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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2004)
BY ARIA SELIGMANN A Light of His Own Ezra LeBank comes home with original show. E In celebration of Carol turning 50 ALL STORE INVENTORY 50% OFF 50% off excludes 75% off & $2 racks. We will not be buying clothes during the sale. 50% OFF Sale: Fri./Sat./Sun. - July 23th, 24th, 25th 6W_7XMV *W_T[*]ZZQ\W[*MaWVL .ZM[P0WUMUILM?PWTM.WWL[ _Q\PTW\[WN^MOOQMIVL^MOIVWX\QWV[ UQ`ML\WOM\PMZ_Q\POWWN aIZ\ _WZS N]V\]VM[IVW`aOMVJI[MLI\UW[XPMZM <I[\ a9]QKS+WV^MVQMV\ KITT NWZ.);<\ISMW]\ *TIQZ*T^L zra LeBank graduated from South Eugene High School in 2002, is now entering his senior year at SUNY Purchase’s Acting Conservatory, and is spending the summer producing and per- forming a play he’s both written and directed. He’s not wasting any time. Following on the heels of its critically ac- claimed Los Angeles premiere at the Lee Strasberg Institute, A Light in the Dark comes to Eugene next weekend and will run July 29, 30 and 31 at the Lord Leebrick Theatre. LeBank, who performed throughout Eugene while he was in high school, at ACE, LCC and South, also acted professionally in Los Angeles at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum when he was only 15. He brought this experience with him to New York and this past year, during his studies at the Acting Conservatory, he and three friends decided to form their own production company, The Lynx Company, in order to stage socially and politically conscious works. “Theater is a necessary force in society, it aims to find the heartbeat of our culture,” says LeBank. He and his friends pored over scripts, looking for just the right combination of rele- vance, vibrancy — and viability. “We could- n’t find anything for four guys to do,” says LeBank, “some plays were too extravagant, with too many production demands.” One morning he was sitting on the subway heading into Manhattan, reading a script and suddenly felt he “couldn’t take it anymore.” His epiphany came when he realized “I could do this,” meaning, he could write not only a script that said what he wanted, but also write it to be easily produced. Wanting to draw on the work of Gratowsky, the breaking down of the fourth wall so that theater becomes a shared experi- ence between actor and audience, he searched for a setting. “What setting, what place ex- ists,” LeBank wondered, where we are all connected, where there is an experience we must all share, that cannot be denied? “You can’t duck out of death,” he says. “It’s inevitable, it’s scary, you can’t get out of the moment.” Light in the Dark chronicles that moment as death occurs: “You don’t know what’s next, you have to find some pur- pose, some closure, some life.” While LeBank says he doesn’t try to an- swer the question of the afterlife, the play takes the actor/audience through several stages, including dealing with the politics of the present day, the poetry and the underlying need for rhythm, beat and music as a vital life force, the celebration of life, the “breaking of the shell” and finally, acceptance. ‘You can’t duck out of death, It’s inevitable, it’s scary, you can’t get out of the moment.’ Light in the Dark chronicles that moment as death occurs: ‘You don’t know what’s next, you have to find some purpose, some closure, some life.’ –Ezra LeBank “In this moment, grappling with the com- plexities of life, love, liberty and language it- self, we give way to see the many faces of a single person in a single moment, and realize the vital importance of ourselves and the peo- ple around us.” While the rest of the original cast mem- bers could not come to Eugene, LeBank has assembled a cast of local actors he’s known over the years, including Jessie Hawley, Brett Close, Celina Hess, Joan Levine and himself. LeBank says he’s put his heart into the production and says after the L.A. premiere, “people came out of the theater all saying this was something completely new and they were amazed it worked.” Because LeBank views theater as an inte- gral part of the community, he is contributing some of the proceeds of the show to the White Bird Clinic Crisis Center. “It’s crucial to em- brace those around us to develop strength and vitality so our community can thrive,” he says. ew A Light in the Dark runs July 29, 30 & 31 at 8 pm at The Lord Leebrick Theatre. Tickets available at the door, or by calling 465-1506. $12, Stu/Srs $5. Running Time: 95 minutes I\ \P*TIQZ5WVZWMIKZW[[NZWU;_MM\4QNM*ISMZa 7XMVM^MZaLIaNZWU]V\QT! 26 JULY 22, 2004 Ezra LeBank in A Light in the Dark. July 29, 30, 31, The Lord Leebrick Theatre.
