SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE
"CURTAIN CALLS"
By Pat Launer
08/11/04
Despite the 'Freedom Fries' outrages
French will be heard on local
stages.
Frogs triumph -- centuries apart --
In "Paris Commune," "Las
Meninas" and "Art."
Now, throw in Cole Porter and toss in
the Fritz
And …Vive la France! Long Live the
Blitz!
HI-HO!
It's the story of the Princess and the
dwarf. But it's no fairy tale, and it's no laughing matter (though the play is
humorous at times). "Las Meninas," which means the
ladies-in-waiting, takes its title from a 1656 painting by the Spanish master,
Velasquez. But it takes its content from a forgotten page of French history.
Set in the court of Louis XIV, the Sun
King (remember him? "L'état, c'est moi," he famously proclaimed…
sounds a little familiar these days, doesn't it??), the plot concerns his wife,
Marie-Thérèse, a Spanish royal forced into a marriage of political expedience
with the hedonistic, womanizing Louis. Alienated by language and culture, she
grows despondent. And then she receives a living gift -- a dwarf, kidnapped
from Africa. He's also an outsider, and they grow to be friends. Before too
long, the Queen is pregnant; it comes from sharing or touching saliva, says the
quack-doctor, amusingly played by Jim Chovick (he later told me the moral of
the story is, 'Don't spit!'). When a black baby girl is delivered, the
immediate decision is made to pronounce her dead and to whisk her off to a
convent from which she will never emerge.
So this is the story of that little
girl, all grown up, still in the convent, ready to take her vow of eternal silence.
But before she does, she wants to share what she knows of her history -- with
us, her "sisters." She looks back at that time in 1664 when Nabo (in
truth, a mere 27 inches tall -- and, if the record is to be believed, a young
boy, not a man) arrived at court and befriended her mother. She tries
desperately to piece together her past before it is sealed off forever.
It took eight years of research for
award-winning playwright Lynn Nottage to recreate the story of one woman's
expunged life. In the process, she was reminded of the Yoruba saying, 'The same
white man who made the pencil made the eraser.' It's a chilling narrative,
beautifully told as a flashback and a cautionary tale, a poetic dreamscape and
a haunting memory play. You may remember Nottage's moving family drama,
"Crumbs from the Table of Joy," which played at the Old Globe in
2001. Her acclaimed "Intimate Apparel," fresh from New York, is
currently in production at the Mark Taper Forum, with the original director
(the brilliant Daniel Sullivan) and cast intact. Nottage has an eye for a story
and an ear for language. And she knows how and when to inject a little levity.
Sean Murray is a perfect match for the
piece. He's created a set of simple opulence (slick black surfaces with rich
gilt trim) but there's a twist. Apparently riffing on the Velasquez painting,
which plays with the viewer's position and perspective, Murray has placed a
wall of mirrors upstage, so that periodically, the audience can watch
themselves viewing the piece. It's a delicious illusion; who's watching, who
knows, who remembers this long-suppressed story.
Meanwhile, center stage is some
marvelous acting. Monique Gaffney is our narrator and guide through the
machinations of the decadent French court. She's luminous as Louise
Marie-Thérèse, the royal daughter who seals her life away when she marries God.
Her white-gowned, ethereal presence is grounded by her gut-wrenching,
roots-claiming African dance. Robin Christ is riveting as her mother, the
Queen, a woman scorned and ridiculed, childlike but cunning, desperately trying
to find a modicum of comfort and affection in a hostile, foreign environment. A
beautifully bittersweet performance, even though the Spanish accent is a tad
inconsistent and Christ is far too lovely to warrant the incessant epithets of
"Plain" and "Ugly."
Christopher Wylie looms large even as
he makes himself small, magnificently inhabiting the wisely noble Nabo, who
comes to an unfortunate end, a highly theatrical moment superbly created by
Murray's direction and Eric Lotze's lighting. Jim Chovick and Judy Durning do
double duty in dual roles. Durning's wonderful as the world-weary but
worldly-wise Queen Mother; severe, ruthless and self-serving as the Mother
Superior. Jim Chovick is a delight as a gossipy painter and a fraudulent
doctor. As the King, Daren Scott rises to greatness during the course of the
evening (a bit foppish and fey in the first act, he's splendidly majestic in
the second). Amanda de Treville Sitton is a knife-edged beauty as La Valliere,
one of the King's mistresses, the one who finally reveals all to Louise.
