Every once in a while a new property comes along that speaks to a certain generation. EDGES was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul as 19-year old undergrads at the University of Michigan. A revue (or self-styled “song cycle”) about coming of age, growth, self-discovery, and poking fun at modern relationships, EDGES has something for everyone.
Director Sarah Shinn (a high school senior) discovered EDGES on YouTube, (appropriate, given the material) and assembled a cast representative of the generation. Traditionally performed with four people, Shinn expanded the cast to six: Jonathan Ruch, Matthew Mitlas, Tyreese Kadle, Samantha Riesenberg, Meredith Yannuzzi, and Casey Clark. There seems to be no awkwardness with this, and in fact makes some of the transitions smoother than it would with four performers.
The show evokes thought through songs about the dynamic between sisters (“Caitlyn and Haley”), Facebook (“Be My Friend”), relationships (“I Hmm You”, “Lying There”, among others), and other topics relevant to young and old. Transitions are bridged quickly, pace is brisk, and many of the tunes are quite beautiful. The cast all have beautiful voices, and handle the material very well. Musically and vocally this production is very solid.
Visually, the set is functional, a basic “apartment” look with chairs and tables moved in and out as needed by the cast. Lighting is mostly area lit, with spots in certain places…the cast needs to “find their light” a bit better. I can see what the director was going for, but it lacked impact when a cast member missed their mark. And, I think the production would have benefitted from a choreographer; too many of the songs (especially the solo numbers) were static, with the cast standing in one place for lengthy periods. However, the stars of the show are the voices and the music, and both were first-rate.
This was a worthy effort from a young director and a talented cast. It runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission, and the pace kept it from getting boring. Kudos to Shinn for finding and putting together a lovely production.
EDGES
by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Directed by Sarah Shinn
December 5-14, 2014
Playcrafters of Skippack
2011 Store Road, Skippack PA 19474
(610) 584-4005
http://www.playcrafters.org
