Goodman Theatre's New Stages' "Continuity" artfully layered
You know how you have to be a bit ginger placing a mousetrap in a corner? If you're like me, you anticipate the moment when the spring will accidentally release, but not so much that you don't jump when the snap actually comes.
Playwright Bess Wohl's play "Continuity" is a bit like that. Set on New Mexico desert as a crew is filming a thriller about climate change and "an eco-terrorist villain," the play takes you through several takes of the same movie scene under the pressure of the limited natural light. The characters are methodically developed through side conversation that reveals their thoughts on art in the face of high-budget thrillers, climate change and limitations time can place on both people and the environment.
Each take reveals a little more about a character or the group's understanding of global warming, meandering from one thought to another, from one increasingly complex character to another until - snap! - it's all sprung together in one phenomenal scene. The plot climaxes as the characters scramble to react to powerful input from an eccentric environmental consultant.
The plot, although infused with a good balance of humor, got a bit slow and predictable during a few of the early scenes, but the climatic scenes were powerful for me. The viewer's work of paying attention during the earlier scenes indeed was rewarded.
The audience played an extra important role in the production, which was part of the theatre's New Stages developmental productions. Developmental productions have scaled-back production values and only three weeks of rehearsal, according to the playbill:
Lines and various elements of the production can be tweaked during the New Stages festival, so the audience was told before the play began, with some changes coming potentially moments before our viewing. Then, after the production, audience members received an email survey asking for in-depth reactions.
I'll spare you too many of my answers, but I enjoyed this enough that I'll make a point to hit up more of next year's New Stages festival.
Playwright Bess Wohl's play "Continuity" is a bit like that. Set on New Mexico desert as a crew is filming a thriller about climate change and "an eco-terrorist villain," the play takes you through several takes of the same movie scene under the pressure of the limited natural light. The characters are methodically developed through side conversation that reveals their thoughts on art in the face of high-budget thrillers, climate change and limitations time can place on both people and the environment.
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| Marc Grapey (David Claxton) and Rebecca Spence (Maria) in Continuity by Bess Wohl, directed by Annie Tippe at Goodman Theatre (September 24 – October 8, 2017). GoodmanTheatre.org/Continuity. Photo credit: Cody Nieset/Goodman Theatre |
Each take reveals a little more about a character or the group's understanding of global warming, meandering from one thought to another, from one increasingly complex character to another until - snap! - it's all sprung together in one phenomenal scene. The plot climaxes as the characters scramble to react to powerful input from an eccentric environmental consultant.
The plot, although infused with a good balance of humor, got a bit slow and predictable during a few of the early scenes, but the climatic scenes were powerful for me. The viewer's work of paying attention during the earlier scenes indeed was rewarded.
The audience played an extra important role in the production, which was part of the theatre's New Stages developmental productions. Developmental productions have scaled-back production values and only three weeks of rehearsal, according to the playbill:
"allowing playwrights to not only hear their words but to see the world they imagined come to life in three dimension. They also have the opportunity to experience how that work connects with an audience and gather valuable insights from their reactions -- all without the pressure of an official opening night."
Lines and various elements of the production can be tweaked during the New Stages festival, so the audience was told before the play began, with some changes coming potentially moments before our viewing. Then, after the production, audience members received an email survey asking for in-depth reactions.
I'll spare you too many of my answers, but I enjoyed this enough that I'll make a point to hit up more of next year's New Stages festival.
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