Julius Chapple, Janet Hurley & Kris Law, Cassidy Sadler in Circle Mirror Transformation | Photos by Marco Novaes
First off, Douglas Tiller’s impressive set is the most convincing I’ve seen in Alumnae Theatre’s Studio space. The institutional white walls with that dismally faux-quirky maroon strip, parquet flooring, cube shelves and bulletin board—it all serves up such mundane, quintessential community centre realness. It’s thrilling when companies with relatively modest resources succeed so thoroughly at ambitious realism.
The tactile authenticity of the space is key in that it provides a sturdy platform for the people inhabiting it to be as thoroughly convincing. I really did love these characters! Annie Baker’s comedic drama about an adult acting class at a community centre in small-town Vermont is an understated, hilarious and heartfelt piece about vulnerability and the messy beauty of human connection. Alumnae Theatre Company’s production of Circle Mirror Transformation is a solid rendering, teeming with nuance and emotional truth. Continue Reading