schedule
Partizan Theater
Something Witchy
Thu., Jul. 30 @ 7:00 p.m.
[A] Sat., Aug. 1 @ 1:00 p.m.
Tue., Aug. 4 @ 10:00 p.m.
Thu., Aug. 6 @ 10:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 8 @ 5:30 p.m.
KEY:
[S]=ASL interpreted
[A]=Audio described
Warning! Violence, Adult language
Venue U of M Rarig Center Thrust
For ages 15+
Written by James Vculek
Web site http://partizanpictures.com/somethin...
genres Drama
features World premiere, Original script/choreography, Equity cast members
Overall rating
User reviews
A 90 minutes play in 60 minutes
by Sid Solomon Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
After the final performance of Something Witchy, cast member Chris Carlson informed the audience that what they had just seen was 60 minutes of what was to be a 90 minute full-length piece. And it was the missing half an hour that made Something Witchy fall a little flat. Arriving at a climactic third act after just over 30 minutes of character development, it was hard to justify the drama and high stakes of the penultimate moment. I look forward to seeing a longer incarnation of this show in the near future.
Something really good
by David Trudeau Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Well written, produced, directed, acted thriller. I can't wait to see it again in its new form. Will there be a part for Sarah Jane?
Great show
by Zawmer Amaden Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I thought this was really, really good. Very solid writing that draws you in and holds your interest. The three actors were all outstanding, particularly Catherine Johnson Justice, whose character believably transitioned to extremes in a shockingly short amount of time.
As we are informed, this is meant to be a longer work, and I give it only four kitties because I think it needs more time than it's getting here. We're left hanging a bit about what happens with Cody, the teenaged daughter. Time constraints also force the writer to assume the audience has a basic understanding about the Manson Family, although they might prefer that anyway.
Loved the show though. A 45-minute whirlwind of great acting.
Good psychological drama
by Sarah Wash Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
The Manson murders were one of the most important events of the latter twentieth century--bringing the idealism of the flower child generation to a grinding halt. The rose came off the bloom and many were thrown into confusion and cynicism.
The acting was among the best I've seen in the Festival--the gritty Chris Carlson, the sassy Lindsey Alexandra Hartley, and Catherine Johnson Justice...who moved me beyond what I am at liberty to write in this review. But the reason I give this show four kitties instead of five is that I think it could go deeper, especially in a longer work. The man is someone who could bring to the story a lot more context about the larger cultural significance of the murders, and in so doing, underscore the complicated emotions of Rachel. But shows of this kind are the reason why I keep coming to the Fringe. Thank you so much for that.
Terrific
by Ari Hoptman Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
James Vculek shows again his quite significant strengths as a writer. An intriguing story, very well directed and acted. I'm glad I was there.
Compelling
by August Berkshire Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Compelling and memorable. Kept me glued to the stage the entire time.
Recommended
by Daniel Joeck Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A very well done show. Funny, tense and surprising in all the right places, with solid pacing and strong performances all around. Lindsey Hartley, in particular, shines as a rebellious teen with a chip on her shoulder. Check it out.
Terrific!!!!
by Judy Halip Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I really enjoyed this play. Great script and great acting! Very haunting.
a tight one-act
by Erika Klein Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
While nothing revelatory or mind-blowing, "Something Witchy" is tight, suspenseful, one-act with some insanely awesome acting. It's torn between thinking the story was tied up perfectly within an hour and thinking I would totally read something novel-length with the same plot.
Excellent
by Valerie Garber Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I was on the edge of my seat for most of this play. All three actors gave incredibly strong performances when I saw it on Saturday. I would normally be more likely to see a comedy than a crime suspense drama. But this play explores a very interesting subject. The script does leave some questions unanswered, but that's the way life really is. It made me want to find out more about the historical events underlying the play.
Hmmm...
by Micah Bruce Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
This was riveting in spots, but there were some plot holes you could drive a truck through.
The actors were good, but overall, I guess the word I would use is "meh."
Good show
by Karen Pollard Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Not my first choice, but very enjoyable. The daughter was especially good, totally immersed in her role.
Wow!
by Richard Heise Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
We are through four days of the Fringe and this is the best show I have seen. Intense but extremely well done.
