Out and about
This week, I went to see New Stage's Noises Off with a group of friends. Noises Off is one of my favorite plays of all time, and I saw a smokin' production of it at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival a season or two ago. The plot revolves around a traveling stage production of a (made-up) play called Nothing On. The audience follows the production's performers and director through the final dress rehearsal and two performances on the road.
New Stage assembled a great cast for their production; they hired some very talented performers. Stand-outs included Ray McFarland as Selsdon, Jo Ann Robinson as Dotty, and John Howell as Tim. The set, which contains something like eight doors, was beautifully done. I thought that in Act I, the pace was rather slow. Because the show is a farce, keeping the pace quick can mean the difference between belly laughs and just general smiles from the audience. Also, I thought that "director" Lloyd Dallas wasn't nearly desperate enough in Act I. The act opens in the wee hours of the morning before opening night, and EVERYTHING is going wrong. I just felt that, personally, if I were directing that show, I would have been WAY more anxious. It would have raised the stakes for everyone, I think, in Act I.
Act II, with its "silent" backstage humor, was great. The actors did a wonderful job with the physical comedy of the act, and the audience I attended with was very much on board. The only change I would have made would have been to have mics on the upstage side of the set. (In Act II, the set for the production of Nothing On rotates, and audience members are treated to a peek at what goes on back stage during the production.) Many of the things that are going on backstage naturally affect what's happening on stage, where the performance is going horribly, horribly wrong. The only problem was that the audience couldn't hear what was going on "on stage," and therefore didn't get some of the great jokes that are written into the script.
Act III was fabulous. Great performances, wonderful general hijinks, and all in all, a hilarious act. How fun! Get on over to New Stage for this production! It runs through this weekend (Sept. 25), and tickets are $18 for seniors/students and $22 for general admission. Call 601-948-3531 for tickets.
New Stage assembled a great cast for their production; they hired some very talented performers. Stand-outs included Ray McFarland as Selsdon, Jo Ann Robinson as Dotty, and John Howell as Tim. The set, which contains something like eight doors, was beautifully done. I thought that in Act I, the pace was rather slow. Because the show is a farce, keeping the pace quick can mean the difference between belly laughs and just general smiles from the audience. Also, I thought that "director" Lloyd Dallas wasn't nearly desperate enough in Act I. The act opens in the wee hours of the morning before opening night, and EVERYTHING is going wrong. I just felt that, personally, if I were directing that show, I would have been WAY more anxious. It would have raised the stakes for everyone, I think, in Act I.
Act II, with its "silent" backstage humor, was great. The actors did a wonderful job with the physical comedy of the act, and the audience I attended with was very much on board. The only change I would have made would have been to have mics on the upstage side of the set. (In Act II, the set for the production of Nothing On rotates, and audience members are treated to a peek at what goes on back stage during the production.) Many of the things that are going on backstage naturally affect what's happening on stage, where the performance is going horribly, horribly wrong. The only problem was that the audience couldn't hear what was going on "on stage," and therefore didn't get some of the great jokes that are written into the script.
Act III was fabulous. Great performances, wonderful general hijinks, and all in all, a hilarious act. How fun! Get on over to New Stage for this production! It runs through this weekend (Sept. 25), and tickets are $18 for seniors/students and $22 for general admission. Call 601-948-3531 for tickets.
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