Monday, May 14, 2007

In The Kafka Colony - Open Circle Theater

In The Kafka Colony
Open Circle Theater
May 11 - June 2, 2007
Tickets and Information

Any fan of Kafka could be well entertained by just one of his strangely intriguing stories put to stage; yet what would happen if multiple stories were laced together? In The Kafka Colony explores that possibility as Kafka’s stories taken from The Blue Octavo Notebooks and are intertwined to create a full-length stage production.

Eric Yates’ set immediately sets the show up to depend upon Andrew Perez’ costumes and the talent of the actors to tell the story. The set is very simple with few movable pieces creating an adventure to for the audience to see how they are integrated into each scene. The costumes do a fantastic job of setting the tone of the play and fill in for minimal set décor to set the location and mood for the audience. Ashley Born’s lighting also plays an integral role in the show as it is used to create sets without having to clutter the stage.

Photo by Andrew Perez

The highlight of the show by far is the acting. The show calls for many characters and with a small cast it seems that all the different personalities would mix, creating a disaster; yet the cast finds no trouble in keeping their various identities separate. An equally impressive segment of the show is its use of puppets. The puppetry is quite a bizarre addition to the show yet one will finds oneself waiting for the next scene that includes the mouse, cat or even birds as they provide much comedic relief.

So what would one have to do in order to prepare for an evening In The Kafka Colony? If you’re feeling studious, perhaps brush up on your Kafka; yet it isn’t required to ensure a good time. As long as you bring an open mind and are willing to suspend reality for a couple of hours; the show is not one to miss.

Review by guest writer Cat Aurelio

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