Originally posted of Broadwayworld.com
Critics may debate themselves silly over the sanity of adapting MOBY DICK, but they've been saying incredible things about MOBY DICK IN THE DARK nevertheless:
"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Brilliantly adapted." (Around the Town Chicago)
"A final showdown as thrilling as a Spielberg epic." (Total Theater)
"Packed stem-to-stern with some of the best, most evocative writing I've heard from a theater this year." (Chicago Sun-Times)
"An excellent broadcast... old timey radio for the digital age." (WCGO Radio)
"Cyprian's roars and whispers [as Captain Ahab] are equally chilling." (Chicago Reader)
"A perfect way to feed your need for great storytelling." (Buzz Center Stage)
"Listeners can close their eyes and enjoy Moby Dick as the exhilarating tale that it is... just as relevant today as when it was written." (Third Coast Review)
"There is always something truly remarkable and noteworthy about Theatre in the Dark's productions." (Picks in Six)
"A lively, well-acted, well-produced piece of radio theatre... Wonderful, versatile performances." -WDCB Radio's "Dueling Critics"
The show plays through April 10. We asked a few more questions of Theatre in the Dark co-founders about what the final two weeks of the show will hold, and the upcoming streaming release of the radio play.
Now that Theatre in the Dark's latest offering is off to the races, critics and audiences are praising the "brilliant adaptation" of MOBY DICK IN THE DARK. How has it been going from your side?
Corey Bradberry: Smoothly, thank you! Our 90-minute adaptation is part mystery, part adventure, part ghost story, and part adventure on the open seas.
Does "screen-fatigue" matter with an audio-only show? It doesn't seem to bother your audiences.
Mack Gordon: It's audio-only, so we encourage people to lean into the experiential aspects of 'going' to the theatre to hear a play. Even better than an uncomfortable folding chair in a studio though, you can dim the lights, fix a mug of grog, and lean back in your favorite recliner or sink into your comfy couch.
CB: And it's live! Our shows are created moment-by-moment, not edited in post. What you hear at home is the pacing and timing the actors set for themselves line by line.
MG: There are very few LIVE digital plays happening right now because of the challenge to provide highly-quality sound without an involved editing process. Our performers seamlessly integrat from Chicago, New Orleans, and Vancouver, with an expansive musical soundscape, along with live foley, and it all sounds fantastic.
So lots of rehearsal?
CB: You got it.
MG: At its worst, virtual theatre is careless and casual. We put in a lot of time and effort to make sure we're thoughtful and deliberate about what the audience receives.
And audiences are responding! A listener from Atlanta commented "Sea salt on my face and white brine caked in Ed's beard, we felt as if we were there!" Another audience member, from Olympia, Washington, says "The ability to just chill out and listen is so nice... A one of a kind experience."
MG: One of my favorite things about our shows is that anyone can listen from anywhere in the world. Over the past year we've had audiences tune in from 40 different states, 4 Canadian provinces, and 12 different countries.
CB: For folks who can't join our scheduled broadcasts, we're launching an on-demand streaming option of the show available April 1-10.
MOBY DICK IN THE DARK plays through April 10 (8pm central Thurs-Sat, 7pm central Sunday, special West Coast performances 8pm pacific on Wed 4/7), and all tickets are Pay-What-You-Can. Tickets and info at theatreinthedark.com