Darren has been keeping the kids busy today so that I could get some work caught up in the 'office'. This beautiful spring day would not be complete without the freshly picked Monday, March 21, 2011
First Spoils of Spring
Darren has been keeping the kids busy today so that I could get some work caught up in the 'office'. This beautiful spring day would not be complete without the freshly picked Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Rabbit Hole Review
I, Tina, personally attended the dress rehersal on Tuesday and can tell you that I was very moved by the performance. I am very proud of my hubby, watching him play this role truly sent me on an emotional 'roller coaster'.
The tireless effort of the entire cast and crew was very evident. I know that Darren has really appreciated working with all of them. This has been a great opportunity for him to really stretch his boundaries.
***************
Below is the critics review posted in the
Ponca City News
March 8, 2010
Cast B review
Rabbit Hole Review
Rabbit Hole, ReACT’s latest production, offers an insightful look at a couple attempting to cope in their individual ways with the loss of their four-year-old son. “It’s two parts drama and one part comedy, whereas most plays are the reverse,” says director Chris Williams.
Regional Actors Community Theatre presents the stage play by David Lindsay-Abaire March 10-13 in Wilkin Theatre on the Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa campus. An instant hit at its Broadway opening, Rabbit Hole is considered by critics as one of the best plays written in the past 25 years. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for its “examination of grief, laced with wit, insightfulness, compassion and searing honesty.”
Williams has stayed true to the playwright’s intent of avoiding sentimentality and histrionics in a sad play lightened with many funny parts and laced with moments of hope and genuine connection between characters. His actors portray the bereaved family so convincingly that the audience feels a real rapport with and a neighborly concern for how the members are handling their individual feelings.
“It’s challenging to do a Pulitzer play and with a dual cast,” Williams says, explaining that he wanted to give more people in the community an opportunity to be involved. “It’s like doing two shows at the same time. I allowed the different casts to do different interpretations. It was good to learn how to push buttons on different types of people [to bring out their performances], so it was good for me too.”
The play is rated for adult audiences because of mature thematic material and language.
This reviewer attended the performance of the Thursday-Saturday cast, which presents the family from the perspective of mature adults. It features Darren Clonts of Ponca City and Bobbie Carson as Howie and Becca Corbett; Linda Cowley, Ponca City, as Becca’s mother Nat; and Gay Fleming, Blackwell, as Becca’s sister Izzy. In both casts, Colton Smith, Newkirk, plays Jason Willette and Aiden Patterson, Ponca City, provides the voice of Danny on videotape. Lauren Donahue, Tonkawa, is stage manager.
Clonts does a great job transitioning from a man who appears calm and accepting of his loss to one who actually is filled with repressed anger and cannot achieve a meeting of the minds with his wife in dealing with their tragedy. His “melt-down” scene is very powerful.
Carson brings out the problems of an overstressed woman without being melodramatic. She makes Becca’s hurt, frustration and bitterness palpable, yet shows the innate compassion of the bereaved mother who puts aside her grief to meet the boy who caused her son’s death.
Cowley is believable as a woman who at first meeting seems to be a tactless, rather crass egoist who clashes with her daughters but who really is concerned with their well-being and offers some insights and helpful advice as they attempt to come to terms with their problems.
Fleming is by turns brash and brassy as a wayward and unconventional, self-centered young woman, then sympathetic as her character develops into a caring and understanding expectant mother. She is consistently funny as she delivers Izzy’s often unintentionally humorous comments with appropriate body language.
Smith portrays the teenage driver involved in the death very realistically. He is sincerely sorry yet more anxious about receiving absolution from the family than in easing their pain and unable to understand Howie’s anger.
Will Howie and Becca “figure it out” to heal their hurt and get on with their lives? The audience will decide.
Appearing in the Friday-Sunday performances are Caleb Stinson, Tonkawa, as Howie and Ponca City actors Morgan Ham, Becca; Andrea Storm, Izzy; and Karen Brown as Nat, portraying a younger family. Gay Fleming is stage manager.
The production crew includes Gina Soucek, prop master, assisted by Kimberlee Fleming and Savannah Hedges; Kara Williams, light design; Chris Williams, light board; and Stephanie Williams, sound board.
Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for Rabbit Hole performances March 10, 11 and 12 with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, March 13. General admission is $7 with a double show ticket at $10 for patrons who would like to attend the different cast performances. The play is presented by permission of Dramatist Play Service, Inc.
