Anne Shoemaker | Backstage Baltimore

By Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

title

Running Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes with one 15-minute intermission

Religion is always a tricky and sometimes touchy subject in the arts, but that’s only when its taken too seriously. The latest offering from Fells Point Corner Theatre, the Baltimore Premiere of The Divine Sister, by Charles Busch finds a delightful balance. Directed by Steve Goldklang, with Set Design by Roy Steinman, Lighting Design by Charles Danforth III, Sound Design by Andrew Porter, and Costume Design by Anthony Lane Hinkle and Mary Bova (of A.T. Jones) this piece tickles the proverbial funny bone without offending and the story actually isn’t heavy on religion but sending a message of love, faith, and hope.

Steven Shriner and Holly Gibbs. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Set Design by Roy Steinman is simple, yet detailed. Two moveable walls on wheels cleverly allow for various locations including an underground passageway, a courtyard garden, and a sitting room of an elegant mansion. Steinman’s design is traditional in the way that the scenes are definitely painted and not necessarily realistic, such as stained glass windows and a fireplace and mantel, but absolutely fitting for this production. Being a fan of traditional theatre and suspension of disbelief, I rather enjoyed the simplicity of the set. The entire set is designed to display stone work, as you would see in old churches and buildings and the stone painting is on point. Steinman uses his space very wisely, using the surprisingly large stage and breaking it up into sections with the moveable walls. The set pieces chosen are fitting and really separate the scenes and locations. Overall, the Steinman’s Set Design is appropriate and smart adding charm to the entire production.

The scene changes are precise and careful, but often go on a few seconds too long. There are quite a few set pieces that have to make their way on and off stage between scenes and I’m sure the scene changes will cut their time as the production runs.

Tom Lodge and Kathryne Daniels. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Lighting Design by Charles Danforth III does more than light the actors on stage but sets the mood completely for each scene. Whether outside in a courtyard or in an underground tunnel, the lighting scheme matches the action and setting. Danforth’s design blends in with the action and is absolutely appropriate for the piece.

To go along with Lighting Design, Andrew Porter’s Sound Design is on point for this production. Though there are not a lot of sound effects in this production, what is utilized is definitely befitting. Namely, the realistic “dripping water” sound effect used in the underground tunnel setting adds value to the scene and the production.

Steven Shriner and Anne Shoemaker. Credit: Tessa Sollway

The use of recordings is wise and is hilarious as the actors blatantly lip-sync through an entire number, skipping and dancing as they do. It’s worthe mentioning the song in the the courtyard between Mother Superior and Agnes is not only hilarious with the afore mentioned lip-syncing and skipping, but has beautiful vocals by actresses Holly Gibbs and Anne Shoemaker, with guitar by David Shoemaker.

Costume Design by Anthony Lane Hinkle and Mary Bova (of A.T. Jones) is authentic and fun for this piece. Set in the mid 1960s, styles and fashion were flashy and all over the place, but Hinkle and Bova manage to capture the essence of the 60s with their Costume Design. The nuns, of course, are your traditionally dressed 1960s nuns with the full habit and rosarary and the actors seemed very comfortable in these genuine-looking habits, moving freely about the stage. Outside of the nun costumes, the “civilian” character costumes were equally as impressive. The many costumes of the character named Mrs. Levinson, were all on point and fitting of the character and time, with polyester looking material and vibrant colors of a wealthy middle-aged woman with a penchant and propensity for current fashion and haute couture. Kudos to Hinkle and Bova for their impeccable design.

Lynda McClary and Tom Lodge. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Steve Goldklang’s Direction of this piece is impressive and concise as his vision for this very funny and upbeat piece is clear making for a very well put-together production. Goldklang seems to understand this story is not merely making fun of any particular religion but using humor to tell a story and send an important message of trust and belief.

Though I don’t consider The Divine Sister a traditional farce, it does have farcical aspects and quick entrances and exits, but, overall is just a very witty comedy that Goldklang understands and keeps that delicate balance of mocking and poking fun. He keeps the action moving and, aside from the lengthy scene changes, manages to use the immense talents of his cast to keep the stor
y moving forward. Overall, Steven Goldklang does an outstanding job at the helm of this production.

Kathryne Daniels as Sister Walburga. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Moving on to the performance aspect of this piece, Kathryne Daniels as Sister Walburga/Mrs. Macduffie has a great look and command of the stage making both her characters interesting and entertaining. Her characters are completely different and Sister Walburga as the stern Sister from Berlin may not be all she seems while Mrs. Macduffie, the cleaning lady, seems to know everything that’s going on in their little circle and is happy to share her information. It seems Daniels is the only actor required to use accents for her characters (German for Sister Walburga and Scottish for Mrs. Macduffie) but she may have benefited by working with a dialect coach as her accents for both characters were a dicey, at best. Regardless, her performance was impressive and she seems to understand her characters and plays them beautifully.

