Berkshire on Stage

For their final offering of their remarkable 49th season, the Ghent Playhouse presents Annie Baker’s Obie Award-winning Circle Mirror Transformation, which delivers a microscopic view into a drama class for amateur actors in Shirley, Vermont. The synopsis reads: “When four lost New Englanders, enrolled in a six-week community-center drama class begin to experiment with harmless games, hearts are quietly torn apart, and tiny wars of epic proportion are waged and won.  A beautifully crafted diorama, a petri dish in which we see, with hilarious detail and clarity, the antic sadness of a motley quintet.”

This production, with minimal set, designed by Cathy Lee-Visscher, transports us to a dance studio in 2006. The stark space, beige, with a mirror on one wall, a dance bar on the other, and a large blue exercise ball in the corner, serves as the perfect backdrop for inspecting the student’s lives, as they move through a series of introductory theatre exercises and explore what it means to be an actor. The emotions that arise when asked to truly be “in the moment” fuel the action and the somewhat flimsy plot. 

To the uninitiated, these theatre games start off as an unfamiliar convention, somewhat hard to relate to. For example, one of my favorite and hated games from my conservatory days, in which we were all made to lie on the ground in the dark trying desperately to count to ten without speaking over each other and if we did, we would have to start again. A troubling task for any new group of people to under take. However, as the play moves on, relationships evolve and the games serve as a trouch point to the student’s progress as actors and people. (I won’t spoil if they eventually achieve it.)

As the leader of the class, Ariana Smart Truman portrays the whimsical Marty. Truman channels some of the drama greats before her. She walks with empathy, but showing flashes of intensity when called to do so. Matt Burnett complements Marty as, James, her husband, dutifully showing up to class, if even only for Marty’s benefit. Chris Luongo as Schultz, a recently divorced carpenter ,and Lara Denmark as Theresa, a former actor, complement each other well as they navigate the intricacies of one of life’s greatest challenges; people. Taylor Slonaker, who plays Lauren, a sulking 16 year old who is filling some time in her summer as she decides between pursuing acting and veterinary school, has the most developed character arc and well-rounded writing in the play. She skillfully navigates the lives of the others around her and Slonaker shines in her final scene with Schultz as they imagine what life is like 10 years later. 

Circle Mirror Transformation is exactly what is advertised. A deep-dive, slice of life look into how the power of acting can transform – even those who wouldn’t traditionally be called actors. Even for those wholly unfamiliar with the inner workings of an acting class, under Brian D. Wagner’s direction, you’re in good hands. 

The Ghent Playhouse presents Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker, directed by Brian D. Wagner, runs from June 7-16, 2024 at The Ghent Playhouse, 6 Town Hall Place, Ghent, NY 12075.

CAST: Ariana Smart Truman as Marty, Matt Burnett as James, Chris Luongo as Schultz, Lara Denmark as Theresa, and Taylor Slonaker as Lauren. Assistant Director: Meaghan Rogers. Stage Manager: Kori Brown. Lighting Design: Jesse Howard, Brian Wagner. Sound Design: Brian Wagner, Michael O’Keefe. Costumes: Ariana Smart Truman, Taylor Slonaker. Set-Design: Cathy Lee-Visscher. Props: Linda Murawski.

Performance dates are Friday and Saturdays 7:30pm and Sunday matinees 2pm. Tickets are $23 for Members, $28 for non-members, $12 for students. Runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. https://www.ghentplayhouse.org/