Troy Civic Theatre Inc — Attraction in Troy

Troy Civic Theater has brought forth - from upon high - a child: and this child was known as GODSPELL. Stephen Schwartz’s piece opened in 1971, off-Broadway, and has since trod the boards in all circles of theatre: amateur to Equity, adult to youth (a GODSPELL Jr. is available to license through Music Theatre International) and most recently with a 2012 US tour -- being born of the first Broadway revival of the piece, in 2011.

The musical has inspired, entertained, and enraged people. The latter being notable due to the script’s lack of an overt depiction of Jesus’ resurrection. This scriptcraft is intentional. Mr Schwartz has said: “(...) it is the effect JESUS has on the OTHERS which is the story of the show, not whether or not he himself is resurrected.” In Troy Civic Theatre’s production, director Derek Dunavent, (who also, according to the program, has the roles of: sound designer, costume designer, music director, lighting design, choreographer and box offic manager) eschews not only convention, and playwright’s intent while sacrifing the pleasure of subtext, and the ambiguity that often makes any story worthwhile - and finally serves what GODSPELL audiences have been clamoring for years for: a resurrection scene.

There is little happiness one can resurect for themselves after enduring Mr Dunavent's escapade, which is steeped in steampunk aesthetics. He justifies this “decision” as such: “Steampunk is the perfect analogy to my own experience; starting out as mechanical, a cog in the machine until something interrupts that. It pulls us from the mechanical by rote mentality and makes us more real, more human.” Brushing aside knowledge that Mr Dunavent's own language for his thematic spine of the production is largely a crisp iceberg–and-ranch dressing word salad, one must reach very far, and very wide - to pull from a subgenre of science fiction steeped in retro-futuristic technology and intertwine it with the Gospel of Matthew set to music. How these two jarringly, and exceedingly disparate ideas relate to another is a mystery, and currently beyond this reviewer's mental grasp; Mr Dunavent, and his production, are of little help in resolving this mysterious relationship. A relationship, one could venture to guess, is purely the fabrication of Mr Dunavent’s own doing - one which he wishes to convince us that everyone associates disconnected gears, plunging necklines, out-of-breath soloists, flat, bland lighting, significant audio issues, and horrendous sight lines with … none other than … Jesus. This is High Art ™, indeed. So very high. So highbrow. And revolutionary! So out of reach, (for me, the uncultured swine that I am) …that it's reaching, reaching, and always missing.

Mr Dunavent, who is highly-decorated with “countless awards” (breathlessly described, and few mentioned, in his program bio), has assumed so many hats in this production that he seems to wear not any one of them with much acuity, if one can wear a hat as such.

Theatre-goers: Prepare Ye, The Way...

What a wonderful venue for both actors and audience. The intimate setting allows the energy and enthusiasm of the cast to surround you, drawing you into the production as though you were a cast member. This was my wife's and my first time seeing a play performed here. We went with another couple who invited us along and thank you so much! We had the joy of watching professional actors and actresses perform Lysistrata. An uprorious, entertaining 2500 year old Greek play that remains relative to this day. Kudos to everyone involved in the production and presentation! We are now confirmed season ticket holders. If you enjoy being entertained in a cozy welcoming atmosphere do not pass this opportunity up. We are looking forward to the next...

This is a very good local community theater. First of all, it is in a really great park - it's huge, with paved paths and all kind of amenities. Very beautiful, and a great place to spend the day with family or friends. The theater building is large and modern, with padded seats. The show I went to see had seating on three sides, which is a nice option to have. We had a great time...