Hand to God at The Unicorn 9.8.16

Last night I watched Hand to God by Robert Askins at The Unicorn Theatre. The Unicorn's calling card is a play or musical with heart that has been put into a blender with some methamphetamines. Everything is just a little off base. In this case, a puppet has become possessed in a church basement and has taken over a young boy named Jason (Bob Linebarger).

I don't know where Mr. Bob Linebarger has been, but the boy needs help and to do these things more often. He plays not only himself, but the psychotic puppet Tyrone, to perfection. It is scary good. There is a scene, I can't ruin it for you but it is worth all the prices of admission from now until the end of time, where Jessica (Mariem Diaz) is playing puppets with Jason. Jessica wrangles her puppet Jolene while Jason wrangles Tyrone. The audience was dying. We couldn't stop. We couldn't hardly let the actors finish their scene. It got awkward how long they just stood there. Just go watch that scene. I swear on the graffiti wall of a church basement.

Now I think Pastor Greg (Marc Liby) is just adorable. I think he's just the cutest since I saw him in Hands on a Hardbody. He can hold his own as the relatively normal force in this cast of crazies. Whenever he is on the docket, watch him. He's very changeable, so it's hard to recognize him from show to show. I love him.

Heidi Van (Margery) I have not seen act before. I was an idiot and didn't see Marilyn/God at the Fishtank. She is an actor, creator, producer and extremely well respected in Kansas City. She's also fucking AHMAZING. Sweet lord the scene in the office with Matthew J. Lindblom (Timmy) also had the audience rolling. Margery could have been a character written off as a caricature, but Heidi Van is too much of an expert for that. Margery had depth and tilted the show around her. And for someone to steal attention from a demonic god damn puppet is a masterpiece of epic proportions.

Kansas City. Only in Kansas City. My friend turned to me and said "Hey, wasn't Matthew J. Lindblom in that rap musical about Lupis?" Yes. Only in Kansas City. One month you're in scrubs rapping about Lupis for KC Fringe, the next month you're strutting around with some of KC's finest in the most hilarious show of the season. You've made it, kid.

The sets and puppets were incredible. Emily Swenson and Sarah White created something living and changeable that was a masterclass in small space design and quick change. All scene designers need to check out the work they did for the quick changes. It was amazing and innovative.

This one can't be missed. Don't be an idiot. Go see it. You'll never look at puppets the same way again.

Fire in Dreamland and Bree

As part of the new works festival, tonight I saw Fire in Dreamland by Rinne Groff, starring Bree Elrod. Last Saturday as part of the festival I saw Michelle T. Johnson's play reading "Rights of Passage." A few months ago I had seen "Lot's Wife" while it was still in workshop. I am mixing everything together and it may not make sense, but, my overall point is that it is an amazing time to be part of Kansas City Theatre. There are new works being created and new works being accepted this season by the Unicorn as part of the National New Play Network. It is a place of creation, and if I may be so bold, it reminds me of the environment Mamet talks about in his book "Theatre" - everyone working together and creating for hours and hours, demanding perfection simply out of the sheer number of hours put in. It is incredible to watch new works be workshopped and born, to change and modify over time, and to watch actors develop their roles. It is glorious. And there is a wonderful group in Kansas City doing this. Right now. 

It was surreal watching Bree. I knew it would be, as I think the last time I saw her was 15 years ago in Harbach for Treacherous Journey. In the same creative vein of making and re-creating a work, actors put the hours and the time into their craft. She was always brilliant in college. Young 20s, we knew she had it. I still remember her acting this monologue where she had to pretend to act on the phone, her comedic timing was impeccable, a skill the rest of us took years to learn. As when I went on vacation to watch Kate Berry act, I had a little bit of sadness. For the past 15 years, they'd been continually working in theatre since school, while I'd put it away in a drawer since that's not something I thought I was allowed to do. I thought to myself, they've grown their craft over all these years, and I'm so behind. Look at how magnificent they are. 

Though the sadness is there from missed time, I've been working on making up for it since 2014, when I got a restart. Why are you always writing like you're running out of time. For some reason, I feel oddly competitive to those I went to school with and others in Kansas City. It is not a bitter jealousy of my 20s, or a stuck hopelessness of my 30s, but a woman nearing her 40s who knows there is a limit to time and how many stories you can create in one lifetime.

With this, let us all create new work. 

Spinning Tree Theatre's 5th season closer of AMADEUS

On Wednesday, May 4th I didn't go to a Star Wars themed wedding (as one does) but instead I attended Amadeus - put up by Spinning Tree at The Arts Asylum. Salieri was the Patron Saint of Mediocrity, but Robert Gibby Brand most certainly is not. When I arrived, the usher and I talked for a bit (and I wish I'd gotten her name) and she said the play was a master class for actors.

She was completely correct. Robert Gibby Brand was masterful, carrying the audience from present time to past. At one point while watching him, I had the distinct thought of "This is why I attend live theatre." I could hear the audience around me, and no one moved in the nearly three hour production. It was spellbinding.

Actors must see him in action.

Beautifully done, the entire production was an introspective journey for an artist. Where does talent and popularity begin? Does one seek fame at any cost? And how does one handle someone who is naturally and beautifully gifted, but who behaves as a self centered child? Is it enough to do good work, or is immortality the goal?

Bravo. This is what theatre is for.

Bond - FR!NGE FESTIVAL KC

I am attending my first Fringe show tonight... Bond at JCCC. Please support Fringe!

Facebook.com/kcfringe

The Ghosts of Lote Bravo at The Unicorn

There are plays that are moving, there are plays that are beautiful. There are plays that are fresh and exciting, and plays that are important.

