SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE

"CURTAIN CALLS" #263

By Pat Launer

www.sdtheatrescene.com

10/31/08

Hail, Britannicus, man of the hour,

Who won’t Dress for Dinner with Water and Power.

What keeps them all in muted hues?

They’ve got a case of the Backwater Blues.

Viva la Raza…

THE SHOW: Water and Power, a drama by Richard Montoya, co-founder of the influential, 22 year-old Chicano performing troupe, Culture Clash. The play premiered in 2006, at the Mark Taper Forum in L.A., and won the Los Angeles Theatre Critics' Circle and Ovation Awards for Best New Play. All three members of Culture Clash appeared in the original production: Montoya played Water, Herbert Siguenza played Power and Ric Salinas was Norte/Sur. Water and Power has been optioned for a feature film.

THE BACKSTORY: The play is a cautionary tale, both personal and political. Montoya has admitted that some of the story was taken from his own childhood. “I remember my dad picking two guys out of his five kids and saying, 'You two box!' And it usually came to my brother and me. And we'd pound the crap out of each other… I think my dad thought of it as a toughening-up kind of thing."

THE STORY: In flashbacks, we see the young twins being pitted against each other by their father, told to box and beat the crap out of each other. A low-level worker for the L.A. Department of Water and Power, he wants them to be tough, and to have a better life than he did. He wants them to grow up and change the world. He instills a deep feeling of competition, but also of expectation. He calls one of them Water and the other, Power. And he imbues them with the understanding that, symbiotically, ‘There is no water without power. There is no power without water.” He assigns them to battle and protect each other. As adults, the boys take very different paths, each achieving status, and all that comes with it. Power rises to the level of lieutenant in the LAPD; Water has become a Senator.

When we meet them, Power is holed up in a ratty motel on the Sunset Strip. It takes a full 30 of the 110 intermissionless minutes until we find out what he’s done, why he’s in hiding, and what the stakes are. A lot of the background, philosophy and insight comes from Norte/Sur, a derelict-looking, highly tattooed ‘homie’ poet in a wheelchair, whose history with Power is shocking, but whose devotion to him is unquestioned. His name conjures the border, “where so much can happen, or nothing.”

When Water enters, we see that the brothers’ mutual opposition – and protection – have endured into adulthood. Power needs help, and Water knows how to get it. He seeks out The Fixer, a slick, white sadist, a condescending broker of True Power.

Weaving around the action is the Deer Dancer, symbol of the struggle between good and evil, life and death. “The lords of death are back in town,” we’re told at the outset. And the observation proves prescient.

THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: The piece is staged in the round, but the square configuration (design by Kristen Flores and Adam Lindsay) is reminiscent of a boxing ring, in line with the boys’ past. The filial antagonism persists into the present; but clearly, blood is thicker than water – or power. The dim lighting (Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz) and the dark, suspenseful story are pure noir: There’s a tough guy at the center, a man who does wrong to do right.

Siguenza is riveting as Power; he’s aggressive and a little scary -- fulminating, agitated, coked up, inconsolable. Richard Trujillo is superb as Water, a tightly controlled man who’s worked his way to the top, only to have to grovel once again, in order to save his brother’s skin. Bobby Plasencia is terrific as Norte/Sur, the philosopher/narrator/conscience of the piece. We’re wary of him at first, as Water is. We don’t know if we can trust him or his perceptions. But he serves to ground the piece, even as he emotes lyrical lines. Little 9 year-old Marc Alexander Gonzalez puts in an excellent performance as the two young boys -- one tough, one whiney -- and the graceful, ethereal Deer Dancer. As The Fixer, Mike Genevese literally takes your breath away. He is so smooth, dressed all in white, so in control, so vicious and deadly and demeaning. It’s a dazzlingly disturbing performance. All told, this is outstanding work by director Sam Woodhouse, his best in years.

The play is a tale for our time: about parents who demand too much; about the temptations of power; about defending your values, or compromising them; about how Latinos can use or abuse their newly acquired influence and authority. The costumes (Kate Stallons) work perfectly; the sound (Tom Jones) is jarring, from the under-seat rumblings and musical vibrations (composer Paul James Prendergast) to the ear-splitting cracks of thunder. And then there’s the rain (which splashes onto the first row observers). The fight direction (James Newcomb) is exceptional. It’s all highly dramatic, thoroughly intriguing and thought-provoking. Still, it gets lost along the way to a conclusion, with too many endings and several explanations/resolutions that strain comprehension or credulity. But overall, this is a wonderful piece of work, its crackling, fast-paced dialogue interspersed with a touch of magic and the poetry of the street and the heart. You have to listen up and pay attention… but your efforts will be rewarded; you’ll be thinking about the play long after it’s over.

