Studio 24 takes wing with pigeon-play

By Burt Saidel

Freshness in modern theater has become a continuing wave.  Improvisation, well established in comedy, finds itself into theatrical productions.  

Even the audience can get involved, as in the farcical Dickensonian romp, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.  The audience actually votes for the ending, even assigning which character is the murderer.

I thought that I had seen it all until Dayton Playhouse’s novel experiment, Studio 24, pricked my interest.  I have described the theater buffet offered by Dayton Playhouse in an earlier article.  Studio 24 means that the play is a product of 24 straight hours of frenetic activity by cast and crew.

To add zest, no one, not even the director had seen the script, The Exile by Mark Krause. At 8 p.m. the evening before the 8 p.m. performance the next day it was distributed to all. The cast had been selected, two men, three women. The director, Craig Smith, had to scan the play, discuss and assign the parts, direct the actors, supervise the building of the set, costumes and lighting – all in 24 hours.

I planned to make several appearances during the process. While the spirit was willing, my flesh was weak and I failed to make a near midnight excursion to witness the early progress. The next day, I did visit twice. There were always several interested persons in attendance.  I watched some set carpentry, saw the actors and director huddled about a table but witnessed no “measurable” progress.

When I asked the director and a couple of the actors about the play, I got a one word, and very worrisome response - pigeons. I asked one young woman what her part was and got the same answer – a pigeon.

Now my curiosity felt a bit of panic. Was I committed, and had I committed my wife and daughter, to see a play about pigeons?  What could actors, as pigeons, bring to the drama, or comedy, of a play slapped together in a theatrical nano-second?
That evening, armed with a fine dinner and very little expectation, we joined a modest crowd of equally interested audience members. The stage was no longer bare.  There was a table set for a meal, a bed, a bench and a window complete with a ledge and window seat.  

The play began with two couples at dinner. One, handsome Frank, played by Dave Bledsoe, began a monologue while the other three made small talk at the table.  It seemed quite clear that he and the others were humans, not avian at all.  

His monologue described his feelings of unhappiness, discontent and even angst.  He acknowledged that his wife, Laura, played by comely Lynn Keeson, was a wonderful mate and the comforts of their life were very satisfying. Perfectly reflecting the restlessness of his generation, he longed for something, something indescribable but something missing in his life.

Enter the other characters, Rachel Wilson, Nathan Hudson and Sarah Hartman.  Their multiple roles included friends and confidants, a psychiatrist, the daughter and – yes, you guessed it – pigeons.

It seems that in the mind of the playwright Mark Krause, there is only a fine line between the human and the soaring pigeon. The pigeon became his metaphor for freedom, real risk but real joy. He kept the play literarily genuine by introducing the early revelation, through a casual comment, that Frank’s parents had once been pigeons.    

As the play continued, the pigeons communicated, shared and reveled in their freedom to experience the very essence of beauty.  On the wing, the city held countless beauties, countless recreations, countless food sources and many dangers. As pigeons, they accepted all of this and lived fully and artfully. The poignant farewell of each pigeon encounter was to wish their fellows “safe home.”

The play, the characters and the agon developed smoothly and convincingly.  Except for the scripts carried by the actors to prompt them, there was little to remind the audience that this was a unique 24 hour experiment. Each actor brought reality and substance to his or her role.  While the audience never fully believed that a human could become a pigeon – I don’t think that we ever fully believed that they could not.
I congratulate Dayton Playhouse and all connected with this exciting but arduous undertaking.  I hope it will be repeated.

Next, and almost as innovative, we move to FutureFest.  The three day, six play festival will be held at Sinclair’s Blair Hall July 27-29.  Single tickets are now available in the larger venue. Having the weekend immersion is another unique theatrical experience.

A Tribute to Marian Schuster

A note on a passing.  This week Marian Schuster died after a short illness.  With her husband, Dr. Ben Schuster, she advanced so many vital causes in our area.

With Ben, she was well known for her philanthropy, her patronage of the arts and her care of their historic Oakwood mansion.  For those of us who had the privilege of knowing her personally, she was a woman of exquisite taste in all things.

Her funeral, last Sunday, was held at Temple Israel. Many hundreds came to pay respects and were moved by the elegant tributes of her daughters, five grandsons and her granddaughter.  

Eyes glistened but the tears were also tears of joy for a life so well lived. The presence of her marvelous family is a tribute as great as the magnificence of the Schuster Center.

DAI Twilight Concerts slated July & August

Each year during July and August the Dayton Art Institute presents a series of Twilight Concerts featuring performances by local artists. This year’s schedule, now in progress, continues with its weekly Thursday performances and is as follows:

Thursday, July 26

Jim McCutcheon and Friends -- classical guitar and more

Thursday, August 9

David Wion and Friends -- the music of Broadway

Thursday, August 16

Dayton Area Harp Ensemble

Thursday, August 30

The Women of Musica -- vocal solos, duos, and trios

All Twilight Concerts are free and begin at 7 p.m. For more information call the Dayton Art Institute, 223-5277.

Host families needed for German HS orchestra

The St. Stephan’s High School orchestra from Augsburg, Germany will be in Dayton Aug. 4 – 8, 2007. This marks the 11th Dayton visit by the Benedictine school’s orchestra over the past 33 years.  Augsburg has been a Dayton Sister City for
over 40 years. The group will include 38 boys and 15 girls, ages 13 to 20. The students will arrive on Sunday and leave Wednesday. They will perform at a free public concert at RiverScape MetroPark on Sunday evening, Aug. 5. The con cert will be followed by a laser show.

Residents of Oakwood and surrounding communities interested in hosting a student (a four-night stay) are asked to contact one of the coordinating committee members:

Bob Wolff T: 229-2972 or 253-7339 E: rwolff@udayton.edu
Victoria Denney T: 307-8625 E: vdenney@coxohio.com
Sarah Hackenbracht T: 657-1413 E: slh@dacc.org
Mary Franz T: 372-0448 E: mkfranz@juno.com

Gem City chorus offers free singing lessons

Singers wanted! FREE group vocal lessons for women will begin on Sept.4, sponsored by five-time International Gold Medalists, the Gem City Sweet Adelines Chorus. In this five-week program, you will learn how to sing four-part, acapella (barbershop) harmony, and learn choreography, too. Plus, those who complete all five weeks will get to perform on the chorus’ big December show! No obligation, no fee. Classes will be held on Tuesday nights, from 7 p..m.to 9 p.m., at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 7001 Far Hills Ave, Centerville, OH. Class size is limited, so call 937-433-1014 to reserve your spot today!

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July 24, 2007
Volume 16, No. 30

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