The Ghosts of Lote Bravo is important.

As La Santa Muerte (Meredith Wolfe) whispers, "I do not judge, I listen," so do we, as the audience, listen and watch without judgement. Who are we to judge if a mother (Vanessa Davis) feels responsible for pushing her daughter to do whatever it took to earn money instead of starving? Who are we to judge a young man (Justin Barron) who sees no options, so he murders instead? Who are we to judge a young woman with the heart of a bull, (Rebecca Muñoz) who will do anything to get a earn her place?

It is beautifully crafted. The play is wrapped around the story of Juanda Cantu losing her daughter, reminiscent for me of the desaparecidos of Argentina. Young women, taken and left for dead, are too frequent in Ciudad Juárez, and we are shown the small steps and decisions that lead to such a disappearance. Life is simply an endurance, and a virginal Saint will not be of help in such dark times. La Santa Muerte, who requires a sacrifice of truth and tequila, is a masterful ally in dark times.

This work should not be missed as the rolling world premiere. My hope is that it will join the lexicon of American works. It is an important story.

HeLa by Jessie Salsbury - at Knox College

Peibulu Koroye was amazing playing the multiple women characters in my one act play - Henrietta Lacks, her daughter, the researcher and the medical assistant. She is a first year student, and I was honored that she chose to be a part of my play. After the play we hugged each other and I started crying - completely out of the blue. It was surreal how proud I am of her. I was watching her and I honestly wondered if I was going to pass out - my vision went blurry on the outside. It is absolutely strange to see someone take words you've written at home, typed out and fussed over in a workshop with friends, and watch an actress take those words and create different characters from them.

I did my best to enjoy it and not critique my writing. I listened for parts where the audience was not understanding or where they would've gotten bored with rustling in their seats or moving around, but I didn't hear anything in particular. It was surreal, to sit in the studio theatre where I had hung lights, completed set designs, painted sets, spent most of my four years, and my first play put up in that space was nearly 20 years after I had graduated.No words. Awesome. It was surreal seeing it and watching other people watch it, and listening to other people talk about. I was floating out of my body. I watched Robin Metz half the time to see his reactions. Talked to Professor Robin Metz afterwards and I said "you saw my play!" He said he was happy to see it. I just can't believe it.

I am honored to be a part of telling Henrietta Lacks' story, and I am honored that a first year student was given a chance to shine in this role. I hope she is given many more opportunities to act if she chooses, as she's proven that she can handle a difficult task with easy and conviction. I am extremely proud.

The Whale - The Unicorn Theatre

The Whale was beautifully done and masterfully written. It was difficult to stomach, at times, so be prepared if you have a weak gag reflex. One of the audience members next to me almost lost it during on of the more graphic scenes dealing with food. 

We all have addictions. It can be food, drugs, religion, alcohol or smoking. Our addictions take a toll on us physically, and the pain we feel we try to control chemically with a variety of methods. The Whale explores all of this, along the back drop of a very sad man who is dying under his 600 pound frame. He urges his students to write the truth and tell the truth, all while hiding alone in his grief. 

It's a painful play to watch, whether or not you can relate to the body and weight issues addressed in the play. It forces the observer to decide if they will be authentic, honest and true, or if they will hide. Hiding can take many forms, and uses a variety of vices. 

This one broke my heart, and will stay with me for a very long time. 

How to Steal a Picasso at the Unicorn

How to Steal a Picasso is my first play of 2016...and I'm thrilled it was. This is my second experience with William Missouri Downs, and I've decided his strength lies in telling us a serious truth fed to us in a farce. With Women Playing Hamlet, the lesson was how women have been left out of the theatre space and their decisions related to taking it back. In this work, art is questioned at its core. Is it art for art's sake or is it only valuable if it is consumable? 

Stephanie Demaree's dramaturg research and writing peels away the layers to reveal the true backdrop is the economic downfall of Detrtoit's bankruptcy trials of 2013-2014. The city debated selling its art that was held at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Doing so would flood private collections with this art, but leave it inaccessible to the public. There were rumors of sales of a Van Gogh during this period. 

The backdrop of Detroit is beautifully created with the set. It's detailed and gorgeously conveys a front lawn, insane entrance with poem flags and older home with walls covered in splatter art. Gary Mosby is a master of his craft, but this set is especially gorgeous. The scene and location is essential to the story, and the actors feel grounded and perfectly placed in this locale. With such a busy set and props, lighting can present a challenge. The props were a delight to look at, and Bret Engle (properties) and Sarah M. Oliver (costumes) did an exceptional work in making sure the busyness of their artistic expressions enhanced rather than distracted from the performances. Alex Perry has presented lighting designs that transition easily without being notice. They are a brighter wash that accents the set and moves our eyes to the various locations. David Kiehl had his work cut out for him the ambient noise throughout the production, but it rolled flawlessly with Tanya Brown and her stage management. 

I have never been more thrilled with one cast. It was the second night, so the middle had a bit of a pacing issue, but there is no doubt by Saturday the audience will be following along. Tommy Gorrebeeck (Johnny Smith) has made his Unicorn debut, and he's shown tremendous humor and emotional range. You know how much I love Katie Kalahurka (Casey Smith). She has transformed her physicality and voice timbre again. She uses the building blocks of the craft to build her characters from the ground up. Walter Coppage (Otto Smith) is synonymous with Kansas City theatre and is the star of the show. I could watch he and Cathy Barnett (Belle Smith) all night long go back and forth. Darren Kennedy (Mr. Walker) was amazingly over the top. 

Visit unicorn.org for tickets.