The Meta Plays - review

[Jane Zussman]

THANKS! to reviewer, Molly Woods:

LCC's "The Meta Plays" is truly a theater experience for the thespian! Consisting of 8 short, humorous plays that are performed by the LCC Studio Performance One Students, Directed by Emma Baker and written by Andrew Biss. The costuming and set are simple, including student made posters of each short show that represent the show in a clever way. The dialogue is the star, be sure to listen closely! Attending LCC's theater program shows is a fantastic way to get ahead of the game in the Lansing Theater community. Many students are local and will continue to impress audiences once their time at LCC concludes

      Each of the plays either breaks the fourth wall by acknowledging the existence of an audience, that the actors are indeed characters in a play, or the frustration of being a character or a playwright. Each show consists of two to three actors and vastly different storylines, with no connection between each show. I wish I could expound on each, but I will limit myself to a few that stand out.

        If you are an audience member that has acted in theater before, the opener "The Craft", featuring Sam Barrix and Izzy Pawlanta will draw in your attention. There is no complete dialogue between the characters, but a constant flow of words, as each verbalizes their projected emotions, stage directions, and inner thoughts. Surprising to the audience, leading to hilarity as one thinks about what it would be like for your inner monologue to be presented out loud.  Sam Barrix later comes back as Art, a theater director giving his actors the most impressive compliment sandwich ever to be encountered in "The Curious Art of Critique". Sam is dynamic as his presence fills the stage. Giving the sense that 'This is a Director that Wishes they were an actor', completely oblivious to the emotional responses to his bewildered actors, played by J'len Pembroke and Katie Geer.

      If you have ever tried your hand at being playwright, "A Flawed Character" will stand out to you. Featuring an energetic and animated 'Character', as played by Carter Woods, demanding the 'Author' (Isaac Samara) complete their work. True frustration and the challenges of when creative ideas and writersblock collide in a relatable way.

    "The Rebel Among The Wretched" is another stand out, featuring the lively performance of a cranky southern Mother (Amirah Abaalkhail) and her two children (Margaret, Izzy Pawlanta and Billy, Ethan Curry) . Delightful performances shown by the Children when your co actor decides to quit in the middle of the show!

     The Meta Plays also include "The Skewed Picture", "Filler", "What's Meta?" and "Tacked on Ending", which also touch on literary devices and theater techniques that make the regular theater participant go "ahhh..." and the average audience member say "Ha!". Enjoyable on both sides of the spectrum. There are some strong amounts of strong language, this is a wordy show, not recommended for ages under 13.

     With only two performances,  tonight (May 9th) at 7 pm in the LCC Black Box Theater (Room 1422 of the LCC Gannon Building), being the last and final opportunity to engage in this piece of entertainment. Parking options are on Grand Avenue where you can see the Black Box Theater marquee and main doors, or in the Gannon Building parking ramp, where the building doors will be unlocked and signswill lead you through the 1st floor of the Gannon Building to the Black Box Theater. 

     All LCC performances are free for the public to attend, I encourage you to take advantage of an evening's entertainment at that price, seats are limited and first come first serve. If you are a person that interacts with  social media, I recommend giving the LCC Theater, Music & Dance facebook page a follow to be informed of upcoming performances and auditions. 

Jane Zussman

G.L.U.T. List

(Greater Lansing Ubiquitous Theatre)

cell 517-930-0932

JSZu...@gmail.com

http://www.greaterlansingtheatre.net 

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