Animals is beautifully staged by director Deb Keller, with abstract lighting and "folded" metal-mesh animals suspended. (Set Bob Fernholz; lighting Tyler RIck) The costumes continue the muted color scheme (Kate Hudson Koskinen) Music and sound paint a fuller picture (Deb Keller & Devin Faught) and express the emotion and contrasts between the characters.
All the "props" — including the paper/origami—is left to our imaginations. Because the paper is not important; the people are. Through music, lighting, pantomime and excellent characterizations, we are drawn into a sort of triangle, enfolding three very different characters, each with some damage, some loss... reminding us that, like paper, people are never the same after having been "folded" by life experiences — the literal and figurative shape of the human heart is well addressed.
(When you go, be sure to read the Director's Note; Deborah has described the shape and meaning of this play much more beautifully than I do here.) The three actors were all excellent: Monica Tanner is the stately, defensive origami expert, "Ilana" being unfolded by the other two. Michael Boxleitner is sincerely charming as the nerdish calculus teacher and origami geek "Andy". Boris Nikolovski brings a hip-hop cool plus a wounded intelligence and sensitivity as the untrained origami prodigy.
LCC's Black Box (168 Gannon Building) is best accessed by the side door on Grand Avenue. (There should be a sandwich-board sign standing near the door. The Black Box stage is just up the hall and around the corner. $10 general seating, $5 students; at the door.)
www.lcc.edu/cma/events/