Richard Marsh/Dearborn Press and Guide/March 1993
In New York, the farther away you are from Broadway, the more unconventional the plays tend to be. Henry Ford Community College’s Evening of Performance Art last week was way off of Broadway, in both actual miles and play content. The presentation featured 10 pieces staged by the students in the college’s Experimental Theatre Production class. The budding thespians have full control of their playlets, from concept to casting to producing and often acting in them. The pieces ran from the pleasant to intense soliloquy.
Three playlets easy on the dramatic pallet were Steven Blake’s “Vincent ,” William Korsak’s “Banshee Dance,” and Erik Lund’s “The Life of Me. “Vincent” involved Blake singing the song “Vincent” (also known as “Starry, Starry Night) and playing the guitar in front of a montage of slides showing many of Vincent Van Gogh’s works. “Banshee Dance” had only the skull faces of four dancers visible in otherwise complete darkness through the entire number. The special effects were wonderful. “The Life of Me” was a heartfelt slide montage of a person’s life, from birth to current time.
This is an exciting addition to local Theatre. HFCC Theatre, under the artistic direction of Dr. George Popovich, has established itself as a dynamic and risk-taking organization. We are sure the future holds great things in store.
Cast
A Multi-Media Plea for World Peace
- Concept/ Author: Denise Ostendorf
- Performer: Denise Ostendorf
- Sound, Effects, Lighting, Video, Props: Denise Ostendorf, Terrence Thompson, Luis
- Artwork: Denise Ostendorf
Train of Thoughts (A Stream-of-Conciousness “Techno-Poem”)
- Concept/ Author: Ord Frazier
- Performer: Ord Frazier
- Sound, Lighting, Video: Ord Frazier
Banshee Dance
- Concept/ Author: William Korsak
- Performers: Catherine Noble, Steven Banch, William Korsak, Jack Price
- Effects, Sound: William Korsak
Killer’s Head (The Last Thoughts of a Mass Murderer, According to Playwright Sam Shepard)
- Concept/ Author: Sam Shephard
- Performer: Darryl Strasser
- Sound, Lighting, Effects, Props: Darryl Strasser
The Life of Me (The Slide Impression of One Person’s Life)
- Concept/Author: Erik Lund
- Sight and Sound: Erik Lund
Ten Swine in Electro-Convulsive Therapy (An Impressionistic Sound Collage of Life in a Mental Institution)
- Concept/ Author: Brian Nedwiedofski
- Performers: Brian Nedwiedofski, Curtis Glatter, Lynn Freeman, Jack Price, Sergio Mautone, William Korsak, Catherine Noble, Brenda Bell, Barbara Spilka
- Sound, Effects, Lighting: Brian Nedwiedofski
The Black Sheep (Karen Finley’s Plea for Social Tolerance)
- Concept/ Author: Karen Finley
- Performer: Jack Price
Dr. George Popovich 