Joelene Mentink Moffatt in The Magnificent Fall: Folding Napkins, Selecting Forks, and Other Death-Defying Acts. Courtesy of Tom Hudson. Used with permission
John M. Goodson in The Magnificent Fall: Folding Napkins, Selecting Forks, and Other Death-Defying Acts. Courtesy of Tom Hudson. Used with permission
As a practical matter, before reviewing a show I’m seeing, I carefully vet the production, whether it’s a play, a concert, or a dance performance, since I regularly cover all three art forms. Mostly, I do so because, since there is only one of me, I must be carefully judicious regarding how I spend my time. In the case of The Magnificent Fall, Folding Napkins, Selecting Forks, and Their Death-Defying Feats, presented by JoJoTomBillBen Theatricals, my interest was immediately piqued by both the title of the work and the name of the production company. Held in the Frank & Katrina Basile Theatre at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, I saw the original comedy, written by local playwright Tom Horan and deftly directed by Bill Simmons, on Saturday.
For the sake of transparency, I must reveal that I interviewed actor-director Joelene Mentink Moffatt, who plays Annie Edison Taylor in the show, as well as her husband, Michael Moffatt, the production’s lighting designer, for an episode of my podcast, On the Aisle with Tom Alvarez. The podcast is part of The All Indiana Podcast Network. Produced in collaboration with WISH-TV, it is available on multiple platforms. The show dropped recently. Listen to it here. During the hour-long interview, the Moffatts shared information about the show and the individuals involved in its creation. Thus, I had a reasonably good idea of what to expect in terms of its artistic quality.
L- R Ben Asaykwee, a random audience member and Jolene Mentink Moffatt in The Magnificent Fall: Folding Napkins, Selecting Forks, and Other Death-Defying Acts. Courtesy of Tom Hudson. Used with permission
JoJoTomBillBen Theatricals refers to the all-star team of creatives that make up the collaboration responsible for producing the work. The all-star group consists of Moffatt, John M. Goodson, Horan, Simmons, and actor-director Ben Asaykwee. I was confident their production would succeed because I had seen the exceptional individual work of each artist over the years. Happily, I was not mistaken. On the contrary, my instincts were spot on.
I previously reviewed most of Horan’s five plays at Phoenix Theatre, where he served as its playwright in residence at its former location at a rehabbed church, as a protégé of founder Bryan Fonseca. His works, some of which focused on obscure historic figures, included The Pill, Typhoid Mary and Leyenda, all of which I favorably reviewed when the pieces premiered.
Horan’s newest well-crafted work, the 90-minute Magnificent Fall, is rich with clever dialogue, delightful deadpan humor, hilarious one liners and audience participation. It tells the fascinating, true story of Annie Edison Taylor, a former teacher who, on her 63rd birthday, October 23, 1901, survives a daring trip in a specially built barrel over Niagara Falls. The play details her unlikely life following her history-making feat, which she only did to secure her financial future. Failing to capitalize on her harrowing stunt, she eventually slipped into obscurity and sadly died a pauper.
Simmons, himself an accomplished actor, was superb in guiding the gifted trio of storytellers that included Moffatt, talented John M. Goodson, who, besides other characters, plays Annie’s precocious cat, and the play’s narrator and Asaykwee, who is celebrated for his quirky, comic flair. All fine character actors, each shone, but Moffatt, turned in a formidable, focused performance as the idealistic, minded, fearless Annie who overcomes overwhelming skepticism and derision to achieve an impossible goal. Adding nuance to her characterization, she also conveyed Annie’s vulnerability as a struggling widow navigating a man’s world at a time when the US Women’s Suffrage Movement was at its height.
L.-R. Joelene Mentink Moffatt & John M. Goodson in The Magnificent Fall: Folding Napkins, Selecting Forks, and Other Death-Defying Acts. Courtesy of Tom Hudson. Used with permission
If the show’s fine acting and directing were not enough evidence that his play has legs and could be performed anywhere, its production values displayed a world-class quality. Responsible for its high caliber is the production team consisting of designers and technicians who are all virtuosos in their respective crafts. Heading up the list is Lighting Designer Michael Moffatt, and Sound Designer Horan, also the show’s Projectionist (in collaboration with Ben Dobler) for creating an atmosphere that effectively illustrated the story, transporting me to Annie’s turn-of-the-century world. Enhancing the production were Costume Designer Allison Jones’s pitch-perfect, period creations and Designer Emily Salt McGee’s ingenious props and puppets.
As I mentioned previously, The Magnificent Fall has the potential to reach a wider audience, not only due to the excellence of its script, direction, performances, and technical elements, but also for its inspirational themes of self-determination, ingenuity, independence, and courage. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this highly entertaining, original work, confirming that Indy is, indeed, a true incubator for fresh, new voices in the theatre.
For tickets and information about Magnificent Fall: Folding Napkins, Selecting Forks and Other Death-Defying Feats, which runs at Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre through July 20, visit phoenixtheatre.org.
