"CURTAIN CALLS"
By Pat Launer
10/21/05
Guilt and innocence, corruption and greed
Drama and satire without a screed;
On the comic side is ‘The Miser’s’ bravado
And the ludicrous laws of The Mikado;
‘The Smell of the Kill’ incites murderous joy
Principle’s at stake in ‘The Winslow Boy.’
As each of these plays rightly demonstrates
There’s always a ‘Tiger at the Gates.’
THE SHOW: ‘The Miser, Molière’s
1668 satire, is one of his character plays, where a single trait is center stage,
and everything revolves around that. This visiting production by
THE SCOOP: A brilliant, drop-dead
gorgeous production, magnificently conceived, directed and performed. The
incomparable physicality, backed by a monochromatic tonality, are breathtaking.
THE STORY: Harpagon
is the world’s stingiest man. He has money, but he worships and hoards it. He
values it above everything, even the well-being of those closest to him. His
avarice clouds his judgment, tangles him up in various romances – his son’s,
his daughter’s and his own mismatch (with his son’s beloved). He is obsessed
and paranoid, and a striking reflection of our own greedy, materialistic times.
With all its genius at physical comedy, the production mines all the darkness,
despair and danger of a ‘society’ ruled by avarice and surrounded by
sycophants. The vibrant, modern, often crude and coarse translation by
long-time Jeune Lune
collaborator, David Ball, is a delight. But as the remarkable director,
Dominique Serrand, has said, this play is like our
times – “cynical and without hope.” Deception and lies surround the tyrant;
truth is punishable by death. Serrand told me it’s “a
mean play for mean times. It’s very funny, but it’s brutal.”
.
THE PLAYERS: The company
is incredible. Many of them trained at the prestigious
In
the central roles, Steven Epp is sheer genius as the
Miserly Harpagon. With his tattered clothes, pale
face, and sprouts of hair, he glides and glowers, uses his hands like props,
moves like a dancer. Avoiding him(and thwarting) him at
all costs is the servant La Flèche (Nathan Keepers),
whose simian agility has him scaling walls and perching on a chair stuck to the
wall eight feet off the ground. Sarah Agnew, with her prolonged vowels and
piercing whine, is hilarious as Harpagon’s daughter Élise, who makes an unforgettable entrance in the second
act, sliding and rolling on a warped, movable floor that’s suddenly got a
30-degree tilt. Barbara Kingsley is very funny as the wheeler-dealer matchmaker
Frosine, Natalie Moore is a hoot with her fractured
English as the foreign object of everyone’s desire, Mariane.
Remo Airaldi does a
terrific turn as round-bodied Master Jacques, who is both a coachman and a
baker, whichever is more convenient at the moment.
THE PRODUCTION: Dominique Serrand has directed with a meticulous exactitude that
juxtaposes the droll and the tragic, slapstick and despair. The set (Riccardo Hernandez), costumes (Sonya Berlovitz),
lighting (Marcus Dilliard) and sound (David Remedios) are of a seamless piece; this is a world in
decay. Everything (and everyone) is faded, tattered, broken. The hole in the
roof is mirrored in the torn clothing. Plaster falls from the ceiling or is
picked off the walls. The rooms are bare, the horses are dying (Harpagon steals their oats), and things are only getting
worse.
THE LOCATION: Théâtre de la Jeune Lune at the La Jolla
Playhouse, through November 13.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Very Best
Bet
EAST MEETS WEST: HERE’S a
HOWDY-DO
THE SHOW: The Mikado (1885),
Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular operetta
THE SCOOP: A competent production, nicely designed and well sung.
THE STORY & BACKSTORY:
The idea
for The Mikado first sprang into the
mind of playwright W.S. Gilbert when an old Japanese sword, which had been
hanging on the wall of his study for years, suddenly fell from its place.
Gilbert took this as an omen and determined to leave his own country alone for
awhile and turn his biting satire instead toward the East (but only
externally).
The
plot of The Mikado revolves around
young Nanki-Poo, who’s banished himself from the
little town of
THE PLAYERS –Lisa Archibeque’s
voice soars over all – both in pitch and quality. The silver-voiced soprano, a
UCSD graduate (in theater) brings skill and substance to the role of one of the
earliest onstage airheads. She’s vocally stronger than Jonathan Michael Knapp’s
Nanki-poo, but he has a highly engaging presence. As
the multi-titled Pooh-Bah, Joe Pechota demonstrates a
resonant voice and a flair for comedy. Joseph Grienenberger
is also amusing as the cowardly Ko-Ko. Like Grienenberger, Martha Jane Weaver is reprising a role (in
her case, Katisha) played at Lyric Opera before. Her
long green fingernails and makeup to match really make the jilted lover a witchy
woman, a desperate and pitiful one at that.
