Don't Blink! Or You'll Miss 35mm

Written and Edited by: Abigail Hunter

Photo by: etaylormedia.com

HTAC's latest show, 35mm: A Musical Exhibition, is one of the weirdest I have ever seen. And I mean that in the highest respect I can give. Before I get started with my review, it is important to share some crucial information the creative staff of the show asked me to share: Please be advised that this production contains sensitive material and themes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and alcoholism. The use of strong language and strobe lights will also occur. Should at any time you find it necessary to step out, please feel free to do so. Sexual Offense Support (S.O.S.) representatives are present at each performance and will be available to escort you to a safe space should that be necessary.  

When I sat down with artistic director Kyle Atkinson, I did not know anything about this show except the general concept (a series of songs based on a collection of reference pictures) and a single song title: "Leave, Luanne." By that title, I had an idea that I was about to see something intense, and I was not wrong. But what I severely miscalculated was the amount of heart, depth, and hilarity that would ensue as I sat in Bacchus last night for the cast's final dress rehearsal.

If you are looking for a show that has a lot of continuity and clear-cut storytelling, you may not entirely find it here. Instead, you have a nine-person cast singing their faces off for an hour and a half straight with no dialogue in between. I originally thought this concept may prove a bit intimidating for an audience, but it worked out well, considering the stories told through the pictures are different enough from each other to call for a fresh look each time the lights go down or the stage changes. The general theme, an auction over a late photographer's 'greatest collection' of photos holds true, and I can see why the cast and crew are so passionate about what they are putting onstage.

The cast in itself was a powerhouse, but a few standout performances came from the two misunderstood parts of a love triangle looking for validation and security. Declan Bado and Tony Burgos sent me shivering with their harmonies (and what a falsetto on Tony Burgos!) and Liz Vex standing forlornly in the background made me contemplate what I would do if I were asked to question a relationship I seemed so happy in. The end of act one with the one song I had known to listen out for had me on the edge of my seat, gasping for breath, and looking in complete, rapt attention at the juggernaut that is Emily Denler, who sends southern gothic storytelling to a height on a song traditionally sung by a man. The meaning was changed, but it hit home even harder.

The calm, passionate song that started act 2 was a breath of air that brings the viewer back in to the world of the show. The floating, gorgeous soprano harmonies made me lean in more and more and my eyes dart from person to person trying to discover who was making such an exquisite sound, and I still have not figured it out, so to those lovely cast members, you know who you are.

I was left supremely humbled by this gorgeous show and I encourage everyone to go and see it at some point this weekend. And remember: don't blink. Focus...