Flux Sunday, December 6th
(What is Flux Sunday?)
Playwrights: Throwing Gumballs (Rob Ackerman), Projects (Erin Browne), Yellow Wallpaper (Katherine Burger), McTeague (James Comtois), Untitled Russian Project (David Ian Lee), Dinkles and Holly (Zack Robidas), Caged (Adam Szymkowicz)
Directors: Angela Astle, Heather Cohn, Nancy Franklin, August Schulenburg
Actors: Matthew Archambault, Jaime Robert Carrillo, Carissa Cordes, David Crommett, Becky Kelly, Ingrid Nordstrom, Gretchen Poulos, Brian Pracht, Jane Taylor, Isaiah Tanenbaum, Drew Valins, Richard Watson, Travis York
We're back! And as you can see from above, we had a full house. Highlights include:
- Zack Robidas' first pages, the Christmas-themed romp Dinkles and Holly (best line: elf-improvment?)
- Travis York's first FS, rocking out the disturbing-funny Man of Adam's Caged and the disturbing-frocked John of Katherine's Yellow Wallpaper.
- Becky Kelly's picnic enthusiasm as Trina in James' McTeague
- James showing the actors how it's done with his hilariously serious turns as Paul and Santa (yup, the Claus)
- Gretchen Polous' third rock star Flux Sunday in a row as the lonely/under pressure Emily in Erin's Projects
- Angela's moody environmental direction of David's Untitled Russian Project, with an all-star cast and lighting cues to boot (I'd pay to see Captain Adam ordering Zack to be funny)
- Rob Ackerman playing himself in Throwing Gumballs. 'Nuff said.
I was also fascinated by the speed of the first scene in Erin's Projects - usually in her work, the pauses are as important as the words, but the rapid pace made for an interesting dynamic. I also had a great time trying Adam's bird scene three different ways with Ingrid Nordstrom - that kind of trial and error is what makes these Sundays so valuable.
Artists who attended, what were your highs and lows?
Can I add how AWESOME it was hearing Brian Pracht singing the Little Drummer Boy - the BEST!
Totally - the moment he realized he needed to sing all the lines was great
Flux Sunday is the only place I would try such new and raw material and not feel like a total idiot after. A partial idiot, yes, and that's the best you can hope for. I think it's that everyone in Fluxworld dives into danger, so you forgive the occasional bellyflop.
Rob, your courage and playfullness are so, so appreciated. FS just wouldn't be the same without you!