SITE GUIDE
REVIEWS
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
On TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us SEARCH
A CurtainUp Review
Bone Portraits
By Julia Furay
| It's amazing. The more we find out about the world, the more we realize how much we have to learn. ---Myrna |
Jessi Wortham, Miriam Silverman, Mike Crane & Adam Green
(Photo: Diane Silverman)
|
Bone Portraits was commissioned by the Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project. Set against the lively background of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, it uses many theatrical elements in its attempt to illustrate and recreate the level of obsession that X-rays brought to America. Director Lear deBessonet's staging heavily emphasizes physicality and sensuality, an imaginative but sparse set, and a cast of characters that include science notables as well as some running the gamut from the sleazy to the senile.
We are bombarded with disparate elements that include a showbizzy emcee (Thomas Edison himself) and songs and gags right out of 1890s theatre ("After the Ball" and "Goodbye, My Lady Love" feature heavily, as do period comic sketches).Because the elements don't really connect, it's a bit much. And that's a shame because the concept is promising and thoughtful, and everything reeks of creativity and imagination. What's more, the cast is dedicated and convincing even though there's not enough of the drive and clarity to make everything add up to a compelling evening of theater.
The main problem is the script, a collaboration by Deborah Stein with director deBessonet and the members of the cast.. The barely related scenes and sketches about the new X-ray technology are tied to a flimsy plot that focuses on Thomas Edison and his assistant, Clarence Dally, as well as a few of their contemporaries. Dally's obsession with the X-ray leads to radiation sickness and the first hint that new technology is more dangerous than previously suspected. But it's not enough of a story to cover up that this is basically an excuse to ruminate about technology and its fallout.
Parts of Bone Portraits are quite funny, and actually contain the thoughtfulness and depth the writers were clearly reaching for. An example of such high spots has Edison rattling off news stories as the cast jerks and twitches like an old newsreel come to life. Another standout scene shows the cast recreating the excitement of the original Ferris Wheel with the use of a few umbrella skeletons.
Unfortunately, too much of what we see just doesn't make much sense and feels unfinished, particularly when many of the characters change and morph into paranoid, buggy-eyed drones who ramble on about ghosts and visit mediums. These shortcomings make the 100-minute runtime feel longer. Still, this is a fascinating subject and period and there's enough potential and creativity evident on stage to raise high hopes for Stillpoint's next production.
Editor's Note: For other reviews of plays with science backgrounds and themes see our Science Plays Page
| BONE PORTRAITS Playwright: Deborah Stein Directed by Lear deBessonet Cast: Michael Crane (Edward, Roentgen, & Ensemble), Gian-Murray Gianino (Edison, & Ensemble), Adam Green (Clarence Dally, Medium, & Ensemble), Miriam Silverman (Myrna, Nana, & Ensemble), Jessica Wortham (Marie Curie, Josephine Dally, & Ensemble) Set and Lighting Design: Justin Townsend Costume Design: :Kirche Leigh Zelle Sound Design: Mark "Muttt" Huang Running time: 100 minutes with no intermission Walkerspace, 46 Walker Street (between Broadway and Church) From 5/05/06 to 5/20/06; Opens 5/09/06 Weds to Sun @ 8pm, Sat @ 3pm Tickets: $15 Reviewed Julia Furay based on May 6th performance |
The Internet Theatre Bookshop "Virtually Every Play in the World" --even out of print plays
The new annual to dress up every Broadway lover's coffee table
Easy-on-the budget super gift for yourself and your musical loving friends. Tons of gorgeous pictures.
Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's 2005 Movie Guide
6, 500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by our editor.
Click image to buy.
Go here for details and larger image.
