SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE

"CURTAIN CALLS" #249

By Pat Launer

www.sdtheatrescene.com

07/04/08

Comedy, drama and invective:

A Festival with a New Perspective.

Theatre Onslaught

The first annual New Perspective Festival featured 24 plays in three days (well, actually, each play was presented twice over the course of two weekends, but I saw ‘em all over three bleary-eyed evenings). 18 playwrights, 60 characters, 53 actors, 21 directors: a veritable plethora of performances.

In the absence of the annual Actors Festival (suspended for this year), a group of local theatermakers got together and put on their own show. A really big show, composed of really short plays -- less than 15 minutes each. The energy and muscle behind the dramatic happening were festival director and president Kelly Lapczynski, VP and technical director Sally Stockton, treasurer/PR director Kristina Meek, and secretary/box office manager Jennie Olson, with online ‘viral marketing’ (some of it very clever) by Kevin Six. Adding all the volunteers, and the help of DJ Sullivan in securing the Swedenborg Hall, there were more than 100 non-union San Diego theater artists involved. And many more in the audience. In fact, it was a sellout, SRO crowd each night I was there. Judging from some of the responses, numbers of those audience members had never been in a theater before; from the catcalls and inappropriate callouts, some seemed to think it was a ballgame or home movie. No matter. Many seasoned writers got to show their stuff, budding writers got to stretch their wings and actors got to direct or design or do things they hadn’t done before.

There were some wonderful moments in the Festival; my only source of frustration was that some of the pieces seemed like class exercises, slices of life, scene studies or vignettes that went nowhere or seemed pointless. The ones that genuinely qualified as fully formed plays, however, were provocative or insightful, humorous or dramatic, and fully satisfying. There were many strong performances in these bare-bones, black-box productions.

Best of the Fest

Here are some of the highlights of the event, from my perspective.

Themes: The war and the cross-cultural divide seemed to be on many people’s minds. Those turned out to be some of the most interesting and/or moving plays:

Rocky Road, by Stephanie Timm, about a family waiting for a solider to come home from the war. Celeste Innocenti and Patrick Hubbard were especially good as the heavily-in-denial parents. Well directed by Sally Stockton.

Li’l Heroes, another piece by Stephanie Timm, this one directed by Robert Salerno. Chilling tale of two prissy, white-gloved, tea-drinking women (Krissy Tobey and Maya Baldwin) who are having a mindless, Importance of Being Earnest conversation, punctuated by offstage screams. We come to learn about the monstrous world they live in, where even the unborn are drafted into the war. A blood-curdling look into the not-too-unforeseeable future, well written and presented.

A Terrorist Comedy, by Steve Koppman, was directed with a light comic touch (Celeste Innocenti), though the pace flagged at times. Wayne Stribling, Jr. and Anthony Hamm were aptly serious and ominous as the terrorist elders, while Roger Gobin and Andrew Hernandez were funny as the over-Americanized youth sent to ‘study the enemy’ (at Harvard). The ending could use further development, but the setup is strong and often quite amusing.

The Thing, by Jack Shea, directed by Dori Salois, seems more like the germ of a play than a fully realized creation. But it confronts a critical current concern: how Westerners conceive of who and what lies beneath the burka. The young Americans, played by Jennie Olson and Kristina Meek, call a veiled Muslim woman ‘it’ and ‘thing,’ and fail to see any shared humanity. Harrowing and discomfiting (and begging for further development).

That Day, by Craig Abernethy, an unsettling post-9/11 piece unfussily directed by Sara Angell-Isam. A man and a woman, spatially separated, recall a date long ago, when they visited a photography exhibit from the fateful day at the Twin Towers. They never saw each other again, but they can’t get ‘that day,’ or the one it represented, out of their minds. Nicely understated performances by Maya Baldwin and an honest, believable Tyler Richards Hewes.

Other Appealing Plays, on various intriguing subjects:

One Night Stand by Carol Joy Cabrera, presented a fascinating idea (though the direction, by Nicolette Dixon, was overwrought at the outset). A virginal college guy is dropped off by his buddies in front of a whorehouse; the woman he winds up with turns out to be someone he adored in elementary school. Nicely acted by a sexy Kali Kirk and hapless Sacha Allen. Just when we were getting interested, though, the play ended. This happened a number of times during the Festival; perhaps a function of the time constraint, but it was frustrating nonetheless.

Bachelor Moon, a heartrending piece by Thelma de Castro, well directed by Bryant Hernandez. Anne Tran and Nick Mata were wonderful as friends who share so much and then drift apart; we could all relate. The immigrant and gay issues heightened the drama and poignancy.

No Problem, written (by Kevin Six) like the Abbott and Costello classic “Who’s on first?” and directed (by DJ Sullivan) like a piece from David Ives’ All in the Timing. Wonderfully executed, with crackerjack timing, by Sherri Allen and Marc Biagi.

