Each scene reused many of the same actors playing different characters. My friend Beth played a young girl who witnessed something disturbing outside, a hat designer for a company which cares more about the head pieces than people's lives, and I don't even know what to call her last character but it seemed like she was just an average person living in a world of battle and confusion. Let's just say she was fantastic in each role, truly convincing... played such a crazy range of characters with a wide breadth of emotions. What an actress! ...Everyone else in the play was fabulous too. Seriously.
What I found most beautiful about Far Away was how it really explored the depths of human emotion in times of crisis. Some of the characters were shaken so deeply by the surrounding destruction that they were completely mad, while others were so complacent about the violence inflicted on an inocent person. The extreme nature of each scene made me think about how in this modern age we continue to inflict such horrible situations on communities completely disregarding the impact it has on them. Though we are no longer openly imperialist, we tend to negatively impact others a monarch might with total lack of concern for those below our thrown.
The play was also technically done incredibly well. Each scene cleverly used music to set the mood like the hat factory portion had a tick-tock sort of rhythm guiding it. As an audience member it not only felt like a typical work day, where the controlled time sense but it also helped guide the emotions involved. Imagine two workers using clever phrases to explore the romantic tension within a space of professional behavior, agh! The intensity! But let's be real here, haven't we all had those saucy work crushes? It's hard to get through that professional air to even get your message across. Hah!
Although this was a "No-bucks" show and it was not considered very high-end in the theatre department, Far Away was easily one of the best shows I have seen at Ithaca College. It's hard to leave a show without any criticism, perhaps because I'm a physical therapy major... but really, I don't know what I would change. The director did a fantastic job and for a few moments it even inspired me to consider doing theatre. It definitely ignited a part of me that a lot of shows don't strike. It felt authentic and not overdone. Far Away just really grabbed my mind! Gypsy play!
Check out some pictures I stole from their production team taken by the director's father:
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