THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS AIRDATE: January 26, 2007
Absent passion is unfulfilling anywhere, but it’s
particularly unsatisfying in the theater. If there’s a romance onstage, you
want to believe in the infatuation; if the obsession is less personal, you want
it to absorb you as much as the character. Alas, in two new plays, we are not
aroused – either by ardor or enthusiasm.
In “Ace,” the West coast premiere musical at the
Old Globe, three generations of men are fanatical about flight. The father and
grandfather fulfill their fantasies by going off to war, each leaving behind a
pregnant wife. The offspring will never see their fathers. The men play out
their destinies as fighter pilots, but their wives make all the sacrifices.
In this sentimental and repetitive story, by
Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, the women are harridans, frumps, nutcases
or inept housewives. The centerpiece is 10 year-old Billy. It’s 1952; he’s
parent-less and troubled. His father disappeared before he was born, his
mother’s been carted off to a loony bin, and he’s been kicked out of multiple
schools. No amount of affection – from a foster family or a geeky female
classmate -- can reach him. But once he gets his hands on a Flying Tiger model
airplane, a stranger begins to appear in his dreams. Ace takes Billy time-traveling,
so he can finally understand his past. The outcome is predictable; Oberacker’s
music is anthemic but forgettable. The direction is surprisingly static. The
show never fully takes flight. But the kids are fantastic: the local pair and
the two mega-talents who’ve been with the project since it was launched in
This is an odd time in our history to be singing
about the thrill of combat. The musical could have made some acute comments on
those left behind to grieve. But the writers chose a more airy route, which for
me, left the show grounded.
Obsession takes a sexual turn in the American
premiere of “Happy Endings are Extra,” written by
South African Ashraf Johaardien. Set in Capetown, 2003, the play concerns
sexuality and dishonesty. The warped triangle at its center features a
confused, bisexual man, a seductive male prostitute and a frustrated fiancée.
Sounds like a recipe for carnality. But despite some lyrical and provocative
language, even a hint of nudity, there’s a remarkable lack of eroticism
here. These aren’t likable or
sympathetic characters. And the dramatically astute could see the surprise
ending coming. So without sensuality, sympathy or shock, what exactly are we
left with? Earnest but non-erotic performances that leave us
as empty as the souls of these three misguided misfits.
There’s just no satisfaction in feeling
dispassionate about someone else’s passion.
©2007 Patté Productions
Inc.