Book of Days, currently being presented at the Merrick Barn by the Johns Hopkins University Theater, is the second of three Lanford Wilson plays to be performed on campus this year, the first being Talley's Folley and the final being 5th of July, which is scheduled for the end of the semester. After seeing Days, the question of why Wilson's plays are being staged becomes pretty apparent: the Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary playwright has a knack for suspense and emotionally complex characters.The play begins with a grocery list of attractions that the town of Dublin, Missouri, (in the playwright's home state) has to offer, very pointedly painting the scene of an intimate small town "on the cusp of a new millennium." Ruth Hoch (junior Julie Sihilling) has auditioned for the part of Joan in George Bernard Shaw's St. Joan, which out-of-town director Boyd Middleton (played by junior Mitch Frank) has brought to the local theater. Ruth's husband, the enthusiastic cheese entrepreneur, Len Hoch (senior Anthony Blaha) has pitched his idea to cultivate a pungent batch of provolone cheese to his boss, Walt Bates (senior Michael Vincent). It is from these humble beginnings -- an intelligent young woman's role in a controversial play and her husband's affection for cheese -- that the plot branches out to encase a much darker, more sinister view of modern Middle-American life.When the town's token hillbilly/pawn, Earl Hill (senior Adam LoCascio) gets fired up over Lan and Walt's plans for the cheese factory, he takes his grievances to long-time friend and chronic womanizer James Bates (senior Akshay Oberoi), son of the cheese factory's owner. James, formerly the most popular man in Dublin and the closest thing that the town ever had to a sports star, has just passed the bar exam, much to the dismay of his father, whose only goal in life was to see his son take over the cheese factory. This pressure weighs heavily on James and ties a bitter relationship between the two men. The play's chorus, which seamlessly interweaves every character in a perfectly choreographed transition, moves the play scene by scene through the lives of Dublin's inhabitants over the course of one summer. Missouri sits in the path of what meteorologists have termed Tornado Alley, a strip of the central United States that is subject to massive tornadoes. When one of these tornadoes rips through Dublin in a rumbling display of audio technique that doesn't quite capture the fearsome and ground-shaking force of the sound of a real tornado, the aftermath reveals a dead Walt, a guilty-looking Earl and a suspicious Ruth.By this point in the play, the audience was so captivated that the announcement of intermission caused the audible lament, "Oh man!," to arise from the crowds. The tension and suspense of the first half is nothing compared to the fast-paced movement of the second, in which the scenes literally flow into each other to the point where Ruth's lines start in one scene and end in an entirely different one. While the set was fairly bare, with only a set of bleachers and three main entrances for cast members, the lighting was artfully crafted to allow the locations to change without any set changes whatsoever. With the cast consisting almost entirely of juniors and seniors, Book of Days was mature and well developed. Sihilling held her own in a large and capable cast with a shaky voice and the flighty mannerisms of a woman who lacks confidence to match her intelligence. Sihilling's voice grows much more firm as she begins to solve the mystery behind Walt's death and faces strong opposition from the town's evangelical leader, Reverend Bobby Groves (junior Shaun Gould), sheriff Conroy Atkins (sophomore Scott Morse) and even Walt's wife Sharon, (junior Jackie Jennings).
Blaha must be commended for his colorful and believable portrayal of Len Hoch. He and Sihilling's contrasting personas onstage compliment each other effortlessly. Sihilling, Frank, Blaha, Elizabeth Eldridge (a junior who breathes compassion into the reformed town slut, Ginger Reedand Christen Cromwell (who plays the feisty and spirited educator, Martha Hoch) all display unmatched comedic timing, a characteristic that keeps this play entertaining instead of sappy.
The actions and demeanor of three characters embody the darker side of the play: Earl, Reverend Bobby Groves and James Bates. Akshay Oberoi paints the sleazy, adulterer/lawyer (an appropriate combination) with fantastic ease. Oberoi tripped over one or two lines, something his character was too smooth-tongued to do, but recovered quickly to bring what could have become an "over-the-top" sinister character down to a believably human level, despite his harsh actions. LoCascio's Earl Hill seems almost too smart to make the mistakes that his character makes, but never the less the senior navigates the character through stereotypical town-idiot waters and creates the unique Earl. Gould's character is particularly terrifying (and proves that Wilson was ahead of his time with the whole corrupt-evangelical leader in light of last year's Ted Haggard scandal) because of its relevance to today's middle-American society. Book of Days is swathed in deception and tension. While all the men in the play seem to be lying to each other, all the women seem to be lying to themselves. For example, Ruth keeps telling herself that she doesn't have the confidence to face the fire of judgment while Jennings' well-groomed, perfect housewife Sharon Bates is completely blind to her son's deception. Director James Glossman has brought Book of Days to Hopkins, and the campus should thank him. It is a fantastic play from a current playwright whose characters have depth and even a touch of comedy. Glossman has compiled a fine cast for one of the most mature and, dare I say, professional student performances to grace the Merrick stage this year.Book of Days will be running through April 1 at the Merrick Barn. Show times are 8 p.m. for the Friday and Saturday shows and 2 p.m. for the Sunday show. Tickets are $5 for students.
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body building store
posted 12/02/09 @ 2:00 PM EST
Gould's character is particularly terrifying (and proves that Wilson was ahead of his time with the whole corrupt-evangelical leader in light of last year's Ted Haggard scandal) because of its relevance to today's middle-American society. (Continued…)
Funny shit
posted 12/02/09 @ 2:03 PM EST
Glossman has compiled a fine cast for one of the most mature and, dare I say, professional student performances to grace the Merrick stage this year.
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