From the Author Of
Written by Chisa Hutchinson
Directed by Jade King Carroll
Where: Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts
(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)
When: Sunday, November 12, 2017, 2pm
Photo by the REP
The University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players have had three prior plays written specifically for them and frankly none of them have really resonated with me. This is a big reason why my expectations were quite low upon hearing of a newly-written play taking one of six slots of the REP's 2017-18 season. Color me surprised, then, to find playwright Chisa Hutchinson's From the Author Of an amusing ninety-five minute diversion that takes full advantage of the REP's ensemble, showcasing them to great effect.
Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction writer Meredith Renner (REP member Elizabeth Heflin) has just completed her latest book for which she spent six months living on the streets as a homeless person to try and best understand the plight of the underprivileged in America. Meredith's tome has been met with harsh skepticism by the leading New York Times book review critic causing many to wonder if Meredith was simply aiming for a giant publicity stunt rather than a genuine attempt at helping to end the homelessness epidemic. Attempting to better her name, Meredith's team -- including her agent Dax (REP's Hassan El-Amin), personal assistant Samara (Celestine Rae), and newly hired PR guy Angelo (REP's Michael Gotch) -- formulate a plan for Meredith to invite a homeless person to live in her swanky New York City loft. After much bellyaching, Meredith obliges and invites the brash, sexually charged Linda (REP's Kathleen Pirkl Tague) into her residence and sees her put-together, "normal" life turned upside down.
Part of the excitement of a repertory company is watching the same ensemble play a variety of roles, seeing the similarities and differences they bring to various performances. Chisa Hutchinson studied what the REP's members do best and then created a funny cast of characters for them to embrace. Elizabeth Heflin fully embodies the egotistical, sometimes highfalutin Meredith -- a woman who might seem cold or unappealing in lesser hands, but becomes relatable thanks to Heflin. Similarly, Kathleen Pirkl Tague always manages to make kooky, crazy characters that should be over-the-top seem oddly believable and that's the case here with the caricature that is Linda whose first appearance a little over a third of the way though jolts the production with some much needed vigor.
The play itself plays a bit like a sitcom, filled with short scenes that sometimes end on a kicker of a comedic note. Many of the characters border on the stereotypical, but Hutchinson and director Jade King Carroll reel in the actors just enough that no one ever feels too one-note. The set -- a luxurious, monotone NYC loft created by Brittany Vasta -- is surrounded by a rotating outer circle that adds dimension (as well as a neat technical aspect I'm not sure we've seen utilized by the REP yet). These little things add dimension to what could've been a rote night at the theater and elevate it to a little something more.
From the Author Of isn't a perfect piece -- the resolution feels a bit too pat and, in turn, a bit unsatisfactory; some of the jokes particularly at the beginning as we were getting to know the individualized voices of the characters fall a bit flat; any deeper morality the play is trying to convey didn't land at all for me -- but it's an enjoyable night at the theater. With a little bit of sexualized raunch and some great performances particularly from Elizabeth Heflin and Kathleen Pirkl Tague, From the Author Of is by far the best original play performed thus far by the REP.
Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction writer Meredith Renner (REP member Elizabeth Heflin) has just completed her latest book for which she spent six months living on the streets as a homeless person to try and best understand the plight of the underprivileged in America. Meredith's tome has been met with harsh skepticism by the leading New York Times book review critic causing many to wonder if Meredith was simply aiming for a giant publicity stunt rather than a genuine attempt at helping to end the homelessness epidemic. Attempting to better her name, Meredith's team -- including her agent Dax (REP's Hassan El-Amin), personal assistant Samara (Celestine Rae), and newly hired PR guy Angelo (REP's Michael Gotch) -- formulate a plan for Meredith to invite a homeless person to live in her swanky New York City loft. After much bellyaching, Meredith obliges and invites the brash, sexually charged Linda (REP's Kathleen Pirkl Tague) into her residence and sees her put-together, "normal" life turned upside down.
Part of the excitement of a repertory company is watching the same ensemble play a variety of roles, seeing the similarities and differences they bring to various performances. Chisa Hutchinson studied what the REP's members do best and then created a funny cast of characters for them to embrace. Elizabeth Heflin fully embodies the egotistical, sometimes highfalutin Meredith -- a woman who might seem cold or unappealing in lesser hands, but becomes relatable thanks to Heflin. Similarly, Kathleen Pirkl Tague always manages to make kooky, crazy characters that should be over-the-top seem oddly believable and that's the case here with the caricature that is Linda whose first appearance a little over a third of the way though jolts the production with some much needed vigor.
The play itself plays a bit like a sitcom, filled with short scenes that sometimes end on a kicker of a comedic note. Many of the characters border on the stereotypical, but Hutchinson and director Jade King Carroll reel in the actors just enough that no one ever feels too one-note. The set -- a luxurious, monotone NYC loft created by Brittany Vasta -- is surrounded by a rotating outer circle that adds dimension (as well as a neat technical aspect I'm not sure we've seen utilized by the REP yet). These little things add dimension to what could've been a rote night at the theater and elevate it to a little something more.
From the Author Of isn't a perfect piece -- the resolution feels a bit too pat and, in turn, a bit unsatisfactory; some of the jokes particularly at the beginning as we were getting to know the individualized voices of the characters fall a bit flat; any deeper morality the play is trying to convey didn't land at all for me -- but it's an enjoyable night at the theater. With a little bit of sexualized raunch and some great performances particularly from Elizabeth Heflin and Kathleen Pirkl Tague, From the Author Of is by far the best original play performed thus far by the REP.
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