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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 2006)
[Clackamas Print ntertainment 5 Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2006 [heater Dept, takes on ‘absurd’ dam J. Manley l Clackamas Print director David Smith- Bish wasn’t afraid of a chal- L when he chose Edward lee’s “A Delicate Balance” the Theater Department’s Er show. [This is not easy stuff,” Smith-English. “This is [lenging stuff and the intel lice, the preparation, the ht that [the actors] bring to I- and the willingness to [pen and work - has made process very exciting.” jest known for “Who’s lid of Virginia Woolf,” [e is a playwright known [writing intelligent shows I a staggering amount of llexity. With scripts so [that they seem unreal, it is loo easy for a novice direc- |r performer to miss cru- il ibtext in the dialogue. I had the opportunity to |k with [Albee] about 10 ago when he came on >us,” said Smith-English, were doing one of his K at that time - ‘The Lady [Dubuque’- and he came ie of the rehearsals.” Ilbee was there to give leech and the reception Lard was held at Smith»- lish's house. when he came in he said, lid, let’s go someplace, in per room where we can I... lone, and talk about our play,’” said Smith-English. Revitalized by the experi ence of actually discussing the performance with the origi nal playwright, Smith-English believes “The Lady From Dubuque” was an astounding success. He carries that unique perspective with him as he brings “A Delicate Balance” to life. “A Delicate Balance” is about a dysfunctional family and their friends struggling to maintain balance in their lives and relationships. Hard to pin down as either comedy or drama, it finds itself categorized as the ater of the absurd -a classification which Albee finds absurd in itself. When compared to his works, the innate absurdity of many non-absurdist writers, such as Neil Simon, becomes apparent. The same complexity which can make Albee’s works a challenge to understand also makes them more like life. Yet, even after discussing this with Albee, Smith- English still prefers the absurdist genre to describe Albee’s works. . “In absurdist theater there’s always a force that enters into people’s lives that you can’t control, you can’t even understand, you some times can’t even iden tify it,” Smith-English explains. “It just drops into your life, and you have to deal with it in someway. And often times people can’t deal with it at all, but it’s still there and it won’t go away. 'A Delicate Balance” opens in the .Osterman Theatre on March 2 and performs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 p.m, and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. until March 12. ABQ.VE: (from left) Sarah Wilson, direc tor David Smith- English, Daphne Starling, and Matt Morrison. watch a rehearsal of the play- LEFT: Artist-ln- Residence John Renner (bottom) rehearses with stu dents Sarah Griswold (left) and Daphne Starling on a partial ly completed set. Photos by Adam J. Manley Clackamas Print ‘Rent’ not worth rent in§ BE A PAINTER PHOTOGRAPHER SCULPTOR... r HE ARTS AT MARYLHURST [PRING TERM STARTS APRIL 3RD. B.A. IN ART ¡B.F.A. IN ART BAR-ROUND ADMISSION ■ Scholarships for transfer students ■ Small classes - ■Custom degree plan option ■ National reputation ■ Student-focused, friendly staff ■tee parking ■work with an advisor, e-mail studentinfo@marylhurst.edu ■ call 503.699.6268. US News & World Report BEST COLLEGES 2006 "Number one in the Northwest for small classes" ' arylhurst university fthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accredited 600 PACIFIC HIGHWAY (HWY. 43) WlHURST, OREGON - JUST 10 MINUTES SOUTH OF PORTLAND v*n9 students since 1893. www.marylhurst.edu genius having sexual relations tious, self-involved brats felt they with a drag queen street musician were ‘suffering artists.’ The few named Angel who is also HIV pieces they did present as art The Clackamas Print positive. were unworthy of such a labor. Throw in a few more char The song Roger took over a year The. screen adaptation of acters and the essential plot is to write is juvenile and cliché rid Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer and this: starving artists amidst the den, Maureen’s performance art Tony Award winning rock opera, AIDS epidemic who want to live was laughable, and Mark’s film “Rent” is now available on DVD. an untraditional lifestyle while “Today 4 U,” is as bad as the title leads on. “Rent” depicts a year in the “measuring their lives in love.” This film fails in several plac Oh, and there is a lot of sing life of eight friends struggling es. to live in New York City’s East ing. , The first and biggest problem I could never decide whether Village. The story is character- narrated by filmmaker Mark who it was Chris Columbus’s direction is that the characters are never still longs for his ex-girlfriend that prevented me from grow developed properly. They are Maureen, who in turn now has a ing an emotional attachment to simply introduced as the lesbian the characters, or the characters lawyer, the S&M dancer/junkie, lesbian lover named Joanne. Mark’s roommate Roger, an themselves. Regardless, I found and the drag queen street musi HIV-positive musician and for the ensemble cast’s acting unbe cian. From there everything falls mer junkie, is dating Mimi, a lievable, overdramatic and a bit apart. drug-addicted S&M dancer who cheesy at times. Am I supposed to be shocked I spent the majority of the film is also HIV-positive. Mark’s HIV-positive former trying to figure out why these and moved when a dead Mimi roommate, .Tom, is a computer untalented, middle-class, preten- miraculously comes back to life due to the divine intervention of a dead drag queen? When Roger sang “Thank God this moment is not the last,” I was disappointed it wasn’t over yet. By over-creating a cast of characters to include every untra ditional lifestyle, these lifestyle choices are then put into a nega tive limelight by association with the characters’ downfall. The scenes were over-created as well, coming across as too gritty, with too much graffiti, litter and flam ing rubbish. At COUNTRY, we like to reward people for The DVD offers special fea being good. For instance, if you've been a tures to drag on the spirit of the movie, if you can keep your enthu good driver, we'll give you a discount on your siasm long enough. Interviews car insurance. Ask about our other discounts, with the director and most of the too. Sometimes it pays to be good. cast members wrap up this hail to an overdramatic negative-utopian Issued by COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company’, rock opera. Bloomington, IL. The bottom line is this movie and its group of characters comes across as being too damn lazy COUNTRY to stop pretending that they’re aesthetes and get .real. Maybe if insurance & Financial services they would just stop singing for www.countryfinançial.com; a moment. Michael Kimberling 800.634.9982