The tireless effort of the entire cast and crew was very evident. I know that Darren has really appreciated working with all of them. This has been a great opportunity for him to really stretch his boundaries.
***************
Below is the critics review posted in the
Ponca City News
March 8, 2010
Cast B review
Rabbit Hole Review
Rabbit Hole, ReACT’s latest production, offers an insightful look at a couple attempting to cope in their individual ways with the loss of their four-year-old son. “It’s two parts drama and one part comedy, whereas most plays are the reverse,” says director Chris Williams.
Regional Actors Community Theatre presents the stage play by David Lindsay-Abaire March 10-13 in Wilkin Theatre on the Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa campus. An instant hit at its Broadway opening, Rabbit Hole is considered by critics as one of the best plays written in the past 25 years. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for its “examination of grief, laced with wit, insightfulness, compassion and searing honesty.”
Williams has stayed true to the playwright’s intent of avoiding sentimentality and histrionics in a sad play lightened with many funny parts and laced with moments of hope and genuine connection between characters. His actors portray the bereaved family so convincingly that the audience feels a real rapport with and a neighborly concern for how the members are handling their individual feelings.
“It’s challenging to do a Pulitzer play and with a dual cast,” Williams says, explaining that he wanted to give more people in the community an opportunity to be involved. “It’s like doing two shows at the same time. I allowed the different casts to do different interpretations. It was good to learn how to push buttons on different types of people [to bring out their performances], so it was good for me too.”
The play is rated for adult audiences because of mature thematic material and language.
This reviewer attended the performance of the Thursday-Saturday cast, which presents the family from the perspective of mature adults. It features Darren Clonts of Ponca City and Bobbie Carson as Howie and Becca Corbett; Linda Cowley, Ponca City, as Becca’s mother Nat; and Gay Fleming, Blackwell, as Becca’s sister Izzy. In both casts, Colton Smith, Newkirk, plays Jason Willette and Aiden Patterson, Ponca City, provides the voice of Danny on videotape. Lauren Donahue, Tonkawa, is stage manager.
Clonts does a great job transitioning from a man who appears calm and accepting of his loss to one who actually is filled with repressed anger and cannot achieve a meeting of the minds with his wife in dealing with their tragedy. His “melt-down” scene is very powerful.
Carson brings out the problems of an overstressed woman without being melodramatic. She makes Becca’s hurt, frustration and bitterness palpable, yet shows the innate compassion of the bereaved mother who puts aside her grief to meet the boy who caused her son’s death.
Cowley is believable as a woman who at first meeting seems to be a tactless, rather crass egoist who clashes with her daughters but who really is concerned with their well-being and offers some insights and helpful advice as they attempt to come to terms with their problems.
Fleming is by turns brash and brassy as a wayward and unconventional, self-centered young woman, then sympathetic as her character develops into a caring and understanding expectant mother. She is consistently funny as she delivers Izzy’s often unintentionally humorous comments with appropriate body language.
Smith portrays the teenage driver involved in the death very realistically. He is sincerely sorry yet more anxious about receiving absolution from the family than in easing their pain and unable to understand Howie’s anger.
Will Howie and Becca “figure it out” to heal their hurt and get on with their lives? The audience will decide.
Appearing in the Friday-Sunday performances are Caleb Stinson, Tonkawa, as Howie and Ponca City actors Morgan Ham, Becca; Andrea Storm, Izzy; and Karen Brown as Nat, portraying a younger family. Gay Fleming is stage manager.
The production crew includes Gina Soucek, prop master, assisted by Kimberlee Fleming and Savannah Hedges; Kara Williams, light design; Chris Williams, light board; and Stephanie Williams, sound board.
Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for Rabbit Hole performances March 10, 11 and 12 with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, March 13. General admission is $7 with a double show ticket at $10 for patrons who would like to attend the different cast performances. The play is presented by permission of Dramatist Play Service, Inc.
Exhausted
This was them catching a quick nap between jobs. He provides more than just comic relief for our family. A full time job, a part time job, and then the time away to work on this months performance with the ReAct group. His day starts at 5 a.m. and ends . . . ?
I have talked him into a mini vacation (it really didn't take much talking). We will enjoy a busy week of performances and friends and then the kiddo's are headed to the grandparents' for a few days.
To summarize, These two make great pals!
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