written by Samuel D. Hunter
directed by Amy Rummenie
November 26 – December 20, 2014
Mixed Blood Theatre
On the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, a six hundred pound recluse hides away in his apartment, eating himself to death. Hoping to find an honest human connection, he reaches out to his long-estranged daughter, only to discover a viciously sharp-tongued teen. Big-hearted and fiercely funny, The Whale tells the story of a man’s last chance at redemption, and of finding beauty in the most unexpected places.
The Whale is presented in association with Mixed Blood Theatre.
Cast
Production Team
| CAST | PRODUCTION TEAM | ||
| charlie | Zach Curtis * | director | Amy Rummenie |
| elder thomas | Zach Garcia | set | Steve Kath |
| liz | Jennifer Maren | costumes | E. Amy Hill |
| ellie | Katie Adducci | lighting | Barry Browning |
| mary | Julie Ann Nevill | sound | Katharine Horowitz |
| props | Sarah Salisbury | ||
| * denotes a member of Actor’s Equity | rhsl. stage manager | Nicole Rodriguez | |
| perf. stage manager | Callie Meiners | ||
| asst. stage manager | Sophenia Marchant | ||
| asst. director | Chris Garza | ||
| publicity illustration | Whittney Streeter | ||
Reviews
“There’s a lot of conflict here and plenty of potential antagonists. Hunter’s script is rangey, but doesn’t always dot all the thematic i’s nor cross all the t’s of character or plot development. What it does do, for the most part, is to present a handful of easy-to-dislike characters and offer enough context and shading for the audience to develop an understanding and a kind-of affection for them. This feat has to do with the skills of the playwright, and with a solid, understated production by Walking Shadow Theatre Company.”
– Dominic Papatola, Pioneer Press
“Amy Rummenie’s direction creates surges of high drama, with calms of reflection, providing respite from the painful circumstances and self-negating choices that burden all five characters. The setting by Steve Kath contributes to the atmosphere of disorder, with objects randomly placed, a procession of litter tossed about which Liz tries in vain to pick up. One can almost smell the stale and sour odor of unchecked illness…
The possibility for hope and redemption makes The Whale a spur to ponder the prospect of good in the face of so much wrong in our lives and in the world, of redemption in spite of a history of bad choices. Not the stuff of festive entertainment, but surely there is a place in the deeper spirit of our holidays for theater that make us think about the values and beliefs that guide our choices.”
– Arthur Dorman, Talkin’ Broadway
“Charlie is played by Zach Curtis, and Curtis, to his great credit, pulls no punches (and kudos to costumer E. Amy Hill, who has created an effective fat man costume for the large but decidedly unobese Curtis). In The Whale, Charlie sits on the sagging sofa in a crappy Idaho apartment, wheezing, sweating, periodically feeling his heart stop, trying to sleep, dealing with his online composition students with shrill impatience – “Give me something honest!” Curtis – with no doubt plenty of help from whipsmart director Amy Rummenie – provides us no grand insight. There is no Under The Volcano triumph in his obesity. No heroic raging against the dying of the light. Just pathetic death. Terrific work, but yikes once again.”
– John Olive, HowWasTheShow
