Theatre & The Lutheran Campus Ministry at WVU
Chaplain's Review (by Matthew Lynn Riegel)
By coincidence, I happened to be in NYC on business when Activity Place Mats opened.  So, having the distinction of being "Reservation #1," I navigated the subway system, found the theater, and settled into my seat.
     What a treat!  Activity Place Mats is a very funny play--especially to anyone familiar with weddings.  In three acts we follow four members of the wedding party as they cope with the interpersonal tensions typical of last minute wedding preparation exasperated by a violently ill groom, a bride with an overactive bladder, and a dictatorial mother-of-the-bride with a flare for parking cars.  To the playwright's credit, you never even see these characters on stage, yet you know exactly what they are like.  Of course, the difficulties can't end there.  Total chaos ensues when it is discovered that the church has yet to be decorated!
     The acting is superb.  Each of the five on-stage characters is a vehicle for a display of the talent of the actors playing them.  The playwright has provided them a range of emotions to play, and the director has managed to provide opportunities for physical humor as well.
      Matt Sincell plays the serious best man involved in a romantic relationship with the maid of honor.  The audience nearly gags at the sickly sweet exchanges between the two in the opening of the first act, but, when his plans to marry his lover are dashed by her fear of marriage, one feels his discomfort, pain, and anger.  With only a partial resolution to this crisis at the very end of the final act, Sincell conveys well the ambiguity of commitment to a very uncertain future.  Indeed, I didn't know in the end if I should applaud the character's willingness to take the risk of devotion in the midst of rejection or call him "stupid"--I still don't know.  It's an interesting position to be in as a member of the audience, and my hat is off to playwright, director, and actor for making me uncomfortable with the ambiguity.
     As you might have guessed from the aforementioned, calling this play a comedy is a bit of a stretch.  Certainly, the first two acts are a riot, loaded with clever writing and sharp acting.  The final act, however, takes some dark turns, providing an emotional roller coaster ride for the audience.  That is one of the things that makes this an excellent play for an equity showcase (or for an academic setting).  The actors get to strut their stuff, allowing the audience to see a much broader range than provided in most plays.
     Final word: see this play if you are in NYC.  It's well worth the admission (only $15).  You'll be laughing most of the time (even in the darker third act), and, if by the end of the play, you are a little disturbed, well and good.  The play rings more true than one might like, but guaranteed:  you'll be repeating zippy lines to friends, recounting the comedic twists, and debating the darker bits over dinner.

WVU Alumnus Plays at Sargent Theater, NYC

Matt Sincell ('01) appeared in Kirk McGee's Activity Place Mats.  Sincell, a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Oakland, MD, headed off for NYC after graduation.  An equity approved showcase, Activity Place Mats opened January 15, 2003, and ran until February 1.  The Sargent Theater is located at 314 W. 54th St., Manhattan.  (Click on the poster for a larger image).

Sincell's next job took him to England in March.  A huge break, Sincell was one of only four actors selected from over 200 who auditioned for "Shakespeare's R&J."  He was also the only one who was called back for all four roles, and the only one of the four selected who does not have his own agent.  The play was a major off-Broadway hit a few years ago, and this was its premier in the United Kingdom as part of the Bath Shakespeare Festival.  It was performed for one week in Bath's 1,000-seat, 18th century theatre, and then moved to Coventry for a week.  It may then have an open ended run in London.  To read more about this production (as reported by TheaterMania.com), click here.

Katy Bandy & Her Dragon

Katy Bandy recently changed her major to theater, and she is already burning down the house.  As part of the scholars day 2003, Bandy along with several other puppetry students put on an exhibition showing of Tooling Around, an original show written, designed, and performed by the students.  Bandy performed in a retelling of the archetypal myth of St. George and the Dragon.  Performing with her own flame thrower dragon, Bandy set fire to the house by spewing red glitter from the dragon's snout as the rock classic, "Burning Down the House," played in the background.

Faculty, Students, and Alumni/ae Perform in Godspell

WVU faculty and students apparently have a life outside the university.  A cadre of them performed recently in a local production of Godspell.  Backed by St. Paul Lutheran Church (Evansdale), the production ran August 1-3, 2002.  The church's fellowship hall was converted into a theater complete with lights and sound.  Playing to a packed theater over the three night run, the production received high praise from a entertained and edified audience.

Alumnus Is Jesus

Performing in the title role, David Peterson, class of 2002, looks every bit a superstar, and, if we didn't know him so well, we might even mistake him for Jesus.  David appeared in CalRep's 2002 production of Jesus Christ Superstar which was performed for a fortnight in mid-July.  In addition to this production, David appeared in a supporting role in Secret Garden.  Here are some photos.  Peterson is the guy with the beard.

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