The dark exploration of ‘My Soul, and Other Broken Things’ leaves questions unanswered

Event: My Soul, and Other Broken Things

Playwright: Sarah Dewhirst

School: Metropolitan State University

Event Date: Thursday Jan 22

Some scientists say that human beings only use one third of their brain capacity. The other two thirds is rather unknown, and the subconscious is somewhere amongst it. Perhaps this is where secrets and repressed memories go. Maybe it is home to the soul.

Sarah Dewhirst’s one-act play, My Soul, and Other Broken Things explores this unknown territory through a young girl named Sephora (Kayla Sechler). She enters the abandoned home of her dead mother, Rebecca (Jennifer Cha), and implores the haunted walls to answer questions from her upbringing.

Through the direction of David Hanzal, the characters begin to transform the space from dreamlike to spirit-world to flashbacks to reality. It is unclear whether the ensemble represents voices from Sephora’s mind, or spirits, or demons. Somehow, with guidance from the mystical cab driver (Steve Modena), Sephora begins to watch memories of her mother and former friend Kayla (Elyse Evans) come to life in the living room. Sephora watches her 16-year-old self explore her sexuality with Kayla, simultaneously wondering if she will be condemned to hell for this immoral act of kissing a girl. Is it simply an extension of her mother’s religious beliefs?

The concept of the play is inventive, though the methods of exploration are hard to justify. Between expressive movement, ghostly masks, punk-zombie makeup, flashbacks, and flashing lights, it was difficult to determine the purpose of these devices. Every aspect was dreamlike and disorienting.

Dewhirst’s attempts to orient the audience with straightforward dialogue resulted in indulgent exposition. Sephora, who entered the room asking questions, was now casually discussing mythical worlds, purgatory, conjuring spirits, and open souls.

The text implies that Sephora has gained insight on her journey, but the audience is left behind. Suddenly, Sephora has acquired the power to conjure her own memories and her relationship with the cab driver, that she had met less than one-hour prior, became familiar.

It was as if Dewhirst had to tackle the huge philosophical questions of the universe in one-hour and over-loaded the audience with information. The production elements worked in favor of Dewhirst, but it wasn’t enough to sustain the slippery slope of questions provided by the script.

The play is an exploration of the human mind, soul, and subconscious. This is commendable subject matter for Dewhirst. Still, this dark place seemed overwhelmingly unknown and the production could have benefited from some illumination.

‘Of Mice and Men’: Where Hope and Heartache Collide

Event: Of Mice and Men

Playwright: John Steinbeck

School: Missouri Western State University

Performance Date: Wednesday Jan 21

Our dreams, whether we achieve them or not, often sustain us for another day. The American Dream in particular provided sustenance in the face of despair for those living in the 1930s and still does today.

John Steinbeck created a classic novel, testing this American Dream. Can it withstand heartbreak, desperation, and adversity? Or does it dissolve into a harsh, unforgiving reality?

Missouri Western State University’s production of the Steinbeck’s play adaptation, Of Mice and Men, puts these questions to the test, illustrating this courage, determination, and will to survive against all odds. With sweaty, dirty faces, and torn overalls, George (Steve Catron) and Lennie (Riley Bayer), saunter onstage and bring us into the 1930s.

At the time, the Salinas Valley of California was a lonely place for many migrant workers. It is lonely for George and Lennie. They formed camaraderie to counteract this disparaging loneliness.  Like two brothers, they share a dream of owning a ranch together where they can live off the “fat of the land.” Daily life is a different matter one of frustration, bicker, banter, and routine. George reprimands Lennie for killing a small mouse by accident. George gets angry, and Lennie pouts. This is their routine. In each other, they find home.

Lennie is burly, wide-eyed, and struggles with his speech due to a mental disability. George is intelligent and caring but stern. These gentlemen compliment each other and carry the show until the very end. Their performance was a gift.

Every aspect of director Dallas Henry’s production is alive with texture and aroma. Jeff Stover’s scenic design was absolute. The floor of the stage was covered with hay; the backdrop was a thin burlap draping; and wooden paneled flats split the stage horizontally, leaving room to spot who was having a private conversation and who was listening in behind the wall. Crickets could be heard as the characters spoke of perfume, sweat and dirty, old dog smell. Our senses would filled to the brim, and Of Mice and Men fell right into our laps.

The entire ensemble of male ranch hands was dynamic and individual, illustrating “a world of mutts” as one of the characters describes. Slim (Daniel Montgomery), the jerkline skinner, was in charge of his crew. They did was he asked, and in return he assumed the role of fair, responsible umpire. Carlson (Jesse Boley) was unsympathetic and logical. When he said it was time to kill Candy’s old dog, it was done; and he did the killing. Towards the bottom of the totem pole was Candy (Andy Tyhurst). He was the oldest, missing a hand, and dejected. Curley (Jordan Jinkerson), is the hard authority of this crew. As the boss’s son, his word becomes law. The men knew who held alliances with whom and how to stay out of trouble. Everyone was in everyone’s business. This ensemble of men was so in tune with one another that even silent moments were filled with unspoken conversation and solidarity.

