Local Artists Shine in 10x10x10 at Fells Point Corner Theatre

By Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

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

10-minute play festivals are popping up all over the place these days. It’s become a little easier for authors to present their work to the public in both short form and feature length, but Baltimore just seems to have a knack for such things. Fells Point Corner Theatre has been presenting their 10x10x10 for a few years now, and have not disappointed. They choose relevant, entertaining pieces to produce and always acquire a superb cast of 10 actors to perform them. With no specific theme, they still manage to gather a group of plays together that fit nicely with each other and present the talents of the author, director, and performers.

Starting off the evening we have Harmony, Fix My Life, written and Directed by Christen Cromwell, with Grace O’Keefe as Kamryn, Shamire Casselle as Harmony, and Rob Vary as Simon. This was a fun way to start this 10-minute play presentation and Cromwell has written a light-hearted but serious piece about the responsibilities of men and women and newborns in today’s world. Rob Vary, though a bit subdued and scripted, pulls off the role of the young father nicely and seems to understand the message his character is trying to send. O’Keefe gives a natural performances as the young, tired mother, but the highlight of this piece is Shamire Casselle who shines as fairy godmother. Her high-energy and natural delivery of the dialogue keep the piece engaging and entertaining making for a great showing all around.

(l-r) Dana Woodson and Jenn Alexander. Credit: Trent Haines-Hopper/THsquared Photography

Next, There is No More Left of Me After This by Jen Diamond, Directed by Betse Lyons with Karen Shantz as tina and Jenn Skarzynski as Kat is a surreal piece about coming to terms with death and whatever fate has in store for you. It’s a downer, but well written and Lyons’ staging is simple with great character work. Shantz and Skarzynski tackle these two tough roles naturally and confidently tell the short story superbly. Diamond has crafted a relaxing, but thoughtful piece that leaves the audience thinking.

Shamire Casselle and Jared Michael Swain. Credit: Trent Haines-Hopper/THsquared Photography

Easily, one of my top choices of the evening, Reasons for Separation by Isaiah Harvey, Directed by Christen Cromwell, with Shamire Casselle as Shay and Jared Michael Swain as Marc, is a fast-paced, well-crafted piece that smacks you in the face with no apologies. It’s a current, relative story of divorce and what people go through during it, with real characters that Casselle and Swaine seem to embody and bring to life effortlessly. They have great chemistry and it helps the material immensely.

Things We Talk About at 4:00 in the Morning by Erica Smith, Directed by Betse Lyons with Jenn Alexander as Spencer and Dana Woodson as Terry is an interesting and entertaining piece about a young couple dealing with an illness in on of the young women. The twist is quite interesting and Smith almost had me fooled, until I remembered the time in which we live and what’s big in popular culture these days. Alexander and Woodson have great chemistry and portray these characters with feeling and high emotion. Lyons’ staging is simple, but effective and makes for an all around good showing.

(l-r) Christian O’Neill, Karen Shantz, and Tom Piccin. Credit: Trent Haines-Hopper/THsquared Photography

Ending out the first act, we are presented with UH: A Brief Musical by Utkarsh Rajawat, Directed by Donna Ibale with Tom Piccin as Demon, Christian O’Neill as Angel, and Karen Shantz as Person which, I have to say, is not on my list of favorites. However, Piccin, O’Neill, and Shantz give stellar performances and Ibale’s staging is on point, the script is lackluster. The concept isn’t exactly new and the script seems like a rush job. It’s unfortunate because I enjoyed previous work by Rajawat at the 10x10x10 (read that review here) but this piece just doesn’t seem up to par with the previous work. Great performances and staging save this piece and the performers and Director should be applauded for their efforts.

