Word: kellerman
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
3M1W, a compilation of five short plays by Jesse Kellerman '01, is a surprising and delightful comic bombardment of some of America's most entrenched institutions. Kellerman's creation aptly skewers everything from the scientific method to modern fashion. The remarkably versatile cast, comprised of, surprisingly enough, three men (John Keefe '01, David Modigliani '02 and Jonathan Steinberger '00) and one woman (Catherine Gowl '02), flies through the two hours of sketch comedy with veteran timing and delivery. Each of the short plays runs about 20 minutes and covers a single topic; science, government, gender equality, higher education and higher...
...only real problem with the production lies, ironically, at its core. Kellerman's script, though remarkably funny and generally well-crafted, is already out of date. The ideas propagated, though certainly accurate, possess political overtones that make them seem several decades behind the production itself: governmental inefficiency, women's rights and the pretentiousness of fashion are all devices that have been bandied about, hashed and re-hashed since the 1960's. Kellerman's most innovative and, incidentally, funniest moments come from the somewhat fresher ideas of science and education. If they continues to refine their comic ideas, Kellerman and company...
From the gritty verbosity of Mamet's American Buffalo to the grief and anxiety of Sam Shepard's Simpatico, theater director Jesse Kellerman '01 is not known for his lighter side. "I wanted to leave audiences shaken and stirred," Kellerman says of the two productions, presented last spring and fall, "not unlike an excessively mixed martini." But with his next production, a collection of short satires and farces on contemporary themes showing this weekend at the Adams House Pool Theater, Kellerman is making a major departure from his dramatic past. For in the thick of reading period stress, the director...
...Kellerman's own script, Three Men One Woman, is named for the identical cast breakdown of the five short plays that compose the work. Though his previous productions have been admired for their haunting realism and nuanced portrayals of human weakness and emotion, 3M1W features a group of characters that includes everything from mad scientists and senior citizens to government officials and secretaries to beer-guzzling down-home boys. Kellerman bypassed common casting in order to hand-pick his actors. John Keefe '01, used to performing in musicals, acted alongside Kellerman in Children of Eden earlier this year; Jonathan Steinberger...
...Playing five wholly different parts is a challenging exercise in spontaneity and stamina, but Kellerman thinks his actors can live up to the endeavor. "Most of all," the director says, "these actors are smart. They have taken hold of their roles, truly creating characters." As the writer of his own script, Kellerman appreciated the opportunity to engage the actors in a dynamic process of verbal revision and growth. "If a line falls flat," Kellerman notes, "I can say, 'Let's cut it or try something else.'" On the other hand, if one of the performers delivers an impromptu funny punch...