SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE
"CURTAIN CALLS"
By Pat Launer
11/03/04
A "Brownstone' holds many secrets
within
And a 'Prodigal Son' is steeped in sin;
As Macbeth would predict, before his
fall:
'Stuff Happens' to us all.
When I first saw "The Goat, or
Who is Sylvia?" in New York (the original Broadway production starred
Bill Pullman and Mercedes Ruehl), it was devastating. It was just like what I'd
heard about the opening night of "Death of a Salesman." The
audience was so stunned at the end that there wasn't a sound -- for almost a
minute. And then, they came out of that trance-state and roared with applause.
The piece is dark and deep -- and it's not really about a man falling in love with a goat -- though that's the titillating premise. It's about tolerance and the limits of love; repressed sexuality, forbidden desire and our last remaining taboos; where lines are drawn and the consequences of stepping over those lines. It's about the pain of love under siege. Albee subtitled the play "Notes Toward a Definition of Tragedy."
The plot concerns an architect at the
top of his game -- 50 years old, happily married, wildly successful (just
having received an international prize and a major commission). Then, he confesses
to his best friend, who forces him to tell his wife and young, gay son, that
he's having an extramarital affair -- with a goat named Sylvia. It's tearing
him apart; ultimately, in true tragic style, it destroys his family and his
life. The setup sounds funny, and as in the brutal "Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?," which this play resembles in many ways -- including
its brilliance -- there are many intelligent, witty moments. But this is really
a very earnest play, turning on extremely serious issues. Yet very little of
the gravitas makes its way into the San Diego Repertory Theatre production.
The splendid opening scene of clever,
George-and-Martha repartee, has been turned into a virtual sitcom. Not for one
minute did I believe that this inattentive, forgetful man (Douglas Roberts) was
a world renowned architect. Instead of seeming smart and competent, if
distraught, distracted and conflicted, he appeared absent-minded and stupid. He
was even dressed shabbily (costumes by Jennifer Brawn Gittings, who does much
better for the other characters), despite the fact that he lives in a gorgeous,
skylit Manhattan apartment (dazzling scenic design by Nick Fouch). As his wife,
Stevie, Deborah Van Valkenburgh is intellectually sharp, sassy and tough -- and
a lot more believable -- but she plays anger much more than despair.
In the midst of their playful Noel
Coward banter, he lets slip his secret. She thinks it's a joke. And in many
ways, it's treated like that throughout this production. Instead of the audience
leaving the theater in a dazed state of distress, discussing the painful issues
raised, the opening night crowd filed out laughing, elbowing each other with
goat one-liners.
After all the grueling details come to
light, the long confrontation between husband and wife is intense and
destructive -- both emotionally and physically, as Stevie systematically
smashes the beautiful objets in their well-appointed home, mirroring the way
her husband has shattered their lives. Some of it works; some of it plays like
melodrama. This man seems to have no problem loving two females; he doesn't
seem to be torn apart by inner turmoil. That lack of subtext skews the whole
play. The "Judas" friend (coarsely and credibly played by Ralph
Elias) and the conflicted gay son (Joel Rieck, who goes in and out of
plausibility) are just foils here; they barely register.
With all its foul-mouthed language and
incendiary themes, the Tony Award-winning play should be as shocking as
"Virginia Woolf" was when it opened in 1962. That was undoubtedly
part of Albee's intent. There isn't much that can shock us any more. But this
story can. Or should. Director Sam Woodhouse appears to have chosen the text
over the subtext, the humor over the deadly seriousness. This was a disturbing
production -- but for the wrong reasons.
At San Diego Repertory Theatre; through
November 21.
Macbeth hath murdered sleep. Ever since I saw the Poor Players
production, and especially Richard Baird's performance in the title role, I've been
haunted by it. And I don't think it was because I saw it on Halloween. Baird is a riveting performer -- and a
fascinating director. His Macbeth is a mass of macho hubris, ambition,
vehemence and angst. He's a violent man; his teasing is physically aggressive
with males. Even his symbiotic relationship with his lovely-but-vicious wife
(Beth Everhart) is brutally sexual; he's borderline abusive in how he grabs
her, holds her and even how he kisses her.