The Perfect Red, by Paola Hornbuckle, beautifully directed by Antonio TJ Johnson. A fully realized play about genius and mediocrity in art (a Mozart/Salieri kind of contemplation). Jessica Howell (engaging Kathleen Massé) thinks her art is “dark, dull and dreary,” and her art-dealer boyfriend (Mikel Traxler, unsure of his lines and timing, and showing no real connection to his suppsed main squeeze) doesn’t argue. Then Adam (Michael Dean Grulli, wonderfully dark and brooding as the real artist) strides into their lives and changes everything. Lovely piece, intriguingly unresolved ending.

The Memory Book, by Jack Dyville, directed by DJ Sullivan. Two aging friends (gripping Jonathan Dunn-Rankin and Timothy Carr) meet on a park bench; one’s been waiting for the other for years. Finally, they’re reunited. Touching piece, a nice twist of surprise, high quality presentation.

Bottled In, Baby, by Tori Rice. A clever piece about a gay male couple trying to adopt a baby. Wayne Stribling Jr. and Roger Gobin look more like father and son, but they play their roles to the hilt: one reluctant to make the leap, the other over-anxious and baby-obsessed (Gobin is a hoot here). Enter the attorney who’s supposed to make the decision and transfer (Krissy Tobey), but just when things get interesting, the play is over. Fascinating setup that needs to be further fleshed out. Fine performances.

Ex-Texting, by Jeanne Becijos, directed by Michael Clark. A cute little gen-ex breakup scenario played out by text-message. Adam Marcinowski and Samantha Ginn make us believe… and relate.

An Honest Arrangement, by David Wiener, a play that’s already had a good deal of exposure, at the San Francisco Theater Festival, the Maryland One-Act Festival, and the 2006 New York City 15-Minute Play Festival, where it was cited as Best Play. It’s an intriguing piece about a mail-order bride. Via the internet, an older man brings a much younger woman from Russia. When they meet, truth, lies and misunderstandings abound. The characters and dialogue are fascinating. Todd Butler is credibly straightforward as the man; Hannah Ryan is terrific as the girl, with her strong accent, assertions and opinions. Effectively directed by David Sein.

Where There’s a Will… Jonathan Has a Way

The 71^st birthday tribute to Jonathan McMurtry, co-hosted by the San Diego Shakespeare Society and the Moonlight Cultural Foundation Community Outreach Program of Moonlight Stage Productions, was a stellar event in every sense. The first act was a veritable master class on Shakespeare, with McMurtry illustrating his insights on the Bard’s brilliant writing with outstanding performances of an array of speeches, soliloquies and sonnets. His crisply natural style, making every word audible and comprehensible, was dazzling, and served as a gorgeously rendered lesson to all actors to “speak the speech… trippingly on the tongue.” After an intermission, the surprises and fun began, thanks to coordinator/director Alex Sandie. June 30 was proclaimed Jonathan McMurtry Day by the Mayor of Vista and County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price. The list of luminaries who weighed in – in person or by note – was spectacular: from Jack O’Brien, Richard Easton and Katherine McGrath (by proxy) to David Ellenstein, Sandra Ellis-Troy, Antonio TJ Johnson (very funny), Sam Woodhouse, Christy Yael, Ron Choularton and Darko Tresnjak. And, driving in from Los Angeles, the funny comic duo (though they haven’t really worked together very much) Peter van Norden and Armin Shimerman (best known as Quark in Tv’s “Star Trek” series). There were many heartfelt comments, many beautiful sonnet readings. And many many people talking about how much Jonathan had influenced them, how much he’d taught them, how wonderful it was to be onstage with him. His wife and daughter got the final words, and were, perhaps, the most proud. If you missed it, you really missed something very very special.

I was honored to be among the presenters. As my personal tribute (in addition to having given Jon a Patté Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005), I wrote a sonnet for the occasion:

A Sonnet for Jonathan

By Pat Launer

Shall I compare thee to a Shakespeare song?

Thou art melodic and as filled with joy;

Though other thespians may come along

There’s none ebullient as our Birthday Boy.

He wears the beard, the ruff, the tights, the robe,

Assuming roles both comical and tragic

He has a voice familiar ‘round the Globe

(And other theaters where he makes his magic).

His talent and commitment can’t be weighed

His skills command a scope Wagnerian
And his eternal summer shall not fade

Though Time proclaim ’Septuagenarian!’

For fifty years exalting Avon’s swan

We glorify and hail our own King Jon!

NEWS AND VIEWS ….

…News from around the Globe… The Old Globe has named acclaimed actor Patrick Page the 2008 Shiley Artist-in-Residence. Page knocked everyone out with his uproarious turn as the pompous director, Jeffrey Cordova, in the Globe’s world premiere of Dancing in the Dark last fall. Now he’s in rehearsal as Biddeford Poole in the upcoming production of The Pleasure of His Company (coincidentally, another Fred Astaire movie!), which opens July 12. Director Darko Tresnjak says he’s a dream to work with…

And on the financial side of the Globe, the James Irvine Foundation has awarded a $750,000 3-year grant to support programming efforts in southeastern San Diego. The Globe recently acquired a 43.000-square-foot Tech Center in the area, and it’s hoped that this will become an artistic hub in the community, for play development, performance and training programs for area students and residents.

