The term “community theater” conjures up a variety of images, the most common one being a troupe of inexperienced actors butchering a clich?d script. Yet the Madison Repertory’s production of “Spinning Into Butter” couldn’t be further from this idea. Instead, it uses a finely tuned ensemble of skillful actors and thought-provoking dialogue to enlighten a campus community–or, rather, the community that surrounds a campus.
Set in the small, predominately white liberal arts campus of Belmont College, “Spinning Into Butter” explores the issues of race relations, political correctness, objectification and generation gaps.
Yet its not the snore-inducing production one may think from this description. Instead, the play uses personalities and real experiences to raise the issues and to provide discussion. Consequently, it runs like more of an intelligent drama than a mind-numbing ethics lecture.
When an African-American student begins to receive threatening notes, the faculty and students are forced to wake up from their dream world of a racism-free environment. Different reactions and emotions face the characters; from the older deans, to the students, to new dean of students Sarah Daniels (Diane Robinson), the production raises some heavy issues that many others shy away from. However, “Spinning Into Butter” manages to avoid offending and insulting most of its audience through smart dialogue and capable acting.
Rebecca Gilman’s clean and well-developed script is fiery, intelligent and even humorous at times. There’s a startling authenticity to lines like “I feel like I don’t live up to the architecture here” and “We need a forum on race relations” which have undoubtedly been uttered just down the road and up Bascom Hill.
Believable casting also aids in the production’s overall impressive execution, with the actors fitting their parts eerily well. As if plucked from collegiate, rural Vermont, Paul Boesing and Diane Dorsey’s deans nearing retirement as well as Richard Ganoung’s Bob Saget -esque art professor are the very embodiment of a liberal-arts faculty. Robinson is barely the standout with her no-nonsense, nail-tough-yet-sensitive portrayal of Sarah.
“Spinning Into Butter” has a noticeable emphasis on authority figures, with two-thirds of the characters representing non-students. Of the remaining cast members, one is the stereotypical suck-up, which leaves student viewers to identify only with Patrick Chibas (Cornelio Aguilera). Aguilera, a UW-Madison theater major, plays the dissatisfied student with smart accuracy. His frustration and dissatisfaction with his learning institution may shock the taxpayers in the crowd, but leaves the rest of us nodding in agreement.
This is the core problem with the Rep’s production–the target audience. The community surrounding UW-Madison (those not involved in the day-to-day activities) will appreciate “Spinning Into Butter.” The questions it raises are important and will provide fodder for the car ride home. And although not a fairy tale ending, there is some sugar coating that will leave viewers of this sort with some hope for race relations on college campus.
Yet those involved with the university, students mostly, will find themselves saying “Well, duh” throughout the majority of the production. The problems explored in “Spinning Into Butter” are nothing new to anyone with a UW student ID.
Although important issues, some may find it hard to digest that they can come in a semi-neat package.
Its strong cast and script may open the eyes and stir the emotions of some, but for the less-targeted audience, “Spinning Into Butter” merely rehashes the problems facing many universities today. It sheds no new light, but discusses (in circles) topics all too familiar, which will do nothing to affect those of us already dizzy with the situation.
“Spinning Into Butter” plays at the Isthmus Playhouse at the Madison Civic Center through Nov 18. Tickets are available through the Civic Center Box office or by phone at 266-9055.
