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Volume 3, Issue 20
September 27 - October 10, 2001
PLAY REVIEW
HUMAN EXPERIENCE
@
OUR TOWN
Lida Project
303-282-0466
Through Oct. 20
The classic American play Our Town is presented with a new
spin under the direction of the Lida Project's Brian Freeland. The play, set
at the turn of the 20th century in small-town America, focuses on the
intertwining lives and
experiences of the townspeople.
Our Town has been performed thousands of times since its
creation but never quite like this. The Lida Project has
formed a niche in the Denver theater community for pushing
the envelope and exposing Denver audiences to edgy,
experimental work. This production is no exception. Highly
stylized, expressionistic movement is utilized by Freeland
and his exceptional ensemble of actors. Freeland turns Our
Town into an expresionistic piece of theater not only in the
physical movement of his actors but in every aspect from the
moody lighting and ambiance to the hauntingly barren set.
Our Town begins as the audience is greeted by the narrator
of the piece, David C. Riley. Riley guides the audience
through the events of the play and gives Our Town a timeless
charm. Riley speaks with ease, and is able to take his
time with several of the show's more poignant moments. He
is absolutely captivating and forges into the script with great
power and reserve.
The play covers three major segments of the human experience,
and is divided into three corresponding acts. The first
act deals with youth and family. The second act deals with
marriage. The final act is the act that turned Our Town into
a classic; it deals with human mortality.
In the first act we are introduced to two families, the Gibbs
and the Webbs. We encounter their neighbors and friends as
well, but most of the action revolves around these two families.
Young George Gibbs (Brian E. Lewis) is a dreamer
who, like many young men, finds his love in the game of
baseball. George is obsessed with baseball and often neglects
his home life. He has a crush on the girl who lives next
door in the Webb house, Emily (Sara Casperson). Emily is
a young woman struggling for self identity, always curious
about if the world views her as being beautiful and intelligent.
From our first encounter with these characters, audiences
realize exactly how well cast Lida's Our Town is. Brian
Lewis is absolutely wonderful in his portrayal of George,
and has perfected the nuances and quirks of the expressionistic
movement. He captures the awkwardness of boyhood
brilliantly, and is completely endearing. Sara Caperson is
just as delightful but is more exposed and eerie than her
counterpart. Both actors are in full control of the audience at
all times and are only interrupted by the charm and heart of
the narrator.
Lida Projects production of Our Town is extremely well
done and is a perfect example of why the troupe has formed
such a following with local audiences. Every aspect of Our
Town gels perfectly from the exceptional costume and set
designs (Carrie Wyatt and Brian Freeland) to the very
strong ensemble. With such a large ensemble it was wonderful
to see that there was no "weakest link." All of the
actors were up to Freeland's challenge. Our Town is a
MUST-SEE. A+
Our Town runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sunday at
7 pm through October 20, 2001. One "pay what you can"
performance will be held on October 15 at 8 pm Tickets are
$16 and $14 for students, seniors and groups (minimum 10).
For reservations or more information call 303-282-0466 or
visit www.lida.org
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