I have always admired the theater criticism of Kenneth Tynan. He wrote for The Observer in London during the 1950’s and 60’s.
While most critics of the era were confounded and perplexed by the new playwrights of the era, Tynan went against conventional wisdom and supported playwrights like Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Joe Orton and John Osborne and many others of the new theatre realism created by the group known as the “Angry Young Men”.
Without his vision and support many excellent playwrights might have faced obscurity.
I think of Tynan every time I leave a production of Troy Foundry Theater. I exit feeling totally empty, perplexed and frustrated. Try as I may, I cannot connect on either an intellectual or emotional level. Yet, there is enough good work offered by dedicated and talented actors there is the fear that something is going on that I am missing.
No longer. Though I find much to admire in the talent, commitment and communal risk taking, my overall impression is their work is so private and personal the company can be legitimately accused of naval-gazing. It’s a sad fact when the purpose of creativity is purely cerebral - it’s almost a certainty that the result will be pretension.
In its fifth year of existence, the company is producing its first musical, “City of Myth: Ilium Sings.” It is as obtuse and as unrelatable as have been their exercises in trying to form a new format of dramatic expression.
The company develops their work through excessive collaboration. There are 14 people credited as creators, most of whom are also performers. Everyone on stage seems to know their purpose and intent, but rarely does that commitment extend past self-indulgent performances in which the simplest phrase is uttered with profound purpose. This is theater created by theater artists for the pleasure of the performers. The expression that comes to mind is the description of a camel as a horse designed by committee.
“City of Myth” revolves about four individuals who are obsessively introspective. Each is lonely, confused and depressingly sad. Though dark personal monologues they speak their personal psychobabble in search of their reason for existence. The goal is, of course, unattainable for the character and tedious for the audience.
The experience is especially disappointing because “City of Myth: Ilium Sings” is not without its virtues. The music is pleasurably catchy and performed with a lot of charm by a three-piece group led by musical director Connor Armbruster. Indeed, even when the music is only used as underscoring for dramatic monologues it elevates what is often banal lyrics. Another vocal asset is the work “Hold on Honeys,” a group of three-females who sing great harmonies as they act as a Greek Chorus for the changing moods of the work.
Too, Troy Foundry is proud of the immersive qualities of its presentations. The conversion of the former Troy Kitchen at 77 Congress Street in Troy to the Club Odyssey during an open-mike session is just short of being a magical transformation. During the always fluid presentation, director David Girard forms many startling stage images that evoke the imagination almost as effectively as does a great piece of music.
Even though it is almost impossible to relate to the relentless sadness of the four central characters, the actors do find the essence of what their characters represent. That is individuals striving to create their own myths by which they can live fruitful lives absent from socially imposed feelings of inadequacies. But, alas there is only about half of the nearly two-hour show in which theatricality dominates.
“City of Myth: Ilium Sings” continues at 77 Congress Street in Troy through Saturday. Tickets and schedule information at troyfoundrytheatre.com.
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