... Generosity from the NEA… The National Endowment for the Arts is offering $280,000 for developing and producing new work during the next 2½ years. Their New Play Development Program will provide $90,000 to each of two new scripts; they must be already written and attached to theater companies planning to stage their world premieres by the end of 2010. There’s an additional $20,000 for each of five shows at an earlier stage of development, with a writer and theater company needing money to work on an idea without a full production commitment. Almost any type of play is eligible (but given the historical problems and subsequent skittishness of the NEA, the winners probably won’t feature crucifixes in urine or chocolate body-smearing).

…Theater’s gone to the dogs… Only in England: This week, as part of London’s West End Festival, the Hopscotch theater company was staging Who Stole My Sausage?, a play exclusively intended for a canine crowd. The production features sights, sounds and smells designed to capture the attention of a doggone theaterlover. Just like theater for their human counterparts this will will have tickets, ushers, food, drink and toilets, and special prices for attendees over the age of 10. Writer/director Ross Stenhouse mused: “Dogs already have their own culture, their own clothes, salons, therapists and food, so why shouldn’t they have their own theater, too?” According to the BBC, he was reluctant to let the cat out of the bag (so to speak), but he would reveal a bit about the story, “a rollercoaster for dogs involving the theft of a sausage, a case to which inspector Jack Russell is assigned. “After he sniffs around for clues and follows a few leads, the perpetrator has his collar felt and ends up in the doghouse.” The play features a cast of four, and a local pet shop will hand out doggy bags to every audience member. Sounds like the production’s gonna be a walk in the park.

… Grow up and smell the country!... Citing concerns about racial sensibilities a suburban Chicago Park District recently canceled a production of the 1998 Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime. The free outdoor production was to be held in a suburban park in Wilmette, IL; the cast of 40 was already well into rehearsals (opening night was to have been July 10) when the Parkies read the script and became alarmed. They worried that passersby who weren’t familiar with the context of the show would take offense at the use of the infamous N word, which is used several times in the script and score – this despite the fact that the stirring plot (based on the thrilling novel by E.L. Doctorow) is all about racism and justice. Park officials wrote a letter to the show’s licensing agent, Music Theatre International (MTI), requesting changes in the script, which were denied. (Their alternative suggestions, “darkie,” “coon” and “boy,” were just as bad as the original offending word!). “I find this sad,” said Ragtime lyricist Lynn Ahrens. “It seems to sum up the blind ignorance of [some] people...” Equity actor Ty Perry, who was directing the production, said “You take that word out of this story and you invalidate my history as an African-American male. Do I like the word? No. But to pretend nobody said it is wrong. I wouldn’t even consider changing the script. Context is everything, and it’s not gratuitous.”

The show has been produced a number of times in San Diego, by professional, community and youth theaters. It’s interesting to note that MTI licenses the original script as well as a shorter, amended version, but the race-related language remains in both. If high schools want to produce the show, a study guide is sent along to help stimulate discussion. Shame on Wilmette. You deprived your citizens of something that touches the history and heart of America.

… Going out in style… The memorial gathering celebrating the life of Al JaCoby, 38-year husband of Pat JaCoby, a tireless arts supporter, was a journalist’s dream. Each of the many speakers who stood to sing Al’s praises was articulate and amusing. He was a crusty curmudgeon by all accounts, but only on the outside. As the U-T editor Karin Winner put it, ‘I always thought they used stories about Al to craft Ed Asner’s character on “The Lou Grant Show.”’ The ‘real’ Al was a magnificent friend, a consummate journalist (he spent 39 years at the San Diego Union), a voracious reader, a winemaker, a world traveler. And as long-time friend and emcee John Martin said, “He embodied what we wanted to be as journalists.” One of the lovely touches at the wonderful event created by the classily white-clad Pat was a table of books made available to all attendees. Pat suggested we take one and remember Al when we read it. I chose a richly illustrated art book, and will certainly think of Al and Pat when I peruse the plates.

'NOT TO BE MISSED!' (Pat’s Picks)

Golden Boy - excellent ensemble work in a moving American classic

New Village Arts, through July 13

Robert Dubac’s Male Intellect: The 2^nd Coming – smart and funny, political and often provocative

Miracle Theatre Productions at the Lyceum Theatre, EXTENDED through July 27

The Hit – clever, fast-paced, fluffy and fun; well written, acted, directed and designed

Lamb’s Players Theatre, through 7/ 13

It’s the 4^th of July… Celebrate your independence at the theater.

Pat

© 2008 PATTÉ PRODUCTIONS, INC.

For more than 20 years, Pat Launer has been the only regular broadcast theater critic in San Diego. An Emmy Award-winner with a Ph.D. in Communication Arts & Sciences, Pat sees and reviews more than 200 local theater productions every year. For the past decade, she has hosted and produced The Patté Awards for Theatre Excellence, a gala community event that honors local theatermakers (“San Diegans making theater for San Diego”) and celebrates the broad diversity of San Diego theater.