"Reeling" Gets Rave Reviews

Published 10-5-07
http://www.doaneline.com/2.7183/reeling-gets-rave-reviews-1.761458

If you're looking for a play that's witty, comedic and classic, all without a spoken word, Doane's production of "Reeling" is for you.

Coming straight from the 1920s, "Reeling" is portrayed in silent movie style. It's the story of the Little Fellow, a young man wanting to marry his Beloved. She, however, yearns for an acting career. The Little Fellow follows his Beloved to the big city, getting into countless tangles along the way, all the while trying to keep away from the villains of the story, including Big Man and some hapless cops.

The play is a flashback to the times of Buster Keaton, a famous actor in the silent movie era. Since the entire production is without spoken words, subtitles are used in parts of the play to help make events more clear.

Well-cast, "Reeling" leads the audience from laughter to pity for the main character and back to laughter within minutes. There's something for everyone in this play; it's a clean-cut production fit for the whole family and it won't leave you disappointed.

While the background music, which plays throughout the production, becomes repetitive and some of the scenes seem to run overly long, this play is nevertheless a must-see for all fans of the silent movie era, as well as anyone who wants a good laugh.

In addition, Director of Theater Robin McKercher sent a campus-wide e-mail Friday morning notifying the Doane community that two judges for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival praised the production.

In addition, three stars of "Reeling" had been selected for the Irene Ryan Acting competition in January. According to the e-mail, sophomores Josh Rajaee, Leslie Schroder and Zach Kloppenborg were chosen to compete.

The opening performance of "Reeling" took place Thursday night, but there will be two more performances this weekend. Those performances are scheduled to begin at 7:30 Friday and Saturday nights.