By Rich Osborne
It has been a good summer for performances. We saw “Rent” at the Vashon Center for the Arts.
Spectacular. Strong cast, great musicians, the whole meal deal. A well-deserved standing ovation. I laughed, I cried, I remembered what it was like, performing in New York, in the late seventies. (Yes! I was there. I lived six blocks from where Jonathon created that show.)
We also saw “One Thing after Another” at the O Space. The first production from Ghost Boat Theater. The opening performance of this unique take on the Odyssey was so well done.
A small audience, no spectacular sets, but wonderfully inventive ways to deal with a small budget.
And funny? OMG! So funny. Immersive theater at its best.
Last weekend, we saw “The Wren.” A piece by our dear friend Kat Eggleston.
Kat blended music and theater. With Holly Tuttle on the Irish whistle and Karen Dale on the fiddle, Kat played interstitial music. Irish Reels and Jigs and I don’t know what else, but it was fantastic.
She blended her history in Chicago with her music that we love so well.
Kevin Joyce, played Robin, the title character and was simply “loovly.”
Kat added social commentary.
The heavies, the Wren Boys, or were they the Ice Boys?
The chill we feel when we see the acts of our government today.
This was not a warm and friendly production, although the scenes in the bar had all of that and more.
But “The Wren” made me think. It made me feel.
And while it’s gone for now, it may return, some winter’s day.
Till then, catch the next “Ghost Boat” production.
You will be so glad you did.
Cheers!
