“Shapeshifter” at Trinity Rep

May 7th, 2009 at 9:48 pm by Karen Adams under General Talk
  “Shapeshifter” makes its world premiere at Trinity Rep.    For me, the best part of this entire play was sitting in the theatre before it began.  I know that sounds, well, less than flattering or exuberant about “Shapeshifter” , but the experience was almost haunting.  A fog hung over the theatre and you could hear the sounds of the wind, sea, and waves crashing onto the shore.   When you spend quiet time near a harbor and you can hear the boats bumping up against the moorings, and the waves slapping against the boats – those were all the sounds.  That experience was awesome.
(L to R) Brian McEleney as Fierson and Anne Scurria as Maude (background); Miriam Silverman as Midge (foreground) in Shapeshifter by Laura Schellhardt.

(L to R) Brian McEleney as Fierson and Anne Scurria as Maude (background); Miriam Silverman as Midge (foreground) in Shapeshifter by Laura Schellhardt.(L to R) Joe Wilson, Jr. as Douglas, Fred Sullivan, Jr. as Mike (foreground) with Brian McEleney as Fierson, Miriam Silverman as Midge. Photo: Mark Turek.

    The play itself, well, it wasn’t one that I followed easily.  I understood the use of the Celtic and Viking mythology and followed the concept of  “creating myths” to explain the unexplainable.   But I just didn’t love the show.   Thankfully, it’s only 90 minutes.  The acting was good, especially Brian McEleney as “Fierson” the old man of the remote fishing village and Anne Scurria as Maud.

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     Miriam Silverman handled the lead role as “Midge” quite well.   I guess it just gets back to the point,  I found it not to my liking.  Maybe it was just too philosophical or something.  Maybe I wasn’t in the mood for that type of play.   Whatever, the reason, I still found moments in it. 

  The concept of a “shifter” is sort of fascinating, in that humans change into other beings or dragons change into women.  One of my favorite lines from the play comes from “Maud” who tells the young girl “Death and Life here” are “one and the same.”

(L to R) Stephen Thorne as Tom and Rachael Warren as Mairie.Photo: Mark Turek.

(L to R) Stephen Thorne as Tom and Rachael Warren as Mairie.Photo: Mark Turek.

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