National Asian American Theatre Co., Inc. (NAATCO)
Artistic/Producing Director, Mia Katigbak
Executive Director, Shelley Troupe
Fluid Motion Theater & Film, Inc.
Artistic Directors/Founders, Christine Simpson & Jovinna Chan
Producing Director, Michelle Chen
Present
TALES OF UNREST: JOSEPH CONRAD ON STAGE
Two one-act adapted from Joseph Conrad’s Short Stories
ARSAT, Adapted from "The Lagoon"
Presented by Fluid Motion
Directed by Christine Simpson
ONE DAY MORE, Adapted from "To-Morrow"
Presented by NAATCO
Directed by Jonathan bank
Baruch Performing Arts Center (Baruch College), 150 E. 25 St., , October 3 – 18, 2003
Sets SARAH LAMBERT
Lighting STEPHEN PETRILLI
Costumes ELLY VAN HORNE
Sound DAVE MORREALE
Stage Manager KAREN HERGESHEIMER
Choreography (ARSAT) MICHAEL JEROME JOHNSON
Percussion (ARSAT) JOHN KO, WYNN YAMAMI
Press SAM RUDY MEDIA RELATIONS
Cast
ARSAT
Arsat – Jojo Gonzalez
Tuan – Kevin Bartlett
Brother – Tim Kang
Diamelen – Lydia Gaston
ONE DAY MORE
Carvil – Mel Duane Gionson
Bessie – Maile Holck
Capt. Hagberd – Jojo Gonzalez
Harry – Robert Wu
In a joint production helmed by NAATCO and Fluid Motion Theater & Film, two of Joseph Conrad’s short stories have been adapted as one-act plays in one neat package called TALES OF UNREST. Truly plays that live up to the title, these two works are unsettling in the most basic of ways.
Without flourish, without any unneeded words, and without fancy sets, these two very stark plays are dramatically real, finding poignancy in the everyday details of life. In ARSAT love, obligation and loss rule the action. In ONE DAY MORE there is more love, obligation and loss, but depicted in a very different way. While the former is more traditional, quiet and lyrical, and the latter more modern and dreamy, both are plays of introspection, and are staged as such.
The casts are on point with the mood, ranging from dark to desperate to hopeless. ARSAT tells the tale of a warrior, a woman, and family loyalty. It also deals with social conflicts, death, the haunting past, and the uncertain future. ONE DAY MORE presents behavioral contrasts and generational conflicts. One child has abandoned a father to make a way for himself in the world. One child has given up her life to care for her ailing, overbearing father. When these two grown children meet, sparks fly, if fleetingly. Only Jojo Gonzalez, who appears in both plays (as the warrior first, the abandoned father second), gets to exhibit the range of his talents, but all of the performances are satisfactory.
Not a light-hearted romp by any means, TALES OF UNREST is a subtler, darker program drawn from strong source material. Different and moody, but definitely deserving of an audience, these two adaptations may be of particular interest to Conrad readers.
- Kessa De Santis -