Starting off Act II we have I Saw This is Paducah by Rich Espey, Directed by Matthew Shea, with Jenn Skarzynski as Barb and Jenn Alexander as Alice, and Rob Vary as Announcer is in the list of my favorites of the evening. It’s an immersive piece about two friends who are regular theatre goers, especially of the short works festivals, such as 10x10x10. Shea’s staging is spot on including the audience but not getting in our faces, which is a perfect blend. Espy seems to be poking fun at more conservative, old fashioned views of the world, but he does so subtly and not facetiously. Skarzyski hits the nail on the head in her portrayal of Barb, the narrow-minded, dominant, outspoken patron who wants everyone to abide by the rules and Alexander performs her character, Alice, with just enough meekness to feel sorry for her, but also enough chutzpah that you know she can take care of herself. All around, it’s a great piece with a good production value. Kudos to all.

Dana Woodson. Credit: Trent Haines-Hopper/THsquared Photography

Mira by Tatiana Nya Ford, Directed by Donna Ibale with Dana Woodson as Woman and Jared Michael Swain as Man is a poignant and thoughtful piece about a woman in a coma who is to reconcile her reality with her fantasy. It’s a 10-minute, fast-paced monologue that seems to be stream-of-consciousness and Woodson chews it up and spits it out marvelously. She has a good handle on the material and presents it confidently, making for a great showing. Ibale’s staging is simple, but effective and puts the audience in the mind of this woman. In Swain’s short stage time, he emotes the emotions of his character, the son of the woman in the coma, and brings the entire piece home. Kudos to all inovled.

Beer Bottle Bug by David J. Hills, Directed by Matthew Shea, with Karen Shantz as Carrie and Christian O’Neill as Ty is a fanciful, humorous piece about a woman who thinks she has certain supernatural powers and it’s delightful. Not one of my favorites, but certainly entertaining. Hills creates a world where the impossible seems possible and leaves the audience wondering, which any good book should do. Shantz and O’Neill portray their modern characters effortlessly and have a great chemistry adding to the production value. Shea’s staging is appropriate and easy to follow making it a well-rounded piece to be included in this production.

Grace O’Keefe and Tom Piccin. Credit: Trent Haines-Hopper/THsquared Photography

The Home for Retired Canadian Girlfriends by John Bavaso, Directed by Steve Goldklang, with Tom Piccin as Rupert and Grace O’Keefe as Tiffany is probably one of my favorites of the evening. Bavaso creates an imaginary world where imaginary girlfriends go when they are no longer needed. It’s relatable, current, and relevant with a solid script and concept. His dialogue is easy to follow and natural. Goldklang stages it simply but keeps it engaging all at the same time, which is no small feat for a short piece. Piccin and O’Keefe shine in their roles and bring out the comedy and tragedy of these characters and this piece as a whole.  Their effective and praise-worthy performances drive this play along with their natural delivery of the dialogue and spot on comedic timing. A major kudos to all involved in this piece.

Knock Knock by Rich Pauli, Directed by Steve Goldklang, with Christian O’Neill as Dave and Jenn Alexander as Francesca was a curious choice to end this production, but I can understand the reasoning. It concerns itself with the last man on earth and his Amazon Echo. Reminiscent of Stanly Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Amazon Echo takes the place of H.A.L., even stating “I’m sorry, Dave, I can’t do that,” at one point. It’s well performed, Goldklang’s staging is superb, and Pauli’s script is current and well-written, but the concept has been done over and over again. It’s hard to freshen up an old concept such as “the last man on earth” but Pauli does his best and the piece is entertaining. O’Neill brings a certain urgency and panic to the character that is required and makes for a terrific showing and overall good presentation of the piece.

Final thought… 10x10x10, is a quirky menagerie of very original and fun 10-minute plays that keep the audience engaged and even thinking, at times, some are better than others, but all of them have heart. The performers are grasp the concepts of these short pieces nicely and the directors seems to have good comprehension of the material making for an enjoyable, entertaining, and even thought provoking evening. Kudos to the authors for putting themselves and their work out there and I’m very interested to see more of their work in the future.

This is what I thought of this production of 10x10x10 at Fells Point Corner Theatre.… what do you think?

10x10x10 will play through June 16 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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Review: The Divine Sister at Fells Point Corner Theatre

By Jason Crawford Samios-Uy

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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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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.