The Island of Slaves

As I sit down to write this review for the Orfeo Group’s production of The Island of Slaves, I am presented with a particular conundrum.  In reading the directors note I was thus informed, “[Y]ou’ll probably enjoy yourself more if you don’t know what’s coming.”  At first glance, I took this lightly.  I thought to myself, “I read the synopsis of the show, I’m pretty aware of what’s coming.”  Little did I know.  Here I sit, now fully understanding and appreciating the importance of the director’s sentiments.  This does, however, complicate my task at hand.  I have several options.  I could ignore the director’s note and write a descript account of my evening.  I could also fully heed the director’s advice, and write the shortest theatre review ever: “The Orfeo Group’s production of The Island of Slaves was good.”  I am going to try my darnedest to do some hybrid of the two extremes, where I can give my best spoiler free account of the production.  I, hereby, apologize to the Orfeo Group for any injustice I do to the production by my particularly inarticulate prose to follow.

The story of a shipwrecked foursome of two slaves and their masters explores the “what ifs” of turned tables.  The entire production worked well to explore this idea to the fullest extent of it’s potential.  I must admit that I felt the script itself lacked in some areas.   This considered, the production itself did not suffer.

Risher Reddick was a tour de force.  He filled his very over-the-top role without going over the top.  Absolutely the source of the majority of laughter, Reddick still displayed a thorough range of emotions.  Jared Craig also played his role well.  He often sported a silent brood that spoke volumes.  Craig and Reddick had a repartee that tickled and touched the audience.  Their counter parts, Amanda J. Collins and Hannah Husband forged a cutting performance.  Collins’s performance was honest.  Throughout, she appeared to be in and of the moment.  Husband, too, was quite enjoyable, though I felt the script short-changed her role.  Husband’s performance left me wanting more from her.  She took the role in the show that might have been considered a throw away, and left me wishing that the script explored her character more.

The stand out performance of the show was delivered by the production team, lead by director Kathryn Walsh.  The set, lighting, sound, costume, and prop designs were the elements that distinguished this show as the prolific piece it was from the simplicity of the main idea.  I can’t say much more about how the effects this group of technicians imposed with out diluting said effects, but it certainly was their work that made the show for me.

I’ll be keeping my eye out for future Orfeo Group productions.  The Island of Slaves was a stylized production that actually had style.  Too often, for the sake of being “deep” shows can take something interesting and provocative and make it completely incomprehensible, or too acute, and ram a specific metaphor down your throat.  This production really did neither.  Potential “interpretations” of the work were left to the viewers’ discretion; one could take it at face value or read into any subtext one will, a difficult task that the Orfeo Group was up to and executed proficiently.

The cast of The Island of Slaves