Captivating
by J Emily Peabody Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This was not our first choice for Saturday morning, but boy am I glad we saw it. It was well performed, the subject matter was totally compelling and I think most audiences would totally like it. I hope it gets further developed into a full length play.
Great acting - script could be stronger
by Arthur Adams Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
The actors were committed to their roles and should be commended on a good performance. While I could imagine certain people being sucked into the plot, this one wasn\'t for me. The exposition was well written and acted and kept the audience in suspense for a good 15-20 minutes. It seemed that there was too much time in the middle where we didn\'t learn anything new, and by the end we were left with a lot more questions than answers. I\'m okay with questions, but I felt that in this case the play would have actually been much stronger had a few of the questions been answered. The cast deserves four kitties, but the show left me with only three.
Not Riveted
by Kay Jackson Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
I was intrigued by the idea of a play might explore Manson in a new way, but was utterly disappointed. I did not find the characters engaging, the confrontation "wrenching," or the ending "shocking." I found nothing in the piece that was worth my time.
Solid Piece, Some Gaps
by Christopher Kidder Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
The acting was terrific. The script needs a little fleshing out, still. All-in-all, a good show.
For more in-depth thoughts: Fringe By Numbers
Shocking and intriguing
by Nanette Stearns Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Very professional production, intriguing with lots of twists and turns.
Not my cup of tea, but well done.
by Heather Smith Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This show was not my first choice, but due to scheduling I decided to give it a try. While it wasn't my cup of tea, I did think the acting was well done, and the show piqued my interest. As others have noted, it left many unanswered questions.
Slow Creep
by Ben Thietje Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
It took a little while to get going, but when it finally did, I was adequately creeped out.
Interesting
by Kassie Church Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This is a very unique and interesting show. There is a great deal of drama and intrigue. My husband and I both agreed on what we thought would happen, which didn't. Very good acting that draws you in. A very good show.
More worthwhile than not
by Sasha Walloch Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Honestly, I left the theater with a great deal of dissatisfaction after this one, but I'd still recommend it. Here's why: It makes me want to learn more about the Mason "Family" and the Tate-LaBianca murders. A dreary subject, yes, but any theatre that leaves that kind of lasting impression is doing something right, as far as I'm concerned. That being said, I really wish the show had spent less time on dancing around the mysteriousness of the encounter between the main characters, drawing out a realistic, but none-the-less implied exposition. Instead, I would have preferred a deeper look at all 3 of the characters' histories, motivations, and futures. As other reviewers have noted, these were not only questions raised but interests peaked, and unfortunately, as the history in this case is a permanent mystery, only the fiction inside the mind of Mr. Vculek could tell us the answers. Perhaps the 60 minute limit of the Fringe wasn't the best format for something so complex.
Charlie's Angel
by Reid Gagle Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
An excellent little play about a youngish woman's horrific past catching up to her staid present. This is one of those Fringe shows that you wish could have been twice as long, or maybe a whole novel. There were so many way that the playwright could have gone with these characters and this situation had he had more time. The play's final moment was particularly stong.
Not typically my cup of tea, but I liked
by Roger Davis Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This show was very good. The language of the writing was great. I usually don't go for the genre but I was sucked in.
I wanted to like the show more
by Katherine Hammond Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
I really tried to like it more. I liked the dynamics of the show. The plot sounded great and I adnit that the writing was good, but I found myself looking at my watch quite a bit. It felt long and drawn out to me.
Bewitched
by Leslie Martin Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
With writer/director James Vculek's superb ear for dialogue, and brilliant performances by all three actors, the play seemed so real I wanted to leap onto the stage and join in the conversation. Definitely a first for me.
We left with some unanswered questions but what could be more appropriate? No one will ever have all the answers to the mysteries of the Manson Family and the horrific crimes they committed.
The three of us wished the play had been longer. We wanted more! We'll certainly look forward to more from Partizan Theater.
Something missing.
by Bryon Gunsch Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
James Vculek's play gives food for thought to anyone familiar with the Tate/LaBianca murders, and possible answers to some lingering questions.
