Teresa Valenza and Jeff Swearingen in Audacity's "Arsenic and Roses." Photo by Jeff Hernandez.

The Drama Club. Photo by Jeffrey Schmidt.

Cindy Beall, Emily Gray and Andrews Cope in "Seagulls." Photo by Lowell Sargeant

Pegasus Theatre's "Know-No." Photo by Kari Heyne Engelbrecht/Mark Oristano Photography.

Teresa Valenza and Jeff Swearingen in Audacity's "Arsenic and Roses." Photo by Jeff Hernandez.

  

Festival of Independent Theatres

Presented by Bath House Cultural Center

July 17 - August 8

at Bath House Cultural Center
512 East Lawther Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

Singles tickets are $12-$16; festival passes are $49-$69

Performance blocks are 8pm Thursdays & Fridays; 2, 5 & 8pm Saturdays; and 2 & 5pm Sundays

The 11th Festival of Independent Theatres (FIT) opened at the Bath House Cultural Center with four shows that illustrate a diversity of styles. That's just one reason that this annual event—the future of which is in danger under the City of Dallas' proposed plans for arts funding cuts—is so very needed.

Opening weekend saw smart pairings (although they won't always be tag-teamed like this), with whimsical and fantastical works on Friday night: Caryl Churchill's Seagulls (WingSpan Theatre Company) and the Grimm's fairy tale The Old Woman in the Wood (The Drama Club); and romantic comedies on Saturday: Brad McEntire's Arsenic & Roses (Audacity Theatre Lab) and Matt Lyle's Know-No (Pegasus Theatre). Four more shows open July 24 and 25.

British playwright Caryl Churchill began writing radio plays in the 1960s, but started to make her mark as the dramatist of such stunningly crafted time-jumping plays as Cloud Nine (1979) and Top Girls (1982). She's still wowing with each new work she produces.

Seagulls, from 1978, concerns a seemingly ordinary British housewife, Valery (Emily Gray), who has the ability to move things with the power of her mind. Her notoriety requires that she have a manager, Di (Cindy Beall), to help her handle daily business. Valery doesn't really want—or understand—her gift, despite the fact that it has made for an interesting life trajectory. She has written books and earned fans, including a young man who seeks her out, Cliff (Andrews Cope).

Under Susan Sargeant's direction, the acting is superb and pacing dead-on. Gray slowly reveals a conflicted character whose powers are so strong that they can cause her to go into a diabetic-like fit. Cope can be both awkward and charismatic as an actor, which makes him a good choice for a stalker-like character who has an impact on Valery's life. It's a beautiful little production, with simple but pretty scenic design and smart costume design by Christina Dickson, and terrific sound design by Lowell Sargeant.

Seagulls is a brilliant case-in-point for the Festival's importance. A half-hour-long play would never fit into any theater company's mainstage season, but it's ideal for an event that celebrates one-act plays. It's also a master example of working a complex story into a succinct script via precise language and vivid characters. This subject matter might have taken lesser playwrights two or more hours to work out. There's also a nice explanation of the play's title near the end.

Anyone in town who is or desires to be a playwright needs to see this one—not to mention anyone who appreciates good writing and acting.

And  for those who appreciate innovative physical theater, hightail it to the Drama Club's retelling of the Grimm story The Old Woman in the Wood. It is adapted, directed and designed by Jeffrey Schmidt, who co-produced it with his real-life partner Lydia Mackay.

The company's name, the Drama Club, suggests a group of eager-to-learn and creative theater kids. The five in this production—Maryam Baig Lush, John Davenport, John Flores, Christina Neubrand and Mark C. Guerra—begin the production by drawing and experimenting with classroom items. The storytelling emerges from their imagination.

Object manipulation, a toy covered wagon, finger puppets and a creative use of scrolling scenery set up the tale: A girl, traveling with her family, is the only survivor of an attack on the wagon. She hides in the woods, and so begins the thread about a dove with secrets and a tree that turns into a handsome man after he is released from the evil spell of the title character.