Most of these actors haven't worked
with Murray before, but as he so often does, he's amassed a magnificent
ensemble. And he's made a genuine discovery: first-time costumer Jose Maria
Martinez Ybarra, a protégé of the gifted Jeanne Reith. She was busting her
buttons at the opening, proud of his striking, opulent designs.
What a grand beginning to Cygnet's
second season. Long may the little swan soar!
YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION …
Like "Las Meninas," "Paris
Commune" concerns a forgotten but significant corner of history, in
this case, the populist uprising of
1871. But that's about all I can say; critics are muzzled (I know some of you
have prayed for that!) for all La Jolla Playhouse Page to Stage productions,
which are works in progress. So you'll just have to see for yourself…
LIKE WHITE ON RICE
Okay, so your friend pays a ridiculous
amount of money for a painting that, as far as you can tell, is 4 feet by 4
feet of plain white canvas. Is that enough to ruin a friendship? According to
French playwright Yasmina Reza, it is. Her 1995 play, "Art,"
won the Molière Award for Best Play when it opened in Paris. It's been a huge
success in 20 languages, so it obviously translates well, even though it seems
quintessentially French.
In the 2001 production at the Old
Globe, the piece was turned into a sitcom. But the Lamb's Players, under the
taut direction of Deborah Gilmour Smyth, have brought a decidedly American
sensibility to the play, and returned it to the bitter comedy of ideas that it
is. The three-way confrontation raises questions about art, friendship, loyalty
and honesty. Equality in a relationship. How men negotiate the rocky terrain of
the emotions. It's nasty at times, even brutal, but also, when skillfully
executed like this, fascinating and compelling.
There's an alluring undertone to having
three good friends play three good friends. Lamb's artistic director Robert
Smyth and long-time Lambies Paul Eggington and Tom Stephenson had the requisite
bonding before they began working on this rapid-fire disquisition on taste and
tolerance. They've nailed these characters: Smyth's Marc, the aeronautical
engineer, sports an insufferable cynical condescension and a grating horse-laugh;
as the divorced, dermatologist/ art collector, Serge, Eggington is smug,
brittle, aloof and accusatory. Stephenson's Yvan is a put-upon pragmatist, a
peacemaker who's badgered by the women in his life and outclassed by his
buddies. His mile-a-minute tirade of exasperation is both humorous and
heartbreaking.
Mike Buckley has created a sleek,
ultra-modern set that's all high-tech angles, softened only by accent lighting
(Bill E. Kickbush) and three white leather club chairs. There are a few critical
moments when one actor stands in front of another, or when their backs are
turned to the audience. But these language/behavior-nitpickers keep us fully
engaged for 90 minutes, even if their arcane arguments may make you want to
scream. These probably aren't people you'd want for friends (let 'em have each
other!), but they make for an entertaining and thought-provoking evening.
OLD KING COLE WAS A MERRY OLD SOUL
Offstage drama often provides for
onstage inspiration. As the story goes, when Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were
co-starring in "The Taming of the Shrew" in 1935, they quarreled
almost as much as their characters. From this seed was sown the brilliant Cole
Porter musical, "Kiss Me, Kate," which premiered in New
York in 1948 and became one of the decade's, and the composer's, biggest hits.
Porter is at his absolute best here -- glorious melodies and brilliantly witty
lyrics -- and, since he's having a resurgence right now, what with Kevin Kline
onscreen in "De-Lovely," what better time is there to "Brush Up
Your Shakespeare" and catch "Another Op'nin, Another Show?"
Under the assured direction of Kathy Brombacher (with associate director
Russell Garrett), Moonlight Stage Productions has mounted a sumptuous,
dance-happy "Kate," based on the recent Broadway revival that starred
the charismatic, San Diego-sprung Brian Stokes Mitchell, who snagged a Tony for
his dazzling performance.
