I'm appearing in
The Rimers of Eldritch
at Jericho Arts Centre until Saturday. This Lanford Wilson drama takes place in a decaying Bible-belt town in Missouri. The entire 17 member ensemble is onstage for the entire play. Our director, Ryan Mooney, made what I think is a really interesting choice, to have all of us "town folk" onstage when the audience arrives, doing "town business" (my character, Martha, is cross-stitching and gossiping with her best friend, Wilma), and to stay in "town mode" during intermission. At the conclusion of the play, in which a number of shocking events happen in quick succession, we do not bow or have a curtain call - we simply return to our activity in the town, and then quietly leave the stage, one by one.
The result has been that audiences have not really been clapping at the conclusion of the show - I think because they are not sure the performance is over until we have all left the stage. From an audience point of view, we have been told that it's an emotionally powerful ending that leaves the audience feeling tense and uncomfortable - which is what we want them to feel. However, as an actor I have to admit it's a little bit disconcerting. I like the catharsis of stepping out of character, and being acknowledged by the audience for my work. So the result is that I also leave the performance without resolution, feeling a little bit tense and uncomfortable. It takes me an hour or so after the show to really let it go and shake off the emotions of the performance.
Don't get me wrong - I think our director, Ryan Mooney, made some brilliant choices in terms of staging, and I think it's been an interesting experiment that subverts tradition in a way that works for the piece. And there is a history of shows that have no have curtain calls (
Showboat
?! Who knew?!), and I found lots of discussion on the Internet on this point (
), and Ryan has had some very interesting conversations online with other directors who have concurred that in the right context, the lack of a curtain call can be extremely powerful.
What do you think? Have you ever been to or in a show where there was no curtain call? Did you see Rimers? How did it make you feel?
If you'd like to see the show and experience what I'm talking about for yourself, we have performances until Saturday. You can can buy tickets online at the Jericho Arts Centre's
.