Category Archives: Reviews

By Katrina “Kat” Reynolds

THE CHOSEN presented by Cincinnati in the Park through May 12th. I attended the opening night performance. 

The cast of THE CHOSEN presented by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Photo credit to Mikki Schaffner.

Way back when I was a practicing Catholic and before I was Jew-ish, I was assigned to read a book in a high school religion class. In all honesty, The Chosen by Chaim Potok did not really pique my interest. I am uncertain if it was my age or my undiagnosed ADHD that served as the culprit, but I was not the book’s biggest fan. Make no mistake: I was thrilled to learn more about the Jewish faith through this story of an unlikely friendship formed between two boys who practiced different types of Judaism – but even after so much time had passed, I was of two minds about attending a stage adaptation. Fortunately for me (and for all of us), Aaron Posner’s adoption of the original text (not to mention his direction of the play itself) is nothing short of perfection.

Set Designer Daniel Conway gifts us with one of the most beautiful and functionally diverse sets ever seen. Complemented with creative and thoughtful lighting designed by Noele Stollmack, the stage is easily transformed from the homes of the boys to a baseball diamond to Reb Saunders’ shul (Yiddish for “synagogue”) and several other settings. Costume Designer Helen Q. Huang perfectly captures the orthodox garb of a Hasid in addition to the era-appropriate clothing of the modern orthodox members.

Mr. Posner’s direction of this extraordinarily talented ensemble of four performing artists is to be commended. Both pacing and use of the playing space are optimal. Further, we as the audience are emotionally invested from very nearly the first moment. In speaking with the lovely patron next to me who asked me at intermission if I was enjoying the show, she offered such a spot-on comment on how she felt about it: “It is as if you can feel the emotions coming off the stage right at you.” I agreed with her and enjoyed this description as it was a palpably impassioned experience.

As our narrator of sorts, Eli Mayer as Reuven Malter does an excellent job at aging right before our eyes by simply altering the way he carries himself throughout the production. Mr. Mayer is relatable and an excellent storyteller. In the role of Daniel “Danny” Saunders, Reuven’s would-be rival and eventual friend, Hillel Rosenshine delivers a top-notch performance of a brilliant yet socially awkward Hasid whose mind seems to be both a blessing and a curse. Mr. Rosenshine matches Mr. Mayer’s physicality in his own character’s journey and it is magical.

Not to be outdone by their on-stage progeny, Steve Routman is affable and paternal as David Malter, Rueven’s empathetic and kind father who encourages the boys to be friends. I do not believe there is a person out there who would not want a father as portrayed by Mr. Routman and I sincerely hope the poor man isn’t accosted by too many hugs after his performances.

While it is difficult to focus on any one actor above the other (truly, they are that good), particular praise must be paid to Ron Orbach as Reb Saunders, the consummate leader of his congregation. Reb’s emotional journey is perhaps the most dramatic of all, even when there are times you may wonder if you can possibly find the character at all sympathetic. So many of the audience’s audible reactions from laughs to “oohs” to tears are due to Mr. Orbach’s impeccable execution. (Fun fact: be sure to read his bio to find out which one of my favourite films from when I was a teen boasts his talents.)

Click here for more information on the production.

By Katrina “Kat” Reynolds

DRACULA presented by Cincinnati Playhouse in the park through March 3. I attended the Opening Night performance. 

The cast of DRACULA. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

It’s no secret: I love the fable of Dracula. I have seen many iterations of the original novel on both screen and stage and am always open to new and exciting interpretations of the age-old text. Therefore, I was thrilled to be in attendance to see the World Premiere of Dracula on the stage of Moe and Jack’s Place (The Rouse Theatre) at Playhouse in the Park.

Penned and directed by Vanessa Severo along with Playhouse’s Associate Artistic Director Joanie Schultz, this isn’t Legosi’s Dracula. Right off the bat (no pun intended), I was intrigued by the creative alterations which challenged gender norms of the early 20^th century. It is easy to wonder, however, if having someone uninvolved in the writing process might have given a different pulse to the action on stage. While the pacing is steady and watchable, the energy is very one-note.

The creative team behind this production deserves every possible word of praise one can muster. Set Designer Yu Shibagaki gives us a beautifully crafted set with moving pieces and incredible attention to detail. Each adaptation of the set can be easily navigated by the actors and tells its own story. Not to be outdone, costume designs by Kathleen Galdard are some of the most stunning works of art you will see on the human body. (Spoiler alert: if I owned the gown Mrs. Westenra dons in the latter portion of the show, I’d not ever take it off.) Complementing the aesthetic of the set and costumes is lighting design by Pablo Santiago and magic/illusion designs by Nate Dendy. No spoilers here, but their contributions create some impressive and memorable moments.

Dracula boasts a strong and mighty ensemble of performing artists. It is an embarrassment of riches to find it difficult to choose only one or two to mention by name, but that is an excellent problem for a reviewer to have. While we do not see nearly enough of what he can offer, Adam Poss is disarmingly charming as the titular Count. He commands the stage effortlessly and could easily cause the most stoic audience member to blush. (It’s me – I’m that audience member.)

It is disappointing Mr. Poss does not get to share any scenes with his devoted familiar Renfield, portrayed by Hamon dot aut. Renfield is a character of whom I’m nearly as fond as I am of Dracula and there have been many impressive portrayals of the attorney-turned-bloodservant. Mx. dot aut’s performance is right up with one of the most innovative and intoxicating.

While I hesitate to critique new works as I fear it might dissuade our community from trying to present them, it must be mentioned that the script certainly needs some work. In fact, I would even suggest a change in the title to Van Helsing as this is far more a tale about the vampire “hunter” than anyone else. The spin put on the character of Van Helsing is a genius move and it deserves to be the center of the piece – but that isn’t what your audience will be expecting when they arrive to see a show named Dracula. Further, I believe many key elements of suspense and dread were glossed over because the playwrights relied too heavily on the fact that everyone already knows the story of Dracula, so why discuss important background? While we definitely saw the charm and hypnotic appeal of the titular character, we saw very little to no reason to fear him and that is a huge loss.

As mentioned before, this is not Legosi’s Dracula: the non-male characters outnumber the male characters in a series of creative twists (although one or two too many variations are introduced and it feels a bit agenda-driven). I believe with some slight reworking and zhuzhing, the obvious intention of female empowerment can be fleshed out and Dracula (or Van Helsing) will have the bite it is currently lacking.

Click here for more information on the production.