THE LOCATION: San Diego Repertory Theatre, through 11/16

May the Farce Be With You

THE SHOW: Don’t Dress for Dinner, the English adaptation (by Robin Hawdon) of a French farce by Marc Camoletti. In its dual incarnations, the play ran for two years in Paris and six years in London. Camoletti’s best-known work, Boeing, Boeing, is currently a hit on Broadway.

THE STORY: Oh, it’s just too too silly. You just have to suspend disbelief. Somewhere not far from Paris, in a converted French farmhouse (with rooms still called the Cowshed and the Pig Pen), Bernard is sending his wife, Jacqueline, to her mother’s place for the weekend, so he can rendezvous with his mistress, Suzanne, a model/actress. As an alibi, Bernard has invited his friend Robert to dinner, and hired a Cordon Bleu cook named Suzette. When Elizabeth inadvertently finds out that Robert is coming, she decides to stay home, so she can carry on her affair with him under her own roof. There is, of course, the wacky mixup and mistaken identity of the two Suzys, as the deceptions and pretenses mount, along with the infidelities and hypocrisies.

THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: Under Rosina Reynold’s deft direction, a crackerjack cast offers up a rip-roarin’ rollercoaster ride. The whiplash lines fly by, the physical comedy is fantastic, the confusion and mayhem catch you up and don’t let go (which is perfect, since the more time you have to think, the more you question the whole premise and endeavor. We’ll have none of that. Just let yourself go and enjoy). Scenic designer Marty Burnett has whipped up a nifty little country home with five entryways and plenty of wood and stone. Bonnie Durben has worked her magic once again in dressing the set and adding all the prop detail. Michelle Hunt Souza has outdone herself on the costumes: gorgeous getups for the gals, just the right touch for the guys. And oh, those gals and guys! They are all playing on the same comic page, funny without being ostentatious, physical without being ridiculous (all right, they are ridiculous, but it’s all in the hair-trigger timing).

Phil Johnson starts out a tad overwrought as anxious/panicky Bernard, but once the others join him, he gets his rhythm and is a total hoot. Christopher M. Williams is delectable, with a natural instinct for the droll comment, deadpan expression and physical pratfall. Lisel Gorell-Getz looks stunning in every one of her outfits and plays the wife with aplomb. Amanda Stton is ravishing as the statuesque model who doesn’t know a whisk from a ladle, and is forced to stand in for the cook. And that cook! Jacque Wilke, a new L.A.-to-San Diego transplant who should take the city by storm. She did standup in La La Land, and has she got comic chops! She spins from down-and-dirty to uppity, sexy or clueless on a dime. A great addition to the cast – and the theater community. And Matt Thompson towers over all in the small, macho role of the chef’s assertive and insanely jealous husband.

So, Don’t Dress for Dinner. Wear loose clothes, so you won’t split your sides or your seams.

THE LOCATION: North Coast Repertory Theatre, through 11/16

Before Nero Fiddled…

THE SHOW: Britannicus, 1669 tragedy by French dramatist Jean Racine, newly translated by San Diegan Howard Rubenstein

THE STORY: In this rarely-produced exposé of the excesses of power-mongering, the title character actually plays a minor role. Britannicus is the son of the Roman emperor Claudius, and heir to the imperial throne. But Agrippina, Claudius’ third, and most conniving wife, forced her son, Nero, into top position by adoption. When the action begins, Nero is on the throne, but he’s still totally dominated by his mother, who deeply craves control of her son and the Empire. The young man wants some autonomy and independences. And he also wants his step-brother’s fiancée. So he has her abducted, and plots to divorce his wife, marry Junia and assassinate Britannicus. As Nero gets deeper into his lust and conflicts, he becomes more sadistic and monstrous, as does his mother. It doesn’t work out well for anyone.

THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: There’s a lot of history and background in the play, which was written in classical, 12-syllable-per-line alexandrine poetry. The new text, written in prose (or something akin to free verse) sometimes gets bogged down in narrative exposition. But mostly, the story flows as the intrigue mounts. Nero has two disparate advisors (like the angel and devil on his shoulders): the well-intentioned Burrus (Neil McDonald) and the snake Narcissus (Dale Morris), who goes whichever way the wind blows best on him. He’s with/for Nero, then for Agrippina, and he promotes murder if it will enhance his position. Both actors seem to be relishing their roles. At the center of the action is Glynn Bedington, imposing and commanding as Agrippina, one of history’s more manipulative, scheming and devious mothers. She uses every weapon in the maternal arsenal, from fawning to guilt, threats to entreaties and anger. And it’s all successful. She’s a harridan, but Bedington makes her a marvel. Rich Carrillo, flush from his wonderful Bad Boy turn as Judas in Diversionary’s Corpus Christi, is attractive and effective as Nero, and Bayardo de Marguia brings a credible sweetness and innocence to Britannicus. His amorous connection with the hapless Junia (lovely and composed high schooler Jenna Selby) is quite convincing. Director Miriam Cuperman, a New Zealand native recently relocated in San Diego, creates some beautiful stage pictures, but not all the actors are playing in the same dramatic style. The attractive set (Brian Redfern) has touches of elegance, and the costumes (Abigail Hewes) look fine.

The takeaway? Absolute power corrupts, and so do Machiavellian Moms.

THE LOCATION: Compass Theatre, through 11/23

Back, Back, Back

THE SHOW: Backwater Blues, the world premiere of a musical by San Diegan Michael Thomas Tower (music, book and lyrics) and David M. Newcomer (book and lyrics). This is the second installment of Compass Theatre’s new gay-themed Festival of Q Plays.

THE STORY: It’s an old familiar story: a boy living in the sticks (Toad Lake, pop. 233) feels ‘different,’ unhappy and misunderstood. And then the theater, comes to town -- an acting troupe stranded by an automotive breakdown. Young Arnie finds kindred spirits among the gay thesps. He re-encounters his first love (who considers himself straight, and finally realizes – ta da! -- who he really is). Ultimately, Arnie leaves with the group to do what he was meant to do – musical theater. But first, he rehearses for, and takes part in, a production at the local high school. The six men have various loves, losses and conflicts, and everyone winds up with the appropriate partner at the end, except for the one guy-gone-astray who falls for the country boy, and though he’s rebuffed, tries to mend his ways and live a better life. Oh yes, and the tough-as-nails, redneck sheriff has her own performance aspirations; she always wanted to be another Annie Oakley, a “Rootin’ Tootin’ Star.”

THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: The music is as derivative as the book. The story, characters and situations are more than simple; they’re simplistic. The songs almost seem like spoofs. (The whole enterprise might be more entertaining if it were played for camp). There’s a distinct whiff of Rodgers and Hammerstein wannabe (there’s even a Jud Fry character and a King and I “I Have Dreamed” riff), and there’s a Fred Astaire romantic dance number and assorted retro ballads. But the lyrics (despite the occasional sex/raunch factor) feel more like ‘Sesame Street,’ without much complexity.

There’s not much subtlety or subtext here. The entire effort feels amateurish, though there is a lot of talent involved, from director Lindsey Duoos Gearhart (who did such a fine job with Stone Soup Theatre’s Tick… Tick… BOOM!) to performers Andy Collins, Trevor Bowles, Grace Delaney and Tom Doyle, all of whom have been better showcased elsewhere. At the center, as the naïf Arnie, is Shaun Tuazon, a senior at SDSU with a million-dollar smile. Anthony Simone plays the tough-angry guy, and Bowles is the Confused/Undecided one. Collins is the hardened head man who’s lost a lover, a wife and a son, but he warms to his gentle (if somewhat cynical) cohort, Marvin (Doyle). The most interesting (but under-developed) character is Simone’s, but we don’t know enough of his backstory; only that he’s mean and hurt and resentful, and has a bit of a kleptomania problem. Delaney, a native of Ireland, does a dang-good country-Western, and her lines are the funniest, an endless spew of aggressive alliterations. But no one seems quite comfortable with the music – or with dancing. There’s a keyboard onstage at the outset, but it isn’t put to use; the musical accompaniment is pre-recorded synthesizer. It’s tough to write and produce a new musical. This one isn’t quite ready for primetime, but kudos to the small Compass Theatre for making the effort.

