Years ago I happened to participate in an informal read-thru of playwright Paul Kodiak's play 'The Dead Indian Museum' at a "Selkie Seisiuns" play reading group hosted by George Miller and Kate Scuffle in Allentown.
The play was an interesting and dark comedy-drama about a pair of brothers trying to make their dreams come true despite the failures and setbacks they have encountered as owners of a failing roadside "Indian Museum" somewhere in the mid-western United States.
At the time I found Mr. Kodiak's play full of intricate characters and dark undertones reminiscent of Sam Shepherd and Arthur Miller.
Naturally, I was pleased to learn the play had since gone on to win The Shawnee Playhouse's annual "Original Playwright Series" competition.
The competition is held every year and hopeful playwrights submit their one-acts and full lengths for consideration. After a selection of the finalists the theater hosts and evening of read-thrus and then one full-length play is selected for a full production the following year. Shawnee Playhouse had just completed the production of the five winning one-acts last weekend.
I looked forward to seeing Mr. Kodiak's piece brought to a full "production-quality" reality by a theater company and am pleased to say I was not disappointed.
As stated, The Dead Indian Museum is a dark piece but not devoid of humor or a healthy dose of intellect and insight into human nature. These are flawed characters with somewhat "despicable" motives who rationalize these motives in an attempt to propel their own dreams into reality “ allowing desperation and greed to force them to justify such things as grave-robbing and even murder. It is a clever study in human nature and the dark depths to which people may stumble and eventually try to recover from ¦ whether or not it is too late for them to even try.
The story revolves around two brothers: the hopeful and optimistic Lucky (Joseph Kelley) and the lackadaisical and pessimistic Wayne (Dan Luddeni) who own a roadside Indian Museum they purchased when they believed a shopping mall was to be built across the road from it. Unfortunately, the shopping mall was scrapped in favor of a landfill and the stench of garbage and constant roar of sanitation trucks is a daily reminder to both how their plans have fallen apart. The lack of visitors to their "museum" (and no money in their cash register) reminds them on a daily basis that they are at the end of their "financial" rope. Despite this, Lucky dreams he might still "someday" expand their little roadside attraction to include a "zoo" even though repeated attempts to secure the funding for this have failed.
There is a third member of this roadside attraction “ a man claiming to be a Native American (though his lineage is questionable) named Foster (Stephen Hellman) who has lived at the attraction since the brothers purchased the property and he was promised "life rights" to ensure he would always have a place to live. He is sage and soft spoken and provides insights to the action in the "museum" through his conversations with a "Cigar Store Indian" proudly standing guard outside the front door.
After their final failed attempt to secure a loan “ and the discovery of a tax lien hovering over the property “ the brothers and Foster wonder how much longer they can remain open. Into the picture comes their "friend" Quinlin (Patrick Turner) who is charismatic but also overbearing and short-tempered. Quinlin may have the answer to all their problems “ the remains of an "Indian" which “ according to his ancestors “ was buried on his family apple orchard. It isn't until act two when we are introduced to the other actors in the play “ a manipulative anthropologist named Madeline (Brianna Storm) and a mysterious individual calling himself "Charlie" (Marshall Haskell) who have their own reasons for being interested in the remains of the titular "Dead Indian" - Madeline seeks profit while Charlie seeks respect and dignity.
Joseph Kelley gives the character of "Lucky" a steady, even pace which “ at times “ might have benefited from a little more lightheartedness. His emotional scenes are good but overall his tone is more somber than I felt the role warranted. He is, however, complimented by his "sad-sack" brother who he loves but is at wit's end with. Dan Luddeni as "Wayne" played the part with a simplicity the role called for but never faded into the background even though that might be what is expected from a part like this. This wasn't a moronic pairing the likes of Lennie and George from John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men “ Wayne has a brain and his own dreams but he is older than Lucky and has been beaten down by both time and failure.
The most interesting members of the museum are “ ironically “ not the brothers. They are "Quinlin" played with brilliance by Patrick Turner and Stephen Hellman's "Foster" who has the power to be both strong and weak in the same breath. These two gentlemen shine in their roles without ever overpowering the other actors on stage. I did wish that Mr. Turner were even more "crazy" with his role “ as would have been warranted by his actions and dark-themed monologues. He is that threatening and frightening individual whom you don't realize just how dangerous he is until after you have invited him into your home and served him tea. Mr. Hellman played "Foster" with a steady and calm control that made his character enjoyable to watch as the story unfolded. His asides to the "Chief" at the front of the museum became a welcome escape from the darkness happening inside the museum.
The final two cast members were also enjoyable to watch. I had hoped to speak with actor Marshall Haskell after the show to see if the deep voice he used for "Charlie" was his own but I wasn't able to. Regardless, it was an effective way of establishing his character's presence “ and made him appear "larger than life" in his confrontations with other characters on stage. Brianna Storm as the cunning "Madeline" was also good and played her part with a straight-faced, business-like approach that worked well. We don't really get to know much about either character other than their motives - the manipulative nature of Madeline and the noble motives behind Charlie - but both actors do a fine job of making the characters interesting.
The show runs about an hour and fifty-minutes (with a fifteen minute intermission) and even though it is not boring and doesn't drag there are scenes that might benefit from faster pacing. Also, there are moments when actors are either turned away from the audience or say their lines behind a wall/door and dialogue is lost. These issues may be hammered out as the show progresses but even so they did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the show.
Act one is presented in a sparsely decorated set while many elements are added during intermission to give the "museum" more character and life. At the read thru it was interesting (for me) to wonder how certain technical requirements were going to be handled but Shawnee has done a fine job of bringing these items "to life" without them seeming cheap or last-minute. The set is simplistic but helps to convey the "dismay" in act one and "hope" of act two. Sound effects are cleverly employed to add to the feeling of a dusty, forgotten roadside attraction. The lighting is also effective at times but during the climactic scene in act two (during a thunderstorm) I felt flashes of lightning would have helped enhance the mood on stage.The costumes are clever “ merely look at the t-shirts the three "museum owners" wear in act two as an example. Even the "dead Indian" is given his own costume which plays an important part in the climax of the play. There were some technical issues with props in the climax of act two which will hopefully be worked out “ however “ if you can overlook these minor inconveniences you will still be given a rewarding payoff ¦ that's all I can say without spoiling anything.
It was quite interesting to see this production brought to life by Shawnee Playhouse after being at the read-thru years ago to see what they were able to accomplish as far as the technical aspects this show required as well as to see the differences between the read-thru and the full production.
If you are a theater lover (as I am) it would be a benefit for you to involve yourself in new and original theater.
With that in mind, plan a visit to The Dead Indian Museum at The Shawnee Playhouse to support new work and, of course, live theater.
The Dead Indian Museum by Paul Kodiak has performances at 2:00 PM on January 23, 25, 30 and February 1, 6, 8. Performances are at 8:00 PM on January 24 and 31 and February 7 at The Shawnee Playhouse. For tickets call 570-421-5093 or visit www.theshawneeplayhouse.com.