Towards Zero Pride & Prejudice
Nov. 25th, 2019 08:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrdreamjeansThis has been a week of attending plays. So, you ask, why is this unusual? Most of the theater offerings I attend are musicals, as was the case in my performing career which was 90% musicals. Taking in a Jane Austen play and an Agatha Christie mystery-thriller in one week was rewarding. Expanding my horizons is a good thing.
On Tuesday evening, my friend Steve Backoff and I saw “Pride & Prejudice” at The Park Square Theater in St Paul. Unexpectedly delightful, funny and clever, It was superbly directed with six of the eight cast members playing multiple characters of both sexes, appearing to have the time of their lives.
“In Regency England, love is a serious game and the Bennet sisters are playing for keeps. The outspoken Lizzy is determined never to marry, but can she resist love, especially when the amusing but mildly aggravating Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn? Bold, timely, with a few dance breaks thrown in, this is Jane Austen for today.” I highly recommend seeing this gender-bending adaptation!
Last night, I met up with my friends Val Lies, Jeff Peasley and Jon Hayenga at Theater in the Round in the Seven Corners area of Minneapolis for a performance of the Agatha Christie “Towards Zero”. It’s a tricky proposition to tackle a period mystery thriller in a community theater, but Circle in the Square rose to the occasion; the set, lighting and sound design made good use of the space; costuming was mostly on target with the exception of two characters in ill-fitting costumes that resulted in unintended chuckles from the audience at the characters’ expense.
“This compelling stage play by Agatha Christie was only recently discovered, unearthed by a researcher in 2015. The setting is Gull’s Nest, Lady Tressilian’s clifftop manor on the English seaside. When she invites her ward for a long weekend, he surprises everyone by bringing his first and current wives. When a brutal murder interrupts the house party, the wonderful twists and turns of a true Christie script keep the audience guessing until the final moments.”
There was strong character act work throughout the mystery thriller, with the actor playing Angus McWhorter, a stand out, particularly adept in employing a Scots brogue. There were a couple of weak links in the casting; but, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the play. If you enjoy whodunnits, “Towards Zero” is well worth taking in! It's occurred to me that an aspirational theme connecting these two plays could be expressed through combining the titles ... Towards Zero Pride & Prejudice!
On Tuesday evening, my friend Steve Backoff and I saw “Pride & Prejudice” at The Park Square Theater in St Paul. Unexpectedly delightful, funny and clever, It was superbly directed with six of the eight cast members playing multiple characters of both sexes, appearing to have the time of their lives.
“In Regency England, love is a serious game and the Bennet sisters are playing for keeps. The outspoken Lizzy is determined never to marry, but can she resist love, especially when the amusing but mildly aggravating Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn? Bold, timely, with a few dance breaks thrown in, this is Jane Austen for today.” I highly recommend seeing this gender-bending adaptation!
Last night, I met up with my friends Val Lies, Jeff Peasley and Jon Hayenga at Theater in the Round in the Seven Corners area of Minneapolis for a performance of the Agatha Christie “Towards Zero”. It’s a tricky proposition to tackle a period mystery thriller in a community theater, but Circle in the Square rose to the occasion; the set, lighting and sound design made good use of the space; costuming was mostly on target with the exception of two characters in ill-fitting costumes that resulted in unintended chuckles from the audience at the characters’ expense.
“This compelling stage play by Agatha Christie was only recently discovered, unearthed by a researcher in 2015. The setting is Gull’s Nest, Lady Tressilian’s clifftop manor on the English seaside. When she invites her ward for a long weekend, he surprises everyone by bringing his first and current wives. When a brutal murder interrupts the house party, the wonderful twists and turns of a true Christie script keep the audience guessing until the final moments.”
There was strong character act work throughout the mystery thriller, with the actor playing Angus McWhorter, a stand out, particularly adept in employing a Scots brogue. There were a couple of weak links in the casting; but, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the play. If you enjoy whodunnits, “Towards Zero” is well worth taking in! It's occurred to me that an aspirational theme connecting these two plays could be expressed through combining the titles ... Towards Zero Pride & Prejudice!
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