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Debbie Phillips
Acting 101
"Characters on Stage"

Wendy Wasserstein's play "Isn't it Romantic" produced by Center Stage productions was a very good cover of the 1979 piece. A cast of old and new favorites to the stage creating a delightful mix of expertise and professionalism. The cast did a wonderful job exploring the characters they were given as well as meeting the audiences expectations, Suspending belief wonderfully with the moving set that they had really moved from apartment to apartment in a matter of seconds.
First of all, while delving into the characterizations of the actors on stage, there were people who shined wonderfully and others that were not as awe inspiring. I found that Christine Newport -playing the part Lillian Cornwall, had not fully found her motivating force in Lillian. Her voice was soft and hard to hear from where I was sitting, The volume of her voice not carrying the objective of her scenes strongly at all. The persona of a business woman not justly carried with the quality as well, her voice remaining monotone throughout most of her conversations even if they were argumentative with her Daughter Harriet. For example, When Harriet ******** off Mother." Lillian's tempo and Rate remained rather unmoved from her previous conversation and she was at the same pitch and volume as earlier as if the line was not as affective on the actor as it was felt by the audience. The actress didn't use the audience to feel how she should react and instead seemed stiff and lacked energy and conviction of character. She had lost Lillian's motivation: A working mother that was willing to divorce and be a single mother, as hard as that is, to have the success she wanted and desperately lived for. That motivation felt lost in the quiet volume and poor articulation from Christine, though she physically fit the part well and directed her body like a woman of status. The drive of the character felt lost to me in the weak and monotone delivery of lines.
On the other hand, I found Sam Bonomo and Cailyn Blair playing the roles of Janie Blumberg and Harriet Cornwall to be rather inspiring. Both actresses had made a very strong inner connection with there roles. While wavering during some of the more physical scenes together, Such as the hug after the promotion and touching shoulders after Sam announced her breaking up and not wanting to grow up the way Harriet wanted with setting for a man she didn't love. Sam and Cailyn did amazing jobs with the conviction of their characters. Being able to externalize their inner thoughts and feelings and project them into the audience as Janie and Harriet. Janie did an amazing job being meeker with her posture then Harriet, Her balance staying farther back on her heels with the help of her lower heels,then Harriet who was on her toes and moving her legs in longer smoother strides gave her a greater air of sophistication. The two girls getting so lost in there roles and commitment to the parts they actually cried several times while on stage when they reached emotional peaks and valleys that they resonated with there characters on some level.
These where not the only talented actors on stage.Joshua Rowland as Marty Sterling,Cori Stallard as Tasha Blumberg,Greg Faupel as Simon Blumberg,Justin Spurgeon as Paul Stuart,Jordan Shelton as Vladimir all did very well on stage together carrying a good chemistry and fun upbeat feeling to the production. In the end the production, though it had parts that could have been improved due to volume and concentration of character, was a great show that was a true reflection of what Wendy Wasserstein had in mind of the working woman who wanted to have it all.