The producers of the recent theatrical production at St. Louis Community College at Meramec-entitled Code: Orange, for one of the many hued stages of terrorist alert-described the production as “a docudrama investigating perspectives on the growing terrorist threat in America.” However, these “perspectives” seemed to range far afield of any even generous definition of “terrorist threat.” Subjects ranged from real-life events such as President George Bush Jr.'s frequent manglings of English grammar (Chris Haase's Bush, complete with massive prosthetic ears, was right on), Richard Cheney's recent firearms mishap, illegal alien crossings of the Mexican-U.S. border, homosexuality, Clay Aiken, hurricane aftermath, and deficiencies in the American educational system, to the fantastic in the form of a Hazmat Fashion Show, (designer gas masks?), and various members of “Terrorholics Anonymous.”
Political opinions both for and against the current administration's pro-war stance were given air, but the entire production tilted heavily in the direction of “against.”
This local production was not a “play,” but more an episode of Saturday Night Live. Director Michelle Rebollo sought locally for various kinds of talent and created an amalgam of skits, comedians, poetry, music and light mood segments, filmed recitation of parts of homeland security documents, monologues, and candid video. To describe it as “theatre with a message” is understatement. Aware that the production was almost guaranteed to provoke response from the audience, a “talkback” session was scheduled to take place a few minutes after each show.
This was definitely a “multi-media” extravaganza. The cast of live actors was backed with sounds, lights, static images, and mini video segments. Both set and lighting, designed by Darren Thompson, were stark and angular, revealing striations of light and shadow which perfectly evoked the duality of opinion evident in the show. The Meramec theatre was also feeling its way with a new set of programmable lighting instruments, providing a fresh element of moving lights. Smoke and strobes were also used. Costume designer Carrie Lawrence had some hurdles to jump in providing a major element of the show, and did so nicely.
Technically, the show was impressive, but some of the actors appeared unrehearsed (I almost expected to see cue cards peeking out from the wings-perhaps this was intended, but even if so, it was distracting), and some of those without personal microphones were difficult to hear. Some of the video and still images were flashed quickly on screen, and were also fairly small in projection size; these two factors made them difficult to read and comprehend on the run, especially from the upper regions of the house.
In various times and countries throughout history it has always been the prerogative of college and university-level students to form a groundswell of protest against the status quo, revealing the intensity of passion that accompanies the condition of youth; “If you were only to listen to our youthful bleatings, it would change the world for the better.” Well, perhaps, but for good or ill, such passion was found in Code: Orange.
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