Category Archives: Reviews

October 25, 2018 · 4:26 pm

THE MAN-BEAST Review

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Jennifer Joplin as Virginie & Jim Hopkins as Jean. Photo by Dan R. Winters Photography.

THE MAN-BEAST presented by Know Theatre of Cincinnati through Nov. 10. Click here for a synopsis and more information on the production. I attended the opening weekend Sunday matinee performance.

Know Theatre of Cincinnati continues its 21st Season, FEAR ITSELF, with a new drama based on the 18th Century legend of the Beast of Gévaudan. Previously produced works  at Know by the playwright Joseph Zettelmaier include All Childish Things (2015) and Pulp (2016).

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Jim Hopkins as Jean & Jennifer Joplin as Virginie. Photo by Dan R. Winters Photography.

Many thanks to director Brant Russell for bringing together what may now be my new favorite on stage couple: Jim Hopkins and Jennifer Joplin. Together the pair are electric to watch as Jean and Virginie, a mismatched pair of social outsiders that find companionship and more in each other’s company. Despite their physical differences, Joplin’s character is every bit the equal to Hopkins’ Jean. Their performance styles are very compatible and their chemistry so natural that I almost forgot it was a monster tale. One small complaint would be that I did lose the dialogue a couple of times when Hopkins’ character bellowed quickly.

This intimate and engaging show works well in the Underground space. Russell makes great use of the play area and elicits great character work from the two actors. Every moment rings authentic and I found myself rooting for the unlikely couple. The choreography by fight director Jonn Baca gives the show a great physicality and is very convincing; no small feat considering how close the audience is to the action.

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Jim Hopkins as Jean & Jennifer Joplin as Virginie. Photo by Dan R. Winters Photography.

The set design by Andrew J. Hungerford is perhaps the most ambitious to date downstairs. I loved the weight of it with all the dark wood and stone. It was fun to see Jean constantly bump into items hung for the convenience of the much shorter Viriginie. The lighting design (also by Hungerford) and sound design by Doug Borntrager only enhances the atmosphere of the piece. I was also very pleased with the taxidermy designed by Mara Tunnicliff. Great to see items so essential to the plot executed so well.

Picky picky: When so much work is done to set the mood and period it was disappointing to see (and hear) the caster wheels used on one of the pieces. It was also mentioned to me that from some seats the lighting instruments were visible within the fireplace. It was such a great effect from my seat that I would hope every audience member would have the same experience.

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Jennifer Joplin as Virginie & Jim Hopkins as Jean. Photo by Dan R. Winters Photography.

Overall, an engrossing tale, smartly written and directed only enhanced by the wonderful performances of the two leads. A perfect tale for the season without the gore or body count.

My rating: 4.75 out of 5.

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.

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October 25, 2018 · 2:34 pm

MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY Review

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Andrew Fallaize as Arthur de Bourgh & Ayana Workman as Mary Bennet. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY presented by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park through Nov. 10. Click here for a synopsis and more information on the production. I attended the opening night performance.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park continues its 2018-19 Marx season with an imagined sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In this production, the focus shifts to the bookish middle Bennet sister, Mary.

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John Ford-Dunker as Charles Bingley, Andrew Fallaize as Arthur de Bourgh & John Keabler as Fitzwilliam Darcy. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Ayana Workman is endearing as Mary Bennet who is struggling to be recognized as the woman she is becoming and not as the young sister who was left behind. Bookish and factually blunt, she finds an intellectual soul mate in Arthur de Bourgh, well-played by Andrew Fallaize. The pair are supported by a strong ensemble. The closeness of the sisters and the connections between the extended family members work well and rang emotionally true.

Director Eleanor Holdridge does a great job of bringing these emotional connections and the humor of the script to the forefront. The production is nicely paced and well-staged. That being said, I did feel that Lydia Wickham was a bit too broad in the first act, coming off a bit more caricature than character. Arthur’s checked exit near the end of the show had him upstage of the set’s columns, blocking him from view for a portion of the audience.

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Ayana Workman as Mary Bennet, Maribel Martinez as Jane Bingley, Marina Shay as Elizabeth Darcy & Mia Hutchinson-Shaw as Lydia Wickham. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Visually the show is stunning thanks to the set design by John Coyne and the costumes design work of Helen Q. Huang. The wigs worked well for the most part although Arthur’s looked, well…like a wig from the audience and held the crease from his hat for most of the show.

Overall, a charming and funny romantic comedy that should appease Austen fans, but is easily appealing to all.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.

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October 18, 2018 · 4:43 pm

1984 Review

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Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

1984 presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through Nov. 3. Click here for a synopsis and more information on the production. I attended the opening night performance.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its 2018-19 season with a a new adaptation of George Orwell’s 1949 novel. The original production of this work premiered in England at the Nottingham Playhouse in 2013. It was created and directed by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan.

Well, THAT was disturbing.

There is much to absorb in this taunt 101 minute intermission-less dive into a dystopian world of never-ending war, alternative facts, and government-sanctioned surveillance. The story centers around Winston Smith, an unassuming worker at the Ministry of Truth, responsible for re-writing historical records to match the government’s “official” version. In a personal act of rebellion, Smith begins to secretly write in a diary criticizing the government.

