Review: LONE RIDERS Explores the Wild West in Austin, TX

Trinity Street Players invites audiences to slow down and admire the old west in their latest production, LONE RIDERS, within the quaint blackbox at the First Austin Baptist Church. This original work, written by Carol Wright Krause and directed by Manuel Zarate, hopefully will survive its first workshop unscathed. Traditionally, during workshop productions, the writing and direction are experimental - meaning quite possibly audiences can only see this original work in its current form once. During this preliminary malleable phase of any show, daring production companies like Trinity Street Players introduce something that literally has never been seen before. This sense of adventure is linked to the spirit and theme of LONE RIDERS. The intimate cast of players and the wonderful guitar stylings of Walker Lyle, take you on their adventure forcing self-reflection of individuals' motives and point of view.

Starting the conflict between contrasting sides, Laurence (played by Steve Williams) is a passionate photographer who has travelled out west to take pictures. Or as he self professes, "a complicated imagery process in his traveling lab and dark room". Leaving behind his wife (played by Evelyn Lalonde) and young child, this civil war photographer now searches for peace in the scenery and serene landscapes of the great frontier. Unfortunately for Peg (played by Renee Barnett), this means Laurence is parked adjacent to her humble house. Playing the shows resident 'den mother', Barnett is the toughest of the bunch - speaking her mind and tending to her duties as a gal making it on her own in the wild west. Barnett's communication style as Peg was a mouthful. With nice moments of discovery sprinkled through her tough exterior, Barnett's struggle was talking quicker than she and the audience could keep up with. Williams (Laurence) captures the passion from the page for his characters passion for the pictures. His internal struggle were conveyed, as he presents far more concern for the images of the countryside than the image of his wife and son back home. This was rather heart-breaking given LaLonda's (Sarah) soliloquy's detailing her adventures in Boston. There is a saying in the theatre, "If you see a car, the audience see's nothing. If you see a 1969 Red Mustang Convertible, the audience see's a car." This sums up LaLonde's performance of her escapades with her mother-in-law and child perfectly. Within her stage presence, images of her son terrorizing the household bring laughter to the audience. Additionally, her support for her husbands travels and contrasting feelings about her own passion regarding him growing ever more distant, allows the audience to relate to her emotion struggle and beckons Laurence to return home.

The civil war defines all of the characters in some way, but its inherent divisiveness touches Dan (delightfully played by David Barrera) the most. Barrera plays a 'galvanized' southern-born soldier who pledges for the North, leaving behind his heritage and young sweetheart, Becky (played by Kimberly Barrow). Barrera and Barrow were audience favorites through the show, carrying a playful spark and creating well-rounded characters the audience sympathize with and hope for their success. Individually, they carry and represent the weight that our nation bore after such a war, and provide a surprising reflection for citizens caught in its wake.

Taking place in the 'Wild West' of untamed Nebraska, in a time where it was every man for himself, we see snapshots of love, loss, and the hunt for the individual. Sometimes raw and rowdy, somber and lonesome, this is a more true-to-life portrayal of the classic Western. This show highlights an intimate cast of characters trying to survive their own struggles and discover something within themselves that can trigger a catharsis, to mold them into the image they desire.

With less cowboys and bank-robbers and more tales of heartache and self-discovery, LONE RIDERS isn't your typical Clint Eastwood Western. However, it paints a true picture of some of the stories of true western expansion. Nebraska in 1865 was a harsh, wild, and often lonely place, and the stories of the characters reflect exactly that. See how they attempt to tame the wild, or in some cases, become tamed by the wild in LONE RIDERS.

LONE RIDERS

WRITTEN BY CAROL WRIGHT KRAUSE

DIRECTED BY MANUEL ZARATE

FIRST AUSTIN (a baptist community of fatih)

901 TRINITY - AUSTIN TEXAS - 78701

NOW PLAYING: May 11th - 22nd

Photo Credit: Trinity Street Players

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: http://www.trinitystreetplayers.com

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