In the Rough - The Blog of Joel McDonald Jr.

Shannon Dunlap calls the show, “more humourous than hilarious”.

The play gets off to a slow start, but the production gathers speed as the number of actors on the stage increases. The group chemistry lends a more relaxed feel, and the players seem more comfortable in large numbers. There are definite moments of slapstick, but overall the humor is sophisticated. The playbill cautions that there will be adult language, and it’s not kidding. I would have kept count, but I ran out of fingers and toes. And that was only the first 10 minutes. Would-be comedians provide their own rim-shots throughout the story.

[Read Entire Review]

Though the show doesn’t seem to have been much to his liking, Montague Gammon describes our cast as being ‘competent’. I suppose that’s better than being called bumbling idiots.

Read the review here.

Admittedly, we did have some issues with stepping on laughter on opening night, which is when Gammon attended. We’ve been better ever since.

Reading reviews leaves one feeling humbled, sometimes a little hurt and humiliated, and wanting a chance to do better. It’s interesting to get a third party’s point of view. Here’s a couple more of 1776, with highlights quoted.

Shannon Dunlap of Portfolio: “Though the expected sour notes do appear at random, the vocal performances of the cast are unexpectedly good, and exponentially better than you would expect from community theatre.” [Read More]

PL Freebourne of OnHamptonRoads.com: “Little Theatre of Virginia Beach’s cast is replete with talent, particularly with some professional level acting from a couple of the leads and some great singing from the ensemble. ” [Read More]

Montague Gammon’s review of 1776 was published in this morning’s paper. The title: “Theatre’s 1776 is a salute to good performance”. For those who haven’t seen the show, or have and forgotten, his chosen title is a play on “Richard Henry Lee” as he prompts Adams and Franklin with “Gentleman, a salute to Virginia, the mother of American Independence!”. I have a lot of fun with that line, garnering a good chuckle from the audience as I give it. I’ve even got the orchestra mimicking my salute with a riding crop, only they’re using bows from their violins and other items around them. Much fun.

Overall, it’s a good review. Montague misspelled my name, but I suppose I should be tickled with the fact that I was even mentioned by name at all. Many actors got a wonderful mention and praise. Of me, Montague wrote, “Joel [McDonald] has great fun as the young, buffoonish, and self-centered Virginian Richard Henry Lee.” From there he segways into somewhat of a rant on how historically inaccurate the character is; a victim of the playwrights. I suppose I should take pride in having accomplished exactly the character that was written and not being anything like the man as he was.

Montague closes with “It’s fun to watch the conflicts of 1776 tunefully resolve themselves, and it’s essentially impossible not to applaud the subject, no matter the inconsistencies of acting abilities or historical veracity. It’s quite acceptable as a light-weight, light hearted summer diversion.”

You can read the entire review by clicking here.