Tag Archives: Northern Kentucky University

Simon Powell as Mark Antony and Robyn Novak as Cleopatra. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Links to all reviews can be found on the BTC REVIEWS page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my FaceBook fan page. You can receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA presented by Northern Kentucky University through Dec. 11. You can read the show description here.

NKU Theater and Dance takes on, and mostly succeeds, with an ambitious production of this Shakespeare drama. If you plan on attending, you can read the play’s synopsis on Wikipedia to better follow the plot.

Upon entering the Stauss Theatre audience members are greeted by a huge double-raked set, designed by Mark Halpin. One side marbled to represent Rome and the other sand-colored and covered in hieroglyphs to represent Egypt. Also impressive is the Roman seal and the raise-able platform dominating opposing ends of the set. A few times, group entrances on one side of the stage were a bit distracting to the scene on the opposite end.

Bradley Jennings Evans as Octavius Caesar. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

The hard-working cast of 29 does well in maintaining focus and energy throughout the production. With such a large cast, it’s hard to comment on everyone individually.

Overall good work from the leads. A few small observations: I enjoyed the intensity Simon Powell brought to Marc Anthony, but I would have liked to see a little more emotional range. Good emotion and delivery from Bradley Jennings Evans as Octavius Caesar, but he tended to “freeze” during conversations when you weren’t speaking. As Cleopatra, Robyn Novak seemed, at times, to allow her character’s histrionics to cross over into the comedic. Also I thought the portrayal of Cleopatra’s serving maids (Carey Parsons as Charmian and Monica M. Weber as Iras) would have benefited from a bit more grounding in their position as servants. At times they seemed a bit like sorority sisters. There was also some awkwardness in the physical contact between Mark Anthony and Cleopatra during one of their first scenes together.

Seth Wallen as Enorbarbus. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Good, solid work from Seth Wallen as Enorbarbus. Also some great moments in smaller roles which included Jordan K. Pruitt as Eros in his death scene with Marc Anthony and Cynthea Mercado as Seleucus, Cleopatra’s treasurer.

Costumes constructed for the production (designed by Gretchen Vaughn) were successful for the most part.  I can’t say I was a fan of the hooded Roman costume. I would have liked to see some color on Caesar’s initial costume, perhaps some gold fabric or accessories, to break up the white. Also if some adjustments could be made to Decretas’ costume to allow the actor to navigate stairs hands-free.

Overall, a job well-done on a huge undertaking.

Click here for a complete list of show times, articles and other reviews for ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

Simon Powell as Mark Antony & Jordan K. Pruitt as Eros. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

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.

Terrance E. McCraney as John Nevins, Romeo Armand Seay as Sheldon Forrester, Suzanne Sefinatu Ayoka Blunk as Mille Davis, Laura Madden as Judy Sears & Yunina C. Barbour-Payne as Wiletta Mayer.

Links to all reviews can be found on the BTC REVIEWS page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my FaceBook fan page. You can receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

TROUBLE IN MIND was presented by Northern Kentucky University Oct. 2- Nov. 6. You can read the show description here.

Many thanks to Mark Hardy for bringing this script to the NKU stage. The production was well-staged and well-directed. Pacing suffered slightly from slow line pick-ups and when the cast was broken up into smaller groups the transitions from one group to another were a bit abrupt.

Yunian C. Barbour-Payne did an excellent job as Wiletta Mayer. I enjoyed the strength and dignity she gave the character, especially during her “tirade” in the second act.

Travis Black did well in maintaining 73 year-old Henry and giving him emotional weight in his scenes with Wiletta.

Terrance E. McCraney’s John Nevins did come off a bit one-dimensional, and I would have liked to see more difference between Nevins the man and Nevins’ role in the play.

Romeo Armand Seay also did a good job playing the much older character of Sheldon Forrester, but his energy level seemed to drop when Sheldon didn’t have lines.

Laura Madden did well with the role of Judy Sears as the inexperienced actress but I would have liked to have seen her be a bit more genuine in her scenes with John.

Sam Rueff turns in a good performance as Al Manners, but personally I found the John Waters-esque characterization a bit distracting. It seemed to introduce an element that worked against the themes of the script.

Miles Conger does well as Eddie Fenton in his NKU debut.

Chris Bishop’s Bill O’Wray would have benefited a bit from stronger choices for the character. I wanted to see a more of the personal struggle in his interaction with the cast inside the theater and out in the real world.

The costume design by Daryl Harris greatly added to the production and set the period. Personal favorites were the choices made for the characters of Wiletta and Millie.

Bottom line, a thought-provoking well-executed production with a few small hiccups here and there.

Click here for a complete list of show times, articles and other reviews for TROUBLE IN MIND. I would love to hear 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.