items tagged with Mike Schulz

Augustana College’s How I Learned to Drive offers an interesting opportunity to compare the acting talents of performers at different points in their lives, as there’s a marked contrast between Reader editor Mike Schulz’s work and that of the students who compose the rest of the cast. Being beyond college-age (and hired here as a guest actor), Schulz is presumably more aware of the darkness in the world, the pain of real life, and the reality of what some would call sin. I imagine he's subsequently able to draw from what he knows and use it to shape his character, whereas it’s apparent that the students are feigning their feelings. To be clear, that’s not to say that the students are poor actors, and each one offered a notable performance during Friday’s presentation. Compared to Schulz’s effort, however, there are distinct differences in the sincerity of their portrayals.

I quite appreciate the way Kimberly Furness and Eddie Staver III work with tension, using silence, emotional distance, anger, and passionate desire, among other acting tools, to portray the intensity (or lack thereof) in their onstage relationships. Their violent, sometimes stunted, oftentimes broken, yet undeniably sensual connection in both the Curtainbox Theatre Company’s Danny & the Deep Blue Sea in 2008 and Fool for Love in 2010 was breathtaking to watch. And while their current efforts in Time Stands Still are much more subtle, they’re no less dramatic. Instead of their stunning physical work in the previous two shows, Furness’ and Staver’s performances here rely on the verbal and emotional aspects of their relationship, one superbly crafted by these gifted actors.

Erin Churchill is the reason to see the Curtainbox Theatre Company’s current production, Speed-the-Plow. Actually, that’s a bit deceptive, as it implies that she’s the only reason to see the show. Curtainbox founder Kimberly Furness’ directorial debut with her company is applause-worthy, as are the stellar performances of the play’s other cast members, Mike Schulz (a Reader employee) and Daniel M. Hernandez. However, it was Churchill’s sincerity, earnestness, and diversity that closed the deal for me, leaving me in utter awe during Saturday night’s performance.

[Author's note: The following was written for TheCurtainbox.com, the Web site for our area's Curtainbox Theatre Company, of which I've been a proud member for nearly a year.]

Recently, Curtainbox Theatre Company founder Kim Furness and I sat down over a glass of wine – all right, maybe a couple of glasses – to celebrate her company's 10-year anniversary. She had recently taken over the directing position for the Curtainbox's latest production, Speed-the-Plow (in the wake of original helmer Philip W. McKinley’s recruitment as new director of Broadway’s Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark), and during our conversation, was happy to share her thoughts on the company’s history. (The David Mamet comedy Speed-the-Plow – featuring Erin Churchill, Dan Hernandez, and myself – runs at the Village of East Davenport’s Village Theatre from April 10 through 23, with preview performances April 8 & 9.)

Directed by David Bonde, the Curtainbox Theatre Company’s Hedda Gabler starts off on a happy, frivolous tone. As George Tesman (Reader employee Mike Schulz) tells his Aunt Julie (Corinne Johnson) about the honeymoon from which he’s just returned, they share smiles and hopeful, knowing glances. Yet several minutes into this, during Tuesday night’s performance, I was a bit bored, wondering why the Curtainbox – which had consistently produced weighty, thoughtful material – was suddenly producing a script filled with such lighthearted but fundamentally pointless drivel.

And then Kimberly Furness made her entrance.