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Peer Reviews
Visit to a
Small Planet
Reviewed by Deborah Ward
Entire contents are copyright © 2007,
Deborah Ward. All rights reserved.
Where, oh where has my generation gone? Looking
around in the theatre, I have to ask, "Where
are you 30-somethings?" Are we lost to the
arts? I am sitting in the perfect play for my generation,
and I'm assuming that most of you are at
home watching TV. Gore Vidal's play, Visit
to a Small Planet, set in the 1950s, was
the jump-start for the all-popular TV show of my
young years, Mork and Mindy.
This Shelby County Community Theatre production
is filled with an amazing ensemble of local talent.
Daniel Nation as Kreton, a human-alien from Delton
4, gave a happy performance of an emotionless,
perfected human of the future. David Pilkinton
(as General Tom Powers) and David DeSpain (as newsman
Roger Spelding) both did a great service to being
paranoid about the non-important aspects of being
visited by a lost, time-traveling, perfected human
alien. Cheryl Rankin Van Stockum's
rendering of the Reba, Roger's wife, was
reminiscent of an overly stressed June Cleaver.
Erin Block performed the sweet and confused Ellen
Spelding, daughter of Roger and Reba, who could
not decide whether or not to marry long-time beau
Conrad Mayberry, played by Chris Miller.
Creative directing and set design allowed a look
into the issues facing our nation in the 1950s,
but the most pressing issue dealt with
in this play exceeds all time: apathy, which
is exactly what my generation displays towards
theatre. When any generation turns apathetic about
any topic, society suffers. Whenever we feel passionate
about something, we must follow up with action.
Oftentimes the thought of having to take action
turns our passion to apathy. Visit
to a Small Planet awakens passionless humans and humorously explores
our imperfect emotions.
Note to the 30-somethings: It’s time to move
away from the tube and enjoy the better things
in life. This is the perfect, entertaining start
to a great date night.
Visit to a Small Planet
Shelby County Community Theatre
810 Main Street
Shelbyville, KY
502-633-4343
http://www.shelbytheatre.org/
May 11-13 & 18-20, 2007
Posted May 14, 2007
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