"Murder on Center Stage": the Review

So, boys and girls, I feel like I have left everyone hanging lately. Why you ask? Because it has been ages since I've posted a review! Well, here's what you've been waiting for. The review of "Murder on Center Stage", a play by Jerry Tweedy, directed by Chandra West. Starring: Sarah Turner...

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention the fact that I'M in the play.

Don't worry, though. This will not affect my judgment on the quality of the play. In fact, it might make it an all-around better review.

Anyway, getting back to the juicy stuff, "Murder on Center Stage" takes place in one night, in the middle of winter, in an old college theater. Two teachers and their students gather for a rehearsal of the upcoming production of "Romeo & Juliet" while danger inevitably begins.

This play has a cast of nine, three men and six women. Although it is a small cast, the majority of the cast is on stage at all times. In fact, the main character, Helen, leaves the stage only once in the three act play. The director does her best to block the play, but fails miserably, with most actors standing in a line the whole time.

The venue for this play is crappy at best. The stage is tiny, leaving little room for a set, and even less room for the actors to move. The set is supposed to be incomplete, but somehow just ends up looking sloppy.

The lighting and sound for this show are done by none other than Brian Kaney, a lifesaver who stepped in at the last moment to help the show go on. However, since he did not have ample amount of time to practice with the cast, lighting and sound cues sometimes arrive late, and it is clearly obvious the cast does not know what is happening most of the time.

Costumes for this play are pretty good. Although some cast members look like they are rehearsing in the middle of the summer, most help carry the idea that the play takes place in the middle of a blizzard. The makeup for the cast members is decent. For the younger characters, everything is fine, except Alice's lack of hair style. However, the four older characters, who are all supposed to be the same age, vary in their look, from Helen, who is played by me (20) to Jessica, who is played by Sandra Becker (50s-60s). It is clear to the audience that the characters are in fact not the same age, taking away part of the illusion of the play.

Finally, the acting is decent, with certain cast members trying their hardest to stay in character all the time. Others might be trying, but do not pull it off. Alice often looks as if she is simply wiating for her next line, while Sharon vascilates back and forth from being scared to being bored. Jessica is over the top and helps keep the energy going in the first act; although she is often late on her cues to come onstage. Mr. Stanley has moments of, well not greatness, but rather goodness, when he remembers his lines. Otherwise, it is a struggle for him to not forget what he is supposed to be saying next. The two young males are a fresh breath of air for the TCP, and add new life to the organization with their freshman roles in this play. Another new face in the TCP is Sarah Turner, me, who plays Helen. Helen does her best to convince the audience that she is older and in control, but has a hard time looking the part, which can sometimes detract from her performance. Molly Turner, Sarah's younger sister, is a TCP veteran, and does a fabulous job trying to remain scared throughout the entire play. Job well done, Molly. Last, Grace, played by Angela Morgan, is entertaining, vascilating from irrationally scared to prissy in a moment.

Overall, this play is a decent hour and a half spent, but will not be making any waves in the local Tahlequah theater scene. Had the director been a little more experienced, the play could have been a lot more polished and put together than it is. I do encourage people to come, simply to support the local arts and make sure that other productions, which will probably turn out better due to a more focused director, are done.