This is a powerful production. Darkness
pierced by flashlight. The Weird Sisters in camouflage, the soldiers carrying
automatic weapons. The ghost scenes are downright scary as Macbeth is unnerved
and upended -- and unnerves us, as his mind unravels under the weight of what
he's done. Though the direction and ensemble work are good, the performances
are variable; in any event, everyone else pales beside the compelling and
charismatic Baird, whose line-readings are fascinating and distinctive, and
whose mastery of Shakespearean power and poetry is impeccable. Pared-down,
intense, more than a little spooky (as it should be), this "Macbeth"
(and this Macbeth) are most assuredly worth seeing.
At Adams Avenue Theatre, through
November 14.
The SDSU MFA program in musical theater
(one of only three in the country) loves to unearth and produce little-known or
rarely-seen musicals. A decade ago, long before it arrived on Broadway last
year, they mounted Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins," a montage
of presidential murderers and wannabes. Two years ago, they did "A New
Brain," William Finn’s dark story of a writer undergoing neurosurgery.
Now, they've brought "Brownstone" to life. It's been a
work-in-alteration since its 1979 workshop production, and director Paula
Kalustian has made some nifty additions, including a (sort of Greek) chorus of
three, who 'comment' on all the activities, while also serving as set-movers,
dressers, consciences, harmonizers and occasionally, comic relief.
The setting (expertly designed by Lura Coyne to fit neatly into SDSU's small Experimental Theatre space) is the singular, titular New York domicile that, in this case, allows us to peer into five cramped, radiator-heated apartments. The residents are physically and emotionally boxed off, though they periodically bump into each other and occasionally break out of the "Camouflage" of Big City anonymity. With its fairly predictable storyline and often repetitive score, the show seems like a weak cross between "Company" and "Baby," though creators Peter Larson, Josh Rubins and Andrew Cadiff have nowhere near the wit and depth of a Sondheim or Maltby and Shire. Like "Rent," the show depicts a year in the life… A new guy moves into the building and no one talks to him. Gradually, he gets to know his neighbors, who are lonely, splitting up, feeling sad, getting nowhere, etc. He falls in and out of love/lust. And winds up generally content -- loving, as they all do in their quirky ways, the "Pretty City."
The individual characters are not all
that interesting: a ditsy blonde who just broke up with her boyfriend and can't
figure out how to be alone (adorable Nicole Werner, who has a delightful
onstage presence); a married couple (Jerry Jay Cranford and Jamie Kalama)
comprising a blocked, taciturn writer and his long-suffering, biological
clock-ticking wife; an edgy female lawyer (Ryan Beattie) who dreams of a place
in the country. The new guy's a jock (Justin Harlin). That's about it. They
don't interact much; they sing lots of ballads. The musical accompaniment
(Terry O'Donnell on piano, Wendy Thomson on keyboard) was fine, though
sometimes the percussion (Brian Eisenberg) sounded canned.
It's not a groundbreaking show, nor
does it harbor any surprises, even though it won a Richard Rodgers Award for
best new musical some years back. But
this production was swift and pleasant, and a little bittersweet. It was great
get another San Diego premiere. Kalustian directed inventively and highlighted
the talent of her new MFA class. It'll be fun to watch them grow over the next
two years -- and to see them in "Bat Boy" next spring.
I caught the closing weekend of the Ira
Aldridge Repertory Players' production of "Prodigal Son,"
which was billed as a "hand-clapping, foot-stomping" gospel musical.
It wasn't. It was a series of unrelated sermons and gospel songs. The text,
compiled and augmented by director Calvin Manson, was adapted from James Weldon
Johnson's "God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse,"
published in 1927. The parable of the Prodigal Son was only one segment, and it
didn't provide a through-line for the 90-minute piece. There was no thematic
linking, and no structural or chronological order.
