Claassen & Co. mostly deliver the goods in 'Dancing'
Look Ma, IT has a winner, if imperfect
Kathleen Allen Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, February 12, 2012
Two weddings and a funeral serve as the backdrop for Invisible Theatre's latest, the world premiere of Janet Neipris' "Look Ma We're Dancing."
So does some mighty intense sibling rivalry in this production directed by Gail Fitzhugh.
And no one can do intense quite as well as Susan Claassen, IT's artistic director and one of the two sisters in this comedy.
Claassen's Vi has a strong wit, impeccable timing and a New York City sophistication.
She brings all that to Montana to attend her sister Franny's wedding (Franny is nicely portrayed by Susan Kovitz). Trouble is, she and Franny haven't spoken in a year, when something went terribly wrong at their mother's funeral. Franny isn't as interesting as Vi; nevertheless, Kovitz holds her own against Claassen - which isn't easy to do as Claassen is a force to be reckoned with on stage.
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The crew received applause after it made the remarkable transition with the moving of a few walls and replacing of a few pictures during intermission. Blair and Claassen deserve applause, too, for their innovative and much-more-than-serviceable set design.
TIM FULLER / INVISIBLE THEATRE
Susan Claassen and James Blair