Tom Lodge as Brother Venerius/Jeremy is likable and carries the weight of being the only male character in the entire piece. He is comfortable and confident onstage and his portrayal of Jeremy is believable and moves the story along through his dialogue, making him an involved character. However, for as good as he portrays Jeremy, his portrayal of Brother Venerius, whose face we never see, falls a little flat. Brother Venerius is a mysterious character lurking in the underbelly of the convent but I couldn’t pinpoint where is character is supposed to be from as the accent he chooses to use is all over the place and a little strange. Overall, Lodge gives a very strong performance and carries his characters quite well.

Holly Gibbs as Sister Acacius and Lynda McClary as Mrs. Levinson. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Holly Gibbs is brilliant as Sister Acacius a.k.a. Lily in this production of The Divine Sister. She has great comedic timing and her understanding of the character is apparent as she pulls off the New York accent and mannerisms impeccably. As a nun who’s going through some things, including not necessarily wanting to be a nun anymore, and has an interesting past along with Mother Superior, Gibbs plays the role with the right amount of humor and is absolutely believable as Sister Acacius, the right hand man to Mother Superior. Gibbs never disappoints and her work in this production is no different.

Kathryne Daniels, Anne Shoemaker, and Holly Gibbs. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Anne Shoemaker as Agnes, the postulate who is having visions and healing the sick, is a standout in this production. Her comedic timing is on point and her character choices are impeccable. She plays this role with the perfect amount of “crazy” that is required for this character. A cross between Maria Von Trappe and Annie Wilkes (from Stephen King’s novel Misery), Shoemaker finds a perfect balance of innocence and insanity for this character and her depiction of the transition her character goes through is also admirable, In general, Shoemaker is confident and commanding and gives a strong and impressive performance.

Lynda McClary as Mrs. Levinson/Timothy is hands down one of the highlights of this production. With that being said, in the role of Timothy, the young man who is bullied and not the best athlete, along with other adolescent issues, McClary is a bit much. An adult actor playing a child is always tricky and, for this production, McClary takes it to the extreme to being almost annoying, rather than funny, but, if anything, she is absolutely dedicated to the role, giving 100%. Her portrayal of Mrs. Levinson, however, is a completely different story. Mrs. Levinson is the wealthy, fashionable, and philanthropic widow who has secrets of her own and McClary pulls this role off flawlessly. With just the right balance of snootiness and humility, she is a riot with immaculate comedic timing and is an actress who isn’t afraid to make a fool of herself for the good of the production. She’s a seasoned actor and her confidence and command of the stage makes for a funny and outstanding performance.

Steven Shriner as Mother Superior. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Last but certainly not least is Steven Shriner as Mother Superios a.k.a. Susan who is another absolute highlight of this production. For some reason, a man in drag is still funny after all the years of it being a bit in show business and this production is no different. Shriner is superb as Mother Superior and his delivery of the clever lines and his timing is just about perfect. The success of his performance is the character of Mother Superior seriously, not as a mockery, and it makes for a very strong, funny, natural performance. His soothing voice and mannerisms make for an authentic portrayal and a very likable character. As both Mother Superior and Susan, the young and sweet, but cut-throat New York reporter, Shriner gives a confident and commanding performance and I’m looking forward to seeing more from him.

The Cast of The Divine Sister. Credit: Tessa Sollway

Final thought… The Divine Sister at Fells Point Corner Theatre is witty, hilarious show with a clever script and excellent performances from the ensemble. The piece pokes fun at religion but certainly does not mock it and, in the end, sends a good message of faith and hope through crafty humor that will have your sides splitting. Get your tickets now! You don’t want to miss this one!

This is what I thought of Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production of The Divine Sister. What did you think? Please feel free to leave a comment!

The Divine Sister will play through December 18 at Fells Point Corner Theatre, 251 S Ann Street, Baltimore, MD. For Tickets, go to fpct.org for information or purchase them online.

by Jason Crawford Samios-Uy
Julius Caesar
Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission
The Great Bard, William Shakespeare, is known by many as one of the greatest playwrights in world history. He has proven himself time and time again with comedies, tragedies, histories, poetry and prose but, even though his language is technically (early) modern English, it can be a tough pill for modern audiences to swallow. It takes a brave troupe to tackle any work of Shakespeare and present it to a present day audience but The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory (BSF) does just that and does it successfully. BSF’s latest offering, Julius Caesar, directed by Chris Cotterman with Assistant Director and Stage Manager Phil Vannoorbeeck, Costume Design by April Forrer, Music Direction by Alice Stanley and Josh Thomas, and Fight Choreography by Tegan Williams manages to keep a modern audience entertained yet keep the authenticity of the play in tack making for a very pleasant midsummer’s evening.

Music from the Cast Members before the performance. Credit: Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

This production is performed on The Meadow at Johns Hopkins Evergreen Museum & Library and is an absolutely perfect setting for this type of production. There are no sets whatsoever – just a square wooden stage at the edge of a wood and the beautiful backdrop of the trees and the open sky gives a very authentic, natural feeling. The sounds of nature, particularly the crickets and cicadas, though noticeable at first, blended into the production giving an almost soothing soundtrack to the production.
It’s apparent BSF loves music and seems to include it every chance it gets. Just as in original productions of Shakespeare plays over 400 years ago where theatres had a special musician’s gallery above the stage or musicians directly on the stage, BSF follows with the latter. The audience is treated to a few tunes before the performance, during intermission, and a closing number. The songs are mostly modern with minimal instrumental accompaniment including Josh Thomas on the acoustic guitar and cast members playing the cajón (box drum). The tunes chosen by Music Directors Alice Stanley and Josh Thomas are quite appropriate and are well performed by the multi-talented cast members and might have you clapping in time or tapping your foot.

