oooweee! (a noise of happiness)
I have never been reviewed before in my life, and I was just called by my director to check out the paper.... wooohooo!
From the Wesleyan Argus (i included the entire review if you have time, but i highlited the parts concerning me or the shows overall quality):
"Heart Play(s)," the first Second Stage production to grace the '92 Theatre so far this year, went up this past weekend with style and unique flair. Perhaps the most unorthodox show that will be put on this semester, "Heart Play(s)" feature the same vignette redone five times. It was directed by Edward Bauer '08, Nick Benacerraf '08, Jess Chayes '07, Kelly Klein '08, Elissa Kozlov '08, Chris Krovatin '07, and Meredith Steinberg '07. Each of the directors presented their own interpretation of a ten-line dialogue in different spaces in the '92. The performances were conjoined by a brilliantly conceived narrator, played spectacularly by Jesse Bordwin '10. Carrying a red balloon, he led the audience from scene to scene; as he guided the audience, he recited a series of short poems in between each piece. This theatrical technique allowed the illusions crafted by the show to exist, despite the audience's movement within the '92.
The show began with a dance, performed both by the show's actors and directors, with the title of the show shining through particularly well-crafted theater lights, called gobos, onto the curtain. The audience was then led by the narrator to the first Heart Play. Directed by Bauer, this first act was the most impressive. Bauer and Sean Chin '09 played out an initially comedic and vaudeville-inspired back-and-forth about the removal of the one actor's heart. Taken literally, the scene quickly became sinister in nature and ended with the impending removal of Bauer's heart by chainsaw. Both Bauer and Chin were superb; the transition from eccentrically charming to frightening was done seamlessly.
The narrator then performed a brief poem, and the curtains opened. On stage were a kiddy pool and two actors, Jeremy Marks '07 and Emily Vallillo '09, ensconced in turquoise diving outfits and singing the dialogue to a techno beat. This transition was nothing short of abrasive.
The next Heart Play, directed and designed by Benacerraf, was a charming, if expected, cliche. The dialogue contains the line, "May I lay my heart at your feet?" and, as one might expect, this was the princess-in-a-tower scene. The valiant knight, played by Jesse Coburn '09, climbed a large lavender staircase to approach his princess, played by Alex Early '07, who was cleverly hidden in the lighting booth. In the end, the knight dies, but the princess has his heart. The use of the space of the '92 in both this piece and the next were particularly interesting and well-done.
The audience was then led to the most intriguing set: a corner of the theater portioned off with very tall thin curtains, and lit internally, so that one could see the action happening within. This piece, directed by Klein and Kozlov, featured seven actors performing a rhythmic game by tossing balls to each other. This version of the dialogue seemed open to interpretation, although the removal of one actor's heart was again taken literally. At the end of the dialogue, a lot of little rubber bouncy balls were released onto the actors. Visually, this interpretation of the dialogue was quite dramatic and made up for what it lacked in sense.
The final adaptation of the Heart Play, directed by Chayes, incorporated both a dance and the dialogue, performed by the narrator and Annie Paladino '09. Placed on a pedestal in the middle of the '92 house, both actors facing the audience, this piece was sparsely done and yet the most touching.
"Heart Play(s)" is impressive and deserves special commendation when one considers both the brief amount of time in which it was prepared and that it is the product of numerous directors. When asked to describe the process of creating "Heart Play(s)," Benacerraf said it was, "a challenge to have so many chefs in the same kitchen…it was a highly collaborative and creative environment."
From the Wesleyan Argus (i included the entire review if you have time, but i highlited the parts concerning me or the shows overall quality):
"Heart Play(s)," the first Second Stage production to grace the '92 Theatre so far this year, went up this past weekend with style and unique flair. Perhaps the most unorthodox show that will be put on this semester, "Heart Play(s)" feature the same vignette redone five times. It was directed by Edward Bauer '08, Nick Benacerraf '08, Jess Chayes '07, Kelly Klein '08, Elissa Kozlov '08, Chris Krovatin '07, and Meredith Steinberg '07. Each of the directors presented their own interpretation of a ten-line dialogue in different spaces in the '92. The performances were conjoined by a brilliantly conceived narrator, played spectacularly by Jesse Bordwin '10. Carrying a red balloon, he led the audience from scene to scene; as he guided the audience, he recited a series of short poems in between each piece. This theatrical technique allowed the illusions crafted by the show to exist, despite the audience's movement within the '92.
The show began with a dance, performed both by the show's actors and directors, with the title of the show shining through particularly well-crafted theater lights, called gobos, onto the curtain. The audience was then led by the narrator to the first Heart Play. Directed by Bauer, this first act was the most impressive. Bauer and Sean Chin '09 played out an initially comedic and vaudeville-inspired back-and-forth about the removal of the one actor's heart. Taken literally, the scene quickly became sinister in nature and ended with the impending removal of Bauer's heart by chainsaw. Both Bauer and Chin were superb; the transition from eccentrically charming to frightening was done seamlessly.
The narrator then performed a brief poem, and the curtains opened. On stage were a kiddy pool and two actors, Jeremy Marks '07 and Emily Vallillo '09, ensconced in turquoise diving outfits and singing the dialogue to a techno beat. This transition was nothing short of abrasive.
The next Heart Play, directed and designed by Benacerraf, was a charming, if expected, cliche. The dialogue contains the line, "May I lay my heart at your feet?" and, as one might expect, this was the princess-in-a-tower scene. The valiant knight, played by Jesse Coburn '09, climbed a large lavender staircase to approach his princess, played by Alex Early '07, who was cleverly hidden in the lighting booth. In the end, the knight dies, but the princess has his heart. The use of the space of the '92 in both this piece and the next were particularly interesting and well-done.
The audience was then led to the most intriguing set: a corner of the theater portioned off with very tall thin curtains, and lit internally, so that one could see the action happening within. This piece, directed by Klein and Kozlov, featured seven actors performing a rhythmic game by tossing balls to each other. This version of the dialogue seemed open to interpretation, although the removal of one actor's heart was again taken literally. At the end of the dialogue, a lot of little rubber bouncy balls were released onto the actors. Visually, this interpretation of the dialogue was quite dramatic and made up for what it lacked in sense.
The final adaptation of the Heart Play, directed by Chayes, incorporated both a dance and the dialogue, performed by the narrator and Annie Paladino '09. Placed on a pedestal in the middle of the '92 house, both actors facing the audience, this piece was sparsely done and yet the most touching.
"Heart Play(s)" is impressive and deserves special commendation when one considers both the brief amount of time in which it was prepared and that it is the product of numerous directors. When asked to describe the process of creating "Heart Play(s)," Benacerraf said it was, "a challenge to have so many chefs in the same kitchen…it was a highly collaborative and creative environment."