My overall impression
Full disclosure here: I’ve known Michael Kass for some years, so a gush from me is certainly biased.
That said, if I didn’t thoroughly enjoy his piece I just wouldn’t have written a review.
‘Pure’ storytelling (just actors on a stage, or folks around a campfire) is probably my favorite form of theatre to see, but it’s also the most demanding. Like Chekhov or Shakespeare, if the story is executed with anything less than deft skill the audience will be bored and/or confused, or even actively uncomfortable. But when executed properly, a solo piece (or Chekhov, etc) can open up something in an audience’s heart and imagination, and can reaffirm the struggle that so many actors out here face: ‘This is why I do it!’. Put more simply, the solo piece is one of those methods of storytelling that tends to be either insufferable or amazing.
I’m pleased to report that ‘Ceremony’ achieves the latter. This is a very competent production that succeeds on every important level.
A risk of a solo piece is that of becoming masturbatory; asking the audience to be really invested in the personal tribulations of someone that just wants to talk about their experience. ‘Ceremony’ does the opposite, it asks you to be involved in a journey on a personal level.
This is achieved not only by Michael serving up his heart to us with a slice of his real life, but through careful direction and design. Though ‘Ceremony’ could be performed with no design at all, the subtle sound design by Martin Carrillo adds a significant depth that sucks us in. And Dianna Wyenn’s direction molds Michael’s performance with intelligent levels and demonstrates a keen understanding of spacing and timing.
All in all, ‘Ceremony’ is a pittance of an investment ($10) for an hour of time that can profoundly affect an audience. I can’t recommend it highly enough, but I can recommend that you get tickets sooner than later because the show has been selling out.