THE LOCATION: Compass Theatre, through 11/26

In Brief

… Since I’m a member of the Advisory Board of the Coronado School of the Arts, I went to see their production of Anything Goes (music and lyrics by Cole Porter), which ran for one weekend only in their beautiful new theater space. The costumes were stunning. The solo singing, in many cases, left something to be desired, though the chorus numbers worked well and there was a knockout performance at the center. Maddie White was simply terrific as the sassy nightclub singer Reno Sweeney. She looked great in all her wonderful outfits (costumes by Rosie Masula) and belted out her songs with sparkle, verve and vivacity. Travis Wright had a relaxed insouciance as the besotted stowaway Billy Crocker, but vocally he wasn’t quite up to the task. Still, his comic timing is superb. Same for hilarious David Gibbs as the gangster Moonface Martin and Ben Silbert (also a fine singer) as snooty/nerdy Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. As the impish, brazen Erma, Darienne Orlansky proved she could sing, dance, act and emote with wit and flair. With some 40 high school students onstage, backed by an orchestra of ten, the musical elements of the production should have been stronger. But the comic components were nonpareil; even the dated humor was played perfectly, and that’s no mean feat. Brava to director Barbara Wolf for making an old chestnut meaningful in the mouths of young theatermakers – and their audience.

…The Blue Trunk Theatre Company presented a staged reading of the new play, Taxi Dance, written and directed by Joe Powers. It centered on six denizens of run-down dance hall, all lonely and looking for love. In its prime, the old building was a dime-a-dance palace, but now it’s a ramshackle place where losers and loners come to rent a woman for 35 cents a minute, for a little proximity, close contact and conversation. The dialogue was often crisp and achingly real; the characters were interesting (though we could have learned more of their backstories), and all were brought to vibrant life by a stellar cast. Sylvia M’Lafi Thompson was outstanding as Betty, a woman of a certain age who’s looking back on dreams lost, opportunities not taken, a life she thinks was wasted. Her last chance is her boss, the crusty Ray (wonderfully inhabited by TJ Johnson); these two play off each other so well (remember Fences?) and they’re marvelous to watch as they banter and battle and dance around each other. Monique Gaffney brought sizzle to Martha, a lot younger than Betty but still working at the dance hall for far too long. Walter Murray was great as one pugnacious but ineffectual customer; Eric Poppick, always effective, played another regular, the most enigmatic character of all. Sara Beth Morgan was perfectly wide-eyed and innocent as the ‘newbie,’ Sharon, whom Betty tries to undermine and discourage, so she doesn’t waste her life, too. But Sharon has her eye on Eddie (Jason Connors, excellent in his nervous stuttering and sputtering), and that may just work out. These are sad types, holdovers from another era, though loneliness knows no timeline. Dónal Pugh read stage directions. Powers is hoping for a full production, perhaps next spring. The play is worth exploring further, especially with a cast this exceptional.

WORTH NOTING:

As the Playwrights Project celebrates the visionary work of retiring founder/executive director Deborah Salzer (big event, Nov. 8, www.playwrightsproject.com), with guest appearances by winning playwrights such as Josefina Lopez (Real Women Have Curves) and Annie Weisman (Be Aggressive; Hold, Please), the New York Times is writing about how few female writers are represented on New York stages: the ratio of male to female playwrights produced this year Off Broadway was 4 to 1. And that angered the hard-hitting, woman-supporting gals of Moxie Theatre, who did their own comparable local survey. And they found a “glass proscenium” right here at home. When looking at the 2008-2009 season at the major and midsize theaters of San Diego (the Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Lamb’s, San Diego Rep, North Coast Rep, Cygnet, New Village Arts, Diversionary and Moxie), they found more than a 4:1 relationship (only 21% of 68 shows were created by female writers). But it gets worse. When they took the mid-sized theaters out of the equation, and just looked at the two largest companies, which present nearly 50% of all productions in San Diego, the numbers were alarming: 96% of the plays produced were written by men. This is looking like a national theater crisis, and it should be seriously addressed by ALL local theater companies, especially since women typically comprise a majority of the theatergoing audience.

