Theatrical Review: Original One Act Plays
Review Written by Paul Adam Smeltz
The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA presented The Worthington Players production of the Original One Act Plays who won their 2011 Playwright Competition as part of The Shawnee Original Playwright Series (SOPS). The annual event is a result of inviting playwrights to send in their original works, forming a panel to select the finalist, presenting the chosen plays in a series of staged readings, and tallying the votes received from the viewing audiences to determine which plays will be presented as full productions. This process not only gives a local playwright an opportunity to have his/her work presented on The Shawnee Playhouse stage but also gives the audiences who frequent the venue a chance to experience some new and interesting work.
This year’s selections for the One Act Presentations were a comedy titled, “A Cabin Fit for a King” written by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo and a dramatic piece titled, “The Messenger” by Paul Kodiak. Prior to the performance, I’ve heard one of the playwrights share how the two plays presented together could be considered, “Bi Polar Theater” as they contrast so sharply from one another. As the theatrical experience of the productions drew to a close, the coined phrase took on a profound meaning as reflected upon the audience as they were leaving the theatre.
“A Cabin Fit for a King” is a very light comedy set in (as the title suggests) a cabin located in a secluded area. Four men are utilizing the site as a retreat away from the world and the people in it so they could be just guys for the weekend. Of course, as all best made plans eventually goes, so does this plan when one of the men brings along his girlfriend who is over 20 years younger (he’s 42 and she’s 19) who invites her girlfriend from college to join her who happens to be the daughter of one of the men attending the retreat. A series of comedic incidents ensue ranging from spiders to coffee cans making this a very amusing time at the theatre.
The play was Directed by Juliet Dunham and Stage Manager Nicole Dietze. The cast consisted of Dan Eash as Steve, Patrick Turner as Tony, Steve Mazza as Jeff, Kaitie Kaiser as Jessica, Amanda Kohberger as Patty, and Jerry Depuy as Gary. The acting was quite well done as was the directing each adding an authenticity to the production honoring the work and its authors considerably.
According to the playbill, “A Cabin Fit for a King” is the result of a life long collaboration between Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo who are sisters. While Ms. Luongo (a Novelist) utilized her storytelling skills to create believable characters and plot devices, Ms. McCarroll (an Actress) instilled her knowledge of the mechanics of theatre into the work in order to create a presentational experience enjoyable to its audience. Both have succeeded in their individual endeavors to a significant degree as the play does have a believability and a stage presence suitable for any production.
While “A Cabin Fit for a King” by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo proved to be a humorous experience to lighten the heart, “The Messenger” by Paul Kodiak proved to be a horse of a darker color. The play is set in a prison cell in which a condemned prisoner meets with a priest before his execution. Much of the early utterances of the characters were delivered softly, almost as whispers.
This well crafted technique drew members of the audience deeper into the conversation who soon found themselves closely associated with the cell’s denizens. There were many themes to explore in this confinement as the dialogue revealed more of the characters’ souls whose close proximity gave each discovery a profound impact. To this reviewer, one of the most notable aspects of the play reflected the Messenger concept implied in its title.
In many cultures, a priest of a religion is seen as a human messenger of the Divine. So, when a priest shares a spiritual perception with the religion’s believers, his or her words are to be taken a communiqués from the Divine. Unusually, there is an educational process and an initiation procedure to be instituted before one can be considered qualified to obtain such authority.
In Mr. Kodiak’s play, the priest seeks to perform the role the church has entitled him to which is to hear the confession of the condemned prisoner and grant him some degree of absolution. However, the prisoner refuses to confess his sins until the priest shares his. A resistance on the part of the priest to the reversal of their closely defined roles ensue until he relents allowing himself the freedom to share a part of his past which had confined him most of his life. This act also frees the prisoner as he now knows he can do some good by sharing a message to the deceased whom the priest referred to in his confession. In other words, the priest was a messenger from God and the prisoner became a messenger to God.
This powerful play was directed by Midge McClosky (who also serves as The Shawnee Playhouse Executive Director) as assisted by Shannon Leigh Christmann. The cast consisted of David Schappert as Jimmy, Dante Gavin as Father Michael Keating, and Kevin Hillman as The Guard. The direction was expertly done capturing the subtleties of the work. This was also done by the actors who deftly utilized their voices and tones to bring the audience to an intimate place in which the full strength of the play could be experienced.
The Worthington Players production of the One Act Plays who won their 2011 playwright competition continues its run at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA until Sunday January 15th. Both “A Cabin Fit for a King” by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo and “The Messenger” by Paul Kodiak are theatrical endeavors worthy of praise by any theatergoer. This reviewer is no exception and highly recommends attending these two productions who are very deserving of the opportunity given by The Worthington Players to be seen by an audience.
