Spring Break
HTG sweeps away audience with 'Inherit the Wind'
by Marianna Faynshteyn
Staff Writer
Arts | 11/25/08
Posted online at 12:42 AM EST on 11/25/08
Adam Patterson's '11 E.K. Hornbeck was initially promising, and though he played the part with the smugness of a big-city journalist, his performance lacked refinement. He delivered his lines with an impressive rhythm, but he failed to emphasize the importance of his words, speaking through pauses and relying on variations of a few hand gestures to convey the message.
Daniel Katz '12, on the other hand, suffered from too much refinement in his character. As the Reverend Jeremiah Brown, Katz moved well on stage and his voice boomed with some authority, but it lacked the overbearing quality one would imagine a reverend would have.
As Rachel Brown, the woman with the spiritual and emotional burden of being both Bertram's love interest and the Reverend's daughter, Suri Ellerton '10 acted with an assured sense of sympathy and supplied the role with plenty of emotion. However, she did not provide the character with a defining moment when Rachel finally presents some conviction, supplying little motivation for her character's turning point.
As far as the performance of the two male leads, there is little for me to critique-in fact, I may have to actively contain my enthusiasm. I much appreciated Daniel Liebman '12 as Matthew Harrison Brady and his relative subtlety, as he provided his character with enough nuance and variation that no action seemed out of place. Had he presented a more overblown character, it could have teetered into a series of uncomfortable and unnecessary bouts of shouting, which would taken away from his consistent and solid performance.
And, though I don't mean to take away the importance of this play as an ensemble piece, I cannot underscore enough the brilliance of Avram Mlotek's '09 portrayal of Henry S. Drummond. Mlotek's combination of pace, projection, speech stylization, physical mannerism and movement on stage from the moment he was introduced made him the central figure on which all eyes fell. The control in his delivery and conviction in his stride alone thrust him into a category of the uncommonly good undergraduate theater performers who are rarely seen.
Daniel Katz '12, on the other hand, suffered from too much refinement in his character. As the Reverend Jeremiah Brown, Katz moved well on stage and his voice boomed with some authority, but it lacked the overbearing quality one would imagine a reverend would have.
As Rachel Brown, the woman with the spiritual and emotional burden of being both Bertram's love interest and the Reverend's daughter, Suri Ellerton '10 acted with an assured sense of sympathy and supplied the role with plenty of emotion. However, she did not provide the character with a defining moment when Rachel finally presents some conviction, supplying little motivation for her character's turning point.
As far as the performance of the two male leads, there is little for me to critique-in fact, I may have to actively contain my enthusiasm. I much appreciated Daniel Liebman '12 as Matthew Harrison Brady and his relative subtlety, as he provided his character with enough nuance and variation that no action seemed out of place. Had he presented a more overblown character, it could have teetered into a series of uncomfortable and unnecessary bouts of shouting, which would taken away from his consistent and solid performance.
And, though I don't mean to take away the importance of this play as an ensemble piece, I cannot underscore enough the brilliance of Avram Mlotek's '09 portrayal of Henry S. Drummond. Mlotek's combination of pace, projection, speech stylization, physical mannerism and movement on stage from the moment he was introduced made him the central figure on which all eyes fell. The control in his delivery and conviction in his stride alone thrust him into a category of the uncommonly good undergraduate theater performers who are rarely seen.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 9
john H
posted 11/25/08 @ 6:11 AM EST
Great review. I agree with almost all of it. Especially the part about the evolution lawyer, who stole the show.
The only part I don't agree with is about the reverend, who I believe played his character well. (Continued…)
Daniel L
posted 11/25/08 @ 11:46 AM EST
As a member of the cast of Inherit The Wind, I think there's one name that was left out of this review that needs to be mentioned - Marti Dembowitz, our director. (Continued…)
Alex D
posted 11/25/08 @ 3:15 PM EST
I am disappointed with your assessment on Daniel Katz as well. As a cast member, working on all scenes daily, I've come to understand the characters a lot more than how they seem on paper. (Continued…)
Sarah S
posted 11/25/08 @ 10:54 PM EST
Actually, Avram has been in a show every semester for the last 2 years. I hardly count that as "rarely seen." He is a very talented student and it becomes obvious show after show. (Continued…)
Marianna F
posted 11/26/08 @ 2:12 PM EST
First off, thank you for the comments, whether complimentary or not--I'm always curious to see if people agree with my assessment or not and sadly, most people don't seem to notice at all. (Continued…)
Sarah
posted 11/26/08 @ 2:49 PM EST
How did the prayer scene not "establish his presence." It was one of the best scenes of the show...
I think, agreeing with an earlier comment, you were too stuck on the stereotypical bigoted reverend. (Continued…)
Juror # 6
posted 12/01/08 @ 12:16 AM EST
What about us? The Jurors did a great job!
Ashley
posted 12/07/08 @ 7:06 PM EST
A well-deserved review, for a well-done show.
I was thoroughly impressed by each and every performance in this great, important production. It was among the top plays that I have seen at Brandeis without a doubt. (Continued…)
Post a Comment