Recent arts coverage:
- Evolutionary biology. Aesthetic determinism. Live action role playing. The Rude Mechs are making a new play again
- Suburban battlefield: Women fight invisible foe in Amie Siegel’s ‘Black Moon’
- In eerie paintings by Ana Fernandez, a house isn’t just a house
More arts coverage | Follow this blog on Twitter @artsinaustin | Read recent arts reviews
Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2011 > March > 29 > Entry
Review: “The Story Seekers”
Most times, it’s theater that brings princesses and castles to the stage, but in “The Story Seekers,” a new play by Katherine Craft, The Exchange Artists are bringing theater to the castle.
Running now through April 10, the play is a site-specific performance on the grounds of Hyde Park’s Elisabet Ney Museum — the neoclassical, castle-like studio of the 19th century European sculptress.
The setting provides a tranquil frame for the charming young gardener’s son, Gil (Frederic Winkler), to tell stories with his best friend (and inevitable love interest), Bet (Kelli Bland), the princess and heir to the throne. But the children’s innocent adventures turn dangerous when they wind up in the midst of a military coup.
Yet in true fairy tale fashion, at the moment of crisis, Bet is whisked away by a seemingly benevolent Story Teller (Travis Bedard). He takes her to his Neverland of storytelling, where the children are “safe” — even if some of them (those who have “lost their stories”) seem more like a band of autistic Lost Boys than happy-go-lucky little kids. Gil is left behind to lead a lonely revolution in the “real” world.
“The Story Seekers” illustrates the necessity of stories for remembering cultural, historical, and personal pasts. Craft weaves together two versions of totalitarian regimes where the “stories” told are strictly regulated: one, the war-torn world that should have been Bet’s kingdom; the other, a fantastic land of stories where the Story Teller reigns supreme.
In spite of a superficially youthful story line, the show is probably too creepy for very young audiences. Bedard is sinister and vicious as overseer of the children, and the zombie-like creatures (that devour people’s stories) provoke an unnerving response in the children.
The entire cast comes to the performance with a lot of energy, especially the actors portraying a chorus of brainwashed little kids. Jen Brown, Bridget Farr and Karina Dominguez Smith are particularly committed to character, which is often hilarious and captivating (even if occasionally over the top).
Director Rachel Weise uses the grounds well — letting the creek act as a divider between the world of the revolution and that of the Story Teller.
The outdoor, public setting is a refreshing departure from traditional theatrical spaces, and the play certainly resonates with the revolutionary zeitgeist sweeping the Middle East. The venue does present problems on the production side (the lighting is unfortunate), but the verdant backdrop compensates for some otherwise troublesome aspects of the script.
“The Story Seekers” continues 7 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays through April 10. Elisabet Ney Museum, 304 E. 44th St.t. Tickets: $15-25. For reservations e-mail exchangeartists@gmail.com
Cate Blouke is an American-Statesman freelance arts critic.
Comments
When commenting, we ask that you keep things civil and abide by our Visitor Agreement. To report comment abuse, click here.
By Soumya N Ashok
April 19, 2011 12:50 AM | Link to this
The Story Seekers was superbly directed - the way the grounds were used, the background score that came from the actors themselves and the wonderfully creative story all served to make it a thoroughly enjoyable play date for us, the audience.