The Treat of Trickery

originally published October 25, 2006

Most likely, Halloween as we know it, made its first permanent inroads into the vast expanses of America via boatloads of superstitious, Samhain-celebrating Irish fleeing the potato blight in the mid-19th century. Considering the somber, prudish culture in many of the cities they settled (only a few generations removed from stringing up "witches" in Salem), it seems a bit surprising that a transmuted pagan festival decked out in spook stories and unbridled childhood mischief should put down such tenacious roots. Despite the differences between us and our frumpy forefathers, they were subject to the same yearning for (at least) a yearly dose of the dramatic. If only for a brief moment, even the tightest of collars revels in the treat of being tricked.

Metamorphoses: British songwriting duo Stiles and Drewe first staged their plucky adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fable of tolerance and perseverance, “The Ugly Duckling,” far from the storied stages of London’s West End. Indeed, the tiny holiday borough where Honk! in its present form premiered has a population roughly half that of Athens and the theatre sat a relatively paltry 404 people. Yet the relatively obscure production kept catching the right eyes and ears, and less than three years later, it became the first British-penned musical produced at the National Theatre, where it won the Olivier award (the equivalent of a Tony stateside) for best musical - beating out fierce competitors including Julie Taymor’s much-fawned-over production of The Lion King. Oconee Youth Playhouse first staged Honk! just a year after that dark horse triumph to great local acclaim and the theatre’s stalwarts have been clamoring for a repeat ever since. Never content to settle for past form, no matter how good it was, OYP’s directors Shane and Terra Hannon obliged with a revamped production featuring a cast of more than 100 actors, singers and dancers - ranging in age from first graders on up to undergrads and an entirely re-envisioned set. Honk! plays at the Oconee Civic Center in Watkinsville, Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee on Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. The show continues and Nov. 2, 4 and 5. OYP shows sell out with near clockwork regularity, so those interested in a jaw-dropping evening (or afternoon) of family entertainment, for a scant sum of $12 and $16 a pop, are strongly encouraged to call 706-769-2677 to reserve tickets.

Orpheus: Multimedia artist and scholar Randall Packer has been investigating the impact of technology on art for more than two decades. For the past year and change, under the auspices of the US Department of Art and Technology, he has been producing a five part, site-specific, epic video opera along with Charles Lane, a Los Angeles-based tenor, titled A Season in Hell. Lane plays Orf, a modern-day Orpheus traversing the boundaries between the living and the dead, who attempts to understand a crumbling American empire in the wake of 9/11. The abandoned Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery in Athens is the setting for the third part of the project, called "Religion of the Lie (Orf’s Baptism)." A group of students in the UGA Department of Film and Theatre have been collaborating with Mr. Packer for the past few months to develop the script and technical aspects of the examination of the rising tide of fundamentalist religiosity. On Nov. 1, Lane and Packer will join with members of the UGA faculty and members of the community for a screening of the work-in-progress and a panel discussion. This unique event will take place in UGA Fine Arts Building Room 53 at 8 p.m. There is no charge for admission, but attendees are encouraged to make a donation to the Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery Restoration Fund. Those interested in the progress of the work thus far can examine clips collected by Mr. Packer at www.zakros.com/projects/season or view his blog entries about the ongoing project at www.usdat.us/secretary.

Athena and Sophia: Henry David Thoreau may be the only man ever to vehemently protest when freed from prison because a relative had paid his delinquent taxes. Though his refusal to pay stemmed from numerous political quibbles with the government (from slavery to the Mexican-American War), the single night he spent in the clink helped coalesce his thoughts on resistance to injustice via non-violent means. The tract that resulted, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, influenced Tolstoy, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee (who also authored the Monkey Trial classic, Inherit the Wind) scripted the prelude, including a meeting with Emerson and his wife, and the lonely jail-cell conversation as an interrogation of the contradictory currents of a citizen’s responsibilities to society. The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail plays at Athens Academy Presentation Hall, Nov. 2–4 at 7:30 p.m. Call 706-549-9225 for more info.

Jesus: One shouldn’t be fooled by the psychedelic cross, stuck-in-the-'70s Andrew Lloyd Webber grooves, or kitschy peppering of modern slang in Jesus Christ Superstar. The plot’s heavy focus on the internal struggles of Judas, the confused love of Mary Magdalene, and the fallible humanity of the title character make it a much more complex examination of the final days of Jesus (played by Ted Neeley) than is often assumed. The touring production of the long-suffering, blockbuster musical comes to the Classic Center Theater on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are already on sale, ranging in price from $10 to $65, and can be purchased online at www.classiccenter.com or by calling the box office at 706-357-4444.

Brandon Waddell

What's the buzz? Tell me what's a-happening at outthere@flagpole.com, and always put "Theatre Notes" in the subject line.