THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS
AIRDATE: June 11, 2004
Familiar forms, uncommon visions. You
may never see a more gorgeous, flawless production of Molière than "Don
Juan" at the Old Globe. And you won't see a silent movie more beautifully
sung than Cygnet's "Bed and Sofa." They may not be for everyone, but
they're certainly for anyone who loves theater.
The Globe production of
"Don Juan," brilliantly translated, adapted and directed by Stephen
Wadsworth, is timely, edgy, provocative and colloquial -- just like Molière's
original, which opened in Paris in 1665. Close on the heels of the suppressed
"Tartuffe," this play was even more troubling to the censors in the
court of Louis XIV. But it remains a dazzling exposé of hypocrisy in religion,
politics and the social order, spouting iconoclastic arguments that are no less
apt today. The performances are spectacular, especially Adam Stein as the
irreverent seducer, whose intellect almost outweighs his debauchery; Andrew
Weems as his ever-faithful valet Sganarelle, a role Molière himself played,
undoubtedly to delicious excess; and as Dona Elvira, the most recent woman Don
Juan done wrong, Francesca Faridany is luminous. The design elements are
breathtaking -- sets, costumes, lighting and sound. You mustn't miss this
stunning production of a remarkable play.
Now speaking of a remarkable
invention, how about a silent movie musical? Composer Polly Pen and writer
Laurence Klavan took a 1927 Russian film, "Bed and Sofa," and turned
it into a 1996 Obie Award-winning theater piece that just about defies
description. It's a chamber musical, a mini-opera, a quirky comic drama about
miserable times in Moscow.
Like Molière's play, Abram Broom's
film was so shocking it was banned. But it's now considered a masterpiece of
its era. Pretty risky and risqué for its time, the piece focuses on a love
triangle in a cramped apartment: Ludmilla, unhappy in her marriage to a
brutish construction worker, dreams of romance. Her prayers seem to be answered
when her husband runs into an old Army buddy, a sensitive printer, and invites
him home to their tiny flat. From then on, it's all about who's in, who's out,
who's on the bed, who gets the sofa. And ultimately, who gets fed up with the
arrangement.
The intermissionless musical is getting a glorious production at
Cygnet Theatre, magnificently designed and directed by Sean Murray, all in
filmic black, white and gray. The costumes and lighting are wonderful, as is
the musical direction and accompaniment (Don LeMaster). And the cast is
spectacular; the acting skill and marvelous voices of Julie Jacobs, Eric
Anderson and Michael Elliott beautifully embrace this intricate, sophisticated,
unusual musical treat. If you relish a
uniquely tasty evening at the theater, have I got two for you!
©2004 Patté Productions Inc.