The show (book by Sam and Bella
Spewack) is set behind the scenes at Ford's Theatre in Baltimore, during the
tryout of a musical version of Shakespeare's "Shrew." The egotistical
actor/director, Fred Graham (Stan Chandler) and his temperamental co-star and
ex-wife, Lili Vanessi (Victoria Strong), repeatedly break up, make up and patch
up their volatile relationship, eventually vowing enduring devotion, just like
their fictional forebears, Petruchio and Kate. For both couples, it's a bumpy
road to paradise. Meanwhile, backstage in the subplot, sex kitten and wannabe
actress Lois Lane (Brittany Page) and her hoofer-beau Bill Calhoun (Robert
Marra) have their own problems; he with gambling, she with monogamy and
fidelity, especially when expensive gifts are at stake. The interweaving of
Porter and Shakespeare, in book and lyrics, is unalloyed genius.
The Moonlight production is lavish and
lively, but it wasn't quite ready on opening night; there were lighting and
sound problems as well as multiple line-flubs, even in songs. The choreography
(Russell Garrett) was inventive, but the dancing was inconsistent; the
multi-talented Marra outshone everyone else onstage, some of whom just weren't
up to the task.
The show features fine performances,
especially by Strong, Paige and Marra, as well as Steve Glaudini and David
Beaver as the comic-duo gangsters and Robert May as an officious military-man.
The singing is skillful, too; the large-scale chorus numbers sound great, and
all four leads project robust and/or mellifluous vocal quality. Caleb Goh, recent graduate of the SDSU MFA
program in musical theater, does a smoothly assured turn in "Too Darn
Hot," for which Garrett provides his best choreography. But Chandler went
in and out for me; he didn't quite command the stage, he lacked consistent
charisma, his rich baritone weakened at the high end of his range, and his
chemistry with Strong was … well, less than strong.
The 14-piece orchestra sounded bold and
full-bodied under the baton and musical direction of Elan McMahan. It's a
lovely night of theater overall, even if I have a few quibbles, including the
fact that some incomparably clever lyrics were jettisoned for extra dance-time.
I was told it was in the interests of time, so the production didn't exceed
three hours (though it came close). Personally, I'd never lose a line of
Porter; they just don't write 'em like that any more. "Kiss Me, Kate"
is one of the all-time great musicals -- intelligent, romantic, and endlessly
entertaining. It would serve as an excellent intro to Shakespeare, Porter,
musicals and Moonlight.
FOLLOW YOUR BLITZ
The Fritz just celebrated its 13th
Birthday, what you might call its Star Mitzvah. Now the cutting-edge company is
mounting its 11th Fritz Blitz of New Plays by California
Playwrights. The Blitz got off to a spectacular start last weekend. If the
other three weeks are anywhere near as good as the first, artistic director
Duane Daniels should be doing the Happy Dance and reaping rewards. His intro to
the opening evening was a hoot. A great night of humor, sharp direction and
wonderful acting. Excellent quality throughout.
The Week #1 presentations began with
"Absolutes," by San Diego playwright Craig Abernethy, who wowed
audiences last year with his ultra-clever wordplay in "State of the
Art" (a Fritz Theatre production). This time out, he gives us a corporate
couple, anonymously named One and Two, a mentor and mentee, both dressed in
dark business suits, sporting the same red tie. The political resonances are
unmistakable as the neophyte (the engaging Katie Harman) asks her stuffy and
self-important superior (strait-laced and supercilious John Rosen), "Must
we always be so sure?" He's worried that she's "going all
Truth-Justice-and the American Way" on him. But, he asserts, "We have
to be right because we know they are wrong." We never quite know
who the 'We' and 'They' are, but we don't have to. The implications are clear
enough. "We give the people what they want," he patiently explains.
"We are not for anything so much as against… We don't fix anything;
we create distractions." And his bone-chilling corker: "The bigger
the lie, the easier the sale." Alas, the daily news bears him out.
Deliciously subversive stuff, delectably directed by Daniels with witty,
word-punctuating hand motions.
Next up was "Speed Dating
101" by L.A. writer Jeffrey Davis , a very funny take on the nanosecond
dating/mating game. In this 8-minute round-robin social event, Aaron and Marti (the natural, comical duo of
Jonathan Sachs and Teri Brown) cut right to the chase. They meet, greet, ask a
few pertinent questions ("I'm normally not a self-revealer"), get
acquainted, get engaged and break up, all in a matter of moments, before Round
6 is over. Pitch-perfect performances,
perfectly paced, under the smart, snappy direction of (soon-to-be Mama!!) D.
