Sid Theater tops charts with Rock 'n' Roll

By Kensey King     4/15/10 7:00pm

Sid Richardson College's production of Tom Stoppard's 2006 play Rock 'n' Roll, directed by Sid Richardson seniors Kristen Hallberg and Jacob Lindsey, is a thought-provoking and engaging narrative that deals with deep themes of communism and resistance. Such weighty subject matter generally leaves much room for things to go wrong, but the production and its strong cast performances offer a fantastic experience that shouldn't be missed.Fans of Stoppard - more specifically, of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - may be disappointed to find that Rock 'n' Roll isn't a typical Stoppard play. Rock 'n' Roll focuses on socialism, communism and other issues facing the Czechs and British from the 1960s until 1990. The characters often discuss rock music's evolution over the years, which makes the production especially entertaining. While the philosophical discussions can venture into cerebral, even heavy, areas, the play is written so those without a knowledge of its historical background can follow the narrative with ease.

The play opens in England in 1968 and follows the experiences of a Czech university student named Jan who frequently travels between Czechoslovakia and England, where he resides for a year under the watch of his mentor Professor Max and his family. After returning home, Jan spreads his newfound addiction to rock 'n' roll among his friends, which soon draws the ire of the repressive Czech government. Meanwhile, Max struggles with his own issues in England as his wife falls ill and his daughter becomes pregnant.

Casting for this play is practically perfect - each actor seems the perfect fit for the character. The rock 'n' roll-obsessed Jan is played by Sid freshman Alex Karge, who turns in a remarkable performance and Czech accent. Karge maintains great energy and physicality throughout the show and delivers his lines with a sense of realism that makes the audience fall in love with him. The British character Max, played by Sid senior Mike Hart, provides vibrant satirical drama without rendering his character flat or one-dimensional.

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The other leads also hold their own against powerhouses Karge's and Hart's acting. They excel and push the show to another level of excellence. Brown College senior Colin Karlsson's Ferdinand embodies the cry against socialism, and the sex kitten of the intellectual crowd, Lenka, played by Hanszen College junior Tatjana Crossley, does an excellent job making smart look sexy.

Sid freshman Mackenzie Turner gives a highly memorable performance as she manages two roles - Eleanor, Max's emotional wife, and Old Esme, Eleanor's grown daughter. Sid Richardson freshman Amanda Mills, who plays rebellious flower child Young Esme, in addition to Alice, Esme's daughter, also manages to give each character she plays her own distinct personality and mannerisms. In fact, nearly half of the cast takes on two roles, each of them creating separate and unique personalities for their different characters.

The production especially stands out with a consistent change of accents throughout the show. For the most part, the actors deliver fairly believable accents and dialects. Stoppard cleverly instructs that whenever a Czech person speaks to a British person or vice versa, accents are to be used. However, when a person speaks to another from the same region, no accent is used.

As far as the technical elements of the show are concerned, there is only one flaw. Slides displaying time period and music information between set changes are informative, but ultimately distract from the otherwise empty space separating scenes. The computer controlling the slide projector faces the audience throughout the show, with the operator sitting visibly in the front row. Regardless, this snag doesn't hinder the flow of the rest of the show, which moves steadily from the rock 'n' roll clips to the dance party lights.

The set, designed by Sid Richardson junior Patricia Bacalao, was minimal for most of the play, and while many productions might suffer from this economy, Rock 'n' Roll carries no baggage. Instead, the sparse backdrop fits the play's message more than an excessive set would. Bacalao does, however, outdo herself with her interpretation of the Lennon Wall in Prague. The wall hangs across the entire stage, spraypainted with bright bold colors and phrases, along with a realistic portrait of John Lennon himself.

Rock 'n' Roll is not your average production, or Tom Stoppard story, for that matter. It is bold, controversial and dramatic. Directors Hallberg and Lindsey leave Rice with a bang as they orchestrate a college theater rendition that captures the freewheeling spirit of rock 'n' roll.

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