| An Act of the Imagination - Williamsburg Players | | Print | |
| Written by David Springstead | |
| Thursday, 01 June 2006 | |
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Director KATE FOSKIT is ultimately responsible for what we see on the stage, whether it be a disposable cigarette lighter that isn’t correct to the period, that (although set in England) there wasn’t an English accent onstage, or the fact that the female lead was always clad in pants throughout the show. England in 1964 was not quite so liberal, and a good English housewife would have been in a dress or skirt, especially when entertaining company. Having the cast use an accent might also have helped them with the dialog. There are certain idioms and phrases used that aren’t American, and to hear them without the English pronunciation led them to not being totally understood by the audience. Several laugh lines were missed because of this. Add to this the apparent direction of constant pacing or wandering about the stage to communicate “distraction” by the leading male, and it makes it very hard for the audience to concentrate and focus on the action. The director’s main job, after casting, is to be sure the audience knows where to look so they are aware of what’s truly important in the show. The cast struck me as being a little unfocused themselves. This may have been because they were just coming off a short break from performances, a lack of stage experience, or that they aren’t yet comfortable with the dialog and their characters. There were several instances of jumping line cues, and of fumbling for lines. This affected cue pickup by the performers, and the pacing of the show itself was off. It also seemed apparent (at least to me) that they are not yet comfortable with their characters. A good actor needs to be able to put his character on and walk around in him with ease. Kind of like an old pair of comfortable shoes. Hopefully as this production continues its run this will happen. If not, then this will make for a very long night for the audience. Leading the company are CHRISTOPHER and CONNIE ROBBINS in the roles of Arthur and Julia Putnam. Mr. Robbins struggles mightily to bring his character to life for us. He has many moments where we truly believe his befuddlement and confusion as the aging mystery writer and are genuinely wondering, as he is carted off to the police station, if he could have been the person that plotted the murder of his alleged extra-marital liaison. Ms. Robbins, on the other hand, doesn’t quite convince us that she’s the long suffering (second) wife of this distracted writer. One fails to feel the frustration that’s been mounting over the last 20 years, and the lack of a noticeable cooling of affection on her part is sorely missing. In the role of Simon Putnam, the 20-something ne’er do well son of Arthur’s first marriage, is CRAIG MCCLOUD. Mr. McCloud portrays a young man who trying to “find himself,” but strikes us as a rather stuffy, and very stiff, individual. This awkward stiffness was carried by him throughout the show, and one wonders if this was a specific direction, his own character development, or a personal trait that appears onstage with him. I was unable to feel any sympathy for his character as he tried to convince his father to give him 3,000 pounds for his next career adventure. Playing the part of Brenda Simmons, the “other woman,” was DEBBIE NOONAN. Ms. Noonan did a fine job when she entered the performance space and “took stage,” but I do so wish that they had been using accents. Her character screamed to be Cockney in my ears (and by her dialog). KRISTINA STEIGER (Holly Adams) as Arthur’s new editor was a little young for the role, but was able to project a small amount of hero worship for the man who’s supposed to be working for her. TIM PORTER (Det. Sgt. Fred Burchitt) and NICOLE LOUGHMAN (Brooke Carmichael) rounded out this cast with steady performances, although their talents didn’t seem to be used to their fullest. There are many twists and turns as the play comes to its conclusion, but they aren’t fully formed by the author. As a result the audience, rather than being delighted by the outcome, was left confused and unsure. The show continues through June 17. Hopefully as the actors continue in the growth process of working together they’ll be able to overcome some of the personal shortcomings mentioned here. As for fixing what’s wrong with the play, well, unfortunately the author hasn’t given them much to work with. |
1964. For those of us who were around back then the year brings many things to mind. The first year of the Johnson administration after the death of JFK, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan bringing about the era of the “British Invasion,” and an election year where Barry Goldwater was associated with nuclear war in a political commercial. And for the intimate theatre of The Williamsburg Players, 1964 also happens to be the setting for the Bernard Slade murder mystery, “An Act of the Imagination.” We’re placed in England, Hampstead to be specific just outside London, in an old Manor House where the mystery writer, Arthur Putnam, has just finished his latest work. The (alleged) action of the play starts at that point.
The nearly full house that witnessed this performance was at best lukewarm, and it’s not for lack of the actors giving it their best. 
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Hey all! I'm sorry, but I really enjoyed this play! Guess I'm not as picky as some people, don't feel the need to pick-pick-pick at things. Stupid script, sure, but these people (the play reading gurus) seem to never do that, that is, read the plays! Or they would pick another. Witness LTN's 'Mash.' I digress, if pressed, would have to say that i applaud these actors for saying some of their lines with a straight face! See the show, by all means.-Sam I also saw this play, Mr Reviewer, and felt that the actors were 'all on different pages.' Overall, though, an enjoyable evening. On accents, being British, I would rather not hear them than hear bad ones, and that is what many local directors choose to do--not use them if everyone can't imitate the speech pattern. Did you know Bernard Slade wrote most of the screenplays for the TV series 'Bewitched'? In closing, we saw what turned out to be a very good showing of Slade's 'Romantic Comedy' about 10 years ago at the Portsmouth Little Theatre (not where one might expect to see a good play!) I featured our good friend Marti Craver, and I believe William Abrams and Peter Yanson as the Rivals for her Affections) Cheers! |