The setting is a small church, and the
'choir' enters first, awaiting the arrival of the preacher (Jay Walthour), who
greets the 'congregation' as he enters. Very friendly and intimate. The
stories, sermons and 'testimonials' start with the Book of Genesis, which
seemed reasonable enough. A "lonely" God says "I think I'm gonna
make me a world." After a few songs (including a touching version of
"Amazing Grace"), we move on to the Flood. Before you know it, we're
talkin' Moses ("Go Down Moses"), followed by the Crucifixion
("Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"). And then it's the
parable of the Prodigal Son and his sojourn in the sinful Babylon. Huh? Where'd
that sequence come from??
There was lots of wonderful music and
terrific a capella singing (musical direction by Gail Gipson), though the
'score' was light on upbeat numbers of the promised "hand-clappin',
foot-stompin'" variety and heavy on highly emotional ballads, psalms and
solos. Although the admirable intent was to highlight a slice of African
American heritage, there was no drama or movement or theatricality in the
piece, which felt much more like a church-service for true believers than a
general-audience show. The attractive, brightly colored background paintings of
abstracted silhouettes (by talented 13 year-old Maisha Banks Manson) were
produced on shiny paper with shiny paint, so they reflected the light and were
often difficult to see
This shoestring production at the
Community Actors Theatre featured excellent singers, but they were admittedly
strained by 90 minutes of a capella singing. A keyboard would've helped. And some
choreography. And a narrative arc. The concert style worked fine for Manson's
outstanding production of "An Evenin' with Billie Holiday,” but a
larger-cast show (5 women, 5 men) demands more action and interaction.
It was amazing that, for a short time,
San Diego had two gospel shows playing at once -- with African American casts,
drawing huge African American audiences -- many folks who'd never been to the
theater before (a fact confirmed by local powerhouse Lisa Payton, a
super-talented member of the magnificent cast of "Crowns" -- which
also closed this past weekend). That's a triumph for our town.
"Stuff Happens," said
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about the looting of priceless artifacts in
Baghdad in April, 2003. That heinous remark served as inspiration for acclaimed
British playwright David Hare, whose latest work received its world premiere at
the National Theatre in September and a recent all-star reading in New York.
The lengthy, wordy piece mixes
documentary fact and behind-the-scenes speculation about the lead-up to the war
in Iraq. The transcripts speak for themselves -- but they do speak… on and
on. Nobody comes out looking very good,
but Colin Powell serves as a kind of tragic hero, who starts with integrity and
ultimately falls into step with the rest of the nefarious power-brokers. The
docudrama format may have worked well in England, but it fell disappointingly
flat at the recent one-night reading here in San Diego.
Kudos to Laurie Lehman-Grey (and her co-producers,
Linda Castro and director-of-the-evening Forrest Aylsworth) for bringing this
controversial piece to us just before the election. But it must have lost
something in the translation -- or in the production. The cast, unlike others
that have assayed these near-stereotypical roles, rarely tried to emulate the
well-known characters they were portraying. Few even attempted any accent.
Standouts were David Cohen as Paul "Wolfie" Wolfowitz (also
outstanding as the verry French ambassador to the U.N.), Dale Morris as Donald
"Rummie" Rumsfeld, Ron Choularton as Tony Blair and Michaun Burton as
Condoleezza "Condie" Rice. The play was long and dry and didn't add
much new information; we've heard it all before. But Hare uses the quotes to
highlight the relationships between the political players; this only worked
occasionally here (most convincingly, the interactions between Powell and the
French ambassador; and the desperate pleas of the vain, sycophantic lapdog,
Tony Blair to the non-committal, monosyllabic Bush). Lehman-Grey and her
cohorts did us all a great favor with their 4-week series called Artists for
Intelligent Politics. The local audiences were large and lively, intelligent,
curious and well-informed. If only that were a national epidemic.
… … Don't miss the AASD (Actors
Alliance of San Diego) Fundraiser/Gala on Monday, November 8. The
re-scheduled event will feature a Silent Auction, live music by much-admired
singer/songwriter Todd Schroeder and some stellar theatrical entertainment:
including excerpts from North Coast Rep's soon-to-be-open musical, "The
Last Five Years" (with Erin Cronican and Jeremiah Lorenz); the
acclaimed production of the soon-to-be-reprised "Kimberly Akimbo"
(with Linda Castro, Matt Scott and Jason Connors) and the highly lauded
"Shirley Valentine" (starring Rosina Reynolds). The event runs from
6:30-10pm at Schroeder's Club and Cabaret at the Westin Horton Plaza.
