Six Degrees of Separation runs one more weekend at Giving Tree Theater in Marion - Friday and Saturday, Nov.
The partial standing ovation struck me as appropriate for a production that offers much to admire but was a little bumpy on opening night. Richie Akers and Charipar collaborated to provide solid costumes that invoked the play’s 1990 setting, and Akers’ set and lighting design are strong, though an important light cue was mishandled late in the play.Īt the close of the 90-minute piece, the audience proffered an enthusiastic ovation, and some in the crowd rose to their feet. Howell and company use the small but flexible Giving Tree space creatively (which is becoming a hallmark of productions there), and the director found working solutions to a variety of challenges, including the representation of a number of essential conversations that take place on the phone.
Leslie Charipar as Ouisa in ‘Six Degrees of Separation.’ - photo courtesy of Giving Tree Theater It’s a bright moment delivered by two of the area’s strongest actors who work together beautifully and are well cast in these roles. She and Budd share the stage in the closing moments and offer up the most emotionally resonant scene in the production. Charipar shines late in the play as her character seeks to talk Paul into giving up his deception. The production’s strongest performances are turned in by Leslie Charipar and Tim Budd who portray Flan and Ouisa, the couple narrating the story. Byers, importantly, delivers the Holden Caulfield monologue well. Heather Akers and Greg Smith garner well-deserved laughs as a shallow and at-odds couple taken in by Paul’s deception. Dustin Davis compellingly delivers a moving and desperate speech after he is beguiled by Paul. There were plenty of successful moments - some serious, others humorous. One hopes - and suspects - the problems can be chalked up to jitters arising from a combination of opening night and a sold-out house. Lines got away from a number of performers on opening night, with actors stepping on each other, losing the thread, and occasionally needing to pause a moment to call the next bit to mind. Craig Byers as Paul in ‘Six Degrees of Separation.’ - photo courtesy of Giving Tree Theater
He is tackling a challenging character - he is an actor playing a man who is himself playing a part - and at times, his line delivery is too clearly a product of memorization, which undercuts the smooth, if troubled, con man persona he is portraying. Byers is appealing in the part and his bright smile serves him well. Paul is a spinner of elaborate, deceptive tales and a master of drawing people in to satisfy his desires and meet his needs. At the center of the story is Paul, played by Craig Byers.
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