This "black box" theater presents drama in a new setting. There is no stage, per se. This arrangement gives actors and directors unlimited options. The action can take place almost anywhere within the confines of the warehouse-like venue. Seated in the second row last night, I was close enough several times to reach out and touch the actors; at other times, the actors brushed against me as they exited. The intimacy of the experience affects how the audience sees the play.
For "Drift," the band, led by Schonfeld himself, was part of the set, occupying the right side of the stage area, and Schonfeld (on keyboard) was as much a part of the play as were the eight actors. A minimalist set was accentuated by front-projection and rear-projection screens, which were part of the scenery. Slides projected on these screens included photographs from character David's broken marriage, including the door to his apartment. Moving boxes provide a motif for the divorce. Think "Scenes From a Marriage." There is a smiling little girl and a scenes from a happier time. The setting is obviously New York or some big metropolis, far removed from Wilson.
The play is a musical, with Schonfeld writing all the songs, but the 90-minute production might be called an opera; only a handful of words are spoken without musical accompaniment. Lyrics were not included in the playbill, but some of the songs, such as "Your Daddy Loves You," are powerful and emotional. Schonfeld directs a powerful band that gives the play a hard-driven sound typical of recent musicals. Christian Campbell as David and Andrea Schulz Twiss (wife of Barton theater director Adam Twiss) play the schismed couple with a sadness that is palpable as they examine why their love drifted away. Melvin Tunstall III, who previously appeared on the Barton stage in "Violet," uses his powerful voice to lead a supporting cast.
A lack of balance between the vocalists' and the band's amplification levels made some lyrics hard to hear as the band overwhelmed the words. Let's hope the sound is better balanced when the play continues Wednesday through Sunday before moving to the Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh Sept. 23-27.
Broadway actress and singer Lauren Kennedy makes her directing debut with this play, and she shows an imaginative sense for staging and presentation. The production is fast-paced and uses the cast members' movements and voices well.
"Drift" is, at its core, heart-breaking, but for Barton College, this opening is anything but sad. Barton officials were obviously delighted with the $4 million facility and its nearly unlimited potential for entertainment and education. Large signs outside the theater presented the theme: "Think Theatre. Think Barton."
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