Spring Break
JHUT Play Festival impresses with original students' work
Issue date: 3/13/08
Third on the playbill was "The Long Exposure." While a certain degree of abstraction and symbolism is expected in these plays, this one, written by sophomore Chris Chuang and directed by Chuang and Mike Wills, pushed the limits. The story focused on Charlie's (sophomore Eric Kalman Levitz) quest to understand his father. Both Charlie and his father are alcoholics, a fact which ends up dominating their lives. Charlie's sister, Julie, played by junior Esther Bell, tries to help her brother but eventually turns him away at her doorstep. There is a cutscene involving artistic photographer Dawn (junior Brittany Matava), who is experimenting with long exposures and LEDs. Charlie happens upon her, and eventually he is allowed to try an exposure.
Unfortunately, the meaning here was unclear. Between this cutscene and the previous scene, the audience, confused, clapped as if the play were ending, as there was no clear cue as to the direction of the play. While well-acted and clearly rich with imagery, the story couldn't truly be resolved by the end.
"Individual Ownership," written by senior Liz Eldridge and directed by junior Christen Cromwell, was performed entirely by senior Margaret Deli. In the play, Suzee visits her doctor/friend (played by a mannequin) to request a tubal ligation (that is, to get her "tubes tied"). A victim of domestic violence, Suzee does not want to bring a child into her home. But she needs the attention her husband gives her and cannot imagine having her husband's attention diverted to anyone else.
Deli did an excellent job portraying such a complicated character. While we might feel revulsion for such a life, we feel empathy for her thanks to a well-paced script and Deli's powerful performance.
Senior Joseph Micali's "Document1" was an exercise in experimental anti-monologue. Written and starred in by Micali and directed by Chris Chuang, the monologue moved from topic to topic, with Micali ranting, singing and leaping. Micali clearly did not intend for it to be terribly deep, but it was very entertaining. In a show that culminated with Micali running outside screaming, we found the most memorable act of the night, though not the most thought-provoking.
Unfortunately, the meaning here was unclear. Between this cutscene and the previous scene, the audience, confused, clapped as if the play were ending, as there was no clear cue as to the direction of the play. While well-acted and clearly rich with imagery, the story couldn't truly be resolved by the end.
"Individual Ownership," written by senior Liz Eldridge and directed by junior Christen Cromwell, was performed entirely by senior Margaret Deli. In the play, Suzee visits her doctor/friend (played by a mannequin) to request a tubal ligation (that is, to get her "tubes tied"). A victim of domestic violence, Suzee does not want to bring a child into her home. But she needs the attention her husband gives her and cannot imagine having her husband's attention diverted to anyone else.
Deli did an excellent job portraying such a complicated character. While we might feel revulsion for such a life, we feel empathy for her thanks to a well-paced script and Deli's powerful performance.
Senior Joseph Micali's "Document1" was an exercise in experimental anti-monologue. Written and starred in by Micali and directed by Chris Chuang, the monologue moved from topic to topic, with Micali ranting, singing and leaping. Micali clearly did not intend for it to be terribly deep, but it was very entertaining. In a show that culminated with Micali running outside screaming, we found the most memorable act of the night, though not the most thought-provoking.
Be the first to comment on this story