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Show Notes
April 28th, 2019 -
Columbinus: A discussion that needs to happen.
Sunday April 28th closed Sheboygan Theater Company's production of "Columbinus" at UW-Green Bay Sheboygan campus. The "play" is an intimate look into the lives and circumstances of the students and families of Columbine High School or any high school really.
This is the kind of theatre people need to see. The only thing underwhelming about this production was the number of empty seats in the auditorium. It's difficult to put into words the onslaught of emotions presented in this production, accurately self described as a theatrical discussion. In the first act running 75 minutes on the dot, we learn so much about these characters, archetypes of high school students, that it feels like we've seen years of their lives in just a short time.
Massive credit to the actors who must have been emotionally drained after only act one, and still needed to perform act two. The second act was particularly heavy, opening with the actual faces of the shooters projected on the screen as actors David Colton and David Quinn portray scenes of the planning stages of the shooting. 911 recordings from the actual shooting, testimony either inspired by or directly from the parents, friends, classmates, and families of the students and victims, photos of the victims, and their names written on the chalkboard at the center of the stage also make this act particularly poignant.
The set is simple and versatile with chairs, benches, and tables constantly reconfigured, and lockers, chalkboard, and brick walls setting the scenes. The props and costumes are likewise ordinary yet effective: they tell the intimate stories of the characters and convey the threat of the situations, the urgency, and the dread. Sound and light design create chilling, even haunting atmosphere at times and all transitions and movements are smoothly executed.
The writing of the collaborative work in conjunction with the delivery of the actors made me believe these characters were real. And they are. They existed when I was in high school, and have existed in the past, present, and future. The cast breathed life into these personas. It also takes a skilled hand in the director's chair to give a production this complex the necessary focus and carefully sculpted subtleties in each character.
I truly wish there were more performances because this is a topic that is relevant today and needs to be spoken and heard. Columbinus is not a historical play about the events of the shooting. It is here and now in the present.
This is the kind of theatre people need to see. The only thing underwhelming about this production was the number of empty seats in the auditorium. It's difficult to put into words the onslaught of emotions presented in this production, accurately self described as a theatrical discussion. In the first act running 75 minutes on the dot, we learn so much about these characters, archetypes of high school students, that it feels like we've seen years of their lives in just a short time.
Massive credit to the actors who must have been emotionally drained after only act one, and still needed to perform act two. The second act was particularly heavy, opening with the actual faces of the shooters projected on the screen as actors David Colton and David Quinn portray scenes of the planning stages of the shooting. 911 recordings from the actual shooting, testimony either inspired by or directly from the parents, friends, classmates, and families of the students and victims, photos of the victims, and their names written on the chalkboard at the center of the stage also make this act particularly poignant.
The set is simple and versatile with chairs, benches, and tables constantly reconfigured, and lockers, chalkboard, and brick walls setting the scenes. The props and costumes are likewise ordinary yet effective: they tell the intimate stories of the characters and convey the threat of the situations, the urgency, and the dread. Sound and light design create chilling, even haunting atmosphere at times and all transitions and movements are smoothly executed.
The writing of the collaborative work in conjunction with the delivery of the actors made me believe these characters were real. And they are. They existed when I was in high school, and have existed in the past, present, and future. The cast breathed life into these personas. It also takes a skilled hand in the director's chair to give a production this complex the necessary focus and carefully sculpted subtleties in each character.
I truly wish there were more performances because this is a topic that is relevant today and needs to be spoken and heard. Columbinus is not a historical play about the events of the shooting. It is here and now in the present.
March 16th, 2019 -
The Shape of Things: An intelligent play about change, relationships, and art
The set: Something a little different for the Forst Inn, this set features half-wall partitions on the front of the stage. These walls serve a dual purpose: They narrow the playing space, creating a more tight-knit and intimate staging. They also allow several props and set pieces to be stored on stage for quick transitions. They feature the same color scheme as the back wall: A blue gradient with a yellowish base. The back wall features outlines of famous sculptures, appropriate for the artistic theme of the show.
