More "strange Snow In Chiang Mai!

[bhatmasterson]

"Strange Snow"

The Gate Theater Group proudly presents an encore staging of Stephen Metcalfe's beautifully told, timely story of love, loss, healing and hope, Strange Snow. Under the direction of Stephan Turner, Strange Snow features performances by Robert Young, Peter Mushenko, and Veronica Guarino.

Strange snow falls on two young Vietnam veterans as they reunite for a fishing trip to make good on a long lost promise to an old friend.

It's dawn on Opening Day and Megs shows up at his buddy David's house only to encounter David's shy, plain sister Martha. Megs' larger-than-life nature coaxes Martha out of her shell and into his heart. His mere presence, however, brings up painful memories of Vietnam for David, whose method of coping so far has been to drink too much and talk as little as possible.

As a result of the play's success during its first run, The Gate Theater Group decided to stage four encore performances starting April 3^rd. The show will run Fridays and Saturdays through April 11th, at the Studio Theater, 7th floor, Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall. Doors open at 7:00pm with curtain at 7:30 pm

Suggested donation 300 baht. For more information write to thegatetheater(at)asia.com or visit The Gate Theater Group website at www.gate-theater.com

[chicagogato]

This is a very good show.

"Strange Snow"

The Gate Theater Group proudly presents an encore staging of Stephen Metcalfe's beautifully told, timely story of love, loss, healing and hope, Strange Snow. Under the direction of Stephan Turner, Strange Snow features performances by Robert Young, Peter Mushenko, and Veronica Guarino.

Strange snow falls on two young Vietnam veterans as they reunite for a fishing trip to make good on a long lost promise to an old friend.

It's dawn on Opening Day and Megs shows up at his buddy David's house only to encounter David's shy, plain sister Martha. Megs' larger-than-life nature coaxes Martha out of her shell and into his heart. His mere presence, however, brings up painful memories of Vietnam for David, whose method of coping so far has been to drink too much and talk as little as possible.

As a result of the play's success during its first run, The Gate Theater Group decided to stage four encore performances starting April 3^rd. The show will run Fridays and Saturdays through April 11th, at the Studio Theater, 7th floor, Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall. Doors open at 7:00pm with curtain at 7:30 pm

Suggested donation 300 baht. For more information write to thegatetheater(at)asia.com or visit The Gate Theater Group website at www.gate-theater.com

[Colimariachi]

I laughed a lot when I saw this the first time around, as well as felt the complicated emotion from such a delicate subject matter.. A very well done production.

I still don't fully understand the significance / tie in with the name of the play. Regardless - definitely worthwhile checking out!

[chicagogato]

I know the writer. Very very talented and he's a really down to earth guy. This from his website:

"Stephen Metcalfe’s career has touched on all forms of dramatic writing; screen, television and stage.

His first produced screenplay was JACKNIFE. Based on his Off-Broadway play, Strange Snow, it starred Robert DeNiro, Ed Harris and Cathy Bates and was directed by British stage and screen veteran, David Jones."

"The adaptation of French director, Jean-Claude Tachella’s, Cousin-Cousine soon followed. Produced by Paramount, COUSINS was directed by Joel Schumacher and starred Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, William Peterson, Sean Young and Lloyd Bridges."

"In the early 90’s Mr. Metcalfe took the darkly realistic, 3000 and turned it into the Pygmalion–like fairy tale, PRETTY WOMAN. The film, of course, starred Julia Robert and Richard Gere and was directed by Garry Marshall.

Numerous rewrites followed. Among them were ARACHNOPHOBIA directed by Frank Marshall; IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, starring Nicholas Cage and Bridget Fonda and directed by Andrew Bergman; THE AIR UP THERE starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Paul Michael Glazer; MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS, starring Richard Dreyfuss and directed by Steven Herrick; THE MARRYING MAN starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger; DANGEROUS MINDS starring Michelle Pfeifer and ROOMMATES starring Peter Falk and directed by Peter Yates. Mr. Metcalfe has also worked with Sean Connery and Kevin Costner respectively, on the as yet un-produced screenplays, THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR and AMERICAN SPORTSMAN."

Mr. Metcalfe told me that the title of the play, "Strange Snow" came from the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream," by William Shakespeare. But if he had it to do again he would changed the title to reflect more on the plot of the play.

I laughed a lot when I saw this the first time around, as well as felt the complicated emotion from such a delicate subject matter.. A very well done production.

