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Photos by Parker Shoaff
By Rachel Rippetoe |
Being an avid indulger in all things 80s, I had hopes that “Full Circle” would embody the spirit of scrunchies and rebellion. And while Charles L. Mee’s long and aimless script falls short of this allure, UP’s performing and fine arts’ cast and crew did not.
“Full Circle,” set in East Berlin in the 1980s, focuses on a group of people caught in a student-led revolution in Germany that eventually led to the demolition of the Berlin Wall.
The plot centers on a baby of an influential politician who is taken prisoner in the revolution that ends up in the hands of two young women. They become determined to keep him safe.
Although bits of wit shine through, the play itself, with a loose “barely-there” plotline, sinks deep into repetitive monologues. Mee grasps at so many political statements that he loses his footing and falls into absurdist territory he is not equipped for.
However, what made this play refreshing rather than sleep-inducing was the artistic spirit of the production crew and the seemingly effortless acting and on-point comedic timing of the cast.
Working with a set of characters that on paper may have seemed vapid and self-absorbed, the cast brought new life and optimism to the stage.
Sophomore Adele Kennedy stole the show as Pamela. She played this delusionally spoiled character with a surprising amount of grace, spontaneity and hope. Kennedy captivated the audience (which in a play like “Full Circle” is no small feat).
Pamela’s partner in crime (literally) is Dulle Griet, a complex character littered with one too many mildly neurotic metaphors about elephants and trees, was played by another captivating actress, junior Kristen Schmidt.
Schmidt, along with most of the cast, had spot-on comedic timing despite her dragging lines.
Other notable performances that made the play bearable, if not intermittently enjoyable, include the hysterical German police officer duo played by senior Noel Oishi and freshman, Michael Flickner.
The two bounced lines about anuses and peeing their pants off of each other seamlessly. Their comedic body language was also impeccable.
Freshman Reza Taheri gave a thought-provoking and perfectly eccentric performance as the nutty play director, Heiner Muller.
His speech in prison about the importance of owning up to one’s actions, although feasibly the tenth monologue of the night, was very well executed.
While the cast gave life and vibrancy to Mee’s vapid characters, it was the production crew that truly gave the show its ambiance.
From the rope bridge and the deteriorating Berlin wall, to the 80s dance montages, to the strung lights and television set in Dresden, the crew deserves major props. They gave “Full Circle” the 80s spirit I was hoping for.
The lighting and positioning of the actors gave the play a Wes Anderson-esque appeal. It was clear that the UP theater team had an artistic vision and worked hard to see it through.
This paid off because despite “Full Circle” maybe not being the best choices, the wit, art and meaning of the play showed through its lengthy script.
This performance could have easily fallen flat. Yet it is a testament to the hard work and talent in the UP theater department that after one final musical number to The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love,” everyone left the theater smiling.\
Rachel Rippetoe is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at rippetoe18@up.edu
