Lord Leebrick adds to
Eugene theater scene
By Tim Neff
Emerald Associate Editor
Tho Eugene drama scene,
known more for Us light-heart
ed musicals than for dark exis
tential plays, is about to experi
ence a plot twist.
When drama aficionados
turned out in late June for The
Lord Leebrick Theatre Compa
ny’s debut performances, they
saw a type of production that
has boon conspicuously absent
from Eugene venues for the
past five years — shadowy
plots with disturbing messages
Behind the push for dark the
ater in Eugene are two recent
graduates of the University of
California at Irvine drama de
partment. Kandy Lord and
Chris Leebrick hope their brand
of serious drama will fill a void
in the local theater scene.
“Right now in Eugene there
are no thoater groups that do
serious theater, like dramas and
avant-garde plays," Leebrick
said. "We’re Interested in thea
ter that is on the edge.”
To that end. Tho Lord
Leebrick Theater Company's
first offerings were two contem
porary one-act plays with
strong political and existential
themes. The Harold Pinter play
“One for the Road" explored
governmental power abuse,
while ’’Play" by Samuel Bock
ett provided a disquieting por
trayal of the hereafter.
Lord said all the perform
ances nearly sold-out, which
has done much to quell initial
jitters.
"We were nervous bocause
we’re the new theater group in
town,” Lord said. "We had no
audience base, so it was hard to
judge how we would be re
ceived. But the first one went
well and we’ro hoping to build
on that."
Choosing the Pinter and
Beckett pioces was both an ar
listic and an economical deci
sion.
Loebrick said the plays fit
well into his theater company’s
mission to produce serious dra
ma.
"With the kind of theater
we're interested in starting, we
do want to turn some heads,"
he said. “We’re Interested In
doing Intense theater "
When the Oregon Repertory
Theater was still producing
plays. Eugene drama hounds
had a place to turn for serious
drama But when the group
went under In 10H7, no one
picked up the torch
"A lot of Eugene groups do
musicals and light drama
plays that are a little more
safe," Loebrick said. "In Eu
gene, with the political climate
the way it Is, we feel that this
town would support a theater
that was a little more on-odge.”
Kim Donahoy, who was one
of the throe actors In "Play,”
said lire darkness of the piece
presenter! unique acting chal
lenges. Sho played the role of a
disombodiod soul remembering
her traumatic life experiences
and unawarn of the presence of
two of her former companions
“It’s very intense,” Donahey
said. 'Tve studied acting at the
University, and the talk is
about tho relationship between
the characters on stage. But in
’Play’ they aren't relating."
Artistic considerations aside,
the one-act plays made good
economic sense.
Loebrick said the'theater
group has gone to great lengths
to keep costs down by con
structing "skoleton sets" that
roly more on tho audience's
Imagination than on elaborate
set design.
"The skeleton set is one way
in which you save money, but
wo don't want to always be llm
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