Susan Woodbury – Analog Artist Digital World

Playwrights’ Round Table will present Native Voices: Future Shock at Imagine Performing Arts Center ( 1235 Oviedo Mall Boulevard, Oviedo Florida.) Seven brand new play will be presented by Florida Authors. The website outlined the production as, “A future of AI that knows everything about you. Where AI can decide whether you’re worthy of life. A future of transporters, and clueless ghosts, and murder by chocolate, and how to get in touch with your feline self. And of course, just making your way in a world that changes by the day.”

Director, Chuck Dent invited me in to sketch a tech rehearsal which was my only option since tech went late until 11pm. When I entered two actresses were performing a scene seated at a table. I believe one actress was Susan Woodbury, who I admired for a previous performance I had seen of Control of the Dirt. The other actress was Olivia Rocha. I blocked them into the sketch but then erased them since the scene ended shortly after I started sketching. In general the two were anxious about loosing one another. Susan remained quite animated for such a controlled scene. The larger context of the scene, I may never know.

The stage was reset for a whole new production, which seemed to be film noir detective themed. A Femme fatale actress was quite proud of her large black wig. She was actually quite comedic. In tech the actors don’t really run lines, they just pose in certain scenes of the play so that the lighting tech can figure out what color and intensity of light to use. For me as an artist, it was perfect since, the actors would stay still for extended periods allowing me to sketch them. The challenge came when the theater would go black repeatedly between new light settings. Once the director and light tech were in agreement the settings, they would be set as a cue of the show. The actors must be eternally patient since they were their as mannequins rather than actors. They knew how to keep the rehearsal light and playful.

As I prepared to leave, another play directed by Jac LeDoux, was being set for a tech run through. I can’t really offer any review about the shows. I am not even certain which of the shows I saw. I can say the film Noir looked fun, with a kidnapping, and the female lead clicking a rifle upstage. I suspect it was her partner who was kidnapped but that was never fully established in the rehearsal. I have so many questions and want to see the shows for the answers.

Playwrights’ Round Table will present 7 new plays by local playwrights Nov. 1-3 at the Imagine Performing Arts Center, in Oviedo. Tickets are $20 general admission$ 15 seniors, students and military with ID, and $10 for theme park employees with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the theater or online.

Control of the Dirt by Louise Schwarz will run from March 29 – April 7 2024 at The Marchall Ellis Performing Arts Center (1300 LaQuinta Drive Orlando Fl.) It is presented by Playwrights Round Table.

I went to sketch a dress rehearsal of the show. As I walked to the theater entrance, Jac LeDoux, the director, was laughing and delighted. They had found a living room lounge chair on the drive to the theater. That chair was now part of the set. It didn’t smell. I had passed a chair on the drive to the theater as well but had decided to let it sit. I would be moving in a couple of days and didn’t need another item to haul.

The set was simple with three flats which could be rotated if needed. There were quite a few set changes as scenes jumped form one setting to another. The stage would go dark with faint blue light as stage hands moved furniture into place.

The first few moments of the show had me laughing out loud as Susan Woodbury as Selina, performed an awkward and hilarious interpretive dance for her iPhone. She was a social media influencer in theory. he claimed to have many hot pokers in fires but they seemed to be false leads. She was staying with her sister in law but had overstayed her welcome.

In another story line a very intelligent high school student played by Hafsa Zuberi shared her concerns about her father with her counselor Vanessa, played by Taylor Byerly. It turns out her middle aged father had fallen for the Selina. The father performed by Tom Leahy, was much older than the Selina but she needed a place to land since she was being evicted. The concern was that she only was interested in him for his money. Selina had a tendency to exaggerate truth to make herself look good. Though her confident airs were fun to watch it became clear she manipulates people and she lies.

The characters must live in a small town, because all of the separate story lines suddenly converge towards the end of the play. Tensions flared. At one point there was an argument about funeral ashes possibly being laundry detergent. The ashes were thrown and the fine dust lingered in the air for a good 10 or 15 minutes drifting through the theater space. It wasn’t clear if it was detergent or ashes. It would be in character for Selina to get confused. The lingering dust in the air was a fine visual demonstration of aerosolized spread and I was glad I had my N95 on. I didn’t notice any HEPA air filters in the theater.

This dark comedy is a world premiere about grief, empathy, breaking points, and suspended libidos. I love dark comedies and I enjoyed this show. Tickets are $20.