Tag Archives: Falcon Theatre

Cathy Roesener as Nat, Katie Groneman as Izzy, Tara Williams as Becca & Ted J. Weil as Howie. Photo by Tammy Cassesa.

RABBIT HOLE presented by Falcon Theatre through April 8. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening Thursday preview performance.

The impact of a devastating loss drives the story in Falcon’s penultimate production of the season. Director Tracy Schoster deftly leads the five-person ensemble through the emotional minefield of grief, guilt and “what ifs”.

Cathy Roesener as Nat, Katie Groneman as Izzy & Tara Williams as Becca. Photo by Tammy Cassesa.

Tara Williams is strong in her portrayal of Becca, the mother who has lost her young son. Williams uses Becca’s grief as a barrier between her and the outside world as she struggles to come to terms with her new status quo. Her isolation has her family walking on egg shells and her husband emotionally adrift.

As Becca’s sister Izzy, Katie Groneman finds a good balance as the maturing “wild child” of the family. Her energy was a great balance to the heaviness of the subject matter. In fact, I wouldn’t have minded her taking the character up one more notch performance-wise.

Ted J. Weil does well playing Howie, Becca’s husband who is searching for an emotional connection to process his grief — a connection he can’t make with his wife. Howie comes off as strongly grounded, but I would have liked a bit more vocal variety in the performance to give us more insight into the character.

Cathy Roesener is strong as Nat, Becca and Izzy’s mother, who has the tendency to speak before she thinks. The scene between Becca and Nat in the child’s bedroom was spot on and really allowed the characters to reconnect. Unfortunately, the small performance area made the scene visually static.

Tara Williams as Becca & Evan Blanton as Jason. Photo by Tammy Cassesa.

Evan Blanton does well as Jason, the young man who plays a role in the tragedy. I would have liked to have seen Jason’s youthful enthusiasm and awkwardness carry him away a bit further, which would help make his more somber moments stand out more.

I think the family dynamic and the relationships between the characters worked really well. It was honest, believable, and emotionally rooted. During some of the confrontation scenes, I wasn’t hearing the grief in the actors’ voices that was fueling the anger. Without that, the scenes lost a bit of their depth.

The pacing was strong, but there were several times where the scene could have used one or two beats to give some of the lines a bit of weight, allowing the words to hit and do damage. The incident with the videotape as well as Becca’s harshness in her scene with Nat were two moments that could have benefited by not being so rushed. The same is true for the “apology” between Becca and Nat later in the show; had they just let it be a moment, the audience could have see and appreciated it.

I’m not sure how it is written in the script, but I think Jason’s entrance may have had more of an impact if the audience didn’t see him prior to his first interaction with the cast. Regardless, during the reading of the letter, my complete focus was on Becca. With the dim lighting directly above the actress, it was difficult to see her face. More body movement from Williams would help the audience understand the impact the letter had on her.

Tara Williams as Becca & Ted J. Weil as Howie. Photo by Tammy Cassesa.

When Becca does finally reach out to Howie, his lack of reciprocation left me with the impression that there were still problems ahead for the couple. A more positive response would have made me feel more hopeful for the pair.

Overall, the production was emotionally strong and true, especially for anyone who has suffered through a loved one’s sudden and unexpected passing. Tissues recommended.

“At some point, it becomes bearable.” -Nat

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.

Craig Branch as Ronsome Foster, Derek Snow as Jim Mosten & Erin Carr as Hallie Jackson.

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE presented by Falcon Theatre through Feb. 11. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening Saturday performance.

To the best of my recollection, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE is only the second play I’ve attended that was set in the Old West. My dad was a huge John Wayne fan, but I don’t remember seeing the film as a kid, so I’ll leave it to someone else to tell you how it stacks up against the movie.

In this cast, Craig Branch does well as fish-out-of-water Ransome Foster, an Easterner passing through town on his way West who gets waylaid by the title character. As bar owner Hallie Jackson, Erin Carr is completely believable as a strong-willed woman with little experience in the ways of the heart.

Craig Branch as Ransome Foster & Allen R. Middleton as Bert Barricune.

Allen R. Middleton is pitch perfect as Bert Barricune, the hard-nosed cowboy with a well-hidden heart of gold. Derek Snow’s Jim (Reverend) Mosten, is a kind, gentle soul who’s easily likeable and provides a great emotional impact to the play. The relationships between these four characters are well-defined and believable.

Eleventh hour addition to the cast, Paul Morris, is spot-on as the villain of the piece, Liberty Valance. His entrance near the end of Act I completely changes the mood of the show. As Marshal Johnson, I would have liked to have seen stronger character choices from actor Terry Gosdin. As portrayed, the Marshall’s personality and temperament seem out of place in comparison to the other residents of this frontier town.

Ed Cohen is a great choice for the Narrator, but I do think that placing him seated at a table upstage right table is a weak choice to engage the audience. The line delivery was low, conversational, and partly addressed to his table mate. If you are the narrator and break the fourth wall, then be the narrator and break the fourth wall. Nathan Tubbs, Paul Kerford Wilson and Jay Dallas Benson nicely round out the ensemble.

Erin Carr as Hallie Jackson & Allen R. Middleton as Bert Barricune.

Director Tara Williams has a good eye for motivated movement and setting stage pictures. I did feel that the space downstage right was underutilized with the show being center and stage left heavy. The biggest struggle with the show for me was the pacing. There seems to be this unwritten rule that people of the Old West talk…real…slow….and there were times when this was true in this production as well. Quicker line pickups would have also helped, as not every cue line needs a reaction. This is especially true in the final pages of Act II, which as written drags out the reveal that the audience has already figured out. As performed, it seems to run about ten minutes longer than it should.

The set works well for the most part and I really enjoy the look of the reclaimed wood. The rocking chair seems like an odd choice for a saloon and actors struggled to get around it. Another awkward moment was trying to get the casket off stage after the initial scene. Although I couldn’t see the exit downstage left, it was easy to hear the modern door hardware.

Overall, a solid Western with great characters and a romance or two that will only get stronger in its final two weeks.

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.