agmustgoon

__ Must Go On __ is comedy portraying the antics of a local morning news show after discovering their show is being cancelled. It is a farce comedy, or a comedy whose main goal is to entertain the audience through the creation of extreme and improbably situations. After seeing the production of __Must Go On__, written and directed by John Kundert-Gibbs, I definitely agree that the attempted production of a comedy with elements of a farce was successful.
 * Critical Essay on __Must Go On__ **

John Kundert-Gibbs was both the writer and director of the play, __Must Go On__, meaning that the playwright and director of this play have to be discussed in unison. He states in the program of the play that his goal in producing and writing this play was to create a farce comedy about a local morning news show incorporating modern “stock” characters. Based on his goals for the show, he accomplished what he set out to do very well. I found the show to be very entertaining. What it lacked in sophisticated plot development, it made up for in the comedic elements. The main goal of a farce comedy is to entertain the audience, and the audience in the Cellar Theatre appeared to be entertained for the majority of the show. Personally, I appreciated attending a theatre show that did not involve much critical thinking. As the program recommends, it best to sit back and just enjoy the performance! As both the writer and director of the play, Kundert-Gibbs was able to execute on stage exactly what he intended to happen when he was writing the play. I believe that this was extremely beneficial to the play. Many of the choices he made in writing the play might have been lost in translation if another person had been chosen to direct the show. However, having the writer of the play also direct the play posed some problems when looking at the larger picture of the play.

While the script of this play achieved comedic effect, it did not allow for much plot or character development. With the little plot development in the script, the characters were still able to show off the comedic side of the play. I found that what the play was lacking in plot and storyline was made up for in comedic elements. This play did not require you to play close attention to the plot, mainly due to the lack of conflict development early in the play. You could choose to selectively watch one or two character’s interactions during a scene and not miss a crucial part of the plot. While it was lacking in plot line, I feel as though this made the play more realistic as well. Often in real life, there is no complex story line or unexpected plot twist. It would have been beneficial for the playwright to develop the conflict earlier in the play. It took a long time to determine what the main source of conflict in the play was going to be.

The acting in __Must Go On__ was phenomenal. All of the actors that were chosen for the roles were perfectly suited to their characters and did an excellent job of portraying the “stock” characters Kundert-Gibbs strove to create. My personal favorite actors were Olivia McCurley and Nathan Cowling. Olivia McCurley did a phenomenal job in her role as the nameless stagehand. She exemplified the mannerisms nervous behind-the-scenes stagehand, remaining in role even when she took her bow with Gwen, the female television show host, still acting afraid and intimidated by the overpowering television personality. Her outburst in the green room was one of the highlights of the show. I found it unexpected and enjoyed that we never learn her name even after her outburst. Nathan Cowling also did an excellent job in portraying his “stock” character of the gay makeup artist. His mannerisms and the way in which his lines were delivered sold his performance. Regardless of whether he was supposed to be a main character in the show, his performance stole the show. While all of the actors and actresses were excellent and played their roles perfectly, I found most of the characters to be extremely one-dimensional; however, this would be more attributed to the composition of the play, rather than the actors’ performances. Many of the characters were so unrealistic in their actions that it made it difficult to imagine anything like this happening in real life. Due to the intended farcical nature of the show, I can only imagine that this was an intended effect by the playwright. One of the few observable character developments I saw throughout the show culminated with Brick, the male television show host, kissing Sam, the makeup artist in the final scene. There were only slight indications of this development in a conversation the two had had in a previous scene when they were alone in the green room. Even then, with Brick’s overt attempts to hit on every other female character in the show, it was unexpected and enjoyable plot twist at the end of the show. Personally, I enjoyed this plot twist more than the news that the show was not being cancelled at the end of the play. Overall, the actors did an exemplary job portraying the roles they were selected to play. It was also very obvious from the beginning of the show what each character’s personality was intended to be. The set and staging of the show was very well suited to the purpose of the show. Before seeing the show, I was very curious as to how the atmosphere of the Cellar Theatre would contribute to the set of the show. The scenic designer, Rich Dunham, did an excellent job of transforming the Cellar Theatre into the set of a green room backstage at a local television news show. Furthermore, the classroom next door was completely transformed into the set of the television show, including a set for a lounge area, a jungle, a kitchen, and a weather and traffic set. The two sets were connected via a large television in the green room showing the action that was happening next door. I found this to be a very creative solution of connecting the two rooms. It gave the essence that the audience was surrounded by the play. It would have been interesting if audience members were allowed to sit in the classroom set as it would have allowed for a viewing of another perspective of the action. The close proximity of the two rooms allowed for a realistic portrayal of a television show. It allowed actors to disappear from the green room and reappear on the screen seconds later, adding an interesting dynamic to the timing of the play. I also noted that you could hear the actors running down the hallway to the other room, contributing to the realistic sense of the play. Furthermore, the characters did an excellent job of trying to synchronize their performances between the two rooms. I did notice at some points that the timing appeared to be slightly off; however, this could have been due to the added demands of the technology needed for the show. The one drawback to the set was it allowed multiple character interactions at once, making it very confusing for the audience to follow. At many points, there were up to three conversations or argument occurring at once, making it difficult for audience members to determine what to watch. While the technology on the set was amazing, it did contribute to the chaos of the play at many points. I also thought the On Air sign was a nice touch. It also helped me to understand when the play was actually starting and added a realistic element to the show.

