(Re)Discover Theatre presents FOR ONE Review: Unique for Each Audience Member

(Re)Discover Theatre presents FOR ONE

(Re)Discover Theatre markets their production of FOR ONE as “a series of plays built for an audience of one.” While this may be hard to imagine before witnessing the production for oneself, it is actually perfect way to describe the experience.

FOR ONE is comprised of nine plays split amongst two tracks – UP CLOSE and PERSONAL. When handed a piece of paper at the beginning, the patron quickly learns that each color represents a track, and the plays within that path will make up the production they are about to see. This writer received a blue piece of paper, and experienced the UP CLOSE TRACK.

As if this was not leaving enough to chance, the creators have added a whole other level. The guides for the evening (Jay Van Ort, Sonja Mata, and Song Marshall), hand each patron a tarot card with a symbol on it, and that symbol represents the first play that they will see. Upon that play’s completion, the patron receives a new tarot card, and the new symbol represents the second play. By the end, each patron in a given track sees the same plays, but in different orders, and by themselves. What is the result?

“A series of plays built for an audience of one.”

Clever Staging and Site Specific

FOR ONE is site specific, and the 21 actor/creators clearly embrace all of the exciting, and challenging, components of Gunder Mansion. While one play takes place in a bathroom, another takes place in a closet. One play utilizes a larger bedroom space, and another finds itself on a staircase.

Because the production is immersive, each creator must not only find the best way to stage their play in the nontraditional setting, but also figure out how to draw the audience member into the action. One play in particular that rises to this challenge is Eugenia, which finds its home on a staircase.

Eugenia

Director/Devised by Ann Kreitman and choreographed by Mary O’Rourke, the piece features three dancers: Lara Dohner, Karissa Murrell Myers, and Ligia Sandoval. The story alone is interesting – a young girl is tempted towards darkness and becomes a vampire. The dancers tell the story through moving about the space and rising through different levels on and around the staircase.

O’Rourke’s choreography is intriguing, and the three dancers are clearly talented. Their rhythm is spot-on and they are able to successful convey the story through their movement. However, Kreitman’s creativity does not stop there. The way in which Kreitman utilizes the audience is through a series of phone calls – the patron is meant to pick up the phone after it rings, and on the other end, a voice tells the story behind the movement. Suddenly the patron is not only watching the scary story unfold, but can also hear it through a distant voice on the other end.

The piece is captivating, and the combination of tech and movement contributes to that feeling.

Fascinating Storytelling

Each play is different, and that is part of the fun. Also surprising to discover however, was that some of the stories are so heavily based on the choices of the patrons. No one individual will have the same adventure. Over the course of the evening, this writer experienced conversations about memory, happiness, and even the choice to have children.

One particularly memorable experience of the night was participating in Take Care of Yourself. Conceived by Avi Roque and Genvieve Locksley, directed by Freddy-May AbiSamra, and performed by Selene Perez, this play explores the importance of finding peace amidst the craziness of life. Perez offers the individual various ways to care for the mind, body, and emotional state, and the choice on how to spend the time in the given “story” is completely up to the audience member.

The play may be unconventional, but the message is clear, and Perez’s warm presence helps the participants feel at ease in expressing what they need to take care of themselves in that moment.