This entry
has been inspired by a recent conversation I had with my theatre coach. What
makes an excellent production? What are the qualities that I will strive to
achieve in my own productions with my theatre company?
I should
qualify the title of this post. I’ve seen many scores of shows in the last 25
years, and most of them had me leaving the theater thinking, “I could have
stayed home and watched TV.” What I really mean by “best” is the impression they
had on me. For instance, the first two shows listed were high school shows…but
they were really my first exposure to the magic of theatre, and by seeing them,
I knew that I wanted a life in theatre. If I saw those same productions today,
would they have the same effect? Maybe not. I want to emphasize that I’m
talking about productions here, and not the plays themselves. I’ve seen
lackluster productions of excellent plays; they are not what this list is
about. And yet…I may contradict myself when talking about some productions I
saw, like Equus, which may not have been an ideal production, but the fact that
it introduced me to an amazing play is what made the powerful impression.
Finally, I should note that while I’ve seen many, many shows, I don’t see as
much as a lot of people who work in theatre, locally. Mainly, I just don’t have
the money to go to many shows, and ushering has never appealed to me. So
obviously, there is a lot of great stuff out there that I have missed. I would
welcome in the comments section anyone who wants to share the best show they’ve
seen. Oh, one final note: to appear humble, I am not including shows I’ve
directed!
Little Shop of Horrors – OCHS, 1991
A lot of
people might miss all the layers in this sci-fi/horror/comedy/musical. We’re
dealing with poverty, domestic abuse, being an outsider, the dangers of
ambition, and the question of how far you’ll go to protect the ones you love,
or to hold onto a dream. Add to all that an excellent playlist of songs, and
this is really a powerful play when done right.
The Foreigner – OCHS, 1991
Shout-out to
my high school drama teacher Karlyn Love, who inspired me greatly and is
probably incapable of doing a bad production, at least as far as high school
plays go.
Waiting for Godot – Lewis & Clark, 1993
This and the
next play on the list were my introduction to “theatre of the absurd”. The
floor of the stage was a Salvador Dali soft (or melting) clock, and that’s one
of the most inspired scenic design choices I’ve ever seen.
The Birthday Party – 1993
This was
performed at IFCC, but I don’t remember the company that put it on. Strangely,
my biggest takeaway from this play is a question from the interrogation scene: “Is
the number 846 necessary or possible?” Now, please, dramaturgs, explain the
significance of that to me, or don’t because it’s really a very delightful
mystery.
Jeffrey – Triangle Productions, 1994
The first “gay
play” I ever saw. I had an instant crush on its star, Robert Buckmaster, who
passed away very shortly after. What made his performance so good was the depth
of his honesty and tenderness with which he shared the heart of his character
with the audience. (See note on Dog Sees God later in post.)
Equus – Paula Productions, 1995
Dysart was
not well cast, and for some reason, the director (or the producer, who I would
later become very acquainted with doing my own shows there) decided not to have
the nudity in this production. I don’t agree with the decision and it’s not how
I would do it, but it’s important for me to say that the piece was still very
impactful without it.
The Lady From Dubuque – CCC, 1996
This production
was absolutely fierce, and the mystery of the title character brought chills
and practically took my breath away.
Suicide in B Flat – Liminal, 1997
Like an
episode of The Twilight Zone (but then again, aren’t all Sam Shepard pieces
like that?), with bits of music thrown in. I had no idea what was going on or
why it mattered, but I didn’t care.
The Seagull –
Paula Productions, 1999
Paula
Productions existed for many years. It was a one-man operation, and the venues
it occupied were tiny living room sized spaces. The plays were largely panned
by critics, especially Stefan Silvis, who wrote for Willamette Week at the
time. But this resonated with me. Its star, Myron Chase was a loose cannon,
very unpredictable, sometimes doing his own thing instead of what was
rehearsed, forcing his fellow actors to improvise. But he had a raw talent and
magnetic appeal, and I really found myself feeling empathy for his Kostya.
Peer Gynt –
Paula Productions, 1999
My friend
Dan directed this in the afore-mentioned tiny living room size space. If you
know anything about this play, you know it’s a sprawling epic with multiple
locations, even more characters, and it’s a challenge to stage anywhere, much
less a tiny venue like the Jack Oakes Theatre. With precision use of costuming,
lighting, and sound, plus top notch actors, it worked, and it showed me that
something I might have thought impossible was possible.
The Velocity of Gary (Not His Real Name) – Triangle Production, 2000
Danny
Pintauro in a touring one-man show about a gay hustler. And like most Triangle
shows at the time, featuring full male nudity. But that’s not what made it
good. (Yeah, some of you think you know me so well!) One-man shows are hard to
do. They are hard to watch. It’s like listening to an audio book. Your mind can
wander. That did not happen here. (See note on Howie the Rookie.)
Cabaret – Best of Broadway, 2000
Just an
awesome spectacle, and there was nothing about it that was not totally amazing
and inspiring. But the ending…the quintessential “kick in the gut”…so affecting,
so breathtaking, hands down the most chilling moment of theatre I’ve ever
witnessed.
Lion in the
Streets – Theatre Vertigo, 2000
I wish I
remembered more about this amazing piece of theatre, but 16 years will do that
to you. Mainly I just remember it was earth-shaking and brilliant.
After the Zipper – Stark Raving Theatre, 2002
Matthew
Zrebski is one of the most brilliant playwrights around, and this gave me
chills. And he’s local! Lucky us. I saw it twice, which is unusual.
Dog Sees God
– CoHo Theatre, 2009
Two things
that made this show great: the earnest performance of Noah Goldenberg (see note
on Jeffrey), and a moving and brilliant visual in the very end of the play,
which I don’t know is from the playwright or director Brian Allard, but the
image stayed with me for a very long time.
Over the
River & Through the Woods – Magenta Theatre, 2011
So I gotta
be honest about my reason for loving this production of the popular community
theatre staple (I mean really, this play is as ubiquitous as Rocky Horror). My
dad gave his best performance not directed by me as a family patriarch
struggling with life’s hard transitions. I’ve worked with my dad many times,
and it would be easy to accuse me of nepotism, but if you saw this (which I had
nothing to do with), you know that he’s an actor of great depth and
versatility.
Vincent
River – Sowelu, 2012
Playwright
Philip Ridley, director Barry Hunt, two extraordinary actors in a play dealing
with grief and hate crimes. This was so beautifully produced and performed, I
wish I had a recording of it to watch over and over again.
Rope – Bag &
Baggage, 2015
There was a
lot that was great about this production, but Michael Teufel as the conscience
of the piece was the stand-out. If I ran the Drammy committee, he would get the
award for best actor.
Howie the Rookie – The Factory Theatre, 2016
One man
shows are hard. (See note on The Velocity of Gary…) Especially with a thick
Irish accent and a performing space the size of a bathroom. Nevan Richard was
amazing here.
At some
point after this blog is posted, I will remember one that I’ve forgotten to
include, and probably be very frustrated. So maybe check back for updates?
