![\"Amie](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NA1_2633-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Amie Farrell and John C. Reilly. Photo by Nick Agro, as is the big one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n
But it is<\/em> interesting, on several levels.<\/p>\n First of all, I\u2019m sure that movie fans will be keen to see comic actor John C. Reilly in person. And close-up, to boot!\u00a0 And not as his usual comedy-star self. (These are not<\/em> amusing tales.\u00a0 More on the genre in a second.) I almost didn\u2019t recognize him without Will Ferrell by his side. And he is thinner than I thought. And taller. So there\u2019s that.<\/p>\n I loved the music, by Logan Hone, whose clever credit in the program is \u201cOne-Man Band.\u201d It was my favorite part of the entire presentation, and my friend Roz echoed my sentiments. The music, (which is usually interstitial, as opposed to true ditties,) coupled with the fabulous sound effects, makes<\/em> the show, in my opinion.<\/p>\n The empty-ish set, with Logen Hone entertaining the crowd as they get seated. (The piano et al gets moved back and out of the way when the show begins.) Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The set, which is just a big blank floor, is perfect for John to do \u201cactivities\u201d in. (Fans of the movie\u00a0Step Brothers<\/em>\u00a0know of what I speak. Mr. X quotes it all the time! He even begged me to clear out a specific space in our house so it would be perfect for activities. Which it now is. And he has that movie to thank for me getting that task done.)<\/p>\n But these old-timey stories are so not my thing. Gather<\/em> is a potpourri of traditional folklore tales, none of which I had ever read and only one of which I had even heard!<\/p>\n The man who reads this part, then sits in the audience, is in the center. Photo by Nick Agro.<\/p><\/div>\n I could make-out only about half of the titles the man called-out, and the only name I recognized is The\u00a0Bremen Town Musicians<\/em>,\u00a0(whose\u00a0official<\/em> title is\u00a0Town Musicians of Bremen<\/em>.)\u00a0 Brother and Sister<\/em> is the only other one I could find on the internet. They also do one called The Magic Tree<\/em>. Then there\u2019s another story called\u00a0The Devil, Death, and Samuel Green<\/em>. Delightful. Now I know why these folk tales are so obscure\u2014no one wants to hear them!<\/p>\n The cast. Photo by Nick Agro.<\/p><\/div>\n Since The\u00a0Bremen Town Musicians<\/em> is the first one presented, and it features the cast amusingly portraying animals, I thought this is a theatre piece that is more for children than grown-ups. But then the rest of the narratives turn dark really quickly. So I have to advise you to not<\/em> bring children to this show that features Death not once but twice, and people getting chopped-up, and many mentions of blood, and someone even getting tied up in a sack and sent to his demise…while still alive! Gather<\/em> has way<\/em> too much violence for kids, (and for me<\/em>, too,) even though it\u2019s just described<\/em> horror, with no blood displayed<\/em>. (Thank goodness there are few props.) Roz and I both said that we would have had nightmares if we had seen these yarns as kids. And as a former elementary school teacher, I advise that many children will react the same way. These are not your Disney<\/em> fairytales!\u00a0 (But they are<\/em> your grandfather\u2019s<\/em>. Actually, your great-great-great-grandfather’s!)<\/p>\n But that\u2019s how folklore was written back in the day, with so much brutality, (even though one good<\/em> character or another often undoes the evil.) Maybe that\u2019s why there have been so many crazies and miscreants and serial killers through the ages.<\/p>\n Madeline Wager and Chris Schultz. Photo by Nick Agro.<\/p><\/div>\n In addition to John C. Reilly, Gather<\/em> features eight other talented actors, who appear to be\u00a0really into this kind of performing. Since John\u2019s the one who put this together, (with creative partner, and this show\u2019s director, Patrick Murphy,) it\u2019s nice of him to have chosen all non-famous actors to round-out the cast. And these people are not shy about throwing themselves into each character, complete with weird facial contortions and complex body movements, which I wholeheartedly applaud them for.<\/p>\n And I have to give John credit for not making it about himself when he\u2019s probably the reason people want to attend Gather to begin with; to see him work in person. [Note: When I researched him after, I was wowed to discover his prolific body of work! I know him from only Chicago<\/em> and the aforementioned Step Brothers<\/em>, even though I\u2019ve seen about half the movies he\u2019s appeared in! I never even knew he\u2019s been in more dramas than comedies!]<\/p>\n John C. Reilly. Photo by Nick Agro.<\/p><\/div>\n I have to say that John seems like a nice guy. That observation was solidified for me when I noticed\u00a0the last line of his bio in the program for Gather<\/em>. It reads, \u201cHe has been acknowledged by the Academy, the Tonys, the Grammys, and the Golden Globes, but he is most honored by your presence here tonight.\u201d I love that, (even though he\u2019s perhaps a tad nutty if he means it.)<\/p>\n And here\u2019s one weird note. (Like all of my reviews are not somewhat wacky to begin with?!) I was actually impressed that most of their shoes are so quiet. One woman\u2019s boots could not even be heard on that floor at all<\/em>! They must have had great rubbery cushioning.\u00a0 I give major kudos to the Costume Designer, Ann Closs Farley, for that. Perhaps she\u2019s the person responsible for one visual that awed me, as well; one of the women does a silver bird with her gloved hands, which is just beautiful.<\/p>\n (L-R) Max Kleinman, Amie Farrell, John C. Reilly, and Michael Dunn. Photo by Nick Agro<\/p><\/div>\n So, if you want to see a movie star do something other\u00a0than what you\u2019re used to seeing him do, really up-close and personal, and even hear him sing an old-fashioned troubadour-esque tune or two, and want to learn about these fables without reading them for yourself, and want an evening at the theatre that you don\u2019t need to get dressed-up for, and do not mind gory old tales, and are over fifteen, this ninety-minute, intermission-less show just might be the one for you.<\/p>\n Gather: Surprising Stories & Other Mischief<\/em>\u00a0running through June 22, 2019<\/strong> GATHER: SURPRISING STORIES & OTHER MISCHIEF This is a different kind of production. And venue. Gather is an evening of very old-timey stories presented by a troupe of high-energy actors, (including one famous guy,) in the intimate Carrie Hamilton Theater upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse, with just a bare floor as the performance area. And<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Pasadena Playhouse\u2014Carrie Hamilton Theater<\/strong>
\n 39 South El Molino Avenue Pasadena 626-356-7529\u00a0www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"