The Drowsy Chaperone

A strange, yet provocatively humorous show, put on by OSU's student led Off the Lake, "The Drowsy Chaperone" was first and foremost a great effort and combination of talent accumulated on the stage. The story begins with an hilarious introduction by The Man in the Chair (Tyler Rogols) who's natural sense of stage presence and overabundance of talent created a light-hearted and easy going atmosphere straight from the start. The Man in the Chair is an older man, guiding the audience through what he calls "his favorite album in his collection." It is clear that the time period in which the Man in the Chair speaks is more contemporary in comparison with the actual story of "The Drowsy Chaperone," which takes place in 1920s Prohibition. Characters Janet Van de Graaff (Hannah Schwieterman) and Robert Martin (Justin LaBelle) are to be married in this sappy comedy; however, such characters as the unhelpful Chaperone (Jenna Lee Shively) and Aldolpho (Nick Navaratnam) stand in Janet's way of coming to terms with whether or not she should actually be married to a man that she hardly even knows.

"The Drowsy Chaperone," in its glory, prooves most spectacular; but there are still some elements of design that are left to be questioned. First and foremost, granted the space provided, I was confused by the layout of the set and the orchestra, which bisected the stage in an almost distracting manner. I found that at times the orchestra was overcoming the cast with their music, partially because there was no barrier in between them: like, for instance, and orchestra pit that is seated below the stage, entirely away from the level of the actors. I would have liked to see the orchestra at a different area, perhaps even in the balcony, to keep the distraction away from the actors and the set. The use of the cast throughout the audience was great, but the use of lighting to keep track of them was distracting. I thought that the intense white hue of the spot lights did little justice to the characters, and could have better been used as a softer white or yellow.

This performance of "The Drowsy Chaperone" was a great display of secular talent, which, hopefully, will lead to greater things in the future.