LOVE SONG
Adirondack Theatre Festival
Beane is an exile from life—an oddball. His well-meaning sister Joan and brother-in-law Harry try to make time for him in their busy lives, but no one can get through. Following a burglary on Beane’s apartment, Joan is baffled to find her brother blissfully happy and tries to unravel the story behind his mysterious new love, Molly. Funny, enchanting and wonderfully touching, John Kolvenbach’s offbeat comedy is a rhapsody to the power of love in all its forms.
animation from production stills
centerline section looking SR: showing "aerial view" effect in relation to audience
LOVE SONG by John Kolvenbach
Adirondack Theatre Festival @ the Charles R. Wood Theater
director Gabriel Barre
scenic & projection design David Esler
costume design Isabel Rubio
lighting design Jason Kantrowitz
sound design Jason Waggoner
cast: Vincent Allocca, Eilis Cahill, Kyle Fabel, Kathleen McNenny
photos by David Esler, Jim McLaughlin
"Contemporary romantic comedy" doesn't make it halfway to describing just what a deliciously strange little world playwright John Kolvenbach has created. The show, for example, starts with the unsettling vision of a solitary man seen from above, setting his cup and spoon on a small table. The sheer stagecraft involved in the tableau is impressive, and the scene is like a warning shot. A turntable whirls and the audience is transported into a hip downtown living room, with art on the walls and a tidy bar in the corner -- all rendered in flat tones of black and white, just like the character's clothes. Gabriel Barre directs the piece with a strong hand, and he benefits from a wonderful cast and a great production team (featuring sets from David Esler, costumes from Isabel Rubio, lights from Jason Kantrowitz and sound from Jason Waggoner).
–Michael Eck, Albany Times-Union
Love Song is a remarkable play that defies expectations, breaks conventions, and makes you wonder. It startles, yet delights. ... The set, by David Esler, is beautifully and creatively constructed, to allow for not only physical changes of setting, but unusual portrayals of mood and state of mind as well.
– Victoria Hill, LakeGeorge.com
There are plenty of pleasures to make Love Song worth your while. Indeed, Friday’s large audience gave it a standing O. Director Gabriel Barre has made so many right choices. David Esler’s kinetic set and the mood-setting lighting and sound strikingly reinforce the contrasting worlds of Beane and Joan.
–Paul Lamar, Schenectady Daily Gazette
Aside from the fine acting, a most impressive part of the production is the staging, with a revolving set able quickly to take us from one apartment to the other.
–Bob Rose, Glens Falls Post-Star