Journey of Exploration (Bunbury Theatre)

Sep 9

2 min read

222

The Ferryman's Daughter Written by Karen Marguerite Moloney Directed by John Finnegan A review by Andy Szuran

The world premiere of "The Ferryman's Daughter" written by local playwright Karen Marguerite Moloney, reminds me of a campfire story one would tell on a crisp Fall night. Filled with spirits, a little romance, and betrayal.

At first glance, the set is very minimal in it's decor. However, Director John Campbell Finnegan adds some fun pieces along the way to make it more appealing to the eyes.

The main focus of the story centers around reincarnation, which is always a fun topic to debate.

We follow the Kate Jensen (Stasia Schaum) throughout her journey of exploration. Stasia comes across as very genuine in her curiosity and excitement.

The same can be said about her younger "counterpart " Sibbrich, played by Ava Medley, her energy uplifts each scene she is in.

The "spirits" referenced earlier, start off the show, and interact with the other characters throughout, but don't become more of a threat until act two, mainly Herr Hans, played by Bart Lovins, whose animated mischievousness is really enjoyable to watch. He however is thwarted, with a little help from Frua Diep (Sage Em) who steps in to assist Kate. Frau Diep and Herr Hans, as spirits, have the funnest costumes.

The rest of the cast are doubled, playing one character, then use subtle tweaks to transition into another. Or rather their "past selves."

One scene in particular that stood out to me was between Sheida and Harro Jensen played by Kendall Rutledge and Zach Trinkle. Their characters, only related by marriage, have good chemistry in the scene, and leads one to believe there's more under the surface between the two. Kendall shines here as she pours on the emotion.

Karen Marguerite Moloney and The Bunbury Theatre have put together an intriguing story to behold, and it is executed well. Indeed reincarnation is an interesting concept: Who were we before, and who will we be next?

The Ferryman's Daughter The Bunbury Theatre September 12-15,19-22 The Henry Clay Theater 604 S 3rd St, Louisville, KY

bunburytheatre.org

Andy Szuran started in Louisville theatre eight years ago, and has never stopped acting. He's also acted in other cities such as Atlanta Georgia, and Las Vegas Nevada.

Since his start, he's gone on to do more than stage acting. He's also acted in film, dabbled in playwriting, and directing theatre. He is a graduate of Indiana University Southeast (IUS) with a Bachelor's degree Communication/Advertising