SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE
"CURTAIN CALLS"
By Pat Launer
05/12/04
A Life in the Theatre can be gleeful
and hearty,
A
strange trip or a Wild Party;
A raucous refrain, a sweet cantata,
Or a cough-fest à la Traviata.
But The Road to Mecca can be a fata
morgana…
It's not easy to reach artistic
nirvana.
A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
For theater insiders, there are plenty of in-jokes in
David Mamet's "A Life in the Theatre," currently
getting an outstanding production at North Coast Repertory Theatre. There's the
actor rivalry, the backbiting, the petty squabbles, the pontificating voice of
experience, the mentee who no longer needs mentoring and a raft of onstage
gaffes and disasters: broken zippers, missing props, lost lines and general
havoc. It's enough to cause actors in
the audience to double over in gleeful recognition. But there are some extra
'insider' delights if you know the principals.
First, there's the back-story that, a dozen years ago,
NCRT's artistic director David Ellenstein played the role of the younger actor
to Jonathan McMurtry's older man. Wisely, he's cast McMurtry again, since the
role was just about tailor-made for him. (After the opening, McMurtry confided
that, 12 years later, he feels a lot closer to what's going on onstage). And if
you know McMurtry and his youthful counterpart Fran Gercke, the talented
artistic director of New Village Arts Theatre, there are a few additional
treats in the text which, ironically, nail each of them and their habits as
performers. At one point, McMurtry, as the elder statesman of actors, decries
"The mugging! The stilted diction!" -- some have said that of him.
And he chides Gercke's character, the young-buck actor, saying, "Could you
perhaps do less?" which could apply to Gercke's sometimes fussily
hyperactive performances. But not this one.
Under Ellenstein's richly layered, pitch-perfect
direction, both actors are in top form (Gercke even gets to show his buff
agility, doing some 50 pushups and finessing a boxer-like cross-hand jumprope
routine).
The two play off each other masterfully, and they mine all the humor inherent in the piece. Each character
takes a journey: one star is rising, the other falling. Frequently, with this
play, the older actor's performance is overstated, overexaggerated and over the
top. McMurtry brings a great deal of nuance to the character, who continues to
pronounce and pontificate though his heart is clearly aching with the
acknowledgment of his age, and his envy of the younger man's youth, energy,
friends and even his tools of the trade. Whereas the younger actor's role is
often played as just a cipher who merely reacts to the histrionics of the older
man, Gercke's performance, modulated and restrained, creates a living,
breathing man who morphs, thanks to diligent practice and good reviews, from a
groveling, self-effacing, awe-struck acolyte into a confident player who
realizes that he is exceeding his 'mentor' and no longer needs his help.
Jeanne Reith's marvelous quick-change costumes are
manipulated by two silent -- but still very present -- onstage dressers (Sylvia
Enrique and Fabiola Francesca), whose
work is complemented by a visible Stage Manager (Pat Moran) executing several
theatrical acts -- light checks, prop movement, etc. -- that provide extra time
for those multitudinous costume changes. All three do very nice work.
The actors are obviously sharing a dressing room in a
repertory company, so we get to see them perform in a wide variety of scenes and
styles that are often quite hilarious. Marty Burnett's set does a lovely job of
creating the requisite makeup mirror, the footlights, scrim and audience
upstage, and the clear sense of a backstage and a performing space. Mike
Durst's subtle lighting brings it all to life, with expressive backgrounding by
George Ye's sound design, though that cello does tend to wear out its welcome
after a time. In truth, so does Mamet's conceit. He makes his points early on
and somewhere around the one-hour mark in this 90-minute one-act, the piece
begins to feel repetitive. But Ellenstein and his
crackerjack cast have an excellent sense of timing, and once the half-way point
is reached, the piece moves spryly to its inexorable conclusion.
Overall, the production is a delight in all ways… for
the stories it tells, the tips it gives, the honest peek behind the curtains it
represents. Theater-folk will recognize the behaviors, the onstage disasters
and the personality quirks depicted. And non-theater people will relish the
insider's view they're privy to. This one is a must-see for all.
YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Mecca
is the Promised Land. And all of us have our own conception of Paradise, some
haven we'd like to retreat to -- physically or figuratively. In Athol Fugard's
1985 drama, "The Road to Mecca," Miss Helen, an elderly
Afrikaner has created her own private little piece of heaven in her garden.
It's her escape from her church, her neighbors, and from the harsh landscape of
the South African Karoo desert. Like so many artists, she withdraws into her
art and then, when no one understands it, or when it seems to flout the rules
or mores of the surrounding society, she's forced to defend her art, to protect
it, to hold onto it as if it were her life. It is.
Fugard
grew up in this same desolate area, and his creation is based on a real local
character. Although Helen grew up in the tiny town of New Bethesda, she's been
ostracized, because she turned away from the church and toward her own inner
vision, embodied in a yard-full of strange statuary and ornaments she fashions
out of beer bottles, cement and individual freedom. The townspeople,
represented here in the person of pastor Marius Byleveld, are frightened by
Helen's 'blasphemous' sculptures of wisemen and camels and owls, and they want
her put safely away in an old-age home. Her sense of freedom is a threat to
their very existence. But Elsa Barlow, a 31-year-old teacher from Capetown, has
been smitten and inspired by Helen's spirit and independence, and she will
fight anyone to help the older woman maintain both.
Elsa
is just emerging from her own personal hell, and she's driven hundreds of
miles, from Capetown, to help Helen through hers. In the hands of a world-weary
Priscilla Allen and adorable Jessica John, the women's interactions are
electric. Together, they cover as much ground as the Great Karoo. There are
white-black issues of apartheid, and the clash of maturity vs. youth, women vs.
men, love and trust, freedom and constraint, fear of old age and the loss of the
creative spark.
A
fascinating female parallel to the older/younger actor duo in "A Life in
the Theatre," this play also concerns the power and influence of art, but
it takes a much more serious turn. Art, it seems, especially in the current
climate, must always be defended.
Allen
brings Helen to life, in a finely shaded performance that goes from fear and
trepidation to strength and nobility. As austere as Allen seems at times, John
is the ideal antidote: lovely, lively, enthusiastic and energetic, even through
her character's tribulations and obsessions. Between them, late in the play,
stands a staid and stern Ralph Johnson as the pastor who wants Helen to be put
away, into a nursing home, so her free spirit and independence are no longer a
rebuke to the community. Only after he leaves do we learn of his possible
affection for Helen; there was little hint of that delicate layer in this portrayal.
Director
Patrick Stewart has kept the proceedings understated; the play has a slow
build, but these actresses keep the pace vigorous. The set (Matt Scott) is a
bit enigmatic, more a painted abstract of tree-like structures than the wild,
weird sculptures described in the text. And not enough is made of the light,
which figures prominently in the play but minimally in this production.
This
is one of Fugard's quieter pieces, but the inevitable after-show discussions
his work engenders are, along with these performances, reward enough.
COUGH, SING AND DIE….
"La Traviata," in case you didn't know, means 'misguided
girl.' Verdi's beloved 1853 opera was
based on a play, La Dame aux Camélias (the coughing "Camille"
in English), by the younger Alexander Dumas, which was, in turn, based on his
semi-autobiographical novel. The story has to do with disease and love, which
doesn't sound like such an attractive combination. Of course, in these AIDS
days, those types of tales are commonplace in the theater.
Violetta, a delightful young lady of
somewhat dubious reputation, was based on the character of a real courtesan that
Dumas knew and loved in 1840's Paris. Just for the historical record, her
original name was Alphonsine Plessis, but she changed it to Marie Duplessis in
order to sound more regal. In the cemetery of Montmartre, directly below the
white church of the Sacre Coeur, tourists still visit the grave of Marie
Duplessis, the original 'misguided girl,' who died on February 2, 1846, just 19
days after her 22nd birthday. Among her numerous lovers during the
last year of her life were Dumas fils and Franz Liszt. But I digress….
