[Follow us on Twitter.][Follow us on Facebook.] [Share With A Friend] [Get mojo on your mobile device!] [Change skins and the appearance of your mojo.] AD: Make good on your New Year's Resolution! Get Healthy in 2010. Check out Mojo's Healthy Living Channel.

home about us locals newest members: gals newest members: guys newest members: organizations most hotlisted most popular members the tag cloud read news lively arts autos & bikes crime & punishment food & dining green living healthy living metro news love & relationships movies & tv music parenting & children poetry, lyrics & words politics sports / post news edit my blog happenings post an event edit my events roll call forums chit chat on topic discussion the green forum the inner circle where's the party? happy _______ day! face the music the rainbow forum dude, who stole my car? love & relationships the student lounge travel & road trips business & networking home & garden you're wrong. no, you're wrong! sports & leisure oh my god! what god? parenting & kiddos critters health, fitness & beauty forum fun & games art & literature the tv & film forum tasty comestibles & libations make me laugh! tech talk: do you speak wookiee? mojo help & discussion mojo uncensored mods & admins only groups create a group manage my groups city guide search add a listing photos create a photo gallery edit my photo galleries paint classifieds post an ad edit my ads support mojo become a supporting member advertise with us

1022 locals online Resources cars health homes jobs News lively arts autos & bikes crime & punishment food & dining green living healthy living metro news love & relationships movies & tv music parenting & children poetry, lyrics & words politics sports Other Unadulterated Advice Missed Connections Photo Captions Mojo on the Road sent Sun Feb 28 @ 9:33 AM

