Flat Earth’s ‘X’ Bends Time and Reality

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(David Anderson, Cassandra Meyer ponder their fate in Flat Earth’s ‘X’)

by Mike Hoban

‘X’ – Written by Alistair McDowall; Directed by Lindsay Eagle; Scenic Design by Darren Cornell; Costume Design by Erica Desautels; Lighting Design by Connor S. Van Ness; Sound Design by Kyle Lampe; Special Effects Design by Lynn Wilcott. Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown through November 16

As someone who can feel disconnected simply by being on the other side of the country on a business trip, it’s unfathomable to imagine the level of disorientation and longing that the characters in X, Alistair McDowall’s ambitious and perplexing space drama now being given its New England premiere by Flat Earth, must feel. Stranded literally billions of miles from home on a scientific exploration mission to Pluto and cut off from contact with Mother Earth as they await their rescue, X takes the horror of the abandonment that preschoolers experience when Mommy and Daddy mix up their daycare pickup assignments and put it on a megadose of steroids.

Something Lurks in Flat Earth Theatre’s ‘Shadows’

June 14, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Trinidad Ramkissoon, Laura Chowenhill in Flat Earth’s ‘King of Shadows’)

Review by James Wilkinson

‘King of Shadows’ – Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Directed by Michael Hisamoto. Scenic design: Ryan Bates. Costume Design: Erica Desautels. Props Design: Emily Penta. Lighting Design: PJ Strachman. Sound Design: Bram Xu. Puppetry Consultant: Libby Schap. Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at the Black Box at the Mosesian Center for the Arts through June 22

The titular character from Flat Earth Theatre’s new production, The King of Shadows, never makes an onstage appearance. At least, not a flesh and blood one. In Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s play, he makes his presence and the presence of his companion, the Green Lady, felt in other, much more nefarious ways. Characters are left peeking over their shoulder, looking out of the corner of their eye, speaking about him in hushed tones. They’re aware that something is coming, something bad, but never quite able to put their finger on what’s happening. He acts as a kind of distant cousin to the Slender Man, a dark figure who kidnaps children and takes them away to another world, (Slender Man having his own origins in the story of the Pied Piper and about half a dozen other mythical child-snatching creatures). He’s like the weather, uncontrollable and unstoppable. Flat Earth’s production goes to great lengths to try to make you as afraid of the King of Shadows as the characters and I’m sorry to report back that I never got anywhere close. Despite some valiant efforts by the cast to sell the story on the page, there just isn’t enough here for the production to lift off.

Flat Earth Introduces You To…’Not Medea’

March 24, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*(Juliet Bowler in Flat Earth’s ‘Not Medea’)*

Review by James Wilkinson

‘Not Medea’ – Written by Allison Gregory. Directed by Elizabeth Yvette Ramirez. Set Design: Ben Lieberson. Costume Design: Elizabeth Krah. Props Design: Jake Scaltreto. Lighting Design: Connor Van Ness. Sound Design/Composer: Kyle Lampe. Graphic Designer: Jake Scaltreto. Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at the Black Box at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown through March 30

The levels of irony present in the title of Allison Gregory’s play, Not Medea, are truly awe-inspiring. The play is currently being staged by Flat Earth Theatre and even now, a few days after having seen the show, I’m still marveling at just how perfect a title it is (there’s more to the production than the title, but it seems as good a place as any to start). For you see, the production we’re seeing is, quite literally, not Medea. At least, it’s not Euripides’ ancient Greek drama, Medea. Gregory’s play, however, does follow the story of Medea, albeit from a slightly different angle. Here we meet a woman who is…not Medea, but whose story begins to run parallel to the Greek Medea to the point where the lines between the two begin to blur and intersect. So while, yes, this might not be the Medea we’ve previously encountered, it’s a modern-day Medea that is of our own time in the way that Euripides’ play was of his.

Flat Earth’s ‘Delicate Particle Logic’ Artfully Examines Science, Truth

October 5, 2018December 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Christine Power, Thomas Grenon)

by Linda Chin

‘Delicate Particle Logic’ – Directed by Betsy S. Goldman; Darren Cornell (Set Design); Elizabeth Krah (Costume Design); PJ Strachman (Lighting Design); Brad Smith (Sound Design), and Christine Banna (Projection Design). Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at the Mosesian Center for the Arts’ Black Box, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown through October 13

One response to the question “What is the play with the [elusive] title Delicate Particle Logic about?” is as follows: it’s about scientists in Nazi Germany who discover nuclear fission and unleash the atomic age. A more elaborate, and less delicate description is that the play is the story of two scientists, one a German chemist (a man), one an Austrian physicist (a woman), who closely collaborated over decades and across borders and co-discovered the splitting of atoms, but didn’t end up splitting the credit.

Flat Earth Theatre Looks to the Classics to Explain the Present

March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by James Wilkinson

‘Antigone’ – Written by Jean Anouilh, and adapted by Lewis Galantiere. Presented by Flat Earth Theatre. Directed by Lindsay Eagle. Set Design: Darren Cornell. Assistant Set Design: Marina Sartori and Emily Penta. Costume Design: E. Rosser. Props Design: Emily Penta. Lighting Design: PJ Strachman. Sound Design: Chris Larson. Graphic Designer: Jake Scaltreto. Violence Designer: Matt Arnold. Dramaturg: Betsy S. Goldman. Artistic Sign Language Consultant: Kristin Johnson. Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at The Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St. through March 31

You don’t need to wait for the Greek chorus to tell you that things will not be turning out okay. A palpable aura of dread surrounds Flat Earth Theatre’s production of Antigone from the moment you enter the space. The audience takes their seats by passing through the a wreckage of a recent war, stared down by a trio of imposing soldiers, guided through the shadows by a dim set of industrial lights. A droning sound off in the distance envelops the space, keeping you from truly relaxing into your seat. It’s a wonderfully intoxicating environment to be stepping into. Most people tend to associate classical works with dusty libraries and dry academia. It’s nice to be reminded that in the right directorial hands, there’s a vital, thrilling world to be conjured with those texts.

A Bright Room Called Day – Flat Earth Theatre

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By James Wilkinson

BOX INFO: Two and a half hour, two act, production of Tony Kushner’s 1985 play, appearing September 30-October 14, 2017; Thursday-Saturday 8pm; matinee Sunday at 2pm. The Black Box Theatre at The Mosesian Center for the Arts, 21 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472. www.flatearththeatre.com

There’s a moment early in Flat Earth Theatre’s production of A Bright Room Called Day that, intentional or not, strikes me as oddly prescient. The character of Agnes is attempting to write a skit that will mobilize the Communist party. She speaks the lines, “The world is perched on the brink of…the brink of…” She searches for the right word then gives up and sighs, “Shit.” Sitting in the audience, I wanted to yell out, “You have no idea…”