Pre-show Lectures at the Overture Center Enhance Understanding of The Flick
[vc_row][vc_column][title type="subtitle-h6"]Laura Schmitt[/title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="11/12"][vc_column_text]Forward Theater held free pre-show lectures about The Flick throughout the month of February, allowing the public to learn about the themes of the Pulitzer-Prize winning play prior to seeing the show.Karen Moeller, an actress and Artistic Associate with Forward Theater acting company, addressed a crowd of approximately 60 people in the Overture Center’s Rotunda Stage prior to the matinee performance of The Flick.Moeller began the lecture by discussing the life of The Flick playwright, Annie Baker, who has had a profound impact on the theater world since she began writing plays after college.“What’s so special about Baker’s work is that she strives to make the lives on stage vivid, natural and representative of the real world,” Moeller said. “She effectively captures how people communicate, but even more impressively, how we often fail to communicate.”
At first glance, The Flick is often considered a minimalist play due to its limited action and simple setting of four characters working at a run-down movie theater. The real complexity and artistic mastery of The Flick lies in the play’s dialogue and subtext.According to Moeller, a major theme Baker explores in The Flick is the debate between using film or digital production in the movie industry. The transition to digital work has become popular because it is easily distributed and cost efficient, but it has raised questions about artistic authenticity.Baker projects this question of authenticity onto the lives of the characters in The Flick. The conversations that take place throughout the play force the characters and audience to consider how much of the image they present to the world is authentic and what parts are shaped by outside forces.Barbara Birch, who has attended Forward Theater productions for several years, finds the pre-show lectures to be a valuable part of the theater experience.“They are so professional and fun,” Birch said. “It’s a great chance to really learn about the show in a deeper way.”Forward Theater holds pre-show lectures before all Thursday and Sunday performances.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]