<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title>Nuts About Circumference of a Squirrel</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <link href="../textb.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../textb.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> </head> <body leftmargin="4" topmargin="4" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" alink="#00ff00" link="#006633" marginheight="4" marginwidth="4" vlink="#009999"> <div align="center"><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/header.lbi" --> <table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" height="80" width="750"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img src="../images/head2002.gif" usemap="#Map" border="0" height="82" width="750"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <map name="Map"> <area shape="rect" coords="137,29,200,54" href="../index.html" alt="Home Page" title="Home Page"> <area shape="rect" coords="201,30,300,54" href="../perform/perform.htm"> <area shape="rect" coords="371,31,372,34" href="#"> <area shape="rect" coords="303,31,437,54" href="../about/about.htm"> <area shape="rect" coords="438,30,542,54" href="../box/box.htm"> <area shape="rect" coords="544,30,644,53" href="press.htm"> <area shape="rect" coords="137,56,490,80" href="../support/support.htm"> <area shape="rect" coords="491,54,571,80" href="../contact/contact.htm"> <area shape="rect" coords="570,54,639,80" href="../area/area.htm"> <area shape="rect" coords="642,54,749,82" href="../sitemap.htm"> </map> <!-- #EndLibraryItem --> <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" height="275" width="750"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="150"> <p><img src="../images/placehol.gif" height="4" width="100"></p> <p class="sidebarnobold"><span class="sidebar"><br> </span><a href="mailto:mrabkin@martinrabkinink.com" class="nav"><strong></strong></a></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="600"> <p class="bodystyleitalic">June 01, 2006 </p> <p class="pagetitle">Nuts about 'Circumference of a Squirrel' </p> <strong>By Marcus Kalipolites</strong><br> For the Times-Herald Record <p>Ellenville - Notwithstanding the odd title of "Circumference of a Squirrel," Ames Adamson in John Walch's one-person comedy turned in a tour-de-force performance in Friday night's opening presentation at the Shadowland Theatre.</p> <p>With book bag, lunch and a handy National Geographic magazine, the would-have-been microbiologist pretends he's still a college student as he takes over a campus bench. Constantly cavorting on the green as well, he recalls - in agonizing and humorous detail - people and events in his life. Among the ego-busters were a cruelty-to-animals father, an obsessive mother and a failed marriage.</p> <p>Chester's travel back in time begins when he observes a squirrel tugging a bagel on the college lawn.</p> <p>But while this little rodent's unpredictable behavior proved merely interesting, another squirrel in an earlier time had a devastating effect on Chester's relationship with his father. Dad, having once been bitten by a squirrel, formulates a crusade to eliminate all squirrels, driving over them with his car and even torturing a captured one in his house. </p> <p>Now, though acting in a one-person show proves to be most daunting for a performer, Adamson enhances remarkable resourcefulness with his ability to take on the likenesses of other "characters." In "conversations" with father, mother and girlfriend, the talented performer, in side-to-side discourses with "them," flashes a range of faces.</p> <p>Furious is the father flinging putters on the golf course; disappointed is Mother that her son delayed getting home for Christmas; and ornery is the girlfriend that said mother (by default of Chester's lying) learned of her upcoming marriage.</p> <p>"Dialogues" aside, Adamson is also agile and very physical, He not only fills the stage with nonstop movement, but balances and orates atop the backside of the park bench for considerable time without a quiver in either voice or body.</p> <p> And while the term "circumference" is only peripheral to the squirrel factor in the story, roundness finds many applications. Thus, in a play with few props, a large automobile inner tube serves many functions: a bagel, his mother's wreaths, a backyard swing, a steering wheel of the car taking him and girlfriend to Kansas City, a school blackboard he uses to explain the history of rabies, and even a circular bed in the expensive KC hotel.</p> <p>Directed by James Glossman, the play succeeds because of effective pacing by Adamson as well as the reinforcing sight and sound effects - from lighting designer John Wade's effective changes of visibility to sound designer Jeff Knapp's use of subtle noises and to scenic designer Drew Francis' cotton clouds floating on the backdrop in the opening scene.</p> <p><strong>If You Go! ...</strong></p> <p>What: "Circumference of a Squirrel"</p> <p>Where: Shadowland Theatre, 157 Canal S., Ellenville</p> <p>When: 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sun., through June 11</p> <p>Call: 647-5511 </p> <p class="sidebarnobold">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/footer.lbi" --> <table vlign="top" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="750"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p align="center"><a href="../index.html" class="nav"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Lucida Sans, Georgia, Times New Roman" size="1"><b>home</b></font></a><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Lucida Sans, Times New Roman" size="1"> | <a href="../perform/perform.htm" class="nav">2006 season</a> | <a href="../box/box.htm" class="nav">box office info</a> | <a href="../support/support.htm" class="nav">how to support shadowland and season subscriptions </a> <br> <a href="../about/about.htm" class="nav">about Shadowland </a> | <a href="press.htm" class="nav">latest news</a> | <a href="../contact/contact.htm" class="nav">contact us</a> | <a href="../area/area.htm" class="nav">area info</a></font></b><b> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Lucida Sans, Times New Roman" size="1">| <a href="../sitemap.htm" class="nav">site map</a></font></b></p> <p align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Lucida Sans, Georgia, Times New Roman" size="1">©Shadowland Theatre, 2006, All Rights Reserved<br> 157 Canal St, Ellenville, NY 12428 Box Office: 845-647-5511<br> </font> </p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <!-- #EndLibraryItem --> <p>&nbsp; </p> </div> </body> </html>