A Thrilling Visual Adventure: Shotgun Players' Production Of The Earth

Percival Arcibal
Friday, January 28th, 2011
examiner.com

Theatrical productions these days have been encompassing other media such as film, the internet, and even smart phones to attract audiences of today. Shotgun Players current undertaking of The Salt Plays Part 2: Of the Earth is certainly one that succeeds in utilizing these new tools and is a kaleidoscope journey through a modern adaption of Homer's Greek Classic The Odyssey written and directed by Jon Tracy. It is must see entertainment.

Of the Earth is the sequel to The Salt Plays Part I: In the Wound which also was penned and guided by Tracy last August for Shotgun players. The audience is immediately introduced to the play as they are seated watching a film clip of Odysseus, who is portrayed by Dan Bruno, standing in the sea. Bruno follows up his performance in the same role from In the Wound.

Nina Ball's set design is mesmerizing with no platforms on the proscenium stage. At stage center is a charcoal mound that appears to be a very small bridge with off-white colored lines criss-crossing over it from many directions of the stage. Surrounding this mound in a semicircle are two poles on each side of the stage; 20-foot submarine-like ladders; walls with two doors on the right and the left; and a multi-use green-scrim wall that has double sliding green doors at the base of upstage center.

The play begins with Zeus (played by Rami Margron) and a chorus of Gods, including Hera (Emily Rosenthal); Athena (Elena Wright); Aphrodite (Charisse Loriaux); and another omnipotent being (Anna Ishida who'd later portray Poseidon) as they summarize the occurrences of In the Wound in the form of a chorus, certainly an homage to Greek theatre. The celestials are costumed like Stormtroopers from Star Wars in white tights and certainly look that way when these actresses are soldiers later wearing white painted World War II G.I. helmets. There's even a reenactment of Star Wars: Episode I between Odysseus and Poseidon simulating the lightsaber battle between Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul as choreographed by fight director Dave Maier.

Upon their exit, they're followed by Telemachus (Daniel Petzold dressed in brown sports coat and pants with green vest and tie) and Penelope (Lexie Lapedo clothed in Cinderella like Blue Dress) with Telemachus narrating via his letters to his father, Odysseus, that Ithaca greatly misses him and Penelope is now being courted by many suitors who intend to take over his household and even plotting to Telemachus himself. As they leave the stage, the film clip continues with Odysseus in a struggle in the water where he is immersed in baptismal fashion. He emerges at stage center confused whether he is in a dream, and is met by Poseidon who makes him swallow a pill.

Odysseus throughout the play struggles whether he is sane and adds out loud, "2+2=4; 4+4=8; 8+8=16 ...", and as if meeting in each others' dreams is joined by Penelope. In interesting fashion, Penelope knits and forms conceptually several boats during the play by stitching around the poles, ladders, and on cleverly placed hooks and anchors onstage by Ball. The play almost takes on the quality of the film Jacob's Ladder with a mental institution surrounded by nurses though Odysseus is traveling through different islands, including the Island of the Lotus eaters.

On his journey home, he meets other celestials such as Cerce and defeats mystical beings such as the Cyclops and the Scylla monster. Tracy and Ball have another brilliant turn with the monsters as Ishida, Margron, Rosenthal, Wright, and Loriaux form these monsters on the ladders with Ishida forming the head of these monsters and the other four forming the arms, legs or tentacles. The finishing touches are a single floodlight for the eye of the Cyclops and later six other floodlights for the Scylla monster. All the floodlights drop down from the ceiling for ease of use for the stage players. The play concludes upon Odysseus returning home to Penelope, and Odysseus along with Telemachus cleaning house as they perish each of the suitors.

Bruno gives a complete performance for this show and displayed many of his tools, talents, and gifts as an actor. Lapedo is a great match for him as his Penelope, and Petzold held his own with the principals in the supporting role of the son. The rest of the cast were more than adequate though most impressive were Ishida and Wright. The chorus performance was just phenomenal utilizing the teachings of Jerzy Grotowski, Tadeshi Suzuki, and Anne Bogart in movement and the method known as Viewpoints with assistance from Tracy and choreography consultant, Bridgette Loriaux.

The graphic arts design and videography were just phenomenal by R. Black and Lloyd Vance. Most impressive was Brendan West's sound design, including use of some foreign language music and floor microphones for echoing sounds the Taiko style drum beats. The costumes were visually awesome, and there are not enough words to describe Ball's set design - it just has to be seen.