Oberon is a muscular and at times menacing presence, intent on having his own way by any means necessary. Titania (Frances Price) inhabits her role with beauty and elegance befitting her status as Queen of the fairies, the embodiment of reasonableness and assured dignity.
But the centerpiece of the play is, as it must be, Titania-Oberon. The Fairies are an enticing mixture of spices, especially Mote (Hannah Woodsum), who gets a cameo role cavorting cheerily with Puck. Puck is the most vivacious of all, played with crackling relentless nervous energy by Bobby Imperato. Brian Moyer shines as Bottom with his wonderfully hammy acting as Pyramus, especially in his masterfully drawn-out death.
#Footlight club jamaica plain ma full
The young Athenians are full of quirky conflict, completely believable as young lovers and would-be lovers, with Helena and Hermia (Lisa Dempsey and Jen Bean) delightful. Director Caitlin Lowans has chosen an energetic reading with physical presence and dynamic movement central to its appeal, and this is achieved without losing textual clarity. The set is sparse and other-worldly pale: three ghostly trees with filmy draperies make a triangle that frames the action. Players enter and leave by all the aisles and doors, and sometimes sit among the audience (as Midsummer has a play within a play). For the first time in many years, the FLC theater has been reconfigured in the round. I saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream last night. But there was a large individual bathroom available on the first floor as well as the more public but still rather roomy gendered restrooms. My best guess is that they may not be entirely handicap accessible since there are a handful of steps at the entrance to the building, and I didn’t notice any elevator. But only water is allowed into the theater upstairs. Concessions are conveniently priced at a dollar apiece whether for a bottle of water, a soda, a bag of chips or a candy bar. Some rows were flat on the ground while others in the back were raised a tad on wooden risers. Seats were a bit old and worn, but just comfy enough. I watched «Monty Python’s SPAMALOT» and was completely entertained! The actors gave it their all, and the sets and costumes were just fine. Five shows are scheduled for the current season with show times on Fridays, Saturdays, and sometimes Sundays. Parking is street parking (read the signs) or at the public lot behind the «Blanchard’s» which is located on on Centre St. The Footlight Club is «America’s Oldest Community Theater» having «performed every year since 1877» at their location in Eliot Hall on a small residential street in Jamaica Plain off Centre Street. If you are ever in this corner of the world with a hankering to support amateur theater, I recommend Footlight Club for some of the best. They pull absolutely no punches, pulling out all of the stops to entertain audiences in their historic /dated building. Footlight Club shows are definitely great. They also shy away from no content, artistically playing rape scenes in the same show as a song, and dance number.
The directors definitely pushed the performers to put on a good show rather than going through the motions to put on just any show. Most recently I saw their production of Batboy, and was thoroughly impressed with their performers, and vocalists.
Footlight Club seems to attract some really high level, amateur talent. That felt a little overpriced to me, but what can you do? Community theaters love to ask for money.
#Footlight club jamaica plain ma upgrade
Fun fact: during my show the producers introduced the show by asking for $ 200k in donations to upgrade the 200 or so seats in the theater. They work well enough for supporting your body long enough to watch a show, and are not uncomfortable while they do it, but they are definitely not the latest, and greatest in seating technology. The seats are really old, worn, and heavily cushioned. The rest rooms, and tickets sales are on the first floor with a flight of stairs up to the theater on the second. It is not far removed from being from a church, or a black box theater. All of these things remain true of Footlight Club except for the production values, which are awesome. I always find community theater suspect, because production values are usually pretty low, and they make a point of asking for donations on top of your ticket price. I have seen two shows at the Footlight Club so far, and I am definitely a fan.
0 kommentar(er)
