"The Last Five Years" on the Arts Barn Stage

Jason Robert Brown's biopic song cycle, "The Last Five Years," follows an unusual storytelling trajectoy.

"You know the outcome from the beginning," said Craig Pettinati, Director of the Kensington Arts Theatre (KAT) Production of "The Last Five Years" on stage at the Arts Barn through August 28, 2011.

"In the beginning Cathy is sad, and you have to relate to her immediately and that can be kind of difficult."

But don't despair! Just grab on and follow the director's vision. After all, he lived through all of this himself and then reimagined it for audiences worldwide as two lives gradually converging and simultaneously being torn apart by social pressures.

The cycles of a tumultuous but not unloving relationship set the tempo for this unyieldingly nostalgic piece, which tempers the unfolding of the vagaries of a failed five year marriage with a non-linear, synchronic narrative.

As Cathy, portrayed by KAT's Maggie Donovan, laments heartbreak in the opening song "Still Hurting," Jamie, portrayed by KAT's Ryan Burke, professes his love with "Shiksa Goddess," an early relationship tribute to his unconditional adoration for the woman who has broken the long, family-induced cycle of Jewish girlfriends who did not work out.

As she looks back in tears, he is completely in love, and as his passion wanes, hers is ignited.

It's not too long before he starts singing:

"We built a treehouse, I keep it from shaking...Then I start making conscious deliberate mistakes..."

Rather than being forced to embrace the disappointing outcome of their love story, we become immersed in the song cycle, experiencing all the hopes and dreams of the two characters as a viable reality. Burke's performance in "The Schmuel Song" boldly, affectionately and creatively conveys Jamie's love and support for Cathy.

Donovan and Burke, who are actually in a relationship and tend to be cast together to play "love couples," commented on how they relate to the characters:

"Cathy is so much like me - a struggling actress," said Donovan, who has played Olive in the Montgomery College production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and will be playing Liesel in The Sound of Music at Olney Theatre this winter.

"In the first half I am goofy, and toward the end, I channel people I've seen in movies who act full of themselves," said Burke who plays the mercurial and increasingly successful writer Jamie. Burke has been named on of DC's Ten Outstanding Talents and one of the 2010 DC Theatre Scene's Musical Scene Stealers. He will be acting in KAT 2nd Stage's production of A Year With Frog and Toad next month at the Arts Barn.

Involved with theatre companies across the United States, Valerie Higgs, Musical Director said she is used to playing with a band. The original score calls for a string quartet and piano.  In this case, she provides solo piano accompaniment on stage. Her head peeks out from behind her instrument, which doubles as a mantle for the set.

In keeping with the spirit of the set design of the original Off-Broadway musical, which premiered in 2002 at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York's Greenwich Village and eventually made its way around the world, the KAT team has created a set that communicates transience. Packed boxes, a mantle with an alarm clock and black and white photo mementos hanging from the ceiling on pieces of string provide the backdrop for two trunks - one red and the other blue - which provide temporary stationary anchors for the actors and divide the stage in two.

The KAT production team includes Craig Pettinati as Director and Producer; Valerie A. Higgs as Musical Director; Thomas Copas as Stage Manager/Assistant Director; Ed Eggleston as Lighting Designer; Kevin Garrett as Sound Designer; Doe B. Kim as Sound/Light Operator and Giang Nguyen as Prop Designer.

The play runs at the Arts Barn Theatre through August 28. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2 pm.

To purchase tickets, call the Arts Barn at 301-258-6394 or click here.