FW: Come see Green Candle Theatre's Newest Production
Aaron Masi
Aaron
May the Force be with you, always!
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:29:02 -0800
From: yourhap...@yahoo.com
Subject: Come see Green Candle Theatre's Newest Production
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Theater review: Paranoia has its Reasons
By Jim Lowe Staff Writer
BURLINGTON - "The Woman," as she is called, has concerns. Mostly she is concerned about aliens, and she is concerned that her new boyfriend is one of them. She is so concerned that she has created a place to hide in – but it's not working. Green Candle Theatre Company is presenting the premiere of Josh Bridgman's intriguing one-woman "Concrete Kingdom" tonight-Nov. 21 at Burlington's new Off Center for the Dramatic Arts. At Tuesday's press preview, Tracey Girdich delivered a beautiful and heart-wrenching performance as the troubled woman.
Green Candle Theatre, which has been presenting cutting-edge professional theater in Burlington off and on since 1989, recently made the decision to devote itself entirely to original material. This should inject some long-needed blood into the Queen City's somewhat staid theater world.
Bridgman, a Burlington playwright whose first play,
"Silent Invasion," was premiered by Green Candle in 2006, seems to have some macabre instincts, but in this one-woman drama they proved convincing. This is due in part to the psychological accuracy of the piece, and in part to the effective structure that delivers the final punch with power.
Without giving too much away, "Concrete Kingdom" is set in a bunker, similar to those created in the 1950s because of the fear of nuclear attack. The woman is in hiding and we soon realize that she is living in fear of aliens (the outer space, rather than the illegal variety).
As we are about to dismiss her as a paranoiac, she begins the story of meeting a man, for her, Prince Charming. The courtship and escalation of the relationship is traditional and, despite her worries, it
moves forward beautifully.
Throughout we are serenaded by Marlene Dietrich - the World War II era's enigmatic sex star - singing her trademark songs. "Falling in Love Again" becomes the couple's theme song. But, everything begins to go awry and we don't quite know why - until the very end, a hard-hitting finale.
Bridgman's play is largely riveting after its too-long prologue, which may give away too much. Still, once it gets going, we really want to know. Girdich, Green Candle's artistic director and a founding member, delivered a truly sensitive and compelling performance. Despite her seeming zaniness we come to care.
The staging, co-directed by the playwright and Genevra MacPhail, was successful if a bit overwrought. The production's busy staging, and an over-the-top costume by Rosie Grannis, belied the story's beautiful
simplicity, in reality a beautifully dramatic monologue. Conversely, Nathan Jarvis' sophisticated sound design truly enhanced the storytelling - and the Marlene Dietrich songs were delicious. The production was attractive, with effective lighting by Brad Ingalls.
Bridgman's "Concrete Kingdom" proved intriguing theater, and Green Candle is to be applauded for its new direction.
