Once On This Island
Richard III
Godspell
The first one I saw was called Once On This Island. It was absolutely adorable. It was a musical that made the audience clap along and feel an emotional attachment to every character. It was by far my favorite play I saw today. It was put on by Highland Community College. The plot revolves around a young island peasant woman named Ti Moune. As a little girl she was saved from a flood by the water god, Agwe. She then goes on a journey that follow the universal theme of life not always being fair and that the only hope a person can have is the power of love and forgiveness. It is a healing power. My title for this particular blog is actually a quote by the earth goddess who is quite witty. The only thing that turned me off about the show was some of the lighting cues. The actors didn't always make it to their light, so they were acting in the dark and hard to see. The reason for this bungle is most likely because the crew hung the lights in this new space and not their original stage. Yet, you think that this wouldn't be a problem because they still rehearse before performing for the 1,500 people at this festival. But all in all, it's a touching performance that has the audience on their feet begging for more.
After about an hour break for lunch, we took bus to a theatre in downtown Ames to see Richard III. In a blunt conclusion: Richard's a prick, but don't worry I'll do a better summary. The story was about poor deformed Richard III, unloved and not next in line as an heir to the thrown. His lust for power then drives him to murder, even of his two preteen nephews who were in line before him. UMD, Duluth took a classic Shakespearean piece and set it in a non-traditional setting. I was turned off to this play, because it seemed too familiar to Simpson's production last year of Henry 5 (also by Shakespeare). Both plays were set in a post-apoptalyptic state. Scaffolding made up the set and punk music was used for transitions. The only thing that really impressed me was the lighting. There was a scrim set in the background and whenever someone died in the play, the scrim lit up and you could see blood splattering in the background. It made those people who were in midday nap mode sit up in their seats.
Godspell was performed by Johnson County Community College of Overland Park, Kansas. The set was utterly amazing. The band for this musical was onstage disguised as other characters. A giant rusty pickup truck was the band was set up. A trap-set was in the truck's bed and a keyboard was set up where the engine would normally be. The best part was that the conductor actually acted. He came out as a drunken bum who sleeps in the rusty pickup. He even carried a liquor bottle, but of course, he straightened his act when he conducted. The cast was a talented singing bunch and quite smart. Most of their lines were improvised and kept by the director. It was a laughing riot.
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| Simpson theatre students: Meghan Vosberg (Me!), Samantha Aaron, and Heather Powers strike a pose with the gods from "Once On This Island." |
Thank you so much for posting this. It made my day. I played Asaka (Mother of the Earth) in Once On This Island and on behalf of our show (I don't think they'll mind), I would like to say thank you for such a lovely review!
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