[NEohioPAL]A Mike and Ike Satirical Review of The University of Akron's "Impossible Marriage"

[Jeff Holland]

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The following review of Impossible Marriage was not made by Mike and Ike. They are currently bruised, bloody and whimpering in a closet where they are duct taped to a statue of Bea Arthur for their, and infinitely more important, our safety. 

 

My name is Reginald J. Smythe-Smythe. Due to the amazing influx of hate mail, I was hired to edit Mike and Ike’s latest review. After reading past reviews to prepare myself for this daunting task, I decided to edit Mike and Ike. 

 

As fortune would have it, I found myself at the University of Akron on the evening of January 14, 2003 for a preview of Beth Henley’s Impossible Marriage as performed by Akron U’s Theatre Guild. The show was directed by Shelly Smith, who handled scenic design with Lane Smerglia who also designed the lighting. So, let us begin with technical aspects. 

 

The set design was sparse. Barren, you might even call it, which is not necessarily a fault. It leaves a broader space for the actors to fill with characterization and energy. It did seem, however, that a bit more fleshing out of the location could have been helpful. 

 

Lane’s lighting is, as the set, uneventful but leaves room for the actors to do what it is that actors do. The entirety of the second act takes place at night and although it is meant to be in darkness Lane did a nice job of making everyone visible. Her use of gobos to present the illusion of a house on the black backdrop and a forested area to the stage left side were a nice touch. 

 

Oh, and Lane’s bases for the fake trees were phenomenal! 

 

That sentence cost her $5.

 

I was disappointed to find that many of the props were faulty. The muffins used to placate a pregnant character were obviously fake and never consumed. A sin, which would have any pregnant woman in a clock tower practicing her marksmanship. While on the subject of guns, one is used in this show, and as per the theatre curse, it failed to fire. A couple wedding bands were missing as well, but then again, I’m nitpicking. In the not nitpicking department, I was almost presented with the opportunity to announce the injury of a couple of the actors due to a teetering angel fountain that threatened the cast and drew attention until it finally fell. No one was injured and the cast did a nice job of covering the angelic suicide.

 

There is also a pile of leaves that are of great importance, (for some reason,) during the pre-show and beginning of the actual material provided by the author. Which brings me to a point. Improvisation is a skill which many people attempt for a very long time and in many cases, fail. (I.E. Second City Cleveland.) The improvisation wasn’t poor or inappropriate, it just seemed unnecessary. 

 

Costumes were handled by the cast themselves, and in some cases that worked, in others it was glaringly apparent that it did not. 

 

Now, to the cast.

 

They are, in order of appearance, Kandall Kingsley, who is portrayed by Megan Kaufman, Jonsey Whitman (Matt Baab), Sydney Lunt (Adam Meyer), Floral Whitman (Angela Biren), Pandora Kingsley (Maggie McDonnell), Rev. Jonathan Larence (David White) and Edvard Lunt who is played by Jeff Holland.

 

A brief synopsis;

 

Edvard is marrying Pandora. He’s old, she’s not. Her mother Kandall is reticent, her pregnant sister Flora is not. Jonsey, Flora’s husband is handsome, (just ask him,) Sydney,  Edvard’s son, is there to stop the wedding, The Reverend is there to perform it and there are more twisting plot devices than can be properly explained without… well… putting on a play.

 

The cast has some veterans and few new people and there are points where the inexperience shows but they managed to pull together well. The difficulties presented are the fact that this is a “New England Chic” script and it’s presented with a “Midwestern Feel”. It seems to have lost something while traveling west from New England to Ohio but Shelly has the cast throwing in their own comedic touches to make up for the lost essence. That choice works a few times, but in most cases it tends to make the lines not match the show going on.

 

There could have been more costume changes, some of the blocking was stiff and, as I said, the material was interpreted in a new direction, but the cast seemed to be having a great time and it would be worth your while to try and enjoy it with them. 

