Posted by Mark Harvey on November 17, 2008 8:14 AM|Permalink
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“A dramatic musical inspired by history�
By: Rachel Jane Swedburg
Asylum: The Strange Case of Mary Lincoln is the story of Mary Lincoln’s insanity trial, and what followed set to a musical background. It is a desperate and compelling tale that follows Mary Lincoln as she discovers that her own son, Robert Lincoln, is responsible for her false diagnosis of insanity. The small cast size is perfect to evoke the intimate and dramatic feel of this production. The musical score compliments the emotions of the characters as it portrays through music what cannot be expressed in words.
Directed by Dennis Lamberson, Central Lakes College’s production of Asylum was an intimate portrayal of Mary Lincoln’s story. Set in an arena style theater, with a seating of only 50, it would be difficult to find a more intimate setting for this production.
Marked by a simple yet effective set, this 1800’s style production’s set was well placed to emphasis its production. The 9 foot by 9 foot circular stage held only a small lounge chair, two antique tables and two old chests. Throughout the audience and around the circular stage, various antique chairs, and side tables decorated the room. This simple move removed the typical dividing “line� between actor and audience. Unlike any other production I have seen, there was no separation between the audience’s arena and the casts. Antique photographs and frames littered the room covering the walls and stage. Each photo was like a memory, giving the audience a glimpse into the “insane� mind of Mary. I was impressed by the way the set drew the audience in and set the time and place for the production, almost with out effort.
The lighting was used very effectively as the only indication of a scene change. This was done through various colors, intensities and movement of the lights. However, the lighting on the characters was not ideal. First, the green and blue colors were too intense on the characters faces, often causing color distortion. There were also odd angled shadows on characters when they were not standing on the circular stage. This caused some distraction for the audience.
The costuming was very effective. It showed the times with its heavy dose of fabrics and bulky shapes. It also displayed a grieving attitude with its dark colorings. All in all the costuming was very well done and consistent with both the characters, times and theme of the play.
Due to the intimate seating and close spaces of this production, on many levels the sound was clear and simple. However, I was surprised by the difficulty the audience had hearing some of the characters. It is possible that because of the small room the sound technician assumed the sound levels did not need to be as loud as in some other theater settings. Although much of the performance was clear and easy to hear, there were definitely some areas where the sound could have been turned up a bit.
With such an intimate set, and story, it seems fitting that the characters be intimate as well. Central Lakes Community College’s production of asylum continued with the intimate themes of this play. Nine actors portray the key characters in the story on Mary Lincoln. Mary, played by Bri Keran, was portrayed at as a strong woman through not only her acting, but also her voice. Robert, played by Joe Wall, was an intense and manic character with almost frightening vocals. Since these two characters spend the majority of the play on center stage and singing, it was important that they were strong presences. If there was one challenge I could offer to the actors of this production it would be enunciate. Although the acting was well done, many of the lines lost their final words because they where not well enunciated.
After viewing in depth each aspect of this production, on the whole, there is very little to critique. Central Lakes Community College’s production of Asylum was well done and very moving. I truly enjoyed the intimate seating and it’s positive effect on the production.
Comments
“A dramatic musical inspired by history�
By: Rachel Jane Swedburg
Asylum: The Strange Case of Mary Lincoln is the story of Mary Lincoln’s insanity trial, and what followed set to a musical background. It is a desperate and compelling tale that follows Mary Lincoln as she discovers that her own son, Robert Lincoln, is responsible for her false diagnosis of insanity. The small cast size is perfect to evoke the intimate and dramatic feel of this production. The musical score compliments the emotions of the characters as it portrays through music what cannot be expressed in words.
Directed by Dennis Lamberson, Central Lakes College’s production of Asylum was an intimate portrayal of Mary Lincoln’s story. Set in an arena style theater, with a seating of only 50, it would be difficult to find a more intimate setting for this production.
Marked by a simple yet effective set, this 1800’s style production’s set was well placed to emphasis its production. The 9 foot by 9 foot circular stage held only a small lounge chair, two antique tables and two old chests. Throughout the audience and around the circular stage, various antique chairs, and side tables decorated the room. This simple move removed the typical dividing “line� between actor and audience. Unlike any other production I have seen, there was no separation between the audience’s arena and the casts. Antique photographs and frames littered the room covering the walls and stage. Each photo was like a memory, giving the audience a glimpse into the “insane� mind of Mary. I was impressed by the way the set drew the audience in and set the time and place for the production, almost with out effort.
The lighting was used very effectively as the only indication of a scene change. This was done through various colors, intensities and movement of the lights. However, the lighting on the characters was not ideal. First, the green and blue colors were too intense on the characters faces, often causing color distortion. There were also odd angled shadows on characters when they were not standing on the circular stage. This caused some distraction for the audience.
The costuming was very effective. It showed the times with its heavy dose of fabrics and bulky shapes. It also displayed a grieving attitude with its dark colorings. All in all the costuming was very well done and consistent with both the characters, times and theme of the play.
Due to the intimate seating and close spaces of this production, on many levels the sound was clear and simple. However, I was surprised by the difficulty the audience had hearing some of the characters. It is possible that because of the small room the sound technician assumed the sound levels did not need to be as loud as in some other theater settings. Although much of the performance was clear and easy to hear, there were definitely some areas where the sound could have been turned up a bit.
With such an intimate set, and story, it seems fitting that the characters be intimate as well. Central Lakes Community College’s production of asylum continued with the intimate themes of this play. Nine actors portray the key characters in the story on Mary Lincoln. Mary, played by Bri Keran, was portrayed at as a strong woman through not only her acting, but also her voice. Robert, played by Joe Wall, was an intense and manic character with almost frightening vocals. Since these two characters spend the majority of the play on center stage and singing, it was important that they were strong presences. If there was one challenge I could offer to the actors of this production it would be enunciate. Although the acting was well done, many of the lines lost their final words because they where not well enunciated.
After viewing in depth each aspect of this production, on the whole, there is very little to critique. Central Lakes Community College’s production of Asylum was well done and very moving. I truly enjoyed the intimate seating and it’s positive effect on the production.
Posted by: Rachel Jane Swedburg | November 18, 2008 3:08 PM