Friday, October 19, 2007
Something for Nothing: Reviews and Previews of Everything Free in San Francisco
By Juliet Blalack, staff producer
Saturday 10/20 at 8 p.m.: Boxcar Theatre's "Big Co."
"Big Co." is a two hour play that reflects the reality of living in a consumer culture with humor instead of preaching.
The set resembles a small downtown deli with genuine props of freshly made soup and sandwiches shielded by a glass display case while handwritten menus and signs hover above them. Nick Olivero, still in character as the deli owner, serves refreshments from this theatrical prop to theater goers during the intermission.
In one scene, the characters toss around Fast Company magazine, and discuss an actual article about the former Sierra club president who now works as Wal-Mart's green strategist. Actor Peter Matthews expounds the true crimes of Proctor & Gamble in a game show sequence.
Olivero, one of four actors and writers of "Big Co.," credits much of the play's appeal to its authenticity. Each actor feels at least one character mirrors their personality. Onlookers can gather their own predilections as well, whether they are the consumer who goes nuts over the latest iThing or one who finds comfort in the purchase of biodegradable trash bags.
"There's a lot of our personality that went into the characters," said Olivero. For instance, Olivero is on a personal boycott against the rental chain Blockbuster like his character is in the play.
Although "Big Co." shows a family-owned deli being driven out of business by a corporation, it is not strictly an attack on corporate businesses; it is more an exploration of how people earn and spend money.
"We want our audience to realize that it's not as clear cut and dry as we'd like it to be," said Olivero.
"Big Co." began when Olivero started writing a series of scenes about customer service. The cast began to mold the story around consumer dependency to fit the company's season theme: dependency. The script then became focused on four main characters: Sonya and Nikolai, the siblings who own the Borisov Deli, Sonya's corporate-ladder-climbing boyfriend Mr. Man, and Jenny, the do-gooder who accepts a public relations job at the big company to change it from the inside out.
"We fell in love with the characters," said Olivero.
"Big Co." is the first play the Boxcar group has performed in its location in South of Market. Last season, the actors performed on a bus, beach, and borrowed theater spaces.
"A big hitch has just been getting audience in," said Olivero.
"Perhaps people think that if shomething's free, it's not good," he said.
Still, the free shows this Friday and Sunday are booked. The cast will perform "Big Co." for two weeks after that at a sliding scale fo $14-$28, according to the Boxcar website. Olivero said students can buy discounted tickets at $10.
To find out more about Boxcar Theatre, visit their website: http://www.boxcartheatre.org/
Saturday 10/20 at 8 p.m.: Boxcar Theatre's "Big Co."
"Big Co." is a two hour play that reflects the reality of living in a consumer culture with humor instead of preaching.
The set resembles a small downtown deli with genuine props of freshly made soup and sandwiches shielded by a glass display case while handwritten menus and signs hover above them. Nick Olivero, still in character as the deli owner, serves refreshments from this theatrical prop to theater goers during the intermission.
In one scene, the characters toss around Fast Company magazine, and discuss an actual article about the former Sierra club president who now works as Wal-Mart's green strategist. Actor Peter Matthews expounds the true crimes of Proctor & Gamble in a game show sequence.
Olivero, one of four actors and writers of "Big Co.," credits much of the play's appeal to its authenticity. Each actor feels at least one character mirrors their personality. Onlookers can gather their own predilections as well, whether they are the consumer who goes nuts over the latest iThing or one who finds comfort in the purchase of biodegradable trash bags.
"There's a lot of our personality that went into the characters," said Olivero. For instance, Olivero is on a personal boycott against the rental chain Blockbuster like his character is in the play.
Although "Big Co." shows a family-owned deli being driven out of business by a corporation, it is not strictly an attack on corporate businesses; it is more an exploration of how people earn and spend money.
"We want our audience to realize that it's not as clear cut and dry as we'd like it to be," said Olivero.
"Big Co." began when Olivero started writing a series of scenes about customer service. The cast began to mold the story around consumer dependency to fit the company's season theme: dependency. The script then became focused on four main characters: Sonya and Nikolai, the siblings who own the Borisov Deli, Sonya's corporate-ladder-climbing boyfriend Mr. Man, and Jenny, the do-gooder who accepts a public relations job at the big company to change it from the inside out.
"We fell in love with the characters," said Olivero.
"Big Co." is the first play the Boxcar group has performed in its location in South of Market. Last season, the actors performed on a bus, beach, and borrowed theater spaces.
"A big hitch has just been getting audience in," said Olivero.
"Perhaps people think that if shomething's free, it's not good," he said.
Still, the free shows this Friday and Sunday are booked. The cast will perform "Big Co." for two weeks after that at a sliding scale fo $14-$28, according to the Boxcar website. Olivero said students can buy discounted tickets at $10.
To find out more about Boxcar Theatre, visit their website: http://www.boxcartheatre.org/
# posted by [X]press Staff @ 10:20 PM 