These Shining Livesis a poetic fable beautifully told in Riverwalk’s Black Box, putting human faces on the sad, yet triumphant, true story of the young women who painted the dials of watches during the 1920s/30s and died from exposure to radium — but not without taking a stand and fighting back. Director Susan Chmurynsky rightly warned us to bring kleenex, as the actors brought this story to life in a touching and relatable way.

Taylor Rupp swept us up in the life of Catherine Donohoe, a young mother, at first excited to go off to work outside the home, and later vulnerable, devastated, empowered. As her husband, Tom, Heath Sartorius inhabited the full spectrum of emotions from charm to despair. Erin Hoffman added moxie and humor to the mix as co-worker Charlotte. Erin Barger and Anasti Her added depth to the ensemble of workers who became sisters in this team effort. 

All actors except Taylor played multiple roles, with Charles Sartorius particularly effective as the boss, Mr. Reed; the evasive doctor working for the company rather than the patient; and the heroic lawyer who takes on the Radium Girls’ case. (Good to see real-life father and son Sartoriuses… Sartorii? sharing the stage.)

I’ll cheat a little, here, (since I agree) and quote a bit from Oralya Garza's excellent review in the upcoming Ripples:
"This level of performance is uncommon for most community theatres. The cast worked well together and Sue Chmurynsky’s direction was present and not heavy handed. Her resolution to the costume changes and refreshing of the set were choreographed as part of the scene and done in such a way that it was not intrusive and did not diminish the performance in any way. I enjoyed this performance. The cast was interwoven and worked well together. The story was an excellent selection and it was very well done."

These Shining Lives continues for one more weekend - Thur 7pm Fri/Sat 8pm and Sun 2 pm
Get there early for best seats and best parking (Sundays especially - since Impression 5 is open.) Reservations assure admission, though it is general seating.

http://www.riverwalktheatre.com
517-482-5700

Silent Sky is a beautiful script by Lauren Gunderson beautifully done by Williamston Theatre, under the inspired direction of Tony Caselli. Based on the true story of Henrietta Leavitt, the astronomer whose calculations unlocked the key to broadening our astronomical horizons to unimaginable dimensions, Gunderson humanizes and dramatizes a story that feels strangely modern, even though it takes place from 1900 to 1920. There are the “women’s issues” reminiscent of the “Hidden Figures” movie, and some starry romance, and inspiring science delivered in a relatable, human way by these wonderful actors.


Katherine Banks is earnest and inspiring as our brilliant heroine, torn between her science and her duty to her family. Annie Dilworth is excellent as her devoted/overburdened sister Margaret. Sarab Kamoo and Karen Sheridan (well remembered as the magnificent Sarah Bernhardt of Memoir last season) are remarkable co-workers who add energy and character and context. A Williamston favorite, Michael Lopetrone, is once again stellar, portraying “the man” Peter Shaw, a fictionalized representation of the backdrop of changing male expectations of the era.

Technical aspects added to the cosmic effect — especially projections by Bradley Branam and lighting by Daniel Huston enhancing Kirk Domer’s versatile set. Also enhancing were music — “For the Beauty of the Earth; for the glory of the skies” hymn played by Annie Dilworth, and other recorded music - sound design Quintessa Gallinat — and period costumes by Karen Kangas-Preston and unusual period props by Michelle Raymond. 

This is a show full of wonder and light, inspiring and touching. “Who are we? Why are we? Where are we?” The audience was not large on a football Saturday, but this show brought us to our feet. 

