|
The Universal Monster Show by Sledgehammer Theatre 
Hurry, Hurry. Step right up. Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages. Yes, my friends, the circus is in town. Popcorn and cotton candy. Elephants and lions. Freak shows you've got to see to believe. And all manner of death-defying stunts. But sadly, this will be no ordinary day at the circus. In a terrible twist, today it will be the audience members who must attempt to defy death.
It was a scorching hot afternoon on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut. 8,000 onlookers had crammed inside the Ringling Brothers Big Top to see the spectacle. The lion tamer (Jessa Watson) was one of the first to see the flames. Knowing the lions might attack if they smelled her fear, she calmly led them back into their cages early and had them removed from the tent. By then several others had begun to notice that a portion of the tent was on fire. Is that part of the show? The barker's voice informs otherwise, asking everyone to calmly begin moving toward the exits, women and children first. But it is a weekday matinee, and virtually all the people in the stands are women and children. The Big Top having been waterproofed with a flammable mixture of paraffin and kerosene, the fire raced across the tent. Within ten minutes of the first sight of flames, the entire Big Top had burned to the ground. In the mad rush, 167 souls never made it out. The stories of what happened during those horrifying ten minutes have an all-too-familiar ring to them since September 11th. Tales of fear and of heroism, tales of devastating tragedy and of uplifting victories. Conceived by David Lee Cuthbert, written by Tim West, all under the able direction of Kirsten Brandt, The Universal Monster Show seeks to tell the story of this, the worst circus disaster in history. The script sets the background for the Hartford fire, introduces some of the people involved, tells some of the stories of the people who went to the circus, who survived the fire, and who didn't survive the fire, and briefly looks at other circus disasters/horror stories. It's a lot to attempt in one show -- probably too much. As would be expected, some parts work better than others. The side notes on other circus events and the testimony of the circus officials who eventually take the fall for the disaster are interesting tidbits of information, but not vital, and their stories end up taking time away from the parts of the story that could be more thoroughly developed and would create a stronger emotional impact. Putting more focus on a few of the people who attended the circus that day might help to build more interest and a stronger bond with the audience, making the intriguing tales of the survivors and victims far more powerful and gripping. We do get many glimpses of these tales, and these were by far my favorite parts of the show. The most developed was that of the little girl (Tiffany Scarritt) whose shoes were always untied -- the girl who didn't want to go to the circus -- who was later identified at the makeshift morgue by her mother (Amber Wolfe) and brother (Jason Connors), led to the body by volunteer worker (Laura Lee Juliano) who took on the unimaginable job of leading family members to find their loved ones. Visually the show is quite impressive. David Lee Cuthbert's scenic and lighting work created the perfect circus environment with the standard elements you will find in any circus, some of them looking a little scary or twisted like that of a nightmare. Silhouettes of moving elephants and lions appeared life size and, in some cases, very lifelike. Ominous smoke was used often but not overly much. And, to complete the feel of the circus, you can buy some popcorn and circus cookies while you're there! Sledgehammer's cast did a fine job as well. Laura Lee Juliano's portrayal of the volunteer worker and Amber Wolfe as the mother mentioned above were two of the standouts. Young Tiffany Scarritt was tremendous throughout, capturing both the innocence of the circus crowd and the tragedy of its aftermath with her many portrayals, including the young girl who never tied her shoes and the unidentified "Little Miss 1565." Diep's exceptional performance as the disturbed pyromaniac who may, or may not, have started the fire. And in the center ring was Michael Severance who, because of his role as both the circus barker and the narrator, knows what is going to happen, but is unable to warn the ticket buyers. His eyes and his feigned enthusiasm are the only clues that this is a performance they should avoid, but the excited crowd does not notice these subtle warnings as they file into the doomed Big Top. Rob Hopper San Diego Playbill ~ Cast ~
~ Ensemble ~ Jason Connors Diep Laura Lee Juliano Jerry Lee Tiffany Scarritt Michael Severance Jessa Watson Amber Wolfe Director: Kirsten Brandt Lighting and Scenic Designer: David Lee Cuthbert Costume Designer: Mary Larson Sound Designer: Ruff Yeager Stage Manager: Rosalee Barrientos |