Obviously, this was nowhere close to a professional production. But there's room in Rochester for amateur theatre groups, and the great turnout of friends and family on a Friday night proved this. The cast was uneven, but there were a few particularly talented individuals, and Johanna's husband's comic portrayal of his character was a scene stealer (I was disappointed that Johanna, who has a lovely voice, didn't have a larger part). And they all had a lot of guts and gusto.
The biggest failings, I thought, were on the part of the director. First, because of the many lengthy scene changes and the plodding pace of dialogue, the show lasted just under three hours! Second, even though the church is not that large, everyone in the cast was miked. And the speaker system was terrible - there was no end to the buzzing, and the cutting in and out of sound. It was not only distracting to the audience, but was a disservice to those on stage. A couple in the cast seemed capable of compensating by projecting without the microphone, but unfortunately they had no control over the amplification. Either the organization should invest in a better sound system, or, better yet, it should dispense with its use entirely, and have the cast members speak and sing without the technology.
(Gwen, Kristin, Denise, Jenna, me, Michelle) |
And I ran into several other Concentus singers, who were also there to support the lovely Johanna.
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