blogs: keefers's blog  search   my blog   post news   my subscriptions

Top of blog < Theatre Louisville review of When In Disgrace Theatre Louisville Interview w/ playwright Damon Krometis > FEB 25 2010 Theatre Louisville review of Sirens Thu @ 12:44 am News Channel: lively arts      Category: theatre louisville views: 439  kudos: 1     bit.ly    post to facebook    post to twitter   2   Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents copyright © 2010, Keith Waits, all rights reserved The 34th Humana Festival of New American Plays opens with Sirens, a very accessible and funny production in the Bingham Theatre that should prove to be a popular selection for audiences looking for uproarious entertainment. The script, by Deborah Zoe Laufer, concerns itself with the stress and challenge of a 25-year marriage on Sam and Rose, a New Jersey couple embarking on a cruise. Rose seems content and nicely settled in the relationship, but Sam clearly is unsatisfied with what he sees as a complacent and stagnant situation that has strangled his creativity: he once wrote a hit song that remains a classic, but he has never recaptured that success and is desperately seeking a muse. That he finds inspiration in the form of an actual Siren living on an island in the Mediterranean is perhaps the plays most unusual conceit, but a satirical tone is confidently established in the early scenes that allows the action to open up to such flights of fancy without missing a beat. By the time we follow Rose to a meeting with an old high school flame, the fact that he is played by a much younger actor so as to illustrate her nostalgia-infused vision of him seems natural enough to the audience, and it plays to hilarious effect. Such moments of fantasy are crucial to preventing the story from becoming mired in cliché. Mid-life crisis is a topic that has been done to death, and I'm not sure that the writer is really saying anything new, but she is finding a fresh and very funny way to serve up the familiar. And we should always remember that such cliches often arise from universally shared experiences. Men and women will forever question themselves and their commitments to each other as they grow older, so the ability to laugh at one's self becomes crucial if we are to find our way back to solid ground. This is a very funny play, and the four cast members play it to near perfection. Their timing and delivery are like clockwork, but they also find enough nuance to give the characters some real feeling. This is especially true of Brian Russell and Mimi Lieber as Sam and Rose. Even while triggering hilarious reaction from the audience, they lay the groundwork for just enough pain and forgiveness to make the touching resolution heartfelt and real. I was especially knocked out by Ms. Lieber's acid-tinged delivery that kept a nice sour edge to even her most uproarious moments. It strikes me that she has the luck of the lines with her character, but the actress earns her good effects the old-fashioned way, and gets some of the biggest laughs of the evening with simple, unforced action. As the fabled island muse of the title, Lindsey Wochley was outfitted in a spectacular flowing gown the color of coral, and a long wig of wavy red hair that gave her the look of an illustration from a children's book. It was a grand vision that was arguably the highlight of the powerful design work on display throughout the production, and it might have overwhelmed a lesser actress, but Ms. Wochley balanced statuesque beauty with comic flair to create a memorable fantasy creature. She also was a sure and effective presence playing a travel agent and a waitress in other scenes. Ben Hollandsworth overcomes the handicap of a late entrance in similar fashion, making the most of his limited time onstage by almost stealing the show as Rose's old high school crush, Richard. The open stage of the Bingham was neatly and rapidly transformed by simple but clever sets by Michael B. Raiford, which were changed out by a female stage crew who also doubled as charming young women catching Sam's wandering eye. Lighting by Jeff Nellis and Sound by Matt Callahan were right on the money, and the various renditions of Sam's hit song, “Rose Adele”, provided some understated laughs as well. Everyone will certainly remember the vivid costume for the Siren, as well they should, but the other, more ordinary costumes by Sonya Berlovitz are carried off with sure attention to detail and characterization, and there are a couple of moments when the clothing earns a laugh or two on its own merit. Whatever qualities the remainder of the crop might soon deliver, Sirens welcomes Louisville audiences with a comfortable yet highly entertaining beginning to this year's festival. Sirens Written by Deborah Zoe Laufer Directed by Casey Stangl February 21 – March 28, 2010 34th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays Actor's Theatre of Louisville 316 West Main Street 502-584-1205 www.ActorsTheatre.org Photos by Harlan Taylor Brian Russell and Mimi Lieber Lindsey Wochley ADD A COMMENT      Scott Jay #324826   thu feb 25 2010 at 1:09 pm         ·  Mimi is the greatest. And, it's Lieber.      keefers   thu feb 25 2010 at 1:23 pm         ·  My apologies to the talented Ms. Lieber and corrected. ADD A COMMENT print   ·   give kudos   ·   send to a friend   ·   report abuse   ·   add to watch   ·   subscribe    · < Theatre Louisville review of When In Disgrace Theatre Louisville Interview w/ playwright Damon Krometis > Top of blog   More Stories in lively arts   She Loves Me Humana Fest's 'Fissures (lost and found)' review by S. Deatrick Theatre Louisville review of Le Petomane's Slant Louisville Ballet's Three Reflections (review by Cory Vaughn) John Lennon & Me (preview by Jane Mattingly) Theatre Louisville review of Sirens     2 Theatre Louisville review of When In Disgrace The Boys Next Door (review by Cory Vaughn) Let the Humana Festival begin...     2 Antigone     2 Floyd Central Theatre to present LITTLE WOMEN, the Musical     7 Releasing First Graphic Novel in Diaries of a Godling Series Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (review by Sherry Deatrick) 8-Track: Sounds of the 70's (review by Victoria Lee) Theatre Louisville Interview w/ playwright Damon Krometis [AddThis Feed Button]

keefers send msg Top of blog

More from keefers

Search this blog:

home sign in sign out join now skins mobile search terms of service help & contact us privacy policy advertise on mojo © 2010 Metromojo LLC
louisville locals: newest members most hotlisted most popular members the tag cloud louisville channels: louisville lively arts louisville autos & bikes louisville crime & punishment louisville food & dining louisville green living louisville healthy living louisville metro news louisville love & relationships louisville movies & tv louisville music louisville parenting & children louisville poetry, lyrics & words louisville politics louisville sports louisville happenings: post an eventedit my eventsroll call
louisville blogs:	my blog publish an article
louisville forums:	chit chat on topic discussion the green forum the inner circle where's the party? happy _______ day! face the music the rainbow forum dude, who stole my car? love & relationships the student lounge travel & road trips business & networking home & garden you're wrong. no, you're wrong! sports & leisure oh my god! what god? parenting & kiddos critters health, fitness & beauty forum fun & games art & literature the tv & film forum tasty comestibles & libations make me laugh! tech talk: do you speak wookiee? mojo help & discussion mojo uncensored mods & admins only
louisville groups:	create a group news preferences
louisville city guide:	search add a listing
louisville photos:	create a photo gallery edit my photo galleries
louisville classifieds:	post an ad edit my ads
sponsors:

louisville cars louisville homes louisville jobs u of l healthcare support mojo:become a supporting member advertise with us w2