Tag Archives: Warsaw Federal Incline Theater

EQUUS presented by Warsaw Federal Incline Theater through April 23. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening Saturday night performance.

Peter Cutler as Nugget & Christopher Carter as Alan. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

The motivations behind a horrific crime power the dark drama EQUUS which closes out the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater’s season. Director Greg Procaccino’s steady hand leads his strong ensemble of nine deftly through the engaging script.

Michael Douglass Hall plays Martin Dysart, the psychiatrist tasked with getting through to the young man who committed the crime. Hall brings a great gravity to the role. Dysart’s weariness with his job specifically and his life in general is evident, but the compassion and desire to heal which lie underneath keep his character forging ahead.

Newcomer Kelsie Rae Slaugh is Hester, a magistrate and friend of Dysart who implores him to help in Alan’s defense. She fears Alan’s lack of cooperation will result in the young man’s conviction. Hester and Dysart’s relationship is believable as both professional and affable.

If I had to use one word to describe Christopher Carter’s performance as Alan, I would have to choose “focused.” Even at his most defiant, you could see Alan’s inner emotional turmoil. Whether it was his tit for tat relationship with Dysart or his budding romantic relationship with Jill, every moment rang emotionally true. Great work.

Rory Sheridan as Frank, Christopher Carter as Alan & Hannah Gregory as Jill. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

I also found Hannah Gregory to be completely honest and believable as Jill. Her chance encounter with Alan leads to the two working together at the stable where the crime ultimately takes place. Their connection and her firm-yet-gentle pursuit of Alan is very well done. Their nudity toward the end of the show is handled tastefully and bravely by the two fully-committed actors.

Rory Sheridan and Martha Slater are strong as Alan’s theologically-opposed parents Frank & Dora. In their performances, it is easy to see how the parents’ beliefs and hypocrisy heavily influenced their son’s formative years.

Also well-handled was the role of the horse, Nugget, portrayed by Peter Cutler. His height and build, in combination with the costume and headpiece struck the right chord. But it was the actors’ commitment during their interactions that really sold the conceit.

Rounding out the strong ensemble are Angela Alexander Nalley as the nurse who works with Dysart and Jim Stump as Dalton, the owner of the stable that employed Alan.

Christopher Carter as Alan & Michael Douglas Hall as Martin Dysart. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

I felt that the various accents were handled well by the actors. For the most part, the pacing was strong but wisely also allowed some key emotionally moments to play out at their own rate.

I enjoyed the set designed by Brett Bowling. The overall shape of the set reminded me of a temple and the repeating cross motif worked well as a visual element. The lighting added clarity to the story-telling as the show jumped between the present and memories of the past. At the performance I attended, there were a few lighting cues that seemed out of place.

Overall an engrossing, well-produced drama.

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.

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW presented by Warsaw Federal Incline Theater through March 5. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening Saturday night performance.

The Cast. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

I imagine staging a musical based on a movie, especially one with such a rabid fan base, would present a challenge in finding that balance between the two mediums. Since I’m not part of the film’s fan base, I’ll be talking about the theatrical side of things.

Vocally I thought the cast was really strong, but unfortunately at the performance I attended, there were several issues working against them. The sound execution was clunky. Mics were not hot on entrances and the balance was off between the orchestra and both the backup and lead vocals. I also felt the tempos on several of the rock-n-roll numbers were too fast which made it hard to understand the lyrics if you don’t know them.

Caroline Schisholm as Janet & Dakota Mullins as Brad. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Matt Krieg does well as Frank-n-Furter, but I would like to have seen him be bigger and take command of the stage. Dakota Mullins was fun to watch as Brad and I felt he had a good sense of the character that he maintained well throughout the zany situations of the show. Solos and group numbers aside, it seemed like the bulk of the ensemble spent most of the show standing in small groups upstage, so they tended to fade into the background. Their blocking seemed tied to their characters’ lines so there were stretches where the show seemed visually stagnant.

The pacing also felt slow to me. It almost seemed like the cast was holding for expected laughs that just didn’t come. Other times cast members would make a long cross and hit their mark before speaking. The audience participation aspect of this performance exacerbated the problem when the video cues for the audience callbacks were late. Some of the comic bits were over-milked in the sense that longer doesn’t always translate into funnier.

Marissa Poole as Magenta, Heather Hale as Columbia, Matt Krieg as Frank-n-Furter, Chris Logan Carter as Riff Raff & Michael Wright as Phantom. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

I enjoyed the multi-level set design by Brett Bowling. It had several fun surprises with the front door being a personal favorite. I also thought the “machine” was visually a great compilation of mixed/matched found objects. Costumes worked well and I thought the similar but different looks of the bustiers across the cast was great. The one “head scratcher” was Frank’s blood-stained smock which looked like he had tried to “Shout” out the blood stain before returning to the stage.

While I understand the decision to present the cast on video during the curtain call, I’d much rather applaud the actual actors who have worked so hard the past couple of hours.

Overall I found the show fun, but at times uneven. If this is your first time experiencing THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, I’d strongly advise you to avoid the audience participation performances. Despite the pre-show warnings, we still wound up with alot of “Brads” in the audience.

My rating: 4 out of 5. If you are a Rocky fan, make it 4.25. With corrected sound issues make that a 4.5.

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.