Self-referential art always runs the risk of coming across like a pair of mirrors facing each other. You can tell that the light is probably having a lot of fun bouncing back and forth between the two mirrors, but it isn't anything that is always terribly entertaining for an audience. Sometimes, though . . . sometimes the mirror turns in on itself and comes up with something beautifully whimsical. This just might be the case with [title of show]. The story behind the creation of the one-act musical bearing that name ended up being its central story: a couple of guys decide to submit a piece to a musical theatre festival that's only three weeks away. In order to submit, they only need a script and a few songs, so they quickly bang out a script . . . when brainstorming ideas for what the musical might be, they decided to write a musical about a couple of guys who are trying working on a submission to a musical theatre show that ends up being about them working on the script for a musical theatre show.
So it's a show about a couple of guys writing a show a bout a couple of guys writing a show. Clever idea. And also kind of simple at the same time. The cool thing about the premise is that if a particularly existentially inclined audience member (like . . .me) really wanted to get into the subtle metaphysical nature of the premise in sort of a weird post-modern way, I can . . . and ideally I'll be enjoying it just as much, but on an altogether different level than someone who is only going to see a one-act musical about a couple of guys writing a musical.
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[title of show] makes its Milwaukee debut at the end of the month in a production by Theatrical Tendencies.
Regular theatergoers may recognize Theatrical Tendencies as a company that had to shut down a little while back. It didn't. And it's opening a new season with a production of this weirdly commercial piece of post-modern musical theatre directed by Mark E. Schuster. Talnted young local actor Mark R. Neufang and undoubtedly talented Conversion Optimization Analyst Jake Mace star as Jeff and Hunter: the two guys writing the musical. They are joined by Amanda Carson, Mara McGhee and Chris Wszawlek in a show that opens at the Soulstice Theatre at the end of the month.
Theatrical Tendencies' production of [title of show] runs September 28th through October 13th at Soulstice Theatre in St. Francis. For ticket reservations, visit Theatrical Tendencies online.