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Justin McCombs as Winston Smith & Sara Clark as Julia. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

As Smith, Justin McCombs is easily likable yet carries the weight of Winston’s isolation in his performance. Perhaps that is why he is so eager to connect with Julia, played with an underlying paranoia by Sara Clark. The two play well off of each other and convincingly handle the intimacy of their relationship. I did feel there were times when Winston seemed to acquiesce to Julia, instead of owning his decisions. Jeremy Dubin is pitch perfect at the enigmatic O’Brien. The cast is supported well by the hardworking ensemble including young Agatha Hickerson who holds her own with the veterans.

Justen N. Locke’s cold, industrial set design works well in defining the world the characters live in, but also offers a canvas ideal for the projection work. I was very impressed by the versatility of the set as it moves into the final scenes of the show. The multimedia design by Brave Berlin, the Founding Creative Directors of Blink and LumenoCity, is incredibly impactful in bringing this world under the eye of “Big Brother” to omnipresent life.

If there is a weakness to the script, it is trying to cover so much territory in such a short period. With the passage of time so unclear, love and trust seem to develop a bit too quickly in a world that greatly lacks both. For those not familiar with the book, the quick transitions from one locale to the next could cause the location of the scene to be unclear to the audience. Also, I would not have minded having the major scene be a bit more uncomfortable for the audience to watch and to see the actor carry and compound the pain as the scene progresses. O’Brien taking a big step upstage would also improve the sight-line for those sitting audience right.

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Justin McCombs as Winston Smith and Jeremy Dubin as O’Brien. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Overall, a truly disturbing production that never allows you to gain your mental footing. This production also features some of the strongest video work I’ve seen on stage.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.

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October 17, 2018 · 4:21 pm

ST. NICHOLAS Review

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Bruce Cromer as Man. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

ST. NICHOLAS presented by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati through Oct. 28. Click here for a synopsis and more information on the production. I attended the opening Saturday performance.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati continues its 2018-19 season with a special performance event that is perfect for the Halloween season. An eerie one-man show about a theater critic [the horror!] and some vampires.

All joking aside, Bruce Cromer is completely engaging as Man, an Irish journalist recounting the sins of his life and the events that lead him to an unexpected relationship with the creatures of the night. As usual, Cromer brings a great physicality to the role that is very enjoyable to watch. Director Brian Robertson keeps the show well paced, makes great use of the entire play area, and emphasizes the wit and humor of the script.

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Bruce Cromer as Man. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

The simple set and smart lighting designs, both by Brian c. Mehring, easily meet the needs of the far-traveling script. Matt Callahan’s sound design also does much to add to the eerie atmosphere of the piece. Stormi Mac’s design and the small changes to Cromer’s wardrobe over the course of the show are very effective.

Overall, an engaging tale both well-told and well-presented.

My rating: 4.75 out of 5.

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October 12, 2018 · 3:47 pm

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR Review

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Photo by Mark Lyons.

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR presented by UC College-Conservatory, closed Oct. 7. Click here for a synopsis and more information on the production. I attended the Saturday matinee performance.

UC College-Conservatory of Music kicks off its 2018-19 MainStage season with Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of the 1834 play by Russian dramatist Nikolai Gogol, performed by CCM Acting.

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Carter LaCava as Ivan Alexandreyevich Hlestakov & Zoe Cotzias as Marya. Photo by Mark Lyons.

The two-sided, storybook set design by Lindsey Purvis impressed and worked really well for the production. The wig and make-up design by Kelly Yurko, combined with the wonderful costumes designed by Dean Mogle, made for a visually interesting and diverse set of characters. Regarding the make-up execution, I’m assuming the actors were responsible for their individual looks and were successful for the most part. The blending of some of the age lines could have used a bit more finesse here and there, but nicely done on the whole.

I was impressed with the character work by the ensemble. It was fun watching them find that mixture of over-the-top yet believable characters within the confines of the play. That being said, it could have been fun to see Ivan a bit more of a slave to his vices. This was the first time seeing this production and I thought the final reveal worked well. The intercepted letter at the end of the show did reveal a few plot points that didn’t necessarily come across in the performance. I was surprised to learn that The Mayor and the School Principal had known each other for 40 years. Visually they did not look like contemporaries to me. I also found the description of the Mayor’s wife in the letter as a woman with her best years behind her to be at odds with her on stage appearance.

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Carter LaCava as Ivan Alexandreyevich Hlestakov, Graham Rogers as the Mayor, Reid Robison as Bobchinsky & Trey Peterson as Dobchinsky. Photo by Mark Lyons.

I did find the pacing of the performance to be a bit sedate. Part of this was due to slow pickups among the cast, almost as if they were waiting for expected laughs. The structure of the show seemed to add to this problem. For example, several cast members, in succession, had an audience with the “government inspector.” As performed in the matinee, scenes came across more as individual vignettes instead of one scene flowing immediately into another.

Overall, an entertaining piece highlighted by smart character work and supported by a very strong design team.

My rating: 4.25 out of 5.

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.

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