Samantha Simmons played Curley’s wife. She did not share the energy of the ranch hands. This is a critical role as the only female among these damaged and desperate men. Curley’s wife is an object of desire, framed by fear of the unobtainable. She disrupts the status quo of the men because she is desperately searching for a kindness she cannot find in her husband.

Every character had a gaping hole of vulnerability that needed to be filled. George and Lennie needed each other and their dreams. They both try to hold fast to what is precious and soft despite the brutality of their living situation. Searching for meaning and joy in a saloon, George tries to make it day to day. The alternative was ultimate despair, and no reason to get out of bed in the morning.

The audience began to hope with these characters, dreaming of a better life. The fragility of joy on the ranch could not withstand mistakes. George protected Lennie for as long as he could. Though Lennie killed everything fragile he touched, from mice to pups to anything soft, George was always able to find an escape. This time, there was none. The vulnerability of these characters collided, and no one could escape unscathed. Curley’s wife lost her life, Lennie lost his freedom, and George lost all excuses.

Rules are rules, and the law would not have sympathy for a well-intentioned Lennie. The rules of the world are unexplainable to someone with the eyes and innocence of a child.  In the end, the only gift George could give to his best friend was mercy.

The audience had built a relationship with Lennie and George, wanting the best for them, hoping that dreams do come true. As George’s gun went off, the invested audience shook and their hearts sank. All eyes were glued to the stage in this traumatizing, heartbreaking moment. 

Affection will not save you from justice, and dreams will not escape desperation, not even the American dream.

'Soderville: Excavation of a Life' uncovers a tale of transgender

Event: Soderville: Excavation of a Life

Playwright: Scott M. Rubsam

School: Metropolitan State University

Performance Dates: Tuesday Jan. 20 & Wednesday Jan. 21

Whether it’s a quarter life crisis, mid-life crisis, or simply a mental breakdown, there comes a time when a person needs a good, old fashioned, self-evaluation.

Soderville: Excavation of a Life is the story of actor Julie Dafydd, an older woman who recalls growing up in a boy’s body, the wrong body. Playwright Scott M. Rubsam constructed this one-woman show after 30 hours of interviews with Dafydd.

The smell of homemade soup slowly fills the theater and Dafydd takes us from growing up as a young boy in rural Soderville, Minnesota, to her transgender surgery in Minneapolis.

Rubsam, who also directs the play, fills the script with witty colloquialisms including, “I needed an epiphany…on the rocks” and “I almost checked the ‘you-are-homosexual’ box with lipstick.”

Dafydd also recounts an impactful trip to the shoe store. Twelve-year-old Dafydd wanted a pair of pointed white tennis-shoes, but her mother publicly chastised her, stating that these were not fit for a boy, the beginning of the end of their relationship.

Soderville is a story of self-discovery: transitioning from male to female, rural to urban, and family-oriented to estranged. Yet, Dafydd tells her story with ease, pride, honesty and wisdom.

Theatre Management Intensive: Trip to the Tank

Event Title: Theatre Management Intensive Donor Pitch

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Time: 2:30-5pm

Location: Normandale Room, Partnership Center, P0808B

This event is open to the public.

The television show Shark Tank introduces brilliant minds with brilliant ideas and puts them in a room with potential investors, where they ask for thousands of dollars to start a company.

On Wednesday, four KCACTF participants will be put in a similar tank, pitching their own non-profit theater companies. Mock donors, including a faculty member from the Kennedy Center, will quiz these young entrepreneurs and decide whether or not to invest.

The Donor Pitch is an extension of the Theatre Management Intensive (TMI), an application-only portion of the festival, where students focus on the administrative, entrepreneurial aspects of the theater, and get a taste of what it might be like to start a non-profit company. This year, the student participants are Desiree Bartels, Whitney Graff, Kristen K. Thackery, and Kathryn Vocke.

As part of the intensive, the students were required to create portfolios, visually encompassing their companies. The portfolios include a season line up, annual budget, mission statement, and “brilliant idea.” One company proposed young educational outreach; another, has a whole season dedicated to plays related to mental illness. These portfolios can be viewed on the second floor of the Ames Center in the Design and Management Expo.

The mock donors will review these portfolios, and after a series of questions at the Donor Pitch, will report feedback to a panel. Ultimately, the panel will determine which of the four students will advance to the national competition at the Kennedy Center in April.

Come encourage these young, brilliant minds as they promote their brilliant ideas!

2:30-3:00pm Kristen K. Thackery (University of Missouri-Columbia)

3:00-3:30pm Desiree Bartels (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

3:30-3:45pm Break

3:45-4:15pm Kathryn Vocke (University of North Dakota)
4:15-4:45pm Whitney Graff (South Dakota State University)

For more information on the Theatre Management Intensive visit: 
http://www.kcactf5.org/theatre-management.html

Weather in Minnesota....Frightful? ITJA Critiques...Delightful!

Hey everyone! This is my second year participating in the Institute for Theater Journalism and Advocacy (ITJA), and I couldn't be more excited to bring you reviews from the week! The festival is January 18-24, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and we have a variety of theater performances to discuss, including multiple original works from festival student participants.

As an avid actor, playwright, and theater-goer, I am ready to promote important works of theater through reviews and critiques!

"The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can." 
-Neil Gaiman