But I was disappointed that some of the questions arising from the play's characters remained unanswered, particularly concerning daughter Cody. At the end I was left with several different deductions in mind, and no clear notion of what the playwright intended. And while the character Cody was headstrong and demanding, the actress playing her was too soft-spoken at times for my front-row ears to understand.
Three kitties.
Something Witchy (The SOB Review)
by Steve On Broadway (SOB) Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
***1/2 (out of ****)
Someplace far beyond where the improbable seems to run forever parallel to the possible -- with no apparent chance for ever intersecting -- the former veers directly into the latter.
Such was the case forty years ago this summer when Charles Manson and his "Family" of followers shocked the world with their heinous crimes against the bold and the beautiful in Los Angeles. Their brand of drug-induced, racially-tinged, Beatles-inspired "Helter Skelter" over the course of two nights left seven brutally murdered, including actress Sharon Tate and grocer Leno LaBianca.
The Tate-LaBianca Murders, of course, would become the stuff of never-ending notoriety. There would be countless books, movies and even an "official" blog. So large is the continued fascination that the thirst for new angles on this 40-year old story never seem to be fully quenched.
It's against this backdrop that Partizan Theater's Something Witchy manages to find that obscure place where the improbable gives way to the possible yet again. Set in 1986, Something Witchy conjures up the insatiable thirst of one man (Chris Carlson) for his own angle, resulting in a search for a long-since missing 16 year old Family Member. That search ends in the Midwestern suburban home of Rachel (Catherine Johnson Justice), who has quietly assumed a new identity and life as a wife and mother of her own 16 year old daughter Cody (Lindsey Alexandra Hartley).
Instead of merely turning in another ripped-from-the-headlines story -- ten years ago, Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) member Kathleen Ann Soliah was found to have quietly taken root as Midwest wife and mom Sara Jane Olson -- playwright and director James Vculek brilliantly turns that twist on its head with a far creepier, crawlier take on the inherent perils of stalking itself.
Clocking in at just an hour, Something Witchy is a spine-tingling, taut thriller anchored by three riveting performances. Hartley projects the requisite frustration of a teen who can't quite figure out her mysterious mother (even if her voice doesn't always project nearly enough). Carlson lends a truly creepy air to his man on a mission, making us wonder what his true motives in tracking Rachel really are -- is it his own fame and fortune or some twisted lust?
Justice is simply off-the-charts as the cornered Rachel, whose face can't belie the facts when confronted. But is she relieved to finally share her dark secret or is there a dormant Family aspect that's been bubbling under the surface all these years?
For a work set amid the fringes of society, Something Witchy is far from average Minnesota Fringe Festival fare. Far from improbable, it succeeds in standing on its own weight here, and its possibilities point to a meatier stand-alone play that will hopefully cast its spell in other theatres to come.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Something fantastic!
by Jessica Palmer-Denig Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Something Witchy is a highly worthwhile addition to this year's Fringe. The plot twists and turns in a way that challenges what you think you know about the characters. With a spare set, all eyes are on the three actors and the play packs a lot into its allotted hour. The Rarig Thrust stage is also an excellent venue for this show because it encourages intimacy with the actors, even as you aren't sure you want to get any closer. The Partizan productions just keep getting better!
Great show
by Jill Bergquist Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Something Witchy is another great show from Partizan Theater. The writing was terrific - the anticipation kept building throughout the entire show. The acting was also super. Hartley is completely believable as a sullen teenager, Catherine Johnson Justice is great as always, and Chris Carlson's performance seemed totally effortless. I admit a preference for comedies, so I am happy to report that this drama is well worth seeing!
Spellbinding
by Marla Kapperud Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This play had me from the start. It's a tight, well written script acted by a strong cast. Catherine Johnson is brilliant as Rachel. It left me wanting more.
Haunting!
by nancy goldstein Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Brilliant writing and superb acting. The story stayed with me long after the performance ended. This is the Fringe at its best.
Fine Drama
by Tim Voss Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Partizan delivers another fine effort with their usual twist at the end. The script is well written. Carlson, Hartley, and Justice deliver the goods. The ending isn't what it seems. Saying more would ruin things. Go see.
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