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Chameleons
By Jenny Sandman
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The show, based on character improvisations derived from audience suggestions, is different every night. The evening begins with four ideas of characters that the four main actors (Mike Durkin, Shaundra Noll, Laura Livingston, and Alison Blanche Mayer) have developed on their own. The narrator (really, a facilitator of sorts), Dan Mahoney, "interviews" these characters and goads the audience into providing ideas and direction. The actors develop their new characters on the spot, which leads to further character exploration. Eventually, each actor plays two distinctly different characters.
At intermission, Mahoney solicits a location from the audience. The "sceneographers" (William Cefalo and Natalie Ellis) set up the stage using a bank of random props. The second half of the play pulls all eight of the characters together into a story, based on their relationships. Mahoney provides the story's structure. He also leads the character monologues and interactions.
With a responsive audience, it's a great show. It might be even better without the narrator, at least in the second half. The actors are obviously talented enough to just run wild.
Exercises in improvisation are always fun to watch, especially if the actors are comfortable doing it. This being the case here, this is an entertaining way to spend a Sunday evening -- and at $12 a ticket not one to take a big bite out of your wallet. Mahoney is a personable guy, able to coax answers out of reluctant audiences.
A caveat: Bring your most outgoing friends, for, ultimately, the personality of the audience will determine the personality of the play.
For a review of a previous of the company's productions go here.
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CHAMELEONS With William Cefalo, Mike Durkin, Natalie Ellis, Laura Livingston, Dan Mahoney, Alison Blanche Mayer, and Shaundra Noll Technical Improvisor: Patrick Rice Running time: One hour and forty-five minutes with one intermission Freestyle Repertory Theatre at The Trilogy Theatre, 341 West 44th Street, 2nd Floor SmartTix 212-868-4444 3/14/03 to 5/09/04 Sundays at 7 PM Tickets: $12 Reviewed by Jenny Sandman based on April 11th performance |
Retold by Tina Packer of Shakespeare & Co.
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