Tickets are available online at https://www.custommade.org/ . Circle Mirror Transformation premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons on 13 October 2009[1] and closed on 31 January 2010. Holy balls I loved this play so much. I think I'd have to see this one. My favorite: "Circle Mirror Transformation" Brooke Berman I've loved this Juilliard grad's comedies and dramas ever since she was a New Dramatists playwright. If you just read the words of a play, you're getting only a small part of the theatre experience. Taught by Marty, their free-spirited and supportive leader, the group -- Schultz, a recently divorced, emotionally vulnerable carpenter, Teresa, an earnest and vibrant former actress, James, Marty's quiet and genial husband, and Lauren, a reserved and self-conscious high schooler -- move through a series of acting exercises, ranging from the Click the card to flip Flashcards "Circle Mirror Transformation" ran at Playwrights Horizons, opening on October 13, 2009 and closing after several extensions on January 31, 2010. She wanted to watch amateurs learn to act. And its brilliant. Near the end shes exploding in self-loathing in front of the whole group.Theres a moment when Theresas uncomfortable honesty nearly trainwrecks an exercise, and the group stutters, adjusts for her, and moves on; that involves some real intense energy from Link and a lot of generous feedback from the ensemble. Circle Mirror Transformation Play Writers: Annie Baker Monologues Sorry! Lighting Designer Weili Shi creates considerable visual drama with spots, floods, and frame illumination for the large mirrors in the set to compensate for the spare staging. Sometimes raw nerves are exposed. This was a really interesting play. Taught by Marty, their free-spirited and supportive leader, the group -- Schultz, a recently divorced, emotionally vulnerable carpenter, Teresa, an earnest and vibrant former actress, James, Martys quiet and genial husband, and Lauren, a reserved and self-conscious high schooler -- move through a series of acting exercises, ranging from the heartbreaking to the ridiculous. OConnell, as Marty, does an excellent job creating the pseudo-sincere care and attention of the not very talented acting teacher. One relationship develops and feelings arise by one character for another, but they are not reciprocated. Flag. It was voted one of the top ten plays of 2009 by the New York Times, Time Out and the New Yorker. A husband gives a monologue as his wife. It has the story of five people in a drama class together, and it looks at their six weeks together in the summer time as a class. The otherwise reticent Lauren discloses discomforting family problems at home. I knew I wanted a doomed class romance that left one character embarrassed and the other heartbroken. Its power is in its slow, subtle pacing and the myriad tiny but affecting ways in which character is revealed. She said they were all important, and I think they did add to the humanity of the play, but there were so many! Performance Dates. In an unusual move, Playwrights Horizon is bringing this play back for a second limited run ( from 12/15/09; closing 1/17/10--and given an extra extension and now closing 1/31/10). There are moments in this that definitely work. Directed by Sam Gold. But these people, who spend a lot of their time onstage looking at physical mirrors as well as metaphorical ones, have been doing everything they can to avoid looking carefully. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. And why I'm so stubborn! You can try to imagine it, but it is not the same as being in the audience and seeing this all play out before you. Note: Those who attend the Sun, May 1 performance of "Circle Mirror Transformation" are invited to stay after the show for a free talkback with cast and creative team members who can share their own insights about transforming Baker's script into their own performance of the piece. The play offers the viewer an interesting look into the learning of a craft and a brief but penetrating view into the lives of a group of people drawn to it. Circle Mirror Transformation proves this idea handily. (she trails off)" Annie Baker, Circle Mirror Transformation Circle mirror transformation by annie baker (FEBRUARY 7, 8, 9 &-14, 15, 16 2020) Directed by: Leo Jordan. But even when the action is subdued in Circle Mirror Transformation, backstories and offstage events divulged heighten the tension. Winter was last seen at Studio Theatre in Circle Mirror Transformation.His first production at Studio was The Birthday Party in 1986, which was followed by The Slab Boys, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and Rhinoceros.A four-time Helen Hayes Award nominee, Mr. Winter has been working in the Washington Metropolitan area since 1978 and most recently played the role of the Station Manager in . All