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The newest venture for Stephanie Roberts, one of the 2010 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Awards Fellows, integrated two traditionally formulaic genres—classic noir and commedia dell'arte—in The Mask of the Broken Heart.  Written and performed by Roberts and directed by Heidi Van, this was the first production for Slow Burn Productions. This somewhat comedic treatment slyly alluded to the twisted plots of Greek tragedies through overextended similes that speckled the script like the potholes on Gillham.

Roberts wrote a versatile and challenging script, creating 13 characters, among them, a private eye, femme fatale, overbearing tycoon, knuckled-headed stooge, Eastern European nanny, and monkey handler (14 characters if you count the monkey).  Many of the characters where signified though a simple wardrobe change—a scarf, hat, wrap skirt—and a new mask.  They came alive through gestural effects, distinctive voicing, and a surprisingly elastic lower jaw, especially for the lascivious Vera.  Her fluid movements and about-face character shifts were impressive; not surprising considering Roberts studied at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and teaches physical comedy in UMKC's theater department.  She had a few tricks to accommodate dialogue, some more effective than others.  Turning her back to audience did not work very well, though having two masks “talk” to each other was believable and the conversation between the bodyguards was the comedic highlight of the play.

The show went well, taking into account that this was the second performance.  While there were a few verbal stumbles, overall the show was exciting, humorous, and suspenseful.  The pacing issues with laugh lines during voice-overs will hopefully be accommodated in further reworking.  The audience, made of friends, family and new theater enthusiasts, may have been exacerbated the problem by chortling heavily at well crafted, but primarily dry, jokes. 

Roberts stayed well within the realm of classic noir through narration, flashbacks, and stereotypical characters.  Though dream sequences served to introduce the lost love and to convolute the plot they were the least effective scenes in the production.  The arc of the story was lopsided, however, and after a slow build-up, the climax, final flashback, and resolution crashed into each other leaving me confused and let down—like trekking up a mountain only to find bus for the way down at the summit.

Sparse set design and harsh lighting created the classic world of noir and the many commedia masks, created by Bruce Marrs, aided in establishing the other worldly and grotesque aspect to the play.  Primarily, Roberts and Van made efficient use of space in such a small theater.  One issue I had was the staging of the climactic scene.  The action took place on the stage floor with the sightline blocked by the front row of patrons.  In a traditional theater with a raised stage this might not have been an issue, but the intensity of the scene was lost since I, along with most of the audience, could not see the action.

Regardless, the performance was fascinating. Roberts and Van’s production was a creative approach to two genres that are bordering on becoming obsolete theatrical forms.  Roberts’ expertise in movement and voicing, along with the masks, created a fantastically dark world and compelling story.

REVIEW:
Slow Burn Productions
The Mask of the Broken Heart
Saturday, August 21 at 8:00 p.m. (reviewed)
Fishtank Performance Studio
1715 Wyandotte, Kansas City, MO
For more information email sraerob@yahoo.com or visit www.fishtanktheater.com.

Cover Photo: Stephanie Roberts in The Mask of the Broken Heart (Credit: Matthew Collins) 

By Libby Hanssen

Traditional and New Classical, Theatre Contributor

Libby Hanssen holds degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.M.) and Ball State University (B.M.) in trombone performance and also studied music education at Indiana University. She has studied trombone with Carl Lenthe, JoDee Davis, John Seidel, John Huntoon and Denis Wick, and music education with Brent Gault, Estelle Jorgensen and Katherine Strand.

While at IU, she taught classes in general music, focusing on listening skills and music fundamentals through practical music usage and exploring new sound constructions. During the course of her studies at UMKC, she performed with many ensembles, including the Conservatory Orchestra and Musica Nova. She has also performed with the Kansas City Puccini Festival, the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, the New Jazz Order, the Indiana Wind Symphony and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

In 2010, she was a fellow (one of 23 journalists selected from across the US) for the seventh annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University’s Journalism School in New York City.

Most of her free time is spent with her three boys (son, dog and husband) and camera, exploring the many fine aspects of Kansas City living. She enjoys listening to KKFI - Kansas City Community Radio and KCUR - Kansas City's NPR station, visiting Kansas City's fine collection of museums and galleries, and scavenging in thrift and antique stores to add to her collection of toy instruments.

She writes for the joy of words and the process of constructing a story, maintaining the blog Proust Eats a Sandwich (www.prousteatsasandwich.wordpress.com). She is working on her first book: Murray Goes to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.