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Peer Reviews Shipwrecked! Written by Donald Margulies Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents copyright © 2009, Keith Waits, all rights reserved.
If there is such a thing as "pure" theatre, it just might be currently in residence in the Pamela Brown auditorium in Actors Theatre of Louisville's new production of, Shipwrecked! A seemingly bare stage is in actuality a very clever representation of a 19th century theatre, with rustic floorboards and seemingly primitive trappings, and the presentation of the play evokes, in the words of director Marc Masterson, "...an era where skilled entertainers could hold a crowd spellbound with just a bit of paint and a lot of imagination."
This broadly comic telling of the "true" story of Louis de Rougemont does exactly that, delivering a grand tale with an abundance of wit and style. An infamous character who claimed to have survived a shipwreck at the age of 16 and spent the next 30 years of his life surviving colorful and exotic adventures and raising a family among Australian aborigines, de Rougemont went from being the toast of London society and honored by Queen Victoria, to a pariah repudiated by the scientific community, discredited and labeled a fraud. From the opening moment, when Richard McMillan as de Rougemont quietly steps onstage before announcing himself in the grandiloquent tones of a master thespian, the production strikes a gently mocking tone and establishes the corny but affectionate manner in which this story will be told. He is joined by Melody Butiu and Eric Bondoc as players who nimbly fill a variety of supporting characters with minimal costume adjustments. The textures are provided through low-tech stage craft such as on-stage sound technicians and silhouette puppets that illustrate various scenes on a scrim behind the main action. Throughout the fast-paced 90-minute running time, the actors use simple, often absurd props, relying on performance to suggest much more than physically exists on the stage. All three prove quite adept and fluid, with Ms. Butiu and Mr. Bondoc moving with confidence through a dizzying array of characters. A particular audience favorite was the latter performer's hilarious rendition of the hero's dog. As for Mr. McMillan, he is very nearly perfect as de Rougemont. He strides into the character with stature and self-importance, and then just as easily portrays the boyish enthusiasm that drives him to take to the sea in search of adventure. His presence in the role was unique and commanding, and his boundless energy, a necessity since the script never allows him to leave the stage, kept the audience firmly on board throughout the proceedings. Several members of the ATL apprentice company do yeoman work as puppeteers: Eric Eteuati, Allison May, Jon Riddleberger and Jacob Wilhelmi; and as sound-effect "artisans": Michael Dalto, Katharine Moeller and Steven Rausch. I suppose one could spend time questioning the political correctness of the outdated anthropology of the material, with its humorous but stereotypical depiction of aboriginal culture, but this attitude seems an accurate representation of the19th century perspectives on display and is clearly being satirized, so what would be the point? Better to give oneself over to the big fun happening onstage. By the end, there is some tragedy and suffering, but just as the evening seems destined to end on a gloomy note, Mr. Masterson surprises us with an astounding and delightful denouement that seals the deal on a very memorable piece of theatre.
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