I still don't fully understand the significance / tie in with the name of the play. Regardless - definitely worthwhile checking out!

[nuttycake]

sweet! I'm so glad Chiang Mai has a community theatre!

I read the topic from when the guy that started it was talking about his project on some forum.

I'm so surprised by all the bitter and skeptical replies of people that thought he might get in trouble with the police etc.

Instead of trying to be supportive of such a great initiative they laughed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ha! look now! The Gate Theatre Group is proving to be an inspiring success story for all of us. It's our job now as a community to support it and help it thrive.

Even by just telling otgher people about it. I already saw Strange Snow but I'm gonna tell all my friends what a great show it is.

In your face skeptics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep up the great work Gate Theatre!

[Donner]

I saw Strange Snow last year and I enjoyed it so much I'm going to see it again. It's really great to have live theatre in Chiang Mai. I'm looking forward to future productions. Keep up the good

This is a very good show.

"Strange Snow"

The Gate Theater Group proudly presents an encore staging of Stephen Metcalfe's beautifully told, timely story of love, loss, healing and hope, Strange Snow. Under the direction of Stephan Turner, Strange Snow features performances by Robert Young, Peter Mushenko, and Veronica Guarino.

Strange snow falls on two young Vietnam veterans as they reunite for a fishing trip to make good on a long lost promise to an old friend.

It's dawn on Opening Day and Megs shows up at his buddy David's house only to encounter David's shy, plain sister Martha. Megs' larger-than-life nature coaxes Martha out of her shell and into his heart. His mere presence, however, brings up painful memories of Vietnam for David, whose method of coping so far has been to drink too much and talk as little as possible.

As a result of the play's success during its first run, The Gate Theater Group decided to stage four encore performances starting April 3^rd. The show will run Fridays and Saturdays through April 11th, at the Studio Theater, 7th floor, Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall. Doors open at 7:00pm with curtain at 7:30 pm

Suggested donation 300 baht. For more information write to thegatetheater(at)asia.com or visit The Gate Theater Group website at www.gate-theater.com

[bhatmasterson]

A member of the Gate Theater Group sent me the following review from the first run of the show:

Naveen Quayyum

How does it feel to live life with loved ones having been lost in a war? A war that was waged without knowing what costs it would bring. How does it feel to live in the shadow of dreary memories that makes one forget how to live life fully? When the unseen ties among people are threatened it is not so easy to fall in love.

The Gate Theater Group brings yet another touching story "Strange Snow" to the drama scene of Chiang Mai. Written by renowned American playwright Stephen Metcalfe in 1982, the play has been brought to life on stage by director Stephan Turner, who has already quite a few inspiring productions to his credit in Thailand and abroad.

Martha's (Veronica Guarino) life gets stirred one day by an unexpected visitor, Megs (Robert Young), who is a talkative, lively and life loving survivor of the Vietnam War and a long lost friend of her brother David (Nathan Kieffer). David is seemingly an angry, alcoholic, 'good for nothing' kind of a guy who has gone silent on the subject of war.

The lives of Martha and David get transformed with the challenging presence of Megs who recommends 'a beer' with breakfast to sweep away all the mental cobwebs, especially on this pre-dawn 'Opening of trout season'. David, whilst being wary of Meg's presence as a reminder of losing a mutual friend, Bobby, in the Vietnam War, disapproves of the attraction between Martha and Megs. However, during the conflict of the play, he rediscovers his own affection for Martha. The encounters force David to revisit the memories of war and reconcile with the loss, while Megs and Martha overcome the bitter past to eventually fall in love.

All the actors were able to bring the emotion and complex history of these characters to stage in the most creative ways. Veronica Guarino, as Martha, was the only female presence and served as an emotional connection between the two male characters very well. Her natural manner and way of expressing herself as Martha made her an identifiable character for the audience. Veronica, being a young and first-time actor, was able to bring a fresh perspective to the way she interpreted the role and kept the audience hooked during the entire play.

Similarly Nathan Kieffer, as David, was very natural and communicated the touching attributes of his character quite smoothly. David, subtle in his peculiar way of expression, brought out the feeling of alienation due to his experiences, and his 'not so apparent' love for Martha and Megs was played well. Nathan was able to show the diversity of his acting skills having previously performed the role of Nick the bartender in the groups first production The Dodo Bird.

I saw Strange Snow last year and I enjoyed it so much I'm going to see it again. It's really great to have live theatre in Chiang Mai. I'm looking forward to future productions. Keep up the good

This is a very good show.

