By Jason Crawford Samios-Uy
Approx. Running Time: 2 hours with one intermission
Love is an emotion and information is tangible but both have so much to do with each other. People are weird and things are important and that’s just how it is in this world we live in. Both love and information are acquired and expressed differently by everyone and Fells Point Corner Theatre attempts to address this in their latest offering, Love & Information by Caryl Churchill, Directed by Deidre McAllister and what we get is an abstract, frenetic presentation of those different processes.
Deirdre McAllister takes the helm of this production and the staging is on point dealing with at least 40 small vignettes, ranging from 30 seconds to a few minutes, but McAllister is on top of it. The theme of human dealings and interaction with electronics and technology is clear and, though it all seems jumbled, McAllister seems to have a grasp on the material and presents it in a solid presentation. Helping McAllister’s vision is a simple, minimal but effective Set Design by Michael Vincent of just solid light color walls and a few set pieces such as a table and some chairs. Though sparse, the design works well with the piece and the very different stories each vignette tells and Vincent is to be commended for his keep-it-simple design.
Lighting and Sound Design by David Crandall is spot on making for smooth transitions and engaging visuals. His use of local music from Horse Lords, adds to the charm of this piece and fits perfectly with the production as a whole. Adding to the rich technical aspect of this production is Projection Design by Chris Uehlinger, who has yet to disappoint, and his design works in tandem with Crandall’s design adding interesting levels and textures.
The cast of Love & Information. Photo: Shealyn Jae Photography
For the performance aspect of this production, I’d be amiss if I didn’t say this ensemble of nine performers is stellar and giving 100% effort. I may not like the material, but these well apt actors keep the piece engaging and entertaining.
To name a few, Willard Brewington III is splendid as “The Child Who Didn’t Feel Pain” and Caitlin Weaver impresses in the same short as well as “Memory House.” Nina Kearin shines as a cynical bystander discussing God with Jess Rivera, who plays a convincing messenger wanting to “spread the word of God.” Isaiah Mason Harvey is superb in his shorts and works well with the material and with his fellow cast mates making him one to watch. Along with the aforementioned, Carolyn Koch, Autumn Koehnlein, Megan Livingston, and Michael Makar round out this phenomenal cast and all give fantastic showings.
Final thought… Love & Information is a frenetic, intense piece that requires your utmost attention because if you blink, you might miss something and, though it’s not my cup of tea, the production itself is well put-together. Being so fast-paced, it seems a bit jumbled, at times, and the saving grace is that it is broken up into vignettes; some a few minutes, some no more than 30 seconds, and you get a lot of information (and love) thrown at you in 90 minutes. Overall, the performers are top notch and the staging is superb. Though I don’t like the material, I was certainly entertained and the performance is well worth checking out.
This is what I thought of this production of Love & Information at Fells Point Corner Theatre.… what do you think?
Love & Information will play through February 2 at Fells Point Corner Theatre, 251 S Ann Street, Baltimore, MD 21231. For tickets, call 410-276-7837 or purchase them online.
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