Running Time 1 hour no intermission
A scrappy adaptation of the stories told in the 1950 Japanese movie
Performances at Playbill Café on 14th Street NW

Storyline: In medieval Japan, three men take shelter at the ruins of the Rashomon gate and begin to recount the multiple sworn statements of those who confess to a murder.  What is truth? That is the central question posed. The difficulty of obtaining truth, the subjectivity of memory and the conflicts of sworn statements is this play's message.

Artistic Director Tobin Atkinson’s retelling of the Rashomon stories feels like a stripped-down version in its quick 60 minutes. The production gets to each scene point quickly; without much amplifying discourse or action. A few more minutes of dialogue and some different artistic choices regarding the over-use of pre-taped voices would have lengthened the play, but also would have enhanced it as a professional production that currently has the texture of a preview performance.

Rashomon’s opening scene involves a Commoner (Brandon Ferraro) walking through a violent rain storm and seeking shelter under the destroyed Rashomon gate. At first, Ferraro is the only live actor on stage, delivering his lines flatly to pre-taped voices of an unseen priest (Joseph Madison) and unseen woodcutter (Atkinson). The unseen voices provide the background commentary that informs the audience of events and includes the line that propels the play; “I don’t understand...I just don’t understand.” The tale that unfolds is of a murder trial put on hold for more evidence and more eye witnesses as three very different people have confessed to the same crime. Each confession is presented over the course of the play. The first confessor is a bandit (Jay Saunders). With his boyish good looks, he appears insufficiently ruthless to have previously raped and killed and then laughed about it. But his charms are pleasing to the next to confess. The second confessor is the wife (Marynell Hinton). Hinton provides accomplished heat and gradation in her role. Her classical ballet training also comes to the fore as she fluidly moves about the stage. The third confessor is the victim, who speaks through a medium (Kristen Egermeier). As the production ends, the truth is uncovered - or perhaps not.  The violent rain has stopped, judgments are meted out to each of the confessors for previous crimes committed, and the sun returns to shine. Balance has been restored to the world, even if the truth is not easily found.

With a small stage, theatrical artistic choices have been made to provide action and movement to the production so that it is more than story telling with lights, sound and costumes. In each scene, the initially clever use of pre-taped voices that speak to the live actors becomes more monotonous ... after awhile there is a desire to see the actors behind the voices. The use of puppetry is a highlight of Rashomon. The technical work associated with the puppetry is smooth and, in the Japanese tradition, the black-clothed puppeteers are in full view of the audience. With sword fights and other action, the faceless puppets and their puppeteers add wonderful allusions to this earnest production. But the limited set space means that this is barebones theater. (One final note for those with interest to connect a theater production to a movie. Rashomon is available for free viewing over the internet. The movie is in the public domain.)

Adapted by Tobin Atkinson from the short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Directed by Tobin Atkinson. Design: Maylan Thomas (set) Enid Atkinson (costumes) Tobin Atkinson (masks).  Cast: Tobin Atkinson, Kristen Egermeier, Emilee Murphree, Branson Ferraro, Marynell Hinton, Joseph Madison, Gaye Pauroso, Jay Saunders.

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Running time 1:50 – with one intermission
Politically slanted retelling of the Orwell classic
Performances at the Playbill Café
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Storyline: A bleak view of a future world sees most of the human race under the control of an all pervasive central authority under “Big Brother” which controls their surroundings, their actions and even their thoughts. One minor clerk hasn’t been completely cured of independent thought and is brought back under control through a process of torture and compulsion.

The intimate nature of the performance space combined with its simple presentation lends a strong impact to the retelling of a story of a society that no longer seems so far removed from our own. By splicing in current day events into the flow of the story, changing names and locations only as much as necessary for production sake, Tobin Atkinson updates the tale into one that lends credence to many of the recent news stories that foretell the fall of America.

The cast of five all take on different roles through the use of masquerade masks and while somewhat disconcerting, it allows the story to be told.  Our “hero,” Winston Smith, played by John Geoffrion, comes across well as the minor clerk who hates what he finds to be the lies he is forced to spread. Using voiceovers on stage to represent thought is always a risky proposition, but Mr. Geoffrion manages to show the emotion without overplaying it, both during his work day and during dream sequences.

This is not a show for Bush supporters. It makes little effort to hide the relationship drawn between the current administration and the Orwellian overtones that many feel are coming to pass. Those who enjoy Countdown’s Keith Olbermann’s recent commentaries will find much to enjoy in this show. The acting is strong, the set simple but well used given the limits of the space, and the lighting and sound effects work well, but when all of the makeup is removed and the stage struck bare, this remains a show that follows in the footsteps of many performances since man began acting, using a “fake” story to make a strong political statement.

Written by George Orwell. Adapted and Directed by Tobin Atkinson. Design: Tobin Atkinson (set) Connor Dale (lights) Tobin Atkinson (sound and  photography) Marynell Hinton (stage manager). Cast: Toby Atkinson, Elizabeth Darby, Kristin Egermeter-Hampton, John Geoffrion, Barbara Papendorp.