Shannon Ziegler as Marcus Brutus and Katherine Vary as Portia. Credit: Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

Cotterman’s blocking is very good, being in the thrust and sans set. The audience is encouraged to sit on all three sides of the stage and the blocking is very fluid, keeping the actors moving. No microphones are used in this production so, an actor with his or her back to the audience is hard to hear and there are quite a few times, depending on where you are sitting, you will be presented with the back of an actor, but not for too long, so not much is missed in the dialogue and most, not all, of the actors are on point with their projection. I have to reiterate… there are absolutely no sets. None. Zilch! However, this does not, in any way, take away from the production because it is actor driven and the hard-working, very talented actors still kept my attention despite the blank stage.

On the way to the Senate. Credit: Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

Worth mentioning is the combat on the stage in this production. Resident Fight Choreographer and BSF company member Tegan Williams does a magnificent job getting this cast moving like a well-oiled machine during the “fight” scenes with thought-out choreography that does not take away from the performance, but adds to it as a whole. The demise of Julius Caesar is a highlight of this choreography, as well as the battles between Marc Antony supporters and Marcus Brutus supports.
Notably, Cotterman decides to set the story in Colonial America rather than the traditional ancient Rome because, according to his director’s note, he wanted “No togas.” It’s an interesting choice and it does work though there are only slight similarities between Revolutionary America and the story of Julius Caesar, namely the over-throw of a tyrant, or, in Caesar’s case, a perceived tyrant. This change of setting is accomplished using costumes and Costume Designer April Forrer does a superb job dressing her actors in well though-out, appropriate period costumes definitely setting the story in the Colonial era. Though the wardrobe was fantastic and the setting was appropriate, I have to ask if it was entirely necessary to take this story out of ancient Rome. The script was, of course, edited, but not updated so, really, it could have taken place anywhere. Cotterman states in his director’s note (in so many words) that this is a kind of “American Julius Caesar” and he chose to set the story in Colonial times because the era would be familiar but a distant past to his audience just as the setting in the original Julius Caesar, produced in Shakespeare’s time, would be familiar but distant past to that audience. Again, clever idea, but not entirely necessary.

On the way to the Senate. Credit: Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

Taking on the titular role of Julius Caesar is Anne Shoemaker who looks very comfortable in the role and has a good command of the dialogue. She also has a good presence on stage but her delivery is softer than I liked. There are many times, especially when she is facing away from the audience, where it is very difficult to hear her dialogue and some of her more important lines are lost. Regardless, she gives her all and gives a very admirable performance.
Shakespeare plays are truly ensemble pieces and every character is an integral part of the story but a few standout performances in this production of Julius Caesar include performances by Utkarsh Rajawat as Caius Cassius, Shannon Ziegler as Marcus Brutus, and Fred Fletcher-Jackson as Mark Antony.

Shannon Ziegler as Marcus Brutus, Utkarsh Rajawat as Caius Cassius, and Fred Fletcher-Jackson as Mark Antony. Credit: Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

As Mark Antony, Caesar’s right-hand-man, Fred Fletcher-Jackson commands the stage and is very comfortable with his movements and he gives a very natural performance. In the few parts where his character has to yell to show rage or agony, I lose the character a bit, but overall, his performance is spot on.
Shannon Ziegler as Marcus Brutus gave a brilliant performance and she really seemed to understand her character and the inner conflict he was having. She had a great command of the stage and a strong presence and looked very comfortable and natural having a purpose with every move. Her delivery of the lines is careful and flawless, especially in her monologues.
The highlight of this production is Utkarsh Rajawat as Caius Cassius. His performance was near perfect with a strong presence and command of the stage. Even though it’s Early modern English, he didn’t falter once on the dialogue and, because he his delivery was so natural, there were times I forgot he was reading from a script. He is a joy to watch in this role because instead of just saying the lines and going through the motions, I could see Rajawat took the time to study and understand what his character was saying and it shone through in his on point performance.
Final thought… Julius Caesar is a well-produced show with a very talented, dedicated cast. If you are familiar with Shakespeare, you will not be disappointed and if you are a Shakespeare novice, you will still be able to follow this timeless story of intrigue, conspiracy, and betrayal. Beware the ides of March, but go see this production of Julius Caesar.
This is what I thought of this production of Julius Caesar.… what do you think?
Julius Caesar will play through August 21, Friday-Saturday at 8pm, Sundays at 4pm at The Meadow at Johns Hopkins Evergreen Museum & Library (4545 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD) or The Great Hall Theater at St. Mary’s Community Center (3900 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD). For tickets, call 410-921-9455 or purchase them online.

Backstage Baltimore

Tag Archives: Anne Shoemaker

Review: The Divine Sister at Fells Point Corner Theatre

Review: Julius Caesar at The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory