Moby-Dick at Building Stage

By Devlyn Camp

When you step onto the Building Stage to cross to your seat, you’ve stepped onto the Pequod and out to sea with six dueling Ishmaels that tell the tale of Moby Dick and Captain Ahab’s chase for revenge.

 

The boat is backed by a chalkboard where the facts are written out throughout the show. The audience is in a sort of Moby Dick School, following the story as obsessively as Ishmael studies his strange captain. Above the chalkboard, three percussionists and several drums represent the ocean in fantastic music by Kevin O’Donnell. Proven here, if ever the sea should be an instrument, it would be drums. The musicians are incredibly quick and talented, and their performance is half the fun of the show.

Each cast member portrays all the members of the ship, passing the character with the costume piece. The boats taken out to sea are miniature ships and waves are played by handkerchiefs. This show is high-scale backyard playing with much better acting, and it’s actually rather funny, too. The play is so fun and moving that the language of the novel is hardly noticeable. It’s absolutely captivating.

With the smart directing of Blake Montgomery, the beautiful set, and welcoming, warm people of The Building Stage, this revamp of their 2006 production is a wonderful must-see to put on your calendar immediately.

Also, have you seen their ad? It’s hilarious.

 

MOBY-DICK
The Building Stage
Now through October 30th
Tickets $22 (Students $12)
available at www.buildingstage.com
or call (312) 491-1369

Contact critic at devlynmc@yahoo.com