 
At least there wasn’t a fat, gay, biker guy swinging from a rope.


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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><EM>The following review of Impossible Marriage was not made by Mike and Ike. They are currently bruised, bloody and whimpering in a closet where they are duct taped to a statue of Bea Arthur for their, and infinitely more important, our safety. </EM></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><EM> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></EM></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>My name is Reginald J. Smythe-Smythe. Due to the amazing influx of hate mail, I was hired to edit Mike and Ike’s latest review. After reading past reviews to prepare myself for this daunting task, I decided to edit Mike and Ike. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>As fortune would have it, I found myself at the University of Akron on the evening of January 14, 2003 for a preview of Beth Henley’s Impossible Marriage as performed by Akron U’s Theatre Guild. The show was directed by Shelly Smith, who handled scenic design with Lane Smerglia who also designed the lighting. So, let us begin with technical aspects. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>The set design was sparse. Barren, you might even call it, which is not necessarily a fault. It leaves a broader space for the actors to fill with characterization and energy. It did seem, however, that a bit more fleshing out of the location could have been helpful. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Lane’s lighting is, as the set, uneventful but leaves room for the actors to do what it is that actors do. The entirety of the second act takes place at night and although it is meant to be in darkness Lane did a nice job of making everyone visible. Her use of gobos to present the illusion of a house on the black backdrop and a forested area to the stage left side were a nice touch. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Oh, and Lane’s bases for the fake trees were phenomenal! </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>That sentence cost her $5.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>I was disappointed to find that many of the props were faulty. The muffins used to placate a pregnant character were obviously fake and never consumed. A sin, which would have any pregnant woman in a clock tower practicing her marksmanship. While on the subject of guns, one is used in this show, and as per the theatre curse, it failed to fire. A couple wedding bands were missing as well, but then again, I’m nitpicking. In the not nitpicking department, I was almost presented with the opportunity to announce the injury of a couple of the actors due to a teetering angel fountain that threatened the cast and drew attention until it finally fell. No one was injured and the cast did a nice job of covering the angelic suicide.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>There is also a pile of leaves that are of great importance, (for some reason,) during the pre-show and beginning of the actual material provided by the author. Which brings me to a point. Improvisation is a skill which many people attempt for a very long time and in many cases, fail. (I.E. Second City Cleveland.) The improvisation wasn’t poor or inappropriate, it just seemed unnecessary. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Costumes were handled by the cast themselves, and in some cases that worked, in others it was glaringly apparent that it did not. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Now, to the cast.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>They are, in order of appearance, Kandall Kingsley, who is portrayed by Megan Kaufman, Jonsey Whitman (Matt Baab), Sydney Lunt (Adam Meyer), Floral Whitman (Angela Biren), Pandora Kingsley (Maggie McDonnell), Rev. Jonathan Larence (David White) and Edvard Lunt who is played by Jeff Holland.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>A brief synopsis;</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Edvard is marrying Pandora. He’s old, she’s not. Her mother Kandall is reticent, her pregnant sister Flora is not. Jonsey, Flora’s husband is handsome, (just ask him,) Sydney,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Edvard’s son, is there to stop the wedding, The Reverend is there to perform it and there are more twisting plot devices than can be properly explained without… well… putting on a play.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>The cast has some veterans and few new people and there are points where the inexperience shows but they managed to pull together well. The difficulties presented are the fact that this is a “New England Chic” script and it’s presented with a “Midwestern Feel”. It seems to have lost something while traveling west from New England to Ohio but Shelly has the cast throwing in their own comedic touches to make up for the lost essence. That choice works a few times, but in most cases it tends to make the lines not match the show going on.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>There could have been more costume changes, some of the blocking was stiff and, as I said, the material was interpreted in a new direction, but the cast seemed to be having a great time and it would be worth your while to try and enjoy it with them. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">At least there wasn’t a fat, gay, biker guy swinging from a rope.</SPAN><p><br><hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!?<br>
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