Lovett's The Visitors is welcome to stay

By Garrett Schumann     4/9/09 7:00pm

The famed American composer Aaron Copland once wrote of being "overwhelmed" by theater, sometimes to the point of resentment. Clearly, he was writing of the great tragedies, loves and disputes that have been born on stages across the centuries. Lovett College's currently running drama, The Visitors, would not overwhelm Copland, but it has a well-constructed story, a strong cast and unique staging, which all compensate for its few narrative and thespian weaknesses.The Visitors follows a wealthy Manhattan couple who relocate to the Caribbean because of the husband Barry's (Lovett senior Nathan Bledsoe) heart condition. Once there, they are visited by aging rock star Azure Ray (Lovett junior Viren Desai), who tries to start a charity with Barry as the spokesperson, among other shenanigans.

Lovett senior Kate Flanagan is the brain behind the show, acting as both director and playwright. There is a unique set of challenges associated with putting on one's own creation, and Flanagan seems to have handled them successfully and adroitly. The plot is not adventurous, almost to a detrimental degree, but it is nonetheless evident that she has chops as a playwright. The story flows very well and there is very little, if any, extraneous material. Even though the narrative is not always compelling, the audience can't help but notice the extreme care and wisdom with which it was written.

Flanagan succeeds equally in the role of director, beginning with the impressive cast of fresh faces who all portray their characters as well as anyone could hope for in college theater. The stand-outs, in my mind, are Desai, Lovett freshman Maria Vrcek and Lovett senior Bobby McFarlane, whose brief time on stage is golden and perhaps the most memorable of the show.

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Bledsoe, Lovett sophomore Annie Shaughnessy, Lovett junior Diego Caballero and Lovett senior Sarah Woehleke are all more than competent actors, but their characters are not as interesting as those of their aforementioned colleagues. And while the last four cast-members, Lovett senior June Liu, Lovett junior Evan Gilmore, Lovett sophomore Alex Wyatt and Lovett freshman Amanda Shelton, deliver strong performances, their characters' brief presence is not much more than filigree laid upon the heart of the story.

There are truly few notable weaknesses in the show. At points lines are delivered too hastily or unconvincingly, but these instances are rare and forgettable. The only real fault of the production - coincidentally, one of its best elements - is the staging. The performances are in Lyle's underground, and forgoing a more traditional stage set-up, Flanagan has devised clever, immersive staging where the audience is seated surrounding the small stage as action happens all around them.

At certain moments, this creative approach is a home run, drawing the viewer into the story even though it lags. But more frequently the actors tend to favor the front of the stage, which results in their backs facing a good portion of the audience. It is unfortunate that Flanagan's originality is not as successful in this arena as in her directing and writing, but the show is not irreparably tarnished by these awkward audience perspectives.

The cast and crew of The Visitors should be applauded for their precise execution and dedicated portrayal of Flanagan's story. Although the plot is lack-luster, there are many impressive individual performances that are well worth seeing. Though far removed form Shakespeare, Chekhov or even Billy Van Zandt, The Visitors is a successful testament to our multi-talented and creative community at Rice.

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