Post by tylerlennon2007 on Jan 17, 2023 0:08:26 GMT
I had the pleasure of being able to see Troupe 900's opening night of their winter play, John Lennon & Me, and I would like to give a little review about it. This does contain spoilers for the play so, if you have not already seen it and want to see it first, I'd recommend finding a recording on YouTube.
For the uninitiated, the play follows a 13-year-old girl named Star who wants to be an actor when she grows up. Her whole life, she has been in and out of a residential hospital due to her Cystic Fibrosis, a disease which is "always lethal". Because of this, she is not super familiar with what the "outside world" is like, but she doesn't let that stop her from what she wants to do (which is, again, to be an actor)
The play starts off with her being re-admitted into the hospital and getting a new roommate, Courtney Cambridge, who is there because her doctors are worried about an issue with her heart. The rest of the play is about all these lies Star tells Courtney including but not limited to the severity of her illness and a relationship with a boy at the hospital, Jeff Levine.
After a particularly bad episode that ends with her coughing up blood, the secret is out and the third act revolves around her and Courtney making amends, growing closer, and planning this big party for when they are both well enough to do so. However, the day before she is to be released, Courtney goes into cardiac arrest and dies.
Plot Synopsis
For the uninitiated, the play follows a 13-year-old girl named Star who wants to be an actor when she grows up. Her whole life, she has been in and out of a residential hospital due to her Cystic Fibrosis, a disease which is "always lethal". Because of this, she is not super familiar with what the "outside world" is like, but she doesn't let that stop her from what she wants to do (which is, again, to be an actor)
The play starts off with her being re-admitted into the hospital and getting a new roommate, Courtney Cambridge, who is there because her doctors are worried about an issue with her heart. The rest of the play is about all these lies Star tells Courtney including but not limited to the severity of her illness and a relationship with a boy at the hospital, Jeff Levine.
After a particularly bad episode that ends with her coughing up blood, the secret is out and the third act revolves around her and Courtney making amends, growing closer, and planning this big party for when they are both well enough to do so. However, the day before she is to be released, Courtney goes into cardiac arrest and dies.
Individual Cast Performances
Right off the bat, Sarah Venable did an amazing job as Star. Anyone being able to remember what is essentially a giant monologue broken up by small scenes gets an A+ in my book, let alone if they are able to perform it as effectively as she did. From the comedic moments, the serious ones, and the few scenes that required walking a tight rope between both, she excelled at all of them- Particularly, the huge breakdown/panic attack she has at the end when Courtney dies had me physically shaking.
Gracelyn Ranson, playing Courtney, was also spectacular. The character requires a careful balance of carelessness in the earlier parts where she nonchalantly makes horrible remarks but still being able to convincingly become a better person by the end- Not just any actor would be able to pull it off as believably as Gracelyn did, but the very frank conversation between her and Star at the beginning of act 3 has literally not left my mind since I saw it.
Riley Golden as Sally Kasem- Amazing work! While the character doesn't have much payoff by the end, every scene with her had my undivided attention and I wish there was more scenes with her because the actor did an amazing job portraying the "forgotten best friend" trope without being annoying, as that kind of character can often come across.
Julie Rowen is your stereotypical "dumb cheerleader" character but with a sincerity and kindness that you don't often find in such a character and Serenity, the actress they had portraying her, did a great job balancing both the usual energy this trope has while also not feeling forced in the more sincere moments. My absolute compliments for playing that off so effortlessly.
Tom Lowell, while only in a few short scenes, was one of my favorite supporting performances in the entire show, and that is entirely because of Sebastian Ragosta's performance of him. A character who just replies "Okay" to everything (save for a brief conversation about tennis) is not that funny on paper but the way he played this almost cartoony character while not feeling fake is just *chef's kiss*
Ayden Stencil-Raddatz as Jeff Levine. I had the absolute privilege of seeing some of Ayden's work at Districts this year and he once again nailed every second he was on stage, from both the sadness the character carries around with him to his relationship with Star- I can't imagine finding that balance was an easy feat but he did a great job and I can't wait to see what he does next.
Claudia is Star's mother and, while there isn't much payoff for the character until the very end, it was worth every second. JT Thomas did a great job flipping the character's behavior around at the end in a way that didn't feel too forced (something I can't imagine was easy, as there was not a ton of build-up for it in dialogue or anything), so my kudos to them for accomplishing such a task.
Ina "The Torturer" Tortunesky, while a very minor character, caught mine and the rest of the audience's attention every time they were on stage. Nox Bowman's accent was also one of the best examples of "American high schooler doing an accent" I've heard.
CJ McGuire as Dr. Scott Rhodes was, in all honesty, my favorite performance out of the entire show- And that's saying something because everyone did an incredible job. As someone who has undergone many medical procedures and therefore been in the hospital a lot, something that always made those stays more tolerable were fun doctors who were also really good at their job. I am thoroughly convinced that this promising actor must have similar experience because they captured everything about that type of person with flying colors and I couldn't stop smiling every time they were on stage.
