TAYLORSVILLE — The Antipodes presented by Voodoo Theatre Company is an extremely ambitious play for a company to tackle. Annie Baker, the playwright, is known for her unorthodox and untheatrical approach to plays. She uses a strong focus on dialogue, extended scenes, use of silence, and what it means to be human – the highs and the lows. These focal points are all evident in The Antipodes. Set in a time of looming crisis and problems, a group of writers sit around a table telling and attempting to come up with new stories. With an unclear purpose, they spitball, brainstorm, and share insecurities and conquests, all to find “the monstrous.” Reality and fiction converge and diverge as the story progresses and the stories are woven. Voodoo Theatre Company’s production gave many stories to the audience, asked many questions, and also left many questions unanswered.
Directed by Jack Cobabe, there were quite a few successes in The Antipodes. While there is not much “action” within the movement of this production, Cobabe cleverly positioned the table so that characters could be seen at all times. To show the passage of times, the actors would move into different positions on stage or roll into different spots around the table. This was extremely helpful for the audience; it helped to draw focus to the correct character, and to move the story along.
In his director’s note, Cobabe discusses that this play is an “exercise in empathy,” and while I may not have seen the characters offering each other much empathy, I did see what the lack of empathy can do to a group and how quickly things can devolve. There were clearly some strong moments of directing—moments that felt well rehearsed and worked through. Unfortunately, these moments were often followed by moments that were rushed or less smooth. In the end, it seemed as though the production was rehearsed unevenly, causing some of the symbolism to land and some to miss the mark. This also affected the show’s pacing—some moments felt immersive and others seemed to drag on.
Lighting (Parker Thompson) and sound (Melanie Kamauu) were often used to emphasize moments—I appreciated the small lighting shift and the ticking of a clock to emphasize the passing of time. Other effects, including animal noises and drastic light shifts, have potential, but also felt confusing and jarring. I believe the purpose was to take the audience out of the moment in a Brechtian fashion, but it did not quite go far enough for that—instead, it seemed not to fit with the moment and became very distracting.
Production Design Consultant (Sophia Van Nederveen) and Witchcraft Consultant (Kat Kellermeyer) helped to bring an authenticity to the set, props, and moments in the performance. Using the small stress relief balls as symbols for the story helped to give a physical symbol for the “storyteller” in the scene. Kellermeyer’s help took a moment that could have been hokey into a more serious moment.
The Antipodes hosts a small group of characters: Sandy (Matthew Ivan Bennett), Sarah (Zoe Fossen), Eleanor (Olivia Custodio), Adam (Ellie Otis), Danny M1 (Kelly Branan), Danny M2/Max (Sophia Van Nederveen), Josh (Jard Kamauu), Dave (Pedro Flores), and Brain (Jaden Richards). Each performer had stand-out monologues and scenes with well rehearsed storytelling. I was very impressed by the moments where they were very “in it:” Sandy’s monologue about what his mentor had taught him, Sarah’s experience after the death of her mother, Brian’s development of a mantra, and Adam’s “first story” were a few standout moments. For almost all of these moments, however, there was another where the actor seemed to be performing lines that were not their own. At the same time, all actors were very comfortable with physicality, which enhanced the performance as they freely moved around the space. The entire cast had great chemistry, bounced off of each other, and let conversations flow naturally.
The Antipodes is a story full of stories: some hard to hear, some funny and lighthearted. It can be jarring and may make the audience confront things they do not want to. This was evident as some audience members were celebrating, laughing, and were fully immersed, while others turned away or cringed. A play filled with this much symbolism must be carefully crafted and rehearsed, and while there was careful crafting, much of the symbolism was lost or not fully formed. Voodoo Theatre Company took this difficult play head on, falling short with some things, but succeeding with others. This play will appeal to those who like stories—those that are tough to handle, and those that you will be thinking about for days after.
***Please be advised that this production includes the following mature themes: explicit sexual descriptions, discussions of rape, strong language, and other scenes that may be upsetting for some audience members***
