Theatre around Kansas City

By: Derek Campbell

Posted: 12/1/08

Unicorn Theatre

Nun serves communion and laughs

What's black and white and will smack you with a ruler if you don't pay attention?

Christopher Durang's play, "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You" makes it clear that a nun can be much more than a soldier of God - at the Unicorn Theatre, she can make you laugh, too.

Set in 1982, the play begins with a lecture by Sister Mary (Ron Megee) discussing the most basic concepts of the Catholic faith, such as heaven, hell and purgatory.

As the play progresses, Sister Mary calls for a glass of water which is brought in by one of her current students, eight-year old Thomas (Dakota Hoar).

Each time Thomas enters, he is asked a series of questions to show the effectiveness of Sister Mary's teachings. Much of the comedic elements in this play involve the interaction between Thomas and Sister Mary.

Sister Mary also takes questions supposedly written by audience members which also received a lot of laughs and a big response from the crowd.

Though it is full of surprises and a lot of fun, this show is not for the easily offended - if you are someone that takes religion very seriously, then perhaps another show would be more suited for you.

Megee delivers a wonderfully convincing performance as a devout nun, and connects well with the rest of the performers in the production, including four former students that did not quite turn out the way Sister Mary had hoped.

The four students return to Sister Mary to put on a production about the birth of Jesus, an appropriate theme for the holiday season. Though the portrayal of the miraculous birth is not the version you may have heard in Sunday School, the play within the play is another element that makes seeing this play a unique experience.

The Unicorn Theatre's Jerome Stage seats approximately 100 people and, in this venue, there really isn't a bad seat. For an extra 10 dollars, you can sit in the front row and partake in Sister Mary's Communion.

"Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You" is playing at The Unicorn Theatre now through December 28. Reserve your tickets by calling (816) 531-7529 or online at www.unicorntheatre.org.

dcampbell@unews.com

Kansas City Repertory Theatre

'A Christmas Carol' still a holiday tradition

After 28 years, something either becomes boring or a classic. In the case of "A Christmas Carol" at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, it's a classic.

This play is a Christmas must, if you can get tickets. Judging by the packed audiences during the preview, it may prove more difficult than expected. After nearly three decades, it has become a Kansas City Christmas staple.

The actors, the set, and the costumes were all perfect. The costumes were crafted meticulously, the set was intricate and the actors were quite professional.

Gary Neal Johnson plays a spot-on Ebenezer Scrooge. Johnson portrays Scrooge as more than just an avaricious hermit and provides a great transformation into a generous old man. Alongside Johnson are several UMKC students and alumni in minor and chorus roles.

The stage was absolutely magnificent. The front of the stage was expanded with platforms that rose up and down with set changes. There were two-level floors built on the left and right wings of the stage that served as Scrooge's office as a youth, a level for the keyboardist and harpist and the butcher's shop containing the famed Christmas goose.

It was refreshing to see the director, Linda Ade Brand, take what was written in the script and make it personal. One way she did this was to incorporate music throughout the play.

The keyboardist and harpist played period music perfectly in sync with the mood of the play. It was a nice segue to whatever was going on-stage. Also many times the huge cast would stand in the aisles with just their lanterns and sing Christmas carols. It added flavor to perform Christmas carols in the play called "A Christmas Carol."

The audience's excitement was palpable. They had high expectations and weren't disappointed. The play is amazing and a guaranteed way to get in the Christmas spirit.

tsheffield@unews.com

UMKC Theatre

From the page to the stage

The UMKC Theatre department put on a production of "Five by Tenn" (plus one), a collection of one-act plays by Tennessee Williams - and the words of Williams were powerful as always.

The show started with "Escape," a story about evading the shackles of a chain-gang, followed by "This Property is Condemned," which showed two children, playing out the hopelessness and desperation that has led them to poverty and prostitution.

"Hello from Bertha," the third one-act of the night, was the disturbing tale of a lady sick from her years as a prostitute. The story focused on her inability to leave that part of her life behind and move on.

"The Lady of Larkspur Lotion" continued the night with a vivid look into the imagination of hope. Dark and dreary goes hand-in-hand with Williams' work, but this one-act puts a spotlight on the importance of hope in the imagination with its optimistic look at despair through the eyes of false hope. The writer (Bennet Ferguson) defends the idea of stories to help cope with the downfalls of a life in poverty.

The most powerful performances of the evening were delivered by Elana Kepner (Myra) and Tyler Horn (Joe) in Williams' "The Long Goodbye." They had a sibling-like chemistry on stage that provided a very realistic look at what it takes to let go.

The intensity increased with each one of Joe's flashbacks on the life he was leaving behind in his move from a childhood home. It was emotional and fluid through the transitions.

The night finished off with Rachel Hirshorn and Nicholas Gehlfuss' performance of "Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen." Hirshorn portrayed a woman drifting off into her imagination of a new life.

The imagery of Williams' work flowed out as the two paired off with talk of the ever-present rain. The grace and elegance of Williams' writing was brought to full light in this final performance by the depth of both actors' portrayals.

Overall it was an excellent production of Williams' work. The cast in the first four shows seemed detached and unrealistic, but the eloquence of Williams' writing brought it all together.

The final two shows were the clear highlights of the night with completely believable characters and the power in Williams' words.

ballen@unews.com