Problems in Playhouse Creatures are numerous and of concern to any director when producing this show. For instance, there is a pregnancy abortion scene in this show. A director should be concerned with alienation and sensitivity with the audience in this sense because a wrong or uncensored approach could destroy an audience’s compliance with the material. Another area of problems arise with the set, using the stage as a part of back stage area is problematic because it is a part of letting the audience know where the actors are in the play. Nudity is another area that problems could arise and could be shocking or very conservative with the amount of depth a director chooses to go with this script. Also, since there isn’t much information about the script with two male characters added to the most recent edition of the script, this edition is not produced near as much and incorporating these two characters without much research into past productions of the particular version can present a problem with how the play is received.
The show doesn’t have many problems that would completely disrupt the collegiate students of SHSU nor the community of Huntsville with the exception of the abortion scene. An issue of high sensitivity should be handled very delicately to avoid a repelling reaction of the show. Performing in a small space such as the Showcase Theatre would present a problem because of the small amount of space available to have designated areas in which the show can thrive in the different places the play takes place. Another is the set changes themselves. If the show were to be produced on the Erica Starr Theatre stage would a designer want to have a crew seen during the changes or not seen at all. Community reception and the handling of the space would be a great deal of the problems but casting would also be a problem because of the way the script is written and past productions could a director cast multi-ethnic cast. If so, how would that be handled by not only the context of the play but the reception of the audience; or if not, is sacrificing authenticity for valuable actresses and actors as a resource to produce a great show worth that price.
Most productions of this show are from the original version with an all female cast. Based on what I have read, the addition of two male members of the cast doesn’t take away much but does add a great deal of other dynamics, particularly during scenes between Nell and the Earl, which adds a better understanding for an audience member to watch. The abortion portion of this show is handled quite well in several portions but in others it is not. Having it occur offstage seems to be the prevalent approach to the type of scene being produced and the sensitivity of it. Not much detail has gone into the set changes but a couple of reviews had mentioned that a curtain was used to signify when the actors were in performance and when they were backstage. The curtain was enough for them. The nudity has also been handled fairly well across the board. One review of a show in London had pointed that the actress were seductive and intriguing without having to show very much.
The critics overall seem to enjoy the script a very great approach and a historical learning experience is the general consensus. There were various reviews that had praised a producing company for doing something about the history of the theatre because it is something that is unknown yet the direction and some of the casting choices that were not very well made. Most reviewers and critics took hard looks at the play itself and not the production itself. In a general sense the critics enjoy the script but also have specific problems with the script in small areas. One thing that a critic had mentioned is how old the script feels when it is being performed even though the script was produced in 1993. It wasn’t that the script is overdone, it was transporting the audience back the 1660s that this particular critic found useful and enjoyed.
