"CURTAIN CALLS"
By Pat Launer
07/22/05
‘For
Reasons that Remain Unclear,’
‘The
Merchant‘ ‘…met a Woodcutter’ here
And
while asking for more, ‘Oliver’ Twist
Glimpsed ‘The Accidental Death of an Anarchist.’
“The Merchant of
Poor
Players artistic director Richard Baird has brought a heartfelt sensitivity to
the play. His Shylock is marvelously portrayed -- a shabby, heavily accented
immigrant (perhaps a bit too shabby for his substantial financial holdings),
who is highly principled. He makes a bargain, reluctantly agreeing to lend
money to the merchant Antonio who has spat upon him numerous times in the
street (here, he wipes his hands after every encounter with the Jewish
moneylender). The lender wants his pound of flesh. This is a very Jewish
Shylock, with his prayer fringes hanging out over his pants. A man who prays, whose daughter, Jessica (Jen Meyer), though
she converts to Christianity, does not forget her heritage. Early on, she sings
‘My Yiddishe Mama’ as she putters around the house.
Later, in a heart-stopping final moment, when she learns of her father’s fate,
she drops to her knees and sings ‘Kol Nidre,’ the ancient Aramaic prayer that renounces all prior
vows, sung on the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. Throughout the play,
Jewish-inflected music underscores the action (design by Jesse Keller). This is
a setting that fosters understanding, maybe even compassion.
It’s
not an incendiary production; it’s a thoughtful one. A
production that brings out the dark side (and some of the humor) of the play.
And makes Shylock, if not a sympathetic character (I thought he was), at the
very least a comprehensible and not detestable one. His fatal flaw, of course,
is that he shows no mercy in the (tense, suspenseful) courtroom scene. His
knife is drawn, and it’s held to Antonio’s chest. We hold our breaths. Shylock
is offered money, is asked to back down. But this man is too far in; he’s
already lost his daughter to a Christian, and she ran off with many of his
prized possessions. He holds fast. And with no ability to give mercy, he gets
none. He is stripped of everything. In the end, everyone gets what s/he wants.
All the couples are united. Antonio’s lost ships (and money) are returned. But
Shylock is unduly and irrevocably punished, not only emotionally and
financially; he is also made to renounce his religion. To this particular
Shylock, that seems tantamount to death.
Baird’s
direction has infused the play with multi-hued shades of meaning. He does his
usual trimming and updating, to fine effect, and makes excellent use of the
wide-deep, black-box space (the
The
rest of the cast, as is often the case with Poor Players, isn’t quite up to
this level of professionalism or depth of character. Once again, Baird towers
over the rest. He is a powerhouse performer and a thoughtful, thought-provoking
director. It’s terrific that he’s getting out and being seen around town – in
the Actors Alliance reading (see below) and come September, at North Coast Rep
(he plays Mercutio in their “Romeo and Juliet”). He likes to helm his ‘home’
company, but if he ventures out, he should go far (professionally, of course;
we hope not geographically!).
Poor Players at the
Patrick
has led a charmed life. He writes for
Patrick
recognizes the priest immediately, the man who emotionally crippled him 20
years ago in a tiny
Under
Claudio Raygoza’s taut and relentless direction, the
play crackles and sizzles. We know what’s coming long before the (surprisingly)
unsuspecting priest. But we wait it out, watching him twist in the wind.
Observing the metaphorical noose uncoil and tighten. It’s thrilling theater.
And Jeffrey Jones, with his nervous energy and kinetic intensity, heightens the
anxiety factor for the onlooker as well as the prey. His performance is
riveting; he starts out distracted, edgy, taking his time, tossing off
sarcastic quips. And then, the cataclysmic revelations erupt. As the priest,
Jerry Phalen starts out stiff and superficial. Although
he crumples credibly when attacked, we never get to see the depth of his dark,
depraved soul; we only hear about it. But he serves as a hypocritical foil.
It’s stomach-churning to speculate on the aftermath of this stifling,
unsettling scenario; clearly, these two men will never be the same.
