Tag Archives: CCBC Academic Theatre

Review: Halmet Lost/Found at CCBC Academic Theatre

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By Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

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Running Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission

It’s interesting to think that a play that is over 400 years old can still be relevant today but, most of The Great Bard’s stories are timeless and still quite relevant in the 21st century. Hamlet Lost/Found, Directed by Julie Lewis with Set and Lighting Design by Moe Conn, Costume Design by James Fasching, and Original Music Composition by Daniel Lewis is currently playing at CCBC Academic Theatre on the Catonsville campus is not only relevant, but is updated just enough to easily understand the story of guilt, betrayal, revenge, and unmitigated human nature.

In academic theatre, students are learning and teachers are teaching, but sometimes we forget how talented these students and teachers actually are. Walking into the Center for the Arts Theatre on the Catonsville campus of CCBC, I was treated to a well-thought out, well-designed set by Set Designer Moe Conn. The different levels kept the set interesting and the black and white and modern motif kept it simple, yet elegant. The surprising transition of the set, opening up for a larger stage, keeps the story moving and intriguing for the audience. Conn uses his space wisely and adds value to this updated version.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdbS2j0wJUw&w=560&h=315]

 

To go along with Set Design, Conn took on the responsibilities of Lighting Designer, as well, and his design is absolutely appropriate and sets the mood for each scene. In the adapted, more updated portion of the story, Conn’s lighting of the “night club” is authentic, fun, and just enough, adding to the story rather than making it a spectacle. Kudos to Conn for his work on Set Design and Lighting Design.

Costume Design by James Fasching is brilliant, matching the set with a black and white and modern style. His choices for each character is very appropriate and quite fashionable and the all of his actors seem very comfortable in their wardrobe. Since this is not a traditional mounting of this story, Fasching has managed a chic and elegant Costume Design that is well thought-out and fits nicely with the piece.

Music has always played a key role in Shakespearian productions and for this production, Daniel Lewis was charged with composing original pieces and he knocks it out of the park. His compositions are contemporary, fun, and complex, yet very appropriate for this updated version and quite enjoyable to hear. All of the pieces are placed nicely in the piece and add great value to this production.

Shakespeare can be challenging, even if one is familiar, so every now and then, a piece is updated for a contemporary audience and updating and adapting can be a little tricky, too. Director Julie Lewis, Tatiana Fish, and the ensemble, however, do a superb job with the adaptation of this piece. The first half of this production is presented with traditional text and the second half is performed with the adaptation. First and foremost, this careful adaptation makes it easier to understand the story and throws a bit of humor into this tragedy making it more accessible to a contemporary audience. Lewis also keeps her actors moving on stage giving the piece a nice tempo and flow. Her casting of these complex characters is very good and, at times, non traditional, making for a riveting production. Lewis clearly has a deep understanding of this timeless story and her vision is apparent, relating to current times and ideologies. Major kudos to Julie Lewis on a job well done.

Aside from the outstanding production aspect of this piece, the performances are also commendable and the ensemble is on point in telling this story. All of the members of the cast worked well together and had a great chemistry. Together, they created an entertaining, polished piece of which they should be proud.

A few honorable mentions go to Tirrell Bethel as the King Hamlet’s Ghost, Lloyd Ekpe as Claudius, Molly Prunty as Guildenstern, and Randi Seepersad as Rosencrantz. Bethel exudes just the correct amount of creepiness as he dictates the actions of his son from the dead while Ekpe plays the sly, cunning uncle and replacement of King Hamlet with the appropriate amount of sleaziness and guilt for his deplorable actions. Prunty and Seepersad work well together as Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, respectively, the hesitant spies and friends of Hamlet. The chemistry of these two actresses and the humor they express in the roles make them a joy to watch. Overall, the entire ensemble did a stellar job presenting this story.

A few standouts are Alajandro Mendez as Hamlet, Elizabeth Armour as Palonia (usually Palonius), Jake, Urtes as Horatio, and Ja’min Williams as Laertes.

Alajandro Mendez’s Hamlet is filled with emotion and tragedy and he seems to understand the inner turmoil and rage of his character. He is comfortable on stage and has a great presence making for a very good performance.

