{"id":116151,"date":"2021-12-01T08:08:02","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T13:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=116151"},"modified":"2024-01-04T14:43:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T19:43:41","slug":"ddn-wright-state-explores-unconventional-acting-class-in-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2021\/12\/01\/ddn-wright-state-explores-unconventional-acting-class-in-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Dayton Daily News: Wright State explores unconventional acting class in \u2018Transformation\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Excerpt<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

“Circle Mirror Transformation” features, from left: Annika Whetstone, Andrea Gutierrez, Branden Fisher, Madyson McCabe and Mikey Fried.<\/p><\/div>\n

Participants in a six-week Vermont community center acting class dig deep with unconventional sensibilities in Annie Baker\u2019s offbeat, 2009 Obie award-winning off-Broadway comedy \u201cCircle Mirror Transformation,\u201d continuing through Dec. 5 in the black box, downstairs Herbst Theatre at Wright State University.<\/p>\n

Meticulously taught by the persistent yet tactful Marty (an excellently mature Mady McCabe inhabiting the role with great physicality), the class consists of a slightly eccentric bunch: Schultz (Branden Fisher), a recently divorced carpenter; Lauren (Andrea Gutierrez), a timid high schooler junior; Theresa (Annika Whetstone), a former actress; and Marty\u2019s husband, James (Mikey Fried).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

Instead of distributing a few familiar monologues from Shakespeare, Chekhov, Miller or Williams to dissect and recite, Marty carves her own path emphasizing a peculiar series of physical, vocal and memorization exercises. In her estimation, it\u2019s more important to grasp the art of embodying a role, to completely become in tune with a character or assignment even when the task becomes frustrating.<\/p>\n

Lauren: \u201cWhat is the point of all this?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Marty: \u201cThe point is to be totally present \u2013 not second-guess yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
These unique exercises, including role-playing, ultimately forces each classmate to go beyond the surface into a more expansive comprehension of language, subtext and symmetry. In fact, an odd game of emotional gibberish between Theresa and James evolves into a surprisingly thoughtful display of open and honest communication. <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Baker, who wrote the 2014 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama \u201cThe Flick,\u201d is notably a 2017 MacArthur \u201cGenius\u201d Fellow. She was awarded the grant for \u201cmining the minutiae of how we speak, act and relate to one another and the absurdity and tragedy that result from the limitations of language.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Director Josh Aaron McCabe (a memorable Black Stache in WSU\u2019s \u201cPeter and the Starcatcher\u201d) fluidly guides his commendable cast through Baker\u2019s kooky intricacies. Many intimate moments arise natural, lived-in, unhurried and unpretentious. His staging of the final scene is particularly poignant.<\/p>\n

Joe Deer, artistic director of WSU\u2019s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures, describes the play as a \u201cbeautifully crafted diorama, a Petri dish in which we see, with hilarious detail and clarity, the quiet sadness of a motley quintet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The New York Times proclaimed, \u201cAnnie Baker\u2019s play is an absolute feast. \u2018Circle Mirror Transformation\u2019 is the kind of unheralded gem that sends people into the streets babbling and bright-eyed with the desire to spread the word. By the play\u2019s end we seem to see to the very bottom of these souls, and feel how the artificial intimacy of the acting class has shaped their lives in substantial ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re doing in this class is not about competition,\u201d Marty says when the eager Schultz begins to feel dejected. Baker\u2019s play is a reminder that it\u2019s never too late to learn from each other even when vulnerabilities are exposed in the pursuit to grow, connect and transform.<\/p>\n

HOW TO GO<\/b><\/p>\n

What:\u00a0<\/b>\u201cCircle Mirror Transformation\u201d<\/p>\n

Where:<\/b>\u00a0Downstairs Herbst Theatre of the Creative Arts Center at Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glenn Hwy., Dayton<\/p>\n

When:\u00a0<\/b>Through Dec. 5; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (No performances Thanksgiving weekend)<\/p>\n

Cost:<\/b>\u00a0$15 adults; $10 seniors; $5 students<\/p>\n

Tickets:<\/b>\u00a0Call 937-775-2500 or visit\u00a0wright.edu\/theatre<\/a><\/p>\n

FYI:\u00a0<\/b>Audiences are required to wear masks and observe university health regulations.<\/p>\n

View the original story at dayton.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Excerpt Participants in a six-week Vermont community center acting class dig deep with unconventional sensibilities in Annie Baker\u2019s offbeat, 2009 Obie award-winning off-Broadway comedy \u201cCircle Mirror Transformation,\u201d continuing through Dec. 5 in the black box, downstairs Herbst Theatre at Wright … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":115710,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[730],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wright-state-in-the-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116151"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145235,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116151\/revisions\/145235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}