REVIEW: Lengthy 'Balcony' worth sitting through

Intuitons opened its fall production, The Balcony, last night with strong and solid performances from its leading actors despite the puzzling effect of Jean Genet's psychological play. The show, which played at Houston Hall Auditorium in front of an audience watching comfortably from couches and beds, relied on the strength of its actors to create the atmosphere of a brothel in the midst of a revolution. But the three-and-a-half hour production is draining, leaving the audience with many questions and not a lot of answers. Still, the play does provide brief bouts of comic relief and a short intermission to help break the tense atmosphere and keep the audience awake. College senior Brad Krumholz opened the play with a particularly impressive performance of The Bishop -- a customer in the brothel's fantasy world -- by making his character believable with a wide array of emotions. Playing Irma, the madame of the brothel, College sophomore Alanna Medlock is an integral part of the production, tying many of the disjointed scenes together and unifying the themes of sexual fantasy, politics, and morals. Other noteworthy performances include College junior Vlad Tepes' portrayal of The Judge, College freshman Jonathan Barnard's depiction of The General, College senior Larry Bogad's performance as The Chief of Police, and College junior Christopher Campbell, playing The Envoy. In addition, the fantasy of a brothel is enhanced with moving scenery and innovative lighting. Genet's work, with a great help from the actors, definitely stretches the audience's imagination to its limit. Still, the length of the production leaves the audience guessing when the show will ever end. While the play was lengthy, the performances make it a play to both enjoy and remember. The Balcony will run through Saturday and again from November 29 through December 1 with shows beginning at 8 p.m. each night at Houston Hall Auditorium. Tickets are $5 and are available on Locust Walk and at the door.

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