of all time and we have to agree,” Ms. sutera says of the play- wright. “The richness of his language, the depth and variety of his characters, the stories, wit and spectacle of the elizabe-
than era ... Directing shakespeare is at the same time a chal- lenge and a dream. The language is a challenge because he used many words we don’t use today. Many of the witticisms in his plays involve people and events from his time, making them difficult for us to understand. The morals, styles, tradi- tions, weapons, and technology of shakespeare’s day must be reflected accurately on a modern stage. This is no easy task.”
The directors want the audience to have fun, and find an ac- cessibility to shakespeare’s play. “Our goal is to take the fear out of shakespeare: to create a world in which every audience member can find something personal, relatable and enchant- ing,” Ms. sutera says. “Ultimately, we hope our audiences will leave the theater loving shakespeare as much as we do.”
Much Ado About Nothing opens at the Doris Harper-white Community Playhouse, 11 west Cherry Avenue in Flagstaff, May 29 and will play through June 14. Theatrikos.com
FolloW The yelloW bRiCk Road
It’s only been a few weeks since I last checked in with The- atrikids’ director Joe Maniglia as they prepared to bring The Tempest to stage, and already the children’s theater group is in production for a June show of The Wizard of Oz.
I ask Mr. Maniglia how Theatrikids manages to pull a mu- sical together so quickly, especially when working with a younger cast. “Part of the rehearsal process is learning the songs, the dance and the lines,” he explains. “with a story such as the Wizard of Oz which is so ingrained in our cultural psyche, our job is a little easier in that most of the children have an idea of what the story is about and have formed opin- ions about character and place.”
A lot of singing will be required of the young cast, and this musical also incorporates a lot of dancing into the blocking as well. “The dance will play an integral part of the show and I think the cast will be surprised at how much is required of them,” Mr. Maniglia tells me. “Again, the mu- sical is a product of the late 30s to early 40s Hollywood — lavish costumes and sets and big production numbers with extensive choreography.”
Theatrikids has a knack for taking a production and add- ing something extra. “I think the spectacle is what makes this show unique,” Mr. Maniglia reflects. “It’s not a simple play or set, as was the case in Our Town. we will be inherit- ing the massively intricate set from Much Ado About Nothing and transforming it into the Land of Oz and that in itself is unique. Also the story with its winged monkeys, munchkins and strange characters will make this a visual treat.”
Theatrikids’ production of The Wizard of Oz will take to the stage June 19-21 with a possible encore June 26-28.
eiNe kleiNe soNdheiM
Flagstaff Light Opera Company presents A Little Night Music, by stephen sondheim and directed by Scott Ballou this June.
Mr. Ballou describes the play as — “a story about the mis- takes we make when it comes to love and lust. I think we
have all been in a relationship in our lives that we knew deep down wasn’t good for us, but we tried to make it work anyway because we were scared to be alone, or thought we couldn’t do better than that person, or whatever the case may be. In some cases it may lead to infidelity. All the characters in this show find themselves in relationships like that — they would all be better off if they would just admit the truth to themselves and move on. The play is about that journey. That probably sounds morbid, but it’s actually a comedy with some juicy dramatic bits thrown in.”
The cast of 15 players of all ages and a wide scope of stage experience has made the rehearsal process wonderful. “I’m having a great time working with all of them. I really have no complaints,” Mr. Ballou shares. “sondheim is known to be a very challenging composer, but everyone is rising to the chal- lenge very well, they all sound great!”
Mr. Ballou has been since he first heard and fell in love with A little Night Music ten years ago. when the opportunity for him to direct a play with Flagstaff Light Opera Company came up, he knew this was the play he wanted to do. “I feel like it’s this forgotten gem,” he says. “It was very popular in the 70s when it came out, it won a ton of awards and there was even a movie starring elizabeth Taylor. But somehow over the years, it was sort of forgotten about and I’m really looking for- ward to introducing it to an audience who may never have heard of it before.”
A Little Night Music plays June 12-21 at the Sinagua Middle School Auditorium, 3950 east Butler Avenue. TheFloc.org
TheaTRe aboUNds The NoRThlaNd ToWNs
The Highlands Center and Laark Productions present the 2nd Annual Shakespeare in the Pines. This year’s event features shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It on June 26 & 27. The play will be staged in the outdoor amphitheater, and a reception will commence at 6:30PM before each play, catered by el Gato Azul and Black Hole Brewery, both local favorites. The Center is situated at 375 walker Road just off Highway 69 in Prescott. HighlandsCenter.org, LaarkProductions.org
This month Theatrikos invites the community to audition June 1-3 at 6:30PM for its July production of The Full Monty, directed by Jan Rominger. Maia DellaCascata’s original script Scars directed by Mickey Mercer will be featured as the
Playwright Café at 6:30PM on June 28 in Charly’s at the Hotel weatherford. Three days later the Playwright Café will pres- ent a Northern Arizona Playwriting Showcase Preview led by Ann Cummins, at 6:30PM on May 31, also at Flagstaff’s landmark downtown bistro. Theatrikos.com
| Clair anna Rose may at times find herself more than amused by theatrical tricks. arts@thenoise.us
24 • JUNE 2015 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us