The transitions: There are 10 scenes and a total of 7 transitions made by the actors in character. These transitions are interesting because they act as little windows into the characters’ relationships. There is subtext to explore in these short transitions, so don’t look away!
The Music: Covering the scene changes is some funky 90s music. A lot of Prince. The music drives the scene changes and helps imply the setting and the passing time. An unfortunately poor quality sound cue ends the first act, but practical sound effects later on are appreciated.
Costumes: Mostly appropriate for the setting of the 90s. There are some pieces that are necessary for the context of the show, and that’s all I’ll say so I don’t ruin any surprises.
There is plenty of strong language and adult content. This probably wouldn’t be the show to take your 7 year old to see. Don’t let that turn you off to attending though. The moments are necessary to drive the plot and to convey the strong emotions the characters are dealing with. And some of it might be just because the characters portrayed are college students, boys will be boys, etc.
Shape of Things is a masterfully written script with four complex characters. Adam, played by Thomas Moore, is arguably the main character. He is an insecure, nervous college student who goes out on a limb to try something different. His character growth throughout the show is strongly visible.
Evelyn (Elizabeth Szyman) is an open-minded, bold, and maybe a little opinionated artist who first meets Adam at that top of the play. Her role is mentally and emotionally exhausting and she plays it well. She asks a lot of the hard questions and makes you think.
Jenny (Katie Schroeder) is a friend of Adam’s. Her relationship with each character is very important. Every story relies on conflict and she has to navigate through a lot of it in this play.
Phillip (Darrick Bruns) is Adam’s other friend, fiance to Jenny. The character serves as a foil to the others, contrasting with their characters and highlighting their qualities. However, it would be an understatement to only consider him as a literary device. He makes a lot of meaningful discoveries throughout the play.
This show is difficult to describe without giving away too many details. There is some clever wordplay here and there, occasional quotes from famous authors, and a few delightfully awkward moments in the beginning. There is rising tension, beautiful silence, and thick subtext. The opening two scenes struck me as a little off, but it may have been necessary for the shape of the play to begin that way.
There are a few twists in the show, and you’ll definitely have questions afterwards. The show explores a lot of opposites: truth and falsehood, confidence and insecurity, open and close mindedness, subjectivity and objectivity. There are secrets. There is status play. There is real emotion. The show becomes immersive at times and I found myself truly invested in the action and drawn into the show. There is a short intermission during which you may find yourself contemplating over your cheesecake: How will they tie up these loose ends? Or will they unravel further?
I highly recommend you go see one of the remaining performances: Sunday 3/17 at 2pm, Thursday 3/21, 3/22 at 7:30pm, and Sunday 3/24 at 2pm. Tickets are availble online at forstinn.com or at the door. A buffet of appetizers and cheesecake at intermission is included in the price.
The Forst Inn is located in Tisch Mills at E2910 Cty Rd BB. Plan to arrive 45 minutes prior to the show to get appetizers and drinks and find your table.
The transitions: There are 10 scenes and a total of 7 transitions made by the actors in character. These transitions are interesting because they act as little windows into the characters’ relationships. There is subtext to explore in these short transitions, so don’t look away!
The Music: Covering the scene changes is some funky 90s music. A lot of Prince. The music drives the scene changes and helps imply the setting and the passing time. An unfortunately poor quality sound cue ends the first act, but practical sound effects later on are appreciated.
Costumes: Mostly appropriate for the setting of the 90s. There are some pieces that are necessary for the context of the show, and that’s all I’ll say so I don’t ruin any surprises.
There is plenty of strong language and adult content. This probably wouldn’t be the show to take your 7 year old to see. Don’t let that turn you off to attending though. The moments are necessary to drive the plot and to convey the strong emotions the characters are dealing with. And some of it might be just because the characters portrayed are college students, boys will be boys, etc.
Shape of Things is a masterfully written script with four complex characters. Adam, played by Thomas Moore, is arguably the main character. He is an insecure, nervous college student who goes out on a limb to try something different. His character growth throughout the show is strongly visible.
