Tag Archives: Susan O’Byrne

Review: Village Theatre Guild’s A Little Night Music

Show: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Book: Hugh Wheeler 		Location: Village Theatre Guild
Director: Craig Gustafson
Music Director: Douglas Orlyk

I am not going to lie, this was one production that I was looking forward to all year. Take that a step further… I was even more excited when the cast list first came out… to the point that I was jumping up and down in excitement and glee because it included several heavy hitters in the theatre community (Steve Schroeder, Pam Turlow, Susan O’Byrne, Randall Knott), relative novices (Teresa Reinalda), favorites (Heather Miller, Patty Yuen, Justin Triezenberg) and everyone else in between.

This blend of talents made for a very beautiful, well-crafted production of A Little Night Music that should be lasting longer than the original one month run.

First let us start with the director: Craig Gustafson. He has been known throughout the community to helm some very strong productions over the years… most recently Assassins at the Geneva Underground Playhouse and the Broadway Ballot at Wheaton Drama. This production of A Little Night Music is not just the exception to the rule… but the standard (for black box theatre productions).

With a strong production team that includes Douglas Orlyk as Musical Director and RJ Ogren as Set Designer… Craig masterfully directs this timeless production from the large stage into a small black box theatre with sitting only available for just short of sixty people per show. At first glance, one could only wonder at how a stage production such as A Little Night Music could fit into such a small venue… however it only takes about five minutes into the production to marvel at how effortlessly the cast and production team were able to put such a production up in an very efficient and effective manner.

A feat of engineering as I would call it… unlike myself I do not believe any one of them are engineers! How could I not be impressed? 😉

The set (as conceived by RJ Ogren) was gorgeous as we have come to almost expect out of him, but not just that it was also very functional. At the far ends of either side are platforms for various scenes that do not require much movement or interaction and the center stage area is set aside for the majority of the larger scenes. One platform however is designated for the various bedroom scenes one finds in A Little Night Music (take that as you will) while the other blends from moments of Madam Armfeldt with her granddaughter Fredricka to moments that members of the quintet have to themselves between scene changes.

Anyway… enough about the production team… what about the cast? Before I start talking about the cast… let’s find out who they are:

CHARACTER ACTOR
Desiree Armfeldt Pam Turlow
Fredrik Egerman Mark Mavetz
Anne Egerman Teresa J Arnold
Henrik Egerman Justin Triezenberg
Petra Heather Miller
Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm Randall W Knott
Charlotte Malcolm Karen Bronson
Fredrika Armfeldt Brynn Frantz
Madame Armfeldt Teresa Reinalda
Frid Peter Lemongelli
Mrs Anderssen Patty Yuen
Mr Erlanson Stan Austin
Mr Lindquist Steve Schroeder
Mrs Nordstrom Becky Messerschmidt
Mrs Segstrom Susan O’Byrne

But where do I begin with the cast?
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Review: Prufrock Productions’ Equus

Show: EQUUS
Written by: Peter Shaffer 		Location: Vero Voce
Director: Bill Barry Jr

Anyone that lives in the western suburbs of Chicago would know that Saint Charles is a hell of a hike for those of us that prefer to live closer to I-294 or I-355… so when a friend asked if I would be willing to accompany him to see a friend of his in this particular production I had to take a moment to think about it.

Why? Because the drive, naturally. I had no qualms about the show, casts, or production itself… but the drive was definitely a negative. Upon arrival however, my friend and I were looking forward to viewing such an intense show that really very few community groups would even consider as part of their repertoire.

From those that had the pleasure to see the show far earlier than I had, had nothing but praise for the production, so naturally I had high hopes… needless to say the cast and the production team did not disappoint. Prufrock Productions created a relatively new theatre group: Industrial Strength Theatre. From their online blog:

Finally, the bored [board] created industrial strength theatre, a not for profit, non-Equity, professional theatre group in DuPage County, whose main purpose is promoting education and exposure to the theatre arts by performing in the suburbs what is commonly called “Chicago storefront theatre”, producing the edgier works that are rarely given voice in those communities. The founding members are Bill Barry Jr (artistic director), Dennis Brown, Lisa Savegnago and Jennifer Skidgel.

Equus is more recently known as the production that had a little known movie star (Daniel Radcliffe) in the lead as the young 17-year old stable boy whose love for horses eventually led him to blind six horses in a fit of violent passion. From the original press release in regards to the production:

Dr. Martin Dysart, a child psychiatrist, is confronted with Alan Strang, a boy who has blinded six horses in a violent fit of passion. This very passion is as foreign to Dysart as the act itself. To the boy’s parents it is a hideous mystery; Alan has always adored horses. To Dysart, it is a psychological puzzle that leads both doctor and patient to a complex and disturbingly dramatic confrontation. This international success reached new acclaim in London and on Broadway when revived in 2008. Director Bill Barry Jr and members of industrial strength theatre lead the audience on this journey into the mind of a young man, whose passion and worship makes the examiner question his own life’s meaning.

The stellar casts include:

CHARACTER ACTOR
Dr. Martin Dysart Dennis Brown
Alan Strang David Rodriguez
Hesther Salomon Susan O’Byrne
Dora Strang Dawn Harkins
Frank Strang Ken Schaefer
Jill Mason Jennifer Torchia
Harry Dalton Steve Blount
Nugget/Horseman Michael Hab
Nurse Carly Vadnais

Needless to say, I was impressed with this production of Equus…
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