Floyd Collins
Written by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau
Directed by Peter Marston Sullivan
at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map)
thru July 15 | tickets: $22-$28 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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Beautiful singing, ho-hum script, score
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble presents
Floyd Collins
Review by Lauren Whalen
True stories can make fascinating subject matter. Media circuses? Even better. The earliest American media circus involving a man stuck in a cave? Brilliant. Sadly, Floyd Collins doesn’t live up to its potential. At first glance the show seems promising: a rich piece of Americana with a bluegrass-inspired score, penned by Steppenwolf star Tina Landau and acclaimed composer Adam Guettel, who would later win two Tonys for The Light in the Piazza. There’s nothing particularly awful about Floyd Collins, in fact BoHo Theatre’s production features an enthusiastic, vocally nimble ensemble. But a performer is only as good as the script, and in response to the Act II opening title “Is That Remarkable?”, I would have to respond “no”.
There’s a lot to explore in the story of Floyd Collins, and it’s easy to see why Guettel and Landau were drawn to the source material in the mid-1990’s, when the musical premiered at Steppenwolf and later played off-Broadway. There’s an exciting staging challenge: how exactly does one present a musical during which the central character is underground for three-fourths of it? Additionally, there are some potentially fascinating characters: the reticent father, the tight-knit trio of siblings, the young man who believes the key to solvency lies just under his feet. Diane D. Fairchild creatively maneuvers scenery and lighting to create believable drama above and below the surface. In turn, director Peter Marton Sullivan’s strong blocking marries the drama on two distinct levels.
Regarding characterization, however, Landau’s book is inconsistent. Floyd’s father Lee goes from questioning where he went wrong as a parent, to vigilantly declaring love from his stuck son, to eagerly profiting off said son, all at the drop of a hat without any real explanation. Equally jarring is Floyd’s troubled sister Nellie. Indeed, mental illness was regarded much differently 90 years ago: Nellie’s problem may have been diagnosed as developmental disability or anxiety in 2012. Or there may have been nothing wrong at all. Even with this in mind, it’s strange how the character goes from quite obviously slow to incredibly cognizant, often in the same scene.
 
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Compared to his later work in the richly operatic The Light in the Piazza, Guettel’s score in Floyd Collins appears unrefined. The composer, it seems, has drawn inspiration from the Broadway hit Big River, though the latter’s songs range from infectiously catchy to tragic and haunting. An hour after seeing Floyd Collins, I could remember exactly one song: the aforementioned “Is That Remarkable?” in which a trio of nosy reporters descends upon the Sand Cave. The rest was an unmemorable blur.
To their credit, Sullivan’s cast tries their very best, forging ahead with the same gumption and grit as the Barren County citizens they portray. DeSelm gives the title character a sunny grin and slowly fading optimism replaced with profound reflection as Floyd’s fate darkens – quite a feat considering DeSelm is onstage the entire show and cannot move below the waist for most of it. As Floyd’s sister Nellie, Bockel is an absolute treasure. Her sweetly expressive face and dazzling voice convey the strong bond the damaged young woman shares with both her brothers. Harrison plays Homer with determination and wit, and Benjamin Kirberger, Tom McGunn and Michael Potsic sink their teeth into the reporter roles with a contagious sense of fun.
Sullivan should be proud of his cast, a crack team making the most of a mediocre show. If only Floyd Collins were stronger in script and score. BoHo Theatre would have a powerhouse in its hands. Instead, the overly long and inconsistent source material makes for an overall unremarkable production.
Rating: ★★½
Floyd Collins continues through July 15th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 1:30pm. Tickets are $22-$28, and are available by phone (773-975-8150) or online through TheaterWit.org (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at BohoTheatre.com. (Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes, includes an intermission)
Photos by Peter Coombs
artists
cast
Sarah Bockel (Nellie Collins); Christa Buck (Miss Jane); Jim DeSelm (Floyd Collins); Greg Foster (Skeets Miller); Jon Harrison (Homer Collins); Benjamin Kirberger (Clif Roney, Reporter, ensemble); Evan Tyrone Martin (Ed Bishop); Tom McGunn (Dr. Hazlett, Reporter, ensemble, u/s Home Collins); Steve O’Connell (H.T. Carmichael); Michael Potsie (Frederick Jordan, Reporter, ensemble, u/s Floyd Collins), Patrick Rooney (Jewell Estes); Russell Alan Rowe (Lee Collins); David Tibble (Bee Doyle, u/s H.T. Carmichael); Nathan Carroll (ensemble, u/s Reporters/Bee Doyle)
