I just came from the final dress rehearsal of "The Member of the Wedding" at the Springer Opera House.
It's difficult to believe, but this was the first time the Springer had ever produced a play based on a Carson McCullers novel. Someone told me that the Springer had done "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," but I couldn't find what season that may have been. If it had been done, it would have been a Studio Theater production, because I have a list of every Mainstage show.
"The Member of the Wedding" is a good production. The first thing you'll notice is the set. It's a wonderful set -- one of the few good ones since Peter Cranton moved to Atlanta. But that's another story for another time.
When I went to interview the cast, Scooter MacMillan, the Springer's marketing and sale director, told me that the two young actors are excellent. Summer McCusker as Frankie and Joey Goldman as John Henry are really good. And they are totally believeable playing younger than their years. Summer is 22 and is playing a very precocious 12-year-old and Joey is 11 and playing a lovable 6-year-old.
Theresa A. Cunningham is a very fine Berenice, who loves the children she looks after.
There are a couple of the actors on stage that I wished projected more. I was sitting toward the back of the house and couldn't hear some of the lines. There was some annoying feedback or something that lasted quite a while.
Because it was a rehearsal, I'm sure things like that will be taken care of by the time the paying audience comes in starting Thursday night.
I liked the play and I hope you go see it because it's important. It's important because McCullers was born and reared in Columbus and everyone should read her work. It's important because the Springer finally produced the play and I hope they do "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" and "The Ballad of Sad Cafe," too.
When you go see the play, I hope you share what you think of it with us.
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5 comments:
It is weird that the Springer has apparently never done a McCullers play. Wonder why that is? I am going with a school group on Feb. 2 and will try to remember to come back and post my reflections.
--Good luck with your blog
I agree...I'm surprised this hasn't been done ages ago. Besides being a McCullers classic, this is a classic of THEATRE. Great picture, by the way...and Janet and Oz made it to the show the night before last...they looked great!
The folks at The Springer verified for me the fact that they had never done a production of a COMPLETE work of McCullers, though back after she died in 1967, they did a production that was a composite of scenes taken from various McCullers works. I believe that Charles Jones wrote the piece.
And, yes, if anybody knows anything about a production of THE BALLAD OF THE SAD CAFE in The Springer's history, we at the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians would like to know about it.
We saw Member of the Wedding at the Springer last night. Sat on row L and didn't have a bit trouble hearing the actors. The play is lyrical, sublime. I don't understand your remark about the sets at the Springer though. I couldn't disagree more. We think they are some of the best sets anywhere.
In response to Cathy's post: Charles did write that...it was a compilation called "Lonely Hunting"...The Human Experience Theatre revived it during the Olympics in 1996.
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