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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2011)
theater BY ANNA GRACE Rebecca Morus and Kory Weimer at last year’s NXNW10! festival North By Northwest Ten! at Lord Leebrick Imaginary space-alien sex was fi rst up on the boards opening night at the third annual 10-Minute Play Festival, followed in swift succession by seven other refl ections on the human condition. Nineteen actors, seven directors and two swinging saxophones create a rambunctious evening of theater. This, then, is North By Northwest Ten! With submissions coming from all over the state, the eclectic line-up showcases the best short scripts Oregon has to offer. Most of this year’s plays are pretty quirky, and all of them are creative in their themes, asking the audience to refl ect on something new. And I Feel Fine by Ari Chadwick-Saund is a great sketch about a few college kids preparing to watch the sun swell up and swallow the earth by laying out beach towels and making their way through a cooler of beer. Sarah Ruggles, Lacy Allen and Caleb Palmer were hysterical, and their belching exceeded all expectations. Many Eugeneans will get a kick out of Cathy Noah’s Glutton for Punishment in which Wendy (Alisa McLaughlin) an earthy, new age do-gooder — fi nds herself in hell as the devil (Bruce Lundy) ploughs through paper work. He’s doing his best to awaken her to the fact that all her meditative mumbo jumbo means nothing; the Catholics had it right all along. The standout script of the evening was far and away Thirty-Seven Cents by Ciji Guerin. A humble look into the lives of three men living on the streets, the piece was powerfully played by Richard Leebrick, Paul Rhoden and Ralph Steadman. Other plot lines include a revamped Mother Courage, cigarette lighter negotiations in a gas mart, the soft line between student and school counselor, a refl ection on what might happen if Brad and Angelina woke up to fi nd they were not longer “Brad and Angelina,” and the possibility that settling down might be the most unlikely and exciting sex scenario of them all. North By Northwest Ten! is pieced together by a number of different hands. There are seven directors tackling the eight different scripts. I came prepared to enjoy fl ipping from one theme to the next with a surfeit of varying literary styles. I found the variations in direction more diffi cult to roll with than I had anticipated. It lent the evening the air of an amateur theatricals club, where everything is really fun and fast paced, just so long as you don’t get too picky about the details. The charm of North By Northwest Ten! is that if you enter with an open mind, that mind will be fi lled up and refreshed by the varying viewpoints and ideas of numerous writers. The variety and pace left me a bit discombobulated, but by the end of the evening I felt as though I understood the world a little better. ew Wicked Work Good Witch, Bad Witch, awesome music, strong, positive female relationships and a Tony or two? Yes, Wicked is a show with a lot of expectations. To fi gure out how those expectations are met, I dialed up cast member David Nathan Perlow (playing Fiyero in the production of Wicked that’s rolling into Eugene next week) to dish the dirt on performing with a touring company. “Wicked treats their cast so well,” were nearly the fi rst words out of his mouth. With at least three weeks in each city and only eight shows a week, Perlow says, “Touring with Wicked is as easy as touring can be.” While I was glad to know the actors weren’t suffering, my main concern was: Is the show going to be good? Touring companies often have the reputation of B-grade actors mucking it out in the sticks, biding their time before getting back to Broadway. “There is a creative team that is responsible for upholding the original choreography and direction. The Wicked Corporation,” Perlow adds, without a hint of irony in his voice, “is constantly making sure every show meets the highest standards. There is no disparity in skill between the actors you see here, and those on stage in New York.” When I asked if the show ever gets stale out on tour, Perlow compared his work to that of a professional athlete. “The show is physically demanding, but our stamina is up.” And, he noted, after their time in California the cast and crew are excited to be in the Northwest. Perhaps the Emerald City will turn out to be home after all? Wicked plays April 20 through May 1 at Hult Center; info and tickets at wickedthemusical.com or hultcenter.org — Anna Grace North By Northwest Ten! runs April 1-10 at the Lord Leebrick Theatre. Y u Neve Yo N e ve v r Know ow W ha h a t You’ Yo u’ll u’ ll F in ind d At A A C ol olle lect le ctor ct ors s We or W st Gun S hoo w! w ! In-Home Care Services • Personal Care • Meal Preparation • • Housekeeping • Laundry • • Appointments • Home Care • • Bathing • Grooming • Groceries • • Companionship • Medication Assistance • • Respite Care • Insurance Billing • • Errands • Blood Pressure Checks • • Memory Care • Insured • Cognition • • Licensed • Bonded • Available 24/7 • All care plans are individually tailored to each individual. There are no fees for assessments or care plan set up. Give the opportunity of a better quality of life by living at home 541.505.9715 • www.aqhcinc.com 28 APRIL7, 2011 EUGENE WEEKLY Open Everyday 11am to 9pm DELIVERY 1 ÊUÊ*,Ê£ä >iÊ °Ê>À}ÀÕ`ÃÊUÊÇÈÊ7°Ê£ÎÌ ]Ê ÝÌÊ£{ ` ` \ f È U - >Ì° Ì° x x] -Õ Õ° £ ä ä ÎÊU U ÜÜ Ü Ü° Ü °V V iVV Ì Ì ÀÃ Ã Ü i ÃÌ ÃÌ°V ° °VV TO YOUR HOME OR OFFICE STARTS SOON CATER WITH RON’S Great Prices • Short Notice Open Everyday • All Events 4 GREAT EUGENE LOCATIONS 2506 Willakenzie Rd. | 342-3006 55 W. 29th | 344-5880 1249 Alder St (Campus) | 344-1960 401 W. 3rd Ave. | 344-3324 (M-F 11am-4pm) Celebrating 12 Years! Treat Yourself Right: Shop at Eugene’s World-Class Neighborhood Grocery Store LOC AL NATURAL ORGANIC GOURMET SPECIALTY VARIETY 25th & WILLAMETTE • EUGENE • 541-345-1014 OPEN DAILY 8AM-10PM • www.capellamarket.com WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