The costume design found in __Must Go On__ was overall very effective. The costume designer, Christine Burchett-Butler, had the task of distinguishing the television stars from the behind-the-scenes workers. The television hosts were very apparent based on their outfits. Their outfits were much more showy than the rest of the characters. Personally, I did not like Gwen’s costume. I understand the character they were trying to create – the stereotypical female television host; however, I felt as though she could have been dressed in a more professional manner instead of like a 90’s child. I noticed her costume had changed since they had taken the pictures for the program, and I prefer what Gwen was dressed in for the program photos to what she eventually wore on stage. I was pleasantly surprised by Brooke’s professional work dress costume. I thought it was a nice contrast to her ditzy personality and contributed nicely to her character. Bill's outfit contributed to his "stock" character perfectly. All of the other characters were dressed as you would expect stagehands and other off-stage workers to dress – very inconspicuously and to blend in with the rest.

The sound and lighting of the show also contributed to the performance of __Must Go On__. As I have said before, I think the technology used in the show was very innovative and unique, though it did contribute to a more chaotic performance with the overlapping of dialogue and conflict. However, one main issue in the show was simple the volume at which the show was set. It seemed that the characters were yelling their lines for the majority of the play. At points, it was necessary for them to yell to be heard because there was so much going on stage it was difficult to hear any of the lines being spoken. With the live television streaming and multiple conversations occurring on the stage, it became quite overpowering. The whole show was very loud, whereas different volumes could have effectively been used throughout the show to emphasize different conversations and specific lines. The lighting used in the show was very effective and contributed positively to the realistic elements of the show. The lighting designer, Austin K. Butler, had to create two different atmospheres on set with the lighting. He had the set of the television show to light, which had harsher light, similar to what would been seen in an actual television studio. In the Cellar Theatre, Butler had the task of lighting the set of the green room. He used many bright lights to illuminate the whole stage. There were no spotlights used to emphasize certain characters. This contributed to the realistic feel of the show and helped set the time of day of the play in the morning.

In conclusion, I felt as though there were many excellent attributes to the performance of __Must Go On__ in the Cellar Theatre. However, many of these elements did not come together quite as expected to produce the farce comedy the director and playwright was trying to achieve. Many of the problems found in the show relates back to the script and the lack of plot and character development found there. By paying closer attention to the bigger picture of the play, instead of focusing on the extensive technology used in the play, many of these problems could have easily been fixed. Overall, I enjoyed the performance quite a bit and thought the cast and directors managed to pull off a humorous production!