The San Diego Opera production of
"Traviata," its seventh, is glorious to behold. The sets and
costumes, also used in the 1971 and 1997 SDO productions, are sumptuous, often
breathtaking. Nonetheless, that doesn't excuse the time it takes to change
them. It's unconscionable in these tech-savvy days, to have three 20-minute
intermissions, a total of one hour of break-time in a two-hour opera. Absurd.
The four acts were short; after the second 20-minute interval, Act III lasted a
mere 23 minutes. The breaks lengthened the evening by a third. There's got to
be a better way.
The direction, by Ian Campbell, keeps
the action focused and engaging. And the magnificent lighting, by Chris Rynne,
draws us into this (recognizably) decadent, hedonistic world (mid-1800 Paris
and its environs). This translation (supertitles credited to Ian Campbell) did
not render the story crystal-clear. Violetta's past was not elucidated, only
her dedication to joy. And the reasons for Germont's pleas for Violetta to disavow
her love for his son, Alfredo, were also murky. But all these are minor
quibbles in face of the music.
First and foremost, Violetta. Anja
Harteros, the German soprano with the Greek surname, is spectacular. She's beautiful
to look at, an excellent, credible actor and a magnificent singer. Her supple
voice is smooth and mellow in the low range and gloriously pure in her
coloratura turns. Her vocal robustness often overpowers Richard Troxell's
tenor, but his portrayal of Alfredo is potent, and his intense and impetuous
love is palpable. James Westman brings a rich baritone to Germont, the
reputation-obsessed father who destroys a perfect love, ultimately realizing
his error and suffering remorse, but too late. As Alfredo's rival, the Marquis,
James Scott Sikon has an imperious manor and a full-bodied baritone. Mezzo Ilse
Apéstegui and bass Ethan Herschenfeld
bring apt gravitas to the faithful Annina and the Doctor who cannot save
Violetta from the deadly consumption. At the end, Harteros offers one of the
greatest death-falls I've ever seen.
The orchestra sounded wonderful under
the baton of the gifted Edoardo Müller. In all, this is a Traviata to die for,
if not (for some reason) to cry for. See Harteros now (and next season in SDO's
"Simon Boccanegra." She may be an opera luminary before you know it.
WHAT A SWELL PARTY IT WAS…
A
dark, witty, cynical poem about New York debauchery during Prohibition was written
in 1926 by former 'New Yorker' editor Joseph Moncure March. It was banned in
Boston. Amazingly, nearly 75 years later, in the same New York theater season
(2000), two musicals emerged called, as the poem was, "The Wild Party." No
professional productions of either have yet made their way to San Diego. But
Marinee Payne, drama teacher/director at Torrey Pines High School, scored a
major coup and brought the Andrew Lippa musical to her students. (She told me
she chose that version because she liked Lippa's score a lot more than Michael
John La Chiusa's). She pared down and cleaned up the story a bit, eliminated a
Lesbian (changing the comic "Old Fashioned Lesbian Love Song" to
"Old-Fashioned Fairy-tale Love Song" -- well, it is Carmel
Valley -- and high school!). Still, the piece is provocative, loaded with
alcohol, promiscuity, infidelity, fights and even murder. Sounds like a typical
week in high school these days.
It's
the tale of a fragile relationship gone wrong. Queenie, a sultry, sweet-tough dancer,
is fed up with her abusive boyfriend Burrs, a clown. He's bored but he can't
let her go (though the ex-hooker Kate is waiting in the wings). Queenie, though
unhappy, cannot overcome inertia and leave. He still brutalizes, she still
endures. It's an all-too-familiar story. She decides to throw a party to
humiliate him. An eccentric slew of guests pours in, including the raunchy
vixen Kate and the mysterious Black. The evening turns from seduction and
passion to destruction and murder.
