Bob #15 - Soolaf Rasheid

Soolaf was very grounded, while still maintaining an open and honest approach. I have enjoyed working with Soolaf and can say that she is the same with rehearsals under her belt.

Her Testimonial, no spoilers here:


Selections from the play - SPOILER ALERT






And 3 segments of interview after the performance:

Bob #14 - Noreen Maier-Hartley

Noreen Maier-Hartley was the first Bob to "go off script" and it was an intense ride. As we say, and we stand behind it, "there are no wrong choices". It was a powerful performance that threw Steve into the Bob seat for a bit, where neither actor knew where the play was going.

Her testimony is a SPOILER ALERT, sorry, you will have to wait until you see the show to hear her testimonial:


SPOILER ALERT - Scenes from the play:






And two interview segments following her performance:

Bob #13 - Jason Vaughn Evans

Jason was an instant fit for this experiment. He is always so willing to go with the givens and situates himself seemlessly to any circumstance.

His testimonial:


SPOILER ALERT - selections from the play:






Interview following the run.

Bob #12 - Summer Bohnenkamp-Jenkins

Summer has always been a favorite actor of mine. I have directed her often and have really enjoyed watching her grow over the past decade. She brought an honesty to the role that was a nice balance between cerebral and cathartic.

Here's her testimonial.


SPOILER ALERT, clips from the play:




And her remarks after the run.

Bob #11 - Keith Odums

Keith Odums was our Bob #11. He was an easy candidate to go along with the flow. He confessed to being easily open to suggestion. It made for a nice performance.

Selections from the play - SPOILER ALERT






His Testimonial.



And interview.

Kathy Buck was our Bob #10. Her simple acts of honesty were refreshing. Her history with the Gorilla goes back to the first Young Dramatists Project. She is know for her teaching, directing and costume design. This was the first time I had seen her on the stage. What a joy to watch.

Selections from the play - SPOILER ALERT.





Here's her Testimonial.


And an insightful interview following the performance.

It is like watching your own heart being mugged

Hmm. For the last several weeks I've been trying, and failing, to find one word that describes An Oak Tree adequately without giving too much away.

Then I saw it. In this week's Creative Loafing, An Oak Tree is labeled "experimental." Now that's a pretty good word for the piece - there's a certain danger to An Oak Tree, coupled with a deconstruction of theatrical reality, that comes across just wonderfully in that one word - experimental. Thanks to Leilani and her wordsmith colleagues I can now sum up our September show in one word, which is something I'm always glad to be able to do.

Yet, the word "experimental" doesn't give adequate credit to Tim Crouch's depth of understanding of the theatrical process, or the power of An Oak Tree to affect the audience profoundly. So I'd like to share with you a couple of quotes from the wordsmiths of the British press, who say it better than I ever could. Enjoy!

"(the play) raises questions about the mind’s ability to impose meaning on the physical world. It is philosophy in motion, if you like. You could write a thesis about it, and people probably will. But what is most amazing is that this piece, by drawing attention to its own artifice, vividly celebrates the live, raw, communal experience of theatre and the mutual give and take between actors and audience." -- FINANCIAL TIMES

"It is like watching your own heart being mugged. You know exactly how it is happening, but you still can't prevent it. On a good night, you will leave the theatre the same, but different." -- THE GUARDIAN

What more can I say? Just that every performance is different, and reveals something new about the play, about theatre, and about the physical and emotional world of the individual.

Enjoy the blog entries, dear reader, and enjoy the show.

Bridget