Elizabeth Armour is a very confident actress, portraying Palonia as the social climber she is but playing it with grace and dignity. She a character you love to hate which goes to show how accurate her performance is in this production.

As Horatio, Jake Urtes is certainly one of the highlights of this production. He’s very natural and tackles the Shakespearian text with ease and a comfortable rhythm. He’s easy to understand and he seems to grasp his character and plays him with the loyalty to Hamlet that is required. He’s confident and comfortable and gives a very strong, entertaining performance.

Another highlight is Ja’min Williams as Laret
es (and an Actor) and he, too, is very comfortable and confident in this role and finds his rhythm easily. His portrayal of Laretes and an Actor is authentic and natural and he is a joy to watch. He moves with purpose and gives a powerful performance.

Final thought… as each year passes, Shakespeare can be a tough pill to swallow. However, CCBC Academic Theatre’s production of Hamlet Lost/Found gives you a half and half – half traditional text and half updated and modernized text making it much easier for a contemporary audience follow the tragic story. The adaptation is a win and if you are familiar with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, you will not be deterred and if you are unfamiliar, this production will give you a better understanding of this popular tragedy.

That’s what I though of Hamlet Lost/Found. What did you think? I’d love to hear it! Feel free to leave a comment!

Hamlet Lost/Found will play through November 7 at The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus, Center for the Arts Theatre. For tickets, call the box office at 443-840- ARTS (2787) or purchase them online.

Review: Macbeth at CCBC Academic Theatre

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By Jason Crawford Samios-Uy
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Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
The Scottish Play. Macbeth. To utter the name in any theatre across the globe is considered to be bad luck for a production and anyone involved. Superstition right? During this time of year, late fall, All Hallows’ Eve is upon us and we might, for a split second, think of those silly superstitions have some weight to them. Fortunately, CCBC’s Academic Theatre’s latest offering, Macbeth, Directed by Anne Lefter with Set and Lighting Design by Terri Raulie and Costumes by James Fasching, doesn’t seem to carry the bad luck I’ve heard tell about. This production is presented in a traditional setting with some non-traditional casting and breathes new life into the timeless words of The Great Bard.
Set Design by Terri Raulie is simple, yet complex-looking with drapes hanging at different levels, giving depth to the stage as well as a tilted platform, reminiscent of how the original theatres of old were built and it gives a very authentic feel. Simple with earthy colors is the way to go with this production and Raulie uses her space wisely. Raulie also doubles as the Lighting Designer and her heavy design certainly makes up for the sparse (but appropriate) set on this large stage. The use of light and shadows designed by David Sunderland-Martin to move the story along is brilliant and simple, allowing for the imagination to fill in the blanks of this age old story. The shadow work alone is very impressive and gives the story a modern feel. Kudos to Sunderland-Martin for his work.
Though all this lighting was very appropriate to this production, there were moments when the stage was very dim and it was difficult to see the actors and action taking place. The dim lighting certainly set the mood, but took away from the action simply because it could not be seen clearly. Overall, Set and Lighting Design is outstanding and added great value to this production.

Macbeth's coronation. Credit: Dave Frey

Macbeth’s coronation. Credit: Dave Frey


Costuming a traditional Shakespearian production can be a challenge but veteran Costumer James Fasching takes that challenge and runs with it. His costume choices are impressive and his actors seem very comfortable in their respective garb, which is absolutely necessary. His color scheme matched the set, using earthy tones and dark colors adding to the authenticity of the piece and helping set the mood for the production.
Taking on a Shakespeare piece has its own set of problems from the beginning but Director Anne Lefter has given this piece a fresh look and, though she kept it traditional for the most part, managed to modernize it with technical elements and gender-blind casting. Lefter has an impeccable understanding of this piece and, in turn, her cast has a good grasp of the material, allowing them to present clearly to the audience. The death scenes (spoiler?) are outstanding and the audience even gets a “jump scare”, but I won’t tell you where it is, because, well, that would be cheating! There is an intense scene in which an entire family gets slaughtered and, I repeat, it is intense! The fight choreography from Rob Oppel is precise and works well in the scenes and adds just the right amount of action to the piece. The cuts Lefter decided to make in the script are wise (otherwise, we’d have been there for hours!) and in no way take away from the story of the tragic Macbeth. Kudos to Anne Lefter for taking the helm of this successful production.
Darius Foreman as Macduff and Anna Steuerman as Macbeth. Credit: Dave Frey

