A little down time

Well, March has not been much of a month for play-going, though April should make up for it. Due to a variety of time-sucking chores and non-play projects, not much has happened in play writing, either. I need to find a way to turn that around!

In any case, the musical highlight of last weekend was attending High Point Community Theatre's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which used the impressive sanctuary at Wesley Memorial U.M. Church in High Point. We went with Myla and Paul O'Brien, not solely for the musical but because Mary Lea and Cameron Williams, as well as Dave Wils, were in it.

In addition to being a lesson in how some things can be done by a community theater that KLT seems not to think of, the production was a delight, with only one really bad off-note in the entire show (pretty wonderful for community theater). Mary Lea, as the Narrator, and the young man who played Joseph, had -- and I don't often use this word in theatrical commentary -- awesome singing voices that impressed from beginning to end. The show may not be "Cabaret" or "Spring Awakening," but I enjoy it (second time now) and I left the theater smiling. That's a pretty good deal for a Saturday night's entertainment!

Now I look forward to "Church Basement Ladies" on April 1 and a host of others to follow. And I will write again some day. I swear it!

And on we go ...

The week away at the OBX wound up with a little more work done on "Patent," a number of other needed chores completed, and a draft of a second short play that might prove suitable for the fall Greensboro Playwrights Forum's short plays. The concept for the fall shows is less a theme than a place -- all of the shows will take place in a unit set of a roadside diner. Fun!

As mentioned before, "for the fun of it," I stopped in Raleigh on the way home from the OBX to see Theatre in the Park's "Don't Cry for Me, Margaret Mitchell." It did not turn out to be fun, actually, except for some conversations with audience members before the show and during intermission. It just wasn't very funny, and some of the choices on line interpretations and physical "humor" were mistaken, in my opinion (and Kathy, who saw it Friday night, chiefly agreed).

I had corresponded with the actor who played Hecht, and I thought he looked the part very well, and when he was allowed to be a grown-up, played it quite well, too. But sometimes, it was more Three Stooges than three grown men working on a play script. And the way they chose to represent Victor Fleming, the man's man, well, less said the better. The transitions to the beginning of both acts were painfully long, for no clear reason except to allow entire songs to play, and oh, I could continue, but I won't.

I guess, on the bright side, it is always instructive to see something you DON'T like, not only for education but because you appreciate a well-done show much better as a result.

And speaking of well-done shows, "Around the World in 80 Days" at Triad Stage was delightful, and we especially liked the lighting (designed by Norman Coates, Andy's lead professor at UNCSA). We also had fun at "Forever Plaid" by Theatre Alliance -- a little choppy here and there, but at least one especially good voice that I had not been able to hear individually, at close range, prior to that night -- and more fun with Kernersville Little Theatre's "The Battle of Shallowford," with a good cast indeed and one of the best KLT sets I've seen. It's unfortunate that it was under-attended.

Meanwhile, auditions were held for "Crier Tuck," which was the winning NC New Play Contest script (Greensboro Playwrights Forum) this year. Kathy has been cast in BOTH of the middle-aged woman roles, both of which occur in the second act of the show, written by Nathan Adam Sullivan, who also directed "Margaret Mitchell" at KLT. It will be fun to see her back on stage after some time, and dancing with two different roles, too. Those shows will be in Greensboro April 15-18, at the downtown Arts Center.

Keeping busy!