The Worthington Player were established in 1999 and is the non-musical contingent of the Shawnee Playhouse. They present a variety of semi-professional theatrical productions from January through May working with community members to bring a quality-working atmosphere for those participating in the production and a quality performance for those attending. Their Original Playwright Series is one of the many programs the offer to the community.
In addition to the One Act Plays presented during The Shawnee Original Playwright Series (SOPS), a full length play who won the 2011 playwright competition titled, “Visions of Johanna” written by Ken White will be presented at The Shawnee Playhouse February 4th - 12th. This year’s competition is currently accepting original work until Tuesday January 31st with the Staged Readings for the finalist taking place March 9th - 30th. You may obtain information regarding The Worthington Players 2012 Playwright Competition submission procedures from The Shawnee Playhouse Website.
Other Shawnee Playhouse presentations will be their production of “Those Fantastic Forties!” taking place January 20th - 29th, “O’ Carolan‘s Farewell to Music” taking place February 17th and 18th, The Worthington Players’ production of “Thoroughly Modern Mille” taking place February 18th - 26th, The Shawnee Playhouse Production of “Finnerty’s Follies” taking place March 3rd - 18th, The Kaleidoscope Players’ production of “The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew” taking place March 23rd until April 1st, The Prestige Productions presentation of “Love, Sex, and The I. R. S.” taking place April 6th - 15th, and The Center Stage Players production of “An Evening in Comedy” taking place April 20th - 29th, and “The Lion in Winter” taking place May 4th - 13th.
The producers of the productions presented at The Shawnee Playhouse are Ginny and Charlie Kirkwood while the group sales manager is Mary Horn. The Box Office Staff includes Stacey Mattern and Ariel Hudak while Becky Haskell serves as the playhouse’s Sales and Marketing Director. Please contact The Shawnee Playhouse at 570-421-5093 or Explore their website at www.theshawneeplayhouse.com for more information (including submissions for The Worthington Players 2012 Playwright Competition) and to reserve your ticket for their upcoming presentations.
Those who enjoy the Passionate Art Lover level of membership in The Forwardian Arts Society are offered a $3.00 discount off the admission fee of The Shawnee Playhouse Productions (excluding Children Theatrical Productions and those presented by non Shawnee Production Companies). Those who have seen the productions mentioned in this review are welcomed to share their thoughts and reflections by leaving a comment with this posting. To learn more about The Forwardian Arts Society and all they have to offer, please explore their website at www.theforwardianartssociety.com.
The Photograph of the production of “A Cabin Fit for a King” by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo was provided by The Shawnee Playhouse.
The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA presented The Worthington Players production of the Original One Act Plays who won their 2011 Playwright Competition as part of The Shawnee Original Playwright Series (SOPS). The annual event is a result of inviting playwrights to send in their original works, forming a panel to select the finalist, presenting the chosen plays in a series of staged readings, and tallying the votes received from the viewing audiences to determine which plays will be presented as full productions. This process not only gives a local playwright an opportunity to have his/her work presented on The Shawnee Playhouse stage but also gives the audiences who frequent the venue a chance to experience some new and interesting work.
This year’s selections for the One Act Presentations were a comedy titled, “A Cabin Fit for a King” written by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo and a dramatic piece titled, “The Messenger” by Paul Kodiak. Prior to the performance, I’ve heard one of the playwrights share how the two plays presented together could be considered, “Bi Polar Theater” as they contrast so sharply from one another. As the theatrical experience of the productions drew to a close, the coined phrase took on a profound meaning as reflected upon the audience as they were leaving the theatre.
“A Cabin Fit for a King” is a very light comedy set in (as the title suggests) a cabin located in a secluded area. Four men are utilizing the site as a retreat away from the world and the people in it so they could be just guys for the weekend. Of course, as all best made plans eventually goes, so does this plan when one of the men brings along his girlfriend who is over 20 years younger (he’s 42 and she’s 19) who invites her girlfriend from college to join her who happens to be the daughter of one of the men attending the retreat. A series of comedic incidents ensue ranging from spiders to coffee cans making this a very amusing time at the theatre.
The play was Directed by Juliet Dunham and Stage Manager Nicole Dietze. The cast consisted of Dan Eash as Steve, Patrick Turner as Tony, Steve Mazza as Jeff, Kaitie Kaiser as Jessica, Amanda Kohberger as Patty, and Jerry Depuy as Gary. The acting was quite well done as was the directing each adding an authenticity to the production honoring the work and its authors considerably.
According to the playbill, “A Cabin Fit for a King” is the result of a life long collaboration between Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo who are sisters. While Ms. Luongo (a Novelist) utilized her storytelling skills to create believable characters and plot devices, Ms. McCarroll (an Actress) instilled her knowledge of the mechanics of theatre into the work in order to create a presentational experience enjoyable to its audience. Both have succeeded in their individual endeavors to a significant degree as the play does have a believability and a stage presence suitable for any production.