Darius Foreman as Macduff and Anna Steuerman as Macbeth. Credit: Dave Frey


Going into the performance aspect of Macbeth, the ensemble, as a whole, gives a remarkable performance and they work very well together. Sarah Spain, Cece Heck, Jaylon Paton open the show as the Three Sisters or Witches, making a creepy entrance in the dark, and serving as something of a narrator throughout the piece. They were a little hard to hear at times but all did a wonderful job working off of each other and, though I may have like my Witches to be a little more slinky and sinister, the trio does a fine job and are enjoyable to watch.
Henry Medrano and Alex Spain take on supporting characters in this production but certainly give 100% to their roles. Medrano takes on the roles of Malcom and Angus (Malcom, heir to Duncan’s crown and Angus, a nobleman against Macbeth) and plays them convincingly enough though he might want to work on his accent to match his fellow cast members and Spain takes on a few roles such as Murderer and Bodyguard. Both are self-assured in their roles and help move the story along nicely.
Tate Erickson tackles the role of Duncan, the ill-fated King of Scotland and I thoroughly enjoyed his performance. He is confident and comfortable on stage and seems to grasp the meaning of his character nicely. He really gets the rhythm of the Shakespearian language down. Listening to him, it sounded as if he were simply speaking naturally, without sounding jumbled, helping the audience’s understanding of the story. I look forward to seeing more from Erickson in the future.
Amy Fowler, as Banquo, does a splendid job taking on a masculine role and making it her own. She has a great stage presence and is comfortable and natural. She seems to understand the meaning of her character and plays it confidently. She has a great look for the role and gives a commendable and enjoyable performance.
It’s worth mentioning the child actors in this production of Macbeth. Sara Baunoch, Sammy Baunoch, and Sophia Clark are absolutely flawless in the children roles of this piece. These brave actors certainly hold their own against their older counterparts and give brilliant performances, giving 100% to their roles. High fives to these three young actors of whom, I predict, we’ll be seeing much more in the future.
As Macduff, Darius Foreman is formidable, with a large stature and great stage presence. He gives a fine portrayal of the doomed soldier and seems comfortable in the role. Throughout the performance, it was very difficult to understand Foreman whether it was the large space or, perhaps, needing a little work on diction. I found his vocal performance (not being able to understand a lot of what he is saying) impeded his physical performance, which looks very confident and comfortable. Overall, he gives an admirable performance and works well with his fellow cast members to move the story along.
Anna Steuerman as Macbeth and Lashay McMillan as Lady Macbeth. Credit: Dave Frey

Anna Steuerman as Macbeth and Lashay McMillan as Lady Macbeth. Credit: Dave Frey


Anna Steuerman as the titular character of Macbeth really grasps her character. It is clear she understands the torment, guilt, and anguish Macbeth is going through and she expresses it flawlessly. Both vocally and physically, Steuerman embodies the character of Macbeth and makes it her own. There are times she might be able to pull back a bit, but it is a tragedy and I can see where she is going. However, there’s a fine line between tragedy and melodrama and Steuerman, at times, teeters on that line. Her performance as Macbeth is strong, though, and she is clear and easy to understand making for a very successful performance.
Lashay McMillan as Lady Macbeth is a definite stand-out in this production. She takes on this complex role of a woman trying to stand by and even guide her husband no matter what the cost. McMillan portrays her not only as cold and calculating, but as compassionate, which is a difficult task but she tackles it successfully. Her confidence is clear and she elegantly moves about the stage with purpose. She seems to understand the yearning, pain, and distress of Lady Macbeth and plays it beautifully. Her performance is authentic and entertaining and I’m looking forward seeing Ms. McMillan in future productions.
Final thought… for some, any Shakespeare can be a tough pill to swallow, especially the tragedies, but CCBC Academic Theatre manages to make Macbeth accessible and present it with a fresh vision. Whether or not you are familiar with Shakespeare plays, you will not be disappointed in this production.
Macbeth will play through October 31 at The Community College of Baltimore County, Essex Campus, Robert and Eleanor College Center Theatre. For tickets, call the box office at 443-840-ARTS (2787) or purchase them online.