Loft Theater: Moby Chicken

The July party came toward the end this year, and it was time for more broad comedy. Moby Chicken was monsters, mermaids, and fryers on the high seas. Most of the original cast returned, with the reintroduction (finally!) of Kristi Daniel as Pip, the return of Stu Tidball as Ahab, Chris Cole as Starbuck , Becca Dixon as the Mermaid, and Paul Hamilton as Crew One. Leon Whittaker joined us for his first speaking part as Crew Two, and the famous Jim Daniel debuted as Ishmael. No one can say that we don't enjoy ourselves.

On the positive side, most of the logistical kinks are working themselves out: no problems with lighting (except the house lights,) no stage-to-stage movement, and reasonably effective upper-to-lower interaction. Even the boat and the fishing experiment seemed to work pretty well. The effectiveness of the offstage entry and the ability to speak in unison were pleasant surprises.

Rehearsal is still a major problem; maybe the text is too complex, or the lines too much on top of one another. Action seems to be the strongest link, with dialogue (even when it's taken seriously) weaker. There's probably a lesson here. Cues could still be better explained, and maybe simplified. Longer scenes as the answer? If only everybody would just relax and slow down - it's not a big audience.

Much gratitude for everyone in attendance. See you next time.