Leo Cain as Janice Bobrin- A comedic relief character who didn't have nearly as much time on stage as I would've liked because every time he was on stage, I was laughing hysterically. Even just his background acting was always very good. Can't wait to see what they do next.
The Flunkies (portrayed by Finn French, Michael Braden, and Keegan Brisard) are a recurring bit throughout the play- Essentially glorified stage techs with a few comedic bits in between scenes and during intermission, and I loved every second they were on stage (and even off stage). Their dynamic was great and I imagine the actors are all good friends in real life, they just had so much chemistry.
And the rest of the ensemble- Joshua Frechette, Kaylynn Morris, Luis Garcia, Autumn Christy, and Rey Trombetta- All an amazing addition to the show. Being in ensemble always requires a careful balance of still looking invested without upstaging the other actors and they all absolutely nailed that. An A+ in my book
Gracelyn Ranson, playing Courtney, was also spectacular. The character requires a careful balance of carelessness in the earlier parts where she nonchalantly makes horrible remarks but still being able to convincingly become a better person by the end- Not just any actor would be able to pull it off as believably as Gracelyn did, but the very frank conversation between her and Star at the beginning of act 3 has literally not left my mind since I saw it.
Riley Golden as Sally Kasem- Amazing work! While the character doesn't have much payoff by the end, every scene with her had my undivided attention and I wish there was more scenes with her because the actor did an amazing job portraying the "forgotten best friend" trope without being annoying, as that kind of character can often come across.
Julie Rowen is your stereotypical "dumb cheerleader" character but with a sincerity and kindness that you don't often find in such a character and Serenity, the actress they had portraying her, did a great job balancing both the usual energy this trope has while also not feeling forced in the more sincere moments. My absolute compliments for playing that off so effortlessly.
Tom Lowell, while only in a few short scenes, was one of my favorite supporting performances in the entire show, and that is entirely because of Sebastian Ragosta's performance of him. A character who just replies "Okay" to everything (save for a brief conversation about tennis) is not that funny on paper but the way he played this almost cartoony character while not feeling fake is just *chef's kiss*
Ayden Stencil-Raddatz as Jeff Levine. I had the absolute privilege of seeing some of Ayden's work at Districts this year and he once again nailed every second he was on stage, from both the sadness the character carries around with him to his relationship with Star- I can't imagine finding that balance was an easy feat but he did a great job and I can't wait to see what he does next.
Claudia is Star's mother and, while there isn't much payoff for the character until the very end, it was worth every second. JT Thomas did a great job flipping the character's behavior around at the end in a way that didn't feel too forced (something I can't imagine was easy, as there was not a ton of build-up for it in dialogue or anything), so my kudos to them for accomplishing such a task.
Ina "The Torturer" Tortunesky, while a very minor character, caught mine and the rest of the audience's attention every time they were on stage. Nox Bowman's accent was also one of the best examples of "American high schooler doing an accent" I've heard.
CJ McGuire as Dr. Scott Rhodes was, in all honesty, my favorite performance out of the entire show- And that's saying something because everyone did an incredible job. As someone who has undergone many medical procedures and therefore been in the hospital a lot, something that always made those stays more tolerable were fun doctors who were also really good at their job. I am thoroughly convinced that this promising actor must have similar experience because they captured everything about that type of person with flying colors and I couldn't stop smiling every time they were on stage.
Leo Cain as Janice Bobrin- A comedic relief character who didn't have nearly as much time on stage as I would've liked because every time he was on stage, I was laughing hysterically. Even just his background acting was always very good. Can't wait to see what they do next.
The Flunkies (portrayed by Finn French, Michael Braden, and Keegan Brisard) are a recurring bit throughout the play- Essentially glorified stage techs with a few comedic bits in between scenes and during intermission, and I loved every second they were on stage (and even off stage). Their dynamic was great and I imagine the actors are all good friends in real life, they just had so much chemistry.
And the rest of the ensemble- Joshua Frechette, Kaylynn Morris, Luis Garcia, Autumn Christy, and Rey Trombetta- All an amazing addition to the show. Being in ensemble always requires a careful balance of still looking invested without upstaging the other actors and they all absolutely nailed that. An A+ in my book
Costumes + Makeup
All the costumes were perfectly fitting to the characters- Star with her alt girl outfit, Courtney with her lacey, preparatory outfit, Dr. Scott having the Superman shirt on under his coat, etc. The same applies to the makeup- Everyone's was perfectly fitting and well done.
My absolute compliments to Leo Cain (head of hair and makeup), Zay Martin (head of costumes), and the rest of the costume crew (Astrid Turner, Sloane Magaziner, and Kaiden Hallow) for pulling that off, because costumes (and makeup) really do go a long way.
The one character I especially noticed, both makeup and costume wise, was The Torturer. My immediate thought when they first showed up was "Wow, that is cool makeup" and the sort of "evil lunch lady" energy of the costume was a very neat touch as well. Great stuff
My absolute compliments to Leo Cain (head of hair and makeup), Zay Martin (head of costumes), and the rest of the costume crew (Astrid Turner, Sloane Magaziner, and Kaiden Hallow) for pulling that off, because costumes (and makeup) really do go a long way.
