2008 Woodie Awards
James Sherman play "Relatively Close" debuts at ISU
Tyler Larson
Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: News
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The play, which Sherman said is based around his experiences with his wife's family, and surrounds three sisters, Marlene, Jan and Beth returning to their summerhouse on the shore of Lake Michigan shortly after their father has died to decide what to do with the house.
Accompanying the three sisters are their husbands, Ron, Yousef and Arthur, along with Beth's son, Dylan.
"I really like the play, especially the dialogue in it," Caylee Sharp, a junior elementary education major, said.
"I thought all of the characters were very well developed but the two that stood out in my mind were Marlene and her husband Ron because of her quiet nature and his witty sarcasm," Sharp added.
Pleasantries are exchanged as is expected when the family first convenes in the summerhouse, but problems between the members of the family quickly ensue.
The major issue being the decision of what will happen to the house.
One sister, Jan, would like to sell the house because, as a real estate agent, she knows a large sum of money would be made from the sale.
But Marlene and Beth both would like to keep the house in the family's name if at all possible because of all the memories that accompany the house.
"I was very impressed how the play took on such serious issues but was able to remain so funny at the same time," Jaime Hecker, a sophomore acting major, said.
"Another great aspect of the play was the set. It looked so good and really must have taken a lot of time," Hecker added.
As Sherman states, he wrote the play because of his views on a distressed world and all of the tribal wars that occur in this distressed world.
"I found the play to be a very modern, realistic perspective on the age-old issue of family drama," Tyler Wilson, a freshman theatre education major, said.
"Everyone that sees this play should be able to walk away with something they find useful or important in their own lives," Wilson added.
"Relatively Close" will be running through Nov. 10 in the Center for the Performing Arts Theatre at 7:30 p.m. along with a special matinee showing at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11.
The play will be making its professional world premiere for Victory Gardens Theater, where Sherman is an ensemble member and resident playwright, on June 6 of next year at the Biograph Theater using the ISU stage.
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