By Josephine Norris, Photo Editor.
Slam! Crash! Shriek! To say the least, it’s not quiet at Pit and Balcony’s production of “Noises Off,” the comedy farce by Michael Frayn and directed by Todd Thomas. Actors run through doors, often slamming them loudly behind them and run through a dizzying sequence of movement in and out of the seven fully functioning doors onstage.
To set the picture of the production, it’s essentially a play within a play. The play is entitled “Nothing On,” and within the three acts of “Noises Off,” you witness “Nothing On” performed three times. Bear with me, the concept is a bit mind-blowing and unlike any other show, but it is amazing.
Act I is set on the last night of a tedious and hair-pulling technical rehearsal for the national tour of “Nothing On.” The show opens the next day and is so awful that the director stops it every two minutes to correct an actor, or answer yet another question of “What is my purpose?”
After the curtain of Act I, stagehands scurry around the stage and actually rotate the set to reveal the back side of the set of “Nothing On.” It’s an awesome moment as the set of “Nothing On” spins, and the audience gets to see the side of theater not many get to witness.
Act II brings us to the backstage of the Grand Rapids Civic Theater on the opening night of the cross country tour of “Nothing On.” As places are called, it becomes obvious from the back side of the stage the show is beyond the help of a director. The vices and true nature of characters are revealed in the conflicts that arise among them. The second act is arguably the most entertaining, even though it is nearly silent backstage. The actions and reactions of the ensemble made it a delightful display of mayhem.
As the tour closes and the ensemble is weary, Act III takes us to the final night at the Palace Theater in Chicago. The cast of “Nothing On” are exhausted at this point in the tour and begin tripping over themselves onstage. The blocking they have spent months perfecting flies out the window. The train wreck of a performance reminds the audience that there is nothing like live theater.
The entertaining thing about this play within a play, is the actors. Each actor has obviously spent much time crafting and developing the individual spheres of action and emotion that are seen onstage.
“Noises Off” is a play for anyone who has been involved in theater, or just wants a look behind the scenes of a show. In each character, one can catch a glimpse of the types of thespians: the director’s pet, the not-so-bright one, the diva and the seasoned actors who just can’t remember their lines. There is something for every theater loving individual.
The next show at Pit and Balcony will be the musical “RENT,” written by Jason Larson and directed by Chad William Baker, runs from May 13-15 and 20-22. Tickets are available at pitandbalconytheatre.com or by calling the box office at 989-754-6587.
