items tagged with Cari Downing

My enjoyment of the Harrison Hilltop Theatre company’s Same Time, Next Year was inhibited by the moral issues at the core of the play.

Sitting down for Thursday’s performance of Frost/Nixon, the set for the Harrison Hilltop Theatre’s production heightened my concerns that I would likely be bored during the show. Even before arriving at the theatre, I anticipated struggling to concentrate, knowing I’m not much interested in history. But adding the minimalist approach to the set, with three platforms embellished by a strip of black rising up their centers, my hopes that the visuals, at least, would offer some interest dwindled. (While the look of the set is creative, I’m just not into minimalism.) It didn’t take long, though, for director Tristan Layne Tapscott’s efforts to prove my worries unwarranted, and by the end of the play, I was actually thankful for the simple set, as it didn’t at all distract from the players’ performances.

I fall for Adam Overberg’s onstage charm with every new performance. He has a demeanor, a presence, that captivates me, and he proves his diversity as an actor over and over again. With the Harrison Hilltop Theatre’s I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, though, he adds singing to the long list of talents he possesses, and while his voice may lack polish, Overberg’s vocals remain enthralling through his interpretations and comedic delivery.

I had a great time at Thursday night’s performance of The Rocky Horror Show at the Harrison Hilltop Theatre. I laughed, quite hard at times, and sang along (in my head, so as not to annoy those around me), and almost jumped to my feet to do “The Time Warp.” The group of 50- and 60-year-old men and women in the crowd did dance along, as well as throw rice, toilet paper, and other items at the appropriate times, all of which upped the fun ante. Still, Harrison Hilltop’s show could use a bit more of something to take it over the top and make it more memorable. Actually, it’s more accurate to say it needs to lose something: inhibition.

Playwright Bert V. Royal's Dog Sees God, which is basically Peanuts set in high school, is tough to swallow; it's not easy to hear comic-strip characters - cherished for their innocence - cussing and talking about sex. Yet while it's offensive, the script is also deeply sad, something the Harrison Hilltop Theatre's current production doesn't quite grasp until the play gets really, really sad.
Read More About You're A Good Play, Pseudo-"Charlie Brown": "Dog Sees God," At The Harrison Hilltop Theatre Through July 31...