New Horizons Program A: On Point with the Flood Story
Margaret Medwedew:  Staff Writer: April 2008

            I was sitting in the audience after the show, waiting for my friends to get out of run crew, when a thought occurred to me. A philosophical epiphany, a well thought turn of phrase, came upon me and promptly escaped before I could write it down. I scribbled down what I remembered and as I look over my notes, one phrase sticks out: “Playwriting—awesome!”

            Playwriting appeals to me as a creative process to express feelings and ideals, but the work put into a short play came into sharp focus as I watched New Horizons Program A. Language hung in the air as visible as the lighting fixtures in the Lab theatre, and I was so thoroughly engrossed, I half forgot to watch the shows with a critical eye. (0,0): On Points of Origin is philosophy masquerading as farce as two legends mentally duke it out for intellectual affirmation. Flood Story takes a unique spin on the myth of the great flood, dealing with the choices made by the disparate characters in different times. Program A is based in character choices, something well-accomplished by all involved.

            To begin with a bang, Clayton Henry’s (0,0): On Points of Origin brought the lights up on David McElwee attired as 16th century French philosopher René Descartes. I wish that every show could begin that way. Describing it is absurd, but under the watchful eye of director David Turner, Babe Ruth (Kevin Grab) was at home in the philosophical playground that Dan’s (Aron Wesolowski) bar presented. Babe and René argued differing viewpoints, but Grab and McElwee stayed on the same plane with their comedic timing, making an otherwise boring debate amusing because of who was involved.

            Wesolowski’s bartender was interesting before he donned the bear outfit, and the costume merely helped to increase the humor. The seemingly normal couple of Terry and Victor (Cassie Keet and Douglas Austin, respectively) played with the boundaries of audience expectations as they took part in convoluted and scripted experiments regarding their future together. Austin’s rant about the lack of proper supplies that poked fun at the minimalist set pointed to the false nature of the play, just as Keet’s passionate monologue concerning her decision to marry Victor made us a part of their world. Personally, I wouldn’t mind living in a world where famous baseball players and philosophers flex their minds and “I think, therefore I am” is best summed up in neon signs otherwise used to peddle beer. The lights transitioned well between the realistic and the hypothetical, warm shades that made the bar feel more like a general stage for the character choices. The props were largely hilarious, from a giant blackboard to a monstrous honeycomb. Part of me kicks myself for not auditioning at generals and missing the opportunity to work with such the dynamic duo of David Turner and Clayton Henry in this high-brow comedy.

            The part of me that craves serious and intense drama regrets not being a part of Adam Lucas’s Flood Story. To start, I was entranced by the ever-present sound of falling rain and whistling wind, but I was also confused by how the plot was progressing. Under the direction of Joel Waage, each actor had so much intensity and focus for their character and motivations that my confusion was quickly pushed under the flood water. I clung to the strength presented by the Weatherman (Michael Stablein Jr.), hoping that he could guide me through the storm and found myself privy to the stories of this store and the personalities contained within. Intense is the buzz word I attribute to the

performances of Susan Myburgh, Adam Cobb, and Zac Pardee. The honesty and emotion in their characters made me thoroughly interested in even the most mundane actions in the story. Myburgh as the Old Woman straightened her store, and I was fascinated by the action of wiping off the dusty shelves to appeal to nonexistent customers. The characters helped solve the dilemmas I had with the script, especially the moments where the characters became different people and dealt with the newer problems presented. At the midpoint in the drama, Cobb and Myburgh became new characters, a plot decision that left me going, “Huh?” I felt like I was watching a time travel movie where I didn’t understand the timeline. Overall, Waage and Lucas created something topnotch, whether I understood it or not.

            Following the second show was a talkback session with the authors and directors. For future New Horizons, I highly recommend staying for this session. Listening to the input of other audience members and feedback from the author really clarified any confusion about the story or acting choices made. These plays are not fully realized and the aspect of work-shopping them in a production sense makes playwriting a more dynamic medium.

            I get why playwriting is so stimulating now. Moreso, I understand the need to place unique situations on the page and the desire to see them play out on a real level. And most satisfying is walking out of the theatre and wanting to write this review because I’ve been so inspired by the writing of these plays. New drama needs that to survive. So, I take that little scribble and hope that you too will realize just how awesome playwriting can be.