On the Culture Front: The Food Film Festival, Old Times, Fool for Love, and More

By Chris Kompanek

Sibyl Kempson’s “Fondly, Collette Richland” is the kind of down-the-rabbit-hole wild ride that spins reality on its head in search of a greater truth. Directed by Elevator Repair Service John Collins, the play is a departure from the novel adaptations that the company has gained attention for in recent years. It’s the kind of show where all the people around you may walk out at intermission, but by the end, you feel wise to have stayed. There’s lots of music that flows through its three hours, but “Richland” is hardly a musical. It’s a plead against complacency, a sly comment on the artifice of theater and our needs to suspend disbelieve, but ultimately it’s a journey. Like any great trip I’ve been on, the first feeling is a wash of exhilaration. The second is, “did we really just do that?” That’s when the memories begin to flood in. “Richland” captures this in spades with scenes that don’t follow each other as much as bleed together, eliminating transitions in favor of a stream-of-consciousness fervor that builds with eye-popping momentum. I can’t wait to see what Kempson does next.

Excerpt from “On the Culture Front: The Food Film Festival, Old Times, Fool for Love, and More” by Chris Kompanek. Read the full article here.