Great performance

I wanted to comment on the production I saw last Friday titled, "The Last Five Years." It took place at the Backdoor Theatre in Wichita Falls. The performers were Adam Sharp and Ashley Kleiber. Weldon Fraker was on keyboard, and Adam Sharp also directed.

Before I attended "Last Five Years," I had no idea what to expect out of a venue that was perceived by me as relatively unheard of outside of Wichita Falls, yet I was very pleasantly surprised.

Characterized by a Spartan stage layout with minimal props, much is left to the audience's imagination. It is a story that portrays a troubled relationship from a "he said, she said" perspective. But the interesting twist is Ashley's life events are shown in reverse. That's right, her scenes are belted out from the end of the story to beginning, while Adam is simultaneously next to her performing his in "real time." This is the creative part, which comes across smoothly. The climax was the wedding scene, as the characters briefly broke their separate routines to perform together in dialogue.

Overall, Adam and Ashley delivered a very impressive performance, and displayed raw talent that far exceeds what one would expect from a small community playhouse. When the cast members sang, I often felt as if I was looking right inside them. Their chemistry on stage was eerily natural, and it seemed as if they have known each other for a very long time. It is apparent to me that these two certainly possess the caliber to potentially enter larger-scale markets in the future.

I grew up in the greater New York City metropolitan area (Long Island), and have been attending both Broadway and off-Broadway performances for a long time now. I have often wondered where the many talented performers originate from, and last Friday's performance illustrates conceivably they may come from all across the country, including smaller communities such as yours.

Perry Weisman, MD

Corpus Christi