There are several sizes of puppets used throughout, but most interesting is the idea of turning Lush into a rod puppet, of sorts. With sticks attached to her legs and arms, her movement is robotic, the eeriness of which is countered by puppet-like innocence. Davenport is the tree-man, in a beautifully designed costume/prop that includes roots and branches.

The other three provide Foley sound effects backstage (was that bubble wrap popping?) and lovely onstage physical effects. Flores is the dove, which early on is portrayed with frayed layers of fluttering tissue paper. Another innovative technique is a shadow puppet in which the "puppet" is the glow of a flashlight that depicts the Girl's journey through the woods to the old woman's house.

And then there's a wonderful scene where the girl meets the witch and cuts off her fingers. You've just have to see it for yourself. It's one of several moments that elicits audience applause.

The one flaw is that, even at 50 minutes, the production is probably 10 minutes too long. A few segments feel unnecessary to the narrative, and at least one—the trio of doo-wopping forest creatures—is self-indulgent.

Still, it's a visually striking and highly memorable show. If imaginative storytelling is the mission of this Drama Club, then sign us up.

Audacity Theatre Lab goes for something much more traditional with Brad McEntire's Arsenic & Roses, directed by Jeff Hernandez. This one might be too traditional.

Jeff Swearingen plays Charles, a man who's down on his relationship luck and was just dumped by his girlfriend of two months (the reason behind this is one of the play's funnier revelations). He wanders into a diner on a rainy night, where he meets waitress Katherine (Teresa Valenza).

Turns out, they've met before. They dated in high school, and Katherine still harbors resentment. They talk, fight and play "remember when," and if things seem familiar to them, it's even more so for the audience. McEntire has a talent for the one-liners ("he thought a Persian rug was made of cat fur," Katherine says about a former boyfriend), but this play feels like a work-in-progress. But, honestly, that's another valid reason for producing in FIT—it's a fine testing ground.

Before this show goes any further, though, Valenza has work to do. Her anger is not believable and she talks too fast. Even in the small confines of the Bath House, she needs to project. Swearingen is great in a role that's less physical than we're used to seeing from him, proving that he doesn't need to be outrageous to maintain his status as one of—if not the—funniest actor in North Texas. Acting-wise, this production is off-balance.

With Know-No, Matt Lyle—author of the acclaimed plays The Boxer and Hello Human Female—again claims his standing as the funniest writer in town (well, formerly in town; he's now based in Chicago). Pegasus Theatre, a onetime staple of the Dallas theater scene that hasn't performed much this decade, makes its FIT debut with this show, directed by Pegasus founder Kurt Kleinmann.

Mr. Jones (A. Raymond Banda) is the boss in an office with one other employee, Mrs. Smith (Lorina Lipscomb). It's not clear what kind of work they do, if anything at all. It is established that he has exhibited inappropriate workplace behavior in the past, the kind that would get him fired if she had taken legal action. But, they seem to have an unusual bond, and the outcome is unexpected.

Their method of communicating isn't normal, either. When things become uncomfortable, they simply start the day over. It makes for an odd and sweet romance that addresses a serious social problem (sexual harassment) but doesn't preach or take sides. It might come off as a little creepy if not for Lyle's ingenious reciprocal storytelling, which is on a Groundhog Day-esque loop.

It's not clear whether the casting was specific to Lyle's character descriptions or the director's choice. But the best guess is that Lyle, who loves unconventional romantic pairings, would be thrilled that Banda—who is short and round and the antithesis of a romantic lead—is linked to the tall and curvy Lipscomb. Her winning performance exhibits a rare combo of naturalness and sharp humor; just another reason for anyone to be attracted to her.

The production breezes along and keeps all the intended mystery. The lights and one very important sound cue fade a little too quickly at the end, though.

All-in-all, it was an encouraging opening weekend. Here's to what the other half of FIT has in store.

►Related Stories:
Click here for a Q&A with Know-No director and Pegasus Theatre founder Kurt Kleinmann.
Click here for a Q&A with Seagulls director and Wingspan Theatre Company founder Susan Sargeant.
Click here for a report from opening night of FIT.