THE PRODUCTION: The minimalist sets and
colorful costumes (co-production with Light Opera Oklahoma) are perfect for the
piece. A hanging kimono, visible during the striking overture, is replaced by
pale panels suggestive of Japanese landscape woodcuts. The sole set-piece is a
vibrant red footbridge. Comedy is king in this production, directed and
conducted by Lyric Opera’s artistic director, Leon Natker.
His staging is heavy on vaudeville moves and shtick. The 32-piece orchestra
sounds wonderful in the new space, which really steals the show. The stunning,
$8 million refurbishment of the North Park Theatre (now known as the Stephen
and Mary Birch North Park Theatre) is worth the price of admission alone. The
acoustics are as fine as the loving restoration of architectural details (even
if the seats are a bit snug). There’s a Starbuck’s in the lobby and a
restaurant to come. This should turn into a community centerpiece; everyone at
Lyric Opera was justly proud on opening night.
THE LOCATION: At the newly restored
North Park Theatre, through October 30.
WITH
THE SHOW: The
Winslow Boy, written by Terence Rattigan
in 1946, based on a true incident that occurred in 1908.
THE SCOOP: Beautifully done. Just
the kind of intense, dramatic period piece the Lambies
excel at – in design and execution
THE STORY: As in the source material,
a 13 year old naval cadet is accused of a petty theft and expelled from school,
despite his protests of innocence. The boy's father believes an injustice
has been done, and he seeks legal recourse in a case that drew national
attention. It’s ‘a well-made play,’ a tad old-fashioned, propounding decidedly
unfashionable values: an ordinary citizen goes
up against the intransigence of a self-protective establishment in a
stratified, hierarchical society still bound up in 19th century
mores, for the mere purpose of righting a wrong and seeking fairness in an unfair
world. The costly battle ends his daughter’s engagement and nearly destroys the
family. But right makes might. The play skewers the press (consider this
exchange: "What shall I say to them?" "Whatever you say will
have little bearing on what they write”), and champions feminism; the daughter
is a Suffragette, an agent of social change who thoroughly supports her
father’s case. As the intelligent, often witty text reminds us, "It is
easy to do justice. It is very hard to do right." David Mamet effectively
adapted the play for the screen in 1999, and according to one
THE PLAYERS and
PRODUCTION:
Director Deborah Gilmour Smyth has marshaled a marvelous cast. Under her
sensitive direction, each etches a sharply delineated, credible character. As
the crusty but principled patriarch, Jim Chovick speaks with formality and
surface brusqueness, but an underlying gentleness shines through. K.B. Mercer is
wonderful as his feisty but deferential wife. As their offspring, Kevin Koppman-Gue is the vulnerable, sympathetic pre-adolescent
at the center of the case, though principle soon overtakes the details. Kürt Norby is jaunty as the
lively older brother and Colleen Kollar is lovely and
forthright, staunch and sensible as Catherine, the heroine. Her fiancé (Jon
Lorenz0 turns out to be far too conservative and strait-laced for her. And the
portly lawyer who adores her (John Rosen) isn’t right either. She has to come
around to the arrogant attorney who defends her brother (slick and
self-important Jason Weil, who gets the last, titillating word). As a peek at
the ‘other half,’ Jillian Frost plays a vacuous journalist and Dana Hooley a
feisty Cockney maid.
The
design is delectable; Mike Buckley’s fastidiously detailed set (complete with
flickering downstage fireplace) is perfectly complemented by the subtleties of
Nathan Peirson’s lighting and an uncredited sound design. Jeanne Reith’s
costumes are stunning; each character changes repeatedly during the course of
the four scenes that span the years prior to WW I (1914-1918). The hats alone
(for the men and the women) are a treat. .
THE LOCATION: At Lamb’s Players
Theatre, through November 20.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet
.
ICE ‘EM!
THE SHOW: The
Smell of the Kill, written by Michele Lowe, is a relatively new play
(2002) that takes place in the present. But it feels like we’ve been here
before.
