Review: New drama group catches some hot Emerson talent
Carey Purcell
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Some hot new talent at Emerson College has been caught in the act.
A new play writing group, The Red Hand Collective, had its first showcase Monday night. Founded by junior writing, literature and publishing major Drew Larimore and junior acting major Jen Dees, the members had been working together since the summer, and "Caught Red Handed" was this was their first performances.
The works were performed Monday, Nov. 22, and exhibited tight writing, simple sets, and superb acting.
"Exam" by senior theater education major Ryan Farley, was a one-man show about a nervous professor's first day of teaching. Freshman John Warren played Murray Faust, who tried desperately to win his students over, but failed. Warren's performance of Faust clearly depicted the professor's insecurities with nervous fidgeting as he informed the students he would not be giving them an examination at the end of the term. What made Warren's performance so effective was the script, which offered insight into Faust's personal and professional anxieties, as it was revealed that the real examination was of Faust himself.
The second play was sophomore writing, literature and publishing major Yelena Moskovitch's "See Sputnik Run." The cast, which was made up of Dees and freshman marketing major Kayleigh Boyle, performed a fast-paced and quick-witted dialogue that revealed the conventions of society that restrict them. Speaking in falsely cultured voices of fake sincerity, they were joined for a moment in true emotion when they watched a satellite pass them. Once the moment passed, however, they were unable to maintain their honesty and regressed to their false sincerity and fake pretensions. Although the script was excellent, the real force behind this performance was the acting of Boyle and Dees. They functioned cleverly as a unit, with their tight, precise performances of the women. Their voices, gestures and movements all give meaning to the piece, a message of false conventions of society restricting true emotion.
"An Extended Sequence of Zings and Flim-Flammery" by junior film major Locke Webster provided a change of pace, depicting a series of fights and feuds between two foes that began with a battle over a balloon and continued throughout the years until they became old. Performed by Webster and junior acting major Andrew Greer, the fights were depicted with over-exaggerated acting and minimal dialogue. The stage action was skillfully planned and precisely executed, but the performances by the actors were overdone. While the actions were humorous, the overall message of the piece was effective in its warning of holding grudges until death.