photos by Jay Yamada. [2], The play received Obie Awards for Best New American Play (sharing it with Baker's The Aliens)[3] Performance, Ensemble and Directing (Sam Gold). Production Kickoff: January 17, 2021. "Circle Mirror Transformation" performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through May 12 at The Blue Slipper Theatre, 113 E. Callender St. in Livingston. The play opened Off-Broadway in 2009 and received the Obie Award for Best New American Play. First This was painful. As the baleful Lauren, Chimo is superb at physical humor; her expressions, as she reacts to the sometimes peculiar interactions of the adults, are priceless. Joy declines, but so does sorrow. New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall The shared secretsmeant to open the students emotionally and bind them psychologicallyalso reveal (if the characters are telling the truth) that Schultz has a secret addiction to internet porn; that James is in love with Theresa; and that Marty thinks she was molested by her father. Annie Baker said she wanted to explore her characters through artificial acting exercises in a . Smartly, sneakily, Baker gives us the rare theatercentric play thats not self-obsessed. It premiered in the UK as part of the Royal Court's Theatre Local strand of site specific productions across . Circle Mirror Transformation Posted on March 29, 2022 by cordellreports Brenda Cisneros as Lauren (facing away), Alfred Muller as Schultz, Emily Keyishian as Marty, Lauren Dunagan as Theresa, David Boyll as James. One of the more directly relevant drills is the interpretation exercise in which two characters repeat the same exchange of lines like I want it, and You cant have it, with varying affect. Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. I could hear who among my fellow spectators had taken such a class by the knowing laughter we shared at those familiar moments. Get help and learn more about the design. 25 & May 2, 2021 at 2:00PM The exercise is meant to foster trust and good listening skills. We don't currently have any monologues from Circle Mirror Transformation . I would recommend it, I just this the flick is a bigger achievement personally, so maybe read that one first. MILL VALLEY, CAMarin Theatre Company, in a co-production with Encore Theatre Company of San Francisco, opens its 2012/13 Season with the regional premiere of Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker, which runs from August 2 to August 26. CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION is the kind of unheralded gem that sends people into the streets babbling and bright-eyed with the desire to spread the word. Photo Credits: Jay Yamada Rating: 1 E Tags: Custom Made Theatre Company, 1 E Im not a huge fan of dialogue-reliant shows but something about the way Baker organized it by labeling the weeks made it so entertaining and interesting. The piece takes place in an acting studio where a rather dysfunctional group of amateur students has gathered. But as Lauren (Tracee Chimo), the socially maladroit but emotionally acute teenager whos the youngest person in the mismatched group of players notes plaintively, its not at all clear how any of this is going to help anyone learn how to be an actor. I think my favorite part of the play is the ending.I would want to see this show just to see the ending. The characters are able to offer each other mirrors, reflections of themselves. The diffident Schultz, who feels that as a recent divorcee, he is a failure, while the assertive Theresa, who is always stretching her limber body, also broke up with her boyfriend recently. Directed by Ciera Eis. like i get that there are more characters but THE ALIENS and THE FLICK are right there. If you choose to dive into this world of improvisation and interaction, you will soon realize that this is simply a play about reality. just like with how THE ALIENS seems like a precursor to THE FLICK, this definitely feels like a sadder precursor to THE ANTIPODES but with a clearer setting and a grounding in realism that seems similar to THE ALIENS. Added almost 4 years ago by Sam Wittwer Last updated about 3 years agoSource. To Teach and to Mentor: Toward Our Collective Future (2013), Feeling Womens Culture: Womens Music, Lesbian Feminism, and the Impact of Emotional Memory (2012), Performing Jewishness In and Out of the Classroom (2012), Casual Racism and Stuttering Failures: An Ethics for Classroom Engagement (2012), On Publics: A Feminist Constellation of Keywords (2011), Colleague-Criticism: Performance, Writing, and Queer Collegiality (2009), Feminist Performance Criticism and the Popular: Reviewing Wendy Wasserstein (2008), Teaching and Mentoring, for Grad Students and New Faculty, What Makes a Jewish Theatre Artist (2013), Performing Que(e)ries Part IV: Holly Hughes in conversation with Jill Dolan (2013), Feminism, Utopia, and Performance: The Progressives Corner (2012), Feminist Performance Festival Roundtable (2011), For Your Viewing Pleasure: Gender, Sexuality, and Popular Culture. When Lauren and James are portraying Theresa and her ex, Theresa intervenes because the scenario becomes so realistic and painful. Circle Mirror Transformation is an original play by Annie Baker. small cast, diverse cast, ensemble cast, professional theatre, community theatre, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. Still, for Marty, the self-exploration and pseudo-psychologizing that are her stock in trade provide their own reward. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Circle Mirror Transformation By Annie Baker Winner of 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play April 13-May 8, 2011 Director Adrianne Moore Details Playwright Annie Baker Director Adrianne Moore Play Dates April 13 - May 8, 2011 Description Circle Mirror Transformation is a lovely evening of theatre: fun and funny, smart and knowing, and hugely generous about the imperfect characters Baker portrays so simply and clearly. summertime. One of the tenets of our theater classroom here at Pomona College is taking the collective breath together, said Mark Diaz PO 22, who stars as a divorced carpenter in the upcoming production of Circle Mirror Transformation. Were all breathing the same air, and were all in the same space its a really incredible feeling.. Is there healing to be had in this room? In the spirit of life repeating. utterly fascinating to see where some of her throughlines began. 50 min., with no intermission. Circle Mirror Transformation is a lovely evening of theatre: fun and funny, smart and knowing, and hugely generous about the imperfect characters Baker portrays so simply and clearly. Performance schedule: Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at . "[11], In an interview in 2011, she explained that, "like many of her works, Circle Mirror grew out of research, contemplation and 'fragments of ideas.' It demonstrates well how different rendering of words and movement yield very different sense of meaning and emotional response for the viewer. Mastering a skill is often an arduous and indirect process. Telling personal stories borrowed from their partners in a first-person form provides a rather sweet, halting demonstration of how the students get to know one another. 'Circle Mirror Transformation': Finding meaning between the lines. Legacy of Light, July 29-Aug. 28, Stage Left (dates remain the same). . [2] Directed by Sam Gold, the cast featured Reed Birney (Schultz), Tracee Chimo (Lauren), Peter Friedman (James), Deirdre O'Connell (Marty) and Heidi Schreck (Theresa). The transitions, the dialogue and the blocking all have a very crucial role in getting the message across and making the story flow. This poses a challenge: How do the actors reset as strangers before every rehearsal? The play traces the lives of a handful of small-town Vermont residents who gather each week for an acting class taught at the local community center. Lauren knows that her parents arent happy; knows that Marty and Jamess marriage is headed for its end; sees through Theresas seductions while shes also attracted to them; and is the only character in the play who expresses well-founded doubt that Martys ministrations are really going to make them better actors. Photo by Jay Yamada. I found myself admiring Baker's sensitivity while hungering for a bit more theatrical attack All this emerges with a good deal of subtlety through the students' enactment of each other's situations. Much of the success of this production is how focused, attentive and giving this cast is with each other. Baker develops her characters slowly through their interactions each week in class, which is the only place we see them. Baker writes with a simple . [6], In October 2021, Old Hamptonians Amateur Dramatic Society presented the first amateur production in the UK. Whats so interesting about her writing is the amount of space it tends to leave, how the abandoned half-sentences and runs of miscommunication express this sense of a great void between two people. Its not at all clear that Marty has ever acted professionally; shes one of those so-called artists who hang out a shingle on the basis of a happy fantasy rather than real life experience. Swanson and Paulsen have a fun little game at the beginning of Paulsen checking in nonverbally for approval throughout exercises he obviously views as silly, and this tension shifts from comic to tragic as it grows throughout the piece. Marty (Heather Shepardson) and James (Ray Martin) star in "Circle Mirror Transformation." Baker's play debuted in 2009 and won the Obie Award for best new American play. The writing style was not my taste. CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION is the kind of