A wild ride

Charting the growth of this year's graduating class of the Professional Actor Training Program (PATP), one can see the depth of character and emotional truth cultivated by many of these fine thespians.

In Wilder One Acts, a collection of one-acts by Pulitzer-Prize winner Thornton Wilder, most of the plays' significant meanings are communicated in long silences and well-placed pauses. By slowing down the pace, director Pam McKinnon allows space for the audience to grasp the plays' broader themes of power, suppression and conditional freedom.

"The Wreck on the Five-Twenty-Five" is by far the most engaging and thought-provoking piece among the one-acts. Each performance is beautifully understated and authentic. The line between actor and character disintegrates into a realistic scene of despair.

While much of the play revolves around the need for something big to shake up the structure; each character struggles for satisfaction and joy in the life he or she seems destined to lead.

Maile Holck's portrayal of housewife Mrs. Hawkins exceeds all words. Control, panic, grief, respectability, self-assuredness and insecurity emanate from each nuance of movement and expression. She harnesses these traits to fill every hole and gap without breaking the integrity of her character. It was a true delight to partake in.

Michael Smith, as Mr. Hawkins, exposes the patriarch's contradictory nature with surprising twists and turns, never resorting to predictability. As a result, the character's choices are fresh and shocking. Amid the conflicting emotions and hopes of her parents, daughter Minnie provides the much-needed balance of the pendulum. Hilda Guttormsen, gifted with an expressive face, successfully navigates between youthful enthusiasm and suppressed desires. Even the brief entrance of Mr. Forbes, played by Erwin A. Thomas, is dynamic and powerful in communicating the opposing themes of dissatisfaction and aspiration.

All of Wilder's pieces focus on a different stage of development, from infancy to old age (if you consider 46 old), and use the family dynamic as their container. In "Infancy," the numerous lines of thought connect to form a commentary on the restrictions formed as one progresses through life, and the need to stop others' growth by withholding knowledge.

Shontina Vernon is hysterical as baby Tommy; the eagerness to add more information to Tommy's growing awareness coupled with the constraints of infancy did not provide enough room for this talented actress to demonstrate her abilities. "Youth" had a few of the older audience members cracking up, but the jokes and references flew over most peoples' heads.

Nonetheless, Calli Sarkesh is charming and calculating as he captures the desperate need to survive in his portrayal of Capt. Lemuel Gulliver. The last one-act, "The Rivers Under the Earth," didn't quite deliver the necessary clarity of Wilder's objectives for the piece. One of the best reasons to keep paying attention, though, is Jillian Boyd's depiction of Mrs. Carter. She is another performer who consistently honors the character's intentions without resorting to caricatures. As Mrs. Carter, Boyd exudes gentleness, love and kindness towards her family, deftly connecting with them as the matriarch while maintaining her own inner life.

A few of the one-acts miss key elements and feel ungrounded but, on the whole, the evening's performances illuminated some brilliant thoughts on humanity and universality.

Showing at the Penthouse Theatre April 14-28. To purchase tickets, call 543-4880