With the start of a new school year comes the start of an exciting new season of theater productions. Newcomers to our little arts haven of a campus would do well to familiarize themselves without what our blossoming theater program has to offer. In recent years, there has been enormous growth in our theater program, largely due to the work of one incredibly talented man: John Astin. Hopkins alum and television star of Addams Family fame, Astin has done wonders in bolstering the interest in both extracurricular theater groups, and a wealth of theater classes currently offered, strangely enough, through the Writing Seminars department.
Jeffrey Sweet's Bluff, the latest venture of Astin's Johns Hopkins University Theater troupe (formerly known as the Hopkins Studio Players) follows on the heels of last year's hit productions Our Town and A Doll's House. Nominated for an American Theater Critics Award, the show opened in Chicago to rave reviews back in 1999. The plot follows the relationship of an attractive young couple, Neal (Hopkins alum Loren Dunn) and Emily (junior Kateri Chambers), who meet while saving the victim of a gay-bashing in Greenwich Village. Rather than rest in the comfortable territory of a romantic comedy, Sweet throws Emily's stepfather into the mix, a nasty salesman and an alcoholic to boot. The relationship begins to crumble as a result, and what the audience ends up with is a bitter, cynical portrait of love and family to swallow down.
While Sweet's first play was written by taking notes during actor improv sessions, the writer sat down all by himself to crank this one out, though he admits he's still very much influenced by what he learned from paying close attention to the improvisations. The show is character driven, and not plot driven, which is exactly how he intended it. As he explains in an interview with Victory Garden: "I think if you start with the intention of writing about a theme, you run the risk of forcing the characters to do stuff to illustrate that theme; they can cease to be characters and turn into dry representatives of philosophical concepts." The plot is advanced naturally and flawlessly by the interactions of its complex characters.
Directed by Jim Glossman, who now teaches a director's seminar in the Writing Sems department, the current production features the same lead actors as it did two years ago, when it was staged at the Merrick Barn. Dunn and Chambers are joined by local actress Laura Gifford, and of course Astin himself. Astin's fascination with the show is rooted in the depth of the characters, and the interest they generate in the audience, even after the show ends. "There's so much discussion about the characters after the curtain comes down. People talk about what they might've done, what they should've done."
Concerns about doing the same show twice in three years are quickly dismissed by the seasoned veteran. "The first time was an experiment," he explains, "...now the actors have a chance to expand on what they learned, and see where they can go with the roles." The polished second effort certainly attracted the attention of Sweet, who is coming down to Baltimore to see the performance himself on Saturday night.
Hopefully, a member or two of the Hopkins administration will find their way to shows like Bluff and other performances this year by our many talented groups. And maybe, with some luck -- and a lot of persistence by our small but dedicated arts community -- the theater program will continue to grow to support and sponsor more shows like this.
Bluff is showing at the BMA in the Meyerhoff Auditorium, this Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15; $14 for senior citizens; $10 for museum members; and $5 for students. Call The Johns Hopkins University Theater box office at (410) 516-5153 for tickets, or e-mail your ticket request to hut@jhu.edu.
