| (GRAPHIC GOES HERE) |
| The
Leader OnLine, March 1, 2000 Bare Boards and Passion wears life on its skin By Rebecca Mizhir Special to The Leader A complex array of characters, scenes and emotional passages awaits theater-goers at Bare Boards and Passion's production of "Talking with...," a play by Jane Martin. The show, an eclectic package of monologues delivered by 10 different actresses, keeps the audience engaged and often electrified as it delves into such issues as identity, spirituality and the art of theater itself. Directors Gale Wallis and David Hillman suggest that the goal of their production was to allow the actors to let go of preconceived notions about how to act and allow the process of the craft itself to overtake them. This directness of experience allows for a spontaneity and access to feeling which guides the actor into a strong emotional presence and resonance with the audience. Wallis and Hillman definitely hit the mark with the show, whose characters include a woman (played by Kelle Ronnfelt) who turns an obsession with baton-twirling into vibrant spirituality, and an auditioning actress (Angela Amos) who threatens to either strip or bludgeon her cat, forcing an anonymous director to choose. The performers, ranging from novice to veteran actors, each bring their raw material to life, allowing the audience to enter into an emotional dialogue with people whose outside worlds might be different from their own but whose inner difficulties and convictions are likely much the same. Both Sandra Tallarico and Molly Harlich transcend the amorphous nature of their characters to give clear and startling presentations of difficult situations. Sally Lovell, playing a disillusioned rodeo rider, addresses the issue of a corporation taking over something one loves and "turn[ing] your pleasure into Ice Capades." Michelle Hensel rockets the audience with her portrayal of a housewife so deluded with her role that she escapes to a world of fantasy from which anyone might have a hard time returning home. Valerie Mannuci faces giving birth to a darker side of herself and all such a delivery might entail. All of the actresses find their niche in the audience's sensitivities, and the language and themes of the script work beautifully to help deliver a wide range of questions and possible answers to the dilemmas of modern day living. Bookending the play are striking monologues (by Lynn Nadeau and Gail Bray) which suggest that although we may all be actors, it is best to wear our true selves on the outside, or as Bray's character puts it, to "wear our lives on our skins." "Talking With..." runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through March 12 at 7:30 p.m. for all shows except the final Sunday performance, which is a 2:30 p.m. matinee. All performances are at Sightlines Theater, Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Tickets are available at Vasu Video, 1030 Lawrence St. Call 385-0802. The Leader OnLine ©2000 Jefferson County Leader. P.O. Box 552 (226 Adams St), Port Townsend, Washington 98368, USA. Phone: (360) 385-2900. Fax: (360) 385-3422. Email: news@ptleader.com. Webmaster: Colleen Schumacher. |