Meanwhile,
Claudio Raygoza, who also designed the lush, detailed set (a plush Rome hotel
room) continues to mine the rich vein of politically charged plays (last year,
he did magnificent work, as artistic/executive director ion theatre, on two
Patté Award-winning productions, “Saturday Night at the Palace” and “A Raisin
in the Sun.” He next sinks his teeth
into “..Marat/Sade.” Delectable to contemplate.
At 6th@ Penn Theatre, through July 24.
Two
years ago, scholar/ philanthropist/dramatist Marianne McDonald wrote a one-act
play dedicated to her deceased daughter, Kirstie. It
was her first non-adaptation or translation. Now, in an expanded version, under
the banner of Zen Productions, in association with
Strikingly designed (Kris Clark) and directed
(George Yé), with some gorgeous language and imagery,
the play is set in 12th Century Japan, just after the inter-clan
Battle of Dan no Ura. The stark, minimalist production
begins with the haunting sound of the koto,
beautifully played by Reiko Obata. A lone mountain pine spreads out across a
bare stage. Eric Lotze’s subtle lighting and Shulamit
Nelson’s eye-catching costumes (ornate kimonos juxtaposed with the garb of a
monk, a woodcutter, a samurai warrior) help to set the
scenes, which are underscored by video projections (Norm MacKinnon). There’s a
fascinating mix of the oblique and the on-the-nose here. The characters are
just suggestions, not fully fleshed-out, kind of like a sumi’e
brush painting. The projections are overly detailed in their blood and gore,
too direct in their references to
The minimal story concerns a number of people who
meet on a mountain top. The monk, Makoto (Alex Cua),
represents the Buddhist philosophies of life, love and death. To him, it’s all
part of the ever-changing Flow. Mayumi (Cynthia Yamauchi DeCuir)
is a distraught young mother whose child and husband were murdered during the
recent conflagration. A romantic idealist who’s lost everything she staked her
life on, she sees no alternative but to end her life. The appearance of a wild,
independent and emotionally needy young girl, Midori (Catherine Sharp), stays
her hand and makes her realize that there’s still work for her to do, that her
life is worth living. A pugilistic, uncompromising samurai, Yasunari
(Paul Champy) also has a change of heart, when he
spurns his master to protect the two women, who should be his sworn enemies.
And then comes the Woodcutter (Nick Mata), a
transparent symbol of death. He takes a philosophical stroll with the monk, who
welcomes this next cycle of his life.
Yé’s
direction is indeed reminiscent of Noh theater --
slow, deliberate, stylized. Characters face front and address their
interactions to the audience, more than to each other. White-face, shadows,
stylized dance are used. The result has the sense of a legend or fable, but
feels more like a homily. There’s a good deal of preaching, and didactic
espousal of philosophies. The acting style is minimalist, too, and not everyone
pulls it off effectively; lines are read in impassive monotone; there is little
emotion displayed, so we don’t come to care about any of the characters or what
happens to them. The overall effect is attractive but distancing. The language
and look are often quite beautiful. And the lessons about meeting the
challenges of life and love, accepting the inevitability of death, are
substantial, if you’re willing to enter the meditational
state of the piece to absorb them.
At Cygnet Theatre, through July 31.
DO DO,
RON RON
I
think this should be declared Ron Choularton Week in
We
all know Ron had terrific comic chops, but who knew he could sing and hoof so
credibly? He was a hoot as the miserly, musical and somewhat paternal Fagin,
cavorting about as he told the boys to ‘pick a pocket or two’ and displayed
both depth and humor in ‘Reviewing the Situation.’ He didn’t just play for
laughs, as some Fagins do. And he didn’t portray some
(anti-)Semitic villain, either. He’s playful, stingy, protective and
self-serving. And damn funny when it’s called for. There isn’t much else to
recommend this production, except for Misty Cotton as Nancy, whose powerful
voice makes the troubling character less bawdy than some, but no less devoted
to the monstrous and abusive Bill Sykes (T. Eric Hart, who showed, in “Jekyll
and Hyde” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” that he can really sing, but
surprisingly, pretty much Rex Harrisoned his way
through his numbers in “Oliver”).