While “A Cabin Fit for a King” by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo proved to be a humorous experience to lighten the heart, “The Messenger” by Paul Kodiak proved to be a horse of a darker color. The play is set in a prison cell in which a condemned prisoner meets with a priest before his execution. Much of the early utterances of the characters were delivered softly, almost as whispers.
This well crafted technique drew members of the audience deeper into the conversation who soon found themselves closely associated with the cell’s denizens. There were many themes to explore in this confinement as the dialogue revealed more of the characters’ souls whose close proximity gave each discovery a profound impact. To this reviewer, one of the most notable aspects of the play reflected the Messenger concept implied in its title.
In many cultures, a priest of a religion is seen as a human messenger of the Divine. So, when a priest shares a spiritual perception with the religion’s believers, his or her words are to be taken a communiqués from the Divine. Unusually, there is an educational process and an initiation procedure to be instituted before one can be considered qualified to obtain such authority.
In Mr. Kodiak’s play, the priest seeks to perform the role the church has entitled him to which is to hear the confession of the condemned prisoner and grant him some degree of absolution. However, the prisoner refuses to confess his sins until the priest shares his. A resistance on the part of the priest to the reversal of their closely defined roles ensue until he relents allowing himself the freedom to share a part of his past which had confined him most of his life. This act also frees the prisoner as he now knows he can do some good by sharing a message to the deceased whom the priest referred to in his confession. In other words, the priest was a messenger from God and the prisoner became a messenger to God.
This powerful play was directed by Midge McClosky (who also serves as The Shawnee Playhouse Executive Director) as assisted by Shannon Leigh Christmann. The cast consisted of David Schappert as Jimmy, Dante Gavin as Father Michael Keating, and Kevin Hillman as The Guard. The direction was expertly done capturing the subtleties of the work. This was also done by the actors who deftly utilized their voices and tones to bring the audience to an intimate place in which the full strength of the play could be experienced.
The Worthington Players production of the One Act Plays who won their 2011 playwright competition continues its run at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA until Sunday January 15th. Both “A Cabin Fit for a King” by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo and “The Messenger” by Paul Kodiak are theatrical endeavors worthy of praise by any theatergoer. This reviewer is no exception and highly recommends attending these two productions who are very deserving of the opportunity given by The Worthington Players to be seen by an audience.
The Worthington Player were established in 1999 and is the non-musical contingent of the Shawnee Playhouse. They present a variety of semi-professional theatrical productions from January through May working with community members to bring a quality-working atmosphere for those participating in the production and a quality performance for those attending. Their Original Playwright Series is one of the many programs the offer to the community.
In addition to the One Act Plays presented during The Shawnee Original Playwright Series (SOPS), a full length play who won the 2011 playwright competition titled, “Visions of Johanna” written by Ken White will be presented at The Shawnee Playhouse February 4th - 12th. This year’s competition is currently accepting original work until Tuesday January 31st with the Staged Readings for the finalist taking place March 9th - 30th. You may obtain information regarding The Worthington Players 2012 Playwright Competition submission procedures from The Shawnee Playhouse Website.
Other Shawnee Playhouse presentations will be their production of “Those Fantastic Forties!” taking place January 20th - 29th, “O’ Carolan‘s Farewell to Music” taking place February 17th and 18th, The Worthington Players’ production of “Thoroughly Modern Mille” taking place February 18th - 26th, The Shawnee Playhouse Production of “Finnerty’s Follies” taking place March 3rd - 18th, The Kaleidoscope Players’ production of “The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew” taking place March 23rd until April 1st, The Prestige Productions presentation of “Love, Sex, and The I. R. S.” taking place April 6th - 15th, and The Center Stage Players production of “An Evening in Comedy” taking place April 20th - 29th, and “The Lion in Winter” taking place May 4th - 13th.
The producers of the productions presented at The Shawnee Playhouse are Ginny and Charlie Kirkwood while the group sales manager is Mary Horn. The Box Office Staff includes Stacey Mattern and Ariel Hudak while Becky Haskell serves as the playhouse’s Sales and Marketing Director. Please contact The Shawnee Playhouse at 570-421-5093 or Explore their website at www.theshawneeplayhouse.com for more information (including submissions for The Worthington Players 2012 Playwright Competition) and to reserve your ticket for their upcoming presentations.
Those who enjoy the Passionate Art Lover level of membership in The Forwardian Arts Society are offered a $3.00 discount off the admission fee of The Shawnee Playhouse Productions (excluding Children Theatrical Productions and those presented by non Shawnee Production Companies). Those who have seen the productions mentioned in this review are welcomed to share their thoughts and reflections by leaving a comment with this posting. To learn more about The Forwardian Arts Society and all they have to offer, please explore their website at www.theforwardianartssociety.com.
The Photograph of the production of “A Cabin Fit for a King” by Sarah McCarroll and Julie Luongo was provided by The Shawnee Playhouse.
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