Sowelu Theater
Portland, OR
503.730.9066
What Others Say About Us
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| Chris Harder and Sean Skvarka |
Comments from the audience
Some Explicit Polaroids by Mark Ravenhill, 2002
"Saw this Sowelu show today, Sunday matinee at the Back Door Theater (4319 SE Hawthorne (503) 230-2090). and it's incredible. YOU SHOULD REALLY GO SEE THIS (whoever is reading this). much to recommend. very good acting, incredibly committed and thoughtful, impulsive, physically empassioned and more energy on a (first) sunday matinee than i am used to seeing on an opening night.
i have been thinking a lot about strong choices in acting and directing and staging and how refreshing it can be to see a well-thought-out production with consistently daring and interesting choices. Polaroids is a great example of this all-too-rare creation. there are choices in this that made me respond emotionally and intellectually, and sometimes audibly. not that i agreed with all the choices, but even the one that made me laugh out loud (i am purposefully being vague here, it's really much more intriguing just to see it happen than for me to attempt to describe it) was still interesting, thought-provoking and consistent with the goings-on of the piece...and it ended up working for me. (in case you were wondering).
the pace was excellent (there are far too few well-paced shows for my liking). the set and lights were very fitting...a series of screens enclose the back third of the stage and provides a physical barrier between audience and performers as well as a versatile playing space that was used in a number of inventive ways. having read the script previously, the immediacy that the actors brought to a seemingly-issue driven piece helped smooth over portions that were difficult to read and take seriously...although there was a bit of subplot that was not as involving as the other parts. however, this is a minor quibble in what was a very challenging, demanding and ultimately rewarding production of a difficult play.
i don't usually post about shows here, especially to start a thread, but this piece really inspired me, as much of Sowelu's work does. if you haven't seen a Sowelu production, don't miss this. if you have, don't miss this one. if you just skipped to the bottom of this post, Don't Miss This Production.
i'll go away now. thanks."
I'll Second That
Some Explicit Polaroids is really superb. I thought I was getting pretty jaded, having been to the theater as much as have been over the last few years, but this show moved me quite strongly. The performances are not only uniformly excellent, but, at least for the performers I'm familiar with, push their range in new, rich territories. There are moments in this play that ring so true, that emotionally are so raw and on target, that they'll burn you right down.
Sowelu's done something special here, and I urge others to see the show.