msUnderConstruction

Under Construction Written by Charles Mee  Directed by C.A. Farris, III

As I made my way into the Cellar Theatre to watch the production of //Under Construction//, I made a beeline for the back row, for I knew that sitting on the front row would cause me to be too “up close and personal” to the action, and I had heard a rumor that those on the front row would be victims of the cast members’ obscene questions. In truth, after hearing about the vulgarity and the explicit sexual references in the play, I was less than ecstatic to see it, and I decided that I would write a scathing review, raving about having to watch such profanity. Despite the preconceived hatred that I had for this production, I walked out of the theatre with a new opinion; despite the immense sexuality, I really liked the play. Granted, I was extremely uncomfortable at times, but that discomfort prompted me to think about certain issues that the United States has faced and is still facing today: conflicts over homosexuality, racism, sexism, immigration, and political corruption. //Under Construction// is a theatrical history that tells the story of the American way-of-life as it progresses from the 1950s to the present. In essence, America is constantly destroying and building—destroying old ideals while building a new standard by which to live. As quoted from the play, with this cycle of constant transformation, with both the good and the bad occurrences, “it is up to [the American citizen] to see what human nature can become;” it is through this journey that every American tries to find his or her place in an ever-changing country.

In critiquing this piece, I must first start with the playwright himself, Charles Mee. The way in which Mee constructed this play as transitioning through the different decades was ingenious. Had the play been set in one specific decade, the audience would have only seen America through the lenses of that time period. However, because the play progresses from the 1950s to the present-day, the audience members can compare American life today with how it was years ago. How can an audience judge their standard of living when they have nothing with which to compare it? The juxtaposition of the different decades helps the audience to develop a well-informed opinion about the events that are currently shaping their lives. Also, this large span of time makes the play appealing to people of many different ages, for certain issues addressed in this piece resonate with certain ages.

One aspect about the script that I hated was the vulgarity and profanity used throughout almost every scene of the play. Most of the thoughts that Mee tries to convey in his script have a solemn tone, and I understand his need to add comedic elements in order to lighten the mood. Nevertheless, I did not appreciate the fact that he used the idea of sex to bring about laughs from the audience. Although I believe that the audience interaction was effective in making the problematic issues seem more poignant, the cast members questioning the audience about their sexual lives was a total invasion of privacy, and I think that the play could have done without that. However, all in all, this play was very well written, and Mee did a good job of creating his script to both entertain and inform the audience.

With his interpretation of Charles Mee’s script, C. A. Farris, III did a fantastic job of directing this production. //Under Construction// can be classified as a type of experimental theatre because it breaks many of the typical theatre conventions. With this type of play, the director must have quite the imagination in order to create an appropriate environment for the actors to tell the story and the audience to receive that story. Rather than trying to assimilate this play into the realm of normalcy, Farris exploits its uniqueness and uses theatricalism to create the passion and intensity needed to make the play effective. This production also seemed to run very smoothly. Despite the play’s frequent character entrances and scene changes, my attention was still focused on the central action on stage, rather than on those movements. This play was clearly well rehearsed, and I commend Farris on his attention to these details, for it truly makes the show better.

Farris also deserves praise for his excellent casting. He did a great job of selecting an array of actors from many different backgrounds. White, Black, Hispanic, male and female, each actor represents a character with his or her own specific struggles. Each American citizen, depending on his or her race, class, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, can identify with at least one of these characters. I loved all of the characters because together, they represent America and the diversity that makes this country what it is. I thought that the entire cast did a wonderful job playing these characters; each actor in this play was like a multi-faceted gem. Not only was he or she a superb actor, but also a superb singer, dancer, and musician. As actors, they all possessed the ability to change their emotions at the drop of a hat. They would perform a comedic scene and have the audience rolling in laughter at one moment, and in an instant, they would take on a darker side, and a melancholy air would fill the room. I absolutely loved the ensemble of female singers, and their voices blended together nicely. The dancing was also phenomenal. Although I do not know the name of my favorite actress, I can clearly identify her as the one who performed the beautiful interpretive dance as she attempted to run away from her lover. I also thought that the musicians did a wonderful job. Although they did not “act” per se, they were essential in helping to establish the tone of the play. One of the most poignant moments that I recall from the play was the scene during which a wife discovered that her husband had been killed in the war. As the trumpet began to play, chills arose on my arms, and I began to think about all of the American soldiers who were unable to come home to their families. I was completely blown away by the talent that this cast possessed, and I hope to see them perform together again.

Shifting my focus away from the personnel involved in this production, I turn my attention to the technical side of //Under Construction//. Because this play took place in the Cellar Theatre, the scene designer was limited with the amount of space that he had to work with when staging the play. This production required numerous scene changes; however, in this small space, too many props would cause clutter and decrease the open space that the actors had to work with. In order to alleviate this problem, the designers utilized several black boxes in order to construct the different pieces in the scene. The actors could easily stack and arrange the boxes, and when the boxes were no longer needed, the actors simply carried them to the side of the stage and neatly stacked them on top of one another. Despite the lack of space, the scene designer still made some use of small props, such as a pair of roller blades, a dog collar, magazines, and a camera, in order to make the characters seem more realistic. My favorite props were the cardboard cutouts of food that were used at the beginning of the play. I was amazed at how authentic and delectable the "food" looked!

Other technical aspects of this play include the set design and the lighting arrangements. I loved that the designer created this set to resemble a construction sight. Yellow caution tape and transparent plastic sheets formed the walls that separated the backstage area from the main stage. The transparent walls helped to create a wonderful effect during the “war” scene in which the wife is informed that her husband has died in combat. The audience could see the silhouettes of the actors backstage, and the shadows that were visible created an eerie feeling that heightened the sense of sorrow and hopelessness that was prevalent during this scene. Also, the projection screen was a nice addition to the set, and it was used very effectively. The actors were not performing on stage during the times that the videos were playing, which allowed audience members to focus all of their attention onto the screen. The slideshow that contained the newspaper clippings and pictures of historical events was also great. Even though this play is theatrical, it is still a chronicle of America’s history, and those terrible images reminded the audience of the trials that the United States has faced throughout the past six decades. In addition to the set design, the lighting arrangements played a pivotal role in this performance. Full stage lights were used to indicate happiness and fun, while a dark stage with only a spotlight on the actor speaking created a dimmer tone. Another interesting aspect of the lighting of this play was the red, white, and blue colored flag that was cast upon the actors during certain scenes. The characters’ body positioning, coupled with this lighting effect, created a spectacular view for the audience, and was a wonderful thematic effect. Another lighting arrangement that I was both impressed with and horrified by occurred during the scene in which the rape victim was re-living her attack. With the stage lights dimmed, the single light bulb, dangling and swinging from the ceiling, was just downright creepy. I felt as if I was watching some horror film in which a man with a chainsaw was about to jump out and kill me. Lighting effects such as these, as well as spectacular scene designs, are works of art, and when the two are combined, they create a theatrical masterpiece.

For the negative attitudes that I possessed about this play prior to seeing it with my own eyes, I must apologize. I possessed a preconceived notion that this play was dreadful because it was completely erotic and vulgar. After looking past all of the sexual references, I am now able to admire the beauty of this play. It is the story of us, our parents, our grandparents; it will be the story of our children and our grandchildren. It is a tale of the endurance of a people, the American people, who are persevering through the conflicts and helping to construct a new America that boasts new ideals and new opportunities.


 * This critical essay is five full pages typed in Microsoft Word **