By George Bernard Shaw
Mad Cow Theatre produces another play you were forced to read in high school. I was on the fence about seeing this show but when a 50% OFF code came across my Facebook feed I figured, why not?
Heartbreak House tells the story of Ellie Dunn who has been invited along with her father and fiancé by Hesione Hushabye to a dinner party at Hesione's father Captain Shotover’s house , a quirky home shaped like the stern of a boat.
I am usually pleased with productions produced by MCT but this one felt forced. Every character was terribly over acted. I understand many of the characters themselves are supposed to be over the top due to their former family position in society, however these actors were almost shoving it down our throats. This, in combination with Shaw’s over indulgent dialogue made the production exhausting to watch.
The character relationships often fell flat. While the actors would perform these grand monologues about their feelings for one another, they rarely felt emotionally invested or connected. I honestly feel like this play, while mirroring issues we still see in society today, was too much for this theater to handle.
The blocking was stiff and often without purpose. Movement and space reality are vitally important to make characters believable . Movement without purpose shifts focus from the story telling, though it might be a momentary shift, for me, this takes away from the world of our story.
Duncan Bahr and Steven Lane created delightful characters despite the many hiccups in this production. These two actors portrayed extravagant characters with depth.
Duncan’s portrayal of Hector was effortless and interesting. He has an incredible knack for receiving information from his fellow cast mates as if he were hearing it for the first time and genuinely reacting to it.
Steven was delightful to watch as Mazzini. This actor’s focus on physicality created a fully fleshed out character with real emotions you could sense down to his fingertips. Steven is a strong actor, with the ability to bring out the best in his scene partners.
These two characters felt like real people in this world.
It was unfortunate to see yet another house over half empty at Mad Cow Theater. I would like to see this theater flourish because I know too well the hard work performers put in to their performances. I do have to applaud MCT for staying true to themselves and not performing the same shows many of the other theaters in our community recycle time and again. It might, however, be in the theater’s best interest to produce productions our community is more interested in. I suggest speaking to local actors on the subject.
Thank you to the kind staff for putting up with me so early. I didn't look at the time when I purchased my ticket.
Best wishes on the rest of the season.
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