The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/19934
‘Two Rooms’ aided by impressive set, stand-out actress Even though there was some over-acting, Hartwick’s production of ‘Two Rooms’ had an interesting set and brought to light U.S. and Lebanon relations in the 1980s. I had the opportunity to see my second show at Hartwick College last weekend, Lee Blessing’s “Two Rooms,” directed by Malissa A. Kano-White, assistant professor of theater arts at Hartwick. Set in Lebanon, “Two Rooms” is a fictional story based on the reality of the con- flict in U.S.-Mideast relations and U.S. foreign policy in the 1980s. These relations and foreign policy that attempts to govern it have profound effects on the media, the government and ordinary citizens. The play was performed in the Slade Theater, and I was immediately drawn to the set as soon as I entered. The proscenium arch was fashioned like the walls of an underground make-shift prison, where the audience played the role of voyeur. We got to peek into the world of Michael Wells, an American journalist played by Ian Olsen, and his wife, Lainie Wells, played by Kelsey Sabo, both students at Hartwick. Behind the stage were three fabric canvases that designated the back of Michael’s cell, and also played host to images that were projected on them throughout the show. I was intrigued by the set design by Gary Burlew, typically a lighting designer. His choice of sharp angles helped temper the lighting design by Gilbert Pearto and Ken Golden to create remarkable shadows on the set and in the audience. Though the light played well with the set consistently, I found it distracting at times. When in the Jihad compound, Olsen and the set were sparsely lit, which I can understand. I can even understand sparse lighting on Sabo when Lanie is by herself and lost in agony and frustration over Well’s absence. However, the light- ing was uneven from scene to scene when Lita Benson (as EllenVan Oss) or Mark deRoziere (as Walker Harris) entered, which forced shadows onto their faces. Olsen played a convincing Michael. His physical mannerisms worked very well with the implied beatings, and every part of his body exhibited the agony that he endured. At times, though not always, I had trouble buying into his vocal anguish because he forced his frustration into his throat, causing a melodramatic tone to shape his monologues. Sabo also had a strong physical presence on stage. She made effective use of her space and didn’t shy away from confrontational engagement in any scene. Like Olsen, though, I had trouble buying into many of her moments, not only due to her vocalization of lines, but in her character choices as well. Every line had a cycli- cal pattern of progression; she would start accusingly, get loud and frustrated with someone, become dejected and finish being loud and confrontational. It might have been more effective to reserve the spectacle of raising her voice for the most important moments in the play, instead of all of them. I was a little put off by deRoziere’s approach to Harris. I felt like I was watching a member of a frat verbally attack Lanie every time he came on stage. He was frus- trated with her, but again, reserving the big bang for the most important moments in the show would have been more effective. My favorite performer of the night was Van Oss. Though she was lacking a little in refined stage presence, she commanded her lines and character consistently and with purpose. Of all the characters, I felt most for her, watching her transition from caring very little about Lanie to eventually feeling for her, before she forces herself back into her government role. I could see the anguish and brief conflict in her. Overall, the production was a great learning experience. There was an audience- cast/production team conversation afterwards that was very insightful. The stu- dents worked very hard on learning about the U.S. and Mideast relations of the 1980s to present, and they aided a very active discussion afterwards. _ Kyle Beckley 24 O-Town Scene Nov. 18, 2010