Back
at the high school, with minimal adult and financial support, Payne mounted a
marvelous production. I had to keep reminding myself that these were 16-17
year-olds. They looked stunning (the glamorous '20s outfits were mostly
"collected" from the school's costume shop) and the music was
terrific. Senior student Willy Chu, who's about to begin an Economics major at
Stanford (music is just his hobby), scored, orchestrated and conducted an
11-piece ensemble, while playing a mean piano/keyboard himself.
Only
the leads were miked in this small, black-box space (shouldn't a 3000-student
school in an upscale neighborhood merit a state-of-the-art theater to rival --
or complement -- its sports facilities??), so the chorus sounded weak by
comparison. But they looked striking and held their own (and their poses). The
female leads were especially strong:
the luminous, sexy, Monroe-esque Erika Jermasek as the profligate
Queenie; eye-popping, red-dressed Alisha Zalkin as Kate, a fireball of talent
who has natural musical theater moxie and moves; and Anna Esko as Madelaine
True (erstwhile lesbian) who's spunky and funny with her droll love song.
Another comic turn is "Two of a Kind," sung by the Mutt-and-Jeff duo,
Todd Huguenor and Sonya Bender, as Eddie and Mae.
As
Burrs, the charming Ben Halstead acted better than he sang, but his performance
was captivating. Mellow-voiced Dan Tracer played Black as a darkly seductive
enigma (though he's only a doorman) who spells Trouble from his first entrance.
It
was, overall, an astonishing high school production -- an enormous challenge,
extremely well met. Kudos to all!
THE TONY CONNECTION
San Diego made a terrific showing in
this week's Tony nominations. We are a FORCE to be reckoned with! There is, of
course, the Pulitzer Prize-winning "I Am My Own Wife" (by Douglas
Wright) which premiered here in the first La Jolla Playhouse Page to Stage
production. It's nominated for Best Play, Best Direction (Moisés Kaufman) and
for Jefferson Mays' spectacular performance. He is, you may remember, a UCSD
alum, also seen here in the Rep's "Hamlet" and as
"Tartuffe" at the Playhouse.
The prolific Jack O'Brien is up for
another Tony for his thrilling Lincoln Center production of "Henry
IV." Globe associate artist Ralph Funicello (SDSU faculty) was also
nominated for designing the piece. Another Globe associate artist, Dakin
Matthews, got a special Drama Desk Award for his adaptation of the two-part
play (which was seen at the Globe in 1995, directed by Jack O'Brien). Overall,
"Henry" snagged six Tony noms. O'Brien also captured the Outer
Critics Circle Award for his direction of "Henry IV," which won for
Best Revival of a Play.
Another local scenic designer, Robert
Brill (UCSD alum and Sledgehammer co-founder) was nominated for the set for
"Assassins."
It's gonna be a Hot Night for San Diego
theater at this year's Tonys… Don't miss 'em! Sunday, June 6. Cheer on the home
team!
And
now, for THIS WEEK'S 'DON'T MISS' LIST
"A Life in the Theater" -- outstanding duet by Jonathan McMurtry and Fran Gercke; they
play actors who play off each other beautifully; at North Coast Rep, through
June 6.
"La Traviata" -- gorgeous sets and costumes and the glorious, mellifluous voice
of Anja Harteros make this well worth your while, no matter how many times
you've seen/heard it. Harteros is definitely someone to watch; at the Civic
through May 19.
"The Road to Mecca" -- Priscilla Allen and Jessica John in Athol Fugard's
thought-provoking play about the power
of art; off-nights at 6th @ Penn, through June 2.
"Shirley Valentine" -- virtuoso performance by Rosina Reynolds in a warm, funny,
touching play. At 6th @ Penn Theatre, through June 6, and at North
Coast Repertory Theatre from June 10-13.
"Fully Committed" -- return, command performance of David McBean's hilarious
tour de force. Don't miss it this time! Cygnet Theatre, through May 16.
I'm off to New York… there's
Tony-nominated, San Diego-connected theater to be seen! Have a great
(theater-filled) week,
©2004
Patté Productions Inc.