Cadence Theater Company | Oleanna

Oleanna by David Mamet
Cadence Theatre Company
...at Richmond Triangle Players
October 28-November 6
Directed by Anna Senechal Johnson
Starring David Bridgewater and Molly Hood


It’s bittersweet that praise gets out so late in the game, but even so I simply have to applaud the adept Molly Hood, the unsinkable David Bridgewater, and the creative team behind Cadence Theatre Company’s production of David Mamet’s Oleanna, an intriguing play featuring heavy currents of juxtaposition, authority, and liberal interpretations.

As I sat in the Richmond Triangle Players Theatre, the sometimes-home to Cadence, I observed a disappointingly sparse turnout. That small audience, however, was in for quite a treat. The two performers, under the skillful direction of Anna Johnson, navigated Mamet’s masterful words with outstanding commitment, whether a series of stuttered incomplete sentences drenched in subtext, or at other times complete, succinct thoughts that seemed to issue forth from raw animal places. Couple these two powerhouses with simple lighting and set pieces and a plain-but-clear playing space outlined in a painted tile floor, and the stage is set for a match of wits in which neither party leaves unscathed.
Speaking of leaving, I felt myself as a viewer being enrapt in the many efforts Ms. Hood made to leave the office space, wherein she had clear intention to go, but Mr. Bridgewater’s pedantic and sometimes imploring words continued to draw her back into the drama. Oleanna is a play that relies on a certain amount of tension, and this production surely delivers: Mamet’s tense babbling and word gymnastics are used to draw the audience in, while the subject matter causes viewers to sympathize (or not!) with both sides of the issue, and then to question why they do. Only at one point was I lost, and that point was when Ms. Hood’s final lines were uttered, and I was left to question, “What does that mean?” rather than “How do I feel about this?” I would not, though, be opposed to seeing the play one more time to find out!

Having been a Richmond audience member now for three years, I saw something afresh in this production that was revitalizing that I hope to see more of in this market: that an excellent play put in the hands of expert actors, under careful, sensitive direction is truly effective, and that sometimes, less really is more. As a truly satisfied audience member, I hope that more people will turn out to productions by this budding and promising company. To Cadence, I say, quoting Mr. Mamet: “That’s right. Yes. That’s right.”

Review by The Black Cricket

Standing Ovations

I'm not going to lie: standing ovations drive me crazy. It seems like everybody here in the Richmond area gives them out willy-nilly. I go into a theater and sit through a mediocre to good show. The lights go down as the last act comes to a close. The lights come back up and the performers come out for a curtain call. The audience claps and stands in approval. Meanwhile I'm stuck behind a lot of guys standing. I can no longer see the performers because of the people standing in front of me. Why didn't I stand you ask? The answer: I don't believe in just handing out standing ovations. I appreciate the show and the effort that all involved gave, but I just don't think it deserves that high a praise. There is always room for improvement.  (Yes I'm a director who will continue to give small technical notes after opening night. I work in an education setting for goodness sake. Even though you did GREAT. There is always someplace else to take the performance. There is something else to learn. It's about the process rather than the product.)


After seeing a show recently I was discussing this with a good friend and graduate school colleague. She told me that a wise theater person once told her this: "You only get three standing ovations in your life to give out. Use them wisely." This sounds like a good mantra for me to live the rest of my life by. I have handed out a few standing ovations in my life, but they were when I was young and naivete. I'm going to be stingy with them. Realistically I will probably only give out two because when it comes time to give out the third I will find myself unable to give it out in fear that I might come across something better and not be able to give it one.

So from here on out. I'm making a commitment. Three standing ovations. That's it. I'll try to use them wisely.

By T. K. Widmer

Dah Theatre | The Story of Tea.

The Story of Tea was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had. I feel like Dah's shows are less plays or even performances than they are just purely experiences. If you are to sit back and try to cognitively understand The Story of Tea you will come up short, it would take a lifetime to understand the place from where Dah has created the show. However, it is still a beautiful experience. I was moved to tears at different moments through their performance.

The Dah Theatre company was formed in 1991 out of a need for experimental theater in Serbia after the war. Their motto is: "In the contemporary world, destruction and violence can only be opposed by the creation of sense." They hope to oppose destruction with creativity and creation.

