Calling all writers –- especially those of you who have a few ideas but cannot seem to get a whole play together. I’m in that boat myself. This is an evening not to be missed.
American Rapture is one evening in a repertory presentation by Oberon Theatre Ensemble, the other being Much Ado About Nothing. American Rapture is MUCH ado about something. There are five bite-sized plays by Alex Dinelaris and one, Hello Out There, by William Saroyan. Each piece is inventive, has a few laughs, and digs deep into your heart, all at the same time. This is no small feat.
The plays include a more than clever physical portrayal involving those interior voices we never seem to be able to silence, a touching scene at a school reunion, a son’s therapy session focused on his dead mother, a woman talking herself into and out of a Catholic Confession, and what might be thought of as the second act of Zoo Story. Saroyan’s piece is a confined encounter between a man in jail facing death and a local woman in need of life.
What makes this evening truly wonderful is the concise writing, paired with actors who know exactly what they are doing. The acting is more than solid and does the text credit throughout. Where both the acting and writing really shine are with the quiet people. In particular, Max Darwin in Rain is nearly perfect as Fitz, the man who has lost everything and shows up at his reunion anyway.
Donovan Patton, Brad Fryman, and William Laney are seamless as they slide in and out of extremely varied characters in the first few plays. Jane Cortney is able to combine just the right amounts of innocence, loss, and brashness as the woman in confession, although the stage directions made the piece confusing. Christine Verleny is a mighty presence onstage, and I was only sad not to see more of her.
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Article comments
1 - Jerry Callow
I saw this show. It was sublime. The actors were great. The writing was superb, but it was the direction that took my breath away. This man directing is like a Woody Allen or Coen Brother. Special evening of theater.
2 - Katie Stein
I think the show was wonderful. Dinelaris' directing and writing was exceptional, and all of the actors in the show were fantastic. I was moved by every play during the evening. As in any show, some moments stood out more than others, but I think the entire production was delightful. I really enjoyed the way he (Dinelaris) paired up contemporary pieces with Hello Out There - and had a theme of desperation and hope intermingled throughout the evening. I do, however, disagree about Juggling Jacqueline; I was so moved by the work that the inner voice was fine. It's a different kind of piece completely, so one can't exactly set it up next to Blind Date and really compare the two in the same sentence - or breath, for that matter.