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Oakland visits subtle, complex ‘Shining City’
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
“Shining City” wasn’t the first choice for the February slot in the Oakland Center for the Arts season.
But when the rights to “In the Next Room” became unavailable, the downtown theater had to find a replacement.
Tom Smith, who was to direct “Room,” was disheartened at the turn of events. But his disappointment turned into excitement when he came across the script for “Shining City” while perusing a collection of best plays of 2007.
“I was taken with its complexity of character and subtle messages,” said Smith. “So I submitted “Shining City” to the [Oakland] board as a replacement. I couldn’t have been more pleased when they accepted it. The Oakland is the perfect venue for the show.”
The play is set in Dublin, Ireland, where a guilt-ridden man reaches out to a therapist after seeing the ghost of his recently deceased wife. But the therapist is dealing with his own personal conflicts and can only do so much to help, and the visits between the two men become a gripping struggle.
“The story is deceptively simple,” said Smith. “It develops bit by bit. We begin to understand the disassociation that all the characters are experiencing. None of them are living in a place they consider home, and all of them are at turning points in their lives.”
Christopher Haddock plays John, the lead character. Chuck Kettering plays the therapist, and Brittiani McNeil Ketcham plays his girlfriend. Kage Jonas Coven rounds out the cast in the role of Laurence, whom Smith describes as “another lost soul.”
Gerri Jenkins is stage manager.
Another reason Smith chose “Shining City” is because it is unknown in the area; the Oakland performance is believed to be the Mahoning Valley premiere.
Despite his reputation, Smith said he is drawn to serious works. “I am usually associated with outrageous comedy and slapstick in my directorial work, but at heart I am attracted to more dramatic material,” said Smith. “That’s one of the reasons I suggested ‘Shining City.’”
Smith’s most recent directorial work includes the last two “Farndale” farces at Victorian Players Theater.
Rehearsing the play has been a great ride for the entire cast, said Smith.
“We seem to discover another meaning behind the words every night we rehearse. It’s been a blast ... and the people I’m working with have made it even more so. We even find ourselves chatting about it on Facebook. Most shows you just want to get away from when you are in rehearsal, but this one keeps turning over and over in your mind.”
The set will be kept simple to keep the focus on the action.
“The entire piece takes place in the therapist’s office,” said Smith, “so we will allow the audience to concentrate on the actors, not the set ... although I won’t rule out a surprise or two as the evening progresses.”