Evelyn (Elizabeth Szyman) is an open-minded, bold, and maybe a little opinionated artist who first meets Adam at that top of the play. Her role is mentally and emotionally exhausting and she plays it well. She asks a lot of the hard questions and makes you think.
Jenny (Katie Schroeder) is a friend of Adam’s. Her relationship with each character is very important. Every story relies on conflict and she has to navigate through a lot of it in this play.
Phillip (Darrick Bruns) is Adam’s other friend, fiance to Jenny. The character serves as a foil to the others, contrasting with their characters and highlighting their qualities. However, it would be an understatement to only consider him as a literary device. He makes a lot of meaningful discoveries throughout the play.
This show is difficult to describe without giving away too many details. There is some clever wordplay here and there, occasional quotes from famous authors, and a few delightfully awkward moments in the beginning. There is rising tension, beautiful silence, and thick subtext. The opening two scenes struck me as a little off, but it may have been necessary for the shape of the play to begin that way.
There are a few twists in the show, and you’ll definitely have questions afterwards. The show explores a lot of opposites: truth and falsehood, confidence and insecurity, open and close mindedness, subjectivity and objectivity. There are secrets. There is status play. There is real emotion. The show becomes immersive at times and I found myself truly invested in the action and drawn into the show. There is a short intermission during which you may find yourself contemplating over your cheesecake: How will they tie up these loose ends? Or will they unravel further?
I highly recommend you go see one of the remaining performances: Sunday 3/17 at 2pm, Thursday 3/21, 3/22 at 7:30pm, and Sunday 3/24 at 2pm. Tickets are availble online at forstinn.com or at the door. A buffet of appetizers and cheesecake at intermission is included in the price.
The Forst Inn is located in Tisch Mills at E2910 Cty Rd BB. Plan to arrive 45 minutes prior to the show to get appetizers and drinks and find your table.
January 19th, 2019 -
Extra! Extra! “Newsies” explodes onto the Sheboygan stage, overflowing with energy.
Curtain call on Theater for Young Audience's virtually sold out opening night was met with a well-deserved standing ovation.
Jack Kelly a newsboy who dreams of traveling west to live in a small town where life is sweet. As an ex-convict with no family he relies on his friends for support. When the newspaper publishers decide to unfairly raise prices Jack leads his fellow newsies in a strike, demanding to be treated equally and have their voices heard.
What’s good in this production:
There are SO many cast members. The huge cast is full of life and energy and every actor brings their best. Also where did all those boys come from? While some of the traditionally all male newsies are played by females (as is historically accurate), there is an abundance of boy-power in the cast which is hard to find in community theatre productions.
The show begins on a strong note, literally, when Jack Kelly (David Colton) and his best friend Crutchie (Charlize Kuznacic) sing some beautiful harmony in “Santa Fe.” The high standards of this production are further solidified in the opening production number “Carrying the Banner.” The energy in this number is unbelievable and carries throughout the whole show right down to the finale.
There is a group of newsies that serve as the main posse; these are named characters and they all have a very strong stage presence. For a relatively young cast, it is astounding to see such good stagework: reacting and listening, playing off of each other, really working together as an ensemble. Many numbers feature these “main” newsies in soli sections before adding in more and more of the many other ensemble newsies. The kids fill the playing space including the stage, aisles, and scaffolding set pieces. It’s in your face without being intrusive.
There’s not a bad note in the show. Occasional individuals are heard popping over the ensemble, and there a few spots in full ensemble numbers where it can get a little “shouty.” But overall the blend is good, the ensemble is powerful, and the notes are accurate and sung well.
David Colton not only leads the Newsies as Jack Kelly, but he also is a leader in the cast with a large amount of dialogue, vocals, and dance features. His high note at the end of “Santa Fe - Reprise” is good reason alone to see this show. He also maintains a very believable dialect throughout the show, as do many of his castmates.
Davey Jacobs, Jack’s partner in the strike, is played by Timothy Peterson. His character blossoms when he becomes inspired to help Jack lead the revolution in Scene 5 as they sing “The World Will Know.” His transformation into a leader and growth as a character is evident by Peterson’s portrayal of the role.
