Fresh bloom for 'Flowers' at Stars Playhouse
Nov. 8—While many shows distance audiences from the actors, "Flowers for Algernon," opening this weekend at Stars Playhouse, invites them into the action. The immersive experience allows viewers to feel the struggles of the protagonist Charlie, who undergoes an experimental procedure to improve his intelligence.
The play is based on the novel by Daniel Keyes, in which the journey of Charlie, a mentally disabled janitor, is interwoven with that of the mouse Algernon, both of which undergo experimental surgery to increase their intelligence. Early success is tempered by the mouse's regression and Charlie races to find the solution to avoid Algernon's fate.
Director Mariah Jordan said she was taken with the work since first reading it in the eighth grade.
"I think it's a story that was written ahead of its time and I am always interested in the stories that explore the complexities of human nature and relationships," she wrote in an email.
Although Jordan was a proponent of bringing David Rogers' play to the stage, she found it a tough sell when pitching the show. In a "lemonade out of lemons situation," she reconceptualized the presentation to be an immersive, multimedia experience, creating something unique for the audience.
She wrote, "I developed this structure myself, although the concept itself is not new it is new to Bakersfield theater, and it felt like a great opportunity to explore that post-pandemic.
"We are all trying new things in our lives and I wanted to try something new with this play."
Audiences will be guided through the production as lab interns guided by technicians (Hunter Wolosz and Brianna Garcia) through the many stages of the experiment.
Charlie is played by four actors — Shaquille Hill, Brittany Beaver, Spirit Byrd and Eli Castillo — to accommodate different point in the narrative as he interacts with his parents (Julie Ingram and Travis Hauert) and sister, Norma (Stevie Mcnabb); his teacher, Alice (Nancee Steiger); the bakery owner (Karen Harmon) who employs him; and the professor (Steve Evans) and doctor (Bethany Lahammer) behind the experiment.
The production includes live-action retellings as well as audio and visual recordings and other storytelling devices.
Splitting the narrative into these vignettes highlights the complexities of human interaction and shifting dynamics in the relationships between the characters.
"It's not often that the audience gets to see multiple facets of art in the same place, and I think it can be quite memorable when they do," Jordan wrote of the presentation. "Each piece of the project is displayed in a way that separates it as its own type of art, just like a museum."
Speaking of art, pieces on display in the scenes will also be up for auction.
Managing all the moving parts, including directing actors for filming and live performances and overseeing photo shoots, was challenging but the director said her team made all the difference.
"I was really fortunate to have so much support and enthusiasm from my cast and my designers. They really went above and beyond to bring my crazy idea to life, and I am forever grateful to them for that."
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.
