Thursday night I went to see Thunder Knocking on the Door, my first show at the world renown Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
My dear friend, blogger buddy, and perpetual theatre date Allyson won two free tickets to opening night and was kind enough to invite me along for the adventure (because Lord knows there was no way I could have afforded a $61 ticket plus $10 parking), so we said HECK YES to free theatre and away we went!
Thunder Knocking… = super cool script.
Lately, I’ve been really into unusual and fabulous scripts that have something a little different and unexpected to offer. This isn’t a new show by any means, but it was new to me and a refreshing breath of fresh air from the standard vanilla musical.
Here’s a brief synopsis of the show taken from a TheaterMania review by David Finkle of a 2002 production:
The story, such as it is, presents Gertha Dupree, also known as Good Sister, whose late husband, Jaguar Dupree Senior, once bested a blue-eyed shape-shifter called Marvell Thunder in a guitar-playing contest. Miffed and vengeful, Thunder arrives some years later to insinuate himself into the Dupree household; here Gertha lives with daughter Glory, who is blind as the result of a car accident. A frequent visitor to the humble household is Dregster Dupree, twin brother to Gertha’s ex-husband and now Gertha’s longtime lover. Jaguar Dupree, a prodigal son, has also returned after forfeiting one of two charmed guitars his father left him and his sister. He’d lost it in a guitar contest that Thunder instigated. Now Thunder is knocking on the Dupree door because he wants the second guitar. In order to take possession, he challenges Glory to yet one more face-off–but not before he has returned her sight, and the two have discovered they have eyes for each other.
The questions Thunder Knocking on the Door means to raise are: Will the three Duprees survive Thunder’s threat? Will Glory beat Thunder in the contest and remain able to see? Will Gertha confront whatever it is that keeps her from committing to Dregster? Will Thunder, who is slowly and literally turning to stone, be able to reverse the disastrous metamorphosis? And will Jaguar overcome the unease he apparently feels as a promising rock-and-roller to proselytize for the blues as his dad did? {via}
I loved the bluegrass style music. I loved the humor. I loved the infectious energy. I loved the unusual and captivating storyline that dabbled in the supernatural. I loved that the cast played the story – larger than life characters, supernatural beings, and compelling circumstances – totally seriously instead of turning it into a cheeseball spoof (as it so easily could have become with a show of this nature). I loved the talent. I loved how loud and bright and flashy it was. Yet I loved the humanity of it all. And I loved the magic tricks.
Yeah, those magic tricks get me every darn time.
You should have heard the two of us gasping at Glory floating in mid-freaking-air, the flash of lighting fast complete costume change that took place onstage in full view of the audience in less than 1 second, and the guitar case that magically popped open when pointed to by Thunder. Now, we’ve both been in theatre long enough to know that each of these little gimmicks must have a perfectly logical explanation. But they were well hidden. And therefore perfectly unexpected and delightful!
But most of all, I just loved the story.
So, if you have the chance to see it anywhere, please do. It’s different and it’s fun and it’s sure to keep you on your toes.
{via – Photo: Sandy Underwood}
