Reviewing 2022’s revues

The recovery of the Greater Lansing theater scene in 2022 is nothing short of miraculous. As the world adjusts to a new reality with COVID-19, so does the local theater community. It would be difficult to give a comprehensive review of the 2022 theater scene in this limited space, and few reviewers have the ability to see every production in the area, so what follows is one reviewer’s reflections on the year. 

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this year is that all of the major theater companies in the Lansing area survived the restrictions of the pandemic and managed to offer some form of a 2022 season. Beyond just surviving, the pandemic experience drove the companies to innovate, push creative boundaries and strengthen relationships. 

Starting with that last point, as Over the Ledge Theatre Co. began prepping for its season in May, it found that its home base, the Ledges Playhouse in Grand Ledge, could not be utilized due to facility conditions. We discovered how truly supportive the Greater Lansing theater community is when Riverwalk Theatre offered its black box space to Over the Ledge, which allowed the company to produce two summer shows.  

Riverwalk programmed a full season for itself as well. One standout was “Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine,” an ensemble piece directed by Rose Jangmi Cooper, featuring local artist Julian Van Dyke. As the nation navigates through its ongoing quagmire of oppression, discrimination and battles for equality, one way of building empathy across racial divides is through storytelling, and live theater has a unique power to create a shared experience. Productions like “Fabulation” are a meaningful way to start those hard conversations.  

Taking that topic one step further, Williamston Theatre offered up “The Magnolia Ballet, Part 1,” which tells the story of a gay, Black teenager growing up in Georgia, coming to terms with his identity as he synthesizes the experiences of his father and forefathers. Haunting and sometimes harrowing, the play featured an outstanding cast whose performances were chilling. 

Despite not having a permanent facility, Ixion Theatre Ensemble has been fortunate to have space in the Lansing Mall for the past two years. The former American Eagle store wasn’t the perfect venue for Ixion’s production of “Incognito,” as it needs renovations to be a true performance space. Still, anchored by local legends Doak Bloss and Gini Larson, the show was a thought-provoking success.  

Speaking of theater facilities … who needs them? Certainly not Peppermint Creek Theatre Co., which consistently pushes creative boundaries. This fall, PCTC had three productions in seven locations and five cities, including performances of “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914” in three museum environments. Most outstanding, however, was the production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” a scathing story of the excess of success. Performed in the barebones setting of the Lansing Media Center, the high-caliber cast and slick costumes were all that was needed to engage audiences in this tragic tale of friendships forged and lost.  

Our collegiate theater programs are fortunate to have permanent homes, but sometimes those spaces can still be a challenge. Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre always rises to that challenge, though. Consider “For the Love of (or, The Roller Derby Play).” Director Alexis Black recreated the experience of roller derby practices and matches in the tiny Arena Theatre, overcoming any space issues with fantastic casting, imaginative choreography and professional-level music, sound and lighting effects. MSU had an equally thrilling production in the spring with “Hit the Wall,” a gut-wrenching retelling of the Stonewall Riots of 1969. 

Overall, 2022 proved that the Greater Lansing theater scene could rebound from the past two years of restrictions and come out even stronger. For proof of this, we go all the way back to February and consider Lansing Community College’s first production of 2022, “Cabaret.” In a perverse way, it was a fitting choice. To have the 2022 theater season open with such a jaw-dropping production boded well for the rest of the year. Watching the miscreants of the Kit Kat Klub embrace life and libations as the restrictions of the rising Nazi party closed in on them echoed the harshest period of the pandemic. Still, Connor Kelly’s portrayal of the Emcee, as he joyously embraced hedonism, seemed to signal that it was time for us all to break free, if only for a few glorious hours.