Candis Paule.
Another L.A. import, Pema Teeter, made
her playwriting debut at the 8th Fritz Blitz in 2001 with "Easter's Exile," also
expertly directed by Daniels. This year's winning entry, "God Said
Quiet," also concerned matters of faith. Her first play focused on a
preacher who questions his commitment. This time, it's a young girl (bowed,
sad-eyed Brielle Meskin) whose mother is dying and whose father has given up on
her. She carries a Bible, she prays constantly, but "God," she says,
"told me to be quiet. He hushed me." As the street-sweeping man in
the park, who watches this daily despair and self-flagellation, Fred Harlow
gave a lovely, subdued, sorrowful and finely etched performance.
The evening ended on an absurd note --
in all the best senses. Tom Horan's "Invisible Bob" is the wacky tale
of long-term drones in a SuperMega Corporation who are so anonymous and
unrecognized that Ed (side-splitting Jim Chatham) still can't retire at 104;
'they' keep upping the age limit. Even worse, Bob (wide-eyed naïf, Michael
Lamendola) is disappearing. Under Forrest Aylsworth's endlessly inventive
direction, all of the performances are wonderful, even if the characters are
(stereo)Types. Teri Brown is highly effective again as the stodgy,
stogy-smoking Mr. Boss; Erin McKown is great fun as old, tottering/doddering
Nana, a perfect match for Chatham's bent-over, shuffling, L-shaped geezer;
Wendy Savage is perky as the insouciant ingénue, who helps rescue her boyfriend
Bob from oblivion. Chrissy Burns does the Sexy Secretary turn as Miss
Understanding; Bob Himlin is cutely clueless as the upwardly mobile Bill, who
gets promoted to company hatchet-man but can't get himself to utter the word
'fired' (though he can juggle). And Chris White is uproarious as the
toenail-biting Dr. Bungle, a self-absorbed physician with the bedside manner of
a boa constrictor. A weird little play (with about 10 endings), but the laughs
kept coming, cause the cast was so good.
Onward and upward, Fritz-niks. Don't
miss the next three weeks.
MORE MUSICALS FROM MOVIES
More and more, movies are providing the
source material for new musicals. Less good than books (or -- heaven forbid! --
novel ideas) but better than TV, I guess. Here's the latest roundup:
Debuting this year:
"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (at
the Globe), "Dracula, the Musical" (which premiered at the La Jolla
Playhouse and is about to open on Bway), "Monty Python's Spamalot,"
and "The Color Purple."
Also coming soon, or in
discussion/development: "The Ten Commandments" (one could argue that
there's a pre-Hollywood source, but Heston looms large), "Tarzan"
(based on the 1999 Disney animated version, featuring the music of Phil
Collins), "Pink Floyd's The Wall," "Legally Blonde,"
"Spider-Man," "SecondHand Lions," "Fight Club,"
"High Fidelity" and (already running in London and due in NYC next
spring) "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
Whew! Doesn't anyone buy books any
more??
AND
NOW, FOR THE 'DON'T MISS' LIST:
"Las Meninas" -- Sean Murray does it again! Gorgeous production, wonderfully designed,
acted and directed. A comic but chilling, fact-based, historical tale. At
Cygnet Theatre, through September 12.
"Art" -- a lovely pas de trois from some of your Lambie favorites, in an
intelligent, thought-provoking play; at
Lamb's Players Theatre, through September 19
The Fritz Blitz -- if it continues like the first week, this year's Blitz could be the
best ever! Three more weekends of amusement, talent and entertainment. At the
Lyceum Theatre, through August 29.
"Kiss Me, Kate" -- It isn't quite "Wunderbar," but it's Porter, and
Shakespeare, and Moonlight… a pretty
hard combo to beat. In Vista's Brengle Terrace Park, through August 15.
"Twelfth Night" -- Poor Players' bare-bones production makes light of the highs and
underscores the lows -- while highlighting the language at all costs. A
delight! At Adams Ave Studio through 8/22.
Isn't August 12th a holiday
for everyone? -- or is it just me, 'cause it's my Birthday! Have one on me -- a
local show, that is.
Pat
©2004
Patté Productions Inc.