THE SCOOP: Irredeemably retro; if
this is the New Feminism… ugh. It’s Female Empowerment, of a sort; and satire,
of a sort. If you’re that sort…. Feels like a sitcom to me -- but the
performances are wonderful.
THE STORY: Three women are stuck in
the kitchen of a beautiful home. They’re not really friends; they’re thrown together
repeatedly because their spouses are college buddies. They don’t even seem to
like each other. But they’re banished to the kitchen while the men smoke post-prandial cigars and work on their putts (or is that putz?). The gals gossip and snipe and take random and
pointed potshots at each other. Gradually, we learn about the monsters they’re
married to (who, mercifully, but in a rather arch and snarky
writing ploy, never appear onstage. They’re only represented by the voice of
Christopher M. Williams (who doesn’t even get a curtain call). Pretty soon, the
guys get stuck in the expensive, expansive meat locker Nicky’s bankrupted
husband has recently purchased to store his hunting bounty. The wives spend the
rest of the one-act deciding whether they should get them out or leave ‘em in
the deep freeze.
THE PLAYERS: These are stock
characters: the career-oriented redhead, the stay-at-home brunette and the
oversexed, ditsy blonde (who only wants a baby, and would consider stealing her
friend’s). One’s husband is an embezzler, the other’s is a womanizer and the
third, uninterested in sex or babies, is a control freak who makes his wife
check in with him every two hours. Frankly, I don’t know any couples like this
– nor would I want to. If this is supposed to be a satire, it doesn’t have
enough edge or bite (or subtlety). Despite the back-stories, it’s a one-joke
play. But under Brendon Fox’s assured direction, these three actresses do a bangup job with these less than multi-dimensional
characters. As the frustrated stay-at-home, Melinda Gilb starts out
relentlessly bitchy but shows her more fragile, wounded side later on, when
she’s forced to acknowledge her husband’s infidelities. Terri Park is the
indomitable one, juggling motherhood and professional success. Brooke McCormick
does a great deal with dumb-blonde Molly (and she’s beautiful to boot –
especially fortunate since she spends most of the show in her sexy underwear).
Lowe has a good ear for natural discourse, and she’s injected plenty of funny
lines, but they’re strictly of the laugh-track variety. Setup and ba-da-bing! Fox brings nervous comic tension to the
situation, but there is, after all, just one problem (unless you count the
offstage baby puking a serious problem). Zany solutions to complex problems are
TV fare in my book. But audiences were howling when I was there, so it’s just
one woman’s opinion.
THE PRODUCTION: Marty Burnett’s set is a
dazzling, black and white, forced perspective, high-end kitchen. Jeanne Reith’s
costumes are class- and character-defining. Bonnie
Durbin’s props, as always, are meticulous. Chris Rynne’s lighting and M.Scott Grabau’s sound design
(especially the floor-rattling pounding of ‘the guys’) are quite effective..
THE LOCATION: At North Coast Repertory Theatre, through November 13.
TIGER, TIGER BURNING BRIGHT
.. If you missed the latest Actors Alliance reading,
“Tiger at the Gates,” you really missed something special: French
playwright Jean Giraudoux’s timely black comedy was written
in 1935 and translated into English in 1955. But half to three-quarters of a
century doesn’t dim its power. A re-interpretation of Greek mythology, it’s
about Hector, Paris, Ulysses and Helen of Troy. It’s also (as translated by
Christopher Fry) a satire of love and war, a tale of greed, selfishness, moral
frailty, war-mongering and herd mentality. But it’s not all deep
and heavy; there are many moments of comic relief that
highlight the vibrant writing and sharp characterization. The play is timeless because it can be
applied and interpreted to almost any era. His play has been viewed as a commentary on the
growing menace of Nazism and as a warning against appeasing totalitarianism.
There couldn’t be a better time to revisit the piece, in the current climate of
divisiveness concerning imperialism and jingoism, pacifism and unjust war, the
perceived machismo and manliness of battle vs. the limbless victims of combat
folly. This reading convinced me that a full production should be mounted—and
soon.
Former Globe associate director Brendon Fox (yup,
Brendon again!), a master at casting, assembled a stellar ensemble. He could
easily have double-cast the huge play. But since he was helming a reading, he
had the luxury of 21 performers, spread across the Lamb’s stage (and the ornate
Winslow Boy set). Even without
benefit of costumes or makeup, each performer totally looked, acted and felt
like the colorful characters s/he portrayed: Jennifer Austin as the beautiful,
complex and enigmatic vixen. Helen; handsome Brennan Taylor
as young
Scene-stealing star-turns were provided by Lance
Smith as hotheaded
WHA’S HAPPENIN’?
