Theater Review: Too Much Memory
By Dan Nailen
02/05/10 - 08:28 AM
You ever cook a meal that just doesn't quite come together, despite a creative approach, fresh ingredients and competent execution?
That's a bit how I felt watching Salt Lake Acting Company's Too Much Memory, a modern twist on Sophocles' Antigone by Keith Reddin and Meg Gibson. There were aspects I enjoyed that went down easily, but the ambitious show just didn't fully come together, ultimately leaving me unsatisfied.
And I'm not kidding when I say Too Much Memory is ambitious. The project was inspired by anti-Iraq War protests Gibson and Reddin witnessed, and the show program states the show is "based on Antigone, incorporating texts from Richard Nixon, Tom Hayden, Pablo Neruda and Peter Brook." And it delivers its message about the convoluted processes of democracy, war and protest in utterly non-traditional fashion.
That's the aspect of the show I liked the most, the deconstructed nature of Gibson's direction and the stage design. The actors perform in a defined square on stage, and when their scenes are over, they simply move outside the box and take a seat—where they often become part of the stage crew, helping with lighting for other actors' scenes.
That deconstructed approach starts right at the beginning, with the Chorus (Lane Richins) opening the show talking directly to the audience about the story's inspiration, about the actors playing the various roles, about some of the decisions made by the director. The Chorus was my favorite part of Too Much Memory, infusing some much-needed humor to the proceedings. Richins does a fine job inviting the audience into the production.
The show is just more than an hour, but it still seemed to bog down in scenes when, say, Creon (Morgan Lund) waxes on about the travails of leading a divided nation (yes, plenty of hints of Barack Obama's current situation). The romance between Antigone (Nikki Nixon) and Haemon (Austin Archer) is given little time to flourish, despite a creatively staged love scene, so the demise of their relationship doesn't hit quite as hard as one would like.
That said, Nixon does a fine job carrying the show as Antigone; this is the recent Weber State grad's SLAC debut, and she gave an assured performance. Justin Ivie's Jones might be the most complex character, a soldier torn by his personal beliefs and his sense of duty for his country.
Too Much Memory asks some important questions, and does so in refreshing way. But it still didn't stir me the way it's intended to. I slept on it rather than write a review right after seeing it, and it didn't really change how I felt. I woke up still hungry for more. Despite its best intentions and some flashy production, Too Much Memory simply didn't stick to my ribs like I'd hoped.
Too Much Memory plays at Salt Lake Acting Company through February 28. Visit the SLAC Web site for show times and ticket information. (Photos by Scott Peterson)
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Reader Comments:
Yeah, I think if the play were longer (it's only 70 minutes long) it could have been more impactful, although I was surprised at how quickly I went from a mild emotional investment to near tears when Antigone fell to her knees as she realized that she was actually going to die for her actions. I think Nicki Nixon gave a great performance. What took away from the romantic relationship for me was the part when Haemon tries to get Creon to stop the soldiers from taking Antigone away. If their love was so strong, I imagine he would freak out a lot more. I do think that the guy who played Haemon was really natural in the other scenes though. Overall I thought the show was definitely worth seeing.
Too Much Memory is really a retelling of Jean Anouilh's 1944 play, Antigone, not the original Greek classic. I find it odd that, at least on the night I saw it, there was no acknowledgement of this fact in the program.