THE THEATER MIRROR, New England's LIVE Theater Guide
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note: entire contents copyleft 2006 by Will Stackman
One of the better shows of
the winter season, which too few people saw, was Nora
Theatre's presentation of Amlin Gray's tragic farce
"How I Got the Story," which won an Obie in 1981.
This "nightmare comedy" is a parodic look at the
Vietnam conflict through the eyes of a naive Reporter
from Dubuque. That part was taken by Chris Thorn, A
B.U. grad who's been seen here and in NY. All the
other parts-some 20 or so under the rubric of the
Historical Event--were played by John Kuntz, clearly
in his element in such a production. While clearly a
comment on that previous war, the show is still
resonant, if only to remind the audience that it's
deja vu all over again, the same only different.
Daniel Gidron directed the
piece with his typical acumen, letting the actors make
the most of their comedic talents. The set, a series
of wire mesh doors from which the actors removed
furniture and props as needed, was by Christine
Tedesco with effective lighting by John R. Malinowski.
Dewey Dellay provided the necessary soundscapes and
music. It's hard to imagine what kind of farce will
be written about the current conflict, and perhaps
that's why this somewhat dated effort didn't draw. But
local theatre seems to be stepping up to the plate,
with Sugan doing "Talking to Terrorists", a rather
serious piece, down at the BCA. Nora's final show of
the season will be "The Man Who..." which will run at
BPT April 20 through May 7.