The one character I especially noticed, both makeup and costume wise, was The Torturer. My immediate thought when they first showed up was "Wow, that is cool makeup" and the sort of "evil lunch lady" energy of the costume was a very neat touch as well. Great stuff
Blocking + Staging
The entire thing was well blocked and staged, however the sequence leading up to Courtney's death was absolutely incredible to me and I would just like to highlight that real quick.
The doctor comes in to do Courtney's final checkup before she goes home the next day on stage right (left for the audience) and pulls up a curtain- Something which did not strike me immediately as suspect because in the other scene where she had her heart checked, they did the same. Then, on stage left (right for the audience) there's this whole scene with Star and her mother but, in the background you can see more and more commotion being drawn to what was happening with Courtney.
It was subtle enough to not immediately clue in that Courtney was dying but still noticeable enough to pull of this growing sense of dread of "oh, something is wrong", and the way it all came together was very well done as well. Mr. Saienni, the director- That was one of the most impactful bits of theater I've ever seen (alongside a bit from y'all's one act this year- You have a real talent for staging)
The doctor comes in to do Courtney's final checkup before she goes home the next day on stage right (left for the audience) and pulls up a curtain- Something which did not strike me immediately as suspect because in the other scene where she had her heart checked, they did the same. Then, on stage left (right for the audience) there's this whole scene with Star and her mother but, in the background you can see more and more commotion being drawn to what was happening with Courtney.
It was subtle enough to not immediately clue in that Courtney was dying but still noticeable enough to pull of this growing sense of dread of "oh, something is wrong", and the way it all came together was very well done as well. Mr. Saienni, the director- That was one of the most impactful bits of theater I've ever seen (alongside a bit from y'all's one act this year- You have a real talent for staging)
Sound, Lights, Other Tech
I admittedly don't have a whole lot to say on this, but I'll try my best.
Sound techs- Syd Sikorski, Phillip Fortin, and Ashlee Padilla- I appreciated how quick you guys were to lower the music when scenes started. That may sound minor, but it's a very distracting thing when that doesn't happen, so it was nice. There were also no mic issues that I spotted at least, and the Jaws theme quietly playing every time The Torturer showed up made me chuckle without fail every time it happened.
Light techs- Amanda Green and Maria Baltazar-Martinez- The spotlight was generally very well-tracked and the fact that the only full blackouts were at breaks was very appreciated.
The set, constructed by Indigo Rygiel, Omar Lanawze, Fin Casey, and Elizabeth Frizzle, was great. I appreciated how, while simple, the background pieces changing colors always signaled where the scene took place (red for Star + Courtney's bedroom, off-white for the shared areas of the hospital, and blue for Jeff's bedroom), which gave the audience a sort of heads-up as to what came next before the scene started. The turning mechanism also gave the Flunkies good opportunity for comedy.
Props- Mason Skinner, Astrid Turner, Jordan Pescio, Rebel Rider, Shelby Wilson- Were very good. They all looked very authentic, which helped with immersion into the setting, and overall taking them on and off stage was very quick and not distracting.
Stage Manager Veronica O'Reilly and Assistant Stage Manager Indigo Rygiel, everything ran more smoothly than even some professional productions. I know it can't have been an easy job keeping everything in order, especially with a show like this, so just know your hand in that did not go unnoticed
Sound techs- Syd Sikorski, Phillip Fortin, and Ashlee Padilla- I appreciated how quick you guys were to lower the music when scenes started. That may sound minor, but it's a very distracting thing when that doesn't happen, so it was nice. There were also no mic issues that I spotted at least, and the Jaws theme quietly playing every time The Torturer showed up made me chuckle without fail every time it happened.
Light techs- Amanda Green and Maria Baltazar-Martinez- The spotlight was generally very well-tracked and the fact that the only full blackouts were at breaks was very appreciated.
The set, constructed by Indigo Rygiel, Omar Lanawze, Fin Casey, and Elizabeth Frizzle, was great. I appreciated how, while simple, the background pieces changing colors always signaled where the scene took place (red for Star + Courtney's bedroom, off-white for the shared areas of the hospital, and blue for Jeff's bedroom), which gave the audience a sort of heads-up as to what came next before the scene started. The turning mechanism also gave the Flunkies good opportunity for comedy.
Props- Mason Skinner, Astrid Turner, Jordan Pescio, Rebel Rider, Shelby Wilson- Were very good. They all looked very authentic, which helped with immersion into the setting, and overall taking them on and off stage was very quick and not distracting.
Stage Manager Veronica O'Reilly and Assistant Stage Manager Indigo Rygiel, everything ran more smoothly than even some professional productions. I know it can't have been an easy job keeping everything in order, especially with a show like this, so just know your hand in that did not go unnoticed
Closing Thoughts
Troupe 900's production of "John Lennon & Me" was an incredible feat from all directions. While I will be unable to see Spongebob due to timing overlap with our spring musical, I am sure you all will do amazing and I can't wait to see what you guys do next.
- Tyler Hogan, Troupe 2055
- Tyler Hogan, Troupe 2055