An Out-of-the-Way Good Time

People who somewhat regularly read this blog will know two things: first, that when I say "Rhody Rocks" I really mean "Prov-tucket Rocks", for all intents and purposes. Second, that if I review anything, the review is likely to come out too late for anyone interested to actually see the performance in question. Hey, if you can't alienate and underserve the readership of your blog, why have one?

It is in that spirit that I commend the URI Theatre, or at least its performance of Amadeus by Peter Shaffer which concluded this past weekend. My wife and I (PC grads, and thus programmed to dismiss anything URI related) were invited by a few URI alums to see the Saturday show. Since, as I might have mentioned, I'm off the sauce for Lent, it seemed like as good a way as any to kill the time. So off we went, through the driving rain we had Saturday evening, to catch a show I had no particular interest in seeing, and absently assumed would be more like the overacted, set-poor productions I saw at PC, and that I usually enjoy.

In short, I was wrong. Sure, the generic-looking building didn't inspire confidence, but we walked inside to find a sprawling arts complex, which includes an art gallery currently hosting the intriguing but depressing exhibit on Nazis and Homosexuals that I briefly glanced at. The theater itself was simply but nicely designed with a deep stage and steep stadium seating.

Since the play is over, I won't get into a blow-by-blow account of the show, but I will say that a few things stood out. First, Joseph Kidawski was outstanding as Salieri, including pulling off a voice change from old to young versions of the character that could have been painfully cheesy if not done well. Several other actors did nice work, though the performances of smaller parts were uneven, as you might expect in a college production. A special note of praise has to go to the costume department, though, for doing a truly professional job on complex period dress. Not one character looked shoddily turned out.

While I don't know how their next play, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, will turn out, I'm willing to guess the audience will be pleased. It may just be worth another trek out of Prov-tucket.