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__Must Go On__ is a staff written show, specifically by a playwright who specializes in television and film at the University of Georgia. Unfortunately, meshing film and television techniques with theatre and stage acting did not seem to go over well with the audience. Before I saw the show, I asked many people who had already seen the show, as well as friends who are in other performances through UGA. All gave less than favorable perspectives on the show. For this reason, I watched with a highly critical eye, made all the more critical by things friends told me to watch out for, the honors theatre class, and my own theatrical experiences. After watching the show in the Cellar Theatre, I must confess that what the show possessed in set design, technology, and casting, it lacked significantly in plot, character development, and sound.

John Kundert-Gibbs took a big risk choosing to find a middle ground between theatrics and television performances. Making use of his film knowledge, the playwright chose to create a story about a live morning show and the drama that ensues when a secret about the show’s imminent cancelation is revealed. His script was written to express many humorous moments. Laughable interactions between characters, such as the opossum woman Eustace and Bill LeFleur, seemed very farcical. Lines were often very short and blunt, portraying how a stereotypical aussie, diva, or dimwit may behave in such a hectic environment.

By definition, a farce is a comedic, dramatic work using horseplay and “buffoonery” in strange situations. __Must Go On__ fits this description. Sadly, many of these elements became so repetitive and monotonous that the audience visibly lost interest half way through the performance. Many of the people in my row chose to leave during the intermission, rudely complaining that the show was “too loud” and that they felt as if “someone was hitting them in the face.” While the actors did obey bold blocking instructions during fight scenes and arguments, the play did not require half of the lines to be yelled or screamed in order to be heard. This frustrated the audience with a feeling of being screamed at for constant periods of time. Personally, I was stressed and got a headache from trying to follow the ridiculous action.

Although the show’s stressful tone and hectic action was not my cup of tea, I cannot say for certain if this environment is what the director was going for during the rehearsal process. Perhaps he desired for the actors to carry of a semi-realistic portrayal of how a backstage area during a live television show may seem. A high point of the performance that impressed many of the audience members and myself was the use of the television screen. The actors did a magnificent job of allowing their lines to intertwine with those of the ones from the morning show, being filmed live. Oftentimes, the lines were difficult to follow as sometimes three conversation would be occurring at once, but the actors were not held responsible for this awkwardness. Rather, they were praised for being able to compete with the television for the audience’s attention and did not appear to loose track of any lines, while intermingling their conversations. I believe the nature of the show and the script itself resulted in an awkwardness in timing between lines, making the show difficult to follow and truly appreciate. Conversations were choppy and added to the overall chaos of the show, whether it was desired by the director or not.

The technology involved in the show was very well done. The set containing large television screen, inset to the back “wall”, was well painted and surprisingly detailed. Given the budget for the show, I was not expecting the Cellar Theatre to have been so transformed. In a different room of the theatre, a set was designed to appear on camera, as if the morning show were being filmed live for television. As the audience walked to the Cellar Theatre, they walked past the open room and were able to examine from afar this extension of the set and stage. An “On Air” sign that lit up provided addition evidence for the importance and purpose of of the room, and added creativity to the lighting and technological features of the show. These elements clearly required a lot of work and preparation to ensure that they would be carried off smoothly during the performance and made the action on stage much more realistic. Lighting was simple, but effective, typically just a white lighting with no spot lights to emphasize any one character. All characters had their own importance and none stuck out to me as being a “main” character or “major” role. This can be related to __And the Soul Shall Dance__, where the characters are treated as important parts of a group.

I was very impressed with how well the show was casted. Each character performed their roles professionally and appeared to truly be enjoying their participation in the show. For example, Nathan Cowling’s mannerisms and facial expressions were perfectly suited for the part of Sammy. Similarly, Allison Kelly’s large eyes and skittish, “bird-like” movements fit the nameless stage manager perfectly. The audience laughed the most at these two actors’ motions, vocal inflection, and facial expressiveness. They did the best job portraying jokes to the audience out of the cast, in my opinion.

The shallow character development and large bodily movements and blocking seemed to be features that would carry over very well to make a funny television series or short film, but these aspects were not well accepted by the audience or myself. The show took advantage of almost every predictable “stock character” imaginable, as Kundert-Gibbs appeared to have been striving toward. While I personally do not enjoy this style of performance, Kundert-Gibbs did achieve his goal of a simplistic farce. Ultimately, it was clear that the cast and crew became very close as an ensemble during preparations for the performance and while I personally did not enjoy it, several people did leave with smiles on their faces from the laughable dance scene and funny individuals. The show was sold out when I went to see it, so from a sales perspective it was a success. Similarly, technical design, set construction, and acting was marvelous, making the show notable as well.