Under
Gregg Osborn’s direction, coupled with the rock-bottom-basic choreography of
Jack Tygett and Joyce Schumaker,
there’s a dearth of energy and vitality in this production. The pace is
sluggish and plodding. No one really seems to be having fun. Even the kids are
a disappointment. The chorus (does it have to be all
boys?) is weak in the singing and acting department, though taken individually,
there are some talented kids on that stage. But a lot more liveliness and
considerably more vocal vigor are needed to make the orphanage and Fagin scenes
robust, credible, even watchable/listenable. On
opening night, the kids all seemed to be counting; none of their moves was
organic or well integrated. Since there are many capable people onstage --
including sweet-voiced young Ian Brininstool as
Oliver, Jacob Sampson as The Artful Dodger, James Paul Kruse as Mr. Bumble and
Charlene Dibelka as Widow Corney
-- and no one shows much personality or charisma (few seem to have fully
developed characters; they all just say lines and sing songs), the
responsibility has to rest with the director. The set (multi-level wood with
sections that are rotated by a brawny -- and visible – stagehand) appeared
precarious at times, with all its staircases. Actors approached it gingerly,
and two tripped on opening night. There were many mic problems and even the
normally sharp, stop-on-a-dime, plane-responsive, famous freezes were sloppy
and under-rehearsed. The costumes (‘designed and coordinated’ by Suzi Arnson) were fine, though
Now
when it came to the “Anarchist,” Woodhouse assembled a stellar cast, including
Richard Baird, M’Lafi Thompson, Bernard Baldan, Mike
Sears and Laurie Lehmann-Gray, but as talented as they all are, they fell in
the shadow of Choularton, who was channeling Robin Williams in his manic,
hyperverbal, accent-changing, neck-snapping, side-splitting performance. Except
for Bernard Baldan, who played an angry cop, these
folks are not naturals for comedy or satire; they’re all known as more serious
actors and none of them quite captured the ironic tone of the piece. But
Choularton seemingly can do anything… and he did, in this wacky role of a
lunatic who takes on other voices, accents, styles and personas to confound the
police and show just what bumbling idiots they are in trying to cover up the
fall from a window of an anarchist who was under their charge. The timing for
this hysterical exposé couldn’t have been more perfect, what with the goings-on
in
Don’t
miss these Actors Alliance readings; they’re always worth seeing – and often
worth a good guffaw. The next one is Christopher Fry’s “Tiger at the Gates,”
directed by Brendon Fox, coming up at a date TBA.
“Oliver”
continues in the Starlight Bowl through July 24.
Beware!
Pirates are making a serious (actually not-so-serious) comeback. Thanks to
Johnny Depp, whose wink-nudge “Pirate of the
So
now, along comes Moonlight Stage Productions, with a witty, charming,
attractive and thoroughly engaging production of the ‘New Version’ of
“Pirates.” First off, let me say that the singing is spectacular, and the
robust, 12-piece orchestra (devilishly decked out in pirate headgear), under
the baton of Chief Piratess Elan
McMahan, is in excellent form. Fresh from his blustery, boastful turn as Gaston
in Moonlight’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Randall Dodge is back, striking and
amusing as the swaggering if sentimental Pirate King. His bass-baritone is
mellow and marvelous; his moves are superb. He does tend to mug, and he dances
on the edge of over-the-top, but he’s such a thoroughly engaging performer that
he’s irresistible. As the ingénues, two newcomers to Moonlight make stellar
debuts. Adorable and charming Richard Bermudez (who has a strong, rich tenor
voice) is Frederic, the poor soul who, by a cruel stroke of misapprehension,
was accidentally apprenticed to a pirate instead of a pilot. When
he meets the lovely Mabel (Melissa Hoff), he’s smitten. And no wonder. Hoff is
a golden-voiced beauty who’s been operatically trained since she was 8. But
she’s turned her prodigious vocal talents (an incredibly supple soprano) to
musical theater. Which is probably where she met her talented husband, Christian
Hoff, who’s heading for Broadway after his smash premiere in “Jersey Boys” at
the La Jolla Playhouse (he played Four Season Tommy DeVito).
Wonder what these two sound like singing in the
shower! Oh, what a night!!
