Published: July 19, 2008 04:46 pm            

Theme seems to be metaphor for ISU theater’s recent past

Take one seemingly good relationship and watch it disintegrate over a period of five years.

That’s the theme of the musical that’s running this summer at Indiana State University’s Crossroads Repertory Theatre. And the play seems to be a metaphor for what’s been happening lately with ISU summer theater and its audiences.

There was a time, several years ago, when Terre Haute drama lovers couldn’t wait to get their season tickets for Summerstage. They knew that if their ticket requests weren’t mailed in early, they might miss what was sure to be the most entertaining and talked about theater experience of the year in the Wabash Valley. But that doesn’t seem to be the case now. At Thursday’s performance, there were 52 seats filled in a house that holds 165.

Perhaps we could blame the low attendance on the choice of musicals.

“The Last Five Years” came into the public eye in 2002 when the musical by Jason Robert Brown appeared off Broadway. It is cast with only two actors, and their story line moves both forward and backward simultaneously. It starts with a young unsuccessful gentile actress named Catherine lamenting the end of her marriage. Her memories take us backward in time moving toward the couple’s first date. Meanwhile her Jewish writer husband, Jamie, begins telling his side of the story at the first date then sings his way through the relationship to the last goodbye. It’s a compelling line of action for a play, and this is one that has been heartily embraced by the theater world. But the play’s name and reputation apparently haven’t spread to the Wabash Valley.

Perhaps we could blame the low attendance on the actors in the company.

In this performance, Andy Rabensteine and Carolyn Rodkey portray Jamie and Catherine, respectively. As the rising author who finds success and love before he’s 25, Rabensteine gives one of the best performances of the summer season. His sultry gospel rendition of “Moving Too Fast” followed by the cheesy and endearing “The Schmuel Song” showcase his range as a singing performer. And Rodkey is convincing as the aching, hoping and eventually scorned wife. But with an inconsistent upper vocal register that cracked at inopportune moments, Rodkey’s performance paled against Rabensteine’s, ultimately leaving the production a bit unbalanced in spots.

While the acting of these two performers was nothing for them to be embarrassed about, generally speaking, their performances may have a bearing on the numbers. The actors of this season’s Crossroads company just don’t seem to have the charisma of past companies. Wabash Valley theater patrons used to return summer after summer to see performances from actors like Larry Yando, Jerry Walker and David Silberman. Audiences knew when the combination of Walker and Silberman hit the stage, comic antics and mayhem would ensue. But throughout the last five years, and perhaps longer, there hasn’t been a Walker/Silberman replacement. There hasn’t been a fanciful jaunt.

Perhaps we could blame the low attendance on the programming.

Frankly, “The Last Five Years” seems to suffer from the same affliction that’s plagued most of the Crossroads season’s performances. It’s just OK. And maybe that’s the biggest problem. Maybe with technological advancements altering our way of communicating and with reality television altering our way of entertaining ourselves, maybe with an increasing number of entertainment venues competing for our limited dollars, live theater being OK isn’t enough anymore to keep performance theater seats filled.

Perhaps.

One thing is certain: Wabash Valley audiences were once in love with live theater at Indiana State University. But the butterflies and sweaty palms have subsided, and the familiarity of the marriage has taken a toll on the relationship. It’s time for the great minds at Crossroads to find a way to rekindle the love. If they don’t delve into the data and respond appropriately to what it tells them, Crossroads and the Wabash Valley may look back five years from now at a heart wrenchingly broken and irreconcilable relationship.

“The Last Five Years” continues with performances today at 4 p.m. and Wednesday at 7:30 in the Indiana State University New Theater. Call (812) 237-3333 for ticket information.

        

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