"Strange Snow"

The Gate Theater Group proudly presents an encore staging of Stephen Metcalfe's beautifully told, timely story of love, loss, healing and hope, Strange Snow. Under the direction of Stephan Turner, Strange Snow features performances by Robert Young, Peter Mushenko, and Veronica Guarino.

Strange snow falls on two young Vietnam veterans as they reunite for a fishing trip to make good on a long lost promise to an old friend.

It's dawn on Opening Day and Megs shows up at his buddy David's house only to encounter David's shy, plain sister Martha. Megs' larger-than-life nature coaxes Martha out of her shell and into his heart. His mere presence, however, brings up painful memories of Vietnam for David, whose method of coping so far has been to drink too much and talk as little as possible.

As a result of the play's success during its first run, The Gate Theater Group decided to stage four encore performances starting April 3^rd. The show will run Fridays and Saturdays through April 11th, at the Studio Theater, 7th floor, Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall. Doors open at 7:00pm with curtain at 7:30 pm

Suggested donation 300 baht. For more information write to thegatetheater(at)asia.com or visit The Gate Theater Group website at www.gate-theater.com

[Donner]

I saw Strange Snow for a second time last night and discovered, not for the first time in my life, just how much I’d missed, at least on a conscious level, the first time around. Last night I felt I glimpsed through the cracks in the characters’ thin veneers of social acceptability and becoming privy to the faces behind the masks and the hidden agendas that in fact drove the relationships between them. Each character struggled to come to terms with their own past in an attempt to survive and find meaning in the present. The complex coping mechanisms and manipulative behaviour resorted to by each character cannot fail to resonate at some level in anyone witnessing this slice of life; I know they did for me. Thank you to the actors for their memorably authentic and heartfelt performances.

[Robbi]

Hey!!! I just saw this for the second time. Man! It's really good. The characters are diverse and the actors excellent!! big laughs and a lot of tears in the audience. I'm thinking of seeing it again next week. It's really worth the donation!!! BRAVO Stephen!! MORE!!!!

[bhatmasterson]

This is for the folks who saw the first run of "Strange Snow". There is a different actor playing the role of David. Nathan Kieffer, the original David, is no longer with the show, This is what a reviewer said about his performance, "Nathan Kieffer,as David, was very natural and communicated the touching attributes of his character quite smoothly. David, subtle in his peculiar way of expression, brought out the feeling of alienation due to his experiences, and his 'not so apparent' love for Martha and Megs was played well."

The New David, Peter Mushenko, I am told, who only had 3 weeks rehearsal and was very impressive in my opinion. How do you folks think the two actors performed in comparison? Which actor do you think was better in the role?

[bhatmasterson]

Here's the new review of the show from today's Chiang Mai Mail

Hot Ice and Wondrous Strange Snow

Jacquelyn Suter

The opening night performance of Stephen Metcalfe's 1982 play

Strange Snow

is yet another addition to an impressive line-up of contemporary drama by Chiang Mai's first English language theater, The Gate Theatre, under the artistic direction/production of Stephan Turner.

The play was first performed in Chiang Mai last year, and high acclaim has now demanded its return for a short run.

America's past war in Vietnam serves as the backdrop for a touchingly and dramatically told story of love and repressed memory leading finally to emotional release and redemption.

The pain of the war in Vietnam has cut a wide swathe through the psyche of America, and no more glaringly so than in the men who returned from that war.

Strange Snow

tells the story of two surviving friends who skirt around the memory of a third friend who didn't make it, and a woman around whom the emotional lives of the two men now revolve.

Megs and David, survivors of the war, have made a pre-dawn date to participate in the opening day of trout season. Megs – emotionally open yet unconfident – knows that this day is a special one. It's what the three friends had planned to do when they all returned from the war. But the third friend, Bobby, didn't return, and David cannot accept the events that lead to his death, obliterating his memory in alcoholism.

David's spinster sister, Martha, has long endured David's anger and withdrawal. She has made peace with her own unfortunate assessment of herself as unlovable and unattractive. Into this dysfunctional household comes the endearing and bumbling Megs, ready to go for the fish. While Megs and David engage in a struggle about whether to go on the memory-laden fishing expedition, Martha incrementally begins to feel confident enough to see in Megs someone she could come close to.