619-640-3900; erin@actorsalliance.com
…
The new Moxie Theatre (co-founded by artistic director Delicia Turner
Sonnenberg, with Jennifer Kraus, Jo Anne Glover and Liv Kellgren) will mount a
reprise production of "Kimberly
Akimbo," with the spectacular original cast intact. Sonnenberg directs
Linda Castro, Matt Scott, Jo Anne Glover, Liv Kellgren and Jason Connors. A
deliciously dark comedy by David Lindsay-Abaire, the play will make you howl
and bring you to tears. See it -- or see it again. At the Lyceum Theatre,
December 4-24. Proceeds will help develop Moxie's first full season, which will
premiere Fall 2005. 760-634-3965.
… Attention must be paid… to the latest
Playwrights Project commission. "Hyper-Focus" is a new play
with music, written by Jim Knable, a prior winner of the statewide Plays by
Young Writers contest. His last commission was "The Best Mistake"
about adult illiteracy. This one, also touring in the schools, concerns
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). As a third grader, T.J. feels defined by his
disorder; by 9th grade, with the problem under control, he's able to focus on
his assets and strengths -- and becomes a HS rock star. The production, which
stars Barbara Cole, Tommy Friedman, Jeannine Marquie, John Nutten and Wanetah
Walmsley, is co-directed by those parents-to-be (yet another collaboration), D.
Candis Paule and Robert May. Wednesday, November 10 at 7:30pm at the
Neurosciences Institute Auditiourm in La Jolla. 619-239-8222;
www.playwrightsproject.com
…The Greeks are back -- bearing gifts
of theater. The ancient wisdom is more relevant today than ever… and the
Grassroots Greeks (helmed by Linda Castro and David Cohen) are hoping, in their
continued readings, that we don't miss the timeliness or the brilliant
philosophical musings -- not to mention the high drama. Their popular readings
series has a new home at the Centro Cultural de la Raza, on the edge of Balboa
Park. Be surprised -- and inspired. Next up: "Ajax,"
Sophocles' powerful tale of a doomed hero of the Trojan War. Monday, November 8
at 7m; discussion to follow. Reservations strongly recommended: 619-235-6125.
…And don't forget to tune in to
KPBS/NPR on Tuesdays during November and December, when Susan Stamberg talks to
stage and screen writers like Nora Ephron, John Waters, Edward Albee and Marsha
Norman, to ask them to pick their favorite "Scenes I Wish I'd Written."
NOW, HERE'S THIS WEEK'S 'DON'T MISS'
LIST:
"Macbeth" -- Poor
Players' pared-down, bare bones production features a killer lead performance
by artistic director Richard Baird.
At Adams Avenue Theatre, through
November 14.
"Fit to Be Tied" -- hilarious, dark, richly delicious. Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg and her
excellent cast mine all the wacky, warped humor of Nicky Silver. Perfect
holiday antidote.
At Diversionary Theatre, through
December 4.
"Jersey Boys" -- smash-hit world premiere musical, telling
the rock 'n' roll, rags-to-riches story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Fantastic fun! Run, scamper, scurry -- see it!
At La Jolla Playhouse, extended through December 5.
"A Dream Play" -- gorgeous, riveting production that
recreates a dream-state and turns reality upside down. Wonderful design work,
compelling performances.
At Sledgehammer Theatre, through
November 21.
"Mrs. Farnsworth" -- a
juicy little anti-Bush comedy, with a fine cast and a few intriguing twists. At
the ARK Theatre, through October 31.
"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"
-- Jack O'Brien-directed world premiere musical starring John Lithgow and the
amazing Norbert Leo Butz. A little raunchy but very funny. Catch it here, now,
before it heads to New York. At the Old Globe Theatre, extended through Nov. 7.
"Dial M for Murder" -- striking production of a Hitchcockian
mystery. At Lamb's Players Theatre, through November 14.
If you're still reeling from the
election (as I am) you can get away from it all -- at the theater.
©2004
Patté Productions Inc.