Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Review of K. (The Hypocrites at The Chopin Theatre)




Once upon a time I went to a show called K., and it was about a guy who was arrested but he didn’t know why.

At the beginning these guys came out with matches. It was mysterious. And then the alarm clock rang, and then K (Brennan Buhl) was fast asleep, and then he got up--like he got up out of bed--and did his exercises like er er er er er. And then Mrs. Grubach (Tien Doman) came with his breakfast, and then that scene kept going over again--like er er er er er. He went really fast and got his robe and went outside, so he didn’t have to do that scene again. And Greg Allen, the director, was also in something where there was a guy in a lady suit in a rocking chair that went back and forth, and there was this horrible song that she danced in her rocking chair to. And she would say “more,” and it would never stop because then the song started again when she said “more.” That was The Complete Lost Works of Samuel Beckett.... It tells me that Greg likes funny scenes that go over and over and over and over and over again. I thought the whole play was going to be Mrs. Grubach bringing him breakfast for 120 years. I thought that that was really crazy.

Two guys (Erik Schroeder and Dan Granata) that were both playing guys that were each a policeman--they were both named Franz--they were pointing at K, but then he moved and was trying to shoot them. And then he like held his face back and then tried to shoot, but the gun didn’t work. And then when the policemen realized that K was moving around, they pulled him back into the circle. That was a funny scene. Even that there was shooting in it, it was really funny.

So then K got onto something and the voice said “GET ONTO THE PLINTH.” And K said “pli-i-nth?” when he got on. It was funny because it was like he was like “pli-i-inth” like he didn’t know a single thing that was going on.

It was sometimes serious and sometimes funny. After the intermission it got seriouser. It was more about how upset he was. The priest (Ed Dzialo) told K a story about a guard and a man that wanted to get in these places. K chooses that it is time for him to go to jail. He will just have to go with it. They pull out their guns at the end. I knew that was in jail because he was tied up. He doesn’t die in it because I think he just got a hole in his head not in his heart. That is how I know he didn’t die.

There was a part where K was taken off his clothes by the policemen. And then while he was naked he sang “Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday, Joseph K, Happy Birthday to me.” I even saw almost the whole scene. I thought it would be kind of scary and sad, but actually it was hilarious. I knew that he was in real big trouble for no apparent reason by his clothes being tooken off by the policemen. I was sad for him. It was kind of sad and kind of hilarious.

There was this part where there was a guy with a whip (Clifton Frei) and he went aaah aaaah ahhh I am the Whipperrrrr. It was HILARIOUS (all in capitals, please). The whipper’s costume was a lady’s apron to be funny--that’s why they did it. He was whipping everybody. It was kind of funny because at the end of the scene the Whipper was still going on and you could see his shadow behind the curtains. And then he screamed like AAAAAHhhhh.

The girl characters were awesome. There was one female actress in the whole entire play. There were three girls and like 17 boys. There were a lot of characters, but some actors playe

d some parts that were different people. There is usually a girl in every play. I like girls because I am a girl myself. I always want to have girls in plays. At the end of Miss Burstner’s scene, K said “Will I see you again?” and Miss Burstner said, “Not as this character.” It was funny because there was just this girl who was playing all these different girl parts, but she played a lot of parts, but then she told another character that she wouldn’t be in the rest of the play.

Titorelli (Clint Sheffer) was a painter and he kept giving K presents but K couldn’t get the thing that he wanted--the positive acquittal. They were weird presents--paintings but he was just holding up a picture frame. Titorelli said there wasn’t anything in the pictures anyway. When they came they whispered “Titorelli.” He said, “I am the great Titorelli,” and then the guys in the white masks whispered “Titorelli.”

The door dances were where they made these doors go around. It was fun. And they kept running around, and K kept going through every door, and he couldn’t find his way out of them. They moved around so he could get confused about which door to go in.

Greg Allen was the director and he did the play. When we knew that he was doing a play we decided to go see it. I wanted to see this play because my Dad was in it a few years ago and I knew the director. I knew it was going to be a good play because I saw the director in another play, The Complete Lost Works of Samuel Beckett, and it was hilarious. Both plays were really awesome.

People who like romance and policemen and people getting hurt would like this play. It is about this guy trying to figure out why he is arrested. He feels bad and confused. I think this play should be for ages 17 and up because Mom had to cover my eyes at one single part because they were being rude to Block (Sean Patrick Fawcett). If the moms know that there is going to be some sad and bad things happening, like people getting naked and having bad things happen to them, then they could cover their children’s eyes up and it would be for 6 and up.

See you later at my next review. Bye!


Photos: Paul Metreyeon

1 comment:

Eleanor said...

Hello Ada and Mom -
I've been following your blog for a while now and I'm a big fan.

I've recently started work with Emerald City Theatre in Lincoln Park. I was wondering if you would like to be invited to see our shows as "press". We would love to have you and hear what you think of our shows!

best, Eleanor