So,
here’s Hoff, with this crystalline voice that, unlike other operatic vocal
apparatuses, makes every word clear and comprehensible. She’s a charming Mabel,
saucy and a bit self-involved. She’s one of the many daughters of the Modern
Major General (Jeffrey Arnold Wolf, who does a great job on his signature
song). As Ruth, she of the pirate/pilot miscommunication, Susan E.V. Boland
does a serviceable acting job, but her sharp singing transitions from chest to
head voice are jarring. The chorus of Daughters, in their various frilly,
sherbet-toned outfits (costumes courtesy of The Theatre Company) features some
excellent voices and individualized personalities.
Don
and Bonnie Ward have pulled out all the stops. Their high-spirited, imaginative
direction and choreography make superb use of the stage, the apron, the
orchestra pit and the aisles. The Pirate numbers are especially sprightly. The
only misstep is the Policemen, who should be staged like goofy/incompetent
Keystone Kops. The rubber-limbed Sergeant (Joshua Breckenridge) is dancing in a
whole other style (“Pippin,” anyone?) -- too modern
and not suited to the mood or timeframe. The cops’ choreography is so busy it
actually interferes with their bumbling, funny numbers (especially “When the
Foeman Bears His Steel”).
Overall,
this production looks and sounds great. And this 126 year-old musical, silly
though it may be, holds up surprisingly well. Thanks, Moonlight -- for making
pirates sing again!
At Moonlight Amphitheatre, through July 31.
‘R & J’ THE
This weekend or next,
check out “Romeo y Julieta,
a Binational Project,” an educational outreach
program that partners the Old Globe with the Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT).
It’s a cultural exchange for students on both sides of the border, exploring
the timeless teen tragedy in an adaptation/translation by director Peter
Webster, show set out to make the play hip, young and relevant. The cast of 60
hails from nine
BARDOMANIACS
It’s called “Simply
Shakespeare,” and it features a bevy of experienced actors, reading a
pre-selected play. But they don’t know what role they’ll be playing until the
night of the ‘performance.’ Character names are drawn from a hat, right in
front of the audience. “Dangerous and spontaneous,” they call it. The next
presentation of this San Diego Actors Theatre project is “The Taming of the Shrew,” (the OTHER most
controversial/contentious, politically incorrect play by the Bard, creating as
much debate and disagreement as “The Merchant of Venice”). In addition to the
joy of hearing the text with no distractions, one lucky volunteer audience
member will get to read one of the roles. Seating is limited, so reservations
are recommended (showboxoffice.com).
At
Diversionary Theatre, Monday, July 25 at 7pm.
NOW, FOR WHAT’S 'NOT
TO BE MISSED!' (i.e., Critic’s Picks)
“For Reasons that Remain
Unclear” – taut, intense,
suspenseful. A gripping tale of revelation and revenge, superbly directed
(Claudio Raygoza). Magnificent performance by Jeffrey
Jones.
At 6th @ Penn Theatre, through July 24.
“The Pirates of
At Moonlight Amphitheatre in
“The Merchant of
At the
“The Maids” – beautifully directed (Ulla Wolcz),
excellently performed (by
At
“Tomfoolery” – great comical/cynical/musical fun. Tom Lehrer’s satirical songs are timeless… and
versatile, irresistible performer Kristen Mengelkoch
makes them sing!
A Renaissance Theatre co-productions, at North Coast Repertory Theatre, through August 7.
“Macbeth” – marvelous direction (Paul Mullins), costumes (Linda Cho)
and truly spooky, chilling moments make this “MacB” a
standout.
In repertory on the Globe’s Festival Stage, in repertory, through October
2.
“The Comedy of Errors” – Director Darko Tresnjak shows his sillier side, with
a farcical, slapstick production that’s precisely directed and humorously
performed.
In repertory on the Globe’s Festival Stage, in repertory, through October
2.
“
At the Welk Resort Theatre, through August 28.
“The Male Intellect: An
Oxymoron” – a fun date night,
which shows both genders a few of their more amusing and infuriating foibles.
At the Theatre in
Create your own Midsummer Night’s Dream -- at the
theater.
©2005 Patté
Productions Inc.