Their performance takes a cue from Chekov's famous Three Sisters to deal with various themes of loss. Sometimes how we remember things isn't always they way they were in actuality. Sometimes truth and reality do not equal the same thing. Sometimes Moscow isn't as great as you thought it was. Sometimes you lose what you thought you once had.

I don't think I intellectually understood the show, but I understood it in my soul. I understood it in my heart. I don't know how to explain it. It is very seldom that I find myself at a loss for words. As an English and dramatic literature major, I've made an academic career of knowing what to say. But sometimes there just is not the words. There is only a feeling.

 Dah means "breath." And in a word that is the best way to describe their performance. Not only was the breath of the performers one of the most beautiful parts of the show, the show itself turned out to be a breath of fresh air to the art community here in the states. After the show the audience sat in silence for a couple of minutes before the curtain call, and we left the theater trying to process what we had just seen.

Dah is currently on a tour of the United States. Please catch any and all of their shows if you can.

Dah's Website
US Tour Website

By TK Widmer 

The Beebo Brinker Chronicles | Richmond Triangle Players

The Beebo Brinker Chronicles

by Kate Moira Ryan and Linda S. Chapman

Directed by Noreen C. Barnes.
September 15 – October 9, 2010

Richmond's area LGBT theater comes through again with this campy comedy set in pre-Stonewall  Greenwich Village. The play deals with the lives of Laura and Beth, two women struggling to define and accept their own sexuality. On their journey they meet the mysterious Beebo Brinker and Jack Mann, a flamboyant homosexual.

Aided by stunning performances from theaterVCU's Kerry Mcgee Wilson and Justin Amellio, the beautiful direction of Noreen C. Barnes gives us laughs, slaps, and a whole lot of drinks. The versatile and stunning stage drips of 50's aesthetic, with beautiful facades that have jumped right out a Mondrian painting. The lighting is subtle at times but accents the action onstage beautifully. While the play is a comedy and will have you laughing out loud throughout the play, it touches on some very deep issues that are still quite relevant and enthralling today. With a tale of secret lovers, a beautiful noir staging, and a sharp wit; Beebo Brinker is sure to be a hit.

The Richmond Triangle Player's production of The Beebo Brinker Chronicles opens tonight (September 15th) and runs through October 9th. Tickets 20$-25$.

By TK Widmer 

The Firehouse Theater Project | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe

Go see: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe @ The Firehouse Theater Project in Richmond VA. Got to watch their IDR this week. Good stuff.

Directed by Rusty Wilson. Staring Jonathan Conyers, Larry Cook, Laine Satterfield, and Amy Sproul.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors 65 and older, and $10 for students and RAPT members with ID. Tickets are available by calling the Firehouse box office at 804-355-2001 or visiting www.firehousetheatre.org.

This production runs from Sept. 8-Oct. 2, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. and with selected 4 p.m. pay-what-you-will matinees on Sundays.

We've moved.

The Backstage Door has relocated. The webmaster is now in an MFA program in Richmond VA. So this blog will now cover Richmond VA theater.

Cotton Patch Gospel | Custom Made Theater Co.

Cotton Patch Gospel|
Custom Made Theater Co.
Directed by: Marilyn Langbehn.
Starring: Edward Hightower

I'm a huge fan of the music of Harry Chapin. Not many people know about the genius of Chapin's music, and its a tragedy that he passed in a car accident in 1981. Although the music featured in Cotton Patch Gospel is not Chapin's usual style his vocal and musical influence is felt throughout the piece. Going into Custom Made Theater's performance I was a little apprehensive because of the overtly christian story that Chapin's lyrics tell, and how this would play in a city like San Francisco, but it seemed that that was not the issue with the play.

Instead, the majority of the faults lie in the staging. Even though the next stage is a thrust space the piece was performed in a style that would have been better "in-the-round." The good acting of the lead was negated by the horrible staging as almost half of the time the audience could not see his face. The lighting was subpar, and the other technical values were lacking as well. The actor and the three singers were at times hard to hear because the blue grass accompaniment overpowered them, because the actors were not provided mices.

However, the acting prowess of Edward Hightower makes up for some of the technical follies, and the musicality of Chapin's words and music provide a welcome break from the "show-tunes" fad of our generation. Go and check out this show before it closes next month.

www.custommade.org