Constantly alongside him is his little brother Les, played by Grant Cassady, who is full of funny one liners and cute and cheeky moments.
Hilary Kathleen owns the role of Katherine Plumber, a young female news reporter, determined to get the scoop and make a name for herself. Kathleen does a fantastic job of navigating the wide range and high belt of her big solo “Watch What Happens.” Other highlights are her witty banter with Colton and her choreography of “King of New York.”
Crutchie was one of my favorite characters and was brilliantly portrayed by Charlize Kuznacic. Crutchie has a solo reprise of Santa Fe in act II that was heart wrenchingly sensitive. This is contrasted by the strong moments where Crutchie absolutely owns the stage as she fights alongside her fellow strikers. Also kudos for following through on the limp even in blackouts and scene transitions.
Speaking of… lightning fast scene changes! Executed completely by actors who were efficient and in character. I even noticed a few stylized spins and jumps as actors placed chairs or struck scenery. Some quick scenic movement was facilitated by the several wheeled scaffolding units that were ever-present on stage and beared the weight of many actors at once, jumping and dancing and hanging on them. The set is mainly representational with scaffolding and laundry lines suggesting rooftops, a gate depicting Newsie Square, or a chair and typewriter for Plumber’s office.
Light and sound were well executed. Opening night had only a couple small sound issues including Joseph Pulitzer’s mic going in and out or booming a little bit, and one unfortunate cast member who’s mic was not silenced offstage resulting in a mysterious trickling sound effect in a scene where there was definitely no need for it. It happens; but it was funny and made me smile. And with the exception of a couple featured dancers being on the edge of their light during a small vignette covering a scene change, everyone’s faces were well lit.
Good thing too, because the facial expressions were GREAT. These kids looked like they grew up on the street and knew a thing or two about the bronx. Many also had big eyes and wide grins when they were singing numbers like “King of New York” or “Carrying the Banner.”
“The World will Know” was strong, the iconic “Seize the Day” was a showstopper … I honestly thought it was the end of the first act, but there was a little more to follow. And “Once and For All” was also very powerful with some simple but visually impressive newspaper tossing. These tunes are catchy too. I have several bouncing around in my head and you’re bound to leave the theatre whistling at least one tune.. if not all of them!
Simple choreography was effective performed by so many actors at once. Movements were not perfectly in sync, but I think this is appropriate for a production portraying kids. While full cast choreography was simple, there were many featured dancers performing lifts, tap dancing, flips, and other impressive moves. The scale of the movement was as big as it could be considering the relatively small stage crowded with actors.
The pit orchestra was strong, despite being in a separate area from the cast. And the actors were synced up with them the whole time. Trumpet and horn were a couple prominent instruments that I enjoyed. Aside from a couple small rhythm disconnections that I noticed, it was remarkably together.
Costumes were good (considering most people don’t have turn of the century clothing just lying around their homes). Some cast members wore blank dance shoes with all black spats over them to give the illusion of old-styled shoes. Others had brown spats with their black dance shoes which was not as good of a choice. Ms. Medda Larkin (Katy Ries) had a gorgeous purple outfit that made her look like the queen of divas. Hilary Kathleen wore several dresses as Katherine Plumber. Her second act costumes I like better, and all of them were big and colorful.
A few weaker aspects include the office scenes .. the set up was quick, but from the far audience right section there were a few sightline issues. The show makes minimal use of a projector screen which is fully visible for all but the section that I sat in on the far right. We could see the edge of the screen but missed out on the full effect. Some sections got a little shouty and I fear for some actors’ voices with several performances left to go. Good energy but don’t hurt yourselves! A flash effect for a camera flash was hardly noticeable and amounted to the lights getting a little brighter for a second. It may be nitpicky, but it was honestly a little disappointing: I was expecting a big flash when the “picture” was taken. A clever gate was used a few times but generally felt like a waste given the little amount of stage time it got.
