Theater Review: Very Little Drama And No True Climax, Yet TheaterWorks New Milford Still Has A Winner
NEW MILFORD — Playwright Annie Baker is considered by many to be one of our most celebrated modern playwrights. She won a Pulitzer Prize for the play The Flick in 2013, five years after bursting onto the theater scene with Body Awareness, the first in her “Vermont Plays” trilogy set in the fictional town of Shirley, Vt.
The second in the trilogy is Circle Mirror Transformation, a production of which is now running under the direction of Gale Alexander at TheatreWorks New Milford.
Circle Mirror Transformation could be compared to Seinfeld, in that it is essentially about nothing. It is a “slice of life” play. It has very little drama, no true climax, and the conflicts are minimal.
Baker has a naturalistic writing style, which at times, with its awkward pauses and other disfluencies, can be uncomfortable to watch. But that is intentional.
Transformation is essentially a character study of five individuals in an acting class at a local community center. Instructor Marty (being played in New Milford by Kathleen Rudoff) leads her class through a series of theater games over the course of six weeks (or to the audience, 2½ hours). In that time the audience gets to witness the breaking down of personal barriers and a journey of self discovery for each student.
Marty is a strong, over the top eccentric and emotional leader. Think of any theater teacher you’ve ever seen. Rudoff does a wonderful job balancing the complexities of her character throughout, while keeping the momentum of the class rolling.
Billy Anderson gives a phenomenal performance as Schultz, a recently divorced man full of self doubt. His performance is heartbreaking to watch, yet simultaneously has the audience rooting for him throughout. His final scene with teen student Lauren (Brooke Hendron) is one of the highlights of the show.
16-year-old Lauren just wants to act. She isn’t there to do mindless exercises which seem to have no point. Her no-nonsense brooding teen provides a nice contrast to the emotional arc she gets later in the play. As mentioned, her final scene with Schultz, which serves as an epilogue of sorts, is wonderful.
Rebecca Annalise plays Theresa, the former professional actor who has relocated to Vermont and is just looking for community. Theresa could be a one note character who is simply “the flirt,” but Annalise does a fantastic job of bringing real humanity and heart to the role.
Last, but definitely not least, is Eric Greenfeld as instructor Mary’s husband James, a recovering ladies’ man who over the course of the play struggles with regret and the past. Greenfeld has been a staple of the local theater for a very long time and this is one of his best performances. He is riveting to watch.
Leif Smith can always be counted on for a solid production design. The audience really feels like it is in the rural Vermont community center with these characters. Small touches on the set, like the Vermont flag and the heating vent, bring a nice sense of reality and grounding.
Annie Baker’s plays are not for everyone, but they are an interesting study in the human condition. Kudos to TheatreWorks New Milford for taking on this play. If you are up for a play which will lead to much discussion about what it means to be human, definitely check this out.
Performances of Circle Mirror Transformation continue to August 3 at Theatreworks New Milford. Tickets and other info can be found at theatreworks.us.