To say that "The Spoon River Project," a theatrical adaptation of Spoon River
Anthology, written by Edgar Lee Masters and published in 1915, is a unique
experience is an understatement. Director Tom Andolora's use of Greenwood Cemetery
as a setting is sheer genius.
As twilight turned to night, under a canopy
of night shadows, surrounded by the rustling silhouettes of trees, gravestones,
and striking mausoleums, an elegant choreography of "spirits," holding lanterns
and almost gliding down the hill, unfolded.
The actors,
eleven of them,
had the formidable task of portraying forty-five characters, all dead
residents of the
town of Spoon River. They wore costumes from the period. They were not
demeaned
by "spooky" makeup. This is not a ghost story in the traditional sense
of trying
to scare an audience. They performed through the use of song and poetic
monologue.
Oddly, though they spoke as individual characters, I
perceived them
as a collective entity. The poetic monologue, like pieces of a patchwork
quilt,
brought out the color and texture of the human conditions that affect us
all. Some
characters--plain-spoken, colloquial, perhaps even naive--contrasted
with others--perhaps more worldly, some with words flowered with
literary references and
nuances, all embroidered together.
It was a collective voice that resonated,
a voice that transcended place and time. Afterwards, I couldn't help but wonder
about the stories and dreams of our own "town" residents as they rest under the
quiet hills of Green-wood Cemetery.
On a less spiritual note, over two
hours of sitting on a hard plastic chair can be hard on some individuals, so consider bringing a cushion with you!
-- Review by Bridget Elder