The show ran about 2 hours 35 minutes including a 15 minute intermission and a slightly late start due to lines at the box office and people still findings their seats.
This is a really good show. I was very impressed. It lives up to the hype and lives up the Disney standards.Go see it. I felt drawn into the action. I felt the intensity and drive of their mission and would liken it to other revolutionary musical moments like “One Day More” in Les Mis.
5 remaining performances: January 12th, 18th, and 19th at 7:00pm and January 13th and 20th at 2:00pm. For more information visit https://www.tyasheboygan.org/
About the show itself: The 1992 Disney movie of the same name is loosely based on the Newsboy strike of 1899. In 2011 the staged version premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, and went on to Broadway the following year where it won 2 Tony awards including Best Original Score.
About the author: Phillip Jindra is a graduate of Lawrence University with degrees in Vocal Music Performance and Theatre arts. He was a production intern at Peninsula Players for the 2016 season. He is a current member of the Forst Inn Arts Collective and The Masquers, Inc. Phillip has been acting, directing, designing, and collaborating with other theatre artists for over 12 years.
Jack Kelly a newsboy who dreams of traveling west to live in a small town where life is sweet. As an ex-convict with no family he relies on his friends for support. When the newspaper publishers decide to unfairly raise prices Jack leads his fellow newsies in a strike, demanding to be treated equally and have their voices heard.
What’s good in this production:
There are SO many cast members. The huge cast is full of life and energy and every actor brings their best. Also where did all those boys come from? While some of the traditionally all male newsies are played by females (as is historically accurate), there is an abundance of boy-power in the cast which is hard to find in community theatre productions.
The show begins on a strong note, literally, when Jack Kelly (David Colton) and his best friend Crutchie (Charlize Kuznacic) sing some beautiful harmony in “Santa Fe.” The high standards of this production are further solidified in the opening production number “Carrying the Banner.” The energy in this number is unbelievable and carries throughout the whole show right down to the finale.
There is a group of newsies that serve as the main posse; these are named characters and they all have a very strong stage presence. For a relatively young cast, it is astounding to see such good stagework: reacting and listening, playing off of each other, really working together as an ensemble. Many numbers feature these “main” newsies in soli sections before adding in more and more of the many other ensemble newsies. The kids fill the playing space including the stage, aisles, and scaffolding set pieces. It’s in your face without being intrusive.
There’s not a bad note in the show. Occasional individuals are heard popping over the ensemble, and there a few spots in full ensemble numbers where it can get a little “shouty.” But overall the blend is good, the ensemble is powerful, and the notes are accurate and sung well.
David Colton not only leads the Newsies as Jack Kelly, but he also is a leader in the cast with a large amount of dialogue, vocals, and dance features. His high note at the end of “Santa Fe - Reprise” is good reason alone to see this show. He also maintains a very believable dialect throughout the show, as do many of his castmates.
Davey Jacobs, Jack’s partner in the strike, is played by Timothy Peterson. His character blossoms when he becomes inspired to help Jack lead the revolution in Scene 5 as they sing “The World Will Know.” His transformation into a leader and growth as a character is evident by Peterson’s portrayal of the role.
Constantly alongside him is his little brother Les, played by Grant Cassady, who is full of funny one liners and cute and cheeky moments.
Hilary Kathleen owns the role of Katherine Plumber, a young female news reporter, determined to get the scoop and make a name for herself. Kathleen does a fantastic job of navigating the wide range and high belt of her big solo “Watch What Happens.” Other highlights are her witty banter with Colton and her choreography of “King of New York.”
Crutchie was one of my favorite characters and was brilliantly portrayed by Charlize Kuznacic. Crutchie has a solo reprise of Santa Fe in act II that was heart wrenchingly sensitive. This is contrasted by the strong moments where Crutchie absolutely owns the stage as she fights alongside her fellow strikers. Also kudos for following through on the limp even in blackouts and scene transitions.
