Carpenter brings Zoe to life in Rough Magic's 'Touch'
It is not very often that a play opens with a 40-minute
monologue.
But such is the case with Toni Press-Coffman's intense drama "Touch," closing out the Rough Magic Productions current season.
Playing before an emotionally thunderstruck opening night audience of approximately 40, this 2½-hour-plus play addresses an individual's pursuit for connectedness.
That bonding can be emotional, intellectual or a combination of the two, as demonstrated by Press-Coffman's lead character, Kyle (Jack Carpenter).
Performed upon a relatively barren stage - randomly populated by a solitary chair centerstage, a couch stage left and a bed stage right - director Gregory Peters' quartet of actors acutely dissect the passion that drives Kyle in his marriage, his career and his sanity.
The play opens with Kyle's extended monologue detailing his first meeting with his future wife, Zoe; their courtship and marriage; his ardent quest for satisfaction as an astronomer; and Zoe's disappearance and death.
From there, the audience follows as Kyle wrestles with finding meaning in life after Zoe, seeking solace, warmth, tangency.
Let there be little doubt the role of Kyle is a many-headed monster that Carpenter the actor embraces and envelopes.
The show's playwright has crafted the wonderfully verbal image of Zoe on the printed page and gifted it to actors to enunciate.
But it is certainly Carpenter - in this production - whose voice, articulation, body and movements lovingly paint the portrait of this woman.
He maneuvers through a gamut of emotions nimbly maintaining theatrical focus as well as the audience's attention throughout the extended dialogue.
Carpenter is also successful in sustaining and further nurturing his character as the drama moves beyond Kyle's initial shock and grief into a deeper, more internal bereavement as he desperately looks for intellectual and emotional enlightenment.
Support is ably provided by Amy J. Black as Zoe's sister, Serena, and Lindsay Seim as Kathleen, a prostitute to whom Kyle turns for comfort and fledgling connectedness.
It's the performance of Jordan Warren as Kyle's friend Benny, that is not as satisfying as it could be.
Warren's wary and hesitant efforts seem to indicate nervousness, and many of his movements appear a bit uncontrolled.
When contrasted with the depth of character development demonstrated by Carpenter, Warren's portrayal comes across superficial and at times even flippant.
Major technical pluses in the production are Nick Gonsman's stark and bold focused lighting and Matt Bross' subtle and understated sound.
But such is the case with Toni Press-Coffman's intense drama "Touch," closing out the Rough Magic Productions current season.
Playing before an emotionally thunderstruck opening night audience of approximately 40, this 2½-hour-plus play addresses an individual's pursuit for connectedness.
That bonding can be emotional, intellectual or a combination of the two, as demonstrated by Press-Coffman's lead character, Kyle (Jack Carpenter).
Performed upon a relatively barren stage - randomly populated by a solitary chair centerstage, a couch stage left and a bed stage right - director Gregory Peters' quartet of actors acutely dissect the passion that drives Kyle in his marriage, his career and his sanity.
The play opens with Kyle's extended monologue detailing his first meeting with his future wife, Zoe; their courtship and marriage; his ardent quest for satisfaction as an astronomer; and Zoe's disappearance and death.
From there, the audience follows as Kyle wrestles with finding meaning in life after Zoe, seeking solace, warmth, tangency.
Let there be little doubt the role of Kyle is a many-headed monster that Carpenter the actor embraces and envelopes.
The show's playwright has crafted the wonderfully verbal image of Zoe on the printed page and gifted it to actors to enunciate.
But it is certainly Carpenter - in this production - whose voice, articulation, body and movements lovingly paint the portrait of this woman.
He maneuvers through a gamut of emotions nimbly maintaining theatrical focus as well as the audience's attention throughout the extended dialogue.
Carpenter is also successful in sustaining and further nurturing his character as the drama moves beyond Kyle's initial shock and grief into a deeper, more internal bereavement as he desperately looks for intellectual and emotional enlightenment.
Support is ably provided by Amy J. Black as Zoe's sister, Serena, and Lindsay Seim as Kathleen, a prostitute to whom Kyle turns for comfort and fledgling connectedness.
It's the performance of Jordan Warren as Kyle's friend Benny, that is not as satisfying as it could be.
Warren's wary and hesitant efforts seem to indicate nervousness, and many of his movements appear a bit uncontrolled.
When contrasted with the depth of character development demonstrated by Carpenter, Warren's portrayal comes across superficial and at times even flippant.
Major technical pluses in the production are Nick Gonsman's stark and bold focused lighting and Matt Bross' subtle and understated sound.
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