Rule of Three

One last bit of wisdom from Tony Award-winning scenic designer Rob Howell...

If you want to make a scene change "magic," want to confuse the audience as to exactly how it happened, then remember The Rule of Three: the human eye and brain can easily follow one movement and can pretty well follow two movements, but loses track when three things happen at once.  So, to make a set change mysterious, make sure that three or more movements happen at once!

Believed public domain image.

In other news: I've started designing [title of show] for San Francisco (just sent off the first sketches); Miracle on South Division Street opened successfully at Circle Theatre last night (a very funny show!); and Se Llama Cristina continues its well-reviewed run at Kitchen Dog, after being a highlight of the National New Play Network and the Theater Communications Group conventions that were here in town.  

I tell you, Dallas is a Theatre Town.  Maybe the country is figuring that out, huh?

Dallas Theater is Varied

...Is what it is.

Within three days I saw The Odd Couple, A Brand New Boise, and The Ultimate Easter Experience.

The first, by Neil Simon is, of course funny, with wit well polished by a brilliant writer and decades of performance, plus Broadway principals, distinguished regional actors, and a nice pricey set.  The second, by Samuel D. Hunter, is occasionally funny (wit is not what that playwright is really aiming for), also with good regional adult actors, and (I like to think) a good set of moderate means.  (At Circle Theatre.)  The third, by Jeff Swearingen, is funny, witty, politically pointed, too recently written to have such a Simon-ize polish yet, but hilariously performed by mostly kids on a fun Easter-egg colored set of no budget to notice.  (By my buddy Joseph.)

Nuts-fun is what it is.

There is the Easter Bunny, but there is also Uncle Sam, Robert Oppenheimer, Marilyn Monroe,  a pair of slacker soldiers who become... well, ya gotta see 'em, and (my favorite) the comic stylings of Joseph Stalin.

Publicdomainpictures.net

I couldn't even begin to type the crazy plot... wouldn't want to spoil it anyway.

Of all these disparate shows - each well done in its own way - I was surprised into laughter most by the kids.  Really funny stuff: sophisticated references for the adults, ridiculous (and howlingly funny) shtick for the youngsters.

I've been hearing about Jeff's shows at Funhouse Theatre and Film for a while now - glad I got to experience one.

"A Golden Age"

Experts and critics seem to agree: 2012 was a great theatrical year in Dallas.

Congratulations to everyone involved!

I'm pleased to see that many theaters where I work are cited for terrific productions, as were many, many actors I've had the privilege to work with.  And I'm thrilled that five of my shows appeared on critics' various "Best Of " lists: The Whipping Man at Circle Theatre;  The Diary of Anne Frank at WaterTower Theatre; and Ruth, Collapse, AND The Beauty Queen of Leenane at Kitchen Dog Theater.