Title: History of the Theatre: Part I

Contributing Writer: Joey Alfino

Date saw the show: July 26, 2007
Place saw the show: Kansas City, Missouri, Fringe Festival
Company: Bacon shake
Principal Leads: Leslie Case, Gregory A. Chafin, Joel Moses, Tim Rothwell, Chris Rudy
Stage Director: Bacon Shake

2 stars

Reviewed by: Deborah Ground Buckner

Bacon Shake (www.baconshake.com) is a Kansas City-based group formed in 2004. Of the entire Kansas City Fringe Festival schedule, this show held the most promise for this reviewer who imagined a cross between Mel Brooks' History of the World and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Perhaps those expectations were too high and were only a setup for disappointment.

Make no mistake, this is a company with great enthusiasm. Performances range from effervescent to manic. Obviously, too, a great deal of time and thought has gone into this production as evidenced by the numerous props. (It was entertaining, having arrived early in the small gallery that served as venue, to watch one set piece after another being carried behind a curtain. “What are they going to do with that?” was a frequent thought).

There is also no question that this company knows its theater history. They take the audience from a Grecian Chorus to Thespis, to Dionysia festivals, to the plays of ancient Rome, to the Middle Ages, to the Renaissance in Italy and France and finally, culminate with Shakespeare. The problem is the show is billed as a comedy, but it just isn't funny. At least not consistently funny.

When a show opens with the narrator making a comment about a lady in the audience breaking wind, it is an omen of trouble. The narrator tipples his wine throughout the play, becoming increasingly snockered as the show runs on (clearly a scenario no one has ever witnessed before!). To be sure, there are comic moments. Particularly enjoyable is the presentation of Roman theater as a wacky situation comedy, bringing home the point that the Roman theatre developed stock characters easily recognized by the audience. These went on to inspire the Commedia dell'arte and clearly are the root of every modern comedy team and situation comedy today. A genuine laugh followed a performer in the Dark Ages begging for light, followed by resounding organ music as the lead into the role of the Church in theatrical history with mystery plays, morality plays and miracle plays, though the illustrations of these fell flat. A spoof of the French farce had entertaining moments, with “the fop” taking great delight in his performance. A William Shakespeare “This Is Your Life” sequence was largely disappointing. There were great hopes when a “verse-off” between Shakespeare and Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, was announced, but the comic potential was not realized.

It would be great to see this energetic company take its obvious knowledge and give the show a good re-write. Sometimes, it is necessary to step back and realize the lines thought to be oh-so-clever might not be and give it another go. A comic presentation of the history of the theater is a glorious idea. There is no reason why this company and this show could not be a great success. They just aren't there yet.