Silent Sky continues throughOctober 21 http://www.williamstontheatre.org

DEAD RINGER - at LCC Black Box
by T.E. Klunzinger
 
This unexpected gothic thriller starts out as a seeming western (great ranch set by Bob Fernholz) with all sorts of shop talk about breaking horses but quickly morphs into something decidedly different.  The somewhat simple-minded Dwight (Joey Wojda) ambles up to the house that Tyrus (Michael Boxleitner, looking like he stepped out of a sepia photograph) kind of shares with his sister Mary (Dakota Kruse), seeking advice about his new horse. And they talk about horses. Except…
 
We never really see the surprisingly well-read Mary because she’s locked in a cave/cage, barking out taunts and orders to anyone who comes near. At first we think she’s a prisoner, cruelly shut away by her belligerent brother, and Dwight is sympathetic to her plight. But is she really the victim? And who’s running things on this ranch, anyway?
 
Boxleitner is excellent as Tyrus, who first seems a villain but who is actually something less than that. Wojda effectively dithers as Dewey, whipsawed by Mary to do her bidding but ultimately unable to do anything. And using only her twangy voice, Kruse creates a genuinely scary character, made even more so because we have to imagine how awful she really looks.
 
When there are only three characters, one of whom you never see, it can be a challenge to keep the dramatic tension high, but director Mary Matzke –in her last production before retiring – keeps the pacing as taut as the rope on a stallion, making you wonder how it’s all going to play out.
 
(This is not to be confused with the 1964 Bette Davis film of the same name, although it’s kind of a spiritual cousin to her “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.”)
 
“Dead Ringer” plays tonight (Saturday) and next Friday/Saturday at 8:00 p.m. in the LCC Black Box Theater, best reached via the Grand Avenue entrance, on the south end of the Gannon Building.
 

Thanks to Guest Reviewer T.E. Klunzinger for this review.

NOTE: this show has ONE MORE PERFORMANCE at 2pm tomorrow (today) Sunday, September 23 - NOT 7:30. There was a mistake in the press release which I sent and also in the State Journal newspaper - probably using info from that faulty press release. The website confirms that the show is at 2 pm http://theatre.msu.edu/productions/past-seasons/20182019season/one-good-day/

ONE GOOD DAY
by T.E. Klunzinger
There are those reviewers who “doth protest too much” when sent to see Shakespeare; in the same vein, I’m the wrong guy to consider seriously a work dealing with what I call Modern Problems or Contemporary Angst, wherein the main character spends practically the whole show fretting about what to do with her/his life – enough already!

That said, “One Good Day,” which has one performance left today at 2 pm and is the 5th ImaGen collaboration between the MSU Department of Theatre and the Wharton Center Institute for Arts and Creativity, is very smartly performed as a semi-staged reading, featuring New York Equity actors sharing the stage with not only MSU students but a few area high-school students as well.

Jessica Fontana carries the huge song load of therapist Janey well, skipping right through the 17(!) of 24 total songs with precision and ease. Dialogue and lyrics by Liz Suggs are very clever and merit close attention to appreciate fully, while the music by Rona Siddiqui is lively but never really soars – in casual memory, it seems to be all of a piece.

Taylor Mueller is fun as the pithy younger sister Kat who, despite initial denials, is suffering through her own relationship/career roadblocks. In smaller roles, Sam Carter lights up the stage all by herself, Josh Cassady shimmers with dark energy as a nerdy kid and DJ Shafer blossoms in benediction over the final sequence.
As noted, this is a musical “in development” – some playwrights might call this Development Hell since the show had its first performance in 2012, although it’s presumably evolved since then. I would note a few structural problems: while it’s posited as a kind of small musical, this production had 20 named characters plus an ensemble of 12, which would be a considerable stumbling block to getting a full production. But more than that, too much time is spent on the lead character’s flailing about, with then a fun/satisfying but too-pat ending, to really qualify as Ready for Prime Time. (Then again, what do I know?)

MSU Theater and Wharton Center are to be commended for their ImaGen series which not only involves young performers with the development of new works but also gives them a chance to work with seasoned theater professionals both on and off the stage. If it’s not clear from the above, “One Good Day” will provide a pleasant afternoon for you as well.

Parking Note: be warned that after years of being $5, Wharton Center parking is now ten dollars per car – cash only, no credit cards!