WHAT: Gen-erations!
WHERE: New Hampshire Theatre Project
BLURB: A Tribute to Founder Genevieve Aichele's 35 years
HIGH POINT: A varied, tasty collection
TL:DR A review of NHTP's 35 years: a collection of shorts and play excerpts, photo album and a few tunes.
"Gen-erations!" is a hybrid production, a celebration and retrospective of NHTP's Founding Executive Director Genevieve Aichele's 35 years at the head of the company.
The performance piece includes three photo-montage segments, which reach back as far as 1984, a real visual time capsule.
The photos are interspersed between nine performances of shorts and excerpts from classic and original theater scripts. Each was produced by NHTP overtime, with Aichele personally involved in a key capacity.
The show's performers are all former students and professional actors who worked for the company. Each plays multiple roles, with a few taking on directing.
The actors - solid to superb throughout - include Aichele, Todd Hunter, Peter Josephson, Corrie Owens-Beauchesne, Bill Humphreys, Matt Recine, Sean Robinson, Jim Sears, Paul Strand and Kathleen Somssich.
Works performed and their directors are:
Twelfth Night, Act 1 Scene II, Shakespeare, Director Todd Hunter.
Twelfth Night, Act III Scene 4, Director Monique Foote.
The Absurd Play, Director Peter Josephson.
Resurrection, an original by Aichele, Director Foote.
Waiting for the Prince, by Aichele, CJ Lewis and Shay Willard, Director Aichele.
Songs from Lysistrata, music by Agnes Charlesworth, lyrics by Aichele, Music Director Charlesworth, Director Monique Foote.
The Classic Comedy, Director Monique Foote.
An Inspector Calls, by J. B. Priestley, Director Aichele.
The Girl Who Found Fear, written and directed by Aichele.
All the performers do stand-up jobs, with each delivering a standout or two portrayal. And yes, there's a few that went to the head of the pack.
It certainly was Aichele's night, beyond the tribute. Aichele nails her solo performance in Resurrection, an excerpt from her autobiographical script. It's witty, funny, touching, and heartbreaking; a small little piece covering all the bases and smartly delivered.
The Girl Who Found Fear, another Aichele original, is the sole piece seen in its entirety that proves itself the perfect finale selection.
Girl is an incredibly endearing play that brings out the best in all the performers. Corrie Owens-Beauchesne as The Girl is truly wonderful. And amongst this deft nine-person cast, Sears as the Black Knight, and Hunter as a villager, take their roles just that extra bit further.
Then there are the incredible performances of Bill Humphreys as Man 1, and Jim Sears as Man 2, in the two-person absurd piece. Be still my heart!
Humphreys has never been better. His quirky nearly puppet-like characterization is gold, with Sears matching him at every pass.
These three selections alone are worth the viewing. Then there's the silly Lysistrata tune, the goofy comedy, the chilling Inspector - it's interesting and intriguing viewing overall.
Gen-erations! is a smorgasbord. Should one selection not be to your taste, just wait a few minutes. Better yet, it's a fitting tribute to a theater and the woman who brought it all together, and kept it going for 35 years. It's a real celebration of an important piece of Portsmouth's art community. Go. Support. Celebrate, and be entertained.
Comentarios