KelsyAnne Schoenhaar
Jennifer Scott in Encore Studio's Acts to Grind IV.
Last fall, Encore Studios, the only theater company in Wisconsin for actors with disabilities, moved from its downtown home at the Bartell Theatre to a new black-box space on Martin Street. This intimate stage is perfect for Acts to Grind IV, the program of original shorts that opened Friday.
The vignettes, written by artistic director and executive director KelsyAnne Schoenhaar with Jon Meister and Sarah Jo Schoenhaar, explore emotional and darkly comic themes, from anxiety disorder to shady politicians. Encore's actors are at home in the cozy space, and the room facilitates some beautiful moments during the show, as cast and audience laugh together at the sublime and the ridiculous.
Highlights include a passionate performance by Jennifer Scott as a woman whose severe anxiety causes her to lash out at those closest to her. Christie Stadele has two radiant turns, first as a woman struggling to find the willpower to exercise. Then, in a short sketch titled "Pizza Flavored Corn Chips," her character tries to follow a healthy diet, and her smile makes the audience giggle.
Dawn Cieszynski and Edric Johnson carry on a delightful exchange in "Can You Imagine?" and tickle the audience with the scene's culturally apropos surprise ending.
The darker "Just Having a Bad Day" is the standout short, with minimalist costuming and staging that serve to underscore stark moments of fear, pain and compassion. Robin Parks' portrayal of Marla is particularly endearing, and in a central role, Encore program director Jessica Jane Witham is effective as both a visual and emotional anchor.
A few reservations. Despite the cast's obvious delight at its uproarious tone, the short "At a Funeral" feels confusing and scattered. The sketch titled "UnCONVENTional FUNeral" falls flat in spite of Cieszynski's performance as the sexually charged and domineering Sister Dawn. Both shorts are less character-driven than the others. Encore actors are best at inhabiting characters whose idiosyncrasies drive the dialogue, rather than the other way around.
Still, moments of unevenness did little to dull my enjoyment. The company's portrayals of painful and private moments are electric, and the adult humor throughout the program, whether lighthearted or dark, is irresistible.
