Review: Arts presents energetic spectacle

Last night, the Theater Arts Program lit up the Annenberg Studio Theater and Locust Walk with their festive performance of An Evil Hour. Overall, it was a well-acted and highly spirited show. The actors, who sang, danced and frequently changed roles, were full of energy and enthusiasm. An Evil Hour is based upon the novel In Evil Hour by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The play takes place in a South American town against a constant background of traditional folk music. The plot revolves around the reactions of the town to lampoons -- papers anonymously hung on the doors of residents which reveal scandalous rumors about them -- and the attempts to discover who is responsible for them. The show began between Meyerson Hall and the Furness Building. Without warning, the performers began dancing and singing to music in front of Meyerson and out of the windows of the two surrounding buildings. Their movements were lively, but their problems synchronizing their voices with the recorded music detracted from the overall effect. They continued their "festival" as they pranced up Locust Walk. The actors stopped on the steps in front the Castle, as residents of the house peered out the door in wonder. Audience members were grabbed by the performers to join in their dancing. After arriving at the theater, the actors mingled with the seated audience members. They continued to run around the audience with flashlights, passing out mysterious notes, at various intervals throughout the play. The stage performance utilized many innovative theater techniques. It delved into the confusing world of creating a play within a play. In addition, the actors did not operate under the pretense that they actually were or had become the characters whom they were playing. The different actors rotated narrating the scenes. Each actor also played several roles and quickly switched between them along with minor or nonexistent costume changes. This brought humor to the performance, especially when a narrator simultaneously jumped in as the voice of a character in the same scene. Another interesting aspect of the play was that the actors seemed to bring a bit of themselves and their characters in real life to their performances. Not one actor, but the whole cast put in a phenomenal performance. Kudos go to all the members of An Evil Hour's dynamic cast: College junior Stuart Draper, College sophomore Simone Elliot, College junior Carolyn Kelson, College sophomore Marcie Levine, Wharton senior Jennifer Platzkere, College senior Jeff Weinstock, and Engineering sophomore Marc Weitz. Performances continue November 21 though 23 at 7 p.m. between Myerson Hall and the Furness Building. Tickets are available on Locust Walk.

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