The Rough & Tumble Theatre is one of the truly experimental theatre groups in Boston. Some other avant-garde groups tend to stumble from style to style, but not R & T. Founded three years ago by Kristin Baker and Dan Milstein the goal of this group is to develop scenarios based on various plot lines which can be performed in gibberish by small casts playing many parts. In the past three years, sticking to this formula, they've tackled Chekov's "The Lady With the Pet Dog", Kafka in "George K Goes to Work", and "Macbeth", as well as creating original shows for children, all featuring the syllable "Blah". "Archimedes Abercrombie Makes a Movie", R & T's latest group creation under sometime playwright Milstein's direction, employs a company of six to reimagine a movie about a writer-director creating a silent movie, from inspiration at the typewriter to a world premier. With a few props and an astounding number of simple costume changes, R & T mines the tradition of movies about making movies, which goes back to Sennott and Keaton.
The title character is played by Michael Kaye, who makes a good leading man and does very well with "Blah" his first time out. Managing Director and co-founder Kristin Baker plays Olivia, the star of the picture being made, and of course our hero's love interest. These two handle a range of dramatic interactions with aplomb, with the dignity associated with movie stars of an earlier era. The other four members of the company play multiple roles, creating approximately thirty parts. Various of the cast are also involved in teaching theatres in the Boston area.
Both George Saulnier III and Irene Daly are tied with eight roles each. George, who made quite an impression last season in "George K..." plays the leading man in the movie within the movie, a nebbish off-screen but dynamic when acting. He also plays the rest of the male actors at the audition for that film, including a Brando-wannabe mumbling "Blah". Irene, who's been seen with various other companies around town - as has George - plays all the women auditioning, including a tap dancer. She gets the role of the long suffering wife in the movie being made and then plays an Irish cop speaking gibberish with a brogue while the company is "On Location". Sean Barney, who has appeared with the Industrial Theatre, plays the swarmy producer and the down-to-earth cameraman as well as a couple of walk-ons. Tori Low, with three R & T productions under her belt, and very expressive eyes , plays the writer-director's plain Assistant, as well as the Reporter For The N.Y.Times - in a yellow dress - plus several walk-ons as well as being the head usher. The rest of the cast, not to be outdone, applauds each member of audience as they squeeze into the intimate confines of the Leland Center, while the director takes tickets at the door. It's a small company.
Since the subject of the piece is a silent movie, there is appropriate though not period keyboard accompaniment throughout by Fred Harrington, a veteran of the improv scene. Paradoxically, when scenes for the movie are being shot, those on-camera speak real dramatic lines while the director at times shouts instructions in gibberish. And during intimate moments for the two principals, real lines are read from the script of the film, which makes an interesting variation on the theme. The costumes for the film being made are basically black, white, and grey, while those in the "real" world are primary colors for the most part. All were selected from the best thrift stores in town by Bonnie Duncan with a few additions from the casts' personal wardrobes and limited alterations. The company by now has mastered the art of quick costume changes. Only once did two of the men wind up wearing each other's suit coats. And there's obviously a lot of ironing to be done between shows.
Rough & Tumble has perfected the use of a technique usually confined to acting classes and less imaginative improv groups. They get more mileage out of one syllable than many groups in town get from original scripts. Their next project seems to aimed at exploring popular performance arts using their favorite techniques. No one expects the result to be great art, but audiences can anticipate being entertained and probably surprised by their efforts. The company's low-cost production techniques should allow them to stay in business as times get harder, though the under-forty capacity of the Leland Center doesn't afford much income at the door.