2008 Woodie Awards
Enduring Durang at VCP
LaGina Phillips
Issue date: 5/18/05 Section: Valley Life
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The Valley Collegiate Players' two-weekend run of Christopher Durang's "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You" and "The Actor's Nightmare" ended Saturday in Valley College's Horseshoe Theatre.
The two plays, written in the 1980s, haven't lost their intrigue for today's audiences. In "Sister Mary," the title character, a know-it-all devout Catholic nun, instructs the audience on how they should live their lives ("You must repent your mortal sins to prevent an eternity in hell"). Sister Mary soon finds herself at the mercy of the very students who she's tortured. But she is always a step ahead.
The fast-paced "Actor's Nightmare" revolves around an accountant who finds himself as the star of a play that goes from "Private Lives" to "Hamlet" to "Endgame."
While both plays keep the audience laughing, "Sister Mary" might rub some the wrong way.
Valley student and veteran television actress Bernadette Birkett ("The Gary Shandling Show") masterfully portrays the title role in "Sister Mary," conveying the nun's manipulative, deranged way of teaching children. Birkett has directed three productions at Valley, while appearing most recently in the college's production of "A Christmas Carol."
Theatre major Vincent Perez displayed impressive versatility as one of several actors appearing in both plays. He portrayed a Shakespearean actor in "Actor's Nightmare," using an authoritive tone and commanding presence, and was memorable as Sister Mary's loyal student in "Sister Mary," who hung on her every word. Perez convincingly portrayed the peppy 7-year-old Thomas with enthusiasm. Perez also recently appeared in a scene from "Moulin Rouge" in Valley's Showcase Awards and as a female reporter in the college's production of "Chicago."
VCP vice president Tim Miller also appeared in both pieces. As George, the lead character in "The Actor's Nightmare," Miller dominated the stage with excellent comedic timing as he did in "Sister Mary," portraying a disgruntled former student of the power-crazed nun.
"I'm sorry. This is supposed to be 'Hamlet' or 'Private Lives' or something, and I keep rattling on like a maniac. I really do apologize. I just don't recall attending a single rehearsal," George says to the audience.
Reciting the alphabet, the Catholic contrition and the Pledge of Allegiance to fill dead space, George tries everything as he desperately scrambles around the stage trying to figure out which play he is in.
Between George's desperation in "Actor's Nightmare" and Mary's insanity in "Sister Mary," the audience was left in stitches.
Director Hallie Baran, who has directed six productions at Valley, will have limited involvement in future theatre productions due to her new position as ASU's next fine arts commissioner.
The two plays, written in the 1980s, haven't lost their intrigue for today's audiences. In "Sister Mary," the title character, a know-it-all devout Catholic nun, instructs the audience on how they should live their lives ("You must repent your mortal sins to prevent an eternity in hell"). Sister Mary soon finds herself at the mercy of the very students who she's tortured. But she is always a step ahead.
The fast-paced "Actor's Nightmare" revolves around an accountant who finds himself as the star of a play that goes from "Private Lives" to "Hamlet" to "Endgame."
While both plays keep the audience laughing, "Sister Mary" might rub some the wrong way.
Valley student and veteran television actress Bernadette Birkett ("The Gary Shandling Show") masterfully portrays the title role in "Sister Mary," conveying the nun's manipulative, deranged way of teaching children. Birkett has directed three productions at Valley, while appearing most recently in the college's production of "A Christmas Carol."
Theatre major Vincent Perez displayed impressive versatility as one of several actors appearing in both plays. He portrayed a Shakespearean actor in "Actor's Nightmare," using an authoritive tone and commanding presence, and was memorable as Sister Mary's loyal student in "Sister Mary," who hung on her every word. Perez convincingly portrayed the peppy 7-year-old Thomas with enthusiasm. Perez also recently appeared in a scene from "Moulin Rouge" in Valley's Showcase Awards and as a female reporter in the college's production of "Chicago."
VCP vice president Tim Miller also appeared in both pieces. As George, the lead character in "The Actor's Nightmare," Miller dominated the stage with excellent comedic timing as he did in "Sister Mary," portraying a disgruntled former student of the power-crazed nun.
"I'm sorry. This is supposed to be 'Hamlet' or 'Private Lives' or something, and I keep rattling on like a maniac. I really do apologize. I just don't recall attending a single rehearsal," George says to the audience.
Reciting the alphabet, the Catholic contrition and the Pledge of Allegiance to fill dead space, George tries everything as he desperately scrambles around the stage trying to figure out which play he is in.
Between George's desperation in "Actor's Nightmare" and Mary's insanity in "Sister Mary," the audience was left in stitches.
Director Hallie Baran, who has directed six productions at Valley, will have limited involvement in future theatre productions due to her new position as ASU's next fine arts commissioner.
