Epic Proportions Review
This past weekend, the Bridgewater State University’s Department of Theatre put on their rendition of Epic Proportions. While watching the show, I decided that my review would focus on different aspects of the production which I feel worked well or missed the mark.
Overall, I would say that the Department of Theatre should give themselves a pat on the back for their performances and tech/stage crew.
Despite having such a small cast, the performers in Epic Proportions did an exceptionally good job. Everyone was confident in their characters and there was never an instance where I thought they missed a line or stumbled over their words; they were completely immersed in the production! Although I think the leads gave a great performance, I would love to give a little shout-out to the ensemble/supporting characters, as I think they added much to the show, and were very enjoyable to watch, especially considering they had to do so many changes and character shifts.
The usage of the set and stage meshed well with the cast’s actions. From the staircase to the secret entryways, the production had an interesting set-up that worked for the show, even when using the same space for different scenes. Props (no pun intended!) to the stage crew for their swift scene changes!
In addition to the set and props, audio was another important aspect of this show. There were one or two instances in which the sound ques and actors didn’t completely line up, but I would say for the most part it worked well. It became obvious fairly quickly that some of the audio clips were meant to create the illusion of extras that came from the cast of the movie, which I thought was a pretty neat choice.
Being a satire comedy/drama, I went into the show expecting lots of laughs and reactions from the audience. Did this deliver? Not exactly, at least in the beginning. Early on in the production, some of the jokes didn’t exactly hit with the audience, which was slightly awkward, but as the show progressed, the audience began to get the joke, and the atmosphere picked up by the time the curtains closed.
I will always give credit where credit is due, and that means giving kudos to the specific scenes that were absolutely hilarious and got a lot of verbal feedback from the audience.
If you saw the show, you probably recall your reaction upon seeing D.W DeWitt, portrayed by James Keyes (he/him), for the first time from the balcony, which I found worthy of more than a few laughs. The other scene that made me burst out laughing was when a gladiator attempted to help Benny, portrayed by Evan Pina Jr. (he/him), in his final fight against his brother Phil, portrayed by Liam Gately (he/him). The gladiator valiantly threw a sword to Benny, causing all the characters on stage to chaotically run in fear from the airborne sword while screaming. And then he tried to do it again!
After watching the show, I believe that the Department of Theatre put on a wonderful production with the script of Epic Proportions.
I’m looking forward to see what else will be added to BSU’s play repertoire this year!