Speaking of… lightning fast scene changes! Executed completely by actors who were efficient and in character. I even noticed a few stylized spins and jumps as actors placed chairs or struck scenery. Some quick scenic movement was facilitated by the several wheeled scaffolding units that were ever-present on stage and beared the weight of many actors at once, jumping and dancing and hanging on them. The set is mainly representational with scaffolding and laundry lines suggesting rooftops, a gate depicting Newsie Square, or a chair and typewriter for Plumber’s office.
Light and sound were well executed. Opening night had only a couple small sound issues including Joseph Pulitzer’s mic going in and out or booming a little bit, and one unfortunate cast member who’s mic was not silenced offstage resulting in a mysterious trickling sound effect in a scene where there was definitely no need for it. It happens; but it was funny and made me smile. And with the exception of a couple featured dancers being on the edge of their light during a small vignette covering a scene change, everyone’s faces were well lit.
Good thing too, because the facial expressions were GREAT. These kids looked like they grew up on the street and knew a thing or two about the bronx. Many also had big eyes and wide grins when they were singing numbers like “King of New York” or “Carrying the Banner.”
“The World will Know” was strong, the iconic “Seize the Day” was a showstopper … I honestly thought it was the end of the first act, but there was a little more to follow. And “Once and For All” was also very powerful with some simple but visually impressive newspaper tossing. These tunes are catchy too. I have several bouncing around in my head and you’re bound to leave the theatre whistling at least one tune.. if not all of them!
Simple choreography was effective performed by so many actors at once. Movements were not perfectly in sync, but I think this is appropriate for a production portraying kids. While full cast choreography was simple, there were many featured dancers performing lifts, tap dancing, flips, and other impressive moves. The scale of the movement was as big as it could be considering the relatively small stage crowded with actors.
The pit orchestra was strong, despite being in a separate area from the cast. And the actors were synced up with them the whole time. Trumpet and horn were a couple prominent instruments that I enjoyed. Aside from a couple small rhythm disconnections that I noticed, it was remarkably together.
Costumes were good (considering most people don’t have turn of the century clothing just lying around their homes). Some cast members wore blank dance shoes with all black spats over them to give the illusion of old-styled shoes. Others had brown spats with their black dance shoes which was not as good of a choice. Ms. Medda Larkin (Katy Ries) had a gorgeous purple outfit that made her look like the queen of divas. Hilary Kathleen wore several dresses as Katherine Plumber. Her second act costumes I like better, and all of them were big and colorful.
A few weaker aspects include the office scenes .. the set up was quick, but from the far audience right section there were a few sightline issues. The show makes minimal use of a projector screen which is fully visible for all but the section that I sat in on the far right. We could see the edge of the screen but missed out on the full effect. Some sections got a little shouty and I fear for some actors’ voices with several performances left to go. Good energy but don’t hurt yourselves! A flash effect for a camera flash was hardly noticeable and amounted to the lights getting a little brighter for a second. It may be nitpicky, but it was honestly a little disappointing: I was expecting a big flash when the “picture” was taken. A clever gate was used a few times but generally felt like a waste given the little amount of stage time it got.
The show ran about 2 hours 35 minutes including a 15 minute intermission and a slightly late start due to lines at the box office and people still findings their seats.
This is a really good show. I was very impressed. It lives up to the hype and lives up the Disney standards.Go see it. I felt drawn into the action. I felt the intensity and drive of their mission and would liken it to other revolutionary musical moments like “One Day More” in Les Mis.
5 remaining performances: January 12th, 18th, and 19th at 7:00pm and January 13th and 20th at 2:00pm. For more information visit https://www.tyasheboygan.org/
About the show itself: The 1992 Disney movie of the same name is loosely based on the Newsboy strike of 1899. In 2011 the staged version premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, and went on to Broadway the following year where it won 2 Tony awards including Best Original Score.
About the author: Phillip Jindra is a graduate of Lawrence University with degrees in Vocal Music Performance and Theatre arts. He was a production intern at Peninsula Players for the 2016 season. He is a current member of the Forst Inn Arts Collective and The Masquers, Inc. Phillip has been acting, directing, designing, and collaborating with other theatre artists for over 12 years.