unheralded gem that sends people into the streets babbling and bright-eyed with the desire to spread the word. Reverberates with seduction and sorrowthe plays final scene is devastatingly gentle. Village Voice. Annie Baker has established herself with a naturalistic stream of plays, including the trilogy taking place in the town of Shirley, Vermont, of which this play is a member. Birney plays Schultzs mercurial mood swings convincingly; even his sudden, menacing aggression seems justified when his rage boils up out of nowhere in the midst of his objective exercise with Theresa. Lighting designer Jack Knowles, slowly fading the studio's fluorescent strips between scenes, lets us mull over what we've just seen. As the six weeks of the class tick by, announced by slides projected between each scene, the characters back-stories are filled in a bit more, in tales that the students eventually use against one another as the trust exercises back-fire. 5 stars. [CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION] is about real people exploring their lives through tiny leaps of faith and creativity. BackStage. Like that moment in the last Narnia where theyre all dead and in heaven looking out at the places and people theyve been. If thats the game, it stands to reason that putting them in a warm-up circle is rife with both comic and dramatic potential. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Moreover, I couldn't imagine a successful staging of that piece outside of the confines of a bigger city that has a dedicated straight play audience: New York or Chicago. . "Circle Mirror Transformation" is written by Annie Baker, produced by . I didnt love this one as much as the flick, which I think flowed a little better. In this production, beautifully designed by Samal Blak to combine the abstract and the real, the scene rises on a community room with red wood walls and turquoise curtains that are drawn back to reveal huge mirrors. Through Aug. 26. By the plays end we seem to see to the very bottom of these souls, and feel how the artificial intimacy of the acting class has shaped their lives in substantial ways.NY Times. Her quiet masterpiece Circle Mirror Transformation won the 2010 Obie Award for Best New Play, and was voted one of the top 10 plays of 2009 by the New York Times, Time Out, and The New Yorker. Jun 30, 2020 - like how many times your life is gonna totally change and then, like, start all over again? Share. After a bitter breakup between Theresa and Schultz, for example, we shift to another acting exercise: Theresa is giving a monologue and the rest of class is watching her. Media. Its a lot more real; its often a lot more funny. Several times, they lie on their backs on the studio floor trying to count collectively but consecutively to ten without stepping on one anothers numbers. The two shy members, Schultz and Lauren both open up and become full participants in the group. Riverside Theater opened its production of Circle Mirror Transformation last weekend, with Angie Toomsen directing. But she persists, like the soulful artist she believes herself to be, and ends the six-week class by asking Lauren and Schultz to act out one final improvisation, in which they meet one another 10 years later and share news of their lives. Circle Mirror Transformation is written by Annie Baker, produced by Custom Made Theatre, and plays on the stage of Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA through April 16, 2022. Actions. Some people are already talking about it: From Michael Shansky on Actors' Facebook page: Rose Anne and I had an opportunity the other afternoon to see a preview of Circle Mirror Transformation.Title aside, the Dog Story Theater proved once again to be an intimate and appropriate venue for this play. That each of the students simply follows her lead, rarely questioning her motives or their acting education, rings too true. Recall The Karate Kid in which the sensei, Mr. Miyagi, makes his student, Daniel, wax cars and paint fences with very precise, repetitive motions and hold the crane pose for extended periods long before he ever practices a karate air chop. Factually, we learn that Marty and her previously married husband James, also a class member, are having issues. So every day when we walk in, we can kind of create this freshness.. However, we have dozens of other monologues that you can read. [4], The play was nominated for the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Play and Outstanding Director of a Play, and the cast was awarded a special Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Ensemble Performances. The cast of characters consists of a drama teacher, a divorced carpenter, a retired actress, a shy high-schooler and the acting teachers husband. ***. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, delivered every Friday at 7 a.m. PDT.