Strange Snow

is precisely about these clam-like openings and acceptances of self and other. It's the beauty of Metcalfe's writing and the skill of Turner's production that, within the short span of about an hour, we experience this gradual unfolding for ourselves. This is theatre at its best.

Robert Young, playing Megs, is a perfect combination of blustering vitality coupled with deep insecurity. Peter Mushenko energetically conveys the hair-trigger anger, yet deeply repressed pain of the character David. And Martha, played by Veronica Guarino, skillfully portrays a woman who has long since given up on herself yet, by virtue of a sliver of hope and desire, is able to confidently continue moving towards love.

Stephan Turner, director of

Strange Snow

, deserves major credit for staging a totally delightful and enjoyable production. Exceptional acting, direction, and setting have come together to create an engagingly moving play.

This performance also marks the first time that an English language theater group (community, professional, or otherwise) has ever staged a full season of live theatre in Chiang Mai. This is an accomplishment worthy of support. Need we elaborate upon your part?

Strange Snow

continues for only two more performances on April 10 and 11 at the Studio Theater, 7th floor, Kad Suan Kaew, curtain 7:30 p.m.

"Strange Snow"

The Gate Theater Group proudly presents an encore staging of Stephen Metcalfe's beautifully told, timely story of love, loss, healing and hope, Strange Snow. Under the direction of Stephan Turner, Strange Snow features performances by Robert Young, Peter Mushenko, and Veronica Guarino.

Strange snow falls on two young Vietnam veterans as they reunite for a fishing trip to make good on a long lost promise to an old friend.

It's dawn on Opening Day and Megs shows up at his buddy David's house only to encounter David's shy, plain sister Martha. Megs' larger-than-life nature coaxes Martha out of her shell and into his heart. His mere presence, however, brings up painful memories of Vietnam for David, whose method of coping so far has been to drink too much and talk as little as possible.

As a result of the play's success during its first run, The Gate Theater Group decided to stage four encore performances starting April 3^rd. The show will run Fridays and Saturdays through April 11th, at the Studio Theater, 7th floor, Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall. Doors open at 7:00pm with curtain at 7:30 pm

Suggested donation 300 baht. For more information write to [email protected] or visit The Gate Theater Group website at www.gate-theater.com

[Robbi]

This is for the folks who saw the first run of "Strange Snow". There is a different actor playing the role of David. Nathan Kieffer, the original David, is no longer with the show, This is what a reviewer said about his performance, "Nathan Kieffer,as David, was very natural and communicated the touching attributes of his character quite smoothly. David, subtle in his peculiar way of expression, brought out the feeling of alienation due to his experiences, and his 'not so apparent' love for Martha and Megs was played well."

The New David, Peter Mushenko, I am told, who only had 3 weeks rehearsal and was very impressive in my opinion. How do you folks think the two actors performed in comparison? Which actor do you think was better in the role?

You know ... I love fruit, eat it all the time for breakfast, mangos especially. Sometimes, green apples, somteimes red ... oranges, grapes ... kiwis. They each have their unique tastes. Some ask me if i am ever bored eating fruit for breakfast but i never am just because of that ... they all taste different. So ... i can't say which is my favorite - "apples or oranges". Any1 else??

[realthaideal]

Robert, Peter, n Veronica did a great job. My favorite production by Gate Theater so far. There really is a bit of universal appeal to the whole thing about acceptance of self and the chance for freedom from past constraints. The friend I was with was moved to being a little glassy-eyed at one point even.

A totally worthwhile night out, and a pleasure to have been part of the audience with these guys who work so hard to bring a bit of modern culture to the city.

[chicagogato]

Well, I'll add this:

None of the actors, to my knowledge, who've worked with The Gate on this production, have had professional training. However, the director, who also teaches acting, has extensive experience in many areas of theater and performance. It is to his credit that he's been able to pull first rate performances from all of his actors.

In addition, I'll agree that both actors though very different, did equally fine jobs in their roles.

with

This is for the folks who saw the first run of "Strange Snow". There is a different actor playing the role of David. Nathan Kieffer, the original David, is no longer with the show, This is what a reviewer said about his performance, "Nathan Kieffer,as David, was very natural and communicated the touching attributes of his character quite smoothly. David, subtle in his peculiar way of expression, brought out the feeling of alienation due to his experiences, and his 'not so apparent' love for Martha and Megs was played well."

The New David, Peter Mushenko, I am told, who only had 3 weeks rehearsal and was very impressive in my opinion. How do you folks think the two actors performed in comparison? Which actor do you think was better in the role?