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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Perseverance pays off
at Dobama’s ‘Circle Mirror Transformation’ <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review will appear in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I></SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">4/29/11</SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“We can't return we
can only look behind<BR>From where we came<BR>And go round and round and
round<BR>In the circle game”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">These
lyrics from the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Circle Game</I>, written
in 1970 by folksinger Joni Mitchell</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>,</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"
lang=EN> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">seem
to capture the essence of Annie Baker’s new play <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Circle Mirror Transformation</I>, currently
on stage at the Dobama Theatre.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>And, as is the case with folk music, the story being told in this play is
more complex than its simple, slow storytelling lets on.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Circle
Mirror Transformation</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
explores the six weeks of a small town community center adult education drama
class.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The five participants in the
class perform a series of asinine, self-discovery acting exercises during this
two-act play, with each exercise in futility separated by a blackout. They
imitate inanimate objects—a bed, a tree, a baseball glove—and do so poorly.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They have conversations using nonsense
words and are inept.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They lay on
the parquet floor with their eyes closed repeatedly trying, and failing, to
count to 10 without any two people speaking at the same time.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
participants are broken creatures all. In fact, they are largely defined by
their frailties.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Marty (Molly
Cornwell) is the earth-mother drama instructor who can’t heal her own marriage;
James (Bob Ellis) is Marty’s philandering husband who lost the trust of his
daughter as well as his wife; </SPAN><SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Theresa (Leighann
Niles DeLorenzo) is an energetic New Yorker fleeing from her latest toxic
relationship; Schultz (Joe Milan) bares the emotional scar tissue from his
recent divorce; and Lauren (Allison Bencar) is a lost, sullen teenager in
desperate need of direction.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Baker’s plays delight in the power of
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>silence
and stillness. As such, this </SPAN><SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">play is painstakingly
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>slow in developing, with each inane
acting exercise ending on the inhale, just before something of significance is
about to be revealed. For most of the play, nothing seems to happen.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in"><SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><FONT size=3>Juliette
Regnier’s direction slows this play down even more.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each blackout seems longer than it needs
to be.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each character finds a
private moment to stare into the mirror that fills the community center wall,
recognizing something in their reflection but revealing nothing.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT
size=3>This production does not go for, nor does it achieve, the laughs found in
the off-Broadway world premiere of the play or in subsequent productions of
it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mark Kobak’s set offers nothing
to look at.<SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">It is easy for those in
attendance to grow impatient with this play and give up on this production
before its conclusion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However,
those willing to finish the breaths started by the actors, daring to ponder in
the darkness of the prolonged blackouts, and able to connect with the
wonderfully nuanced performances by each of the actors will be
rewarded.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=bodytext><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">What
eventually emerges are the </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">private,
personal epiphanies experienced by each of these haunted characters.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It becomes clear by the play’s end that
the acting exercises Marty, James, Schultz, Theresa, Lauren and we have suffered
through have slowly, methodically exorcized their demons.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They have come to realize that in life,
as in song, w</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">e can't return we can
only look behind from where we came</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Perseverance
pays off in Baker’s less-is-more <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Circle
Mirror Transformation</I>, for the characters and for the
audience.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Circle
Mirror Transformation</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">c</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">ontinues through May
15 at the Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For tickets, which range from $10 to
$25, call 216-932-3396 or visit <A href=""><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.dobama.org</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>