Tag Archives: Stone on a Walk Theatre

Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the any page. Blog postings, links and  more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

A HUNDRED MINUS ONE DAY presented Stone on a Walk Theatre through Aug. 29. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening night performance.

For the closing production of their sophomore season, Stone on a Walk  mounts a whimsical and touching little show. During his curtain speech, director John Leo Meuthing shares that he has wanted to stage A HUNDRED MINUS ONE DAY since the first came across it. After seeing it, I understand why.

Mollie Jeanette Amburgey does good work as Jen, the central character, who is dealing with an incurable illness. She creates some nice moments with her father and friend Daphne. I didn’t have a good sense of the physical toll the illness was having on her body, aside from the cough. Maybe finding a bit more to do on the physical side of the character would help.

Playing Daphne, Jen’s childhood friend, is Sara Tripp Swartout. Swartout gives Daphne a great energy, which is impressive considering the character’s layered costumes in the hot performance space. On those rare occasions when Daphne focuses on the conversation and is still, that energy mostly disappears. I would have liked to have seen that excess energy redirected into her body more. Even though Daphne is paying attention, sitting completely still is almost impossible for her. So she fidgets or sways, just something to keep the energy of Daphne up, but redirected.

Jimm Wiedeman makes his stage debut as Dad. He does a nice job, and I liked the character he created. Performance-wise, I would like to see Jimm connect emotionally with his lines more. Try to find an experience from your life that emotionally-resonates with the scene, and use those feelings to accent your speech and movement.

Rounding out the cast is Bryce Morr as Guy who nicely handles his small scene with Jen.

Director Meuthing does well within the limitations of the space. I’m sure even an extra five feet of width would have helped immensely. Given the confines, the show was well staged and moved as freely as it could. I would try to keep actors from being close to, and facing parallel to. the stage right wall. It closes them off to over half of the audience.

These were several issues opening night on the technical side and with the pacing. Most of which were probably dealt with before their second performance.

Overall a fun, quirky and bittersweet script.

My rating: 3.25 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.

Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

MURDER BALLAD presented by Stone on a Walk Theatre

MURDER BALLAD presented by Stone on a Walk Theatre through June 27. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening Saturday performance.

John Leo Muething lauches the sophmore summer season of his Stone on a Walk Theatre with the musical MURDER BALLAD. As the title implies, someone is going to be killed, but this isn’t a “who done it?” It’s a “who’s done in?”

This rock opera employs a small four-person cast of strong singers. Katrina Reynolds impresses as the Narrator. I enjoyed her “front man” persona and she established a fun dynamic with the audience. I liked how Lauren Carr gives Sara a underlying sadness that influences her character’s decision-making. Luka Ashley Carter does well as Tom and has a nice chemistry with Carr. I wouldn’t mind seeing Tom a bit more domineering to Sara at the beginning of the show, and see that return near the end. Montez Uma rounds out the cast as self-made man Michael. Uma brings a more positive energy to the show and handles the role well. The finale/curtain call had a great attitude and energy to it that you should carry through your final weekend of performances.

This was my first trip to Simple Space, a storefront reclaimed as a small (600 sq. foot) event space. A long and narrow room, the show is smartly staged along the long wall. Having the audience that close can be a bit intimidating and I sensed that at times. There were moments when it seemed as if the cast was unsure where to set their gaze when singing out. At times their focus was the wall above our heads or even at the floor. With the intimacy of the space, looking at the audience seemed to work best.

Muething does good work in the staging of the production, and the performances felt right emotionally. There were times when the blocking seemed confined. As if the awareness of the space limitations keeps you from using all the space you do have. With the seating in the round-ish, I would have like to seen more dynamics in the performance. Hard stares, longing looks and emotional pain can be effective, but only if the audience can see your face. Using a bit more body language, shifting your stance or taking a motivated step to change the angle on stage can open you to more of the audience. Just something to think about for this venue.

I believe the music tracks, which sounded good, were of recorded musicians and not synthesized. Orchestrations are credited to Justin Levine. The tracks worked well, but I did find a couple of the transitions between songs to be a bit abrupt. The volume balance was good for the bulk of the show, but I struggled hearing soloists in a few of the quieter moments.

I understand the decision to forego programs. But if you are going to refer patrons to your website for bio information, you may want to be sure that all cast members (poor Montez 🙂 )and production staff are listed and complete.

Overall a solid, enjoyable musical with a talented and charismatic cast. It runs about 90 minutes with no intermission. The intimate space allows for 35 seats per performance, so you may want to get tickets in advance. Fringe festival patrons will feel right at home.

My rating: 3.75 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.