…Sonnet Manias: DON’T MISS IT!! The
…Also on Monday, October 24, the next Carlsbad Playreaders’ reading: Neil LaBute’s dark, disturbing “bash,”
a stark confrontation of impassive, everyday violence. Directed by Walt Jones, featuring Lisa Christensen, Candace McAdams,
Mike Sears and Brennan Taylor.
…The Women’s Repertory
Theatre is back… with a one-night stand of “Stripped and Teased: I Could
Drink a Case of You… and other Tales,” written and performed by practicing
sociologist/performance artist Kimberly Dark. A juicy and controversial
contemplation of gender and female sexuality, the work has been called
“forthright….honest… daring… unpretentious… powerful.” 7pm on October 23, at
the newly restored North Park Theatre. 619-239-8836.
… Just got an email from actor/singer/guitarist Steve Gouveia,
who’s having a blast in
… Congrats to Dr. Marianne McDonald, fo
whom a festschrift was just dedicated
(for you non-academics, that’s a collection of articles by the colleagues,
friends and/or former students of a noted scholar, published in her honor). “Rebel
Women,” edited by John Dillon and Stephen Wilmer, was published in association
with
… Speaking of the Nobel (pause)… Harold (long pause) Pinter … won the Big Prize for
Literature this week. The 75 year-old British playwright, poet and political
activist uses spare and often menacing language to explore themes of
powerlessness, domination and the faceless tyranny of the state. As the
… It’s late October. so
spend some time beyond the grave… at Dia de los Muertos: when the living meet
the dead, a late-night alternative to more traditional Halloween
celebrations. Under the banner of Chronos Theatre
Group, Celeste Innocenti, Sara Jane Nash, Tom Hall,
Doug Hoehn and Crystal Verdon
promise something “chilling and creepy, but also mysterious, moody and
magical,” including readings from Poe, Dickens, Stoker and the Tibetan Book of
the Dead. At 6th @ Penn Theatre, 10:30pm on
October 29. Get spooked!
….Magnificent Moxie Makes Midnight Magic: Since the buzz is so great on
the too-short-run of their knockout premiere, Dog Act, the Moxie theatre gals have decided to stage a
special, pay-what-you-can-performance (with all proceeds going to the artists)
on Saturday night, Oct. 22, at midnight. So many other actors who are in
productions want to see this one… so this is your chance! RSVP's
to Delicia@moxietheatre.com
or 619/247-7467
NOW, FOR WHAT’S 'NOT
TO BE MISSED!' (i.e., Critic’s Picks);
(For full text of all past reviews, use the Search engine at
www.patteproductions.com)
The Miser – magnificent; theater magic. Théâtre de la Jeune Lune mines the darkness
beneath the farcically comic surface. The physical production is gorgeous – as
are the set, makeup, movement, direction, acting. It’s all good. Very good.
At
“The Winslow Boy” – beautifully designed and acted. A wonderful ensemble piece, with striking philosophical resonance.
At Lamb’s Players Theatre, through November 20.
“Dog Act” – deliciously funny, wild, witty and wacky. A post-apocalyptic vaudeville
fable. Linguistically lavish and artistically awesome.
Moxie Theatre premieres
at Diversionary Theatre, through October 23.
“In
At Lynx Theatre Performance Space, through October 23.
“Curse of the Starving
Class” – grim and gritty
nightmare of the American Dream. Sam Shepard at his bleakest, with flashes of wily
humor. Wonderfully performed, a highly felicitous
collaboration all around.
Co-produced by New Village Arts and Cygnet Theatre; at Cygnet, through
November 6.
“The Prince
of
The
Old Globe’ Cassius Carter Centre Stage, through October 30.
“
At the Old Globe, SECOND
EXTENSION, through November 6.
“Too Old
for the Chorus, But Not Too Old To Be a Star” – if you haven’t had your fill of menopausal
musicals, this is great for a date (the guys remind us it’s called MENopause). Excellent performances, some cute/clever bits
and songs.
At The Theatre in
It’s not the end of October yet; there’s still
time to scare up some theater!
©2005 Patté
Productions Inc.