Murder Staged. . .
Last night we completed our first Staged Reading Classic at the Ice House Theatre. I truly didn't expect TS Eliot's weighty Murder in the Cathedral to draw an appreciative audience. . . or much audience at all. However, we had 30 people in the audience (only 10 of which probably felt they HAD to be there!).
The play is plodding and weary when on the page, but giving it legs tends to give it life. It speaks beautifully and we had several successful scenes well staged in the lobby, 3/4 in the round. The actors did terrific work, considering they only had 10 hours of rehearsal and most of whom had never done anything like this before. Working in the lobby, in the round, in poetry, and with some Viewpoints techniques can be daunting for anyone, but the actors took on the work with enthusiasm. They all brought a particular energy to the evening.
Several audience members stayed after to say how they appreciated the work, how important it was to hear such a play in these times, and that this sort of work should be done more often in Visalia.
Other people were more restrained in their praise, but not unappreciative of the efforts. That type of play and that type of staging and that type of 'experiment' is not to everyone's taste. But I do it for the few people who do desire something more substantial in their theatrical ideas, but who don't have much opportunity to see around these parts.
All in all, it was a successful evening (which probably made the Players $150 in donations, at least). I'll be making some adjustments in my next staged reading, an adaptation of Richard Sheridan's School for Scandal.
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