NEWS AND VIEWS

… Good Kids, Doing Good… The youth theater company, ACT San Diego (Actors’ Conservatory Theatre), now under the artistic direction of Leigh Scarritt, is staging a benefit showcase performance that will feature songs from popular Broadway musicals. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The ARC of San Diego, one of the region’s largest human services agencies, which is dedicated to empowering persons with disabilities and their families. As part of the new program, high school performers will be earning community service hours for their participation, so it’s a win-win situation for all. December 7-8 in the Sherwood Auditorium of the Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla. Info at www.actsandiego.com

… Kids and Puppets: A match made in heaven… Recognizing that more and more musicals are employing puppets in their productions (Avenue Q, The Lion King, etc.), the J*Company is offering a two-part Build-a-Puppet Workshop, for youth age 7-13. After the teaching/learning sessions, the group will perform a puppet play for parents and friends. November 2 and 9, 12-2pm. at the Lawrence Family JCC in La Jolla. Download enrollment forms at: http://sdcjc.lfjcc.org/common/pdf/JCoApplication_Fall_08.pdf

…Honor your volunteers… at the San Diego Performing Arts League’s STAR Awards… Monday, Nov. 3 at 7:30pm in the Balboa Theatre. www.sandiegoperforms.com

…Emerge!… Emerging Arts Leaders San Diego is partnering with the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and Americans for the Arts to host an “Emerging Leaders Creative Conversation,” to discuss issues about the arts in the community and challenges specific to young people. The next generation of arts leaders is invited to meet with San Diego’s top arts leaders, to generate ideas about how to start an action plan to grow professionally in their arts careers. Celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month in a productive way! Wed. November 5, 4-6pm. for details, contact Janine Flores (jflores@thinkplaycreate.org) or Molly Terbovich (mollyterbovich@gmail.com).

.. The Bat returns (after he’s done with Halloween)… Die Fledermaus (which means The Bat) will be performed by the SDSU Opera Theatre, November 21-23 in Smith Recital Hall on the SDSU campus. A cast of 26 will be directed by Kellie Evans-O’Connor, with musical direction by Michiko Lohorn. www.music.sdsu.edu.

… Simply Bilingual… New Village Arts is presenting a staged reading of Simply Maria, or The American Dream, written by former San Diegan Josefina Lopez (Real Women Have Curves), who got her start at Playwrights Project. Since Lopez is in town for the Deborah Salzer retirement celebration at the Neurosciences Institute on Nov. 8, she’ll be able to be present at NVA for a post-show discussion. And in true back-scratching fashion, the NVA cast will perform a scene from the play at the Salzer event. A great weekend all around. November 7 at 8[, www.newvillagearts.org

… They don’t do sadness, but audiences will… the electrifying musical Spring Awakening, which kicked off its national tour in San Diego this summer, is, sadly, closing on Broadway on Jan. 18. The show won eight Tony Awards in2007, including Best Musical, and the cast recording won a Grammy Award. January 18 is the same day Monty Python’s Spamalot ends its Broadway run. The hard times are hitting the light shows and the dark. Sad sad sad.

... Get ahead of the curve; serve yourself some Patté… Reserve your tickets NOW for the 12^th annual Patté Awards for Theater Excellence. www.thepattefoundation.org.

'NOT TO BE MISSED!' (Pat’s Picks)

Water and Power – intense, suspenseful, political and expertly performed

San Diego Repertory Theatre, through 11/16

Don’t Dress for Dinner – wacky farce, wonderfully done

North Coast Repertory Theatre, through 11/16

Bleeding Kansas – history has amazing relevance in terrific production of a somewhat didactic play

Moxie Theatre at Diversionary Theatre, through 11/2

bash and In a Dark, Dark House – dark, disturbing dramas, extremely well performed

Ion theatre, in repertory with bash, through 11/1

Waiting to be Invited – a flawed play, a variable production, but an important piece of history

Common Ground Theatre at the Educational Cultural Complex (ECC), through 11/2 (no performance 10/31)

The Light in the Piazza – beautiful, lush, luscious and romantic

Lamb’s Players Theater, EXTENDED through 11/9

Boomers - you gotta love it, even if you aren’t one. Fabulous band, super songs, high-energy performances

Lamb’s Players at the Horton Grand Theatre, an open-ended run, now selling through 12/31

VOTE like your life depends on it – it does!

© 2008 PATTÉ PRODUCTIONS, INC.

For nearly 25 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 and celebrates the broad diversity of San Diego theater.