The University of Indianapolis’ theatre department did it again — I was sucked into the Circle Mirror Transformation from the second the lights turned on.
I was taken through a tender and compelling journey filled with humor and emotions shown through the eyes of the five characters. UIndy Theatre performed Circle Mirror Transformation Nov. 14-16 and 21-23.
I knew nothing about the play before entering the Studio Theatre. The straight forward set laid out in front of me, with only a wooden platform in the middle of the room and a few backpacks lining it.
Going into any play, musical or movie is going to be a learning curve if I am unfamiliar with it. Circle Mirror Transformation started this way, but as I watched and learned more about each character, I started to fall in love with its simplicity.
The play is broken into six parts, and each segment represents a different week of an acting class in which the characters experience personal changes. The play pays attention to the ordinary moments that life brings from awkward encounters to heartbreak. Circle Mirror Transformation is just that: a transformation. It is a representation of people simply growing through time and adapting through discomfort.
The characters partake in different exercises — from walking around in circles to laying on the floor counting to 10. My favorite exercise that was performed multiple times was when the characters were asked to narrate their peers’ lives. This specific exercise helped us learn about each character, and made me realize just how much time was passing throughout the play’s two hours.
The actors in this production were phenomenal. The actress who plays Lauren, Natalie Sayer, was my favorite. She played the part of a 16-year-old girl well, adding fidgeting to her onstage presence even when she was not speaking. Her character was not as confident in her acting as other characters were.
Overall, the best part of this play was the ending. We see two characters, Schultz, a middle-aged, newly-divorced and heartbroken man, and Lauren, an insecure high schooler dealing with more than what meets the eye, acting out what it would be like if they met again in 10 years. As I watched, the lights in the theatre suddenly dimmed and it immediately helped us realize they were no longer acting. We witnessed a shift from acting class to meeting again in 10 years, all without changing the set.
