Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Virtuosic solo performances worth catching: David Strathairn in REMEMBER THIS and Jason Woods in THE NEAR DISASTER OF JASPER & CASPER

• By drediman
• September 16, 2022
• No Comments

Few things in theater are as reliably immersive as a good old fashioned solo performance. Over the course of the week, I had the opportunity to indulge in the riches of a pair of virtuosic one-person storytelling journeys, both of which are well worth catching. Here are my thoughts them.

REMEMBER ME: THE LESSON OF JAN KARSKI
Theatre for a New Audience
Through October 9

First up in Brooklyn is Theatre for a New Audience’s Off-Broadway production of Remember Me: The Lesson of Jan Karski (HIGHLY REOMMENDED), Clark Young and Derek Goldman’s deeply moving portrait of Jan Karski, a sort of Polish everyman who is changed to his core when he witnesses first hand the atrocities being enacted upon the Jews during World War II. When he reports his horrific observations of the Holocaust to English and American authorities, he is met with shocking disbelief, further sending Karski spinning into a dark existential crisis. As masterfully animated by Oscar-nominated actor David Strathairn, Karski’s journey into the dark shadows of the human soul is a heartbreaking – and most importantly, urgent – cautionary tale about the slippery slope of history and the tragic inherent indifference of human nature that we should not take lightly. It’s a truly riveting piece of acting that should be made mandatory viewing. First presented by the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University, the staging by Mr. Goldman is simple yet effective, featuring expert use of lighting and sound to subtly draw audiences into Karski’s conflicted world.

THE NEAR DISASTER OF JASPER & CASPER
Theatre Row
Through September 18

Then over at the busy revolving door that is Theatre Row, you’ll find Jason Woods’ The Near Disaster of Jasper & Casper (RECOMMENDED), which is being presented Off-Broadway by Stage Fund and VyStar Credit Union. In essence, the show is a feel good fantasy adventure conjured solely by Mr. Woods’ impressive prowess as a storyteller and actor. Although there’s something somewhat derivative about the tale he tells – there are glaringly recognizable dashes of storytelling you’ve likely encountered in the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series (and other such works) – there’s no denying the excellence of Mr. Woods’ solo performance. Indeed, his sense of timing and pacing through the eventful 90-minute work are impeccable, and his various characterizations are vivid and fully-realized. Like Remember Me: The Lesson of Jan Karski, The Near Disaster of Jasper & Casper has been directed by Michelle Svenson Cindy with a deceptively simple touch, weaving color-coded lighting and cinematic underscoring (the score is composed by the multi-tasking Mr. Woods) with Mr. Woods’ engaging performance to create an improbably immersive and very entertaining theatrical experience.