Saturday, May 9, 2015

Maynard Park Theater Preview

If you're looking for an immersive theater experience, consider the new production from the Maynard Park Neighborhood Players. Opening next Tuesday, it's "Eyes Wide Shut: The Musical." The enigmatic Kubrick film gets a retooling with a little bit of mystery, a bit more dazzle, a double dash of comedy, and way more music. 

The musical play is the disturbed brainchild of Kyle Eggebraaten (Norwegian TV's "Bob" from the hit series, "I Remember Bob.") While he was inspired by the film, the play is more of a jumping off point. "I wanted to add greater symbolic elements than what one can do in film," said Kyle backstage. "I also want it to be an in-your-face theater experience for the audience. You don't come to my play and expect to be left alone." In fact, the audience participation is so invasive that the production will be requiring that all attendees sign a limited power-of-attorney for the duration of the performance. "No one will be electrocuted," promises Kyle.

Those familiar with the film may strain to draw direct correlations, and the constant presence of a character named "Mr. Buzzard" (a 10 foot tall bird with a top hat and cane), further distracts from the foundational narrative of the story. At other times, audiences will find themselves firmly back in Kubrick territory, particularly during the "big Mansion scene" which painstakingly recreates the film's centerpiece ritual. 

The songs are bouncy, and complimented by the Fidelio dancers. The rehearsal performance we witnessed ran 3 hours and 45 minutes, but Kyle expects to trim it by "6 to 7 minutes" before curtain time next week. 

Thursday, May 7, 2015

It's Film Festival Time in Maynard Park

The Maynard Park Inner-city Film Festival Tribute (or MIFFT) kicks off this weekend at the MP Arts Center. Originally, a very robust slate of films was planned for the festival, showcasing hundreds of movies from around the world. However, due to budgetary constraints, the film festival was extensively re-imagined.

Instead of actually showing films, a team of local thespians will provide staged readings of film descriptions from other prominent Film Festival guides. Says Artistic Director, Travis Perdant, "we still feel we're in a position to create excitement about the art of cinema."

Admission is free to the public, but donations may be demanded upon entrance.