The Ball State University Department of Theatre and Dance begins the Spring Semester leg of its 2002-2003 season with a production of Side Man, a play by Warren Leight. This play is an ensemble piece about the family of Gene Glimmer, a jazz musician in the golden age of jazz. Gene sacrifices everything including his family in the pursuit of his music. Warren Leight intensifies the story by spanning it over thirty years and back dropping it with the decline of the "Jazz Era".
A point of note about the show is that all of its designers are students. Kevin Depinet's scenic design allows for free and easy movement for the actors. He manages to do this without overlapping the multiple locations in the show. Tanya Robbins, the show's sound designer, infuses the play with jazz from the very beginning. Along with the costume and make up and lighting, you will be transported through a play that spans thirty years.
The characters are engaging. Tim Lueke is Clifford Glimmer, Gene's son. Clifford narrates the story in direct address to the audience. But Tim is as honest and personable on stage as he is in person. As Clifford, he welcomes you to look at his life and family without asking for pity or approval. Taylor Burris gives her all in the portrayal of Terry, the concert flutist that married Gene and gave up her career as an artist to support his. There is the tendency for young performers to play a single emotion throughout an entire play especially when it is anger and bitterness. Taylor allows you to see her fall in love with Gene. You understand her frustration with him over the span of thirty years and why she still loves him even to her detriment. Jamie Grant's portrayal of Gene is thought provoking. Gene is a character that has little interest in anything that does not have to do with playing jazz. Whenever there is unpleasant conversation, Gene turns to his trumpet for comfort. He tunes life out; doing only what is necessary to continue to play jazz. Jamie holds your attention a majority of the time by letting you almost forget he's there.
Rex Clifton Jr., Nicholas Floyd, Kellie C. Harrison, and J.D. Ostergaard round out the cast. Rex, Nicholas, and J.D. play the friends and band mates of Gene. They have their own stories to tell and never give the sense that their lives are less important than Gene's life. Most interesting is J.D. Ostergaard, a freshman. It is uncommon that a freshman is cast in a Main stage production and J. D. is able to match the energy and focus of the rest of the cast. Kellie Harrison is Pasty. Pasty is the waitress at the nightclub the jazz quartet has played at for the last thirty years. She has made her way through the quartet twice, except for Gene, and attempts to give Clifford encouragement to leave his dysfunctional family.
It is not necessary that you be a jazz fan to enjoy the show. Side Man has a story that is involving. The design team has built a world that inundates the audience. The actors are engaged in telling the story and making the characters as personable as possible. There is a lot of rough language, drug usage and some of the characters smoke therefore this play is for mature audiences only. So...come and see Side Man.
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