Witch Slap!
Written by Jeff Goode
Directed by Delia Ford
Raven Theatre West Stage, 6157 N. Clark (map)
thru Sept 20 | tickets: $12-$20 | more info
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Too childish to enjoy
Babes With Blades presents
Witch Slap!
Review by Lauren Whalen
Watching Witch Slap!, I was confused about several things. How did this script win Babes With Blades’ biannual “Joining Sword & Pen” playwriting competition? Was it the only show with an all-female cast? Was it the only entry, period? Why, in a company that prides itself on female stage combat, was there so little of it? And how could less than two hours seem so long? From beginning to end, Witch Slap! was a puzzler, and not even two fairly strong performances and a slight Act II improvement could salvage it.
A gaggle of witches trading jokes and the occasional roundhouse kick could make for a fun, entertaining production. I’ve certainly enjoyed Babes With Blades’ work in the past, namely last summer’s Bo Thomas and the Case of the Sky Pirates. Though I didn’t care for 2012’s Trash in terms of plot and dialogue, I loved the strong stage combat from both actresses. Sadly, Witch Slap! contains neither entertaining writing nor very much combat. Jeff Goode’s script plays like a high school production crossed with a bad sitcom, with a dash of “Hocus Pocus” wannabe: too many quips and stereotypes, not enough story. Strong comedies contain solid characters, dialog and action, and Witch Slap! has none of the above. At least one character (Goody Blunt’s rebellious teenage daughter Sylvia, played by Patti Moore) didn’t need to be there at all.
Unfortunately, the writing isn’t the production’s only detriment. Director Delia Ford and scenic designer Nicci Schumacher may not have communicated very well: though nicely colorful, the set is big, clunky and ill-fitting for an entire cast who spends most of Act II standing around onstage looking uncomfortable. Kimberly G. Morris’ costume design feels inconsistent, with no real plan, and Logan’s Crone makeup reads extremely amateurish. Goode’s script improves slightly in the play’s second half, introducing a few new interesting character elements – if only that kind of potential had manifested much earlier. Only two actors are able to transcend the shoddy source material: Dornheggen gives Jezebella a sense of flirty fun, and exhibits top-notch fighting skills, and Manasa has the deranged sense of purity appropriate for Goody Blunt, a sanctimonious housewife gradually coming undone.
Witch Slap! doesn’t go any further than a cute title and passable concept. As a company, Babes With Blades has a unique hook and a lot of talent, but their productions tend to be hit or miss. Regretfully, Witch Slap! is a miss, and a very messy miss at that.
Rating: ★½
Witch Slap! continues through September 20th at Raven Theatre West Stage, 6157 N. Clark (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 3:30pm. Tickets are $12-$20, and are available online through BrownPaperTickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at BabesWithBlades.org. (Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes, includes an intermission. Note: show contains strobe effects and gun shots)
Photos by Steven Townshend and Johnny Knight
artists
cast
Alison Dornheggen* (Jezebella), Stefanie Johnsen (Minerva), Loren Jones (Novella), Kimberly Logan* (Crone), Morgan Manasa* (Goody Blunt), Jennifer L. Mickelson* (Widow Gumdrops), Patti Moore (Sylvia)
behind the scenes
Delia Ford* (director), Maureen Yasko* (violence design), Kimberly Morris* (costume design), Justin Castellano (lighting design), Lindsey Miller (stage manager), Kait Mikitin (production manager), Claire Nelson (props design), Mason Absher (sound design), Nicci Schumacher (scenic design, technical director), Lauren Angel-Nichols (graphic design), Steven Townshend, Johnny Knight (photos)
* denotes Babes With Blades company member
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