I have a special connection with this show. I've worked with it a little bit and I love the script. This could've either helped or harmed me: I could've just loved the show no matter what, or I could've held it to a higher standard than it should've been held (you know, that whole "it was better in my mind" sort of thing). In this case, I would say that this particular production was so different than the one I had imagined when I read it that it really couldn't compare. I emphasize the word different, because I will not say it was better or worse than what I had imagined. It had its own life, its own style, its own direction, and it ran with it very well.
A quick review of the plot: One man has one week to spend one million dollars before the audience at home votes on how he dies. Yes, it's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of "how," and through Eldon Phelp's last week on earth, he can either find meaning in his existence or squander it all away.
The set was simple. In fact, couldn't have been any more simple: bare stage, flat screen TV in the back that showed whatever the cameraman onstage was filming in real-time. The play traveled to all kinds of locale, from bars to homes to hotels to Disneyland (and many more). Set pieces were flying in and out very smoothly. It was understandable that the set be so simple, especially because I think there might've been some "double-booking" of the space by The Met, but I guess I would've liked to have seen just a smidge more creativity in the design. Maybe make it look more like a bare television studio? Maybe more TV's showing us the action? Then again, maybe all that would've been too distracting... but I myself am a guy who loves to see all kinds of different theatrical creativity when I go see a show. For what it was, it worked great. And the video segments were stellar, too.
I had the distinction of knowing a few people involved in the production. It's always nice to watch people you know work, to watch them grow as artists, and I was not disappointed. Peter Macy as Eldon blew my mind. Coming from a guy who knows the script, as soon as I got a glimpse of his character, I said to myself, "Eldon sure has a long way to go before he becomes the man he is at the end of the play." And indeed, Peter's Eldon struggled and fought and grew and changed right before everyone's eyes from a man with no meaning to a man who finally had some purpose in life. Matt Katzenmeier played Dougie amazingly, taking a character that could have easily been overlooked into a character with depth and importance. No one ever thinks of the camera man when they watch their favorite TV shows, but an aspect of this show that makes it so cool is that we see the camera man, his reactions, and his person as he makes a difference in the show (the TV show, not the show show --- ok that just got confusing moving on). Matt played that part so well it changed the outlook I had on the play entirely, and in a really good way.
Trevor Belt's direction to the show was, as I said, very unique. The script is, intrinsically, very funny, and could've gone into two different directions (particularly with the ending): a crazy, out of control, light-despite-the-gravity-of-the-situation; or dark, serious, and more contemplative. Trevor, in my opinion, chose the later. I wouldn't say that I particularly preferred it this way, but he definitely pulled it off well.
As far as everyone else I don't know, I certainly enjoyed watching them as well. Brett Alexander playing the bumbling dork of a brother was very good, bringing a very likable quality to the character that was essential to the show. Nicole Hall was excellent as Christy, the on-again-off-again romantic interest of Eldon. Peter and Nicole played exceptionally well together as a couple and Nicole herself did a great job portraying multiple characters on stage. Jayme Overstreet was one of my favorites. She seamlessly went from caring, loving, abusive mother to Disney hooker and back again.
Gina was a very important character, and Laura Jacobs had quite a challenge ahead of her when she took this role. By the end of the play we have to wonder who the protagonist was: Eldon, this total loser whose life gets revived by this opportunity (and, subsequently, extinguished) or Gina, a struggling producer at the end of her rope who is willing to do anything to save her career. As far as drive goes, Gina seems to have the most, literally sacrificing a human being to stay afloat. When I read the play, I saw lots of dips and dives in her character, lots of struggles. Would she really go through with it all? Does she ever really care about Eldon, or is Eldon just another step up the ladder? The words seem to suggest this struggle, but I don't think I saw it the whole time in Laura's performance. She was certainly excellent, I'm not denying that -- but there were times when I was left wondering if the character on stage had gone through any struggle or change from the beginning. She seemed to be the same throughout the whole play, like she knew everything that was going to happen from the start, and I think the character could've lent itself to more struggle with the matters at hand. Maybe that's what she intended, maybe it was the direction, I don't know -- I'm just sayin'.
The actors worked great together in the smaller, more intimate scenes -- 2 characters, 3 at most -- but whenever they were all together it seemed a little chaotic and lacking focus. A few scenes (the hospital scene in particular) seemed less rehearsed than others, and I just wasn't sure what I was supposed to be paying attention to. Maybe they were trying to play with chaos, that crazy reality-show-disorder, but I think in a play you should never leave the audience wondering if you'd rehearsed enough. Improv is one thing, but I just expected it to be a little tighter from 3 weeks or more of rehearsal.
Then again, they didn't even really get their stage at The Met til, what, a week before opening? I know this because they worked the majority of their rehearsal time at my space (and I assume without many, if any, props and set pieces.) Bearing that in mind, I think they did a great job with the time and resources they had.
This got a lot longer than I thought it would, so I'll wrap it up by saying that I did love the show despite my minor criticisms. I'm new to the whole professional world of theater and maybe what I'm saying is petty or out of line, but these are just my personal observations and feelinsg. Overall, the show was excellent, and I really look forward to seeing more what Relevance Productions has to offer in the future.
Cheers,
Corbin
