Finding Direction and Moving Forward

Suze Falk as Dot (left) and Jack Anderson as George (right) in Sunday in the Park with George at Lake Country Playhouse. Photo credit: Marie Helser Photography.

A review of Sunday in the Park with George

by Charlie Fetters, age 16

Georges Seurat was a revolutionary artist in late-nineteenth century Paris, who served as a primary foundational member of the Neo-Impressionism movement. A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, his magnum opus, captures the complexity of leisure and social classes at the time. Though the figures in this painting were actually based on archetypes rather than anyone in Seurat’s life, Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, which is now playing at Lake Country Playhouse, imagines who they could have been.

The plot centers around a fictional version of Seurat and his great-grandson (also named George). Act l follows Seurat’s obsession with his work, and explores the lives of those who appear in the composition. Each character is introduced separately from George–some of them never even interact with him. As the story goes on, they each get tied into his life in some form. Then cut to Act II, where his great-grandson parallels him, working obsessively and ignoring his real connections. When his grandma (Seurat’s daughter) finally gets him to stop, he is surrounded by Seurat’s creation and finally understands how everything is tied together.

Sondheim is notoriously difficult for all musicians. He rejects the typical Broadway formulas, instead opting for unpredictable harmonies, irregular phrasing, and difficult syncopation. On top of that, the acting that needs to happen makes it an intense challenge for actors as well. Tackling a show like this is not an easy feat, but LCP had no noticeable stumbles or errors. I was blown away by everyone’s musicality and talent. The pit was awesome (major props to those who played more than one instrument), the performers were noticeably dedicated to their craft, and overall, everyone worked in harmony.

Outside of musicality, each performer’s ability to stay in character is what sold the show to me. No matter where I looked, I never found any inconsistencies–everyone was always reacting, even if they were simply in the background. Besides that, the actual characterization and expressiveness that I watched happen made the story real. Even the actors I knew personally were easily separated from their characters, which speaks levels to their talent.

Some may say that the stage felt blank, with minimal scenic design by Chad Munkwitz and August Hendrix. However I found that it coincided with George’s message: "White. A blank page or canvas. The challenge: bring order to the whole." Watching the story unfold felt like watching a painting come to life; each actor and set piece that entered felt like a stroke of paint being added. On that note, the use of live painting was very engaging. George got to actually create artwork while onstage (or as close to artwork as you can get), which added to the immersiveness. For such a small space, LCP did outstanding work at using it to their advantage and taking creative liberty.

Lake Country Playhouse does an incredible job at bringing a story to life. By creating an all-encompassing experience, they invite the audience to undergo the story themselves. The actors, musicians, technicians, and everyone else who contributed to the making of this production are all clearly devoted to (one of) the show’s messages: true creation requires commitment. Catch Sunday in the Park with George through October 11th!